Our brains are capable of great things, but trying to understand the Legend Of Zelda timeline isn't one of them… and now it is The Legend of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom! While numerous schedules have been created and reviewed showing where all the games belong, it's like looking at one of those red conspiracy walls.
Still, many of us are wondering where and when everything takes place in Hyrule. There are a few hints here and there with strong theories about where it might fit, so let's dive into this pool of research and see where we can take a breath.
Is The Legend Of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom a sequel to Link's Awakening?
Let's get to the Zelda equivalent of the elephant in the room: Not really. Although it shares many visual and gameplay similarities with the Link's Awakening remake released on the Switch in 2019, Echoes Of Wisdom is not dependent on it.
The developers have gone on record saying that the reason the game looks so similar is because of this it “had become our new approach to graphics and gameplay.”as a top-down The Legend of Zelda game for the Nintendo Switch generation.” This game is a completely new entry in this particular universe, but when does it take place?
The Legend Of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom timeline
Before we can try to nail down this title, which is the tail of the donkey that represents arguably the most confusing timeline in gaming history, let's look at the clues.
The introduction
The game begins with a mysterious swordsman fighting his way through a dungeon to reach a captured Zelda. It turns out that the swordsman is Link, who confronts Zelda's kidnapper Ganon. So at this point the game must take place after Ocarina Of Time, as this is the earliest iteration of Ganon's iconic pig monster appearance. This leads to a fight between the two, which ends in Ganon's apparent defeat and opens a rift.
Link is drawn under the spell, but not before he frees Zelda. At this point you could assume that the “hero” is defeated and place the game somewhere on the “hero is defeated” timeline. That makes sense, there in this timeline Zelda is often the one who has to deal with the consequences of Link's defeat.
The purpose of the silent world
One of the most important things Zelda has to deal with is fact Rifts are opening all over Hyrule, transporting parts of it to another dimension. This dimension is known as the Silent World, a dark realm with unusual properties influenced by all the misplaced parts of Hyrule. The series is no stranger to alternate worlds with the Dark World in Link To The Past and Lorule in A Link Between Worlds.
However, the Silent World appears to be an entirely new realm created by this game's villain named ” Zero. It is said that the reason zero creates these cracks is because of this it wants to devour everything and obtain the Triforce. This implies that the game takes place after A Link To The Pastbecause before the events of this game, the Triforce was still locked in the Pyramid of Power in the Dark World thanks to Zelda and the Seven Sages.
The fact that Null searching for it in Hyrule is proof that the Triforce has been restored to its rightful place after Link asked for it back.
The villain's backstory
After clearing the Eldin Temple, Zelda gains insight into Null and its history. The story goes that Null was the first being to exista creature made of nothing that devoured everything. The three goddesses attempted to curb Null's endless hunger by creating a world in which to imprison him. However, Null escaped by opening rifts to devour his prison and regain his power from the three goddesses by obtaining the Triforce.
This sounds like Null is the oldest destructive force Hyrule has ever encountered, but it only began to escape after Pig Ganon appeared (hence the echo). At the start of the game, it appears that Null's influence has already spread, taking over Hyrule Castle and imprisoning Zelda. This suggests that Link had been gone for some time when he arrived to fight back.
Diploma
Taking all of this into account, there is a high probability that The Legend Of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom takes place after Link's Awakening and the Adventures of the Oracles, but before A Link Between Worlds.
The progression makes sense: Pig Ganon was defeated after being sealed, the Triforce was returned to the royal family, Link traveled without the Master Sword, Ganon's revival is thwarted, Link traveled further and then returned after Null had already done much of Link's defeated and Zelda must repair everything, and the Silent World tears Hyrule apart in search of the Triforce.
There are also There's a big chance that this game is part of an entirely new timelinebut we don't need another headache.
