Summary
- Zelda takes the protagonist role in Echoes of Wisdom, a new top-down installation in The Legend of Zelda.
- Zelda's gender allows easy access to Gerudo Town, setting her apart from Link.
- Having Zelda as the protagonist may open up unique avenues to characterize Gerudo society.
After Link has been the main hero at the forefront of the Legend of Zelda series for nearly four decades, it certainly feels like a different day with Zelda now leading the charge in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. For the first time in a mainline Zelda game, the titular princess is taking on Link's role to save Hyrule after strange rifts begin swallowing it. This is not to say Link won't be involved in any way, as it has been confirmed that players will control Link for at least a portion of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom's story. Even so, Zelda is likely to be the most prominent playable character, thereby checking off an item that has been on many fans' wish lists for years now.
Echoes of Wisdom's most recent trailer, "Traversing Hyrule," provides an extensive overview of this iteration of Hyrule, which includes the arid Gerudo Desert and the matriarchal Gerudo society that resides within it. The appearance of the Gerudo Desert and its main settlement, Gerudo Town, should be more than familiar to fans of the franchise, as its people are known for their fierce protectiveness over their way of life and their hesitancy to let just anyone in. However, Zelda's role as the protagonist in Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom gives her a natural advantage with the Gerudo that Link never had, and it should, in theory, result in a unique encounter for players.
How Echoes of Wisdom's Tri Rod Can Reimagine a Staple of Zelda Dungeons
The abilities that come with The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom's new Tri Rod create potential for a reimagining of a classic Zelda dungeon staple.
Zelda Has a Natural Inroad to Gerudo Society
The Gerudo Are a Matriarchal People With Strict Laws Against Men Entering Their Society
The Gerudo are one of the most fascinating people in the Legend of Zelda series, as they have very distinctive cultural values in comparison to the rest of Hyrule. Specifically, the Gerudo are an intentionally isolated race that is nearly entirely composed of women, but it isn't solely of their own volition. Due to a unique biological quirk that prevents a male from being born into Gerudo society except for once every century, the Gerudo are primarily women and choose to keep it that way for the sake of culture and their independence.
The Gerudo Desert has only appeared in a few installments in the Legend of Zelda series, and the main settlement within it, Gerudo Town, even less. In Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Link was not allowed to enter Gerudo Town unless he first obtained and wore the Gerudo outfit after completing the "Forbidden City Entry" quest.
This is all according to Gerudo law, which prohibits men from entering their settlement from the outside world, and the whole situation serves to reinforce the lore of arguably the most interesting people group in the Legend of Zelda franchise. That shouldn't be the case in the next Zelda game, however, as its protagonist has a natural edge over Link.
Unlike Link, Zelda Should Have No Problem Entering Gerudo Town in Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
For the first time in the Legend of Zelda series, Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom's main protagonist shouldn't have any problem entering Gerudo Town, as she is a woman. Whereas Link had to either dress up as a Gerudo or find other ways to get into Gerudo Town in previous installments, Zelda should be able to waltz right in without any issues. Of course, the Gerudo are bound to acknowledge the fact that Zelda is not one of them, but at least she will not need to go to any extra lengths to gain entry to the settlement. This is just one of the many things that set Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom apart from the rest of the series, and it will be interesting to see how it all plays out.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 85 /100 Critics Rec: 93%
- Released
- September 26, 2024
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo, Grezzo
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Engine
- Havok
- Franchise
- The Legend of Zelda
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!
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
