Summary
There are some gaming franchises that are hard to imagine will ever receive an ending. Series likeTales,Final Fantasy(despite its name),Call of Duty, andThe Legend of Zeldaare all deeply established, and their respective developers rely on them for consistent sales and success. They’re destined to go on forever, which can be a source of great comfort for some, as fans always know something is on the horizon.
Zeldahas been a mainstay of the gaming landscape since 1986 and wielding a legacy of consistent, but ever-evolving excellence. The emergence ofSkyward Swordin the timeline gave the franchise a start, so it makes logical sense to come up with a satisfying wrap-up and definitive ending that it deserves.
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Skyward Swordwas the beginning of it all, with other entries in the long-standing franchise falling later in the canon. It all begins with one point, and as the narrative was praised by fans and critics alike, it could make sense to conjure a thrilling conclusion which all future games can be driving towards.
Skyward Sword was a Bold Beginning for Zelda
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Swordis a polarizing game, and one that has seen a soft, but obvious resurgence on the Switch. It launched in 2011 for a Nintendo Wii that was struggling to sustain its player base five years into its life cycle. To many, the motion controls were awkward and hard to get comfortable with, and the linearity of the experience only allowed for the minimum amount of exploration. However, the story, characters, music, and dungeon design – some of the essential components of the series – were near-universally praised, as Link’s quest was less predictable than it had been previously.
Skyward Swordreceived a remaster for the Nintendo Switch in July 2021 that added a standard control scheme as an alterative to the controversial motion controls.
Taking players to the wonderfulsetting of Skyloftwas a genuine treat, and the personalities that called it home were constantly engaging. Hyrule below was where most of the challenge came from, and the quality of the story that unfolds is due in no small part to where the 2011 game is placed in the timeline.Skyward Swordwas the beginning of it all, with other entries in the long-standing franchise falling later in the canon. It all begins with one point, and as the narrative was praised by fans and critics alike, it could make sense to conjure a thrilling game which all future games can be driving towards – in other words, a game at the end of theZeldatimeline that mirrorsSkyward Sword’s beginning.
Zelda’s Ending Doesn’t Have to be the End
TheZeldaseries' timelinehas been convoluted for years, which makes a desperate attempt to connect each and every entry into the wider lore feel like a near-impossible feat. This brings immersion, as it’s always fun to know when a specific game takes place, but it also means Nintendo has to be more regimented and disciplined about what could or could not happen.
Opting to book-end the timeline with an ending fit for a hero would give it something truly different, asking the developers to seeZelda’s characters and storythough a lens in which they’re sufficiently and satisfyingly wrapped up. This isn’t to say the game that takes place at the end of the timeline has to be the last released title, as even that can yield huge story benefits. Knowing how something ends can be a great driving force for any story, as the likes ofPulp Fictionand Willy Russell’sBlood Brothersdo so wonderfully. It can add to the tension, drama, and pacing, as each beat can feel like the next breadcrumb on the pre-determined trail.
