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Compared to other modern Legend of Zelda games like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom,Echoes of Wisdomtakes a more simplistic approach to storytelling reminiscent ofclassic 2D Zelda games, instead supplementing the world-building through side quests in a similar style as Majora’s Mask.
However, the main narrative of Echoes of Wisdom introduces one main mystery that might leave players wanting more details, and could have larger implications for the Zelda universe as a whole — the Still World. So, what is the Still World, how does it impact the world of Echoes of Wisdom, and has it appeared in previous Legend of Zelda games?
The Still World In Echoes Of Wisdom
At the beginning of Echoes of Wisdom, all we know about the Still World is thatit’s connected to the rifts that areliterally tearing through Hyrule, sucking in whole areas and their inhabitants. These rifts are seen as the primary effect of the Still World, and on top of sucking up parts of the land, they also randomly release dark corrupted copies of Hyrulean monsters to attack residents who get too close to the rifts.
The cloning ability of the rifts is strangely reminiscent ofZelda’s own ability to Echo monstersand items using theTri Rod, perhaps hinting at aconnection or parallel between the Still World and Zelda’s new powers.
Even more maliciously than this,the rift can create more intelligent clones, acting as antagonists throughout the game. If a person has been swallowed inside a rift, the Still World can send out a perfect clone of the person to act on its behalf to spread the influence of the rift. The best example of this isGerudo advisor Facette, who unbeknownst to Zelda and other Gerudos, is a clone from the Still World who isactively sabotaging the Gerudoeffort to counter the spread of the rifts.
We don’t even learn fully about the mysterious world beyond the riftsuntil we meet Tri and are given the ability to explore the Still Worldwhen our mysterious companion shows that he can create entrances in certain parts of the rifts to grant us safe entry.
The Still World is shown to be a distorted dark purple void, containing fragmented pieces of Hyrulean landscape that were absorbed andpetrified statues of the residentsthat were unlucky enough to have been caught up in the rifts when they appeared.
The only two people who can enter into rifts and survive in the Still World without being transformed into statues areZelda and Link. While it isn’t explicitly stated, this is likely due to their connection to the Triforce, withZelda embodying Nayru’s Triforce of Wisdom, and Link representing Farore’s Triforce of Courage.
While it is teased that Ganon could be behind the appearance of the rifts to the Still World in the early portions of Echoes of Wisdom, this is eventually debunked, and it’s revealed that the Ganon we encounter in Echoes of Wisdom is just adark Echo from the Still World himself.
The true origins of The Still World aren’t explained until Zelda reaches the second half of the game, when, after acquiring enough blessings from the Goddesses of Hyrule, it’s revealed that the force opening up the rifts to the Still World is Null.
Null
Joining the ranks of main Zelda antagonists (and giving Ganon a well-deserved break) is Null. We see glimpses of Null throughout our adventure before the entity is named, butits true identity and origins are explained after collecting the second sanctionfrom the Goddesses in the second half of the game.
The Goddess shows Zelda that before the creation of Hyrule, there was an empty void full of nothingness. Eventually, some small fragments would start to take form, but before they could develop into anything substantial, they would beenveloped and destroyed by the malicious force known as Null.
We are told that the Still World eventually breaks down everything trapped inside it, whether it’s land, objects, or even people. Through this, we can assume that the Still World is a manifestation of Null’s power and his ideal world of nothingness.
The Goddess tells Zelda that Null desires the whole world, and will stop at nothing tosatiate its ravenous hunger. Because of Null’s indiscriminate desire to consume all life, the three Goddesses created the land and the sky to contain Null inside, stopping him from being able to destroy the fresh world created above him.
This is where the story of Echoes of Wisdom ties into the creation myth we are shown throughout the storyline ofOcarina of Time. This adds anew layer to the decades-old storyas we are not told about the Goddesses' motivation for creating the world in the original cutscene, so this now recontextualizes the reason for the creation of Hyrule as we know it.
However, Null didn’t take the creation of his new prison lightly, andfought back, creating rifts in the world, similar to those appearing throughout Echoes of Wisdom, in an effort to absorb the world. To counter Null’s desire to absorb their new world, the Goddesses sent Tris to solve the issue.
Tris And The Still World
The information about the Tris we get from the Goddesses is limited, but we can learn a lot about them and their relationship with the Still World. The Goddess will tell Zelda that the Tris are capable of dissipating the rifts and are agents of the Goddesses to keep balance. This is in line with what we see throughout the story of Echoes of Wisdom.
In spite of this, it seems like Null haslearned how to counter Trissometime in between the new creation myth we are told by the Goddesses, and the time that the game takes place in.
The name and colour of the Tris are clearly based somewhat on the Triforce, and this lines up with both being an extension of the three Goddesses' powers. However, the relationship between them is not explored.
Aside from the Tri that accompanies Zelda,all other Tris in the game are shown to be trapped inside the Still World(clearly having failed to fix the rifts),and Null seems to have some kind of influence over them. Repeatedly throughout Echoes of Wisdom, you’ll need to enter the Still World and save Tris from Null’s influence, often trapped inside dark Echoes of enemies.
Because of the power that Null is shown to have over the Tris, it’s clear that Null hasgrown in power since the creation myth, and is now able to influence the Tris, manipulating their powers and corrupting them.
While Null’s corruption of Tris and his powers isn’t stated explicitly, it can be surmised from the powers the Still World and the rifts are shown to possess, and further cemented by Null’s final form closelyresembling a twisted version of a Tri.
Aside from Zelda’s companion, all other Tris are trapped by Null, and this could explain why the rifts are causing so much havoc in Hyrule. Following the implications of the new creation myth, Tris have continuously been repaired rifts keeping Hyrule safe throughout the Zelda timeline, until eventually Null learned to manipulate and trap the Tris, leaving Hyrule in the predicament it’s inat the beginning of Echoes of Wisdom.
Prime Energy
Throughout the second half of Echoes of Wisdom, Zelda is tasked with gathering the Sanctions of the Goddesses (which is how she learns the truth behind Null) so she is able to gain the power of the Triforce to stop Null andthe spread of the Still World for good, named Prime Energy.
Once she has all the Sanctions of the Goddesses, she is able to gain her third of the Triforce, as well as free Link and let him get his third as well. Unfortunately though,Null (disguised as Zelda) is able to wield the final third(likely the Triforce of Power,usually reserved for a reincarnation of Demise) so the three are locked in a final conflict taking place in the Still World.
Even with just a fraction of the Prime Energy, Null is shown to be able to spread the rifts to the Still World to almost completely cover Hyrule, so it can only be imagined what could’ve happened if Null managed to get the other two-thirds from Zelda and Link.
Luckily, by defeating Null together, and with the help of the Tris and the Prime Energy,Zelda and Link are able to heal Hyrule, presumably destroying Null and the Still World together in the process.
Still World Contenders
The Legend of Zelda series is no stranger todark parallel worlds, with it almost being a series staple with how often traveling between a light and dark world re-occurs as either a major feature, or a passing moment in a Zelda game. Because of this, there have been endless theories and speculation that some of these realmscould be one and the same, so which are the top contenders to be potential relatives of the Still World?
Dark World
The first alternate realm to show up in a Zelda game, the Dark World is themid-game twist in A Link to the Past. The Dark Realm has mysterious origins, and is seen as a dark and twisted version of Hyrule, directly mirroring the map design of the Light World. This realm is explained as being aversion of Hyrule where Ganon has the power of the Triforce, and it has strong ties to thetimeline splitin Ocarina of Time as well.
In spite of this, the Dark World is likely not the same as the Still World, since it’s not in an active state of decay, instead being an alternate version of Hyrule with its own citizens, instead of a crumbling version of the world itself.
Twilight Realm
One of the main plot devices inThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princessis theTwilight Realm, a parallel realm to Hyrule, used by the Goddesses' as aprison for the Dark Interlopers, who evolved into the more peaceful Twili, and mistakenly usedas a prison for Ganondorf following the events of Ocarina of Time.
Ganondorf was able to manipulate Twili society using Zant, who then conquered the Light Realm on Ganondorf’s behest, leading to the events of Twilight Princess. Despite visual similarities to the Still World,the Twili are able to live and evolve in the Twilight Realm, unlike in the Still World where only holders of the Triforce are shown to escape the fate of petrification.
Lorule
The most likely contender for a potential Still World comparison is Lorule, theparallel dimension in A Link Between Worlds. Lorule is a parallel of Hyrule without the power of the Triforce. Although there are living inhabitants, the realm is shown to be in chaos, andseparated by large rifts and chasms.You even enter Lorule throughfissures similar to the riftsin Echoes of Wisdom.
Since the Still World was stopped thanks to the Goddesses' using the power of the Triforce, it could be surmised that Lorule is crumbling and could slowly be succumbing to Null’s willthrough the absence of a Triforce. In spite of this, Lorule is saved by Link and Zelda at the end of A Link Between Worlds by reinstating the power of the Triforce, potentially unintentionally stopping Null in the process.
Will The Still World Return?
The Still World and Null come hand in hand, and this realm can be best understood as a replica of the time before Hyrule’s creation, and an extension of Null’s influence. Since it seems that Null is destroyed by Zelda and Link at the end of Echoes of Wisdom,that cuts off any chance for it to appear after it in the timeline, unless the antagonist somehow survived.
However, Null could easily return in a game preceding Echoes of Wisdom in the timeline, or even in one of the parallel timelines.
