By Jacob Miller | Sep 11, 2026
The updated timeline appears on Nintendo's newly launched Japanese website, created as part of the company's celebration marking the 40th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda franchise. The site went live shortly after a special anniversary-themed Nintendo Direct, though Nintendo notably didn't draw attention to the timeline revision during the September 8 presentation itself.
Two Foundings of Hyrule Now Appear in the Canon
The change was first spotted by YouTuber Zeltik, who noticed that Nintendo's updated chronology now clearly lists two separate instances of Hyrule being established. The first founding remains in its long-established spot, occurring after the events of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and before The Minish Cap. However, a second founding now appears much later in the timeline, positioned right before the ancient events shown in Tears of the Kingdom, including Ganondorf's transformation into the Demon King and the subsequent Imprisoning War referenced throughout the game.
This update provides meaningful support for a long-standing fan theory suggesting that King Rauru and Queen Sonia weren't actually responsible for founding the original Hyrule familiar to most of the franchise's history. Instead, the theory proposes that the original kingdom eventually vanished, and the pair went on to establish an entirely new version of Hyrule much later in the timeline. That said, Nintendo's updated website still avoids explicitly describing this event as a "refounding," meaning interpreting the new chronology as definitive confirmation of two distinct Hyrules still requires a bit of inference. When considering the broader picture, exactly how Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom fit into the overall Zelda timeline has remained intentionally vague for years, and this update doesn't fully resolve that ambiguity, even though it does lend weight to certain interpretations.
Timing Coincides With Ocarina of Time Remake
Nintendo officially incorporated this second founding of Hyrule into the canon just months ahead of the upcoming release of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake, currently scheduled to launch on November 5, 2026. Whether the timing of this timeline update is connected to the remake remains unclear. Zeltik, known for extensive research into Zelda lore, has pointed out that certain Kokiri markings featured in the reimagined game bear a resemblance to Queen Sonia's tattoos, though this connection remains largely speculative. It's entirely possible the similarities are simply a stylistic choice meant to align the remake's visuals with more recent entries in the series, rather than a deliberate lore hint.
Nintendo Adds Second Hyrule Founding to Zelda Timeline
Before this quiet timeline revision, the strongest official evidence supporting the Hyrule refounding theory came from a 2023 interview with Tears of the Kingdom director Hidemaro Fujibayashi. During that interview, Fujibayashi suggested that the latest mainline game didn't necessarily contradict the franchise's established timeline, raising the possibility that an earlier version of Hyrule may have been destroyed before the kingdom seen in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom was eventually founded.
