Summary
- Zelda's evolution from damsel in distress to proactive hero culminates in Echoes of Wisdom.
- Zelda's agency in modern titles, like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, highlights her heroic nature.
- Echoes of Wisdom marks a significant shift as Zelda becomes the main protagonist, saving Link in a reversal of roles.
While The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom shakes up the traditional series formula in several ways, perhaps the next Zelda game’s biggest change is arguably the logical conclusion of a long-running trend within the franchise. While Echoes of Wisdom will evidently revive classic mechanics, its brand-new features have rightfully drawn a lot of attention. But when examining these changes within the wider context of the series, these changes have actually been a long time in the making.
Echoes of Wisdom promises to be an engaging blend of innovative features and classic aesthetics, which could point to Echoes of Wisdom having an interesting timeline placement. It is clear that Echoes of Wisdom is likely to be yet another engaging addition to the franchise, albeit perhaps not as large an adventure as those taking place in the open world of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. However, Echoes of Wisdom will evidently still draw upon its immediate predecessors in key ways, continuing a growing trend visible within them.
Zelda Becoming a Hero Isn’t A Surprising Twist For The Franchise
How Zelda Has Changed Since Ocarina Of Time
While Echoes of Wisdom will be the first console Legend of Zelda game to have Princess Zelda as the main protagonist, it will be far from the first to have her be a hero. In fact, although Zelda’s role in the franchise began as her being a stereotypical damsel in distress, the princess has actually gained an increasing level of agency in the games’ narratives over time. From that perspective, Link becoming the one in need of rescue seems to be more of an inevitability than anything else.
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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.
Of course, Zelda has had an active role in defeating Ganon on a number of occasions. For example, following her actions as Sheik, Zelda magically pins Gonon in the final battle of Ocarina of Time, allowing Link to deliver the final blow. Later, The Wind Waker built immensely upon this; instead of remaining on the sidelines, Zelda (or, more accurately, Tetra) works together with Link to fight Ganondorf by wielding a bow and Light Arrows. Although she has been forced into hiding and then kidnapped, Tetra is clearly a proactive character in her own story.
Similarly, Four Swords Adventures (which was released two years after The Wind Waker), also has Zelda fight Ganon alongside Link, as does the princess of Twilight Princess. Far from the passive incarnations of the initial games in the series, by this point in the franchise, Zelda has become a valuable ally to Link in her own right. Moreover, while her precise involvement in a plot has varied greatly depending on the game in question, more modern titles have undoubtedly seen her becoming a more heroic figure in general, rather than a victim.
Princess Zelda Has Become Increasingly Proactive In Newer Games
From Damsel In Distress To Hyrule Hero & Fighter
Fittingly, it is the direct descendant of Tetra who makes the leap from aiding in the final battle to becoming a true companion of Link. Not only is Spirit Tracks’ Princess Zelda a key figure in the final battle, but she is instrumental to progression throughout the game by possessing the Phantoms the duo frequently encounter. Princess Zelda is without question a fully-fledged protagonist in Spirit Tracks, with the player being allowed to direct her actions much as they do Link’s.
Modern Zelda games have been very willing to present their incarnations of Zelda as fighters in their own right. This is arguably most directly true in the spin-off Hyrule Warriors games, but Zelda’s immense efforts in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom cannot go understated. In the former, after Link’s recoverable memories place an emphasis on her personal struggles, she then proceeds to actively hold Calamity Ganon at bay for a century; although Link must fight the final battle without her, it is made abundantly clear that Zelda is the only reason Hyrule still stands.
TOTK then continues this theme by having Zelda make arrangements in the distant past to aid Link, asking the ancient sages to commit their peoples to the fight before undergoing draconification; sacrificing her own sense of self to restore the Master Sword. Moreover, even in her draconic form, the Light Dragon still comes to Link’s aid (notably, even when the other dragons of Hyrule do not) when the Demon Dragon emerges. Again, without Zelda’s own heroic actions, Hyrule would have been doomed. As such, her now becoming the hero of Echoes of Wisdom is not an entirely unexpected development.
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The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom could be about to expand greatly on a major lore point which was omitted from both BOTW and TOTK.
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Zelda Games Have Slowly Trended Toward Her Becoming The Main Protagonist
Echoes Of Wisdom Is The End Result Of Decades Of Zelda Games
Echoes of Wisdom is the end result of a slow but steady shift in how Princess Zelda has been portrayed over time, from a helpless damsel to a proactive hero. It is a relatively small leap from having her assist and accompany Link to striking out on her own, although still a landmark moment in the series as a whole. Nevertheless, the inversion of Link and Zelda’s typical roles feels natural given the princess’ slow development over the series; if anything, Link becoming trapped with no apparent escape is the more surprising element of this change.
While Link has been trapped before, Echoes of Wisdom suggests this new predicament is much harder for him to escape than any similar situations he has encountered. Given that its trailer shows Link defeating Ganon and rescuing Zelda, it is safe to assume that the game begins in the aftermath of what would have been a normal adventure for the franchise’s usual hero. Moreover, with Zelda apparently wearing Link's discarded cape as she sets out to rescue him, she has now quite literally taken up his mantle.
Perhaps the most prominent example of Link becoming trapped is when Wolf Link is imprisoned in the early stages of Twilight Princess, leading to him meeting Midna. Interestingly, this sequence of events seems to mirror Zelda meeting Tri in a prison cell of her own in Echoes of Wisdom.
Princess Zelda has gained increasing amounts of agency as the Legend of Zelda franchise has progressed, with her role in Echoes of Wisdom being the ultimate culmination of that trend. It is a significant, yet natural shift in the franchise’s typical dynamic for Zelda to rescue Link, and will arguably help to make the title one of the most important Zelda releases ever. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom sees its title character finally acknowledged as the hero that she has been becoming for so long.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Adventure
- Franchise
- The Legend of Zelda
- Platform(s)
- Switch
- Released
- September 26, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+
