Movies News Talk
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom presents Hyrule, the Tri Rod, a powerful new relic with striking resemblance to a weapon created by one of the often disregarded races in the land, the Minish.
There are many fantasy races abound in Hyrule. Some, like the Zora and the Goron, have blessed several franchise releases. Others, like the Twili, seem less often and sometimes limited to one game.
As shown in the The Legend Of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom teaser, the Tri Rod has amazing power to create duplicates of objects. Solving the puzzles of the game seems to depend on this ability, which lets Zelda climb walls and avoid dangerous challenges.
Though the idea of objects producing copies in Hyrule is rather rare, one especially important clue might be found in the Tri Rod's origins.
Players of The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap set out to assist in repairs of a sword created by the Minish, appropriately known as the Picori Blade. The Master Sword is the most remarkable match for the Picori Blade during the game. These two blades not only look quite similar but also have the ability to ward evil.
Though the Picori Blade lacks many traits with the Tri Rod right away, it finally develops transforming power akin to that of the Tri Rod's item duplication capability. Once reforged in The Minish Cap, the Picori Blade develops into the White Sword, which has to be brought to the Elemental Sanctuary to imbue it with the Four Elements. This process finishes with the White Sword turning into the Four Sword, a blade seen in The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords.
The Four Sword gets the amazing power to split its wielder into four different copies. This clarifies Link's ability to replicate himself in Four Swords and Four Swords Adventures. Not really many Links; the Four Sword only makes copies of him. Although the Four Sword is not shown to be able to replicate other objects, the basic ability to create copies stays a major parallel to the Tri Rod's power.
Making replicas of objects is not a common ability in the Zelda series. The Four Sword and the Tri Rod are the only known objects able of actual duplication. The closest any other object has come is the Ocarina of Time's ability to create player statues as depicted in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. This implies that among Hyrule's inhabitants, the Minish could be the only ones who completely understand the art of designing magical objects with the ability to replicate other objects.
The fact that Zelda is shown in the Echoes of Wisdom trailer getting the Tri Rod from a small fairy-like creature called Tri presents one potential flaw in this theory. This does not inevitably suggest, though, that Tri is the Tri Rod's maker. It's reasonable that the Minish assigned Tri the Rod for a particular chore. Tri might have alternatively just found the Tri Rod and claimed it. It doesn't mean the Minish aren't the original creators just because they aren't shown directly handing the Rod to Zelda.
Seeing the Minish back into the Zelda series following their almost twenty-year absence would be fascinating. Their absence, however, makes their appearance in a next game seem rather improbable. Having said that, the Minish could be ready for a reimagining in The Legend Of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom, much as the children of Kokiri Forest were reinterpreted as Koroks in following versions. Maybe Tri's people share a connection or reflect a continuation of the Minish, which clarifies her access to such magic.