This is embarrassing. I’ve been covering all these littleZeldanuggets, from music and pins to comics and beyond, all to celebrate the series’ 25th anniversary, and I completely missed perhaps the coolest item of them all. Allow me to play catch-up.
Hyrule Historia, released in Japan yesterday for 3255 yen (about $42), is a massive 274-page tome filled with tons of lovely nuggets and concept art from theZeldaseries’ illustrious history. A good chunk of the book is dedicated toSkyward Sword, and there is even a sneak preview of the upcomingAkira HimekawaSkyward Swordmanga. I wish there was more equal representation of the various games, but I’m a sucker for all this behind-the-scenes stuff and will definitely try to get my hands on a copy.
A solid quarter of the book is dedicated to the history of Hyrule and all its secrets. Allegedly, the infamousZeldatimeline is revealed once and for all. Now, actual scans of the pages in question haven’t appeared, so all we have to go on isthe word of a fanwho bought the thing. One of Kotaku’s readers has translated the purchaser’s post and shared the info with the site’s editors, who then whipped up a quick-and-dirtytimeline graphic. Fan of the split timeline theory? You probably think there are onlytwobranches, huh?Hit the jump and be surprised.
The first four games in chronological order areSkyward Sword,The Minish Cap,Four Swords, andOcarina of Time. Once we hitOcarina, it’s 88-mph time and we start to see some serious shit.
There’s the split that we are familiar with based on the ending toOcarina. When Link returns to the child era, the subsequent games areMajora’s Mask,Twilight Princess, andFour Swords Adventure. The adult era that Link leaves then follows withThe Wind Waker,Phantom Hourglass, andSpirit Tracks.
Now — and here’s where it gets ridiculous — there is athirdbranch that assumes Link was actuallydefeatedby Ganon during the events ofOcarina. How is that possible? In any case, this is followed byA Link to the Past,Oracle of Ages/Seasons,Link’s Awakening,The Legend of Zelda, andThe Adventure of Link.
This could all be a hoax, but as more people get their hands on the book, the truth will definitely come to light. In the meantime, what do you think of all this? Does this put you at ease, or does it just raise even more questions?
(Thanks to everyone who brought this to our attention!)
