One iconic Echo is missing from The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s roster, but its absence is also completely justifiable. Echoes of Wisdom provides Zelda with an extensive range of summonable items and monsters for facing the game’s challenges. However, not everything in Hyrule can be copied and summoned as an Echo, with one omission in particular being particularly prominent.

Echoes are the foundation of EoW’s gameplay, which makes it unsurprising that they come in a wide variety. Most come with some unique trait or ability to aid Zelda in her adventure, which provides an easy incentive to some Echoes should be collected early for the best in-game benefits, not every potentially useful object and creature can be copied like this. In fact, what would likely be one of the most powerful Echoes of all is impossible to acquire.

Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom Doesn't Have A Cucco Echo

The Unusual Chicken Is A Small But Iconic Part Of The Zelda Franchise

One of the most iconic creatures in The Legend of Zelda is the seemingly humble Cucco, which can be found being raised for eggs time and time again throughout the series. Of course, as countless players have discovered over the years, these unusual chickens will attack Link in a fury if he ever causes them harm. The infamous Cucco swarm summoned as retribution for any attacks has firmly cemented the Cucco’s reputation amongst the fanbase, which only makes the absence of a Cucco Echo all the more notable.

If Zelda were able to summon Cuccos in Echoes of Wisdom, they would undoubtedly be one of her most potent Echoes. The strength of the Cucco swarm is a meme in itself and an unforgettable Easter egg for anybody who has encountered it. It is easy to see even Bosses being brought low under the relentless onslaught of these unkillable chickens’ near-endless attack. It is also worth noting that as with Zelda’s official winged Echoes, Cuccos have a long history of facilitating gliding when held, making a prospective Echo even more useful.

Cucco Echoes Would Break A Zelda Tradition

Collecting A Cucco Echo Would Mean Removing Their Invulnerability

However, the same traits that would make the Cucco such a powerful Echo to use in battles inherently prevent Zelda from collecting an Echo version to begin with. No matter how much one attacks a Cucco, they never die, and killing an enemy is how Echoes of living creatures are created in Echoes of Wisdom. As such, it is naturally impossible to obtain a Cucco Echo; it would break a long-held tradition that forms the very core of the creatures’ identity.

Of course, it is also worth noting that as funny as a Cucco Echo could be, it would likely also break the balance of the game. After all, a functionally immortal attacker would render any fight trivial, and any efforts to limit the strength of a Cucco Echo would only strip the Echo of what would make it so appealing to begin with. Because of this, it is arguably for the best that Zelda cannot get a Cucco Echo in Echoes of Wisdom.

It can be disappointing that Cuccos are not available as Echoes, but it does make sense. Due to how Zelda obtains new Echoes, the only way for a Cucco to become available would be to break a fundamental rule of the Zelda franchise. Moreover, it would be far too easy for a Cucco Echo to drain The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom of any challenge, which makes their omission completely understandable.