Summary
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomstill has many unconfirmed details, like story elements and gameplay features, but one question might already have some clues. Finding out whereThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomwill sit on the series’ timeline might be as simple as piecing together a puzzle.
The seriestimeline for theLegend of Zeldagames can be difficult to understand, but that doesn’t stop fans from speculating about where each game fits. Starting withSkyward Sword, the timeline is pretty straightforward untilOcarina of Time, where the ending causes a three-way branch into different possible futures. One branch explores what happens if Link loses the final battle, while the other two timelines follow Link and Zelda as they part ways after defeating Ganondorf. With so many games and plotlines to consider, puttingEchoes of Wisdominto its proper place is difficult at this point, but the game’s reveal trailer does offer a few clues.
Examining Which Zelda Timeline Fits Best for Echoes of Wisdom
There are two major clues that fans have picked up on in theEchoes of Wisdomreveal and gameplay trailers that might hint at a timeline placement. First, some fans have noticed thatEchoes of Wisdom’s map seems to line up with maps from past gamesin the series. This offers a starting point for looking into which version of Hyrule players will be exploring. Second, the different races featured in the game play an important role in distinguishing which parts of the timeline don’t fit. Since some races only show up in certain parts of the timeline, it’s easy to rule out certain eras.
Hyrule’s Map Tells Its Own Story
Though the overworld map forEchoes of Wisdomhasn’t yet been shown, some pieces of the trailer hint at major landmark locations. Most noticeably, when Zelda reaches safety after fleeing the rift, she stops to look at Hyrule castle, which looks like it will sit at the center of the map. This lines up with most of the top-down Zelda games, marking the first ofmany connections betweenEchoes of Wisdomand games likeLink’s Awakening.
In the same shot, players have also noticed Death Mountain appearing north or northeast of the castle, and an icy terrain sitting to the northwest. These locations loosely correspond to similar landmarks in many games in the Fallen Hero timeline. Interestingly, the icy mountain region, as well as a walled desert location seen in the trailer, prominently feature in the map of Lorule, the dark mirror universe of Hyrule fromA Link Between Worlds.
What Hyrule’s Races Suggest About the Timeline
Three of Hyrule’s major races are represented in the trailer forEchoes of Wisdom. In quick glimpses, players have spotted a Deku Scrub and a member of the Gerudo tribe, as well as a prominent scene of the two races of Zora interacting for the first time. From this, players have ruled out two major spots on the timeline. The earliest appearance ofthe mysterious Gerudo Tribeis inOcarina of Time, suggesting that this game won’t take place before then. The presence of the Zora, as well as the absence of the Rito, also rules out the Adult Link timeline, as in that timeline, the Zora are forced to evolve into the Rito for survival.
Perhaps the most telling moment of the trailer is when Zelda can be seen mediating an argument between the river Zora and the sea Zora. Both versions of the race have many appearances throughout the series, but this seems to be thefirst time the two Zora races have been spotted together. The only other game to feature both versions of the Zora isOracle of Ages, which doesn’t take place in Hyrule. Despite this, their dual inclusion gives an excellent starting point for a more detailed placement.
Based on the map comparisons and included races, the general placement ofEchoes of Wisdomlooks to be somewhere in the Fallen Hero timeline. More specifically, the inclusion of both Zora races suggests that the game should fall afterOracle of Ages. Considering the surprising similarity to Lorule, it might be possible that the mirror kingdom could play a role inEchoes of Wisdomas well. This means that the closest timeline range that can be reached placesEchoes of Wisdomsomewhere between theOraclesgames andA Link Between Worlds, or possibly just after.
