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The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom tosses you back into a chaotic Hyrule, filled with monsters and backpack-wearing Koroks. While exploring the kingdom, you will come across many familiar sights from Breath of the Wild. It will soon become clear that some time has passed, though.
The big question is, how much time has passed? If you are wondering just how Tears of the Kingdom fits into the Zelda timeline, we take a look at when Tears of the Kingdom takes place, and how long after Breath of the Wild it occurs.
There are some NPC-related spoilers here, so proceed with caution!
How Many Years Have Passed Since Breath Of The Wild?
There is no denying that Tears of the Kingdom takes place after Breath of the Wild. Thankfully, it doesn't take place after a huge amount of time, as many of the NPCs around Hyrule are still there.
We don't have a definite amount of time, but it seems like Tears of the Kingdom takes place at least five years after Breath of the Wild. The Hyrule we see in Tears of the Kingdom is familiar, but many characters have aged.
Let's take a look at Tulin of the Rito Village as an example. Tulin is the son of Teba, the main Rito Warrior from Breath of the Wild. In this game, Tulin is just a little child who isn't quite a warrior yet.
Tulin reappears in Tears of the Kingdom, serving as the Sage of Wind. In this game, Tulin is still young, but he is not quite as small. Overall, he still seems like a Rito 'teenager' and isn't an adult yet.
This age difference can also be seen in Riju of Gerudo Town. Riju is not as grown as a full adult but appears taller and more grown up. At first glance, she does look pretty much the same, which could back up the fact that it's only been around five years.
This time skip is also evident in minor characters. In Breath of the Wild, you got the chance to build Tarrey Town with Hudson. In Tears of the Kingdom, Hudson lives here with his wife, Rhondson. In the first game, they two don't have a child, but in the sequel, we learn they have a daughter named Mattison.
By accepting the quest Mattison's Independence, we also learn that she is of age to leave Tarrey Town and, in this case, head to Gerudo Town. It's possible that Mattison is five years old, but that seems a bit young. Still, this could be part of Gerudo culture, as Riju was the Chief of the Gerudo at a young age in Breath of the Wild.
With all of this in mind, we believe that Tears of the Kingdom takes place at a minimum of five years after Breath of the Wild but no more than ten years after. The character differences aren't major enough to warrant a decade of time passing, but children have grown up during this time.
Tears Of The Kingdom In The Zelda Timeline
In terms of the entire Legend of Zelda timeline, Tears of the Kingdom sits right after Breath of the Wild.
Let's take a quick look at the timeline in case you need a refresher. The entire timeline starts with Skyward Sword, heading towards Ocarina of Time. In this game, the timeline splits into two: Child (Majora's Mask) and Adult (Wind Waker) timelines.
Additionally, a third line is created due to the possibility that Link is defeated in Ocarina of Time. This third path begins with A Link to the Past.
Eventually, all three timelines seem to conjoin, leading to Breath of the Wild. The game is set so far in the future, and in the book Breath of the Wild – Creating a Champion, everything else in the timeline is called the distant past.
So, with all of this in mind, Tears of the Kingdom also takes place thousands of years after nearly every other game in the series. Both Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild stand together in the future.
Of course, this is all speculation, as the place of these two games hasn't officially been stated. Overall, we can safely assume that they are between five and ten years apart, set very far in the future.