Tears Of The Kingdom Timeline & Story Contradictions Explained | Theory

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has a number of timeline and story implications that are the subject of debate. Is this a new Zelda timeline split? Are there plot holes? Does this new Imprisoning War retcon the the prior one. Does this follow the same continuity? Here is my attempt to explain what may be going on...

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[ezratotravel]

Something I just noticed...Zelda's dragon transformation was likely teased way back in the final trailer, as at the end of that trailer (which features the TotK theme), they play Zelda's lullaby with an ehru - the string instrument that's iconic to the dragons themes throughout the game.

[grookey]

in the memory “zelda and sonia” sonia describes how she uses recall uses ‘an object’s memories’ to coax them to a moment in the past; i think this supports the idea that they use recall to transform the light dragon back into princess zelda, as zelda literally had those memories at some point, manifested in the dragons tears

[MissyJ]

Not only do we see the dragons fly into the cloud realm, we also see them dive into the depths.

[DizzyEyes]

I honestly think Link's repaired arm best supports the recall theory considering they theoretically used up to three secret stones' power siphoned through Link's arm to bring their natures back to the state before they discovered Ganondorf.

[ktm]

The ending where Zelda is finally saved was so emotional for me. As soon as I saw the memory where she turned into a dragon, I cried like a baby. I was so emotionally invested in hoping she could be saved. The scene where you have to dive and catch her. I was crying the whole time because I was so happy that she was safe.

[nicodalusong]

Just want to note that a secret ending scene is available if you beat the game after unlocking all the memories. Long story short, Mineru surmises exactly that Sonia's recall and Rauru's light managed to turn Zelda back from her dragon form.

[hatbros]

I love the ending after you defeat the final boss and you dive in the sky to save Zelda from falling, and link grabbing Zelda’s hand mimics the beginning of the game when link fails the first time to grab her

[CBTZeppeli]

I am convinced that the entire time Ganondorf was sealed below the castle, Demise's hate couldn't reincarnate anymore since the current incarnation is still around. I'm pretty sure it's mentioned offhandedly somewhere in BotW that they know of times when one male Gerudo was born every century but it hasn't happened in a long time, the way I see it that was implying that only one male Gerudo can be alive at a time and I think the same of Demise. I don't see any reason that TotK Ganondorf could be the first and be sealed away alive during the adventures of other Ganondorfs who are also born of Demise's curse. In my opinion it's more likely that the time of the Zonai is after the older games or that SS created a timeline branch unrelated to OoTs

[TheWrathsblade]

You know, Skyward technically had an Imprisoning War, too. The whole thing of how the Imprisoned form of Demise came to be. Also, when obtaining a light blessing, the pillars around the altar are the same design as the spikes that were lodged into Demise's forehead.

[samuelromerosoto]

Kotake and koume (OoT Ganondorf surrogate mothers) appear in the bowing scene, very young. That could explain naming their little demon king after their first master.

[AlejandroScared]

Most likely gloom disappeard after Ganondorfs death, meaning everyone ill from gloom would heal back to normal including Link's arm.
I think the reason the spirits of Rauru and Sonia had to revert Zelda only AFTER Ganondorf's defeat because the process would remove Rauru's arm from Link. And without it, his wounds would surely kill him. Once gloom was banished Link didn't need Rauru's arm anymore.
Probably Rauru's arm is the reason Link can heal his maximum hearts back when in contact with LIGHT which is Rauru's sage element.
(Well that was longer than I intendet this coment to be...)

[MissKiamari]

I think it's more likely that the memories of TotK are SO far into the future of the timeline that even the ends of the three timelines are ancient myth by the time they roll around. It's not impossible for civilisations to fall and rise again. Given that Ganondorf, in all three incarnations, is the reincarnation of Demise's hatred, it doesn't make sense to have more than one around at a time. And it's strongly implied that the 'one male every hundred years' cycle has ceased because Ganondorf is still alive. Therefore, he HAS to be the latest.

I choose to believe that Rauru and Sonia call their new kingdom Hyrule after the mythical kingdom of legend, and will do so until Word of God confirms or denies that assumption. It simplifies a lot.

As to the recall theory, I found it obvious that that was going to be how they saved her. It was foreshadowed in Memory 8 when Sonia talks about how the time powers work. The sheer scale of the events that needed to be Recalled, combined with the length of time needing to be rewound, took all three of them (Link, Rauru, and Sonia) combining their power. We know that deceased souls can still have an impact on the physical world thanks to Rhoam in BotW (how else would he write a diary?), so it's not a stretch to imagine that they retain at least some of their magic, too.

[brittwells]

I believe the past events with Rauru and Sonia are a "refounding" of Hyrule many, many years after the events of the end of the other timelines. There is no mention of the Triforce in either BotW or TotK. I believe it's because the Triforce and its purpose have been lost for centuries. Zelda only knows of a sealing power in BotW, and then we have the secret stones in TotK that Ganondorf is after instead of the Triforce. Raura and Sonia being very ancient to Link, but very far in the future of the other timelines doesn't mess with lore much imo. I also believe this is just another incarnation of Ganondorf. This is my headcanon, at least.

Edit: I understand that the events with Link are at the end of the timelines or one of the timelines. (Nintendo has said this). I'm simply giving my opinion on when the events with Rauru, Sonia, Zelda, and Ganondorf take place. This is what people are speculating about.

[redgeoblaze]

I think it's interesting that the Zonai raised up those land masses so that the eventual hero in the future could be safe from Ganondorf while he prepares to face him, while that's essentially the backstory for Skyward Sword as well. Hylia raises the Human's land into the sky so that they could be protected from Demise, with the ultimate plan to groom a hero with the Power, Courage, and Wisdom to save the world.

[volcanicz]

You could also make an argument that the Dragonification could be a "curse" so maybe Rauru's light powers were there to purify Zelda while Sonia uses recall on her

[javi]

There is a stone tablet underneath hyrule castle that says that the castle was built where it was as a seal for ganondorf. But we also see the ruins of the town from ocarina of timr on the great plateau which means hyrule castle was over there at some point. Meaning this ganon cant be the first iteration of ganon. Its more likely that this takes place so far into the future another founding of hyrule happens after the destruction of the one previous

[fishnewt]

In my opinion, people who say that Zelda’s decision is weakened by Link undoing it are ones who forget just how much Zelda has gone through. This girl fought a Calamity tooth and nail for a hundred years and now she had to fight the source of the Calamity knowing she would lose and try to figure out a way to get back to the past, which led to a choice that she believed would end with her to never see her home again. After all that, her suffering should stay permanent? Nah, I don’t think so. This is more akin to a friend or family member pulling you out of a situation after all the hard work you did, rather than a deus ex machina to reverse a contrived decision. Zelda suffered and she worked hard enough as it is. It’s not a bad thing to allow her to have a happy ending as her protector, Link.

[SamtheBravesFan]

I mean, I thought it was simple enough. Ganon's Malice and Ganondorf and the gloom are two entirely different things. The Malice is all that got out the first time. That ends up being the indicator that Rauru's seal was breaking. Then comes the Gloom with the final stage.

[stephbenson]

I think what bumps me and makes me think there's still some kind of reset (whether soft reset, as in they just wanted to start fresh; or hard reset, as in Hyrule was actually wiped out and re-founded) is... The Rito. They don't appear until Wind Waker, when they're very explicitly descendants of the Zora due to the existence of the Great Sea. And yet both Rito and Zora exist, both in BotW/TotK's present, as well as the distant past of Hyrule's founding.

[Andrew-qulq]

21:00 notice how Zelda's sage / secret stone power is already shown to be a combination of Sonia and Rauru's powers, each having distinct wave pattern and particles and Zelda's combining both of them.