BotW Ends All Timelines... How Would That Work?

[Moblinking5000]

You realize that none of the pegs are round, neither is the hole, and the developers obviously intended the whole to fit any of the pegs? Choosing the one peg that fits with the least rotation, while refusing to rotate the others, does not show logic; it shows lack of imagination

It's called Occam's Razor.

The fact that the title was designed to be able to fit at the current end of each of the three timelines tells us that some events had to have happened in these timelines, and perhaps the people in universe believe that it happened.

If it was designed to take place in all three timelines, then they did did a pretty terrible job considering the fact that Hyrule was erased at the end of TWW, as well as the fact that Ganon and the Master Sword are still around.

In addition to the fact that the CT has alot stacked against it as well, there's another thing to keep in mind: The fact that Aonuma said that it takes in a world where's there's been many battles against Ganon. When you really think about it, there's only one timeline branch where that's the case.

In The Adult Timeline, we only have three: OoT, The Great Flood, and TWW. We have even less than that on the CT: TP and FSA. Only two. Only one, really, since Ganondorf I was confirmed to be the same guy as Calamity Ganon in Creating a Champion, so FSA shouldn't even be a factor in this.

Now let's look at the Ganon conflicts on the DT, shall we?

We have: OoT, the IW, ALttP, OoX, the backstory of ALBW, ALBW, and Zelda 1. SEVEN. Far more than the other two by a mile . It's the only one that works in regard to Aonuma's statement. In other words, we were already told which branch without him actually telling us.

And yes, I know about the interview where he and Fujibayashi said that the branch BotW is in is up to the players to discuss, but that doesn't make all placements equally logical, especially when we also got an fairly clear statement like the one above. Hell, the BotW2 teaser even gives a very big hint for a DT placement. I'd be surprised at this point if BotW2 doesn't clear things up once and for all.

And? While he slipped away to go do his own thing, the sages would have, in this case, stuck around Hyrule, doing things that would have been recorded in the history books.

And what do these history books say about their origins as sages? That they just became sages out of thin air one day?

Alternatively, we know that Zelda, Link, and Ganon are not the only ones to be reincarnated through the ages. Why would the sages be exempt

Because Ruto's description matches up with her OoT description? She was the Zora Princess of her time, she was an attendant to the Zora Patron Deity, and she awoke as a sage when Zora's Domain faced disaster.

Now compare say, OoT Link and TP Link. OoT Link grew up as an outcast, whereas TP Link was well liked by everyone in his home town. OoT Link began his adventure as a child, TP Link as an adult. Both of these Links, despite being heroes named Link are given different backstories because they're different people. Why give the Ruto mentioned in BotW the same backstory as the one in OoT if they're different characters?

 

[Mikey the Moblin]

Spoken like a lawyer, but not a scientist. A lot of great science has been done by placing the burden of proof on proving, or attempting to prove, that something is false.

Those things that can't be proven false are called scientific laws (or rather haven't been proven false yet)
when looking at zelda theory through a scientific lens, I'm not sure there are many laws in the timeline, although I would say the hate curse could possibly qualify as a universal law
both mathematicians and scientists have to undergo rigorous experimentation to prove something is true, and when something can't be proven that's when we rely on theories. The problem is people in the zelda community don't undergo the same rigorous experimentation that the scientific community does
there's also that concept that something only needs to be proven false once, and there are many things that can't be proven either way, albeit being extremely unlikely
for example, I doubt that link was on drugs in majora's mask, and I doubt that santa claus exists
both could be true, but are most likely false until they can be proven true. But they can't really be proven false in any way
this is why we have occam's razor, it's the last line of defense against the people screeching everything is subjective and relies on your own interpretation smile

edit: ninja'd by occam's razor dang it

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

I have to agree the groundwork for a converegence just isn't there. One of the biggest points people use in favor of a merged timeline scenario is the ceremonial prayer from the Subdued Ceremony memory, and while it's easy to want to stretch that into references of all three timelines, it could just be referencing events solely in Skyward Sword, as @Moblinking5000 pointed out a few years ago in a thread.

Everything else falls under mere easter egg references, and this is especially true of the amiibo drops and a lot of the DLC gear.

If they truly wanted to merge the timelines intentionally they'd need to make a narrative reason for it, not leave us in the dark. Perhaps the only hope to retroactively confirm a convergence is by adding it as a plot point in the sequel to BotW, and in that case I'd accept it. Otherwise, there is nothing suggesting the timelines merged.

 

[Ryuu Kage Desu]

Occam's razor is a great tool, but it has been wrong. It is the reason why I state that the downfall is the best fit. It's even part of the reason I presented the theory that all timelines tend tward the downfall. But, because the tool can be wrong, and has been wrong, it doesn't serve as genuine proof against anything. This is issue is the root to many, if not all, of our debates, so far (which I am enjoying); not the fact that there is better evidence for the downfall, as apposed to the others. My problem is that none of that makes the connection to the other timelines impossible.

I also agree that the grounding for a convergence is light. But, it is there. A convergence, as I'm thinking about it, doesn't necessarily mean that the timelines merge.

So, back to the original question about how Breath of the Wild could fit with the child and adult timelines; it is obvious that there are some gaps that would need to be filled. I'm still not convinced that reincarnation is out of the question. While we see different starting conditions for Link, ultimately, he seems to always be born into a simple life, while having family ties to military service. We can't really judge Ocarina of Time. We don't know enough about his home village. Reoccurring characters seem to fill the same roll, time and again. When (if) Gannon finally does reincarnate in the adult timeline, I am quite sure that they will find a way to get the Master Sword. When Ruto is reborn, I'm quite sure she will be a princess, and a sage.

 

[Mangrove]

If they truly wanted to merge the timelines intentionally they'd need to make a narrative reason for it, not leave us in the dark. Perhaps the only hope to retroactively confirm a convergence is by adding it as a plot point in the sequel to BotW, and in that case I'd accept it. Otherwise, there is nothing suggesting the timelines merged.

Ehh, they left us in the dark on how ALttP could be a sequel to OoT with both TP and WW being incompatible continuations of OoT until HH. It's not like ALttP or OoT suggests the defeat of the Hero of Time, for example. Nintendo canonizing things that aren't suggested in game is nothing new (Zelda Encyclopedia telling us the light force was in the Master Sword, for instance).

I don't want a converged timeline, but I have little faith in Nintendo handling Zelda lore after HH and ZE. I'm just saying I won't be surprised if they mess everything up by confirming it.

 

[Mikey the Moblin]

I have to agree the groundwork for a converegence just isn't there. One of the biggest points people use in favor of a merged timeline scenario is the ceremonial prayer from the Subdued Ceremony memory, and while it's easy to want to stretch that into references of all three timelines, it could just be referencing events solely in Skyward Sword, as @Moblinking5000 pointed out a few years ago in a thread.

Everything else falls under mere easter egg references, and this is especially true of the amiibo drops and a lot of the DLC gear.

If they truly wanted to merge the timelines intentionally they'd need to make a narrative reason for it, not leave us in the dark. Perhaps the only hope to retroactively confirm a convergence is by adding it as a plot point in the sequel to BotW, and in that case I'd accept it. Otherwise, there is nothing suggesting the timelines merged.

when summoning the wolf link amiibo it says something about wolf link being summoned through space and time iirc
so wolf link is canonically pulled from one timeline split to another

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

when summoning the wolf link amiibo it says something about wolf link being summoned through space and time iirc
so wolf link is canonically pulled from one timeline split to another

It's an amiibo function though, gameplay over narrative, ludonarrative dissonance is the answer here.

 

[YoungGanon23]

Cant work because the timelines are different you think that New Hyrule from ST and TP Hyrule could end similar like BOTW Hyrule? and in BOTW the sages wake up and in the child timeline they not