Nintendo has revealed The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom 's official place on the Zelda timeline, and it turns out that the princess's adventure happens directly before the events of the first game.

Echoes of Wisdom willingness to break franchise tradition in numerous ways should make it anything but the last of its kind.

It files Zelda's new adventure under the 'Hero is defeated' timeline, placing it after Tri Force Heroes and before the 'Decline of the Hyrule Kingdom'. Here is Nintendo's official description of Echoes of Wisdom in the timeline:

Nintendo has updated the official Zelda history page and included Echoes of Wisdom's place on the timeline. Appearing in the timeline where The Hero is defeated in Ocarina of Time

The official Zelda timeline has been added to reveal how The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom fits with the rest of the series.

The Legend of Zelda Echoes of Wisdom had over 100 Echoes to use. But how did the team decide which ones to have Zelda use?

God, seriously, calm down. It’s OK. Listen to me: it’s ooooooh-kayyyyyy. Shhhhhhh. After the recent absolute horror of learning that Breath of the Wild does not exist on the official timeline of Zelda games,

Nintendo has added The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom to the official series timeline. The adorable top-down game is part of the 'Hero is defeated' timeline, slotting in behind Tri-Force Heroes and the original The Legend of Zelda.

Nintendo has revealed The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s position on the official franchise timeline just two months after the Zelda-led adventure arrived on Switch. According to the Zelda loremasters,

The official Zelda timeline is the focus of much debate among the series’ hardcore fans, with rumblings over Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom’s place in all this recently settled when Nintendo popped both in a time and place all their own.