Legend Of Zelda Timeline: How To Play All Games In Order

The timeline of The Legend of Zelda is broken into different splits that follow different paths, and those who wish to play the series in chronological order will have to use several consoles to experience them all. The Legend of Zelda franchise’s timeline splits were once the subject of fan theories until a book called Hyrule Historia outlined the timeline. The timeline has since changed in different publications, with new games and differing options shifting things around.

The timeline shenanigans are all linked to the end of Ocarina of Time, as the outcome of the game will determine the future of Hyrule. In one timeline, Link is defeated, leading to the ruined and empty version of Hyrule that is seen in the earliest Legend of Zelda games. The second timeline follows young Link’s adventures in the land of Termina before the realm of shadows starts to overlap with Hyrule. The third timeline involves Ganon returning after Link has been sent in back in time, leading to the flooding of Hyrule, and the introduction of trains to Hyrule. All timelines converge into Breath of the Wild, which will continue with its upcoming sequel.

Playing The Legend of Zelda games in chronological order can be tricky, as the games are spread across several Nintendo consoles, and some of them were never ported to modern systems. A person who owns a Nintendo Switch, a Nintendo 3DS, and a Nintendo Wii U will have an easier time, but there are still some Legend of Zelda games that are locked to older systems.

The Sky Era To The Hero Of Time

The Legend of Zelda starts at a specific point and it takes a few games before the timeline split happens. These are the first entries in The Legend of Zelda series chronologically:

• The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
• The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap
• The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

The Nintendo Switch has options for the first and last game of this era, as Skyward Sword HD is available as a full release, while Ocarina of Time is part of the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. The other games are a little trickier. Minish Cap was originally a Game Boy Advance game, and it’s available on the Wii U’s Virtual Console. The people with an Ambassador Nintendo 3DS can also claim Minish Cap as one of the limited-time Game Boy Advance titles that were never publicly released. Four Swords is a multiplayer Zelda game for the Game Boy Advance, though a remaster was released for a limited time on Nintendo DSi and the Nintendo 3DS.

The Link Is Defeated Timeline (The Retro Zelda Games)

The Legend of Zelda timeline splits at the end of Ocarina of Time. In “The Hero is Defeated” timeline, Link is killed by Ganon during the final battle of Ocarina of Time, leaving Hyrule vulnerable until a new Link can arrive and purge the realm of evil. The games in this timeline are –

• The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
• The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
• The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages or The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
• The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes
• The Legend of Zelda
• The Adventure of Link

The Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo 3DS are the main consoles for this timeline. A subscription to Nintendo Switch Online will grant access to A Link to the Past, The Legend of Zelda, and The Adventure of Link. The Nintendo Switch received a full remake of Link’s Awakening, though the original version is also available on the Nintendo 3DS’ Virtual Console. The Nintendo 3DS is the only place where A Link Between Worlds and Tri Force Heroes can be played. The Oracle games can also be purchased on the Nintendo 3DS’ Virtual Console and they can be played in either order.

The Link Defeats Ganon Timeline (The Strange Games)

At the end of Ocarina of Time, Link defeats Ganon and Princess Zelda sends him back in time. Link goes on new adventures in “The Hero Triumphant” timeline, some of which are the strangest Legend of Zelda games to date. The games in this timeline are:

• The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
• The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
• The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures

Like Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask is available on Nintendo Switch as part of the Expansion Pack. Both games also received enhanced remakes on the Nintendo 3DS. Twilight Princess received an HD remaster on the Wii U and it will almost certainly be ported to the Nintendo Switch in the future, otherwise, the only option is the original GameCube game. Four Swords Adventures has never been ported, so the only way to play this game is by buying a Nintendo GameCube. It’s possible to play Nintendo GameCube games on the older Nintendo Wii models.

The Link Succeeds, But Ganon Returns Timeline (The Cel-Shaded Games)

This timeline is set in the one where Princess Zelda sent Link back in time after defeating Ganon at the end of Ocarina of Time. In this timeline, Ganon returns, but there is no longer a hero around to stop him. This prompts the three goddesses of Hyrule to flood the realm, in order to stop Ganon from taking over, in what is referred to as the “Ganon Is Sealed Away” timeline. The games in this timeline are:

• The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
• The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
• The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

The ideal system for playing these games is the Nintendo Wii U, as The Wind Waker received an HD remaster on the system, and the other titles were available on its Virtual Console. If a Wii U is unavailable, then the only way to play the games is through a GameCube or backward-compatible Wii for The Wind Waker, and a Nintendo DS or Nintendo 3DS for the other games.

The Breath Of The Wild Era

All of The Legend of Zelda timelines converge into Breath of the Wild, which is currently the endpoint of the series, with all previous games treated as the subject of myth and legend. Breath of the Wild is available on the Nintendo Wii U and Nintendo Switch. The game also has a non-canon spin-off on Nintendo Switch, in the form of Age of Calamity, which also splits the timeline. The upcoming sequel to Breath of the Wild is also coming to Nintendo Switch and it will be the endpoint of The Legend of Zelda timeline when it’s released.

About The Author

Scott Baird
(2503 Articles Published)

Scott has been writing for Screen Rant since 2016 and regularly contributes to The Gamer. He has previously written articles and video scripts for websites like Cracked, Dorkly, Topless Robot, and TopTenz.
A graduate of Edge Hill University in the UK, Scott started out as a film student before moving into journalism. It turned out that wasting a childhood playing video games, reading comic books, and watching movies could be used for finding employment, regardless of what any career advisor might tell you. Scott specializes in gaming and has loved the medium since the early ‘90s when his first console was a ZX Spectrum that used to take 40 minutes to load a game from a tape cassette player to a black and white TV set. Scott now writes game reviews for Screen Rant and The Gamer, as well as news reports, opinion pieces, and game guides. He can be contacted on LinkedIn.

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