User:TriforceTony/Sandbox/Canon Policy
Canon Policy
There are specific expectations of what is and isn't considered canon on Zelda Wiki. Canon refers to a body of materials considered to be an official or genuine part of a fictional universe. It is what can be specifically referenced as factual information within the given universe, and so therefore, canon is often seen as the official, main series as authorized by Nintendo.
There are three tiers of canonicity regarding The Legend of Zelda: canon, ambiguously-canon and non-canon. Additionally, a hierarchical supplementary canon exists for all three tiers, which serves to fill in any missed information in each respective tier.
Canon Media
Canon media largely concern the official Zelda Timeline, as well as official statements from Nintendo. The initial order for the Timeline was established in 2011 with the release of Hyrule Historia, an official encyclopedia written by Shigeru Miyamoto and Eiji Aonuma. Subsequent titles were confirmed to take place within the Timeline via social media, amending the Timeline. All games illustrated on the Timeline are considered part of the main series, which can be considered analogous to the canon. Any games that have been confirmed to either not fall in the main series or not relate to the timeline are non-canon.
Ambiguously-canon Media
Ambiguously-canon media is any iteration in the franchise that has neither been confirmed nor denied to take place within the official Timeline. Provided that a title does not contradict the established canon and/or representatives from Nintendo have made no claim about its relation to the Timeline, its canonicity is considered ambiguous.
Non-canon Media
Non-canon media is any iteration that contradicts the Timeline or exists separately from the Timeline. Unless otherwise stated, cameos of Zelda subjects in officially-licensed Nintendo media that isn't fundamentally related to The Legend of Zelda are considered non-canon.
Supplementary Canon
Supplementary canon is a concept that is individually applied to all three tiers of canon wherein information offered in official supplementary media (such as manuals, guides, websites, magazines) can be considered canon provided that the information in question does not contradict the canon for that canon tier. For example, supplementary media for ambiguously-canon material can be considered ambiguously-canon as long as it does not contradict the information established in the highest hierarchical source of that ambiguously-canon material. Similarly, supplementary non-canon material only affects the relevant non-canon material and in no way affects either ambiguously-canon or canon material. The hierarchical order for canon among each tier is as follows:
Original material
- Manuals, official statements from a representative of the development team
- Strategy guides, trailers, websites
- Any other official material
- Strategy guides, trailers, websites
In lieu of material released for American English, material in this hierarchical order may be used from British English if available or from Japanese (if British English is not available). Interviews and official statements in British English and Japanese are considered on-par with statements made in American English.
Version Differences
The latest version or publication of an iteration in the series is considered to be the canon version of that article of media, even if Nintendo publishes an earlier version of that media at a later date. The manual accompanying the latest version release of a game during that version's initial run is considered to be the latest viable canon material of its kind, even under the condition that the latest version is ported to another console, and the accompanying manual is derived from an earlier version of that game. If the manual for a ported release of that game's latest version is newly-made for that port, any revised information from the newer manual is considered canon instead.
Remakes
A remake of a game is considered superior to a port insofar as its canon placement, even if a port of an earlier version is released after a remake. However, this condition only applies for the canon of the game's language. A remake in Japanese cannot supersede the original release or port of a game in American English, for example.
Material in Relation to Canon
| Material | Latest Version | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The Legend of Zelda | Canonized via Hyrule Historia. | |
| The Adventure of Link | Canonized via Hyrule Historia. | |
| A Link to the Past | Canonized via Hyrule Historia. | |
| Link's Awakening | Canonized via Hyrule Historia. | |
| Ocarina of Time | Canonized via Hyrule Historia. | |
| Majora's Mask | Majora's Mask 3D version 1.1 | Canonized via Hyrule Historia. |
| Oracle of Ages | Canonized via Hyrule Historia. | |
| Oracle of Seasons | Canonized via Hyrule Historia. | |
| Four Swords | Canonized via Hyrule Historia. | |
| The Wind Waker | Canonized via Hyrule Historia. | |
| Four Swords Adventures | Canonized via Hyrule Historia. | |
| The Minish Cap | Canonized via Hyrule Historia. | |
| Twilight Princess | Canonized via Hyrule Historia. | |
| Phantom Hourglass | Canonized via Hyrule Historia. | |
| Spirit Tracks | Canonized via Hyrule Historia. | |
| Skyward Sword | Canonized via Hyrule Historia. | |
| Hyrule Historia | — | Written by Shigeru Miyamoto and Eiji Aonuma. |
| A Link Between Worlds | Canonized via Nintendo of America's Twitter.[1] | |
| Tri Force Heroes | Version 2.1.0 | Canonized via Nintendo of America's Twitter.[2] |
| Breath of the Wild | Version 1.3.1 | Canonized in an interview with Eiji Aonuma.[3] |
| Material | Latest Version |
|---|
| Material | Latest Version | Notes |
|---|
References
- ↑ "What major events & characters does #LinkBetweenWorlds for #3DS share with #LinktothePast? Check out this timeline: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BZpBhocCIAA3XfC.jpg" — Nintendo of America, Nintendo of America on Twitter: “What major events & characters does #LinkBetweenWorlds for #3DS share with #LinktothePast? Check out this timeline: http://t.co/lQaFIYJDmR“ , Twitter, published November 21, 2013, retrieved December 16, 2015.
- ↑ "The game takes place several years after A Link Between Worlds and features the same hero. Certain events bring him to the kingdom of Hytopia, where he dresses as he does in order to hide his heroic origins." — Nintendo of America, Fans asked the developers of #Zelda: Tri Force Heroes: “Where does the game fall in the series timeline?” , Twitter, published October 22, 2015, retrieved December 16, 2015.
- ↑ "Ben Reeves: Does Breath of the Wild take place before or after Ocarina of Time?
Eiji Aonuma: After." — Game Informer, 51 Questions And Answers About The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild , YouTube (Video), published February 9, 2017, retrieved August 31, 2017.
