Echoes of Wisdom Shines Terrifying New Light On This Zelda Location & Lore

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The lore revealed in has broader implications for the rest of the franchise, including offering new and horrifying context for a previous setting. Although relatively small in comparison to its immediate predecessors, has nonetheless revealed striking new details about Hyrule and the circumstances behind its creation. Moreover, while this naturally feeds strongly into ’s own narrative, the new perspective changes how the events of older games can be interpreted as well.

Undoubtedly the most significant addition to lore in is Null, an all-consuming entity whose very existence inspired the creation of Hyrule as a means to contain it. Null’s existence is crucial to ’s lore, as it creates the Rifts plaguing the kingdom in its efforts to escape. In addition to being the reason why Link cannot talk in , Null’s efforts to effectively end existence itself have apparently damaged Hyrule repeatedly over the ages, with true disaster only being held at bay by the Tris.

It is explained in that Lorule is crumbling away due to the loss of its Triforce, with the artifact having been wished away by the royal family. This was done to end the wars fought to claim it, something which parallels the wars Hyrule has also experienced. The unforeseen consequences of this act were disastrous; by the time Link travels to Lorule in, the kingdom is split apart by a series of chasms created by its slow but unrelenting disintegration.

At the time of ’s release and the introduction of this non-Hyrule setting, this was all the explanation that was offered for Lorule’s plight. Now, however, ’s introduction of Null suggests something far more terrifying. The chasms that block Link’s path in could be the work of Null, or perhaps its Lorulean equivalent, eating away at the kingdom personally. This would imply that the loss of the Triforce also had a profoundly negative impact on Lorule’s Tris, rendering them incapable of properly performing their duties.

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