Summary
The world ofThe Legend of Zeldais filled with diverse and peculiar races, from the intriguing and stubborn Gerudos to the burly, confident Gorons. Throughout the series, many of these races have been shown in a different light, with some even being given various subraces. One of those races is theZora, who have existed in the world ofZeldaas River Zoras and Sea Zoras. Now, inThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, River Zoras and Sea Zoras have returned.
Despite both subraces being Zoras, there are several key differences between River Zoras and Sea Zoras. Whether it be their distinct appearances, their roles in the franchise, or which installments they have appeared in, River Zoras and Sea Zoras are each unique in their own ways, and that remains true inThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.
How Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s River and Sea Zoras Compare
River and Sea Zoras Have Appeared in Many Different Zelda Installments
River and Sea Zoras have appeared in multipleLegend of Zeldagamessince the franchise’s origins in 1986. Additionally, except for oneZeldatitle, River and Sea Zoras never appear alongside one another in the same installment. That is a significant part of what makes the appearance of the two subraces inEchoes of Wisdomworth noting.
Canonically, River and Sea Zoras have only ever appeared together inOracle of AgesandOracle of Seasons. Furthermore, beforeOcarina of Time, River Zoras were simply referred to as the “Zora.” However, after the debut of Sea Zoras inOcarina of Time, they became a household name and are now more commonly recognized as the Zora than their River Zora kin.
River and Sea Zoras Have Appearances Distinct From One Another
As depicted even inZelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s “Traversing Hyrule” trailer, River Zoras have a monstrous and fish-like form, whereas Sea Zoras take on a more humanoid appearance. More specifically, River Zoras generally have a reptilian look about them that often includes scales and fins. Sea Zoras, on the other hand, are typically much taller, more slender, and have bodies specifically designed to help them swim. The distinct appearances of River Zoras and Sea Zoras have also played into their roles throughout the franchise.
River and Sea Zoras Have Taken on Unique Roles in the Franchise
The biggest difference between River and Sea Zoras is the unique roles they’ve played throughout the franchise. Since the firstLegend of Zeldagame was released in 1986, River Zoras have been antagonistic towards Link and are generally more hostile, which compliments their monstrous appearance. Sea Zoras, however, have always been friendly, though Link has still had to earn their trust at times.Zelda: Echoes of Wisdombreaks traditionin this regard by making both the River and the Sea Zora friendly towards Zelda, although they are at odds with one another.
Their inner-species conflict was also referenced inOracle of AgesandOracle of Seasons.
River and Sea Zorasare quite different from one another, despite belonging to the same race. This is whyZelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s handling of the two subraces adds one more item to its pile of innovative features, as it dares to boldly take the franchise to new territory. It will be interesting to see how and if the conflict between the River and Sea Zora is resolved.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
WHERE TO PLAY
Save Hyrule—this time with the wisdom of Princess Zelda!The people of Hyrule are being stolen away by strange rifts—and with a certain swordsman among the missing, it’s up to Princess Zelda to save her kingdom in the latest adventure in The Legend of Zelda™ series!Team up with the ethereal creature Tri and use the Tri Rod to create “echoes,” which are imitations of things you find in the environment—then recreate those echoes whenever you like to solve puzzles and defeat enemies. Use echoes like water blocks to reach new heights, make bridges out of old beds, throw rocks at foes, or find your own combination of echoes to do things your way. you may even make echoes of monsters to fight at your side in combat!
