The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is almost here, and it looks like the enigmatic faction called the Zonai could play a big part in the sequel, having mostly existed in the background breath of the wild. Don’t worry if you feel like you’ve walked into something or missed a big plot beat in the last game. Despite a lot of theory tinkering over the years, even the biggest zelda Fans don’t have many concrete details about who or what the Zonai were. But let’s recap what we know and why fans think the Zonai are being groomed as key players Tears of the Kingdom.
What do we already know about the Zonai?
In breath of the wild, the Zonai are described as a tribe that no longer exists in Hyrule, but their nature is apparently up for debate in the game’s world. They are described as both a savage tribe of barbarians and powerful magic users who worship animals, most notably Farosh, a water dragon found in places like the Gerudo Highlands. Signs of their existence are visible in places like the Zonai Ruins in the southern area of the map, with the long-abandoned architecture indicative of their reverence for Hyrule’s wildlife. In the lore and art book The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Create a Champion, The animals featured prominently in the remains of the House of Zonai have been found to refer to the three parts of the Triforce: a dragon for courage, an owl for wisdom, and a boar for power. Aside from the animals, the Zonai also have their own crest, which resembles a spiral seen on the architecture associated with the tribe.
In addition, Link can purchase barbarian armor breath of the wild They are believed to have been worn long ago by members of the Zonai after navigating certain labyrinths said to have been constructed by the tribe. While it all fits together, much of what we know about the tribe is speculation, fueled by the game’s surrounding storytelling. It’s a very minimalist FromSoftware-style approach to world building, and largely rewards those who want to explore the game’s vast world. However, it could pay off for all of us Tears of the Kingdom.
Why do fans think Tears of the Kingdom will involve the zonai?
Theories in which the Zonai would play a major role Tears of the Kingdom have been widely used since the game’s release in 2019 because of the focus on the spiral motif central to Zonai architecture. However, thanks to the link is now much more concrete latest gameplay showcase. During this stream, Nintendo revealed that the Zonai are tied to the events of Tears of the Kingdom through a loot. In the 10 minute gameplay trailer, Link defeats an enemy on the floating sky islands and drops an item called the Zonai Charge. The video doesn’t linger on the item, but it clearly has the same green energy powering the machine-like enemies Link fights, the (broken) seal around Ganondorf seen in the original trailer, and Link’s damaged, glowing arm.
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Let’s meet the Zonaï in Tears of the Kingdom?
Given how calm Nintendo has been Tears of the Kingdom‘s story, it’s hard to tell whether or not Link will actually encounter a member of the Zonai Tribe. Given that Hyrule’s group seems to have completely disappeared breath of the wildSince the only information we have about them comes from theories and their remaining architecture, it seems most logical that the Zonai were wiped out or went into hiding. However, their technology and magic are still there, causing trouble for our hero Tears of the Kingdom. That being said, it’s not entirely out of the question that some survived and waited for the events of this game to unfold. The series is also no stranger to time travel, being a mainstay for games such as ocarina of time And Oracle of the Times. So there’s a chance Link might face the Zonai during their prime, but that’s unconfirmed.
Wait how works Twilight Princess play into all this?
Like most of the possibilities discussed here, the link between The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess And Tears of the Kingdom It’s still speculated, but fans believe they’ve found connections between the Zonai and the Twili that were introduced Twilight Princess. breath of the wild includes multiple tribes and species from the lifetime of the series, from the Sheikah to the Zora. The Twili are noticeably absent, however, but given the similarities in architecture and magic seen within Tears of the Kingdom and those of the Twili, fans speculate that the Zonai may be the original race transformed into monsters by Zant Twilight Princess. There are even some Breakdowns of iconography and sigils throughout breath of the wild which are very similar to the pictures in Twilight Princess. At this point, it’s all theory building, and breath of the wild itself doesn’t do much to directly visualize this possible connection. So don’t feel like you’ve completely missed a potential connection. This is all fan interpretation for now.
Whatever the Zonai are, it seems like they’re at least a part of it Tears of the Kingdom‘s larger setup. Whether we actually run into one remains to be seen, but we’ll find out when the game hits the Switch on May 12th.
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