I was afforded the opportunity to speak with Hidemaro Fujibayashi, the director of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, via email, where the topic of where BotW fits within the current timeline. He directly states that it takes place long after any particular franchise entry, which is sure to be helpful to fans searching for more information.
These statements don’t definitively place Breath of the Wild on any timeline, and it sounds as if perhaps even Nintendo hasn’t determined where to place it. Given that Fujibayashi is stating that it’s the furthest down the timeline – and players now know that the familiar landmarks scattered about Hyrule are references to past adventures and games – there is some evidence now that should help fans narrow down a placement given that it’s confirmed to be at the bottom of the list.
Then again, perhaps The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild stands within its own time, occurring outside of the current line of games – or perhaps even reuniting the three-line split. Given that there are references to several games from various timelines throughout, this is a distinct possibility.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is available now for Nintendo Switch and Wii U.
