The Legend of Zeldais currently waiting for a new installment for the Nintendo Switch 2, but its years spent with the first Switch have proven fruitful. FromBreath of the WildtoEchoes of Wisdom, and all the games in between, likeTears of the KingdomandSkyward Sword HD, it’s been an era to remember in the already-accomplished Nintendo franchise.Breath of the WildandTears of the Kingdomin particular pioneered an entirely new open-world style ofZelda, whileSkyward SwordandEchoes of Wisdombrought back some traits that defined the series’ glory days.
Regardless of a particular player’s preference, there is something to like about the Nintendo Switch’sLegend of Zeldaoffering, and that’s not just because these games' mechanics are different. Thanks to the aforementionedSkyward Swordremaster and the story running throughBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom, the alleged earliest and latest points in theZeldatimeline are both playable on the Nintendo Switch. It’s a funny coincidence that this encapsulation of theZeldatimeline appeared organically, but examining the games involved exposes one trait that makes their shared bookend status rather strange.
Futuristic Precursor Tech Unites Tears of the Kingdom and Skyward Sword
Both Zelda Games Place The Future In The Past, Despite Their Own Settings
One of the most notable selling points ofThe Legend of Zelda: Skyward Swordis that it is a prequel to everyZeldagame, forming a core mythology that establishes how the series’ traditional Link-Zelda-Ganondorf story got its start.Breath of the Wildparallels that by setting itself at the distant end of everyZeldatimeline, with the rest of the franchise occupying a nebulous “Era of Myth.”Tears of the Kingdominherited this status, and although some fans hold its canonicity within any timeline in contention, it’s fair to say thatTears of the Kingdomcurrently representsZelda’s furthest point in the timeline.
Embodying the distant past and future makes a shared story beat in both games rather confusing.Skyward SwordandTears of the Kingdomboth have an emphasis on ancient technology, despite also claiming to lie at opposing ends of theZeldatimeline. On top of the machinery in its various dungeons,Skyward Sworddevotes its Lanayru Desert dungeonsto a time-shifting mechanic that incorporates an ancient past that’s more advanced than any other point in the series. Meanwhile,Tears of the Kingdomintroduces Zonai technology that may even predate its own distant past seen in flashbacks.
How Out-Of-Place Technology Factors Into Zelda’s Chronological Extremes
Ancient technology in otherwise medieval fantasy is a trope that arguably dates back thousands of years, courtesy of mythological figures like Hephaestus, and seeing it in multipleZeldagames is no surprise. What is surprising is thatSkyward SwordandTears of the Kingdomare both preoccupied with staking their claim on thefurthest points of theZeldatimeline, yet they still bring up cultures and technology that predate even them. It isn’t self-defeating behavior, but it does make diving into chronological details a little humorous.
TotK and Skyward Sword Make Their Ancient Tech Interesting
Skyward Swordis already skating on thin ice due to not even being the first cycle involving a Hylian hero, the Goddess Hylia, and the Demon King Demise, so throwing a further wrinkle in with ancient technology was probably just a consequence of Nintendo designers wanting to keep things interesting. Fortunately, the Lanayru region, especially its Sandship dungeon, was well-received, and the same may soon be said aboutTears of the Kingdom’s Imprisoning War erathanks to its upcomingHyrule Warriorsspin-off.Tears of the KingdomandSkyward Swordunearthing ancient history while flushing out the series' past and future is odd, but at least it’s also entertaining.
