Summary
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes ofWisdomfinally has a place in the officialZeldatimeline, landing betweenTri Force Heroesand the originalLegend of Zelda. While the latestZeldatitle takes plenty of inspiration from theLink’s Awakeningremake in terms of its art direction, it’s not a direct sequel.Echoes of Wisdomis in the same branch of the timeline, but it comes much later.
Every time a newZeldagame comes out, its place in the series canon is one of the first things fans speculate about. Nintendo does maintain an official timeline, though even this can be controversial, with plenty of players arguing that it doesn’t line up as well as other fan theories. EvenZelda’s director has said he prioritized gameplay over story, so Nintendo likely doesn’t put as much thought into the order of the games as much as its audience does. Even so, the official timeline is a big deal to fans of the franchise, and now it’s clear whereEchoes of Wisdomfalls.
WhileEchoes of Wisdomcame out on September 26, its place in theZeldacanon was unclear for a while after its release. Now that Nintendo hasupdated its officialZeldahistory page, fans have an official answer.Echoes of Wisdomis part of the “Hero is defeated” timeline, which follows a universe where Link failed to defeat Ganon inOcarina of Time. More specifically, it takes place afterTri Force Heroes, putting three entire games between it andLink’s Awakening, which inspired its art style.
Echoes of Wisdom Is a Distant Prequel to the Original Legend of Zelda
This position placesEchoes of Wisdomas a prequel to 1986’sLegend of Zeldabut not a close one. The official timeline lists the “decline of Hyrule” in between the two, suggesting there’s an extended period of non-game activity that takes place afterEchoesbut before the originalZelda.This era of decline was already a core part of the series lore, and previous signs suggested thatEchoes of Wisdomfits into the downfall timeline, but now it’s clear exactly where it falls in relation to that period — right before Hyrule’s downfall, as it turns out.
Echoes of Wisdom’s official place in the timeline probably won’t surprise many fans, considering how it lines up with earlier speculation. It’s not a perfect fit, though. The way it treats the Triforce as a mysterious, little-known power makes more sense for the adult timeline than the downfall line. Still, that kind of contradiction isn’t unique toEchoes.There aremany confusing aspects of theZeldatimeline, likely because Nintendo is less concerned about an overarching story and more concerned with making fun games. At least fans don’t have to argue about the title’s canon placement anymore.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
WHERE TO PLAY
Save Hyrule—this time with the wisdom of Princess Zelda!The people of Hyrule are being stolen away by strange rifts—and with a certain swordsman among the missing, it’s up to Princess Zelda to save her kingdom in the latest adventure in The Legend of Zelda™ series!Team up with the ethereal creature Tri and use the Tri Rod to create “echoes,” which are imitations of things you find in the environment—then recreate those echoes whenever you like to solve puzzles and defeat enemies. Use echoes like water blocks to reach new heights, make bridges out of old beds, throw rocks at foes, or find your own combination of echoes to do things your way. You can even make echoes of monsters to fight at your side in combat!
