Why Rauru's Kingdom Wasn't FIRST (ft. @wizcatcheslightning ) [TotK THEORY]

Go check out Wiz's video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBZuKEunF24 (EDIT: Wiz's video got copyright claimed so this is the new link. Sorry for the trouble) EDIT: There's also another piece of evidence we learned while making these videos (sorry to the commenter who told us, I can't find your username. That's my bad). Historia actually points out how in Zelda 2: Adventure of Link, it tells of how Zelda the First was put into an eternal slumber, but if you look closely you'll realize this happens AFTER the Golden Era, meaning they forgot about every Zelda who came before. What does this mean? Either this kingdom after ALttP is a new iteration of the kingdom, or this kingdom forgot it's own history. EDIT: @mrbiscuits001 had a very good point on Wiz's video: "I think something that flat out proves this is something we learn from Ganondorf's character profile in TotK. Whilst malice will always leak out and cause a Calamity, the only thing that actually damages the seal is Hyrule castle being damaged. Hyrule castle being damaged in BotW is actually the first time Rauru's seal was weakened. And because we see Hyrule castle get flat out destroyed multiple times this means that Ganondorf couldn't be sealed down there during the older games. We know for a fact that BotW and TotK are connected to the existing timeline so them (past & present) taking place after is the only explanation that works."

what's funny about the Gorons is that they have basically gone unchanged since Skyward Sword, meaning that they are pretty much as perfect as they can get

Another solid argument that supports this theory is that in BoTW, it was stated that a male Gerudo hasn't been born since the first King who became the Calamity. Ganondorf was only sealed, not killed, so it stopped him from reincarnating. This then contradicts the different reincarnations of Ganondorf in the three timelines. So this means that ToTK and BoTW can only happen AFTER the timeline merges.

Not to mention that Sonia (an obvious descendant of the blood of the goddess/Zelda) was not acknowledged to be a royal blooded member before being married to Zonai Rauru she was mentioned to be a Hylian Priestess (obviously because of her goddess bloodline powers like manipulating time). So that means that after all the timeline convergence something happened to the former royal family that may have gotten lost in time until they came back to their status as royalty through Sonia marrying Rauru and founding Hyrule’s kingdom again.

I never really thought that the Rauru of TOTK was the actual very first King of the land called Hyrule. What I got from the story line while exploring and collecting the tears and armors was that Rauru (TOTK) was the first King of the modern Hyrule; the Hyrule of BOTW, and TOTK. Throughout one’s play through of TOTK, weapon sets and clothing sets of past Hero’s (Links) can be found and worn. That’s a clear indication that there were many heroes and Kingdoms that existed before Rauru and Hyrule of TOTK. Where exactly does this modern Hyrule fit in the timeline I don’t know for sure but I think it’s safe to assume that it’s probably the most recent Hyrule/Zelda and Link.

That Molduga bit was great, both for how entertaining it was but also because it’s a pretty good point. Heck the closest we see to a molduga is at the end of the splits while the start of the splits and before it even they look nothing like Molduga. You ain’t gonna convince me that I’m only a short span of time it went from a badass scorpion to a giant sand worm to a small green pathetic looking worm thing only to centuries later return to the sand worm.

This makes A LOT of sense, it is either a timeline merger or a whole new timeline, but for it to happen before OOT makes no sense, it also makes no sense for there to be 2 ganon's existing at the same time such as one that is sealed while the other one is causing issues in hyrule.

Well done, the refounding theory is the only one that makes sense to me.

It even says in game that the Zonai found a bunch of artifacts in this case all the DLC items for the previous heroes) and hid them in their mines in the Depths. Personally, I theorize that the convergence happened once the Triforce is reunited in all 3 timelines, since the Child Timeline never actually reunited theirs.

Theres also the fact that Sonia's "Light" stone became Ganon's "Darkness" stone. So the "Element" isnt something locked as a specific one. Meaning Sagehood only requires a individual, and that individuals "Element" is personalized based on thier personality. So you could have a forest sage or a wind, or a water or even a second Fire if theres already a fire sage. Much like how everyone has their own name. but you may find someone with that same name elsewhere

This timeline chronology is basically the same thing I thought when I played through totk. Hyrule was literally flooded at one point. It's not like it hasn't been refounded a bunch of times.

Another piece of evidence for this (might be mentioned in Wiz’s video, haven’t watched it yet) In Ganondorf’s character description in TOTK, it says the seal was broken due to the damage to the castle from the great calamity. That, in addition to the plaque we find beneath hyrule castle, makes it very clear that the structural soundness of the castle is extremely important to keeping demon dorf sealed. That makes sense, the great calamity is meant to be the greatest tragedy for hyrule in recent history. Key point, recent history. We see damage to hyrule castle on the level of the calamity, as well as takeovers of hyrule castle, MANY times before the events of BOTW, examples including the rising of Hyrule castle in OOT, the flooding of Hyrule in WW, and the twili invasion in TP. So my question for pre-minish cap believers is what makes the calamity’s damage so special. The real biggest issue is definitely Hyrule castle in OOT, where not only is the castle raised into the sky JUST LIKE HOW IT LOOKS IN TOTK, but the entire castle also gets entirely FLATTENED, not just damaged. If demon dorf was sealed pre-OOT, then how on earth was THAT not the catalyst for his reawakening?

I had a similar conversation some time ago. If we ignore the part where Aonuma just doesn't care, and these aren't 'clues' so much as 'plot holes' then the only logical conclusion would be that Rauru considers himself to be the first king and founder of Hyrule, because he doesn't think any of the previous versions were real. It would be like if someone founded a kingdom of Camelot today. Sure Camelot has a lot of history, too much history, contradictory history, seeing as it's long past copyright; but did it ever really exist? Who knows? When did it exist if it did? Iunno? Now, some time after this new Hyrule's founding, mythology from beforehand seeped in, and that's why the 'current' (yet tens of thousands of years old) Hyrule has references to all other points in time and all other timelines. There was either a 'Dragonbreak' (merging of the timelines) or a 'Mandela Effect' (people remembering things from different timelines) or maybe simply events so similar to the games we've seen happened in all three timelines that after so long they all kinda look the same and it doesn't matter anymore.

One fun piece of evidence that I’ve uncovered myself but haven’t noticed anyone mention yet, is the map of Spirit Tracks. The map of Spirit Tracks, in particular the official artwork map found in Hyrule Historia, looks almost EXACTLY like BOTW/TOTK’s map. And Spirit Tracks takes place in a newly founded Hyrule. So it’s possible this is the Hyrule where the Zonai descended way after it’s collapse.

One thing that usually doesn't get taken into account with timeline theories is that when talking of the Rito and Zora, no one considers the possibility that, although the Rito evolved from Zora and that the freshwater Zora couldn't survive the change into the saltwater ocean of the great flood, the Zora from Termina lived in the ocean and we're therefore saltwater Zora. There's no reason they couldn't eventually find the gateway to Hyrule and migrate there, where the great flood made for the perfect environment for them. As the flood gradually dried, those Zora could have evolved to survive in fresh water, either via magic in the way Zora became Rito, or by evolution over time. This would explain how we can have both Zora and Rito at the same time. The Zora have a history of drastically evolving, considering how they appear in the original Zelda, a Link to the Past, and a Link between worlds.

I like all the points you dudes made! Also, Urbosa mentions in BOTW that a king hasn't been born to the Gerudo for 10k yrs. So, if Ganon of TOTK was right after skyward sword, how could there be other Ganons while he's stuck in magic zombie coma? (he can't? because others couldn't get reborn while he's not alive/not dead..... so, yeah). Thanks dudes!

This is the most convincing evidence for timeline placement that ive heard. Great job, guys.

The other thing about the Gerudo too is that their first appearance in the series was literally Ocarina of Time, which lends itself further to BOTW/TOTK being a reconvergance, not being placed after SS

The one nitpick/wrench I will throw at this is how heavy-handed Tears of the Kingdom is in pointing out that the past events are the Imprisoning War, which is the start of the Downfall Timeline, as currently printed. They could have called it anything, but they specifically have each Sage recall it as the Imprisoning War.

I'm not a huge game-theory fan but I do really like matpat's explanation on how all the different references from all the past Zelda's come together in breath of the wild. He suggests that at some point all the branching timelines blend back together for Hyrule Warriors, because the game's plot revolves around drawing past characters into one universe - which could also include many other things like places and items and characters - so then going forward it would make sense that that could be the land that appears in Breath of the wild and subsequently Tears of the Kingdom