In the Game Theory episode, MatPat discusses the placement of "Zelda: Breath of the Wild" within the Zelda timeline. He examines clues from the game, including references to past games, geography, enemy types, and Ganon's form, concluding that "Breath of the Wild" likely falls at the end of the Failed Hero timeline. This is supported by details such as the yellow stripe on Link's hat, which is consistent with this timeline. MatPat also humorously suggests that if you don't own a Switch to play the game, you should consider borrowing one by any means necessary.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The Legend of Zelda series has multiple timelines.
2. The timelines split into three after the events of Ocarina of Time.
3. The three timelines are: the Child Era, the Adult Era, and the Failed Hero timeline.
4. The game Skyward Sword is the starting point of the timeline.
5. The game Ocarina of Time is where the timeline splits into three.
6. Link's battles in Skyward Sword and Ocarina of Time are constant across all timelines.
7. The Korok, leafy-faced forest spirits, appear in Wind Waker and Breath of the Wild.
8. The Rito, a bird-like race, appear in Wind Waker and Breath of the Wild, but also in other timelines.
9. The rock salt in Breath of the Wild refers to an "ancient sea" that could be the Great Sea from Wind Waker or the ocean from Skyward Sword.
10. The geography of Hyrule is inconsistent across games, but Breath of the Wild's map shares similarities with Link to the Past.
11. The Lynel, a half-horse, half-lion enemy, appears in five games, all of which are part of the Failed Hero timeline.
12. The Demon King Ganon is revived four times in the Failed Hero timeline.
13. Calamity Ganon, the version of Ganon in Breath of the Wild, has no humanoid form, which is consistent with the Failed Hero timeline.
14. The Hyrule Historia states that Ganon sheds his Gerudo form once and for all in the Failed Hero timeline.
15. The Tunic, Cap, and Trousers of the Wild, obtained by completing all 120 shrines, have a yellow stripe, which is a characteristic of Link's hat in the Failed Hero timeline.
16. The yellow stripe on Link's hat is consistent across all games in the Failed Hero timeline, but not in other timelines.
17. The detail about the yellow stripe on Link's hat suggests that Nintendo has been keeping track of their continuity since the first game in the series.
18. The evidence suggests that Breath of the Wild belongs to the Failed Hero timeline.