Summary
AfterZelda: Breath of the Wildand its sequel,Tears of the Kingdom, largely left their stories overshadowed by a massive open world,Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomhas been a refreshing change of pace for the franchise. Not only has the latest installment offered an engaging narrative that more recent installments have somewhat lacked, but the titular princess herself, having filled the role of lead protagonist, also proves that characters other than Link can head up a noteworthyLegend of Zeldastory. As such,Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomcould be a forerunner of sorts for future installments, opening the door for even more unique characters to take center stage.
While it might seem strange to feature someone other than Link or Zelda in a lead role, it could be a way forThe Legend of Zeldato reinvent itself. Nintendo has been fairly consistent about ensuringeachZeldagameis different from the last, but it still might be worth taking some even sharper turns sooner rather than later to keep the series on top of its innovative trends and maintain its momentum moving forward.
Future Zelda Games Should Consider Featuring More Non-Link Protagonists
With Zelda now having proven that Link isn’t the only one who can lead the way in a mainline installment, the series could look at putting some of its other major characters at the helm. Impa, for instance, might be considered one of the series' most notable characters worthy of a lead role, due to her persistent recurrence and the intriguing nature of her character. A challenging action-adventuregame similar toNinja Gaidenmight be a solid choice for the battle-hardened and stealthy Sheikah, despite her occasional appearance as a non-fighting character.
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker’s Tetracould be the star of her very own pirate adventure prequel, especially considering her backstory and true identity. Prior to the events ofThe Wind Waker, Tetra spent her life on the open seas, leading a pirate crew in search of treasure. However, as the game’s story unfolds, it is revealed that Tetra is, in fact, the reincarnation of Zelda. In light of that revelation, a prequel featuring Tetra in her life beforeThe Wind Wakercould be a compelling story.
While aZeldagame could feature its “good” characters in a lead role, other unconventional characters like Ganondorf and the Skull Kid might offer unique perspectives in a lead role. Featuring Ganondorf in a lead role would certainly make for a dark story, but it could grant players firsthand experience with certain timelines where the villain actually defeats Link. Additionally, a game featuring theSkull Kid, who is most known for his role inZelda: Majora’s Mask, could show his life before he was corrupted by Majora’s Mask, as well as his slow descent into madness.
Some Zelda Characters Might Even Offer Intriguing Sim Experiences
Branching away from its normal story-driven format,The Legend of Zeldacould even venture into sim territory with a couple of its characters — namely, Beedle and Dampe.Beedle has been a recurring characterin the series for some time now, occasionally appearing selling various wares like potions, arrows, and other essential items. As such, perhaps a shopkeeping sim where players are in control of Beedle and can travel throughout Hyrule selling items to Link and other Hylians might be in order. Additionally, Dampe has frequently played the role of gravekeeper, suggesting a sim akin to Lazy Bear Games’Graveyard Keepermight be a good fit for the world ofThe Legend of Zelda.
There are clearly plenty ofcharacters in theZeldauniversewho would produce unique stories if they were featured in a lead role, like Impa, Tetra, Ganondorf, and the Skull Kid. Furthermore, characters like Beedle and Dampe could seeThe Legend of Zeldabranching out into the sim genre for a fresh departure from the series' traditional gameplay. Hopefully,Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomhas started something here that Nintendo will continue by putting more non-Link characters in the spotlight.
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!
