Daily Debate: Can a Zelda Story be Too Silly for the Official Timeline?
Posted on July 01 2015 by Rod Lloyd
Many have wondered if Tri Force Heroes will have a place in the Zelda series’ official timeline. Frustratingly, we’ve received somewhat conflicting reports on the subject from the game’s director and other sources within Nintendo. Regardless, some fans have questioned whether or not the story premised for Tri Force Heroes is actually fit for the timeline, citing it as too silly or childish. Today, we want to really examine the relationship between a Zelda‘s game tone and its placement in the series’ canon. We want to know if a Zelda story really can be too silly for the official timeline.
As explained above, there are fans that believe the story of Tri Force Heroes sounds too ridiculous, goofy, or otherwise juvenile for a place among the other more serious games in the Zelda timeline. In fact, my most recent editorial explores these types of fan reactions. For those still unaware, Tri Force Heroes will be set in a yet-unnamed kingdom that takes fashion very seriously. The princess of this kingdom is one day cursed to wear an ugly outfit that she is unable to remove. So the king sends a call for heroes to save his kingdom, leading our three protagonists to his aid. This premise is understandably silly if compared to other more serious games in the series, such as Twilight Princess or Ocarina of Time. The stakes are not as high, the threat not as terrifying, and the conflict not as dire.
But is it too silly for the timeline?
Some have vocally shared their disapproval of such plots, as they are only appropriate for side-games. These people believe the Zelda timeline needs to preserve the serious, life-threatening nature of previous games; a tale like Tri Force Heroes‘ (of fashion and ugly clothes) has no place in the canon for these fans. Whereas others have come to TFH defense, arguing silly plots have just as much a place in the timeline as any other story. Some have compared Tri Force Heroes to the weirder entries in the series, such as Link’s Awakening and Majora’s Mask; if these strange stories are welcome in the Zelda canon, why can’t TFH? Some may also point out that silly elements occupy even the most serious games in the series, such as Malo’s schemes in Twilight Princess or Groose’s antics in Skyward Sword.
There is much to consider in this debate. Is there a place for silly stories in Zelda‘s timeline? What tones should occupy the Zelda canon? How serious or goofy should the Zelda series be? Let us know what you think, and join the Daily Debate!
Rod Lloyd is the Editor-In-Chief at Zelda Dungeon, overseeing the news and feature content for the site. Rod is considered the veteran of the writing team, having started writing for Zelda Informer in 2014 as a Junior Editor. After ZD and ZI officially merged in 2017, he stepped into the Managing Editor role and has helped steer the ship ever since. He stepped up to lead the writing team as Editor-In-Chief in 2023.
You can reach Rod at: rod.lloyd@zeldadungeon.net
