How Much Time Passed Between BotW and TotK

How Much Time Has Passed Between Breath Of The Wild and Tears Of The Kingdom?

In truth, we do not know exactly how long it’s been between Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, and there has been no official word from Nintendo on the matter. However, we can make an educated guess from our time playing and believe that Tears of the Kingdom takes place only a few years, roughly 3-5, after the events of Breath of the Wild.

We know this partly due to the dialogue shared by characters in Tears of the Kingdom and the aging up of the champions, the companions who aided Link in his adventures in Breath of the Wild. For example, Sidon has grown up and become the ruler of Zora’s Domain, as have the other champions. We also know that in this brief amount of time, Hyrule was rebuilding after the previous game’s events, and you can see those efforts as you explore the world.

Is Tears Of The Kingdom Part Of The Main Zelda Timeline?

As for its placement in the Zelda timeline, that’s where it gets a bit more convoluted. Nearly all previous Zelda games take place in one of several timelines, each with different events that lead to their formation, but in the case of Breath of the Wild, it was confirmed that the game took place after all of the other games, and did not belong in a singular timeline.

This is the same with Tears of the Kingdom, which as a direct sequel to Breath of the Wild, also does not fit into a timeline. This causes all kinds of contradictions within the franchise like the Zora’s evolution into the Rito confirmed in Wind Waker or the several locations named after characters from each of the different timelines.

Despite this, the narrative changes in BotW and TotK don’t take away from the amazing adventures in previous Zelda titles. Fans can continue to speculate on how the new details enrich the world, and it is possible Nintendo will confirm how the games fit into the overarching story at a future date.

And that’s it! Check out our other The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom guides below to help with crafting, exploring, and tackling challenges across Hyrule.

About the author

Matthew Fuller

Matt is a freelance writer based in the UK and has spent over three years covering and writing about video games. He discovered his love of games journalism while attending Canterbury Christchurch University, where he earned a bachelor's and master's degree in Game Design and has been writing ever since. He will find any excuse to play and write about games. When he isn't fighting dragons or exploring far-off galaxies, he spends his free time playing D&D, listening to music, or reading a good book. His primary game bests are Diablo IV, the Final Fantasy series, D&D, and anything new releasing that tickles his fancy.

Patria Henriques

Update: 2024-08-13

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