The ZU Timeline Theory
By mmmmm_PIE
Introduction
The complete Legend Of Zelda stretches across nearly two decades of gaming history; incorporating television shows, manga, comic books, merchandise, the countless contributions of the fan community and, of course, more than a dozen excellent video games. This great enterprise has detailed hundreds of happenings throughout the History of Hyrule; rewarding fans with a rich, engaging mythology and an absolutely massive catalogue of events.
The obvious question then, for many fans, is that of the big picture. How does it all fit together? What exactly is the Legend of Zelda Timeline?
Unfortunately for us all, there is no such thing as a ‘perfect order’ to Zelda. On one level, the complete series has become something genuinely artistic, with numerous points being interpreted quite differently by different viewers. On a second plane, Nintendo has produced the series over a very turbulent twenty year period, and has consistently chosen not to create storylines that stretch far beyond a single
product.
Despite all this, many fans find fun and excitement in conceiving possible chronologies for the games of the series. In the challenging hobby that has come to be known as ‘Timeline Theory’, gamers employ their Zelda knowledge (in combination with their reasoning skills, argumentative ability, and imagination) to produce hypothetical Hylian histories which can be explained and debated online.
It is often amazing to see how a group of people, all studying the same fourteen games, can come to such completely different conclusions on Zelda’s big picture. Technically, there are billions and billions of ways to arrange the 14 games that make up the series, and while only 40 or so make any real sense, finding the one order that suits you can be an amazingly complex process.
The three sample timelines Zelda Universe presents here were written to guide you through basic timeline forms, to introduce you to some important timeline-related debates, and, above all, to give you an idea of the many diverse and often conflicting viewpoints that make theorizing such an enjoyable challenge.
None of these samples represent the true theories of any person or party in particular, they have been conceived and outlined for the sole purpose of making you comfortable with the timeline and timeline theory. Enjoy!
Loading ...