The Hero Is Triumphant (Adult)
With The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild less than two months away, we have to wonder just how this title fits into the rather complex timeline that this series has produced. There has been no official statement from Nintendo, but there are some speculations among fans as to where this upcoming game could take place and what past titles it has been referencing.
One of the most popular theories is that Breath of the Wild takes during The Hero is Triumphant (Adult) timeline, due to some species and item names that reference the events in Wind Waker. One of these was discovered during the Nintendo Treehouse event at last year’s E3. The item in question is called “Rock Salt,” which when acquired delivers this message to the player: “Crystalized salt from the ancient sea commonly used to season meals. Cannot be eaten in this form.” Given Wind Waker was pretty much only about a giant ancient sea that had engulfed Hyrule, it’s possible this quote could be referencing these events.
We also know that the Great Deku Tree not only appeared in the Breath of the Wild trailer, but tells Link that he “is ready to hear what happened 100 years ago.” If we are in a Wind Waker timeline, a century would be more then enough time for some magic to dispel all the water and once again change the world.
There are also the Koroks to consider, as they’ve appeared in a number of Breath of the Wild trailers, images, and gameplay sneak peeks. These little creatures are former human children from the Kokiri Village that were altered by Wind Waker’s Great Sea. Their appearance in Breath of the Wild, and their absence from any other timeline, even further suggest a connection between Breath of the Wild and Wind Waker.