Nintendo Updates Zelda Timeline, Seemingly Confirming A Fan Theory

Nintendo has updated the official Legend of Zelda timeline, which seems to confirm a popular fan theory regarding the history of the series. While Nintendo has often emphasized gameplay over story, the company continues to maintain and revise an official timeline that draws intense interest from players. With the upcoming release of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on Switch 2, the updated timeline points to a theory that two separate instances of the founding of Hyrule took place across the series history.

According to the updated timeline details, entries note the founding of Hyrule near the beginning of the timeline and again toward the end. This suggests that when Princess Zelda travels back in time during the events of Tears of the Kingdom, the founding of Hyrule that she witnesses is actually the second time the kingdom was founded.

In addition to timeline adjustments, analysis of the upcoming Ocarina of Time remake for Switch 2 reveals subtle visual details that link the title to later entries in the series. Players have spotted patterns when using the Lens of Truth that resemble ancient Sheikah technology from Breath of the Wild, as well as character tattoos that match iconography associated with Queen Sonia in Tears of the Kingdom. These additions indicate an effort by Nintendo to align visual motifs across the wider franchise timeline.