The Legend of Zelda Echoes of Wisdom is out very soon, with Nintendo not giving us much time for speculation. Before the trailer ended at the Nintendo Direct this summer, fans were already drawing up theories for where this game should fit into the Zelda timeline, and today we’re going to get stuck into that very question, plus also I’ve had some community suggestions, so we’ve dive into those as well.

So, Echoes of Wisdom and The Zelda Timeline. I can almost hear the groan in the distance. Some people like the Zelda timeline, some people don’t. Personally, I think it’s fun, so we’re going to have a look at the Echoes of Wisdom placement today and where it might be relative to other Zelda games. Yes, the timeline isn’t perfect, and sometimes it feels liek Nintendo are just figuring it out as they go along, rather than having some grand master plan. It’s pretty all over the place, but I kinda like it this way, as within the disorganised and unexplainable elements of the timeline we can speculate.

I think there are 3 ways things could go with Echoes of Wisdom. We don’t have much info to go on at the moment, we’ve had a single trailer, a huge amount of speculation about the map and the art style.

Very briefly, let’s recap the Zelda timeline. It starts off relatively simple and linear. We have Skyward Sword, The Minish Cap, Four Swords and then Ocarina of Time. The end of Ocarina is where things get complicated, and contrversial.

After Ocarina the timeline branches into Link is Defeated, Link is Successful (Child) and Link is Successful (Adult). In the Link is Defeated branch we then continue with A Link to the Past, Oracle of Ages/Seasons, Link’s Awakening, A Link Between Worlds, The Legend of Zelda, then Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.

Link is successful Child then goes onto Majora’s Mask, Twilight Princess and Four Swords. The Link is Successful Adult timeline goes Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass, and finally Spirit Tracks.

OK, with that in mind, let’s have a look at Echoes of Wisdom.

Theory 1 – Link is Defeated: A Link To The Past Prequel

The first theory here focuses on Link is Defeated branch of the timeline after Ocarina of Time. Link is unsuccessul in defeating Ganon at the end of Ocarina, Link dies, Ganon steals the Triforce and gets sealed away in the Scared Realm by the Seven Sages. Then years later, these events lead to A Link To The Past.

Echoes of Wisdom could be a retelling of the origins of the Link is Defeated branch of the timeline. We see Link getting sucked into the void in the Echoes of Wisdom trailer, and this could be the Link is Defeated event, or a reimagining of Link being defeated which ultimately leads us to A Link To The Past.

Fans were quick to point out that the Hyrule in Echoes of Wisdom’s trailer looked similar to Hyrule in A Link To The Past. Ganon in the trailer also looks very similar to Ganon in A Link To The Past, plus Oracle of Ages/Seasons and A Link Between Worlds.

There is one major issue with this theory though, and that is Ganon is also defeated in the Echoes of Wisdom trailer. Link disposes of him before getting taken by the void, and breaking Zelda free with his potential last act before dissappearing. According to Hyrule Historia, Ganon is supposed to seize the Triforce, then the Seven Sages seal him away… and it looks very much like he is defeated, rather than successful.

Theory 2 – Link is Defeated: Link’s Awakening Prequel

This is on the same timeline, however, the order is slightly different. Rather than being a prequel to A Link To The Past, it could be a prequel to Link’s Awakening. One of the biggest clues to this theory could be in the visual design itself, Echoes of Wisdom looks very similar to Link’s Awakening remake on Nintendo Switch. That could be for many reasons, Grezzo are the likely developer, they are used to this engine and game, they made a remake in the past and now Nintendo have given them the freedome to make a new Zelda title. Or Nintendo could be using the art style to link the games.

Nintendo did a similar thing before with Ocarina of Time and Majoras Mask, plus Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, or Windwaker and Phantom Hourglass.

The Zora could be a clue to the timeline placement. Echoes of Wisdom has both River and Sea Zora, and this is something we haven’t seen before except in Oracle of Ages. That game took place in Labrynna rather than Hyrule, but having both variants of Zora here could mean this game takes place after Oracles and before Link’s Awakening.

There are issues with this timeline placement, for example, how did Ganon get out of the Sacred Realm before A Link Between Worlds? Where was The Deku Tree in A Link To The Past, given we can clearly see him here in Echoes of Wisdom.

Theory 3 – New timeline branch

Perhaps Echoes of Wisdom isn’t on any of the existing Link is Defeated or Link is Successful timeline branches. Maybe it’s on a new branch all together?

We have two branches for Link is Sucessful and that goes off with Child and Adult Link. Perhaps we get a new branch to the Link is Defeated timeline, which starts a whole new Zelda branch of the timeline. This could explain why Hyrule looks simlar to A Link To The Past and why Ganon looks the same.

Having a new timeline branch could be a very convenient way to explain things, but this could also be the new branch of the timeline that Nintendo could come back to in the future for Zelda to have her own adventures, given Link is gone. I would imagine Zelda is going to save Link at some point in the end, likely after the final boss, but an alternative to that could be this is a new branch of the timeline for Zelda, and Echoes of Wisdom could be the first of many games where Zelda is the main protagonist.

Community suggestions

@ancientsheikahgamer1819
The art style makes me think its before or after links awakening, but maybe the art style doesn’t mean anything. Maybe it’s after a Link to the past, since echoes of wisdom uses an expanded map of it.

@Gabeora
Either right before or right after Link’s Awakening as I believe this is the same Link from that game

@ChrisHoulihan
It will be intentionally ambiguous as to which timeline. Mostly bc Nintendo has already said they don’t want the timeline to get in the way of future games. They will continue going in the direction of having them all combine to avoid creatives having to be Zelda historians as well. We have the trident clearly becoming a big deal, like in 4SA of the child timeline. There is the alttp over world, with some alterations from the defeat timeline and then the sword looking most like the phantom sword from PH, from the adult timeline. Then you have the art style of links awakening which is a dream world, what if it is all Zelda’s dream? Then the timeline goes out the window, which from a developers standpoint would be my pick.…Read more

@danielmalinen6337
I don’t know if it’s a bad idea, but I would place it in the downfall timeline as the very first game and EoW could tell about it when the hero is defeated and Zelda has to take the place because Link is now missing. This also means that EoW Zelda is the same as in OoT, and EoW would also explain why the Zoras in the downfall timeline are different and why there are two different Zoras in this game.

@roycewise2530
After links awakening and before link between worlds

@rothgang
Latest adventure of ALTTP link

Let me know what you think in the comments, where do you think this fits into the Zelda timeline?