How Long Between Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom? When Does Tears of the Kingdom Take Place?
by Reshwanth A | Updated May 16, 2023
Breath of the Wild
The action-adventure game The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was developed by Nintendo EPD and published by Nintendo. Hidemaro Fujibayashi served as the director, while Eiji Aonuma took on the role of producer. The programming team included Takuhiro Dohta, Kenji Matsutani, and Hiroshi Umemiya. The artistic direction was led by Takumi Wada and Satoru Takizawa.
The game's writing was handled by Akihito Toda and Naoki Mori. The music was composed by Manaka Kataoka, Yasuaki Iwata, and Hajime Wakai. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was released on March 3, 2017, and was made available on the Nintendo Switch and Wii U platforms. The game is primarily played in single-player mode, offering players an immersive and expansive action-adventure experience.
How Long Between Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom?
In truth, the exact duration between Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom remains undisclosed by Nintendo, leaving us without official information on the matter. However, based on our firsthand experience with the games, we can make an educated estimation that Tears of the Kingdom takes place relatively soon after the events of Breath of the Wild, likely within a span of 3 to 5 years.
Our assumption finds support in several factors, most notably the dialogue exchanged among characters in Tears of the Kingdom and the evident growth in the ages of the champions. These champions, who accompanied Link on his adventures in Breath of the Wild, show visible signs of progression and maturation.
While our estimation provides a reasonable understanding of the timeline between the two games, it is important to acknowledge that it remains a speculative interpretation until official confirmation is provided. Nonetheless, these observations offer compelling evidence to suggest that Tears of the Kingdom takes place in the aftermath of Breath of the Wild, not long after the events that unfolded in that game.
When Does Tears of the Kingdom Take Place?
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is situated within the official Zelda timeline, but it's important to understand its placement in relation to Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This guide aims to provide clarity on where Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom stands in the Zelda timeline. Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom takes place immediately after the events of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Although the appearance of the Hyrulean world has undergone significant changes, familiar characters in Tears of the Kingdom indicate that only a few years have elapsed since the events of Breath of the Wild. Throughout Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, you will come across characters from Breath of the Wild, such as Prince Sidon. Notably, Prince Sidon has matured since his previous appearance in Breath of the Wild and now assumes the role of Zora's ruler.
The presence of the four champions in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom also provides insight into its temporal connection with Breath of the Wild. However, it is worth exploring the broader Zelda timeline to gain a more comprehensive understanding. Based on the way Hyrule has changed, it seems like TotK likely takes place roughly 2-3 years after BotW.
Tears of the Kingdom
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch in 2023. Serving as the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild from 2017, Tears of the Kingdom retains the open-world setting of Hyrule, which has been expanded to allow for more vertical exploration. The game follows the protagonist, Link, as he joins forces with Princess Zelda to defeat Ganondorf, who poses a threat to the kingdom of Hyrule.
The concept for Tears of the Kingdom emerged when ideas for downloadable content (DLC) for Breath of the Wild surpassed its original scope. The development of the game was led by Nintendo's Entertainment Planning & Development (EPD) division, with Hidemaro Fujibayashi, the director of Breath of the Wild, and Eiji Aonuma, the producer, reprising their roles.
A teaser for the game was revealed at E3 2019, followed by a full announcement at E3 2021. Initially planned for a 2022 release, Tears of the Kingdom experienced a delay and was eventually launched in May 2023. The game has received widespread critical acclaim, commended for its numerous improvements, expanded open-world environment, and features that encourage exploration and experimentation.
The development team included Mari Shirakawa and Naoki Mori as designers, Akihito Toda as a writer, and Takahiro Okuda as a programmer. The artistic direction was led by Satoru Takizawa, and the music was composed by Manaka Kataoka, Maasa Miyoshi, Masato Ohashi, and Tsukasa Usui. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available exclusively for the Nintendo Switch platform and offers a single-player mode for players to embark on their adventure in the immersive action-adventure experience it provides. The game was globally released on May 12, 2023, to the delight of fans and critics alike.
How long between Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom - FAQs
The exact duration between the two games is not officially confirmed by Nintendo. However, it is estimated to be within a range of 3 to 5 years based on in-game clues and character progression.
Nintendo has not provided explicit information regarding the precise time span between the games, leaving it open to interpretation and speculation among fans.
No official statements have been released by Nintendo regarding the specific timeline placement between Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
In Tears of the Kingdom, the dialogue between characters and the visible aging of the champions from Breath of the Wild suggests that only a relatively short time has passed since the events of the previous game.