Nintendo Reveals Why Zelda is the Main Character in Echoes of Wisdom Instead of Link

The game's Echo mechanic made more sense for Zelda to use.

By Marc Deschamps

When The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom launches on Nintendo Switch later this week, the game will put players in the role of Zelda, rather than the usual protagonist Link. While fans have been asking Nintendo for years to make a game that put the princess in the spotlight, some are wondering why the decision was specifically made for this game. In a new blog on Nintendo's website, the game's developers talked about struggling to balance the game's use of Echoes as a weapon with Link's traditional sword and shield. The fear was that the sword and shield would make the Echoes redundant, necessitating a different protagonist. 

"Over the years we've been working on the Legend of Zelda series, many people have often asked us, 'Will Princess Zelda ever be the protagonist?' and said, 'I'd like to play as Princess Zelda,'" said Aonuma. "When asked this question, I've always thought, 'Of course, as long as it makes sense for the game and does justice to her as a character to be the protagonist,' and answered that way. I had been trying in vain to figure out what would really do justice to her. But when I saw the team struggling to identify the ideal protagonist for this game, I thought, this is exactly the game for her!" 

From that standpoint, it makes a lot of sense why Zelda would get the nod over Link. While Nintendo has already announced that Zelda will have a Swordfighter Mode in the game, it's much more limited than what we're used to seeing from Link. The gauge quickly depletes, forcing the hero to lean more on using Echoes to fight in her stead. It's not like we haven't seen Link use gimmicks in other games; Minish Cap allowed him to shrink, while A Link Between Worlds allowed him to walk along walls as a painting. However, these features were more about exploration and less about combat. 

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It will be interesting to see how fans feel about the Echo mechanic when The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom releases. It's clearly a departure from past games in the series, and that's going to take some getting used to from longtime fans. However, by making Zelda the protagonist, the developers might make it easier for players to accept something different. 

Are you excited to check out Zelda's new abilities? Do you think it makes more sense for Zelda to be the main character this time? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

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