Theory: Breath of the Wild is a DREAM just like Link's Awakening!

[NoSkinnedKoopa]

In Zelda games, we have seen many times that things are not as they seem. Nintendo even takes this to the next level by telling and making us realize the world we are in within a Zelda game is false, from dreams, visions, or other subworlds. Examples of this are (spoiler alert)

Spoiler

Majora’s Mask, Link’s Awakening, and Phantom Hourglass.

In my recent Breath of the Wild theories, I mentioned that I truly felt the next following Zelda game, remake or not, would have something to do with Breath of the Wild’s lore and maybe even its timeline placement. Seeing the next Zelda game is a remake of Link’s Awakening, an idea crept into my thoughts, and a theory became present. What if Breath of the Wild is all a dream just like Link’s Awakening? I created two versions of this theory and I’ll explain each and then give more evidence for both and what I actually believe to be real after I mention each version.

Version 1 - Breath of the Wild is true up until Link’s fall.

This version of the theory is, in my opinion, the more likely one. Basically, during the fight at Fort Hateno, Link makes his last stand, passes out, and is put in the Shrine of Resurrection. From that point on, I believe Link is dreaming in his sleep. His memories before his fall are true however. So, for reasons unknown, he has yet to wake up. (I’ll go over a more specific point* behind his continuing slumber later on.) Maybe he is having a preview of what he needs to when he ACTUALLY wakes up. I mean, the dude’s been apparently asleep for 100 years (or maybe even less actually)! So much dreaming can happen under that much amount of sleep. Also, the fact Link was able to recall memories where and when he wasn’t even present (Champion’s Ballad DLC) points to a theory like this as well. Yes, I know they are just flashback cutscenes without Link having the realization eye-opening animation, but game did label them as memories. And from my own experience, realistically speaking, only in my dreams could I be present and then all of a sudden shift my perspective to somewhere I am not.

Version 2 - The entirety of Breath of the Wild is false and a dream.

This version is a little more out there, but I still appeared to me in my mind as something I must mention. So in this version of the theory, Link is still asleep… somewhere. He could still be asleep in the Shrine of Resurrection or in a really bad coma somewhere else. And everything that happened, before and after he started sleeping is false. His amnesia and sense of this “new, unknown world” could be the only legitimate thing, with all memories and events being false. Which means his amnesia isn’t even amnesia, he just actually never experienced any of the game’s events and assumes each “past memory” happened before when it didn’t. Link is in a crazy freaking dream.

More Evidence From Game (Important Points)

• The reason for Link still being asleep and actually dreaming in the Shrine of Resurrection (if he’s even in there) comes from the fact it is advanced Sheikah technology. It is healing him over the course of 100+ or maybe even less years, (regardless it still is very advanced technology) so it makes sense to have a huge effect on whatever’s going on within his head.
• Assuming Memory 17 actually did happen, Link could of unconsciously in a way listened to the conversation between Zelda and Fi, so the words like “Shrine of Resurrection” could of crept into his mind and created an assumed reality out of it in his dreams.
• In the Link’s Awakening remake, it could create new canon showing the Wind Fish* might have something to do with the dream world created in Breath of the Wild.

More Evidence From Nintendo (Important Points)

• Nintendo didn’t put Breath of the Wild in the timeline (yet) for a reason, this could be it or this could be their newfound answer.
• Nintendo made Breath of the Wild’ story and lore connecting to other Zelda games difficult or rather an impossibility due to their time spent on building Breath of the Wild’s game engine. This, the timeline consistencies, amiibo, DLC, whatever could be explained by making it all fake, a dream. I mean, the purpose of Breath of the Wild was to test out the new engine, voice acting, etc. anyway. Now that it’s been realized, make a game that could fall into the timeline!
• The developers of Breath of the Wild in an interview mentioned they would like to use the Champions again in future games. Best way to do it, don’t make them dead!

And finally, I believe that in the next big 3D Zelda game, (or in the ending of the Link’s Awakening remake) to put both versions my theory into play, the game will start out with or at some point show us that the events of Breath of the Wild were a dream, and the REAL adventure is taking place.

Let me know your comments, questions, concerns on this theory!

 

[Jirohnagi]

In Zelda games, we have seen many times that things are not as they seem. Nintendo even takes this to the next level by telling and making us realize the world we are in within a Zelda game is false, from dreams, visions, or other subworlds. Examples of this are (spoiler alert)

Spoiler

Majora’s Mask, Link’s Awakening, and Phantom Hourglass.

In my recent Breath of the Wild theories, I mentioned that I truly felt the next following Zelda game, remake or not, would have something to do with Breath of the Wild’s lore and maybe even its timeline placement. Seeing the next Zelda game is a remake of Link’s Awakening, an idea crept into my thoughts, and a theory became present. What if Breath of the Wild is all a dream just like Link’s Awakening? I created two versions of this theory and I’ll explain each and then give more evidence for both and what I actually believe to be real after I mention each version.

Version 1 - Breath of the Wild is true up until Link’s fall.

This version of the theory is, in my opinion, the more likely one. Basically, during the fight at Fort Hateno, Link makes his last stand, passes out, and is put in the Shrine of Resurrection. From that point on, I believe Link is dreaming in his sleep. His memories before his fall are true however. So, for reasons unknown, he has yet to wake up. (I’ll go over a more specific point* behind his continuing slumber later on.) Maybe he is having a preview of what he needs to when he ACTUALLY wakes up. I mean, the dude’s been apparently asleep for 100 years (or maybe even less actually)! So much dreaming can happen under that much amount of sleep. Also, the fact Link was able to recall memories where and when he wasn’t even present (Champion’s Ballad DLC) points to a theory like this as well. Yes, I know they are just flashback cutscenes without Link having the realization eye-opening animation, but game did label them as memories. And from my own experience, realistically speaking, only in my dreams could I be present and then all of a sudden shift my perspective to somewhere I am not.

Version 2 - The entirety of Breath of the Wild is false and a dream.

This version is a little more out there, but I still appeared to me in my mind as something I must mention. So in this version of the theory, Link is still asleep… somewhere. He could still be asleep in the Shrine of Resurrection or in a really bad coma somewhere else. And everything that happened, before and after he started sleeping is false. His amnesia and sense of this “new, unknown world” could be the only legitimate thing, with all memories and events being false. Which means his amnesia isn’t even amnesia, he just actually never experienced any of the game’s events and assumes each “past memory” happened before when it didn’t. Link is in a crazy freaking dream.

More Evidence From Game (Important Points)

• The reason for Link still being asleep and actually dreaming in the Shrine of Resurrection (if he’s even in there) comes from the fact it is advanced Sheikah technology. It is healing him over the course of 100+ or maybe even less years, (regardless it still is very advanced technology) so it makes sense to have a huge effect on whatever’s going on within his head.
• Assuming Memory 17 actually did happen, Link could of unconsciously in a way listened to the conversation between Zelda and Fi, so the words like “Shrine of Resurrection” could of crept into his mind and created an assumed reality out of it in his dreams.
• In the Link’s Awakening remake, it could create new canon showing the Wind Fish* might have something to do with the dream world created in Breath of the Wild.

More Evidence From Nintendo (Important Points)

• Nintendo didn’t put Breath of the Wild in the timeline (yet) for a reason, this could be it or this could be their newfound answer.
• Nintendo made Breath of the Wild’ story and lore connecting to other Zelda games difficult or rather an impossibility due to their time spent on building Breath of the Wild’s game engine. This, the timeline consistencies, amiibo, DLC, whatever could be explained by making it all fake, a dream. I mean, the purpose of Breath of the Wild was to test out the new engine, voice acting, etc. anyway. Now that it’s been realized, make a game that could fall into the timeline!
• The developers of Breath of the Wild in an interview mentioned they would like to use the Champions again in future games. Best way to do it, don’t make them dead!

And finally, I believe that in the next big 3D Zelda game, (or in the ending of the Link’s Awakening remake) to put both versions my theory into play, the game will start out with or at some point show us that the events of Breath of the Wild were a dream, and the REAL adventure is taking place.

Let me know your comments, questions, concerns on this theory!

I don't see how it can be a dream really because time actually progresses in hyrule, link never knew of kass and yet there kass is, ditto on the insides of shrines (which can they themselves be chalked up to shiekah tech), link meets various people he sure as heck wouldn't have in 100 years and who the hell would dream beedle? BEEDLE!.

As for in game evidence, you can visit the Shrine of resurrection and see it in it's deactivated state, again i don't think link would ever have seen it in either state, the Shiekah slate seems to be a melding of magic and tech (how else can link warp) so it's not completely outta the blue for memories to be viewable (hell we even see a form of this but in a more physical way via timeshift stones in SS).

I think you're pushing for a Links Awakening Reference where there literally can't be as BOTW happens 10,000 years after all others and we quite literally see the skeletons of three whale beings one of whome can fly, which lends credence that the Wind Fish MAY have lived at one point but died agaes ago.

As for Nintendo related evidence

Nintendo never gave a rats ass about the Timeline aside from to use it to bolster sales, the fact they haven't given us a timeline position from BOTW bar 10k years on, shows they've no interest in it again.

The lore and story is disconnected from all other games because it's 10,000 years on from the others, there are references to the rest of the series in location names, not to mention Urbosas dialogue reffering to ganondorf, also circling back to the slate thing, it's entirely possible that the shiekah found a way of creating items that can be digitally sent to where the slate holder, possibly a reliquary was created for that purpose to quickfit warriors going into combat.

Devs could just as easily make a game from before the champions fall or use them in their spirit incarnations for another game. The joy of having a game set so far away from the others, Nintendo has finally given themselves some breathing room in regards to game placements.

I fail to see how the events of BOTW can honestly be dream, the game seems far to active in terms of people, monsters and events to be a dream. One thing that would lend credit is the sheer number of koroks, the forest doesn't seem to hold all that many koroks near the deku tree unless each korok is the spirit of tree in BOTW.

We also know from the Original LA that he wakes up clinging to a log with the windfish flying overhead.

BOTW Link was woken from his slumber by zelda calling to him, he is even guided by the deceased king who aids him.

I'm not really for or against this theory, what i am for though is the way it's presented, very nice and coherent

 

[Dizzi]

why + how would Link dream up all the people and town and cloud Ganon and evil guardians??

 

[Moblinking5000]

why + how would Link dream up all the people and town and cloud Ganon and evil guardians??

As well as the fact that Link would have to somehow dream up the references to OoT(The Zora Monument about Ruto, for example), which precedes BotW by countless millennia.

BotW being a dream is a cop out and only has supporting evidence if you turn your head upside down and tilt it 20 degrees while squinting really hard, IMO.

 

[Siphonix]

So much dreaming can happen under that much amount of sleep.

He was in a deep sleep. Practically a coma. I’m not sure he would be able to dream during the deep sleep.

But I do like your evidence.

 

[Mikey the Moblin]

It's an elaborate simulation devised by the sheikah. That's why weapons dissolve into blue sparks that match the shrines and stuff, rather than splintering orshattering like they normally should.

 

[TheTrueHero]

It's an elaborate simulation devised by the sheikah. That's why weapons dissolve into blue sparks that match the shrines and stuff, rather than splintering orshattering like they normally should.

I agree, and to back up the whole shekiah simulation thing, If you drown, then you just come back to shore with only one heart lost, and if this was real, then you would have died right off the bat.

Also when a weapon is close to breaking it doesn’t show any signs of damage implying that it isn’t real and and it is the simulation that gives it a set amount of time you can use it before it breaks

 

[DJ Twitch]

If you drown, then you just come back to shore with only one heart lost, and if this was real, then you would have died right off the bat.

So half the other Zelda games are simulations too?

 

[TheTrueHero]

Well...
How else would you magically come back to shore

I’m just saying

 

[DJ Twitch]

Well...
How else would you magically come back to shore

I’m just saying

For the same reason you magically warp back after losing to an enemy. Because you died. The game then responds by resetting you to a previous position, only in this case you are given the small punishment of a lost heart.

 

[TheTrueHero]

I know but when an enemy kills you, you lose all hearts, and even if the game did give that small punishment like you suggested, then that wouldn’t follow the laws of the real world

It is a game, but to approach this properly, we have to think of it as our own world. There is no sign of this happening anywhere else in the game

 

[DJ Twitch]

I know but when an enemy kills you, you lose all hearts, and even if the game did give that small punishment like you suggested, then that wouldn’t follow the laws of the real world

The point is, the degree of punishment doesn't matter, the logic is still the same; you die, you go back. This isn't even specific to BotW or Zelda as a whole, it's a basic rule in video games.

It is a game, but to approach this properly, we have to think of it as our own world. There is no sign of this happening anywhere else in the game

If a game followed the laws of the real world, then there would be no coming back at all.

 

[Bowsette Plus-Ultra]

Didn't one of the Zelda compendiums actually state that Koholint Island was actually just some other dimension (which I still consider a lame cop-out that prevents world building)?

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

Didn't one of the Zelda compendiums actually state that Koholint Island was actually just some other dimension (which I still consider a lame cop-out that prevents world building)?

Link's Awakening itself is explicit that Koholint is a dream world.

 

[Bowsette Plus-Ultra]

Link's Awakening itself is explicit that Koholint is a dream world.

I mean, the game says it's the Wind Fish's dream. The Wind Fish itself seems to warp reality around it. The fanfiction writer in me would suggest that it effectively created a pocket dimension around itself. Unfortunately, the implication then becomes that waking up the Wind Fish effectively murdered everyone on Koholint Island.