The Legend of Zelda is a series known for a tremendous number of things, such as its memorable characters, captivating storylines, spine-tingling music and downright awesome gameplay. However, something that's caused the Zelda community years of theorising is how the games of the series intertwine with each other. It's well documented that initially, Zelda games were supposed to be standalone entries that treated each tale as its own legend. But that didn't stop Zelda's hardcore fanbase, oh no. Websites, images, and videos littered the internet, each containing a personal view of how the series as a whole linked chronologically, and it made for some great thoughts, ideas, and storytelling.

Throwing a spanner in the works, Nintendo released Hyrule Historia in 2011 - a beautifully presented, hefty book containing everything a Zelda fan could (more or less) possibly want, from original concept art to a breakdown of each game. However, the main attraction that took everyone by surprise was its inclusion of the official Zelda timeline, something that Nintendo hadn't ever really spoken of or revealed before. Naturally this both pleased and displeased segments of the Zelda fanbase, especially due to the unexpected third timeline branch - entitled "The Hero is Defeated" (the possibility of Link being defeated by Ganon at the end of Ocarina of Time). Regardless, fans soon got over it (whether they chose to take it for gospel or not), and the rest is history.

Being the Legend of Zelda's 30th anniversary and all, it's only logical that Nintendo had to revisit the official Zelda timeline again - and so it has. The official Japanese Zelda Twitter account has released an updated timeline containing every Zelda release and remaster since 2011 (with Hyrule Warriors being excluded due to being a non-canonical game). It should be noted that the whereabouts of A Link Between Worlds and Tri Force Heroes have already been revealed (due to the former taking place in the same world as A Link to the Past, and the latter taking place only a few years after ALBW), but it's great to visibly see them within the overall timeline graphic. For those interested, both titles take place in the aforementioned "Hero is Defeated' portion of the timeline, after the events of the Oracle games.

What's your take on Nintendo of Japan's revelation? Does this help clarify things for you, add more depth to your theories, or could you not care less? Where do you think the upcoming Wii U Zelda will sit based on what we've seen so far? Let us know below!