Spoiler Warning!
Remember the map that Reggie showed at the Treehouse Livestream last week, which seemingly depicts the backstory of the game?
The Treehouse guy next to him was sure that you couldn't make much out with this, but as it turns out, you can translate the Sheikah texts on the border into Japanese and from there into English. Credit goes to Zeltik and his community, who put it all together:
This adds up nicely with the theories that we had so far, including the one about the 4 Giant Guardians. We have multiple races living together and an age of prosperity created by the Sheikah technology. The Sheikah then also sealed away Calamity Ganon with their technology, an army of Guardians led by four divine beasts. However, this army frightened the king so much that the Sheikah were banned. And a hundred years later it shows that it might have been right to fear this technology.
Anyhow, this is probably the backstory that you get told very early in the game, maybe even as an intro. It's still possible that a timeline merge will be part of the backstory and has led to this scenario as well, since it's not really explained, how Calamity Ganon (as opposed to the original Ganon) came to be. Also, the bird people really are the Rito, it would require an explanation, why they are existing together with the Zora.
We also know that Hylia will play an important role this time, where she might even be the one, who unified the timeline. Popular fan theories put her as the Goddess of Time from Majora's Mask and maybe it was her, who made this new Hyrule possible in the first place.
Also, it's noteworthy, how Link and Zelda worked together 100 years ago, but failed. So, some of the scenes with the two of them from the last trailer might have been flashbacks.
Remember the map that Reggie showed at the Treehouse Livestream last week, which seemingly depicts the backstory of the game?
The Treehouse guy next to him was sure that you couldn't make much out with this, but as it turns out, you can translate the Sheikah texts on the border into Japanese and from there into English. Credit goes to Zeltik and his community, who put it all together:
This adds up nicely with the theories that we had so far, including the one about the 4 Giant Guardians. We have multiple races living together and an age of prosperity created by the Sheikah technology. The Sheikah then also sealed away Calamity Ganon with their technology, an army of Guardians led by four divine beasts. However, this army frightened the king so much that the Sheikah were banned. And a hundred years later it shows that it might have been right to fear this technology.
Anyhow, this is probably the backstory that you get told very early in the game, maybe even as an intro. It's still possible that a timeline merge will be part of the backstory and has led to this scenario as well, since it's not really explained, how Calamity Ganon (as opposed to the original Ganon) came to be. Also, the bird people really are the Rito, it would require an explanation, why they are existing together with the Zora.
We also know that Hylia will play an important role this time, where she might even be the one, who unified the timeline. Popular fan theories put her as the Goddess of Time from Majora's Mask and maybe it was her, who made this new Hyrule possible in the first place.
Also, it's noteworthy, how Link and Zelda worked together 100 years ago, but failed. So, some of the scenes with the two of them from the last trailer might have been flashbacks.
Sounds to me like this either takes place (1) pre-Ocarina of Time, at a time when the Kokiri actually looked wooden like Koroks (perhaps they reverted back rather than evolved in WW?), (2) after Twilight Princess but before Four Swords Adventures, given that FSA featured many WW-like elements and is the only game in Hyrule besides OT and BW to have a Gerudo Tribe (outside of Ganondorf), or (3) on the Downfall Timeline, between OT and LP, given that this is a Hyrule wrecked by the wrath of Ganon and could well be leading into the seven sages finding a way to seal him in the Sacred Realm. I guess it could therefore also be (4) on the Adult Timeline, pre-Flood.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for giving credit to Zeltik! I've been chatting with his team and they're kind of upset that they haven't been getting the credit they should receive in some of the articles posting about their work.
ReplyDeleteTo place this in the timeline we have to think about the following aspects
ReplyDelete- The backstory talks about the prosperity of the Sheikah. But by the time of OoT they are already diminished but still/again allowed to guard Princes Zelda.
- Technology wise the sheikah Technology it fits with the Temple of time from the past in TP and the Tower of the Gods from WW and maybe Timeshf
- They already speak of Calamity Ganon as a threat for many many years. In OoT he is still Ganondorf and turns into Ganon at the end
- Demise speaks in SS about his hatred will be reincarnated forever and ever, so Demise is the start of the threat, but not yet called Ganon
- We have: Koroks and Rito from WW, Gorons, Zora from OoT/TP, Gerudo from OoT
- The Temple of time is the ToT from OoT but with a Godess statue from SS
- We have the Master Sword, so must be post-SS (where it starts as the Godess Sword), but its resting near the Deku Tree, who knows Link and Zelda
- No mention so far of the Triforce
- The backstory mentions that áfter the failure of the Hero and Zelda the Sheikah intervened with their Four Giant Mechanical Beasts and Guardians to seal Ganon.
All this make me think BotW has to be at least placed not earlier than after or parralel tot the end of OoT, in a (not necessary the) hero falls timeline.
But, and maybe not everyone will like that, its also is a possibility that BotW is just a complete reboot/retelling with familiar elements for the fans to get rid of all those timeline problems.
Nintendo restarts the franchise with a new main title where every new game from now on can be based of. Just like OoT was basically the main/center story where everything else referenced to and created the timeline problem in the first place.
@Eren:
ReplyDeleteCredit, where credit is due. I've had my contents copied without credit several times, so I know the pain. And if I ever fail to give credit correctly, just leave a comment, I will fix it asap.
@timeline placement:
I think, you guys all know, where I stand here. But even without a timeline merge, I still think that this game takes place at the end of one of the timelines. We see many things from past games in ruin or in a decayed state: the Temple of Time, the Master Sword on its pedestal, Hyrule Castle from OoT, Hyrule Castle Town from TP, ... It's rather symbolic, as if Nintendo wants to clearly tell the player that this is all behind us, that this is a new era for Zelda. So, to place this game between two existing Zelda games doesn't work for me. It's meant to create a new era for Zelda, not to be a transition.