Why Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Doesn’t Feature Link as the Main Playable Character

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Why Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Doesn't Feature Link as the Main Playable Character

Key Takeaways

  • Link was initially supposed to be the Echoes of Wisdom protagonist.
  • Nintendo eventually decided on Zelda because Link’s sword and shield disincentivized using Echoes to overcome challenges, which is what the company wanted the game to be about.
  • Echoes of Wisdom releases September 26 as the first The Legend of Zelda game starring the titular princess.

As a long-time fan of The Legend of Zelda series, I have to say that the latest development regarding Echoes of Wisdom has certainly piqued my interest! It’s fascinating to learn about the behind-the-scenes decisions that led to Zelda being chosen as the protagonist instead of Link.

Initially, it was intended for The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom to feature Link as the primary playable character, according to a senior Nintendo representative. This detail emerged during a more comprehensive discussion about the design aspects of Echoes of Wisdom.

On Thursday, September 26th, the newest addition to Nintendo’s enduring series titled “The Legend of Zelda” is set to arrive at retail stores. Notably, this release marks a first as it features the legendary princess herself in the lead role, known as “Echoes of Wisdom“.

Link Just Wasn’t Working Out as Echoes of Wisdom Protagonist

Initially, Nintendo hadn’t intended for this significant event to unfold as it did, as their original plan was to make Link the game’s main character. This information comes from Eiji Aonuma, a long-time producer of The Legend of Zelda series, who shared this in a recent interview with developers. The reason behind the change was that Link didn’t seem to fit the role of the protagonist in Echoes of Wisdom. As Aonuma explained, “If you have a sword and shield, you can fight using them,” implying that there was no need for Link to depend on the monsters’ power with this setup.

Zelda Was Found to be the Perfect Fit for Echoes of Wisdom Premise

The creator of Echoes of Wisdom considered integrating the Master Sword and Hylian Shield into the narrative at a later stage, thereby requiring players to master using Echoes before gaining more immediate weapons for combat. However, this approach didn’t prove successful, as it merely resulted in an ordinary Legend of Zelda game with additional stages, according to Aonuma. Eventually, they realized that Zelda was the ideal choice to embody the concept behind Echoes of Wisdom.

With a sword and a shield at hand, you can confidently engage in combat without relying excessively on the strength of your adversaries.

This disclosure didn’t resolve Nintendo’s creative quandaries regarding their game development. Making Zelda the primary character presented its own design difficulties; dressing her in royal attire throughout Hyrule wouldn’t align with the narrative, yet making her appear as an adventurer in a story about an unexpected journey seemed inconsistent too. Consequently, they opted to have Zelda wear Link’s hood, which was initially designed for the character who was originally intended to be the protagonist.

Despite Zelda being the main character, it’s been confirmed that Link will also be playable in the upcoming game, Echoes of Wisdom, according to its ESRB rating. However, based on the limited information Nintendo has revealed so far, it appears that Link will only be playable initially in the next installment of The Legend of Zelda. This will happen as he sets out to rescue the princess, but gets pulled into a mysterious purple rift along the way, initiating her grand adventure.

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2024-09-24 20:54