Summary
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomis right around the corner, and fans are excited for this revolutionary next chapter for the iconic Nintendo franchise. For the first time in the mainline series, players will be able to control Princess Zelda, as the tables are turned and Link is kidnapped, resulting in a 2DZeldaexperience that’s less conventional.
Most of the game, as has been shown, depicts Zelda wielding the Tri Rod, which allows her to create “echoes” of objects and monsters to solve puzzles and traverse the land of Hyrule. However, it’s yet to be seen if the game will feature not only iconic items from the franchise, but ones that could be especially useful knowing the game’s playstyle, such as these classic items below.
8Magic Rod
Maybe Zelda’s Magical Background Can Come In Handy
It’s already known thatEchoes of Wisdomlargely centers around the mechanic of using aMagic Rod, the Tri Rod, to duplicate enemies and objects for the purposes of fighting and puzzle solving. However, it’s not the first of its kind in the franchise, as many different variations of magical rods have appeared with different functions in the series' previous games.
Examples of this includethe Dominion Rod fromTwilight Princess, used to control statues, the Sand Rod fromA Link Between Worlds, which could create platforms of sand, or more notably, the Fire Rod from many different titles, which could be a great way of showing Zelda’s expertise in magic seen throughout the series, and offers more variety than just using the Tri Rod for the whole game.
7Power Bracelet
Zelda’s Already Pretty Strong For A Princess
The Power Braceletis an OG item from theZeldafranchise, making its debut in the series' very first game for NES in 1986. This item has historically allowed Link to move or lift heavy objects, such as large boulders, jars, and statues, to solve puzzles or unlock new areas of the map. It’d be a fitting item to re-introduce inEchoes of Wisdom, given that much of the new game is based around puzzle-solving.
However, there’s a chance thatthis iteration of Princess Zelda doesn’t need the extra strength. Zelda can already lift objects, like giant rocks, in the base game, and is able to throw them at enemies. However, there are still objects in the game she can’t lift, such as Planted Trees, which could really turn the tide of solving puzzles if she could muscle up with a Power Bracelet.
6Lens Of Truth
Puzzles Can Be Much Harder If They’re Invisible
The Lens of Truthhas a very particular use in the Nintendo 64 games it was introduced in, but one that might be useful for a game likeEchoes of Wisdom. This magnifying glass-esque item allows players to see invisible aspects of a room, such as hidden doors, floor holes, and even some types of enemies.
Not only would this add some clever complications to the puzzles inEchoes of Wisdom, but being able to view enemies that Zelda can’t see normally could unlock new echoes for her to create with her Tri Rod. It’s possible that a similar item from the franchise’s past could also appear in its stead, like the Cross fromThe Adventure of Linkor the heightened Wolf Link senses fromTwilight Princess.
5Pegasus Boots
Hyrule Might Be Too Big To Traverse On Foot
Traveling across Hyrule on foot can be quite exhausting for the more impatient players. Luckily, it’s already known thatEchoes of Wisdomwill integrate fast travel through player-set Waypoints, and horseback riding will also return from previous games. However, there was a third way to speed up travel in the series:Pegasus Boots.
When equipped, this classicZeldaitem worked similarly to Running Shoes in thePokemonseries,allowing Link to sprint or do dash attacks. InEchoes of Wisdom, it could give Zelda new ways of interacting with the world by bashing into objects, or it could simply speed up her normal walk cycle to lift a weight off players' backs.
4Bombchu
These Sneaky Bombs Make For Great Weapons
The Bombchuis such an iconicZeldaitem that it even appears in theSuper Smash Bros.series asa possible explosive to disrupt the battlefield. It serves a similar purpose in the mainline games, acting as a bomb that will travel a short distance before self-destructing (assuming it doesn’t come in contact with an enemy first), which has some stealthy uses.
Of course, theZeldaseries has also experimented with remote bomb-setting inBreath of the Wild, but Bombchus have a charm about them that would definitely fit the art style ofEchoes of Wisdom. Perhaps Zelda will simply be able to create infinite Bombchus via the use of her Tri Rod, being able to summon them at a moment’s notice without stocking up.
3Hookshot
Zip Through Temples With Ease
TheHookshotworks similarly to a grappling hook, quickly zooming Link across mountains or dungeons by latching on to a target or ledge. Additionally, Hookshots can be used in combat to bring enemies closer to Link, or can even retrieve certain items, like Rupees, from across long distances or dangerous terrain.
It’s already been shown thatEchoes of Wisdomnot only includes dungeons, but will force players to do a lot of outside-the-box thinking to traverse Hyrule and solve puzzles.Adding Hookshots into the mix may simplify a lot, but perhaps the new game can take a page out of previous games and give it to players later in the main story so that it doesn’t make things too easy too early on.
2Light Arrow
Zelda’s Iconic Weapon Should Definitely Appear
For the first mainlineZeldaentry centered on the titular heroine, it’d be a shame if one of her most iconic items didn’t make it into the game. At numerous points in the franchise, Princess Zelda is seen wieldingLight Arrows, usuallyduring final boss fights against Ganondorf while assisting Link. She and Sheik even utilized them in their Final Smashes in severalSuper Smash Bros.games.
Breath of the Wildchanged things by making Light Arrows obtainable by Link via either Zelda’s Bow of Light or the Twilight Bow. Given the sacredness of the weapon in the series, it wouldn’t be surprising if this item was held until the final moments ofEchoes of Wisdom, but its connection to the princess makes it deserving of an appearance one way or another.
1Ocarina Of Time
The New Game May Already Have Ties To The N64 Title
There are theories thatEchoes of Wisdomis closely related toOcarina of Timein terms of the currentZeldatimeline (though in all fairness, whichZeldagame isn’t?). In the trailers forEchoes of Wisdom, the existence of many familiar species from the Nintendo 64 game have been shown, such as Gorons and Deku, heavily taking after theirOcarinadesigns.
This begs the question: Will those ties toOcarina of Timebe implied further by including its namesake as an attainable item?Music is a huge part of theZeldafranchise’s DNA, so it’d be an appropriate and welcome inclusion, but time will tell ifEchoes of Wisdomhas secrets as big as traveling through time or between two worlds up its sleeve.
