The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomoften functions as a grab bag of elements from previousZeldagames, but one instance of abandoning the past actually leads to some of the best content in the game. It’s standard procedure for ideas to carry on from oneZeldagame to the next, and in a loose timeline that paints an overarching picture of Hyrule’s history, the focus on recurring cultures and locations ends up making a lot of sense.
For the most part, the regions found inZelda: Echoes of Wisdomfeature cultures that play a memorable part of theZeldalegacy, and the aquatic Jabul Waters area even spotlights theRiver and Sea Zoraboth living together in relative harmony. Stories found in several regions can be taken as lessons on leadership, an appropriate angle for a game focusing on Princess Zelda rather than Link.Notably absent, however, are the Rito, the avian species fromThe Wind Wakerthat recently reappared inBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom.
Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom Doesn’t Need The Rito
An Iconic Species Wouldn’t Be The Best Fit
The most obvious reason for cutting the Rito has to do with Zelda chronology. Historically,The Wind Wakerpositioned the Rito as an evolution of the Zora.Breath of the Wildtossing both into the same environment was a major timeline break, and it created one of the biggest points of confusion about where the game fit into the timeline. Nintendo ultimately revealed thatBOTWandTears of the Kingdomaredisconnected from the primary chronology, which helped to explain the discrepancy.
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While including the Rito inZelda: Echoes of Wisdommight seem odd,it does include Hebra Mountain, a summit from theBreath of the Wildregion that served as the home of the Rito. Without them around, the location is unusually lonely, and the game doesn’t fill it out with any other populated species. Instead,the only significant character to be found is Condé, a Yeti native to Hebra Mountain who first appears face down in the snow.
Without associates to support him, Condé has a lot of heavy lifting to do, and it would be easy for Hebra Mountain to feel like the most trivial part of the game’s story. Instead,Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomleans into his loneliness, building a story around it that arguably has more pathos than anything else found in the game. After spending a bit of time with the Yeti, Zelda can learn that he misses his family. Condé’s father passed away, as a grave marker behind the house indicates, and his big brother set out on some adventure of his own.
Condé Is The Best Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom Character
The Lonely Yeti Makes An Impact
Many of the other stories found inZelda: Echoes of Wisdomhave the chipper attitude that’s common in family-friendly games, and the sense of loss and melancholy that pervades Condé’s situation sets it apart. Disagreements that drive conflict among the Zora and Gerudo, for example, can be sorted out with a bit of problem-solving, and villains are often just clones spit out of rifts, setting up the celebratory return of whoever was being mimicked.With Condé, however, it’s immediately clear that there’s no perfect happy ending, and any success that Zelda has on Hebra Mountain can’t make his grief disappear.
The Goron character Darston is also struggling with the loss of his father, but his story is less about the pangs of grief and more about finding his voice as the chief.
Engaging in conversation and side quests with the cultures of other regions is a big part of the fun to be had inZelda: Echoes of Wisdom, and choosing to skip most of that in the region that many players will visit last is a bold move.Condé could still have been included if the Rito were on the outskirts of the mountain, or a Yeti society could have taken the place of the avian species. Either direction would have diminished the sense of solitude, however, smoothing over a tonal shift that’s employed to great efficacy.
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Condé’s proud to help Zelda with the rifts, and he ultimately finds out that a creature he thought was his brother is merely a monster with a passing resemblance, assuaging his fears that he’s being intentionally ignored. Upon Zelda’s departure from the region, however, his situation remains unresolved, as he continues to await his brother’s return. It’s an appropriately bittersweet note that lingers until the final credits roll, at which point an image of him celebrating the arrival of a hot air balloon appears to imply that all is well in the end.
Zelda Games Don’t Have To Bring Everything Back
Leaving Room For The New Makes Things Better
There’s always a beauty in seeingwhat returns in eachZeldagame, but Condé is proof of the fact thatan over-reliance on familiarity can prevent a game from exploring interesting new ideas. While the Gerudo story in the game is fine, for one example, it doesn’t stand out after decades of stories that paint the Gerudo in a fairly consistent light.Zelda’s traditional narrative still has plenty of room for subversion, but there’s equal room to introduce new cultures and concepts, and the willingness to do so often leads to the parts ofZeldagames that feel especially unique.
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Zeldaleaving any element behind for a while doesn’t necessarily mean the series won’t bring it back, and Condé himself proves that, as the Yeti species previously appeared 18 years ago inTwilight Princess.Every story simply has its own needs, and leaning further into that concept could help avoid the sense that some of these narrative touchstones are more obligatory than inspired. The Rito might be the perfect choice for otherZeldagames in the future, butThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s choice to skip them for the moment is one of the strongest decisions it makes.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Strange rifts are tearing Hyrule apart, and with Link missing, it’s up to Princess Zelda to save the kingdom. Armed with the Tri Rod and aided by a mysterious fairy, she must solve puzzles, create environmental “echoes,” and battle enemies while navigating new regions and uncovering hidden secrets.
