I’ve seen debates about whether the ruins scattered throughout Hyrule in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom—like the Forgotten Temple, the springs themed around power and courage, and the Temple of Time—are truly canon within these games’ lore. Some argue these ruins don’t actually fit the world established in those games despite their presence. This comes up a lot, especially since Tears of the Kingdom integrates much of Breath of the Wild’s DLC and amiibo content directly into its main world. Personally, I feel like if the developers included these ruins in the world, they should be considered canon to the game’s story. But I get why some fans have issues, like with the DLC armor which seems to clash with the lore. Developer-placed Easter eggs such as Makar Island and Eventide Island look like nods to past games but clearly aren’t meant as the exact same places. So I’m wondering—where should we draw the line? What should be accepted as valid lore in these games?
2 Answers
All the ruins you encounter in both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom definitely exist within those games’ worlds. The real confusion comes from whether these ruins are meant to be the exact same locations from previous Zelda titles. Given how Hyrule shifts so much between games, it’s impossible to say for sure if they’re identical. But regardless, within Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, these ruins are very much part of the world and thus canon to these games.
I think a lot of this comes down to the difference between personal headcanon and official game canon. Some of the DLC armor pieces and added content definitely seem like they bend lore or feel out of place to some fans, but that doesn’t mean they’re non-canon. The developers included them, so they count as part of the official world, even if they challenge or expand on fan theories.
Exactly my thoughts. Headcanons are great for fun discussions, but when a game includes something, that’s the story they’re telling. Rejecting that just because it doesn’t fit our theories feels pointless.
Yeah, I tend to agree. Unless the game explicitly says otherwise—like in some memories and recent footage about the Temple of Time—the ruins seem pretty consistent. The map itself is surprisingly stable, even if town names and locations vary a bit.