Is Age of Calamity actually canon?

As a hardcore Zelda gamer and fan, I get asked this question a lot – is Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity actually part of the official series timeline and canon? While I wish I could say yes, the reality is that this excellent hack-and-slash prequel is not considered canon based on everything we know.

But should that stop you from playing it? Read on as I break down exactly why Nintendo has classified AoC as separate from the main timeline, while still offering an emotional and action-packed supplemental tale.

The Events Clearly Conflict with Breath of the Wild‘s Version

Firstly, the history described in Breath of the Wild‘s lore and Zelda‘s recovered memories don‘t line up with how Calamity Ganon‘s return plays out in AoC.

In BotW, we are told that the four Champions were killed quickly, Hyrule Castle fell swiftly, and Link was mortally wounded. But AoC shows epic battles where the Champions hold their own using the Divine Beasts to blast Ganon and his forces back. Even when the heroes fall, Zelda manages to use her power to substantially weaken Ganon rather than merely delay his rampage for 100 years as implied in BotW.

While these discrepancies don‘t necessarily break the experience, they make reconciling AoC into the existing timeline very difficult. I‘ve pored over the details extensively as a theory crafter!

Key Event Comparison

Clearly the two accounts differ considerably on pivotal moments. We could fan theory some explanations, but nothing concrete makes them fully align.

Age of Calamity Isn‘t Developed as a Mainline Title

Additionally, while led by Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma, AoC is primarily developed by Koei Tecmo as a Hyrule Warriors spin-off title merging Zelda and Dynasty Warriors gameplay.

So unlike flagship games like Ocarina of Time or Breath of the Wild led internally by Nintendo teams, spin-off collaborations with external studios typically enjoy more creative freedom to craft "what-if" scenarios rather than canon story additions.

In interviews, the developers have been quite transparent that AoC was conceived to expand on fan-favorite BOTW characters and moments in an exciting new genre blend without worrying about canon restrictions.

The Tiny Guardian Created an Alternate Universe

A pivotal early cutscene shows our guardian-sized hero Terrako activate his temporal transfer function during the climatic calamity to send himself back through time and space.

When Princess Zelda asks what happened, her advisor proceed to explain how this act created an alternate age that branched off the established timeline.

So events can now unfold differently from "the age lost to calamity" thanks to this newly-woven branch reality. It‘s a clever built-in device that allows the story to have its cake and eat it too!

We get to see the Champions tap into flashy combat moves and ancient Sheikah technology that likely didn‘t exist in canon. Creative liberties are taken throughout knowing that AoC occupies its own tangential universe now.

Do Any Parts of AoC Still Matter Going Forward?

While firmly non-canon overall, this alternate universe tale still leaves the door open for certain character beats, plot points, or concepts to become officially adopted later.

I mean just look at some of the fantastic new rune abilities we get to use, like Cryonis creating huge rising ice blocks instead of tiny crystals! And I love what the narrative does to deepen personalities like cheeky Revali, stoic Urbosa, and scholarly Mipha beyond the glimpses in memories and diaries.

I sincerely hope Nintendo takes notes on these successes for Breath of the Wild 2 at least!

So in summary, while it can be confusing or disappointing initially to not have AoC be canonical chapter in the timeline, I encourage fans to embrace the creative liberties allowed here to craft such an immensely satisfying prequel experience that stands masterfully on its own.