Spoiler I disagree when people say BOTW is before OoT

[RuMbLePaKk]

Well for starters, some armor descriptions (like sheiks headwear, OoT/WW/TP links outfits) mention these specific characters from past games, meaning this game takes place in the future of those games.

Wolf link is also summoned by the amiibo, the loading screens that give you tips mentions that wolf link is summoned from another world, which leads me to believe that BOTW isnt on the same timeline as TP.

Also, the locations in the open world from past games like Lon Lon Ranch, Arbiters grounds, The Hylia Statue, etc..

Thats only a few things, because Im sure a lot of you would say that the gear descriptions, or the wolf link, or the ruins in the game arent canon to the games storyline, which I think is silly for anyone to say. The Gerudo champion also mentions how Calamity Ganon was believed to take the form of a Gerudo man as well.

I didnt even finish the game yet, but this is the evidence I gathered up so far, and theres definitley more I failed to or forgot to mention as well.

 

[Link Floyd]

As usual, a lot of plot holes preventing us from piecing the games together.

I think it's most likely that BotW is in the downfall timeline, but then again, during one cutscene Zelda mentions a hero of twilight.

This makes me think that BotW is possibly the game where all 3 timelines intersect? A bit of a stretch at this point, but as I play more of BotW, I'll probably make a more definite decision on where I think this game is in the timeline.

 

[Spirit]

Plenty of in game evidence points to it being after OoT and possibly WAAAAAAAY after everything else.


Plus there's that one interview with Aonuma confirming BotW comes after OoT...

 

[RuMbLePaKk]

As usual, a lot of plot holes preventing us from piecing the games together.

I think it's most likely that BotW is in the downfall timeline, but then again, during one cutscene Zelda mentions a hero of twilight.

This makes me think that BotW is possibly the game where all 3 timelines intersect? A bit of a stretch at this point, but as I play more of BotW, I'll probably make a more definite decision on where I think this game is in the timeline.

Like I said I havent beaten the game, however I have all 4 beasts complete and the master sword, Im only holding off going to Ganon because I want to get all the shrines and quests complete because I heard you cant play the game again to complete everything once you beat the story mode, so can you tell me which cutscene zelda mentions that hero of twilight? Is it one of the memories?

 

[Link Floyd]

Like I said I havent beaten the game, however I have all 4 beasts complete and the master sword, Im only holding off going to Ganon because I want to get all the shrines and quests complete because I heard you cant play the game again to complete everything once you beat the story mode, so can you tell me which cutscene zelda mentions that hero of twilight? Is it one of the memories?

It's the memory found in front of Castle Town.

 

[el :BeoWolf:]

BotW is confirmed to be after OoT in a timeline where Ganon appears a lot

 

[Dio]

Aounuma confirmed it is after OOT. No need to look at in game evidence when the man himself has spoken.

 

[Wolfie]

Spoiler

In the memory of the knighting ceremony Zelda mentions some things about the hero. Specifically something along the lines of "Skyward Bound", "Lost in time", and "Steeped in Twilight". Clearly referencing Skyward Sword, Ocarina of Time, and Twilight Princess which puts this in the Child Timeline formed by Zelda sending Link back in time at the end of Ocarina of Time to regain his lost childhood.

The history of the guardians as told by later memories indicates that at some point (presumably after Twilight Princess although it is never specified and that has led to some debate) Hyrule entered into an age of technological advancement that could rival the ancient civilization in Skyward Sword and created the guardians and divine beasts. 10,000 years later it is stated the events of Breath of the Wild start and 100 years after that Link awakes in Present Day at the start of the game.

 

[Turo602]

I feel like they purposely set the game so far into the future and created brand new lore with the Divine Beasts, Calamity Ganon, and Sheikah technology so they could distance themselves from the timeline and almost start fresh.

 

[DragonEleven]

The mention of twilight, supporting the child timeline, is also opposed by a mention of Ruto awakening as a sage and facing Ganondorf alongside Link and Zelda, which only happened within the downfall and adult timelines (it doesn't mention whether or not Link survived, and the sages ultimately ended up sealing Ganon away in both).
The Twilight Realm is also implied to exist in all three timelines, so there could have been another event involving the Twilight Realm in one of the other timelines that we haven't seen yet.

 

[RuMbLePaKk]

I also think it's silly when people see the skeleton remains in breath of the wild like the one in Eldin. Clearly those remains are Levias, you cant doubt that.

 

[Jamie]

The mention of twilight, supporting the child timeline, is also opposed by a mention of Ruto awakening as a sage and facing Ganondorf alongside Link and Zelda, which only happened within the downfall and adult timelines (it doesn't mention whether or not Link survived, and the sages ultimately ended up sealing Ganon away in both).
The Twilight Realm is also implied to exist in all three timelines, so there could have been another event involving the Twilight Realm in one of the other timelines that we haven't seen yet.

The mention of Twilight seems more like a cameo than anything, I don't think it was meant to be related to the timeline and as you say Ruto awakening as a Sage is much more telling.

But yeah, everyone knows it's after OoT

 

[RuMbLePaKk]

The mention of Twilight seems more like a cameo than anything, I don't think it was meant to be related to the timeline and as you say Ruto awakening as a Sage is much more telling.

But yeah, everyone knows it's after OoT

Can you tell me which memory mentions Ruto?

 

[DragonEleven]

Can you tell me which memory mentions Ruto?

It's not a memory... it's one of the Zora monuments... you've probably seen at least a couple of them around Zora's Domain, and there is a quest to find them all.

 

[Scoopapa]

The prevailing theory at this point seems to be the entire game takes place after any other game in the series. That is to say, even the events that take place 10,000 years prior to the ones you play through happened after the other games. Admittedly though, that theory is essentially saying "nothing makes sense so we need to shove it to the end of the timeline". Doesn't mean it's wrong, but it is kind of an invitation to try and come up with something more elegant.

It seems at least conceivable that the "10,000 years ago" parts are meant to predate some of the other games, as other Zelda games have had ancient robots before. Consider the character Fi, a being who is explicitly of divine origin and implicitly a robot. There was also an entire race of explicit robots from the ancient past who lived in the Lanayru desert. So it's possible, given some artistic license, that the Guardians are supposed created by the same civilization as the one that created these other ancient robots.