New Tears of the Kingdom trailer has reignited the Zonai Zelda theory
The Floria River meanders gently around the Faron Grasslands, a watery gorge that must be crossed before reaching the Zonai Ruins. These ruins are tucked away in the dense forests of the area, where monoliths built by the Zonai still stand despite the centuries that have passed. Perhaps they were built before Hyrule even existed.
For most The Legend of Zelda: Breath of Wild players, it’s nothing more than a piece of land on Hyrule’s huge map, with some structures, mysterious runes and a few quest lines. You may have also picked up Breath of the Wild‘s Barbarian Armor in Faron – the item description once again refers to the “ancient warlike tribe” that lived in this area – and moved on.
But there is a group of Zelda theorists who expect the Zonai to play a bigger role in the near future. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. And they finally have their undeniable proof.
The mystery of the Zonai ruins and the prehistoric tribe, separate from the Sheikah, who inhabited this area has intrigued Zelda fans for years. Twitter and Reddit are overwhelmed with analysis, and YouTube creators are thrilled by every nod from Nintendo that supports the theory. Some believe the Zonai are connected to the powers of the Triforce and its gods: strength, courage and wisdom. There is a possible theory that is alluded to The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princessalso another game theorized to be connected to it Tears of the Kingdom. Zonai theories have been talked about so much that the tribe has almost become a meme; where there are Zonai theorists, there are always naysayers telling the analysts to shut up already.
As of Tuesday, however, Zonai enthusiasts have been proven right: While some fans thought there were Zonai symbolism in previous trailers, March’s gameplay presentation with producer Eiji Aonuma has confirmed the link for the first time. It’s really a little moment. Link is on a sky island fighting a Construct with several sticks; once he defeats the new enemy, he picks up a few of his remaining pieces, one of which is called a “Zonai Charge”.
The inclusion of those two little words lends credence to earlier theories of more esoteric clues to the influence of the Zonai; Breath of the Wild contains much ancient architecture depicting various creatures, such as serpents and dragons, with a specific stylized runic carving. Some theorists thought they recognized those carvings in it Tears of the Kingdom‘s marketing material, including the game’s logo.
The Zonai Charge item doesn’t really answer each questions about the Zonai though. Who are they? Where did they go? Are they really extinct? Are they connected to the gods? What are Zonai charges used for? But it do suggests that Tears of the Kingdom maybe some answers. Personally, I think the Zonai Charge may be related to those little green vials hanging from Link’s belt – they may even be fueling some of his new abilities. The Construct was specifically shown on the air islands, and there may be a connection there.
Or maybe these aren’t even important details at all and Nintendo misled us. Tears of the Kingdom‘s release date is May 12, so we’ve got a little over a month to stomp on it.