The Zelda timeline, in three branches
This page is the story order. Shelf order lives on the release-order page. The official split is the ending of Ocarina of Time, and Nintendo has published the three branches since Hyrule Historia.
Last checked:
Before the split
The sequence I take from the current official timeline page and from Hyrule Historia is Skyward Sword, then The Minish Cap, then Four Swords, then Ocarina of Time. Skyward Sword is the earliest story even though it came out in 2011. The master sword’s origin and the first clash with Demise sit there, which is why later games can mention a cycle without retelling it.
Hero is defeated
If Link falls to Ganondorf, the fallen-hero branch runs through the Imprisoning War into A Link to the Past, the Oracle games, Link’s Awakening, A Link Between Worlds, Tri Force Heroes, Echoes of Wisdom, the 1986 game, and Zelda II. Echoes of Wisdom’s place on this branch is how the current public timeline charts treat it. I am not upgrading a fan essay into that placement.
Child era and adult era
The child branch sends Link back as a boy: Majora’s Mask, Twilight Princess, Four Swords Adventures. The adult branch follows the future world left behind when the Hero of Time returns to childhood: The Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks. The sea in Wind Waker is the flooded kingdom, which is why that game feels like a sequel and a reboot at the same time.
After the three branches
Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom sit after the branches on Nintendo’s later charts. The charts do not say which branch they continue. Fans argue for a merged future or for a time so distant that the branch no longer matters. I print both readings and I do not pick a winner. Tears of the Kingdom is a sequel to Breath of the Wild inside that unassigned block, which is a narrower claim and one I will stand behind.
| Year | Title | Type | Platform | Score | Sales / reported period | Play today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | The Legend of Zelda | mainline | Famicom Disk System, NES | 84 (GBA reissue) | 6.51M lifetime (Wikipedia/CESA) | NSO NES (base tier); GameCube Collector's Edition (second-hand) |
| 1987 | Zelda II: The Adventure of Link | mainline | Famicom Disk System, NES | 73 (GBA reissue) | 4.38M lifetime | NSO NES (base tier); GameCube Collector's Edition (second-hand) |
| 1991 | The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past | mainline | SNES | 95 (GBA version) | 6.5M (SNES + GBA, 2004) 2004 | NSO SNES (base tier); GBA version on NSO GBA (Expansion Pack) |
| 1993 | The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening | mainline | Game Boy | — | 3.83M (GB) + 2.22M (DX) 2004 | NSO Game Boy (base tier, DX version); 2019 Switch remake |
| 1998 | The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time | mainline | Nintendo 64 | 99 | 7.6M (N64) 2004 | NSO N64 (Expansion Pack); 2026 Switch 2 remake |
| 2000 | The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask | mainline | Nintendo 64 | 95 | 3.36M (N64) lifetime | NSO N64 (Expansion Pack); 3DS remake (physical only) |
| 2001 | The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages | mainline | Game Boy Color | — | 3.99M combined with Seasons lifetime | NSO Game Boy (base tier) |
| 2001 | The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons | mainline | Game Boy Color | — | 3.99M combined with Ages lifetime | NSO Game Boy (base tier) |
| 2002 | The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker | mainline | GameCube | 96 | 4.6M (GC) + 2.37M (HD) 2023 (HD) | Switch 2 GameCube Classics (Expansion Pack); Wii U HD (physical only) |
| 2003 | The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords | mainline | Game Boy Advance | 95 (bundled with ALttP) | bundled with ALttP GBA | NSO GBA (Expansion Pack) via A Link to the Past & Four Swords |
| 2004 | The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures | mainline | GameCube | 86 | — | GameCube disc only (second-hand); not on NSO |
| 2004 | The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap | mainline | Game Boy Advance | 89 | 1.76M lifetime | NSO GBA (Expansion Pack); original GBA cartridge |
| 2006 | The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess | mainline | GameCube, Wii | 95 (Wii) / 96 (GameCube) | 8.85M (Wii + GC) + 1.17M (HD) 2015 / 2022 | GameCube/Wii disc; Wii U HD (physical only); no Switch port |
| 2007 | The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass | mainline | Nintendo DS | 90 | 4.13M 2008 | DS card; Wii U Virtual Console (purchased before 2023 closure) |
| 2009 | The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks | mainline | Nintendo DS | 87 | 2.61M 2010 | DS card; Wii U Virtual Console (purchased before 2023 closure) |
| 2011 | The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword | mainline | Wii | 93 | 3.67M (Wii) + 4.15M (HD) 2022 | Switch Skyward Sword HD; Wii disc |
| 2013 | The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds | mainline | Nintendo 3DS | 91 | 4.26M 2022 | 3DS card only (eShop closed March 2023) |
| 2015 | The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes | mainline | Nintendo 3DS | 73 | 1.36M 2020 | 3DS card only (eShop closed March 2023) |
| 2017 | The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | mainline | Wii U, Nintendo Switch | 97 | 34.28M (Switch, Sep 2026) + 1.70M (Wii U, Dec 2020) 2026-09-30 (Switch) / 2020-12 (Wii U) | Switch / Switch 2; Switch 2 Edition (June 5, 2025) |
| 2023 | The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom | mainline | Nintendo Switch | 96 | 22.90M (Switch, Sep 2026) 2026-09-30 | Switch / Switch 2; Switch 2 Edition (June 5, 2025) |
| 2024 | The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom | mainline | Nintendo Switch | 85 | 4.09M 2025-03 | Switch / Switch 2 |
FAQ
Is the timeline required to enjoy a game?
No. The release-order page is the practical list. This page is for the causal links Nintendo has actually drawn.
Where do the CD-i games sit?
They do not. Philips published them. They are not on the Hyrule Historia chart this page follows.
Where is Hyrule in all of this?
The kingdom changes shape on every branch. The Hyrule page compares those maps instead of pretending there is one island.
Related
Sources
| Claim | Status | Cross-check |
|---|---|---|
| Historical dates, platforms and background | 1 source: Wikipedia | Read the linked game or series entry; multiple Wikipedia pages count as one publisher. |
| Timeline structure | 2 sources | Nintendo timeline and Wikipedia chronology; Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom remain unassigned to a branch. |
- Nintendo, current official Zelda timeline — checked 2026-11-10
- Wikipedia, The Legend of Zelda fictional chronology — checked 2026-11-10
- Zelda Wiki (additional reading; HTTP 403 at audit), Timeline — checked 2026-11-10
Page updated 2026-11-10. Site check date 2026-11-10.