Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s Tri was initially more human-like

Zelda games are known for their companions, and in Echoes of Wisdom, Tri served that purpose. In a Famitsu interview, the team gave some insight into how the character was finalized.

The most interesting thing here is that, according to co-director Tomomi Sano, Tri originally had a more human-like design in Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. However, after Tri’s role shifted a bit, so did the character itself. Series producer Eiji Aonuma also stated that having the character not be human was “essential” since “the fact they couldn’t understand human emotions was an important point.”

Below is our translation of the excerpt from the Famitsu interview:

What kind of image was the companion character Tri made from? Earlier you stated they came from neither Zelda nor Link talking.

Sano: Tri’s position as the next companion character is different than the ones that came before, because they were not a person and were something that appeared suddenly, so I paid attention to what they would know when they talked. In order to guide the player, some information has to be given, but it would be suspicious if they knew everything. Ultimately, Princess Zelda roughly has the same information. But we are cautious with giving out information on things that only Tri knows.

Furthermore, while Tri is a guide character, they are also a partner, so in order to make a kind of character that people feel attached to, we gave a lot of consideration to the relationship. At first, they are very blunt, but if Zelda stands idle for too long they will eventually start doing intimate actions like resting on Zelda’s head.

Aonuma: It was essential that they aren’t human, because the fact they couldn’t understand human emotions was an important point. That in particular is what led to the sprite characterization. Furthermore, as a partner there is a feeling of them playing alongside the player, occasionally backing them up, or continuing to go on an adventure together, we aimed for a character unlike any of The Legend of Zelda’s previous companion characters.

Sano: At first they were more human-like. Later on, there were various changes to Tri’s role and… ultimately since it was decided they’d also display the UI (user interface) for the cost of Echoes, they became a simple manju*-like shape that did not hinder that function. According to the designer, the feel seems to be based on the motif of a water manju. They look like a shiny water manju because they are faintly luminescent up close (laughs).

*“Manju” is a traditional Japanese sweet made from a small bun with a sweet filling inside. While it is usually a wheat bun and red bean paste, there are numerous other versions such as the water, or mizu, manju.

The Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom developers previously revealed that Link came close to speaking in Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. You can read about that here.

Translation provided by Philip Proctor, SatsumaFS, and Simon Griffin on behalf of Nintendo Everything.