There Was Probably Another Hyrule Before The Zonai's In Zelda: TOTK

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While the lore revealed in does seem to clash with the established timeline, there is an intriguing possibility that the Zonai may not have founded the original Hyrule as the game suggests. Instead, there is a suggestion that the Hyrule ruled over by Rauru and Sonia may actually be a successor to another, even older kingdom. If true, this has the potential to explain some of ’s more puzzling details and has enormous implications for the entire series.

There has been more than one Kingdom of Hyrule featured in the timeline for some time now. After and, Link and Tetra eventually discovered a new land and founded New Hyrule. It is here, in a Hyrule that is both separate and notably similar to the original, that the events of takes place. Given that, and by extension, is connected to all three of the timeline’s branches, the establishment of at least one additional Hyrule is therefore already vaguely canonical to, even before considering the implications of the Zonai era

In an interview with , director Hidemaro Fujibayashi mentions the possibility of Hyrule having been destroyed before the Zonai arrived on the surface world, which would make the founding of Hyrule they are credited with actually more of a refounding. Although this is far from being a direct confirmation of a prior Hyrule’s existence, this would go some way to explaining some of the peculiarities that can be observed in ’s Hyrule and its history when compared to the wider series. One example of this is the apparent changes to Hyrule’s religion and Hylia’s emphasis in the most recent games.

The existence of the Golden Goddeses is a key piece of lore, which seems to have been forgotten in and, along with that of the Triforce. However, if the Hyrule seen in these games is built on the ruins of an older version, perhaps the same kingdom in which older titles like take place, then this is far easier to understand. It would explain why the Zonai were not even referenced in. Moreover, it is not unimaginable