Summary
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomis one of the biggest surprises of 2024, with only rumors about a Zelda-ledLegend of Zeldatitle circulating up until its announcement. Since players will beplaying as Zelda rather than Link inZelda: Echoes of Wisdom, that alone makes this installment different from any other game in the series. Additionally, it will also be bringing a brand-new ability to the table via the Tri Rod, which seems to function similarly toZelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s Ultrahand ability.Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s uniqueness doesn’t end there, however, as one ofThe Legend of Zelda’s most recognizable features has yet to be revealed, and it will presumably not make an appearance in the game.
The Master Sword has been recognized as one ofThe Legend of Zelda’s most iconic weapons since its introduction inThe Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Pastin 1991. While it hasn’t been included in everyZeldagame, it has certainly appeared more often than it has not. Now, based on what has been revealed so far and what can be assumed fromZelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s premise, the legendary blade may once again be left out of this particular installment, setting it up to join an exclusive club in theLegend of Zeldaseries.
Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom May Set the Master Sword Aside
Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s Announcement Trailer Doesn’t Feature the Master Sword
The first bit of evidence that suggests the Master Sword’s exclusion fromZelda: Echoes of Wisdomis the announcement trailer itself. Nowhere in the trailer is the Master Sword shown, even during the cinematic sequence whereLink fights Ganondorf. Link is holding a sword, but it isn’t the typical design of the Master Sword. In fact, the sword Link is wielding has a Zonai-like design, suggesting a possible connection toZelda: Breath of the WildandZelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s Premise Doesn’t Leave Much Room for the Master Sword
Another thing to consider isZelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s premise, which sees Zelda taking the lead this time instead of Link. As such, there is little room for theMaster Sword, since the weapon has primarily been wielded by Link in past entries. Zelda has been known to use a sword throughout the series, but it is almost always her own blade rather than the Master Sword.
InZelda: Echoes of Wisdom,Zelda wields the Tri Rod, which allows her to create “Echoes” of objects and monsters that she can then summon to help her progress through the game’s world. Her primary method of combat involves summoning monsters with the Tri Rod that can help her take down other enemies, as opposed to simply using a melee weapon likeThe Legend of Zelda’s main playable protagonist, Link. With the abilities of the Tri Rod in her hand, there is little reason for Zelda to ever need the Master Sword.
Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Wouldn’t Be the First Game to Exclude the Master Sword
IfZelda: Echoes of Wisdomdoes leave the Master Sword out, it wouldn’t be the first game in the series to do so. Interestingly enough, that “exclusive club” ofZeldagamesincludes many installments that aren’t as notorious as others — specifically,Zelda: Link’s Awakening,Zelda: Majora’s Mask,Zelda: Four Swords(although it does appear in the Anniversary Edition),Zelda: Four Swords Adventures,Zelda: The Minish Cap,Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass,Zelda: Spirit Tracks, andZelda: Triforce Heroes.
It hasn’t been confirmed whether the Master Sword will be featured inThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, and that bit of information will likely be kept under wraps until the game’s release on July 30, 2025. It’s possible that the sections whereLink is playable inZelda: Echoes of Wisdomwill see him eventually wielding the legendary blade, but that remains to be seen.
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!
