Who are the Zonai?

The Zonai are an ancient tribe that may play a key role in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (BotW 2). Read on to learn more about the Zonai tribe, their role in the story, and more!

Three New Zonai Characters

Zonai Leader

The last official trailer of the game showed a Zonai figure talking to Zelda about Link and how he's their only hope for salvation. He dons a piece of clothing adorned with streaks of gold and what we can presume is a Zonai ornament.

Held Ganondorf Captive

Zonai Leader Arm

His arms seem to resemble the same arm that held Ganondorf captive underground and the one Zelda reached her hand out to in the second trailer.

With the King of the Gerudo fully revived, It's likely that he failed to keep Ganondorf imprisoned, and as the leader of the Zonai, he is now asking for Zelda's help to save his tribe.

List of Official Trailers and Gameplay Footage

Zonai Man

Another Zonai was also shown in the last trailer. He doesn't appear to be menacing and he came with a few more allies in tow.

Just like with who we presume as the leader of the Zonai, his hair also has streaks of gold. These two Zonais could very well be the same character!

May Be the One Shown in the Mural

He also bears resemblance to the man depicted in the mural that was shown in the first official trailer.

Both have long ears with a couple of earrings and they don the same forehead jewelry.

Judging by what's on the mural, it's likely that he's collecting the Tears of the Kingdom. We still don't know why he's doing so, but we could only hope that he's an ally to Link and Zelda's cause.

Hylian Zonai Goddess

A woman who seems to be a Hylian adorned with Zonai jewelries was also seen in the last trailer.

She resembles Zelda in a lot of ways; her golden hair, clothing and jewelry, and even the golden glow from her hand that looks the same as the glow emanating from Zelda's hand when she sealed Calamity Ganon.

She was also seen wielding her power to take out a couple of moldugas in the desert.

It's likely that she is the princess of the Zonai and much like Zelda, she is also tasked to save her tribe from Ganondorf.

Resembles the Woman in the Mural

Just like the Zonai man, she also bears resemblance to the woman depicted on the mural in the first official trailer.

Both have long hair, the same forehead jewelry, Hylian ears, and eye makeup. It's likely that she's working in tandem with the Zonai man as they were shown holding hands on the mural.

Who are the Zonai?

Ancient Tribe from the Faron Region

The Barbarian armor set mentions that it was worn by a "warlike tribe from the Faron region long ago".

The Zonai was a mysterious warlike tribe from the Faron Region that existed before the events of Breath of the Wild. They were known as magic wielders whose powers are enchanted by their Barbarian Armor set. Each of these armor pieces can be found in the three labyrinths in Hyrule that are of Zonai origin.

Zonai Ruins Appear All Over Hyrule

Rock cravings depicting a water dragon in the Zonai Ruins.

Little is known about the Zonai's history and only the remnants of their civilization are left behind all over Hyrule.

The ruins that they have left include pillars, animal carvings, and labyrinths. Many of these structures contain a spiral pattern, indicating the mark of their tribe.

One of these remnants include the Zonai Ruins, which contains a stone monument dedicated to the water dragon that they worship.

Zonai stone artworks depict the Triforce

As mentioned in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Creating a Champion book, the Zonai use animal representations to depict each part of the Triforce. They use an owl to symbolize wisdom, a dragon to symbolize courage, and and a boar to symbolize power.

May Play a Key Role in Tears of the Kingdom

As seen in the Mr. Aonuma Gameplay Demonstration video, one of the structures at the Sky Islands features the distinctive spiral-shaped pattern and the head of a water dragon. These designs resemble the ruins seen in Hyrule, so we speculate that this mysterious tribe will play a key role in the story.

In addition, we also see Link battling a Soldier Construct that drops a Zonai Charge upon defeat. We speculate that these enemies may serve as the equivalent of the Guardian enemies from Breath of the Wild.

Dragon may be the one that the Zonai worships

In one part of the video, we see a dragon flying near the Sky Islands area. Although it is only a silhouette, the dragon does not resemble any of the three dragons from Breath of the Wild, so we speculate this might be the same water dragon that the Zonai worships.

Sky Islands Explored: New Monsters and Materials

Holds Advanced Technology

With the showcase of the Zonai, their affinity in magic and technology are similar to that of the Sheikah Tribe that are present in Breath of the Wild.

New structures and materials are found within the Sky Islands that are from the Zonai such as the Zonai Gadget Dispensers, which gives Link different materials to be used in constructing different vehicles and contraptions in exchange for Zonai Charges. Zonai Artifacts which are mechanical items or constructs are mostly found on Sky Islands

Sky Islands Explored: New Monsters and Materials

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