Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Hints At The Zonai & Hyrule’s Terrible Past

Fans were quick to note that the trailers released for Tears of the Kingdom thus far have featured some notable Twili imagery, suggesting a strong possibility of this Realm’s relevance in the upcoming game. In particular, the snake and Ouroboros images that appear in TOTK’ s trailers are extremely similar to the snake ornaments that decorated the throne room of the Palace of Twilight. These snakelike carvings and hieroglyphs notably appear in the Zonai Ruins in BOTW as well, sparking plenty of theories about connections between the

The biggest mystery, however, is the true identity of Breath of the Wild ‘s Zonai , an ancient tribe of magic wielders. Structures such as the three labyrinths and the Faron region’s stonework were created by the Zonai, easily identifiable by their Aztec-like designs prominently featuring dragon heads. Crucially, the Tears of the Kingdom logo also features these dragon designs, fueling speculation that more Zonai history will be explored in the game. Perhaps an underground Zonai ruin will form a dungeon, or a sprawling network of tunnels. A fantastic location for a Zonai-inspired dungeon would be beneath Lake Hylia, given its proximity to the Zonai ruins of the Faron reg

In the trailers for Tears of the Kingdom , Link and Zelda find Ganondorf sealed away underground. Additionally, chunks of land are launched into the sky by Malice. Both of these concepts suggest that Tears of the Kingdom may allow Link and Zelda to explore below ground, spelunking into long-forgotten caverns and unearthing ancient ruins. Some sparser areas of Breath of the Wild ’s map may be populated by these new ruins, like Arbiter’s Grounds in the Gerudo Wasteland. In Breath of the Wild they are barely visible above the sand, but if they rose up they could form a new dungeon recalling Twilight Princess ’ own Arbiter’s Grou

If Midna were to appear in BOTW 2 , she may not reprise her role as Link’s companion. Breath of the Wild and Twilight Princess are vastly different games, and it seems odd for her to accompany Link as she once did since he has no sidekick in the first BOTW and there’s no evidence that he will have one in the second. In addition, light is harmful to Midna, since she’s a member of the Twili race. She needs to stay in Link’s shadow whenever she’s in the world of light in Twilight Princess , so it doesn’t seem like she would follow him in a Hyrule not taken over by the Twilight. It’s more likely she would be a minor character if she returns in BOTW Switch 2 cloud save issues , and be involved with a side quest or a minor questline instead of being a main character again. Alternatively, she could also appear in DLC just like her helmet did in the first BO

Fans of The Legend of Zelda are likely familiar with the Sacred Realm as this spiritual space housed the Triforce for much of Hyrule’s history. The Sacred Realm was particularly important in Ocarina of Time as Link and Zelda’s quest required them to access the Sacred Realm in an attempt to stop Ganondorf from claiming the Triforce’s power. Once opened, however, the Sacred Realm was invaded by Ganondorf, who stole the Triforce and caused it to shatter into three pie

The most obvious recurring location in Tears of the Kingdom is Hyrule Castle itself. Hyrule Castle has been prominently featured in trailers for the sequel, floating above Hyrule Field. In many Zelda games including Breath of the Wild , a corrupted Hyrule Castle has served as the final dungeon. This floating fortress of Malice looks set to be Tears of the Kingdom ’s own final dungeon, with Link and Zelda perhaps storming the castle after breaking a seal similar to Ocarina of Time . It remains to be seen, however, if Hyrule Castle Town has been rebuilt since the events of the previous game, now living in the floating castle’s sha

The Tears of the Kingdom trailer doesn’t show much, but there is another two-headed dragon symbol. This one is different from the Ouroboros and is related to Mesoamerican cultures, which could have offered some inspiration to the design of the Zonai ruins in Breath of the Wild . Link pushes open a stone door that has a dragon with two heads meeting at the top instead of two dragons eating each other’s tails. The two-headed dragon symbolizes two things in Mesoamerican culture; first is the power of the earth, but the second is calamit

In Zelda: Twilight Princess , Link is a simple villager who goes to rescue the children of his village. He soon encounters the Twilight, a power that strips away the light from Hyrule, and is transformed into a wolf. Link then sets off on a journey across a Hyrule swallowed up by Twilight to rescue the Light Spirits and gather the Fused Shadows with the help of Twilight Princess ‘ fan-favorite sidekick Midna . Along the way, the two rescue the lost children and aid the various races of Hyrule. Eventually, they confront Zant, one of the main antagonists, as well as his evil patron, Ganondorf. Once they’re both defeated, Midna goes home to the Twilight Realm before destroying the gateway between it and Hyrule, the Mirror of Twili