Summary
After much speculation, Nintendo has finally placedThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomin the series' timeline, officially putting it in the Fallen Hero branch of the timeline.The Fallen Herobranch is one of the alternate realities in theZeldatimeline, where Link is ultimately defeated by Ganon during the events ofZelda: Ocarina of Time, leading to the eventual decline of Hyrule.Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomis officially set after the events ofZelda: Tri Force Heroesand before the original 1986The Legend of Zelda, and while that does clear up its setting, it simultaneously leaves other questions in its wake about the Triforce.
The Triforce is perhaps one of the most (if not the most) iconic symbols ofThe Legend of Zelda, managing to find its way into almost every game in the series. It is effectively the very heart and soul ofThe Legend of Zelda’s world, and, in most games, the inhabitants of Hyrule know that. However,Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s treatment of the Triforce leaves some questions about the game’s official placement in theZeldatimeline, as the two don’t seem to cooperate very well with one another. Fortunately, there is apparently a justifiable reason for this, though that reason could be considered a bit of a cop-out.
Why Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s Timeline Placement Is Perplexing
Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Treats the Triforce Like a New Discovery
Almost every game in theLegend of Zeldaseries that either features the Triforce or talks about it refers to it as the “Triforce,” butZelda: Echoes of Wisdomcalls it something else entirely. In fact,Echoes of Wisdomis now in an exclusiveZeldaclub, as it is only one of three games in the almost forty-year-old series that calls the Triforce by a different name.Zelda: A Link to the Pastwas the first game in the series to do this, referring to the Triforce as the “Golden Power” and the “Master Force.“Skyward Swordfollowed suit by calling the Triforce the “Ultimate Power.“Echoes of Wisdom, on the other hand, refers to the powerful object as the “Prime Energy.”
It might seem harmless to simply change the name of the Triforce, especially when its purpose has largely remained the same throughout the franchise. However,Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomdoesn’t just rename the Triforce — its story treats the Triforce like it’s a brand-new discovery, and this is ultimately why it is referred to by a different name. It is this,Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s treatment of the Triforce as a new discovery, that makes the game’s placement inthe officialZeldatimelineso perplexing.
Almost every game in theLegend of Zeldaseries that either features the Triforce or talks about it refers to it as the “Triforce,” butZelda: Echoes of Wisdomcalls it something else entirely.
The fact thatZelda: Echoes of Wisdomis setafter the events ofTri Force Heroesand even falls within the same timeline initially doesn’t make sense.Echoes of Wisdomreferring to the Triforce as the “Prime Energy” when theZeldagame right before it was quite literally named after the Triforce feels like an interesting design choice, to say the least. This is even more perplexing given the title that comes after it, the 1986 NES classic,The Legend of Zelda, as it also features the Triforce and even marks its first appearance in the series. Nevertheless, it seems the developer had a reason for this.
Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s Producer Confirmed the Triforce Decision Was Intentional
Apparently, Nintendo and Grezzo made an active decision not to use the word “Triforce” inZelda: Echoes of Wisdomfor a reason. In aninterview with Famitsu, series producer Eiji Aonuma explained that the decision to avoid using the term “Triforce” was because the development team wanted to create a setting where the Triforce was largely forgotten, thereby allowing for a fresh storytelling approach. That might feel like a cop-out to some, but it does make sense, and it givesZelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s narrative even more weight.
