Why Link Probably Won’t Be Totally Absent in Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

The recently announced Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom gave audiences quite a surprise when it was revealed that its protagonist wouldn’t be Link, but Zelda herself. This is something that Zelda fans have been hoping to experience for quite some time, so the news has been received quite well.

Even better is the fact that Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom doesn’t look like a mere reskin of the classic Zelda experience, swapping Link’s character model out for Zelda’s and calling it a day. Instead, Zelda will have her own unique set of skills, tackling exploration, puzzle-solving, and combat in a manner that is fundamentally different from Link’s hack-and-slash, traditionally heroic approach. It will certainly be interesting to see how the tried-and-true Zelda formula adapts to such a radically distinct set of factors, but there’s a strong chance that Echoes of Wisdom won’t be done with Link, full stop.

Why Link Might Player a Bigger Role In Echoes of Wisdom Than Players Expect

There’s Reason to Believe Link Could Be Playable in Echoes of Wisdom

The Echoes of Wisdom announcement trailer kicks off with a familiar scene: Zelda is trapped, and Link is coming to save her. Of course, this is quickly subverted when Link gets trapped in one of the mysterious, dark rifts that sit at the heart of the game’s plot. This renders him immobile, and presumably out of the picture until Zelda is able to save him.

But it looks like these early moments of the trailer are comprised of gameplay footage, not in-game cinematics. This would mean that, while Echoes of Wisdom will have radically different combat from other Zelda games, it would still include some traditional, sword-and-shield Link gameplay. Assuming this is indeed gameplay footage, it would be a bit surprising if the game were only to allow players to control Link for a few minutes; designing and implementing a completely different combat framework for another character requires effort and resources that Nintendo would probably prefer not to waste by only having him available in such a limited capacity. Instead, it would likely want to get the most mileage out of Link’s gameplay mechanics as possible.

What Role Link Could Play In Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

Even if Link appears as a playable character in Echoes of the Kingdom, it’s safe to assume that it will still be Zelda‘s show through-and-through. She’s the star of this adventure, positioned as the center of its narrative and novel gameplay systems. Thus, Echoes of the Kingdom‘s version of Link will almost certainly take a back seat, whether he is playable or not.

That said, Link may be utlized as a sort of window into the nature of the game’s mysterious antagonistic force. Perhaps the rifts that he and so many other Hyrulians have been sucked into lead to some sort of alternate dimension, and players will be able to explore this dimension from Link’s perspective. This would allow Link to still fill some sort of heroic role, potentially aiding others who have been trapped like him.

Alternatively, Link could join Zelda in the final battle of Echoes of Wisdom, and the game could take on a multi-character gameplay structure, letting players switch between the pair at will or as part of a scripted setpiece. An approach of this kind would certainly be an interesting way to include such an important character, and it would allow Nintendo to make good use of him without overshadowing Zelda as the protagonist.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is a top-down adventure that shakes things up by pushing Princess Zelda into the protagonist role. Armed with the Tri Rod that allows her to create copies, Zelda will go on an epic journey to protect Hyrule and find the missing Link.

Released

September 26, 2024

Developer(s)

Nintendo

Publisher(s)

Nintendo

Genre(s)

Adventure

ESRB

E10+ For Everyone 10+

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