Timeline

The precise chronology of the Zelda universe is hotly debated among fans. As time progressed and more games were released, the exact order of the games in an overall timeline became complex and heavily disputed. There are bits and pieces of definitive information to connect certain games to each other, but there is no definitive explanation for how every game relates to each other in a standardized timeline of events.

The creators of the series have repeatedly dropped hints as to the order of the series, but over time most of these "revelations" have been overridden by newer materials, games, and statements.

Much of the ambiguity of the chronology of the Zelda series is due to the fact that the games take place over a span of centuries or even millennia, featuring many different incarnations of Link, Princess Zelda, and other characters. Some of the other confusion arises as a result of mistranslation and localization problems. Nintendo of America's localization process during the NES/ SNES era was to have a Japanese-speaking employee directly translate the text, and an NOA employee (with no pre-requisite of understanding Japanese) would then take the literal English and re-write it to suit American grammar and culture. The man most largely responsible for this is Daniel Owsen.

The general rule of thumb is that the games are the final authority. The information in the instruction booklets is also canon, unless contradicted by the games or mistranslated. Manuals are marketing and technical material, and thus are not always subject to the scrutiny of the creators of the game. Information from other official sources, such as  Nintendo Power magazine and its Official Strategy Guides, may also be acceptable, though this is not acknowleged by all fans.

Here is a list of the Nintendo-published games in order of release, with the known information regarding their place in the timeline:

The Legend of Zelda was the first released game in the series.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link almost certainly takes place several seasons after the original game, as indicated in the manual. It stars the Link of the previous game, nearing his 16th birthday.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past allegedy takes place generations before the original game, as heavily emphasized in the US promotional materials, and advertised on the packaging of the Japanese edition.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, when originally released, seemed to occur very shortly after A Link to the Past, starring the same Link. The game's instruction manual states that Link left Hyrule on a journey of enlightenment after defeating Ganon. The Japanese official website states the game is a direct sequel to Triforce of the Gods (ALttP), but LA's place in the timeline may have been [retconned in the Oracle series. (see below).

BS Zelda is a remake of the original game that features the BS-X's boy and girl mascots instead of Link; however because it is merely a  Super Mario All-Stars-esque reimagining, and has no apparent backstory, its place in the timeline is unaltered.

BS Zelda: Kodai no Sekiban has the same gender selection; to account for this the Hero of Light, whom the player embodies, is a single person but of indeterminate gender. While of dubious canonicity, the ingame events take place shortly after A Link to the Past. The previous hero is frequently alluded to (but not by name) and is said to be absent.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time apparently takes place ages before A Link to the Past, possibly expanding upon its backstory. Many consider this the earliest story, due to the appearance of legendary figures, such as Ganondorf and the Sages.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask takes place very shortly after Ocarina of Time and stars the same Link, who has been returned to his youth.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages are connected via a password system, and one takes place immediately after the other. They can be played/regarded in either order, depending on the player's preference. The saga takes place at a time when the Triforce is in Hyrule Castle and Ganon is dead. Dialogue suggests that the Link and Princess Zelda featured in these games meet for the first time during the adventure. Upon completing both games via link-up to receive the 'full' ending, the very last scene shows Link on a raft sailing off into the sunset, waving goodbye to his friends. This may suggest that Link's Awakening now takes place after the Oracles series chronologically.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords was stated by Eiji Aonuma in 2004 to be the "oldest tale" in the Zelda series. This has caused controversy as how to interpret the word "oldest". The versions of Link and Princess Zelda featured in this game are childhood friends.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker takes place hundreds of years after Ocarina of Time and possibly after A Link to the Past as well. There exists a possibility, based on a cryptic statement from Mr. Aonuma, that the timeline splits after OoT, one branch carrying on from the devastated world Link reclaimed from Ganon's forces, the other branch from the childhood he returned to after Ganon's evil was sealed. If so, TWW is in the first branch, following the "adult" ending. There is also sufficient circumstantial evidence to counter the statements from Eiji Aonuma.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures takes place an unspecified amount of time after Four Swords.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap takes place long before Four Swords and Four Swords Adventures. If "Palace of the Four Sword" (the bonus dungeon featured in the GBA version of ALttP) is canon then The Minish Cap also takes place some time before A Link to the Past. Many fans have suggested that The Minish Cap is the first game in the Zelda chronology, but there is no particular in-game (or other official) evidence to support this. However, this does seem to be the earliest story involving Vaati, and contains his origin and transformation into his most familiar form.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess takes place 100 years after Ocarina of Time, the third game in terms of chronology.

Some fans say that the chronology of the series should not be so rigid. Just as real-world legends are retold with different variations, each game could merely be a different retelling of the same story. With each advancement in videogame hardware and the ever-changing desires of the consumer, the base story of Link saving Zelda from Ganon and recovering the Triforce is embellished, modified, and changed outright. Just like any other legend, The Legend of Zelda changes as it is retold through the years.

In any case, the creators maintain that the series has a set timeline, but due to the poor translation protocols in the 1990s and the constant debate over what counts as being canonical, the publicly available information is disputed and may not be reconciled any time soon. Eiji Aonuma promised he will do his best to patch it all up and hopefully reveal the timeline someday, and Shigeru Miyamoto publicly stated there is a master document containing the timeline - although no proof of this document outside of Miyamoto's word has surfaced in the years since he made the claim.