Summary
The Legend of Zeldais chock-full of memorable icons, and while the Triforce may hold the number spot on the list of the series' most recognizable features, the Master Sword is probably a close second. ThroughoutThe Legend of Zelda, the Master Swordhas taken on a variety of forms, but has nonetheless remained a key element of the overarching narrative — for the most part. However, the last few games in the series have muddied the waters, so to speak, for the Master Sword, making it seem as thoughThe Legend of Zeldacan’t decide how it feels about the iconic blade.
The Master Sword isn’t the most important part of anyLegend of Zeldastory, but it is almost always a pivotal element of aZeldagame’s narrative. While this is very much true ofTears of the Kingdom, the title that came before it,Breath of the Wild, as well as the installment that came after it,Echoes of Wisdom, both took a different approach in their treatment of the blade, making it almost impossible to anticipate what the next game in the series will do.
Zelda Can’t Seem to Decide How It Feels About the Master Sword
Tears of the Kingdom Puts the Master Sword Front and Center After BotW
Regardless ofhow important the Master Sword is toThe Legend of Zelda,Breath of the Wildessentially left the legendary blade out of its story. In previous installments, the Master Sword would often be incorporated into the narrative and would serve as a pivotal plot point in the story. InBreath of the Wild, however, not only is the Master Sword not a key part of the game’s story, but acquiring it is also entirely optional. In fact, it’s possible for players to completeBreath of the Wildwithout ever obtaining the Master Sword.
Tears of the Kingdomwent in a completely different direction with the Master Sword thanBreath of the Wilddid, choosing instead to make it one of the biggest and most important elements of the main story.The Master Sword’s legacy inTears of the Kingdombegins at the game’s onset, when the blade is shattered during Link and Zelda’s encounter with Ganondorf beneath Hyrule Castle. From there, players seek out Zelda’s memories via Dragon Tears, which all serve as pieces of a broader narrative that sees Zelda transforming into a Light Dragon to restore the Master Sword.
The location of the Master Sword is then indicated on the map to players, embedded in the head of the Light Dragon, which they can then use to defeat Ganondorf.
Echoes of Wisdom Leaves the Master Sword Out Altogether
Breath of the Wildput the Master Sword on the back burner andTears of the Kingdombrought it back into the spotlight again, but that ultimately makes whatEchoes of Wisdomdid with it even more interesting.Breath of the Wildmight have given the Master Sword far less importance than the series was known to give it, but at least it was still present in the game. InEchoes of Wisdom, on the other hand, the Master Sword is absolutely nowhere to be found, which, on the one hand, makes sense, considering its story is led by Princess Zelda herself. However, there remains an argument that theMaster Sword could have appeared inEchoes of Wisdomin some way, even if it only showed up in Link’s hand at the beginning of the game, before he was swallowed by a rift.
In a nutshell, the waters for the Master Sword are rather muddy at this point, asThe Legend of Zeldacan’t seem to decide whether it’s important or not. Of course, in some installments, this comes down to the ever-evolvingtimeline forThe Legend of Zelda, but that still doesn’t excuseBreath of the Wild’s treatment of the blade, as its story takes place only roughly five to six years before the events ofTears of the Kingdom. If nothing else, this just means it’s getting increasingly difficult to predict, not only whether the Master Sword will appear in aZeldagame, but also whether it will play a prominent role in the story.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
WHERE TO PLAY
Save Hyrule—this time with the wisdom of Princess Zelda!The people of Hyrule are being stolen away by strange rifts—and with a certain swordsman among the missing, it’s up to Princess Zelda to save her kingdom in the latest adventure in The Legend of Zelda™ series!Team up with the ethereal creature Tri and use the Tri Rod to create “echoes,” which are imitations of things you find in the environment—then recreate those echoes whenever you like to solve puzzles and defeat enemies. Use echoes like water blocks to reach new heights, make bridges out of old beds, throw rocks at foes, or find your own combination of echoes to do things your way. You can even make echoes of monsters to fight at your side in combat!
