It’s not often that Link’s fighting prowess is questioned, but today is one of those sorrowful days. After 38 years of being the center of attention, the green-suited hero has finally given the lead role in the next Legend of Zelda game to Princess Zelda herself, who will be the playable protagonist The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. But just weeks after her massive moment was announced, it was revealed that Link simply couldn’t support himself and barged into Zelda’s party. He’ll also be playable in the game.
This message appeared from ESRB Rating for the game. In rating the game E for Everyone, the ESRB noted that “it is an adventure game in which players take on the role of Zelda as she attempts to disperse the cracks throughout Hyrule and rescue Link. From a ¾-overhead perspective, players explore various environments while battling stylized enemies (e.g., humans, creatures).”
The ESRB then dropped a bomb: “As Link, players use a sword and arrows to defeat enemies; Zelda can use a magic wand to summon creatures (e.g., clockwork knights, pig soldiers, slimes) into battle.”
In all seriousness, this isn’t a surprise and doesn’t necessarily mean Link will be playable for most of the game. Nintendo Announcement Trailer Forr Echoes of wisdom begins with a sequence in which Link fights soldiers on a mission to rescue Zelda and comes face to face with Ganon — in his early form as a giant purple pig. But then Link falls into a mysterious crevice, causing a role reversal in which Zelda must go to save his.
The most likely explanation for the ESRB note is that the video sequence is a playable prologue; in fact, it’s an overhead view of Link’s fight with Ganon that closely resembles gameplay footage. Of course, that didn’t stop fans from coming up with various other theoriesincluding another cameo from Link at the end of the game, a setup with two main characters, and even a New Game Plus mode where Link takes the lead role instead of Zelda.
Polygon has reached out to Nintendo for comment and clarification on how playable Link is in the game — and whether he can just shut himself off and be a good ally.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom will be released for Nintendo Switch on September 26.
