Of the many groups in the lore of The Legend of Zelda, the Zonai are one of the most mysterious yet. But from the looks of things, they may play a big part in the story of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Trailers shown so far are full of hints that this enigmatic tribe could be connected to many of the unanswered questions in the game, so fans naturally may be wondering who they are - or were.
Unlike groups like the Rito, Sheikah, and Gorons, the Zonai did not feature in Zelda games before Breath of the Wild. But some parts of the game world point to who they were and the role they played in Hyrule's history. The long-awaited sequel, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, seems as though it might be revealing more about the group. It's an exciting prospect for fans who wanted deeper lore from the previous game.
The Zonai in Breath of the Wild
By the time The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild takes place, the Zonai are - seemingly - already an extinct tribe. Nonetheless, their past presence is noticeable across Hyrule, through ruins, statues, pillars, and other deteriorating structures they left behind. These are especially prominent in the Faron region. Here, Link can find the Zonai Ruins, the mostly collapsed remains of what was likely an important part of a Zonai city. The Zonai ruins and the nearby areas have distinct features like statues of boars, owls, and dragons. Artifacts of the tribe both in Faron and elsewhere can be identified by the spiral pattern that serves as the tribe's crest.
The Zonai Ruins connect to a similar complex, the Spring of Courage, which contains a statue of Hylia, a goddess in the Zelda lore. This means the Zonai may have shared the same religious beliefs as Hylians. That being said, the game's companion art book - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion - also mentions that they may have worshiped a dragon, which is what the entrance to the shrine is modeled after. The quest associated with the Spring requires Farosh's scale to unlock an Ancient Shrine. Since Farosh is the dragon of the region, there could be a connection between it and the Zonai religion.
The most prominent role the Zonai play in the actual gameplay of Breath of the Wild is through four of the most memorable Shrine quests in the game - North Lomei Labyrinth, South Lomei Labyrinth, Lomei Labyrinth Island, and the Thyphlo Ruins. The Labyrinth Shrines reward link with each of the three parts of the Barbarian Set, an armor set focused on attack strength bonus. The inventory description describes the set as coming from "an ancient warlike tribe from the Faron region" - a reference to the Zonai. Creating a Champion once again confirms this, saying they were rumored to be a savage tribe.
At the same time, the structures they left behind suggest they were a pretty advanced people. The same book also describes them as being famed for their expertise in magic. A lot of this is canonically speculation since the current people of Hyrule know very little about the Zonai. Creating a Champion also suggests that the cause of their disappearance is a mystery, so it likely happened before the Great Calamity that sets the stage for Breath of the Wild. But that isn't to say that their society can't impact the events of Tears of the Kingdom.
The Zonai in Tears of the Kingdom
There hasn't been any explicit mention of the Zonai in any of the trailers for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, but their importance has been alluded to, similar to how it was in Breath of the Wild. The very first trailer in 2019, when the game was still being called Breath of the Wild 2 by most fans, showed Link and Zelda crossing a bridge adorned with stone owls. These owls are similar to the Zonai-built ones in Faron. The rest of this underground temple also features motifs used by the Zonai.
That first trailer later shows a body (assumed to be Ganondorf) being restrained by green magic, with text that has yet to be translated by fans. The same magic appears in later trailers, including in the most recent one shown during September's Nintendo Direct. Here, it's also seen in vials attached to Link's waist where he used to have his Sheikah Slate. Since the Slate seems to be absent from Tears of the Kingdom many think this new magic will replace its abilities, maybe through his new arm which has also shown this same green glow. Some have also started to think that this magic is the same that the Zonai were known for having mastered.
What's more, the green magic and Link's damaged Master Sword resemble the technology of the Twili of Twilight Princess. In that game, the Twili found themselves in the Twilight Realm after they abused their magic and were banished from Hyrule. Their identity before this remains unknown. While it's only a theory, this has led to some fans speculating that the Zonai were the tribe who abused this magic. When they were banished from Hyrule for doing so, they became the Twili.
Besides this, September's trailer includes symbols that reference the Zonai, including their spiral insignia. Additionally, the dragons shown on the Tears of the Kingdom's logo are identical to those depicted by Zonai statues. So are the ones seen on a huge set of doors opened by Link during the trailer. The fact that this door is inscribed with the same language seen in the magic from the first trailer is more evidence that this is Zonai magic. It's definitely worth mentioning that, while pretty compelling, all of this is still unconfirmed fan theory-crafting. What's especially unclear is the status of the tribe. Some think they may return to Hyrule, and are the reason the floating islands have appeared, while others think the story will build on the effect they had on the world before their extinction.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will release on May 12, 2023, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
