Daily Debate: Has The Lack of New Games Deterred Zelda Fan Theorists?

Zelda Theories regarding the official timeline and lore are so captivating, aren’t they? They bring such grand ideas for the discussion and interpretation of the series. It is always fascinating to see what people can come up with to elucidate the mysteries and connections that bridge Zelda games. Theorists can even argue with each other, as the slim evidence provided across the games does little to limit the ways it can be interpreted. However, it feels like things aren’t like how they used to be.

Since The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild launched, there have been no original, mainline titles. Each core Zelda title is filled with mystery, but leaves room for creative interpretation. Now, we’re experiencing the longest gap between main games ever. Making the situation more unique: The next game is a direct sequel! While there is a lot to learn from the previous games, I believe it is safe to argue that their lore and mysteries have already been thoroughly speculated upon, discussed, and theorized. I believe we’ve also come to this point for the current games, Breath of the Wild and its Warriors spin off. Sure, the mostly ambiguous trailer for Breath of The Wild‘s sequel brought some new fuel for fan theorists, but in general, the fan theory well feels like it has run dry.

We’ve grown accustomed to being presented with consistent fan theories and talking points by the many Zelda-related content creators on YouTube who came up in the wake of Breath of The Wild. Combine that with reading and discussing the series on community forums, and it seems like discussion of Zelda‘s lore in general has slowed as well. Although, the content creators, writers, and video makers across the internet aren’t at fault for this. On the contrary! They actually help carry the conversation. I believe this trend is natural, simply given the lack of original entries Nintendo has provided recently.

While I understand Zelda’s release schedule has always been more occasional than consistent, the previous waits weren’t as dreadful. Think about the plentiful titles released from 1998 to 2015. There were minimal wait times for original titles. Unlike the current gap between the nineteenth and twentieth titles. On the bright side, new fans can “catch up.” But for us more well-informed and dedicated fans, it can feel like the discussion surrounding our favorite series has grown stale. Yet, I still look forward to being surprised by what fans can come up with. Let’s hope we get a new trailer soon, so we can finally have more to talk about.

Do you think discussions on theories, lore, and the timeline have decayed? Has the lack of original titles affected deep discussion on these topics? Why or why not? I look forward to hearing what you all have to say in the comments below!