Zelda Series Producer Wants You To Interpret the Story Your Own Way

In a recent interview with IGN, Eiji Aonuma, the series producer for The Legend of Zelda, discussed his perspective on the storytelling in the beloved franchise. According to Aonuma, the studio doesn’t focus on fitting each game perfectly into its chronological sequence and wants players to interpret the stories their own way.

The philosophy stated in the interview is evident in the open-ended nature of Zelda games. Two mentioned were Breath of the Wild and its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom. These games offer vast worlds that, at times, don’t worry about connecting everything. Aonuma believes that this approach fosters a deeper connection between players and the game world, as they are able to form their own interpretations of the events and characters.

“Personally, I don’t like to put too much stock in the chronology of the series, because from the design perspective, that can kind of box us in and limit where we’re able to take the story as we continue making games in the series. And so I do think it’s something that is best for people to interpret on their own.”

Eiji Aonuma

Aonuma acknowledges the desire among some fans for more traditional, linear narratives. However, he argues that the freedom offered by the newer games allows for greater player agency and creativity. He has said that having that limitation boxes them in. It’s better if they can focus on just telling that game’s story rather than worrying about where it all fits.

To be fair, that’s what the series, and most video games, used to be like. The idea that entries in a franchise needed to follow the same story only came about a decade ago. Games from Nintendo are especially notorious for just offering a fun game to play rather than worrying about where it fits in a universe or multiverse story-wise.

Try to tell me where Mario Party fits in the series without looking up a Game Theory video, and you’ll see why it doesn’t really matter. Honestly, more developers should be this open. While I like an overarching story, I can see why it doesn’t concern Aonuma.