The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomis the newest entry in theLegend of Zeldafranchise, and is set to feature Princess Zelda in her long-awaited debut as a mainline playable protagonist. Announced during the June 2024 Nintendo Direct,Echoes of Wisdom’s announcement trailergave fans their first glimpse at returning elements and original gameplay mechanics. The title is the first to focus on a character other than Link since August 2009. Zelda’s role in theLegend of Zeldanarrative has escalated of late, withTear of the Kingdombeing arguably the first to truly feature the Princess and her actions in a legendary role. However,Echoes of Wisdommay have done more for the series than continue Zelda’s upward trajectory. TheLegend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdommay have opened the floodgates for the next generation of spin-offs.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomwill see Princess Zelda set off to find and eliminate the origin of mysterious rifts which have enveloped the land and stolen its inhabitants. With Link among those missing, Zelda teams up with a strange fairy, Tri, who can create imitations of things from her environment. These imitations, called echoes, are manifested through the Tri Rod, which Zelda can use to create imitations of anything from furniture to enemies.Echoes of Wisdomisn’t the firstZeldagame to take the focus off of Link, as the early 2000s saw another character steal the spotlight, resulting in a full series of unique, and unusual, spin-off titles.
The Late 2000s Saw the Release of a Tingle Spin-Off Series
TheLegend of Zeldafranchise boasts a variety of non-canon spin-off titles, dating back to October 1996’s dual release ofLink: The Faces of EvilandZelda: The Wand of Gamelon. In the modern era alone, the franchise has successfully releasedmultipleHyrule Warriorstitles, featuringwhat-if scenarios across the modern timeline, and the rhythm-basedCadence of Hyrule. However, only once before has a spin-off title been centered around a character entirely separate from Link and Zelda’s adventures. What’s more, the title gave rise to a series of spin-offs featuring theZeldafranchise’s most unusual recurring character - Tingle.
Tingle first appeared as the balloon-riding adult son of the Swamp Tourist Center Guide inMajora’s Mask, who used his high vantage to draw and sell maps of Termina. The self-proclaimed reincarnated fairy went on to play a significant role inThe Wind Waker, and appeared in various other Nintendo titles, such asOracle of Ages,Four Swords Adventures,The Minish Cap,Hyrule Warriors, andtheSuper Smash Bros.series. In 2006, the character starred in his own spin-off title,Freshly-Picked Tingle’s Rosy Rupeeland, which saw him gather rupees from various dungeons in the hopes of gaining entry to Rupeeland. The title earned several follow-ups, includingTingle’s Balloon Fight Deluxe, DSi Ware’sToo Much Tingle, and 2009’sWizard of OzparodyRipened Tingle’s Balloon Trip of Love.
Echoes of Wisdomis the firstZeldatitle to feature a non-Link protagonist since 2009’s final Tingle-focused adventure. However, it may not be the last character-specific spin-off intheZeldafranchise’s future. Due to the surprising nature of the title’s announcement, and the community’s strong positive response, it appears that the doors have been thrown wide open for a variety of spin-offs combining characters and elements from the modernLegend of Zeldaseries. ShouldEchoes of Wisdomprove successful both critically and commercially, Nintendo could revisit the concept of a spin-off series for popular characters fromBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom.
It remains to be seen ifEchoes of Wisdomwill spawn additional spin-off titles. However, bothBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdomare rife with characters who could lead a solo adventure.Zeldaspin-offsfeaturing figures such as Mineru, Rauru, and Purah could deliver an exploration of canon events preceding eitherTears of the KingdomorBreath of the Wild. In contrast, like Tingle’s before them, a spin-off adventure focused on Hestu could deliver a jovial non-canon break from the action. Fans ofThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomremain hopeful that the title can do the Princess justice. Should it prove successful, the stage is set for other supporting characters to get a potential shot at the spotlight in the series’ near future.
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!
