When Guerilla Games first introduced players to the world of Horizon Zero Dawn, it did a great job of establishing a whole new story with deep lore, complex societies, and layers of mysteries to uncover. It can be difficult when launching a new IP to get the balance right, weighing up the new information that players will need to be introduced to with enough action and dynamism in the story. The sequel, Horizon Forbidden West, continued this task, further expanding the world of the games into the Forbidden West, and allowing gamers to explore more of the unique environments and meet with the variety of people who inhabit them.
As Aloy delves deeper into the regions of Horizon Forbidden West, she encounters a slew of new challenges, as well as a fair few antagonists. The tribes that she meets have a long history of conflicts and rivalries, and Aloy must navigate these thorny relationships as she battles to take down Far Zenith and once again save the world. One of the more interesting groups that she comes across is the Tenakth rebels and their leader Regalla, who has a surprisingly nuanced backstory that adds a healthy dose of tragedy to her character arc.
The History Of The Tenakth Rebels
Horizon Forbidden West not only provided players with a larger map to explore, but it also contained more tribes and diverse communities for Aloy to encounter. This helped to make the world of the game feel fuller, more complex, and more engaging than its predecessor, and introduced players to more of the history of this alternate future. There are so many things for gamers to uncover, from new factions to secrets of the Old World that have helped to shape the landscapes that Aloy now traverses. Some of the more intriguing new additions to Horizon Forbidden West are the Tenakth and Carja tribes — two factions with a bloody and complicated past.
The Tenakth themselves have a history of division, with several clans splitting off to live in different areas. Before the events of the game, they were victims of the barbaric Red Raids — a Carja practice where members of other tribes were kidnapped in order to become human sacrifices. This brutal regime of the Mad Sun-King Jiran forced the Tenakth to unite under Chief Hekarro and his Marshals, who eventually restored peace to their region. Hekarro successfully negotiated a peace treaty with the new leader of the Carja, and the horrific Red Raids came to an end. But this didn't mean that their impact wasn't still felt across the lands.
Regalla had been one of Hekarro's most loyal and fiercest Marshals. However, even though she was a formidable warrior, she was still scarred from losing her brothers during the Red Raids and being unable to save them before they were burned alive. This caused a violent hatred to take root within her, and colored all of her subsequent interactions with members of the Carja tribe. After Hekarro began to pursue peace with the Carja, Regalla couldn't accept this and challenged him for control of the tribe. She was defeated, but her life was spared thanks to her previous service and position in the Tenakth.
Regalla's Fate
Despite initially appearing as a primary antagonist, Regalla is fairly underutilized in the story and only shows up sporadically. Her story can be cut short prematurely as well if players choose to execute her after their one-on-one fight, and while this does have consequences for the later story, it doesn't feel like a particularly agonizing or integral decision at the time. There are far more serious threats throughout the narrative, and players' focus is quite quickly pulled away from Regalla as they instead set Far Zenith and Sylens in their sights.
Still, even though her position is overshadowed by other threats, Regalla is a character that stands out thanks to her menacing presence and interesting origins. If players choose to spare her, she also makes an appearance later on in the story and sacrifices herself to save Aloy, which provides a more satisfying end to her character arc. However, Regalla's doomed fate — dying at the player's behest or in their stead — makes her a really tragic character. When gamers learn more about how she got to where she did and what drove her, it adds another layer of heartbreak to her characterization as well.
Regalla was unable to move on from the unbelievable tragedy that she'd experienced in her life, even when she was given a second chance after her bid to take control of the Tenakth tribe failed. The violence and trauma that she'd witnessed turned her into someone who was also violent and full of rage, and that is the real sadness at the center of her story. She was blinded by her hatred of the Carja, and this caused her to turn against her chief and her tribe, and eventually led to her death. It's undeniable that Regalla was herself the cause of much death and suffering, but her sacrifice for Aloy does go some way in redeeming her.
Horizon's Theme Of Heartbreak
Regalla's story may be bittersweet, but it is hardly the only moment of melancholy in the game. There are plenty of tragic characters, losses, and instances of heartbreak throughout. Horizon Forbidden West also tries to humanize and sympathize with some of the antagonists during the events of the story, like Tilda's regret over losing Elisabet which is reflected in her art collection and is the foundation for her motivations.
Aloy's reliance on her allies in Horizon Forbidden West compared to her more solitary journey in Horizon Zero Dawn provides some touching moments, but also leads the way to more grief as well. Varl's loss was transformative for Aloy and her friends, and the knowledge that Zo was carrying his child and never got the chance to tell him added another dimension to the tragedy. The entire narrative of the games is imbued with a sense of loss as well, as Aloy uncovers more of the Old World and the humans that died so that a new world could be born. Glimpses into the past often provide the game's biggest moments of pathos, despite the hope that Aloy inspires for the future.
Horizon Forbidden West is available now on PS4 and PS5.
