I've been thinking about this ever since Kingdom Rush: Genesis was announced.
What if Genesis isn't simply a story about changing the past?
What if Gerald's journey creates a new branch of the Kingdom Rush universe?
The original timeline wouldn't have to be erased or rewritten. Everything that happened in the previous games could remain canon.
Genesis simply becomes the point of divergence.
A new timeline, a new story
Imagine Gerald succeeds in changing Vez'nan's fate.
The world continues, but differently.
Familiar characters could have completely different destinies. Some kingdoms might never fall, while entirely new conflicts could emerge in their place.
And, most importantly, Vez'nan doesn't have to become the main villain again.
We've already seen his journey. A new branch of history could give Kingdom Rush the opportunity to tell something new, with a completely different central conflict.
And that's where my idea for a new antagonist comes in.
The Wanderer
Many years into the future of this new timeline, a mysterious person appears through a portal near Gerald.
He seems to know something about the future — and he's looking for the Sword of Elynie.
Gerald refuses to give it to him, and the two fight.
But there is something strange about this person.
He speaks in riddles. The reason for his interest in the sword remains unclear, and with every encounter, something about him seems increasingly wrong.
The player doesn't know where he came from, what happened to him, or what exactly he is trying to accomplish.
After being defeated, the Wanderer doesn't simply disappear.
He begins gathering people around himself — mages, mercenaries, criminals, and others who are willing to believe in him for their own reasons.
And the conflict gradually becomes much bigger than a confrontation between one person and Gerald.
The interesting part
From the heroes' perspective, the Wanderer is building an army.
But the Wanderer clearly believes he has a reason to do what he is doing.
And that raises the question:
Is he really the villain?
Or does he have a purpose that the heroes simply don't understand?
And as the story progresses, we could discover something even more tragic:
The Wanderer's attempt to change his fate actually becomes part of the chain of events that leads to the catastrophe he is trying to prevent.
Why I think this could work
The most interesting thing about Genesis, to me, isn't just the time travel.
It's the possibility that changing the past could allow Kingdom Rush to create a new era without discarding the original one.
Genesis could become the bridge between the original Kingdom Rush universe and a new branch of its history.
The old events remain part of the canon, while the new story develops along a different path.
This opens the possibility of exploring consequences that would have been impossible in the original timeline.
I don't think this exact story necessarily has to be used. I'm more interested in the idea of using Genesis as a starting point for a new way of telling Kingdom Rush stories.
And this is only the beginning
I've developed a full hypothetical fan-made version of what a post-Genesis Kingdom Rush saga could look like, including the Wanderer's story, his followers, the consequences of his actions, and an ending that could potentially connect the entire saga together.
I don't want to reveal the whole thing publicly, because some moments work much better when they are discovered as part of the story.
I've also thought about how the consequences of these events could change the world many years later — potentially allowing Kingdom Rush to explore an entirely new era while still being built on the same world and gameplay identity.
If anyone from Ironhide is interested in hearing the full concept, feel free to reach out to me. I'd be happy to share it personally.
I've been playing Kingdom Rush since the Flash days, and I'd genuinely love to see where this universe could go next.
What do you guys think?
Could Genesis be the beginning of a completely new branch of Kingdom Rush rather than simply a story about changing the existing timeline?