The newest entry in theLegend of Zeldaseries,The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, is breaking new ground by putting players in the shoes of Zelda herself. Zelda will wield brand-new abilities like creating echoes and binding herself to other objects, but these might just be the beginning of the new powers coming inThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.
WhenEchoes of Wisdomwas revealed during the June 2024 Nintendo Direct, producer Eiji Aonuma made it clear that one goal of this game was to explore how Zelda would play as a protagonist with abilities different from Links. Based on that trailer, it appeared that Zelda’s main ability would be using the Tri Rod to create echoes, which seemed to open plenty of possibilities on its own. However,a new overview trailer forEchoes of Wisdomrevealed new surprises, including an additional ability given by the Tri Rod. The Bind ability will let Zelda link herself to objects or echoes in order to change or mirror their movement. Combining these two powers opens the door to many more possibilities, but even more new powers might still be on the way.
Zelda’s Tri Rod is the Key to Unknown Powers
Both of Zelda’s new abilities are granted to her by the Tri Rod, an artifact gifted to her by a new companion. So far, trailers have shown two different powers the Tri Rod grants, but there’s nothing to say that its gifts stop there. Many fans have drawncomparisons between Zelda’s Tri Rod and Link’s Ultrahandabilities inTears of the Kingdom. With that in mind, it’s worth noting that the Ultrahand gave Link many different abilities, such as moving, fusing, and rewinding objects around him. If the Tri Rod is intended to be Zelda’s equivalent to the Ultrahand, it’s likely that more powers await her as she progresses through the game.
The Tri Rod Could be Even More Powerful Than the Ultrahand
The Tri Rod and Ultrahand are similar in many ways, including their purpose from a design standpoint. Both items act as a way to grant the player new powers and abilities to aid them in the game. But there is one important distinction between the games that these items come from.Echoes of Wisdomis a top-down Zelda game rather than a third-person game likeTears of the Kingdom.
Because top-down games tend to have more dungeons than their third-person counterparts, and each dungeon typically rewards the player with new abilities, some fans have theorized thatthe Tri Rod could reimagine that ClassicZeldareward system. In other words, perhaps the Tri Rod will gain a new ability in each dungeon.
If that theory turns out to be correct, it would mean that the Tri Rod might grant Zelda at least three or four distinct abilities. That would put Zelda on par with the number of powers that the Ultrahand gave Link. Of course, the Ultrahand gained most of its power at the very beginning of the game, letting the player loose with all of it right away. With the Tri Rod unlocking new abilities as the game moves forward, players would have more time to master each ability before moving on to a new one.
Add to that the possibility that the Tri Rod could gain more than 4 abilities, and it’s clear that in this scenariothe Tri Rod could be the next evolution of the Ultrahand, improving its basic elements to become even more powerful.
Regardless of whether it compares to past games, the Tri Rod should give Zelda a plethora of abilities to experiment with. After all, that experimentation and problem-solving is what madeTears of the Kingdomsuch an incredible game. WithEchoes of WisdommirroringTears of the Kingdom’semphasis on problem-solving, more powers would lead to more diverse player solutions. It looks likeThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomis putting Zelda on the path to many new powerful abilities, and players are sure to do incredible things with them.
