@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
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.
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
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
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
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
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"
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."
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.
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 :)
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.
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.
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.
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**
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 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...
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.
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
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!
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
@@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.
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”.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?!
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.
The only hole I see in this concept is our understanding that Tears of the Kingdom was not intended to be a sequel originally. It was just going to be a expansion that got out of hand.
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.
Gloom: The translators failed to make it sound even remotely threatening. Seriously GLOOM? They should have called it Miasma or something. Apart from that it is clearly different. Malice is bright pink, can be gaseous or liquid, and when in liquid form it drains your life away. Gloom is deep red, can be gaseous, liquid, or solid, and not only drains your life away, but makes it so that you cannot heal. Gloom also damages weapons, whereas Malice did not. Sheika tech: At the end of BOTW Zelda mentions that the divine beasts stopped working. Also, the kingdom probably didn't want any old Sheika tech left after the calamity was defeated because they didn't want Gannon to be able to take over the machines again. So, they took it all apart and repurposed it. Several Players have also noticed chasms where shines used to be. Some fans have theorized that Gannondorf wanted to destroy the shrines so that Link could not use them to regain his strength again.
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!)
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.
They're being "sneaky" about it because they've never actually cared about continuity and just want to make a good game in the spirit of the franchise. That's always their guiding star. Never any of this meta silliness.
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.
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!
At the end of breath of the wild Zelda says that all of the divine beasts and sheikah tech had stopped working so it’s presumed they were all disassembled by Zelda and the sheikah.
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.
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
I think maybe all we can really learn from this is how the 'legend' of zelda is actually the story of a boy collecting items alongside a magic sword to free zelda and destroy evil. And each game finds a way to reiterate/reenvision this framework with some other recurring elements (sages, dark world, three keys etc)
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.
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.
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.
I believe BoTW and ToTK parallel the events of multiple games at the same time: 1) ToTK’s flashbacks with Zelda have similar events to OoT’s child section, and Zelda 2’s backstory. 2) BoTW is combination of Zelda 1 and Majora’s Mask (you visit four regions, help grieving spirits pass on, and defeat an evil being in the center of the world with four giants). I believe the reason why Majora’s events can occur is because Ganondorf hasn’t woken yet. 3) ToTK’s present parallel’s Zelda 2 and OoT’s adult events. Sending the Master Sword back in time is the same as pulling it from the Temple of Time as a child. Pulling the Master Sword out of the Light Dragon’s head is the same as Sheik’s reveal. Like you said in the video, the next Zelda game may be about the Ancient Hero, and the story will be a combination of ALTTP and Skyward Sword.
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!
to add on to the theory about what happened to the Shiekah tech; in the true ending of botw, Zelda mentions that one of the divine beasts has stopped working. what if the malice possesing them and the guardians was the only thing keeping them operational after all these years, and with it gone, they all eventually lost power and / or broke down. also quick theory about the timeline reset: what if someone, at some point in one of the timelines, made a wish on the triforce to try and break the cycle of demise, and in order to do this, the triforce basically reset the universe.
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.
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.
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!
Here’s a fun fact I noticed in my gameplay experience: In Zelda 1, weather wearing the green, red, or lilac clothes, Zelda always wears the same color when beating the game.
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.
Imagine this is where they are unintentionally going, also, there is a difference between BOTW and TOTK from the original games, in the new ones, Link is a game breaking, World destroying, god killing, Titan slaying Super weapon force of nature sent from the stars to destroy our entire star system!!!
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.
People tend to forget what the word Legend actually means. It’s not a complete, chronological and factual retelling of events. It’s an often retold and embellished version of long forgotten events, most of the time only recorded on paper thousands of years after the original events. Nintendo seems to treat every game as a story being told through gameplay of a legend that has had the ACTUAL legend treatment. We’re not in a factual universe, but a mythical one. I wouldn’t be surprised if your theory is correct and we’re now coming into a new era, where the legends of the original games are going to be retold in actual fact. We’re now living the lives of the protagonists, not playing a story about legendary heroes. I really love how you completely covered both earliest games inside the lore of these two newest ones. This is the most plausible theory I’ve seen yet, tbh. Edit: oh wait, I wasn’t at the point of the macro timeline repeating part. That could also be an option, but I really feel a factual retelling fits better with the fact that these are the most realistic Zelda games to date.
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 actually just realized more supporting evidence for the theory these games were sort of remasters/retellings/reboots of the og zelda games. Both BotW and TotK brought back a big boss/enemy type as an overworld boss with BotW bringing Lynels and TotK bringing in Gleeok.
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.
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 why they revealed the symbol of the ouroboros. It’s the fate of the series. To technically start over. BOTW is so far ahead, that it’s at the beginning.
Bro they literally said in-game that they got rid of all the sheikah technology so that if Calamity Ganon came back he wouldn't be able to do what he did the first time secondly the reason why it's called gloom is because malice did not work in the same way as groom did
Don't forget the main and most important word in the entire title of the series: "Legend". It's a legend folks! That means embellishments, myths, retellings that seem contradictory etc. It may be several Links and Zeldas as per the timelne sure, but the actual contents of each game are simply retold legends from ages long ago forgotten. So the first Legend of Zelda game may BE the same story as Breath of the Wild and so on. Or it's just a parallel universe, created by time travelling sages like Zelda.
Another solid piece of evidence for this is that there is armor in TOTK that is called the “Of the wild” set that is the modern remake of the “Hero” set.
You know how History repeats itself? What if the three (adult, child, downfall) timelines came back together (causing a Reset in time), Then leads into BoTW/ToTK, (the new Timeline)?
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.
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.
How about the dark world is the depths, when the depths was thriving? Maybe that’s the connection, and the gloom that ganondorf uses to connect the hyrule of the light and the dark works hyrule works similarly to the portals/cracks in link to the past. If playing as the ancient hero you are living in an age where the mines, the Goron city and the rest are all full of life, much like the dark world was in link to the past, that also gives much less development work needed as the map is already made (but this bit may just be hope getting the better of me..). Love the theory, hope you’re right 🙏
The depths clearly parallel the dark world / twilight world. That's litteraly where Ganondorf is sealed, as well as being a mirrored version to Hyrule.
"Hey all. In this video, I'll be covering how Nintendo is rebooting the Zelda franchise. But first, we need to talk about parallel universes." - B-WHERE, 2023
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.
and fun fact: botw and totk could be in an alternate timeline. in OoT you talk with rauru, but rauru is an hylian (or at least it looks like it) not a zonai
About the Shiekah tech, Guardians and Divine Beasts: Doesn't Zelda state in BotW's ending that Va Ruta stopped working? They were controlled by the Champion's spirits. And after Calamity Ganon was destroyed, we see them and the king disappear.
in the original zelda, the best sword was the magical sword, which we could retcon into the master sword. how? why? well in a link to the past, link gained magical abilites from different pendants, quake, fire and thunder being those spells. so if the anceint hero had the master sword, but it wasnt known its true name, and if we had sword techniques like ALTTP had, it would become known as the magical sword since no other sword could do those things.
This is a lot of drawing of parallels between disparate games to a novel solution. Let me point out a flaw in your history setup, though. Ganon from Link to the Past is the Ganondorf from Ocarina of Time, who defeated the Hero and stole the completed Triforce. This is not recovered until Link to the Past, when that instance of the Hero defeats Ganon and takes it. This is important because the "betrayal" that got the Adventure of Link version of Zelda cursed to sleep was a refusal to give her evil brother information on where their father had hidden the Triforce of Courage. This means that the past history of Adventure of Link could not have happened between Ocarina of Time and Link to the Past. That event needs to have happened after Link to the Past, because Ganon had the Triforce, and it could not have happened before Ocarina of Time, because The Triforce of Courage was hidden, until Adventure of Link when it was found by that instance of the Hero. So It would need to be Ocarina of Time (Hero defeated, Triforce taken by Ganon) Link to the Past (Ganon defeated, Triforce Recovered) Adventure of Link (Past) (King of Hyrule Hides Triforce of Courage, Zelda 1 is cursed) Legend of Zelda (Zelda 2 hides the Triforce of Wisdom Ganon steals the Triforce of Power, and Link recovers both) Adventure of Link (Present) (Link recovers the Triforce of Courage and saves Zelda 1). I strongly doubt that the next Zelda game would take place in Hyrule 10000 years ago. In fact, doubt they will continue trying to mine this version of Hyrule going forward. They might do some DLC connected to the Dragons, though.
Honestly, I'm okay with any game that doesn't invalidate the other games, for example by playing in a completely different universe, That would invalidate all the actions of the other Zelda games which would be stupid. I'm also sceptical about the sequel actually forging the sword because we have enough evidence that the BotW Master sword is the same as the one forged in SS due to Fi, who re-emerged to talk to the characters because she found out that the switch has detachable controllers which can be low on battery. Rauru and Sonia probably didn't know about the Evil-B-gone sword because Hyrule had to fall at some point so they could re-found it. The sword was probably lost in the turmoil until found later by Rauru's descendants or the Shiekah or anyone >10.000 years before BotW. We still don't know how the three timelines re-merged though but I could see it being like some sort of Hyrule Warriors 1 thing, if that game was actually canon. That timeline merge could also be the event that led to the downfall of the first Kingdom of Hyrule because 1/3 Hyrules was full of water (thanks, Wind Waker!) so a kind of flood as the water receded would make sense.
Well, I guess you get partial credit for the next game being linked to TriForce of the Gods. Of course, that's the next old-school Zelda, not the next big Zelda.
These "similarities" are nothing alike. Zelda sleeping =/= Zelda turning into a dragon. 2 pieces of the Triforce =/= Link and Zelda fighting together to take down Ganon. The image of the Triforce appearing on Links hand =/= "something happening to Link's hand." Your logic is all gaped out due to stretching. It's kinda gross tbh...
im praying to god link isnt a furrie like the thumbnail in the next reboot. If you watch or read JJBA (JoJo's bizarre adventure), Then you've seen that Phantom blood is a prequal to stardust crusaders. The legend of zelda kind has the same formula whatsoever
I think you're onto something. There are major parts of the lore missing from the 'Breath' duology, but the games themselves hint at those, it's not like they don't exist in this version of Hyrule. Plus, for a game set "in the sky", TotK lacked a lot of sky content. And it doesn't even have real flight. I think the third installment will be set in the sky proper AND in the mirror-world like you predicted. And have underwater exploration this time around. Also I think the next game will be a next console release, to help sell the console itself. Hoping it's a Switch Pro, which would guarantee backwards compatibility with the Switch.
I take BOTW and TOTK as the soft reboot with paying homepage to the times before it. Much like we have a BC, AC, Egyptian, Prehistoric eras…BOTW is the new world based on the old world that was built and it’s beautiful not confusing at all. Now I just need them to pay tribute to Majoras mask and give us a proper Majora story
I don't think this is 'rebooting' considering breath of the wild references ALOT of the past zelda games in locations, quests, etc, and since tears of the kingdom takes place in the same location? Well, you can see where this is leading. Besides, this is just more time shenanigans much like how ocarina of time cause a split due to Zelda sending Link to his childhood. In tears of the kingdom, of course, Zelda got sent INTO THE PAST, thus this is another possible timesplit. It is still part of the main timeline, its just taking on its own branch.
-Malice and Gloom are blatantly different things. They're different colours, behave differently, and have vastly different effects on living things. Frankly, I don't get how some people could think they're the same thing renamed. Hell, they don't even originate from the same Ganondorf: since the Gerudo are confirmed to have not had a king since the one who became the Calamity, and Totk Ganondorf dates back to the founding of Hyrule, Calamity Ganon must be either the Ocarina of Time or Four swords adventure Ganondorf, depending on which of the main timelines we're talking about. -While, yeah, most of the Sheikah tech was likely taken apart and repurposed, especially since its implied it all gradually stopped working once Calamity Ganon was defeated, the idea that it's because people are afraid of them and don't want to talk about them falls flat because the stone outcropping where Vah Medoh landed after Link liberated it is now known as Medoh's Perch. If they were afraid of the beasts, they wouldn't be naming landmarks after them, especially not landmarks as central as Medoh's Perch, which is literally directly above Rito Village. It's odd to me how we don't even see ruins of the beasts, since those things are so big they would take years, possibly decades, to fully dismantle, assuming they even could: The king at the time of the first great calamity viewed the divine beasts and other sheikah tech as a threat, but seemingly was unable to have them destroyed given how he instead opted to have them buried. -The time gap is much, much more than ten thousand years. First, it likely took thousands of years for the Calamity to form the first time around, for whichever version of Ganondorf became the Calamity to go from man to pig beast to unnatural disaster. Second, again, we have whatever the time gap is between the founding of Hyrule and most other games to add to it, before the Ganondorf that became the Calamity was even born. -The time gap between the two games has to be at least 4-6 years, because of Mattison, who was born after the events of BotW and is now old enough to go to Gerudo town on her own. -TotK Ganondorf is... actually kinda indifferent to Link. After that initial attack that wrecked the Master sword and Link's arm, Ganondorf seemingly decided Link wasn't a threat and just kinda ignores him. He tries to protect the secret stones since he would rather not have the thorn in his side that the sage's successors became with them, and he does eventually lure Link into a trap, but when Link is rescued by the sages, he goes right back to ignoring him. Heck, Kohga is also mostly indifferent to Link as long as Link doesn't go out of his way to stop Kohga's plans. Sure, both Ganondorf and Kohga would love to learn of Link's death, and are more than happy to have a go at him themselves once he shows up, but neither actively seeks him out. -I think most people would actually be totally fine with a full reboot, one done for the sake of starting things over with a more or less intentional timeline from the start rather than one shoehorned in because fans started asking about it. Sure, there would be some people upset, but that can be said for any change to any franchise ever, it doesn't justify this level of secrecy. More likely they're just waiting until this subsection of the franchise is completed to fully confirm their place in the timeline. -You really went for "Breath Zelda" over "Wild Zelda" when the version of Link in both games has the title of "Hero of the Wild"? While I think it's possible that that these two games could be acting as a soft reboot, I don't really think it's to the degree you're suggesting. You're kinda cherry-picking and exaggerating the similarities between these games and the early games of the franchise. And this idea of "macro and micro-timelines" just comes across as tinfoil hat thinking to justify the presence of the various replicas of items from other games and the confirmation that BotW/TotK are connected to the rest of the timeline, simply way in the distant future relative to the others.
It's not an "unfortunately shaped dungeon", it's called a Manji, a sacred symbol of luck from Shintoism that's been used by many religions for thousands of years without issue. It's not even shaped like a Swastika since the Swastika is flipped around. Looks like you can't even be bothered to tell the difference...
![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
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...
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
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.
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.
@@BWHERE I'm on board with your theory. It's so accurate. Great Job!
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- .
Pretty convincing. Especially them not mentioning the triforce in the latest 2 releases. Link to the past was a masterpiece. Cannot wait.
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**
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 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...
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
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
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!
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
A sequel acting as a spiritual reboot, I’m on board for this. I can’t wait to see what’s next.
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.
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”.
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.
This is legitimately one of the best zelda theories ive seen in a long time, a long time
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...
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!
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?!
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.
The only hole I see in this concept is our understanding that Tears of the Kingdom was not intended to be a sequel originally. It was just going to be a expansion that got out of hand.
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.
Gloom: The translators failed to make it sound even remotely threatening. Seriously GLOOM? They should have called it Miasma or something. Apart from that it is clearly different. Malice is bright pink, can be gaseous or liquid, and when in liquid form it drains your life away. Gloom is deep red, can be gaseous, liquid, or solid, and not only drains your life away, but makes it so that you cannot heal. Gloom also damages weapons, whereas Malice did not.
Sheika tech: At the end of BOTW Zelda mentions that the divine beasts stopped working. Also, the kingdom probably didn't want any old Sheika tech left after the calamity was defeated because they didn't want Gannon to be able to take over the machines again. So, they took it all apart and repurposed it. Several Players have also noticed chasms where shines used to be. Some fans have theorized that Gannondorf wanted to destroy the shrines so that Link could not use them to regain his strength again.
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!
The logic behind the Hyrule citizens never discussing the Calamity is very clever on your part. Excellent video.
thanks!
But it happened
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!
They're being "sneaky" about it because they've never actually cared about continuity and just want to make a good game in the spirit of the franchise. That's always their guiding star. Never any of this meta silliness.
Wait... heroines.. women.. seven.. A Link to the Past.. the seven heroines are the maidens from ALttP then. Oh man that makes sense
This is one of the best Zelda theories I’ve encountered over the years. Great job!
Thanks!
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.
fun fact: zelda totk was gonna release in 2022, they just decided to have one more year to polish the remaining things in the game
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?
At the end of breath of the wild Zelda says that all of the divine beasts and sheikah tech had stopped working so it’s presumed they were all disassembled by Zelda and the sheikah.
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 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
I think maybe all we can really learn from this is how the 'legend' of zelda is actually the story of a boy collecting items alongside a magic sword to free zelda and destroy evil. And each game finds a way to reiterate/reenvision this framework with some other recurring elements (sages, dark world, three keys etc)
Great theory. That would be great to see some events be explored more in detail.
Thanks!
Someone at Nintendo is watching this video right now like “write that down… WRITE THAT DOWN!”
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.
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.
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.
I believe BoTW and ToTK parallel the events of multiple games at the same time:
1) ToTK’s flashbacks with Zelda have similar events to OoT’s child section, and Zelda 2’s backstory.
2) BoTW is combination of Zelda 1 and Majora’s Mask (you visit four regions, help grieving spirits pass on, and defeat an evil being in the center of the world with four giants). I believe the reason why Majora’s events can occur is because Ganondorf hasn’t woken yet.
3) ToTK’s present parallel’s Zelda 2 and OoT’s adult events. Sending the Master Sword back in time is the same as pulling it from the Temple of Time as a child. Pulling the Master Sword out of the Light Dragon’s head is the same as Sheik’s reveal.
Like you said in the video, the next Zelda game may be about the Ancient Hero, and the story will be a combination of ALTTP and Skyward Sword.
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!
to add on to the theory about what happened to the Shiekah tech; in the true ending of botw, Zelda mentions that one of the divine beasts has stopped working. what if the malice possesing them and the guardians was the only thing keeping them operational after all these years, and with it gone, they all eventually lost power and / or broke down.
also quick theory about the timeline reset: what if someone, at some point in one of the timelines, made a wish on the triforce to try and break the cycle of demise, and in order to do this, the triforce basically reset the universe.
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.
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.
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!
Here’s a fun fact I noticed in my gameplay experience: In Zelda 1, weather wearing the green, red, or lilac clothes, Zelda always wears the same color when beating the game.
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.
dude YOOOO this is MAGNIFICENT. I subbed and shared this with anyone that would listen, you deserve so many views on this!!
Thank you!
This is an excellent video, I hope Nintendo uses your ideas for the next game.
If Nintendo comes out and says that BOTW/TOTK is a reboot they will lose millions of fans
Bro, you are very smart.
That's why they put me in "special" education!
Imagine this is where they are unintentionally going, also, there is a difference between BOTW and TOTK from the original games, in the new ones, Link is a game breaking, World destroying, god killing, Titan slaying Super weapon force of nature sent from the stars to destroy our entire star system!!!
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
People tend to forget what the word Legend actually means. It’s not a complete, chronological and factual retelling of events. It’s an often retold and embellished version of long forgotten events, most of the time only recorded on paper thousands of years after the original events. Nintendo seems to treat every game as a story being told through gameplay of a legend that has had the ACTUAL legend treatment. We’re not in a factual universe, but a mythical one. I wouldn’t be surprised if your theory is correct and we’re now coming into a new era, where the legends of the original games are going to be retold in actual fact. We’re now living the lives of the protagonists, not playing a story about legendary heroes. I really love how you completely covered both earliest games inside the lore of these two newest ones. This is the most plausible theory I’ve seen yet, tbh.
Edit: oh wait, I wasn’t at the point of the macro timeline repeating part. That could also be an option, but I really feel a factual retelling fits better with the fact that these are the most realistic Zelda games to date.
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 actually just realized more supporting evidence for the theory these games were sort of remasters/retellings/reboots of the og zelda games. Both BotW and TotK brought back a big boss/enemy type as an overworld boss with BotW bringing Lynels and TotK bringing in Gleeok.
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.
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 why they revealed the symbol of the ouroboros. It’s the fate of the series. To technically start over. BOTW is so far ahead, that it’s at the beginning.
10 months later and we get Zelda Echoes of Wisdom, a link to the past equivalent, this guy was right!
Bro they literally said in-game that they got rid of all the sheikah technology so that if Calamity Ganon came back he wouldn't be able to do what he did the first time secondly the reason why it's called gloom is because malice did not work in the same way as groom did
Don't forget the main and most important word in the entire title of the series: "Legend". It's a legend folks! That means embellishments, myths, retellings that seem contradictory etc.
It may be several Links and Zeldas as per the timelne sure, but the actual contents of each game are simply retold legends from ages long ago forgotten. So the first Legend of Zelda game may BE the same story as Breath of the Wild and so on.
Or it's just a parallel universe, created by time travelling sages like Zelda.
Another solid piece of evidence for this is that there is armor in TOTK that is called the “Of the wild” set that is the modern remake of the “Hero” set.
I like to think that there has just been a light dragon flying around Hyrule as Link and Zelda went through the timeline
You know how History repeats itself?
What if the three (adult, child, downfall) timelines came back together (causing a Reset in time), Then leads into BoTW/ToTK, (the new Timeline)?
If this was the case, everything that happened before ToTK wouldn’t be erased, and still be important.
So how does TOTK feel like a retelling of Zelda 2? I don't see a Triforce of courage or Ganons minions resurrecting him with the heroes blood.
Having the dark world and Triforce return in a 3rd installment and using the red hair of the ancient hero would be an amazing call back
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.
“It’s like poetry, they rhyme”
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
How about the dark world is the depths, when the depths was thriving?
Maybe that’s the connection, and the gloom that ganondorf uses to connect the hyrule of the light and the dark works hyrule works similarly to the portals/cracks in link to the past.
If playing as the ancient hero you are living in an age where the mines, the Goron city and the rest are all full of life, much like the dark world was in link to the past, that also gives much less development work needed as the map is already made (but this bit may just be hope getting the better of me..).
Love the theory, hope you’re right 🙏
The depths clearly parallel the dark world / twilight world. That's litteraly where Ganondorf is sealed, as well as being a mirrored version to Hyrule.
"Hey all. In this video, I'll be covering how Nintendo is rebooting the Zelda franchise. But first, we need to talk about parallel universes."
- B-WHERE, 2023
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.
Please update this to include Echoes of Wisdom theory!!
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!
well look at that echoes of wisdom is taking alttp map inspiration
and fun fact: botw and totk could be in an alternate timeline.
in OoT you talk with rauru, but rauru is an hylian (or at least it looks like it) not a zonai
"no ones gonna buy a 9/11 themed ipad" B-WHERE 2023
About the Shiekah tech, Guardians and Divine Beasts: Doesn't Zelda state in BotW's ending that Va Ruta stopped working?
They were controlled by the Champion's spirits. And after Calamity Ganon was destroyed, we see them and the king disappear.
in the original zelda, the best sword was the magical sword, which we could retcon into the master sword. how? why? well in a link to the past, link gained magical abilites from different pendants, quake, fire and thunder being those spells. so if the anceint hero had the master sword, but it wasnt known its true name, and if we had sword techniques like ALTTP had, it would become known as the magical sword since no other sword could do those things.
This is a lot of drawing of parallels between disparate games to a novel solution. Let me point out a flaw in your history setup, though.
Ganon from Link to the Past is the Ganondorf from Ocarina of Time, who defeated the Hero and stole the completed Triforce. This is not recovered until Link to the Past, when that instance of the Hero defeats Ganon and takes it.
This is important because the "betrayal" that got the Adventure of Link version of Zelda cursed to sleep was a refusal to give her evil brother information on where their father had hidden the Triforce of Courage. This means that the past history of Adventure of Link could not have happened between Ocarina of Time and Link to the Past. That event needs to have happened after Link to the Past, because Ganon had the Triforce, and it could not have happened before Ocarina of Time, because The Triforce of Courage was hidden, until Adventure of Link when it was found by that instance of the Hero.
So It would need to be Ocarina of Time (Hero defeated, Triforce taken by Ganon) Link to the Past (Ganon defeated, Triforce Recovered) Adventure of Link (Past) (King of Hyrule Hides Triforce of Courage, Zelda 1 is cursed) Legend of Zelda (Zelda 2 hides the Triforce of Wisdom Ganon steals the Triforce of Power, and Link recovers both) Adventure of Link (Present) (Link recovers the Triforce of Courage and saves Zelda 1).
I strongly doubt that the next Zelda game would take place in Hyrule 10000 years ago. In fact, doubt they will continue trying to mine this version of Hyrule going forward. They might do some DLC connected to the Dragons, though.
Honestly, I'm okay with any game that doesn't invalidate the other games, for example by playing in a completely different universe, That would invalidate all the actions of the other Zelda games which would be stupid. I'm also sceptical about the sequel actually forging the sword because we have enough evidence that the BotW Master sword is the same as the one forged in SS due to Fi, who re-emerged to talk to the characters because she found out that the switch has detachable controllers which can be low on battery. Rauru and Sonia probably didn't know about the Evil-B-gone sword because Hyrule had to fall at some point so they could re-found it. The sword was probably lost in the turmoil until found later by Rauru's descendants or the Shiekah or anyone >10.000 years before BotW. We still don't know how the three timelines re-merged though but I could see it being like some sort of Hyrule Warriors 1 thing, if that game was actually canon. That timeline merge could also be the event that led to the downfall of the first Kingdom of Hyrule because 1/3 Hyrules was full of water (thanks, Wind Waker!) so a kind of flood as the water receded would make sense.
Sheika tech was dismantled in order to prevent canon dorf or calamity boar to take control of it
Well, I guess you get partial credit for the next game being linked to TriForce of the Gods.
Of course, that's the next old-school Zelda, not the next big Zelda.
These "similarities" are nothing alike. Zelda sleeping =/= Zelda turning into a dragon. 2 pieces of the Triforce =/= Link and Zelda fighting together to take down Ganon. The image of the Triforce appearing on Links hand =/= "something happening to Link's hand." Your logic is all gaped out due to stretching. It's kinda gross tbh...
im praying to god link isnt a furrie like the thumbnail in the next reboot. If you watch or read JJBA (JoJo's bizarre adventure), Then you've seen that Phantom blood is a prequal to stardust crusaders. The legend of zelda kind has the same formula whatsoever
I think you're onto something. There are major parts of the lore missing from the 'Breath' duology, but the games themselves hint at those, it's not like they don't exist in this version of Hyrule. Plus, for a game set "in the sky", TotK lacked a lot of sky content. And it doesn't even have real flight. I think the third installment will be set in the sky proper AND in the mirror-world like you predicted. And have underwater exploration this time around.
Also I think the next game will be a next console release, to help sell the console itself. Hoping it's a Switch Pro, which would guarantee backwards compatibility with the Switch.
I take BOTW and TOTK as the soft reboot with paying homepage to the times before it. Much like we have a BC, AC, Egyptian, Prehistoric eras…BOTW is the new world based on the old world that was built and it’s beautiful not confusing at all.
Now I just need them to pay tribute to Majoras mask and give us a proper Majora story
I don't think this is 'rebooting' considering breath of the wild references ALOT of the past zelda games in locations, quests, etc, and since tears of the kingdom takes place in the same location? Well, you can see where this is leading. Besides, this is just more time shenanigans much like how ocarina of time cause a split due to Zelda sending Link to his childhood. In tears of the kingdom, of course, Zelda got sent INTO THE PAST, thus this is another possible timesplit. It is still part of the main timeline, its just taking on its own branch.
-Malice and Gloom are blatantly different things. They're different colours, behave differently, and have vastly different effects on living things. Frankly, I don't get how some people could think they're the same thing renamed. Hell, they don't even originate from the same Ganondorf: since the Gerudo are confirmed to have not had a king since the one who became the Calamity, and Totk Ganondorf dates back to the founding of Hyrule, Calamity Ganon must be either the Ocarina of Time or Four swords adventure Ganondorf, depending on which of the main timelines we're talking about.
-While, yeah, most of the Sheikah tech was likely taken apart and repurposed, especially since its implied it all gradually stopped working once Calamity Ganon was defeated, the idea that it's because people are afraid of them and don't want to talk about them falls flat because the stone outcropping where Vah Medoh landed after Link liberated it is now known as Medoh's Perch. If they were afraid of the beasts, they wouldn't be naming landmarks after them, especially not landmarks as central as Medoh's Perch, which is literally directly above Rito Village. It's odd to me how we don't even see ruins of the beasts, since those things are so big they would take years, possibly decades, to fully dismantle, assuming they even could: The king at the time of the first great calamity viewed the divine beasts and other sheikah tech as a threat, but seemingly was unable to have them destroyed given how he instead opted to have them buried.
-The time gap is much, much more than ten thousand years. First, it likely took thousands of years for the Calamity to form the first time around, for whichever version of Ganondorf became the Calamity to go from man to pig beast to unnatural disaster. Second, again, we have whatever the time gap is between the founding of Hyrule and most other games to add to it, before the Ganondorf that became the Calamity was even born.
-The time gap between the two games has to be at least 4-6 years, because of Mattison, who was born after the events of BotW and is now old enough to go to Gerudo town on her own.
-TotK Ganondorf is... actually kinda indifferent to Link. After that initial attack that wrecked the Master sword and Link's arm, Ganondorf seemingly decided Link wasn't a threat and just kinda ignores him. He tries to protect the secret stones since he would rather not have the thorn in his side that the sage's successors became with them, and he does eventually lure Link into a trap, but when Link is rescued by the sages, he goes right back to ignoring him. Heck, Kohga is also mostly indifferent to Link as long as Link doesn't go out of his way to stop Kohga's plans. Sure, both Ganondorf and Kohga would love to learn of Link's death, and are more than happy to have a go at him themselves once he shows up, but neither actively seeks him out.
-I think most people would actually be totally fine with a full reboot, one done for the sake of starting things over with a more or less intentional timeline from the start rather than one shoehorned in because fans started asking about it. Sure, there would be some people upset, but that can be said for any change to any franchise ever, it doesn't justify this level of secrecy. More likely they're just waiting until this subsection of the franchise is completed to fully confirm their place in the timeline.
-You really went for "Breath Zelda" over "Wild Zelda" when the version of Link in both games has the title of "Hero of the Wild"?
While I think it's possible that that these two games could be acting as a soft reboot, I don't really think it's to the degree you're suggesting. You're kinda cherry-picking and exaggerating the similarities between these games and the early games of the franchise. And this idea of "macro and micro-timelines" just comes across as tinfoil hat thinking to justify the presence of the various replicas of items from other games and the confirmation that BotW/TotK are connected to the rest of the timeline, simply way in the distant future relative to the others.
It's not an "unfortunately shaped dungeon", it's called a Manji, a sacred symbol of luck from Shintoism that's been used by many religions for thousands of years without issue.
It's not even shaped like a Swastika since the Swastika is flipped around. Looks like you can't even be bothered to tell the difference...