The Seven Deadly Sins Origin Story Primer: Timeline Placement, Multiverse Setup, And Series Connections

The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin takes place between the original Seven Deadly Sins and Four Knights of the Apocalypse, using a multiverse “Book of Stars” setup to pull characters from across the timeline into one new story. It is supervised by creator Nakaba Suzuki and aims to feel canon‑compatible, but tells an original side story centered on Tristan rather than retelling the anime.​

Where Origin fits in the timeline

Origin sits in a deliberately defined gap between the main series and its sequel.​

• Timeline placement
  • Inven’s review and Netmarble’s own materials state that Origin is set three years after the end of The Seven Deadly Sins and three years before Four Knights of the Apocalypse.​
  • The war is over and the original Sins have been forgiven, but Britannia is not fully at peace, setting the stage for a new generation lead.​
• Protagonist’s age and status
  • You play as Prince Tristan Liones, the 13‑year‑old son of Meliodas and Elizabeth, now old enough to act as a protagonist but still pre‑Four Knights.​
  • He is portrayed as powerful but conflicted, wrestling with his parents’ legacy and his own responsibility.​

This positioning lets Origin bridge emotional and lore gaps between the original series, the Grudge of Edinburgh films, and Four Knights, while still standing on its own.​

Multiverse setup and the Book of Stars

The core plot device is a multiverse catastrophe centered on a new relic called the Book of Stars.​​

• Inciting incident
  • Britannia is thrown into crisis when time and space are warped by the emergence of the Book of Stars, an artifact with the power to manipulate fate.​​
  • Tristan discovers the Book deep beneath Lake Pennis along with his childhood friend (Tioreh), and becomes its chosen wielder.​​
• Effects on the world
  • The Book triggers rifts and distortions across Britannia—time rifts, strange zones, restored ruins like the Desert Ruins and Dragon’s Grave—pulling characters, locations, and enemies from different points in the franchise’s history.​
  • A mysterious woman named Klotho appears once the Book awakens, acting as a guide with unknown true intentions.​
• Narrative function
  • Netmarble describes the game as a multiverse narrative where characters from different timelines and dimensions interact, giving a lore‑friendly reason to have Sins, allies, and future figures in the same open world.​
  • DLCompare and IGN stress that this is an original, non‑retelling story built around fixing a broken timeline, not replaying arcs from the manga.​

In practical terms, the Book of Stars is the excuse for Origin’s time distortions, cross‑era cast, and ongoing content expansions.​

Canon status and creator involvement

Origin is not a straight adaptation, but it is tightly supervised to stay within the franchise’s canon “feel.”​

• Creator supervision
  • Director interviews confirm that Netmarble works closely with Nakaba Suzuki: he created and drew designs for original characters and advised on the main plot.​
  • The team’s stated goal is to “keep it within the canon of the original work” while adding original interpretations for the game.​
• Canon vs side‑story
  • DLCompare calls the main storyline “an original, non‑canon adventure centered on a multiversal collision,” emphasizing that it is a new saga rather than mainline manga canon.​
  • Inven frames it as a “narrative safety net”: by setting the story three years after Sins and three years before Four Knights and adding the Book of Stars, Origin can play with time without breaking the core timeline.​

Think of it as a creator‑approved side story bridging eras, similar in spirit to how Grudge of Edinburgh connects Sins and Four Knights but with more freedom due to the multiverse hook.​

Connections to Seven Deadly Sins and Four Knights

Origin is packed with ties to both the original series and its sequel, even if you don’t need to know every detail to follow the game.

• Links to The Seven Deadly Sins
  • It takes place after the Holy War’s end and the Sins’ redemption, building on their legacy rather than re‑hashing their battles.​
  • Tristan’s struggles directly mirror his parents’ themes of sin, forgiveness, and responsibility, with familiar faces appearing through rifts and memories.​
• Links to Four Knights of the Apocalypse
  • CBR’s timeline breakdown notes that Four Knights is set about 16 years after Sins, following a new hero, Percival.​
  • Inven explains that Origin’s timeframe (three years before Four Knights) and its multiverse collisions allow characters and foreshadowing from the sequel era to enter the story early.​
• Grudge of Edinburgh and Tristan’s arc
  • Creator comments about the Grudge of Edinburgh films describe them as the “missing link” between Sins and Four Knights by focusing on Tristan’s growth.​
  • Origin effectively continues that idea in game form, exploring Tristan’s adolescence and the weight of his heritage in a playable format.​

For veterans, this means lots of callbacks and “what‑if” interactions; for newcomers, it’s a gateway that quietly sets up the sequel series.​

What this means for players

From a story perspective, The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin is:

• Timeline‑bridging: set squarely between Sins and Four Knights, giving Tristan and his era space to breathe.​
• Multiverse‑driven: the Book of Stars and time rifts justify cross‑era cameos and evolving world events.​​
• Creator‑guided but flexible: supervised by Nakaba Suzuki to feel authentic, while remaining a game‑original side story.​

Whether you are a long‑time fan or brand‑new, that structure explains why you see characters from different points in the franchise’s history in one open world and how Origin slots into the broader Seven Deadly Sins universe.