There's a tragedy hiding in plain sight at the end of The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomwhich puts a very different spin on the supposedly happy conclusion. On the surface, the game's final moments seem like nothing more than a collection of positive scenes from Hyrule, showing the end results of Zelda's efforts to protect her kingdom. However, a closer examination reveals a much darker side to one of these moments.
There are many darker details in The Legend of Zeldamany of which only reveal their full depth upon close examination or reflection. For example, Tears of the KingdomAll of Hyrule's regional phenomena have dire implications for the people of Hyrule. It is clear that the penetratingly dark atmosphere Majora's Mask It's often labeled as the franchise's darkest entry, but ultimately it's far from the only one Zelda game to include such elements. The end of Echoes of Wisdom is just the latest example of this trend.
Condé's brother's return is not just a happy reunion
The Yeti will soon learn about his father's death
Zelda becomes involved with the stories of many NPCs in Echoes of Wisdommany of whom can be seen living happy lives in the game's ending credits. One of the scenes shown in this sequence is Condé the Yeti jumping for joy at the sight of his brother's hot air balloon. On the surface, this is an exciting moment, promising that the two will soon be together again. However, this imminent happy reunion is overshadowed by the fact that Condé's brother is also about to learn that his father has died during your absence.
In many ways, This will be one of the worst possible ways for Condé's brother to end his trip. Condé himself was alone for a long time, sadly waiting and hoping for his brother's return. Furthermore, the problems brought by the Rifts only worsened Condé's circumstances. Condé's isolation is a prevalent theme for the Yeti; any possible neighboring breeds were cut out Echoes of Wisdom entirely, meaning his mountaintop home is bereft of companionship without his family. As such, It's easy to see his brother feeling responsible for Condé's emotional suffering upon knowing the truth.
Echoes of wisdom cover Condé's tragic news
Reminding players of this would obscure the game's happy ending
Of course, it's not hard to understand why Echoes of Wisdom chooses to ignore the logical consequences of this event. The credits are clearly intended to portray Hyrule recovering after the game's events, but reminding people about Condé's father would introduce a much more depressing element to this sequence. While this could provide closure, it would also severely affect the positive mood. However, by portraying only Condé's joy, the game allows people to focus more on the more positive aspects of the meeting.
The death of Condé's father is a tragedy that gives the normally optimistic Yeti a deeper story than many others Echoes of Wisdom NPCs, but it will also be the worst possible news for your brother to receive when he returns home. It is likely that Condé's brother expects to be greeted by both family members, without knowing the truth. It's understandable why The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom doesn't recognize this inevitability, but the impending tragedy paints this part of his happy ending in a very different light.