After The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom had its official title confirmed, many began to speculate about what its subtitle could reveal about its story, leading to clues found in the unlikeliest place: Breath of the Wild armor sets. Specifically, fans believe that the Barbarian armor set could be a possible linchpin that connects various lore together between The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and its predecessor. From possible ties with a mysterious Zonai tribe to Breath of the Wild's strange labyrinths, the Barbarian armor has taken focus among fan theories.
Nintendo admitted that it had withheld the title of Breath of the Wild's sequel because would allegedly reveal too much about the game, so the momentum behind these theories has centered around which kingdom could Tears of the Kingdom be referencing and whether "tears" is being used figuratively or literally. But while some speculation has been driven by nostalgia roping in previous games like Skyward Sword and Twilight Princess, others have been more practical. As a direct sequel, fans are certain Tears of the Kingdom will explore Breath of the Wild's deeper lore, especially when official information appears to support these theories.
How The Zonai Might Factor Into Tears of the Kingdom
Though it's not unusual for Zelda games to introduce new characters, enemies, and races to the franchise's growing canon, these generally take center stage in the games they're first seen in. This was true for the Twili people in Twilight Princess as well as the Picori from The Minish Cap, but the Zonai were an outlier in Breath of the Wild, as it seemed they were merely set dressing for the world. With various ruins and iconography scattered throughout the game referencing their existence, there is next to no information about who or what the Zonai were or how they factor into the grander scheme of Zelda.
What is known, however, is that the Zonai were an ancient, war-like civilization who lived in Hyrule long ago within the Faron region. Their origins and history within Breath of the Wild were never fully explored, but due to the various trailers for Tears of the Kingdom and the details fans have been able to pick out, many anticipate that the Zonai's backstory will finally be addressed. Assuming the titular kingdom is that of the Zonai in a time before Hyrule, fans believe Tears of the Kingdom could explore the Zonai's downfall or how they're connected to Ganondorf's current imprisonment.
How The Barbarian Armor Ties It All Together
As one of the few tangible connections to the Zonai that the player will come across, the Barbarian armor in Breath of the Wild is arguably the only starting point when investigating the Zonai. Though there are ruins scattered across Hyrule, these provide only a superficial glimpse into Zonai architecture and culture. The armor, however, is significant as it bears unique details from the attack boost it provides, the places where the armor can be found, and the involvement of all three dragons to fully upgrade the armor.
While the attack boost could be explained by the Zonai's war-like framing, it doesn't address why the armor pieces can only be found in vast labyrinth structures at Hyrule's furthest points. It's possible the labyrinths were designed to test a warrior's strength, patience, or ingenuity to obtain the armor, but this doesn't address why the armor is rewarded by Sheikah monks in Breath of the Wild's shrines. It could be that the Sheikah are carrying on Zonai tradition in their absence, hence why they possess the armor and gift it to Link, but crucially this means the Zonai are even older than the ancient Sheikah.
Additionally, the Barbarian armor is seemingly connected in some way to the three dragons seen across Breath of the Wild's Hyrule, as players need resources unique to each dragon to fully upgrade each armor piece. Since the dragons themselves tie back to the Golden Goddesses, there's an emerging thread that can be traced through these to the Zonai, the Sheikah, Ganondorf and the green magic, and more, all with the Barbarian armor at its center. If Tears of the Kingdom is going to explore the Zonai mythos and its influence on Zelda canon, then the Barbarian armor is a glimpse into the many different directions this game could build upon.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is set to release on May 12, 2023, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
