Summary
The newly-announcedThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomwill notably feature aplayable Princess Zelda as its protagonist, but the glimpses of her Hyrule seen so far also carry some interesting implications for the game’s position on the franchise’s timeline.The Legend of Zelda’s timelineis both complex and subject to change, making it hard to piece together allZeldagames into a cohesive whole. Nevertheless,the footage released ofEchoes of Wisdomdoes carry some clues as to which era of Hyrule’s history it most likely belongs to.
Although only the basic premise ofEchoes of Wisdomis known at present, the Hyrule it is set within is clearly full of vibrant characters and locations. Several notable elements of worldbuilding, both new and familiar to long-time fans of the franchise, have been highlighted as part of the game’s announcement in theJune 2024 Nintendo Direct, giving a remarkably clear impression of Hyrule’s overall structure in the new title. With this in mind, it is possible to interpret such details in a way that helps tocontextualizeEchoes of Wisdomthrough prior entries in the franchise.
The Legend Of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom Release Date, Characters, & Gameplay Details
Here’s everything to know about The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, an upcoming game that gives Zelda the starring role for a change of pace.
Echoes Of Wisdom May Take Place In A Brand New Version Of Hyrule
Between her pink dress and the golden Triforce earrings,the Princess Zelda ofEchoes of Wisdomclosely resembles the incarnation seen inA Link Between WorldsorA Link to the Past, and seems far removed from both the design and world ofTears of the Kingdom. However, despite Zelda’s familiar appearance,there is plenty of evidence to suggest that this is not a Hyrule that has been seen before, and so this is a new princess. This includes the appearance of Zelda’s counterpart, Link, who in contrast to the princess is more clearly distinct to previous heroes.
Echoes of Wisdom’s version of Link immediately makes an impression through his wearing of a blue cloak. This follows a trend established byBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdomto associate Link with the color instead of his trademark green. However, the fact that this hero does wear his traditional green tunic also quickly indicates that this isn’tTOTK’s version of Link. Moreover, asEchoes of Wisdomevidently begins at what would normally be the conclusion of aZeldaadventure, the existence of this cloak meansLink’s own quest is not one that had been previously depicted.
Interestingly, the designs of Link’s cloak, bow and sword are vaguely reminiscent of Zonai designs, suggestingEoW’s Hyrule has a connection to the ancient civilization, but this is far from certain at present.
Link’s other equipment also provides excellent evidence to support the idea of this being a new era of Hyrule.His bow is completely different to the yellow bows obtained inALTTPALBW,including the Bow of Light obtained in the final battle, instead being blue with a swirling design similar to his cloak’s pattern. Assuming that Link would retain his equipment on a second quest, particularly the Bow of Light and Master Sword, these details point to this Link being a new hero, especially as he also wields a blue-hilted sword instead of the purple Master Sword.
Death Mountain’s Location Points To A New Era For The Zelda Timeline
In addition to the appearances of Link and Zelda, there is the geography of Hyrule itself to consider. As Zelda views Hyrule from atop a cliff,Hyrule Castle, which contains a version of Castle Town, is clearly visible in the center, with a large mountain or cliff to the north. Again, this creates a strong parallel toALTTPandALBW, especially as the Eastern Palace appears to also exist in the world. However, equally as prominent in this view is a volcano, presumablyEchoes of Wisdom’s Death Mountain, located in the northwestern part of Hyrule.
InALBW, Death Mountain is located in the north of Hyrule, where a mountain of some kind does still exist inEoW. However, this is now a separate rock formation in the latter game, and the iconic volcano itself has clearly now been placed as a separate landmark, to the west of what is likely the Lost Woods. As the Lost Woods are still in the same northwestern part ofALBW, the inclusion of Death Mountain in this way suggeststhis Hyrule may be canonically bigger than its apparent predecessor, expanding its borders to accommodate more terrain.
Death Mountain is such a prominent part of Hyrule’s landscape, it has become an easy way to track different versions of the kingdom. As such, its location inEchoes of Wisdomis another clear indicator thatthis precise version of Hyrule may not be one that has ever been seen before, despite the numerous similarities toA Link Between Worlds. Of course, the fact thatDeath Mountain changes so much inZeldagamesis itself proof of Hyrule’s geography being unusually fluid between titles, but even so games with strong canonical ties do usually share settings with similar layouts.
Echoes Of Wisdom Returns The Zelda Franchise To A Classic Era
It is clear thatthe setting ofEchoes of Wisdomtakes many cues fromA Link Between WorldsandA Link to the Past, but there are enough differences to make it unlikely that the new title features the same Link and Zelda from either of its predecessors. Instead, one of two scenarios seems likely in regards to its timeline placement. Either this game is set some generations afterALBW, asALBWwas set afterALTTP, or it is set in a new timeline entirely that closely mirrors them.
Either this game is set some generations afterALBW, asALBWwas set afterALTTP, or it is set in a new timeline entirely that closely mirrors them.
In any case,Echoes of Wisdomis set in a Hyrule that closely follows the aesthetics of a classicZeldatitle. Prominent characters like Ganon are depicted with older designs rather than their most modern incarnations, and even the graphics and game engine themselves harken back to a simpler period of gaming, due to being the same used for theLink’s Awakeningremake. It is a refreshing change of pace afterTears of the Kingdom, even as Zelda’s protagonist role and the Echo mechanic continue to innovate.
Although more details about the background ofEchoes of Wisdomwill be needed to be more certain of its relation to other games in the franchise, it certainly seems to be associated to some degree with the games of the Fallen Hero timeline. By extension, it therefore presumably takes place long beforeBOTWandTOTK, which makes sense given the game’s core concept. Unlike the technological spin of other recent titles,The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomis much more straightforward in its use of magic, a theme that further cements its place amongst the timeline’s more traditional-style games.
