With The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom having been announced at the June 2024 Nintendo Direct, the titular Princess Zelda headlining her own adventure has the fanbase buzzing with excitement. The game’s 2.5D art style borrows from 2019’s The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, while mixing in the spirit of unbridled exploration from Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Precious few clues are known about what the developers of Echoes of Wisdom have in store for Hyrule, but that hasn't kept an intrepid public from scouring each frame of the game's teaser trailer for possible indicators.

Much of the fan speculation has been focused on where Echoes of Wisdom may sit in the evermore complex Zelda timeline. A popular theory is that the game is somehow connected to A Link Between Worlds, and thus, A Link to the Past. Both games were highly acclaimed, with A Link to the Past often listed among the greatest games of all time. Connecting Echoes of Wisdom to these celebrated games is a wise idea. However, there is also evidence to suggest that the scope of the game reaches wider than previously thought, possibly connecting many of Zelda's greatest stories.

The Mysterious Rift Seen In The Teaser May Be A Dimensional One

Reddit sleuths have put forth some compelling theories suggesting that the few glimpses of EoW’s overworld, as seen in the Nintendo Direct trailer, may be the key. Many have noted the apparent similarities between EoW’s map and the layout of A Link to the Past and A Link Between Worlds. Both Hyrule Castle and Death Mountain sit on the map almost exactly where they did in those prior games. Even more compelling is that the game’s trailer seems to indicate that the Zoras of both the river (green) and sea (blue) will meet in EoW for the first time ever.

The homages to BOTW and TOTK are heavy-handed in the EoW trailer, most prominently being Zelda standing on a cliff’s edge, looking out at the kingdom of Hyrule. The entire shot evokes how Link did the same at the beginning of BOTW. Considering all the ingredients at hand, it seems very possible that EoW will feature a cataclysmic event that unites all the Zelda timelines. The very beginning of the trailer shows Link defeating Ganon before falling into the rift. This could possibly be hinting that Ganon will not be the ultimate antagonist of this adventure but someone else entirely.

The Book Hyrule Historia Was Nintendo’s Attempt To Establish The Lore

Nintendo has always been a bit cagey when it comes to committing to an established timeline in the Legend of Zelda series. Perhaps they fear it would be too constrictive to the creative process, which is certainly understandable. It could also be that, since the adventure is a “legend,” they are able to retell the same story over and over, each time with a new twist and theme. Until more is known about the game, the rift in the EoW trailer may be a melding of the Zelda timelines, where different versions of the same characters meet face to face.

For a franchise nearing its 40th anniversary, The Legend of Zelda is bigger now than ever. The excitement for what Echoes of Wisdom may bring to the celebrated series is palpable, and with the game launching in September of this year, more information should be coming soon. Finally, Princess Zelda will be taking the reins in her own single-player adventure, and fans of the franchise are eager to experience the world of Hyrule through the eyes of the legendary character. What The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom will introduce to the lore of the series remains to be seen.