Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom: Is Link Playable?

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is Zelda's first lead playable appearance in a mainline Zelda game. Despite being the hero of the franchise, it's taken over 35 years for her to stand at the helm. (No, the CD-i games don't count.)

But what about Link, the series' usual hero? An ESRB rating before the game's launch suggested that Link would be playable. In this guide, we'll be telling you whether Link is playable in Echoes of Wisdom and whether you can unlock him as a playable character.

Note: This guide will contain spoilers for Echoes of Wisdom, so read at your own risk — particularly the last question!

Do You Play As Link in The Legend Of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom?

Yes, you do play as Link, but only very briefly, during part of the game's tutorial.

Once you've rescued Zelda, you'll soon swap to playing as her, and you control her for the rest of the game. The closest you get to playing as Link ever again is by using Zelda's Swordfighter form, which you unlock in the Suthorn Ruins dungeon.

Is Link an unlockable character in Echoes of Wisdom?

No, Link is not an unlockable in Echoes of Wisdom. Zelda is the only playable character once you get past the tutorial.

If you have some Zelda series amiibo, you can unlock costumes for Zelda where she dresses in Link's outfit.

Does Link make any other appearances during Echoes of Wisdom?

Yep, Link appears plenty of times throughout Echoes of Wisdom. Once again, spoilers ahead for those who don't want to know exactly when he appears.

Most of the times you spot Link, it'll be his Echo, which you will have to fight as a miniboss in a handful of dungeons — namely, Suthorn Ruins, Gerudo Sanctuary, and Eldin Volcano. Each time you beat him, you will get an upgrade for your Swordfighter form.

The real Link makes one brief appearance around the mid-point of the game, after completing the Suthorn, Jabul, and Gerudo regions and returning to Hyrule Castle. Then, he'll appear again during the endgame sequence after you head into the Stilled Ancient Ruins rift.

Once you defeat the Stilled Ancient Ruins boss, Link will then accompany you to the final dungeon of the game. He will not be playable, but he will be around to help you progress through the dungeon, and will help out during the final boss.

That's all for this section of our Echoes of Wisdom guide. For more help, hints, or tips, head on over to our Echoes of Wisdom walkthrough hub.