No, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is Officially Non-Canon in the Zelda Timeline

As a long-time Zelda gamer and fan who has eagerly followed this explosive prequel from announcement to release, I have extensively analyzed every time-twisting detail to render my verdict: Age of Calamity does NOT fit in the canonical Zelda timeline.

Let‘s delve into the critical evidence and fan perspectives shaping this heated debate once and for all!

A Divine Twist of Fate: How Age of Calamity‘s Timeline Splintered

Right from the dramatic opening cutscene, Age of Calamity wastes no time introducing a drastic temporal shift: a tiny Guardian called Terrako travels back in time to warn our heroes of the looming Calamity!

This creates a fork in the timeline around 100 years prior to Breath of the Wild, spawning a whole new parallel reality. Essentially, Nintendo invented a completely original prequel story that fundamentally alters the canonical Great Calamity showdown.

Let me illustrate how radically the events now diverge:

Rather than a harrowing defeat, this new chapter paints a far more inspiring vision of Hyrule‘s fateful hour – though with a impish twist of time-travel tomfoolery!

Non-Canon, but Still Woven into the Tapestry of Lore

So if this was just an "alternate story", why should we care? Well, Nintendo didn‘t just pick ANY point along the timeline to tell a "what-if" tale.

By aligning Age of Calamity‘s setting so meticulously – recreating an iconic era with beloved characters like the Champions – they tapped directly into Breath of the Wild‘s engrossing lore to craft an intuitively DOVETAILING experience.

Let me highlight some key connections:

• Many iconic locales like Kakariko Village rendered gorgeously
• Insightful backstories revealed for the four Champions
• Heartfelt relationships highlighted with Link, Zelda and Impa
• Familiar enemies to battle like Hinoxes, Moblins and Lynels

For history buffs like myself who adore the rich legends permeating Breath of the Wild‘s melancholy landscape, it‘s pure catharsis to play through this fateful era AS those storied heroes themselves!

Could I earn Mipha‘s affection despite knowing her destiny? Can Link truly inspire confidence in the scholarly Zelda? HOW did Urbosa become such a legendary warrior?! It scratches an itch the main game artfully planted.

And despite opening sales lagging behind Breath of the Wild, Age of Calamity has still sold over 3.5 million copies – proof of strong appetite for more lore:

Critics praised how seamlessly it dove into that lore too. Age of Calamity earned strong review scores from seasoned Zelda outlets:

So while YOU may know the "real" story ends in tragedy, Nintendo succeded in crafting a compelling alternate history filled with optimism – and arming our heroes with the power to defeat destiny itself!

To Be Continued? Age of Calamity‘s Timeline Holds Legendary Potential!

Of course, that secret ending teasing Terrako‘s repair opens up literally ENDLESS opportunities to revisit Age of Calamity‘s new leaf on the timeline. A direct sequel could show Hyrule‘s reconstruction in the years after peace returns.

Or will Terrako interfere with fate once more to manifest an even brighter future? Its resurrection hints at more time-hopping in store! Perhaps we could protect Hyrule across OTHER eras too! Aiding the Hero of Time against Ganondorf? Thwarting Vaati‘s sorcerous schemes? The heroic prospects that tiny robot enables simply boggle the mind…

As for Breath of the Wild‘s true unveiled sequel, could Terrako appear once more to create ANOTHER timeline offshoot from that game‘s ending? Its diminutive power clearly surpasses our comprehension. After all, it casually converses with Zelda like an EQUAL! Deftly disabling Shiekah tech with a button press! This micro-machine may rank among Hyrule‘s ultimate trump cards…

But I‘ve clearly fallen down a rabbit hole of giddy speculation now. The points that matter are:

1) No, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity does NOT fit within established Zelda canon

and

2) Yes, its alternate timeline could certainly continue unfolding through captivating sequels!

For now, simply embrace that despite its non-canon status, this little legend nevertheless tells an UPLIFTING tale – revealing courage and bonds shining brightly enough to challenge cruel fate itself!

Let me know your thoughts in the comments – and whether you crave more robot-fueled misadventures across Hyrule‘s boundless mythos as much as I do!