Tears of the Kingdom: Where does it fit?

Ahh, Tears of the Kingdom… I remember the release like it was yesterday. May 12, 2024 was a MOMENTUS day for me; I was finally graduating high school after getting held back several times and could barely tear myself away from my Switch in time to not be late to my own ceremony! Well, technically I graduated in December 2023 because I had gotten the rest of my missing credits, but that’s not what this is about. I remember finishing the game and thinking to myself about what a good game it was. Then I never touched it again! At least, not until recently, that is. While replaying it, it got me thinking: where on Earth does this game fit in the Zelda timeline?!

-- GETTING INTO IT --

Ghost of King Rauru, as seen in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Let’s do a recap on the lore for those who haven’t played yet (or don’t remember). In Tears of the Kingdom, it’s said that Rauru (pictured left) is the first king of Hyrule as well as its founder. He and his older sister, Mineru, are the last of the Zonai, a race of vaguely sheep-like humanoids that came from the sky. A long, long time ago, the Zonai departed their homes in the heavens and settled in the jungle region of Faron for a while. Eventually, their own robotic creations brought about their downfall until Rauru and Mineru were the only ones left. Later, he married a human priestess and together they became the first leaders of Hyrule. It’s important to note that humans/hylians are on the surface and have been the whole time. Well, in Skyward Sword (which is placed at the very beginning of the timeline) it’s established from

the get-go that the denizens of Hyrule live on an island on the sky that was put there by the goddess Hylia for their protection. The game itself says this in the opening cutscene, stating “… the goddess gathered the surviving humans on an outcropping of earth. She sent it skyward, beyond the reach of the demonic hordes. Beyond even the clouds.” So where did the Zonai come from?

The Sage of Water, Qia (standing next to Princess Zelda) as seen in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment

Speaking of where things came from, where did the Zora come from in Tears of the Kingdom? They’re explained in the Great Hyrule Encyclopedia as evolving from fish that swam in a fountain that was blessed by the Golden Goddesses during the creation of the world, the reason for which was revealed in the latest game Echoes of Wisdom. This is fine, but the Zora were not present in Skyward Sword. Why am I bringing up the Zora, you ask? In the latest Hyrule Warriors game, the only one of the three that’s confirmed canon to the timeline, Rauru gives Qia (pictured right) and the other sages a secret stone to help fortify

their magical powers in their upcoming battle against Ganondorf. The Zora do not appear until the fourth game in the timeline, Ocarina of Time. Interesting...

I could go on and keep talking about this, but I’ll spare you all the unnecessary drivel. Now, all of this could very easily be a gigantic retcon of the lore. Which if it is, I’m honestly fine with it. I, however, have a personal theory that at some point after the last game in the Child Era (where most people place Breath of the Wild), Hyrule fell. Whether through war or Ganondorf’s entire thing, I’m not sure, but Hyrule is no more. Like in Spirit Tracks, they eventually found a new land and settled there. I haven’t really fleshed this theory out much so this is really all I can say about it. It just hit me that this could also be a case of Nintendo forgetting what they’ve already established! Much to think about!