ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 มิ.ย. 2024
- Now that Tears of The Kingdom has been out for a few months, I want to tackle the Tears of the kingdom timeline. But in doing that I stumbled upon something much bigger. I discovered how nintendo is rebooting Zelda for good, and now I’m confident in predicting the next zelda game! That’s right, I know what the next zelda game after tears of the kingdom will be, and it starts with having the tears of the kingdom storyline explained for you.
I’ve figured out, not only what the next zelda game will be, but also how Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom fit in with the grander Zelda timeline, AND Nintendo’s new meta-philosophy regarding the series that they’re purposely keeping hush-hush in order to stoke conversation online. I’ve got all that and more coming at ya, so grab yourself a noble pursuit to sip on, sit back, and let me explain how nintendo is rebooting zelda (for good!).
Thumbnail Ancient Hero Render: www.artstation.com/artwork/Jv...
Edited by - Inmotion agency
Editor - Semo
0:00 Intro
0:33 Establishing Continuity
4:20 Modern Timeline
5:56 A Brief History Lesson
11:17 The Secret Connection
14:33 Building a Timeline
17:00 The NEXT ZELDA GAME - บันเทิง
![Why Rauru's Kingdom Wasn't FIRST (ft. @wizcatcheslightning ) [TotK THEORY]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Gajk1u4Qt20/mqdefault.jpg)
![Why Rauru's Kingdom Wasn't FIRST (ft. @wizcatcheslightning ) [TotK THEORY]](/img/tr.png)
If this theory doesn't play out, it'd be a huge missed opportunity. Love this
Fingers crossed!
@@BWHERE actually listen to Impa's BOTW speech and think about the games being the legends of the land.
Okay, one problem: the Depths are very clearly the "dark mirror of Hyrule".
@Exarchimedes at this point in history, link to the past link would have made his wish on the triforce, effectively changing the dark world Ganon created. One we would have had zero access to until the depths reopened with Ganons resurrection
@@paul-ernestmichel123when the criticism just makes it seem even more true
I like to think people not referring to the gloom as malice is cause they can tell they are two separate things.
Malice is more like a thick goo with some vapor like forms.
While gloom is a more thin liquid substance and not as thick as malice and is much more vapor/foglike as well. It also does more permanent damage and can even effect peoples personality and mood. They gave it a different name cause they can tell it's different.
I like to think that malice is just an "impure" version of gloom.
Since gloom comes out of the source that is Ganondorf, its effects are a more severe and causes immediate effects upon contact. Gloom can permanently wither anyone and its effects can only by cured by exposure to direct sunlight or by eating sunny foods, whereas malice is unable to even cause severe side effects outside of direct physical harm.
It seems to me that malice in BotW is gloom that's had time to stew. It's congealed, losing some of its more dastardly properties in exchange for a more powerful dps.
@@chaos_mage6226 yeah that makes sense
There were layers to Ganons power. The gloom was the stronger part of his evil. We never actually defeated Ganon in botw. We defeated Dark Beast Ganon. We stripped away the outer "hard" exterior to reveal the true evil.
Link is a Tsundere
Dark Beast Ganon is a Yandere
Ganondorf is Sadodere
Rauru is a Furry
@@JafoTHEgreat nothing but facts
Honestly, I'm not sure if OG fans would truly be ticked off from a reboot, I'm just happy that the 'The Legend of Zelda' title makes more sense, because Zelda's actions are truly legendary now, even if she isn't the main protagonist. First she was able to restrain Calamity Ganon for a hundred years, and then she traveled back in time, only to return the Master Sword to you 10,000 years later. The title just makes perfect sense now, since in the past applying it to a damsel in distress seems kinda facetious.
100% when playing and I saw the tears memory of her talking to mineru about becoming a dragon I realized what was happening (and that I got spoiled by accident lol) and got really sad and then when you finish seeing all the tears and you go get the master sword I was just like whoa, she really is a fucking legend
Yea, turning into a dragon and setting up a full frontal assault thousands of years before hand is definitely legend-worthy/legendary
If a reboot happens remember Zelda SS won't be canon no longer in the reboot series which means Hylia and Demises curse won't be canon anymore it will be just as canon as the OG Hyrule warriors is
As a diehard OG Zelda fan, I'm quite ok with this.
I'm damn near 50... been playing Zelda since 87 (somewhere around there)... me personally idc if they reboot the story, I've never really cared about the timeline so much... I've always looked at each game as it's own self contained story, I enjoy the nods to other games in the franchise but I don't think about it super deep. They are legends and I'm OK with that
Whoa. Great job. I've been playing Zelda games for nearly 40 years and I still get excited for each new installment. I'm excited for how they tie in or don't tie in intentionally the next games and then the Zelda community sees some obscure item in Zelda game number 45 in a cave and we're all "whoa! This ties in to the adv of link when the townsperson says I am error and he said that because he ate a bad mushroom that only grows in this cave."
I Am Error the secret boss of the entire franchise, CONFIRMED?
Yay! I’m another “old” fan! I’m 40, so I probably played the OG in the late 80s. So proud of the young ones carrying on our nerdy legacy 😭
Shit I got about 30 years. NES days were something special. Fuck that Zelda 2 tho. Oh how I hated that game lol
There's still an old, broken down Guardian on top Robbie's new tech lab (the one that the Yiga Clan didn't take over). Makes sense what you said about Zelda wanting them out of commision and gone. I was hoping there would be some Guardians in TotK but it's ok. The game makes up for it imo.
My beef with this is that 8 years is not enough to scrap away every Shiekah tech on the map, let alone all the stuff that's been buried deeper in those 10k+ years. If anything , the Upheaval should have revealed even more Sheikah tech in caves and the chasm
@@VictorJulioHurtadocould've all been warped? The existence of even one guardian throws a huge wrench in the idea that they just never existed after Zelda went back. Also the tapestry in Kakariko still features the guardians and beasts in the ancient calamity
I think all the shrines simply disappeared once the calamity was gone. The divine beasts might’ve been stored away and towers put back into the ground, only leaving the guardians to be dismantled.
While i loved the heart attack-inducing piano theme when you encountered them early game, i honestly totally forgot about that experience playing totk. It's been totally separated from the botw/totk gameplay loop in my head, if i ever go back and play botw I'll probably hear it and think "oh dang, i forgot guardians existed"
Those Gloom Hands...
Great video! This could be the perfect way for Nintendo to revisit narrative ideas from prior games while having them be consistent throughout. That's not something they intended when the series started but now it could end up being something that is easier to make coherent sense of. It could just be a different universe altogether and the timeline we're familiar with took place in a different universe entirely.
Absolutely! I'd love to see OOT, WW, and TP all retold with a more consistent story!
@@BWHERE Or you could have a more competent set of people do it better than Nintendo 😘
@@BWHERE They are already consistent between themselves due to Ocarina of Time time travel shenanigans.
Breath timeline is just a different canon.
@@saricubra2867 exactly.
If they do that, I NEED another Spirit Tracks. That game is an underrated gem.
Honestly, I don't think this is all that likely, but I AM SO ON BOARD for the series to do this. I'm also a fan of the idea that whole breath of the wild timeline takes place soooo long after the original three timelines as to make the split irrelevant, but it would be cool for the next game to tie the two together by keeping the same master sword: instead of forging like in skyward sword, the ancient hero could discover the ancient remnants of the original master sword and go on a quest that restores it, along with some lore that explains how it got there and ties it all in the last three games of the old timeline.
I agree
Also, the Master Sword is a literal time machine, Skyward Sword spoilers: -the Master Sword is made of time shift stones- .
I never would have thought of this, but it's such an interesting and accurate theory with little to no inconsistencies, great job! If the next Zelda was an altered remake of a Link to the Past, I'd love it!
There's another cool theory I've heard about that the Zelda timeline is a loop. The sky islands from TOTK become Skyloft and the other islands in Skyward Sword, and the timeline just repeats. This especially makes sense since the symbol for TOTK (an auroboros) is a loop, as well as a lot of Zonai symbolism.
But that's the thing I love about Zelda games. It's all up to your own interpretation as the player. Anyways, sorry to bother you with this long comment. Cheers :)
The Circle theory is interesting, I'll have to give it some thought 🤔
I think it is an endless cycle because they’ve already established that, as I said in a comment on this thread, I think this game is the sequel to breath of the wild but a prequel to skyward sword. Thus ending and beginning a new cycle.
Since i played botw I've had a theory that it would be a trilogy. My reasoning was based on my hopes of getting a sequel. At first i thought it was weird that link wasn't in his usual green clothes and there was heavy use of blue in the game and in the marketing/packaging. Blue was also the color of the source of his abilities, the sheikah slate. Usually blue in zelda is associated with the tri force of wisdom. which is the triforce associated with zelda. Now I see it as part of the sheikah since they used blue a lot. This is symbolic to how the sheikah had the wisdom to create machines that could protect from evil. Then totk comes out and link has a green arm and just like botw had blue, totk has green everywhere. The triforce of courage is associated with green and now the Zonai. The zonai had the courage to stand up against Ganon. So now we have 2 of the 3 pieces of the triforce as abilities for link. The 3rd installment will show link with red on him in some form and most likely be the source of his abilities and there will probably be a race that utilizes red in some capacity. Lastly we already have a connection to a hero (link) with red hair in totk. This just gets me really excited that this probably makes no sense at all.
And given the naming conventions I assume the third game will be called something like “Blood of the Empire”
@@PhoenixRiseinFlamey’all are tripping 😂. Cool concept tho
@@PhoenixRiseinFlame "Blood of the Goddess" or something
If red represents "power" and power is usually often associated with Ganon then there's red all over the place in both games in the form of Malice/Gloom so I don't think there's going to be a third instalment of the series. For me no DLC pretty much confirms this as it means the team of developers are focusing in the next Zelda game for the Switch 2.
Edit: No DLC for TotK**
A sequel acting as a spiritual reboot, I’m on board for this. I can’t wait to see what’s next.
Pretty convincing. Especially them not mentioning the triforce in the latest 2 releases. Link to the past was a masterpiece. Cannot wait.
I hadnt even thought about the sequel just because I've been enjoying this game so thoroughly. This theory is so fucking crazy and it makes absolute sense. They talk about the foundation of Hyrule, the hero, and all this other stuff so much yet we don't really get to see any of it; it's like scriptures or in passing conversations with NPCs. This would amazing
Did this video need a spoiler warning?
Yes. You say some stuff from TotK like how Zelda turns onto a dragon
Yes definitely
no, the games been out for 2 months, if someone is watching a video about tears of the kingdom, its up to them at this point to be careful about what they watch.
Nah the game’s been out for a while. If people don’t want spoilers they shouldn’t watch content about it
Yes
LTTP bunny Link connection to the ancient hero blew my mind. I've also been thinking we are seeing a retelling of the classic Zelda games since I finished TOK. Great video
I do believe we’ll get to play as the ancient hero at some point, but hopefully not going back and forth to a Hyrule map reused for a third time.
I also believe the memories from Zelda’s time with Rauru and Sonya mirrors the events of Ocarina of Time, maybe even depicting that game but in a reboot type of way. But with our Zelda changing history as she travels back in time aiding the founding king.
I always thought it was between Skyward Sword and Minish Cap
@@paulsander5579
No it’s not.
My theory is that Tears of the Kingdom is to Ocarina of Time what Steel Ball Run is to Phantom Blood in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: A reboot/alt-continuity retelling of a previous entry in the series using similar characters and story beats but on an entirely different setting.
Or perhaps the Sky Islands, but before they broke apart and fell ... 10,000 years of changes
I can almost guarantee that they will never ever again revisit any ideas from these games unless the next game is another direct sequel. Nintendo do not care about timeline consistency and never have.
The logic behind the Hyrule citizens never discussing the Calamity is very clever on your part. Excellent video.
thanks!
But it happened
This has me beyond excited! I’d be thrilled with a reimagining of a LTTP
Fingers crossed!
they could mix it up a bit as well to make it even bigger by blend in alttp with albw as that is alttp,s sequel
@@BWHEREWhat about: the one on 3ds?
Also, I have a sneaking suspicion that you included the FS Trilogy as evidence of a “calamity loop” where link beats ganon.
Link To The Past was a game that formed my founding conception of what a video game was. If we get a "spiritual successor" to that in 5 years or so, I will be so excited!
This is very possible, and I’d love to see a reimagining of LttP and OoT. But I’ve also heard a theory that Skyward is also a timeline split - where Demise is destroyed by the Triforce and Skyloft descends and where Link defeats Demise and Skyloft and the Triforce remain in the sky for far longer
I think the theory that makes the most sense is that everything we experienced in past games never happened in the way we remember them. As Hyrulians pass down stories from one generation to the next, they change ever so slightly. After over ten thousand years, the stories are barely recognizable apart from certain key events that happen. This applies to our memories of the stories in past games as well. In TotK, the story in the past era was what actually happened instead of what we remember in Ocarina of Time. Many key events remain the same, at least for the events in the downfall timeline. Demise is reincarnated in the form of Ganondorf, Ganondorf starts a rebellion against the kingdom of Hyrule killing the royal family, Ganondorf is sealed away by sages for a future hero to deal with. The differences in this era include that this was the era Hyrule was founded, there wasn't a Link in this era, the king was a Zonai, and the hero of time was Zelda who came from the future.
This will be Nintendo's approach to dealing with the timeline in the future also. For the next game, the events of TotK and BotW will be tales mixed with both history and legend. There will never actually be a definitive truths to the stories that happen in any of the games as future games have the freedom to retcon the events in the others. The reason they intend to go this way is so they can tell whatever stories they want without feeling constrained by having to make it fit perfectly into the timeline. I am not a fan of this approach as having continuity improves the experience IMO.
Exactly, thats what I also think. With this its also possible to have hints and events from all three timelines as they are legends and not 100% facts and maybe existed in 1 single timeline, told in 3 different stories...
Great theory. That would be great to see some events be explored more in detail.
Thanks!
This is legitimately one of the best zelda theories ive seen in a long time, a long time
Excellent video, very well done! You took an original take on a confusing topic and managed to articulate it in an enjoyable and understandable way. Now I'll be checking out all the rest of your videos.
about forging the master sword, at the end of the hyrule historia, there is the skyward sword manga, or shall I say, the one before! In this manga, Link had been imprisoned for four years and only gets out when the people realize they need his help to defend Hylia's land (not hyrule yet). At this moment, Hyila comes down on the land on Red (Loftwing) To help too. She gives Link the sword to reforge because only divines could weild it.
We mention in Totk that the Zonaï where though to be gods.
At the end, The castle is raised into the sky by the master sword as Link dies in the arm of the godess.
The manga depicts Link as a hylian, but a lot of things are different from the story to character development in the mangas.
For example: The Majora's mask manga was made at the SAME time as the game was in development. The mangaka only had the beginning cut scene and the base story line + characters to include.
There are some meta knowledge of the player, that Skyward Sword still holds water considering the fact that Fi is still here. Nintendo has also stated that it takes place so long after the original timelines. So it’s technically a reboot but, in a different way than Nintendo just saying “Other Zelda games? Never heard of it”.
With the release date, 3 things to keep in mind:
- The switch is on its last legs (it's processor released in 2015!) and there's no way the third game will release on it at this point. I'm guessing it could be a flagship for a new console, either a launch title like Breath or a year in to boost sales like Odyssey. It would likely *have* to be on a new console if the scope of the world increased further, giving them additional processing power.
- They've got a *ton* of the game's structure/assets engineered, the breath/tears game engine has been developed for over a decade at this point. Most of new dev time would be less "how do we build an entire open world" and more "ok we have this massive existing open world, and the tech expanded to add 2.5 more open worlds to it seamlessly, now just iterate on a new world to implement" (yes, this is "draw the rest of the f^%king owl")
- This game was also developed during a pandemic and the ensuing global supply-chain issues. They still managed to massively upgrade the engine, develop the depths and sky islands, etc in a year less than BOTW took. Assuming we don't end up in an even worse hellworld soon, I'd guess it could be 4-5 years... still a long wait but given how 2020 feels like last year it'll probably come up a lot faster than ya think haha.
Also, random sidenote. I don't expect news until like, a year before it comes out. Breath took 6 years between announcement and release and Tears took 4, and I think they've learned from recent releases (Metroid Dread/Prime Remaster in particular) that shorter hype cycles generate a lot more engagement and don't lead to as many players expecting too much and being disappointed. You can see this with the new NSMB game as well.
Definitely makes sense and having played this series since the beginning it makes even more sense. My only issue is when you mentioned the dueling peaks once being one whole mountain you then switched images to hebra peak, two completely different mountains. I know it was most likely for an example and there is no asset for an unsplit dueling peaks, just triggered me a but for some reason tho lol. Otherwise it is very compelling and im all for this actually being what happens lol
While I do think you're stretching on some points (Link's hair color, Ganondorf "shadowing" Link's movements in TotK, etc.), I personally LOVE this idea as a pitch for the next Zelda. That said, I think the implications of this - if it were to be executed in a manner that expands upon and vivifies the world(s) of Hyrule - necessitate more advanced hardware in order to run it all. Granted, I don't know much about making games - I just don't know if what I'm imagining would be able to run on a Switch.
As for the Zelda timeline itself, I have always subscribed to the idea that the Legend of Zelda is, indeed, just that - a legend; a myth of sorts. Barring some (what I would call) "deuterocanonical" and "apocryphal" installments that expand on the basic "ABC" plot you mentioned (Majora's Mask and so on) and others that directly reference events from other games, I like to think that the Legend of Zelda is - like any other bit of myth, legend, or folklore - more akin to a sort of oral tradition that, over millennia and vast stretches of cultural geography, is subject to constant revision, mutation, and augmentation to suit the sensibilities and values of zeitgeist wherein the story is being told.
What I might like to see at some point in the future - if the folks at Nintendo ever have the cajones to sign off on it - would be a DEFINITIVE Legend of Zelda; a primeval origin story. One could argue that Skyward Sword fits the bill, but I would like to challenge this. There is no narrative which is void of narrativity (i.e., some level of moralizing, anachronism, etc.), nor is there a narrative which is void of a narrator. Who, then, are the narrators? What is the "historical truth" behind this legend, this myth? I understand that dissecting these vicissitudes negates the purpose of having myths and legends in the first place, but still. What if Nintendo chose to explore the legend meta-contextually? In academia, we like to think that we are constantly improving our views of history through iterative and revisionist processes that seek to cultivate clearer (though interminably partial) truths. What is the TRUTH of Zelda?
And why do I care so much?!
What if what actually happened is that some great event happens where someone used the triforce to merge the timeline and recreate the world or something like that? And that's why you see so many familiar locations and the whole land is just a mishmash of past games.
This would explain why nobody is aware of the triforce and how the kingdom got refounded once again.
It would also explain the zonai.
Whatever wish they made probably change the world so much that it created a new race.
I didnt think I could be more excited for a sequel than i was for TotK but by golly you’ve done it! I want OH so badly for this to be the direction they’re going, what an excellent turn out that would be!
WOW!!! I just got so hyped up while watching this. This is a mindblowing theory and would be an awesome route for them to go down! I also really enjoyed the depth and research you put into this, and the way you presented it. It felt very convincing and engaging! This was my first experience with your content and I'm really into it. I hope to see more of your work and I hope you get the recognition you deserve!
Thank you!
of course, thanks for the reply! @@BWHERE
@@BWHEREAgreed! This is well put together and doesn't sound like it's trying to make a patch fit the fan theory (forcing the timeline to be correct, which even Nintendo admits was never meant to be a thing), but rather seeing the whole thing as a redo based on all the years of zelda lore we have, like a "If we were to tell the Legend of Zelda from the beginning based on everything we learned for the past 35 years...." I really like this path too cause like Pokemon, it will allow new fans to develop a fresh appreciation for the games while veteran fans get something familiar to remind them of what got them into the games in the first place. Not relying on Nostalgia, but really proving Legend of Zelda stands on it's own and deserves it's eternal spot.
Whilst my standing belief is that all the events both past and present are all at the end in a timeline merge and so on, these parallels you saw are honestly super well put together and them being a re telling of the original three games honestly makes lot's of sense. Hyrule's history does rhyme after all, so maybe it's a re telling of old events at the end of the timeline. For a game about the ancient hero, I would say it would likely be another Hyrule Warriors game called something like "the ancient war" as it was only a single conflict, I could be wrong though as the parallels to a link to the past are very intriguing.
This was such a great vid! Honestly the most believable theory I've heard about the timeline! Also, as I remember someone else saying, minor inconsistencies could be explained by some of it ACTUALLY being legend.
The possibility of loss of information over time as legends pass on has definitely been sorely overlooked by many. +1 on this.
Sheikah Tech was torn apart off screen, they didn't explain it, but it was obviously all taken down to prevent another Calamity Ganon.
Malice was a manifestation of Ganondorf/Ganon/Calamity Ganon's rage. It was anger manifested.
Gloom has a greater purpose. Gloom drains the strength of anyone who touches it and feeds it to Ganondorf.
Want proof? Just play the final fight and pay close attention to where Ganondorf is. Look at all the Gloom Roots underneath Hyrule. Look where they point. You'll notice that all of it points toward Ganondorf. He is drawing in strength from Gloom to restore himself.
I assume Malice and Gloom are the same type of plague, but Malice is a watered down Gloom because Ganon is just a minion of Ganondorf's power. Let me explain the hierarchy.
- Ganon's Malice just takes health away from you. It has a basic remedy, eating anything.
- Ganondorf's Gloom takes away health and the ability to regain that health for a certain period or situation. It has more complex remedies, either eating specific food or getting to a safe place.
- Demon King's Gloom is the most lethal and pure iteration. It steals your health and the ability to regain it for eternity.
@@luissantiagomijareso.2450 I always felt Malice was a manifestation of the hatred. Which is why it harmed you, but you could recover easily. It was basically extremely concentrated, and far denser than Gloom.
Malice was thicker and denser, actively physically hindering you and harming you. Especially if you try to walk through it or touch it.
Gloom doesn't hinder you physically. Yes, it's there, but it's not physically in your way, you can simply walk over it. However, it instead saps your strength and life from you, actively feeding it to Ganondorf.
Interesting video! I'm not sure I'm fully onboard with this theory, but the way you spelled it out and made arguments that had some strong backing made it a very good watch! Tbh for the new Zelda all I want is a different artstyle and a more Majora's Mask-esque story/world. This version of Hyrule is just too big and for that reason not exciting enough to fully explore twice.
Although it's very likely they're rebooting/starting anew with Zelda, sometimes I wouldn't mind a Zelda spin-off about other interesting lore from the Zelda universe. Instead they keep creating new stuff for each game to keep it 'fresh'. But I would love a Zelda spin-off about side adventures from other notable characters who hit the history pages in the Zelda universe. Who knows, could be about the Sages from OOT, Sheik perhaps, heck, they could even combine some stuff and make it the 'The Stories of Heroes sung through Legend' or something.
There's just too much happening in Hyrule to cover it in a main Zelda game with a few flashbacks. It's something that comes back in each Zelda game, now it's happening with the Zonai in TOTK. But if they do make a sequel and expand on the history of the Zonai (as you suggested), they are going in the right direction. All in all, I do sometimes feel a little sad that the Era of Myth (the Zelda games before BOTW) are just over like that... There were some loose ends in the split timelines that I would've liked to see expanded upon. Mostly for me the Twili and the lore from MM
Great video! Not sure if you've discovered this yet, but the map from A Link to the Past is embedded in the BotW and TotK map. Akkala Citadel is the castle from ALttP. Death Mountain and the Lost Woods are in the same places, relative to the castle, the Lanayra Great Spring is where Lake Hylia was, and the Desert of Mystery has become the swamp of the Lanayru Wetlands. If you recall, in ALttP, the Dark World version of the desert was Misery Mire.
Alternatively, it's possible the Hyrule we're in is actually the Dark World where some prior incarnation of Ganon brought the Triforce and created a dark mirror version of Hyrule. And in the upcoming possible prequel, we might be trying to get to the Light World. Heck, maybe BotW takes place in Hyrule and TotK takes place in the Dark World, or vice versa. Totally conjecture there, but either way, I thought it was pretty cool that they adapted the old SNES map into this new Hyrule.
Holy shit what an awesome video and concept for the third game, really hope it’s true. You might have something here
We'll see in a short... Seven years...
This is such a well written, well structured video that I found fascinating and intriguing. I really hope that this speculation will turn out to be true, as a game like that sounds like it would be amazing. Only time will tell I guess.
I hope so!
This was the first video I've watched of yours, and it was insane. This amazing theory about the micro and macro timeline... bro you just earned a new subscriber.
Awesome, thank you!
God I love the Zelda series so much. My hype for the lore skyrockets with videos like these. Your ideas are amazing and I hope we see something like this for the next major installment! I want to see a god like Hero who posses the triforce in order to defeat the evil! ♥
This is one of the best Zelda theories I’ve encountered over the years. Great job!
Thanks!
Honestly I think if they try to redo a link to the past like you said it would probably be DLC for tears of the Kingdom.
I think the next game they're going to do will probably be a reimagining of the wind waker where you can actually go deep underwater and explore the abandoned hyrule.
great video, plus the ouroboros on the cover of totk makes me think of a constant cycle like you're talking about
Good call!
dude YOOOO this is MAGNIFICENT. I subbed and shared this with anyone that would listen, you deserve so many views on this!!
Thank you!
I'm okay with pretty much any direction the series goes going forwards. I just want Link to be left-handed again is all. That's literally all I want. That was one of Link's few unique character traits that separated him from most other fictional swordsmen and they took that away in Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom.
A rehashing of Link to the Past could play on that frustration. Due to sprite limitations in the old game, the hand in which Link holds the sword depends on whether he faces left or right!
Wasn't there some animations that suggest Link is still left handed but he was wrongly trained as if he were right handed?
Honestly, I'm fine if they wanna do a reboot of the timeline. This way, they can start out doing new games and remakes knowing where this thing and that would fit in.
(I just want a remaster of Wind Waker with all the cut content back in T_T That game with ToTK engine and scope would be awesome!)
That would be so cool!
Well after watching this video I’m now subscribed and hooked, your theory is what I was thinking but I’m happy you put it all together and made this video. Such a great job and hope to see more.
I appreciate that!
Excellent video. Honestly i would add in something like "and what Zelda game is coming next" in the title to get hook people in to your theory. The specifics may be different but the general themes of the game match perfectly.
The only thing I'm unsure about is the Master Sword part because that was already kind of done in Skyward Sword and that game has the same producer as Breath of the Wild and Tears of The Kingdom, so despite not being made on the same new engine, i think to Nintendo its included in this new era.
Also, just as you mentioned we don't like to mention the pandemic, the pandemic is a missing factor in how long it took to make TOTK. Unless something else like that happens in the world, the next game might not need to take as much time to make because i'm pretty sure TOTK would have came out earlier if not for the pandemic pushing everything back.
I'm just thinking: 7 Maidens + Link in ALTTP, 7 Gerudo Warriors + 8th Warrior in BotW... coincidence? The Ancient Hero do be looking kinda sus with that red Gerudo hair.
GREAT point!
This theory is making me excited for the next zelda. I never got to play link to the past entirely, but it'll be really nice to see it in breath format!
Great video, pretty similar to what i had in mind, a new timeline or reboot that branch out of Skyward Sword. My idea was that when Demise curse Link and Zelda, he doesn't curse "Link" and "Zelda", but the reincarnation of Hylia and the Soul of the Hero, but he doesn't this while in the ancient past, so the curse would not only affect Link and Zelda, but also the "Hylia" and the "Hero" that are already in the ancient past and that split the timeline again, with the old timeline following Link and Zelda going back to their present and BOTW and TOTK following the futur of the Ancient Past, which would be why SS is the only 3d remake on switch and they released it prior to TOTK, they
I love this theory!! also you sound SOOO much like Bolin from the Legend of Korra 😂😂😂.
Wait... heroines.. women.. seven.. A Link to the Past.. the seven heroines are the maidens from ALttP then. Oh man that makes sense
The Malice and Gloom problem is easily explained. In Japanese, each is, respectively, called 怨念(on'nen)and 瘴気(shouki) and translate, respectively, to "Hatred" and "Miasma". There's a whole lot of meaning behind this "miasma" idea but what we can get out of all that is that Malice is just a feeling of hatred manifesting into calamity Ganon and attempting to act with a replica of Ganondorf's miasma. So once the malice is proven to no longer be of use, because Ganondorf figures how to break the seal and as he is progressing towards breaking free, miasma (or gloom) leak out of him, trying to win a bit of time. As for the sheikah tech, I watched a theory video about how both Hyrulians AND Ganondorf try to get rid of it as they both consider it a liability, explaining some chasms appearing where Sheikah shrines were. These are things that can be explained so there is the explanation
Malice apparently already existed with skyward sword, so I think the reason it's similar to Gloom is because it comes from a being almost consumed in it, perhaps if Zelda had malice it would take the form of a corrupted light. It's also worth mentioning that malice does appear in TOTK, when a boss dies they leak out malice and when Ganondorf summons his monsters in that flashback, it first has the color of malice before changing to gloom.
@santiagopomares6287 There's always a step back worth taking. Look back at how those 2 matters are called in Japanese. It is worth researching the Japanese version of Skyward Sword and trying to find if the Malice really is called on'nen. I love to pay close attention to the Japanese version and try to get the most raw translation of it instead of sticking only to the French version or the English version, which are flawed in comparison. Understanding what "hatred" and "miasma" are supposed to be, we can understand that the raw power of Ganondorf is "miasma," an illness inducing fluid, while "hatred" is that sharp feeling that makes your blood boil, you are held back from getting to afterlife because hatred, as both the zombie bokoblins in Skyward Sword and the Cursed Stalheads in BotW. Also, in Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity, there was a class of enemy called "Malice", so, in Japanese, they are called Monsters of Hatred. Consumed by Hatred, they are just much stronger. But in the depths, every common enemy from the surface is just a vehicle for miasma to reach you.
I thought for sure you would mention the depths when you were talking about the dark realm in link to the past
I would like to see a game where a time traveling, dimension hopping sacred realm agent (such as a distant future/apocalyptic Sheik alternate) has to battle dark agents (such as Twili/interlopers/dark link) to secretly set up the devices and puzzles to test, guide, and aid the hero to a good outcome. Suffering of the people caught in the crossfire of hero vs evil loop and all that. Can't interact too much or you risk paradoxes or something worse.
Maybe spice things up with the Ganons are getting progressively more powerful and you need to investigate why.
Just imagining all the different hyrules with different mechanics and equipment makes me so happy.
I hope this is just a phase. I like the og timeline way more.
The newer games don't have the same narrative "charm", I suppose. I don't think it's entirely nostalgia talking either.
ETA some ass commented something to the effect of people liking MM because they're bored of the "same old story" and MM tried something different. First of all explain why the biggest criticism of BotW/TotK is its departure from the old games, second of all explain how MM is so different when it contains so much of the same core lore, third of all don't post/block like a coward lol
This is an excellent video, I hope Nintendo uses your ideas for the next game.
This was so well written and thought out. You get a subscribe on this alone! Well done!!
I love this! It would be amazing if this happened! Also, this isn’t anything really but I think it’s interesting that link from a link to the past has pink hair and the zonai hero has red hair, both different from the regular blonde we see with others. (As I type this you literally just addressed that lmao yessss)
This would be amazing if it's the path they take! Definitely, by far, my favorite and most well backed up theory I've heard!
I am going to keep it real with you. Tears of the Kingdom nuked my interest for the Zelda series. It felt like nothing mattered and it was all a waste of time.
They added 2 new layers and both are equally barren. They added ultra hand and took away everything else. They gave you tarry town and built your house and nobody even recognized you as if you didn't build it all. They didn't even account for your actions in the game much less your actions in the previous one, much less any of the lore in the last game. I mean how lame was this Ganondorf? He doesn't get any screen time or background, he's not the same guy, he's just some new guy named the same thing.
I get that I'm not entitled to anything, Nintendo can make whatever they want, but it felt like such a waste.
We waited 6 Years and even though I would have scoffed at this before release, it honestly felt like DLC. The director said they made this because they didn't know how to fit it all into DLC.
They didn't make this for the lore fans or anyone wanting a story. They don't want story at all.
They made TotK for Reddit clips of Ultrahand machines.
It's a game with no depth that's all flash that got delayed as the scope got out of control and global events happened and the hype was never ever ever going to live up to what they were making.
So...
When you make the comparison between the first games and these new ones, even after I got totally burned waiting for TotK, I kind of like the idea enough to feel some investment in what they'll do next.
It feels crazy to be honest.
Honestly you make a good point about switching between past and future. And I wouldn't be surprised if that's the direction they take because the master sword spent forever being repaired by Zelda who possesses light AND time abilities
Great video and also great analysis of everything. The best theory i ve seen so far. To tell the truth I am hoping the next game would be the reboot of Ocarina of time. I saw so many hints to that in tears of the kingdom. But you re probably right. Thanks for posting this. Oh and I hope the next game isn t released in 2030, I m 70 years old...
OOT was my first Zelda game, so that would be great!
I think your theory about Breath and Tears sharing a lot of parallels with Zeldas 1 and 2 is spot on. I would say however, that its not Nintendos style to be that predictable with its sequel, even though Nintendo has changed somewhat in the last few years.
And as much as I like the idea that they keep exploring mysteries of this Hyrule setup in Breath, I think two games set in this game world is enough already. I want something completely new.
They could be in the same timeline but in a different location, it doesn't necessarily need to be Hyrule
Well malice and gloom are completely different, malice was the hatred from demise in the form of malice.
Gloom is from Ganondorf, gloom can effect hylians just by being around it, that’s why link and Zelda went to seek where it was coming from in the first place. And why All the weapons are damaged from it.
Malice didn’t make the hylians sick nor damage the weapons in the way the gloom has done.
I was explaining almost this exact theory to my coworker almost a month ago. I'm glad I'm not the only one who see's the similarities and what direction the games are likely heading towards. I'm super excited for it. Gonna be a while, though, given how long it takes them to make these.
Good theory, but im not sure if the games line up 1-to-1, considering the sheer amount of alttp and oot content/references in totk's story- From the imprisoning war, to the 7 sages, it seems more like elements from games are being mixed up and folded together- Like how the depths in totk is a near-exact vertical mirror of hyrule above, like the dark world in alttp. All im saying is, i dont think the next game is going to exclusively be entirely/exclusively based on alttp, but i do think all the elements you brought up will be included in some form- We'll definitely learn more about the ancient hero if this is breath 3, and like you said possibly play as him.
People don't seem to realize that ToTK isn't a retcon, it's the end of the OG timeline, Rauru founded A Hyrule but he didn't found THE FIRST Hyrule. Rauru's founding of Hyrule still takes place thousands of years after all the other events.
This video got me to subscribe. I'm actually interested in seeing if your right. Honestly this is best theory I've heard sofar and makes most sense.
Thanks!
Cool vid but one small point. A link to the past did have a remaster/remake. It had a 3ds port. Shame it never went further but what can you do?
This is the only explanation I've heard so far that would leave me satisfied with all the unexplained parts of BotW and TotK. Nicely done.
They're both "[something] of the [something]." What's the third one going to be named?
Dude this genuinely makes so much sense. I like how beyond the whole "oh, BOTW & TOTK take place eons after the rest of the series so continuity doesn't matter a ton" line the community's mostly embraced, you touch on how BOTW is itself a semi-remake of the first game, explaining away the timeline-jumbled references to past games as examples of how the events of those games did happen this time around, just slightly differently because its a new instance of the same overarching cycle. Sick!
It's an interesting theory, and the concept is very likely, but I honestly doubt this is the case, especially when you mention that the third game will require forging the Master Sword. The guy who was brought on to write/direct Skyward Sword also did so for these two games, as well as Age of Calamity. If they are to go back in time with the next game, I can only see it going towards the very first Calamity Ganon OR it's the story of establishing Hyrule just after Skyward Sword with the help of the Zonai. I personally believe that the TotK memories take place after the events of Skyward Sword and before Minish Cap. Again, practically all of this is speculation, so it's hard to determine any one thing being right so we'll see how things pan out.
Well, I'm sold on this theory. Sounds amazing, and the paralleling between the oldest games with the newer games would be an ingenious move. The next question becomes, can we predict even more future Zelta games based on this logic? Obviously the original trilogy of Zelda games will have run their course, but there's a slew of titles that we can pick through by their chronological release dates and speculate how Nintendo would innovate and retell the story in a modern Zelda game.
Idk for sure but in one of the loading screens in botw it mentions how bogs of water were corrupted by Ganon. Since malice is diluted by water it only damages you, but gloom is concentrated malice built up by Ganondorf which is why it takes hearts from you. Idk for sure that’s just what I know
1:30 there is 1 guardian on hateno lab and they got rid of shiekah tech so calamity ganon doesnt take it again but kept the arrowheads for some reason
17:05 I had a thought that the next game could revolve around dimension shifting.
The main item is some kind of tuning device that allows like to tune into say 3 other dimensions. Main Hyrule+3 other would be 4 total.
It could work like when Link uses it, he projects an ethereal form of himself to another dimension. In this form his time could be limited but upgraded to a longer duration similar to the Energy Cell.
But there could be larger versions of this tuning device, similar in size to the towers from Breath Zelda's.
These could allow Link to transport his physical body into other dimensions and "set them" as his default dimension just by whichever one his physical body is in.
So you could have multi dungeons. Say you're in the Fire Temple and there's a lava moat that you can't cross but on the other side is a bridge piece you could use. Link hops into another dimension and it's actually the Water Temple there and you swim across and move that bridge piece to allow Link to cross in the Fire Temple. This assumes that you'd return to the origin point but maybe that could be upgraded to where you can now teleport to the new spot once there. Obviously that would have to be a late game upgrade as to not be game breaking.
I wasn’t sure how to feel about about this at first but I was sold on the story comparisons to the first 2 games.
It kinda goes with how they want the series to be depicted as a whole, a legend. Of course botw/totk’s story would probably be retold in hyrule as the original zelda games
Awesome theory. This guys pretty sharp 😄. Subscribed. 😁👍👍
Awesome, thank you!
I like this idea a lot. I had a similar theory to this one, but instead I considered Age of Calamity as the "Zelda 2" of the reboot, with Tears being ALTTP (mostly because the Depths kind of looked like a different take on the Dark World). However, I think your idea makes more sense.
I kinda like what they're doing now, it's almost like how the last 3 parts of JoJo are somewhat of a retelling/reboot of the first 6 parts.
It fits in the timeline by being at the end of all the timelines. It has elements from every time line like as if they merge back at some point. And the creaters even said it fits in at the end and not exactly which one because its all of them.
The reference to forging the master sword in skyward reminded me of how the zonai came down from the sky, and founded the first Hyrule. So I wonder if the new game is a mix of link to the past and skyward sword
At minimum the time between BotW and TotK is at least 7-8 years because Hudson and Rhondson didn't have a child until after BotW, and Mattison is around that age.
Also just for the sake of knowledge, his hair was Pink because the Rabbit Sprite in the dark world needed to use the same color palette as the light world Link sprite, and Pink was more distinct of a color for seperation of the sprite and the backgrounds.
Gloom vs. Malice: I play the german version and there it's called Miasma in both BOTW and TOTK. It has this name because in the original japanese script it's called 瘴気 which means miasma. So the different names come with the english translation not the original concept.
The same for the Italian translation, the name is miasma in both games
21:11
Cool idea. I always found it strange that Ancient Link and Ganon have such similar appearances. Maybe that scene of link defeating his shadow, the shadow becomes Ganon.
Ganon being an ancient evil is actually the shadow of the Ancient hero, which is why Ganon looks like him. Even after constant Reincarnations, he keeps that form, which is why Ganon always has grey skin like the Ancient Zonai.
Wow :o this shouldn't make sense...but it DOES! It answers all the questions the game raised for me, and despite my best wrangling timeline-wise...this makes all the sense lol. Great vid!
Glad you enjoyed it!
This is great, I love it, I just thinking about what will happen to Link awakening and oracles games that are sequels to link to the past
Maybe Link between the world could that the role of a link to the past, and he will be the only Link of origin with between the world, awakening, oracles and triforce heroes
TOTK already disproved the switching of places of the Lost Woods and Great Plateau. The scene where Rauru kamehamehas the Moldugas clearly situates the Plateau in its current location. King Rhoam also states it's where the Kingdom was founded.
I'm more interested in where the original castle is on the Great Plateau.
I think a cool idea for DLC would be a quest to allow you to have access to the old guardian on Robbie’s tech lab, rebuilt and ready to use. Much like how the quest for the motorcycle in BOTW. Maybe you can fuse weapons to the guardian too
It’s kinda like how berserk repeats itself throughout the story. What if also the legendary hero is like similar to fierce deity and it’s like the most powerful version of that one
I love this!
How about this theory (in additional to your theory).
A game where fallen timeline ganondorf and his minions merge with the other two timelines by way of a triforce wish.
A Link from child timeline and a Zelda from adult timeline work together to gather sages and contact Hylia/ the golden goddesses to fix the reality fracture. To do it the goddesses must sacrifice their godliness and transform the physical triforce, into the secret stones. They also have to bring the zonai from where they are to hyrule to tame the lands, which takes a long time. Oh yeah that ganondorf is defeated and in later generations, maybe around the game you’re talking about, the next reincarnation is born.
I love your theory so much tho.
What an amazing video. I have my doubts Nintendo will give us the game we WANT that answers more questions they presented... but the game you speak of would be jaw dropping and amazing
Honestly I've wanted more of the Ancient Hero ever since I saw the Aspect in TotK, so making a prequel about him and framing it as a spiritual reboot of ALttP would be fantastic.
I've also had an idea that while the events of past games have happened in the BotW continuity, they're so far back in the past that they've become distorted and turned into legends, which embraces the name of the franchise. My reasoning is that there's too many connections to OoT with TotK's history, that it has to be a retelling of what "actually" happened in OoT, with OoT the game being the legend that was passed down.
My points of reason:
- Ganondorf swears fealty to the king of Hyrule in an attempt to take over.
- OoT was marketed to be the Imprisoning War mentioned in ALttP's backstory pre-release.
- In Link's backstory of OoT, he was brought to Kokiri Forest by his dying mother in the midst of what appears to be a civil war. In TotK, Rauru becoming king and establishing Hyrule brought peace to the land, which was stricken with war and violence.
- Ganondorf is sealed away by the help of seven sages, four of which are unnamed but wear Zonai masks extremely similar to the Divine Beasts. Said Divine Beasts were designed by the Sheikah (likely using the masks as a template) to honor sages who sealed away Ganondorf, who we thought to be the OoT sages judging by the names.
The details of said events happened so long ago that they've become lost to time, such as it taking place during Hyrule's founding, Rauru simply being referred to as a sage, Mineru being replaced with a Sheikah leader (both advisors to Zelda), the Rito sage being replaced with the Koroks' ancestor, and even someone named Link being considered an asset to The Imprisoning War. What Zelda told Rauru and Sonia about him, word likely got around in the kingdom and got mixed in with the stories of the Imprisoning War.
I do agree with your simile between Zelda 1 & 2 vs BotW & TotK, but You're digging *hard* . You're putting your love for BotW & TotK above all logic of the past games.
Amazing theory with some great proof backing it up. Best Zelda videos I have seen in a while.
My god! I knew I wasn't crazy! I noticed these details but everyone said I was looking to close! :-: I knew it this is awesome!
Playing with a link that is not necessarily hylians seems super cool, I always imagined a link that is a Rito and has aerial combat.
That's one of the reasons I like Majora's mask a lot.
I definitely see a time-travel element for the sequel. But my theory is that we would be heading somewhere into a future Hyrule, considering that we already got a glimpse of Hyrule's past in TOTK.