After decades of playing as Link, many players were beyond hyped to play as Princess Zelda in a mainline Zelda game: Echoes of Wisdom. The game promised all the mysteries, puzzles, dungeons, and battles of previous games, but this time we would get to experience it as Zelda. In their art titled “Echoes of Wisdom”, Chandler is able to capture the excitement of experiencing familiar Zelda experiences from a completely new perspective: that of the titular princess!
Let’s start with the sadly all too familiar princess experience: getting captured. In the upper left corner of the art, we see Zelda with a worried expression on her face while still trapped in a crystal similar to those she’s inhabited in many other games. It’s probably not even the same crystal, so it’s not like she’s been able to decorate or add in some amenities to make her stay more comfortable. Oh no… Ganon makes a new crystal every single time! Even though she’s in a well-worn situation, the cracks on her crystalline prison hint at the change to come. The princess is about to break loose and have her own adventure.
In the bottom left corner, we see Zelda with a thoughtful look as she stares at a mysterious golden light. Her hand is held up but not stretched out. She’s too wise to touch the first mysterious light she sees. I love seeing our princess examining this conundrum. All too often, her wisdom has been wasted inside a prison fashioned by porcine hands. It’s her time to see a mystery in the distance and seek its solution.
In the bottom right corner, Zelda holds one of her tools of the trade aloft. It’s amazing seeing her arms spread wide, celebrating (as Link has done millions of times) getting a new item. While it’s only a simple Table Echo, the ecstatic smile on her face shows that her majesty is still thrilled. Perhaps she’s having a Disney’s Princess Jasmine moment and just celebrating the rustic life outside of the palace, but more likely, she’s just jazzed to finally have her own moment. She has been waiting for that familiar “item get” sound her whole life!
The dominant image of the adventuring princess takes up the middle and upper left. This picture shows Zelda holding the Tri Rod aloft with the mysterious Luma-like spirit, Tri, floating beside her. Zelda’s wearing more simple, traveling clothes here. After so many years spent cooped up in crystals, she’s ready to explore. The Tri Rod has a similar golden glow at its tip as the mysterious light Zelda explored earlier. This glow ties the piece together in many ways. It promises both the player and the princess that both mysteries and adventure await.
Chandler’s art feels like a celebration. After having to merely observe in so many adventures, it’s finally Zelda’s time to shine. And after so long a wait, both Zelda and players cannot wait to rush after that golden light promising all that we’ve been waiting for.
