Zelda Wiki:A Case for Chronology

For reference purposes: this ZW.org exclusive article was archived on April 18, 2007.

Legend of Zelda: A Case for Chronology by Joe Henson Contact Info: joseph.a.henson [at] gmail.com

Let us first begin by addressing the central issue at hand. Many fans of the series speculate, with a certain degree of veracity, that there is no over-arching storyline, no continuous universe outside of stylistic similarities and references, and hence no chronological placement of the stories within a singular canon. Instead, each game and each story contained within the games is, more or less, a permutation of the central, repeating storyline. Each game’s story (or at least each main story) recapitulates the central themes of the series, telling them anew with sometimes subtle or perhaps very diverse variation. So, essentially, we have variations on a theme(s).

This perspective can be seen as being supported by various Nintendo developer quotes which indicate that during the normal course of a game’s development, playability and enjoyment come first with storyline being composed and changed throughout to suit the needs of the gameplay. The perspective also has much intrinsic appeal. It renders such an endeavor as creating a universal chronology as useless and irrelevant. Subscribers believe that attempts to reconcile chronological events in the series are neither possible nor intended; rather, the intent is for gamers to simply enjoy the game. The games’ stories give fans a sense of an authentic self-contained back-story, which allows the gamer to more fully immerse and release himself into the fictional world, which of course translates into the highest level of enjoyment. Consider that one can read the Lord of the Rings, or for that matter watch the movie trilogy, without ever having experienced The Silmarillion or any other works relating to Tolkien’s Legendarium, and still be fully immersed in the events of Middle-earth. This is because the reader (or movie-watcher) has the impression, however faint or imposing, that a complete history exists outside the limited scope of the work in question, where past events and legends play onto the current events and main characters.

Like the Lord of the Rings, one can play any of the Zelda games without prior knowledge of any events related to the series and still enjoy himself and immerse himself with the in-game story or quest as a self-contained, complete story arc. Yes, therefore it seems logical to assert that the individual success and enjoyment of each Zelda title comes before its compatibility with a central or main story. This fact, however, does not absolutely exclude the existence of a grand story-arc or chronology. In fact, the majority of statements from the development teams, especially regarding the more recent titles in the series, affirm the existence of such a “Hyrulian history,” as it were, by alluding to a game’s rough placement within the chronology. The most obvious example of this is the fact that Ocarina of Time is explicitly intended to be the chronologically first major story in the Zelda series (a sort of prequel of prequels), detailing the arch-villain’s rise to power, his first defeat at the hands of the first legendary hero, and the deeds of the hero and the princess to bring about this defeat, with major implications on future events. Consider also that some games in the series are actually made as direct sequels to previous titles, and some reference in their back-stories events that have occurred in previous titles. Finally, consider that names, geography, and other situational aspects of the games recur throughout the series, suggesting a continuum that extends beyond stylistic or even thematic similarities. Insofar as a “repeating story” story is concerned… well, history is cyclical, right?

We are left then with the conundrum (hobby is probably more accurate) of having to ascribe names, places, and events to the storylines of the games, and to extrapolate thence the proper chronology. What sources do we then consider? The answer is simple: above all else, the canonical games. Quotes and statements from the developers, producers, writers, etc. of the series are also important, but many people often overlook a simple but vital fact – that even these people change or evolve their intentions for the chronology or a game’s intended place within it. Thus these statements sometimes prove to be misleading, outdated, or even utterly inaccurate. It can be reasonably well shown that changes in intent occur. It seems, therefore, that despite perhaps the original intent of those involved with the development of the original Legend of Zelda, the various legends have evolved and amalgamated into a loosely-organized mythological structure, a grand mythos, complete with heroes, villains, a pantheon of deities, and a universe in which to play. So, with this vast, vague, and valorous series of tales and legends, nerds like us are left pondering over what has truly befallen the land of Hyrule and its many companion territories. One fact remains: there is, at least as of yet, no absolute or ‘true’ storyline, and so long as there are new releases of canonical source material (i.e. new games), there will be none; unless of course Nintendo creates an ‘official’ one or endorses an existing one, either of which is highly unlikely to occur. Your own timeline will depend upon your personal interpretation of the stories.