Were the Zonai Evil? Breath of the Wild (+ Tears of the Kingdom) Theory

[@Zeltik]

Check out Monster Maze's counterpart theory! kzbin.info/www/bejne/Zp6nlol_qNF6nKc

[@TerrakoFUN]

I hope that the Zelda developers actively keep up with Zelda Theorists and go expanding it for BOTW 2.

[@spadegaming6348]

perhaps the ruined boar statues in zonai ruins represents ganon and the zonai's abandonment of the worship of ganon.

[@enriquevazquez1270]

Huh now that you say this theory, reminds me of the Aztecs where they saw hernan cortez as a living god, only to be betrayed by the Spanish.

[@mitzinodensetsu5539]

hey Zeltik what editing software do you use? Asking for a friend

[@insanemakaioshin]

Calamity Ganon is just another Phantom Ganon.

[@frankie_is_broke5591]

I'm calling it: the Zonai were a tri-force-worshipping civilisation, composed of three sects, each focusing on a single one of the three virtues. Ganondorf posed as a god of power, leading to a schism when he took control of the barbarian power-worshippers. This ultimately led the other two sect to part also, with the courage-worshippers ascending above the cloud-barrier with the dragons they worshipped; and the wisdom-worshippers eventually becoming the Sheikah.

[@excusemeprincess8252]

That’s a very interesting theory- I’m on board

[@raimu4467]

Doesn't make sense for the sheikah, they've existed ever since Skyward Sword, never originated from the zonai I'm pretty sure EDIT: For the love of god, stop @ing me in response, it's been nearly TWO YEARS.

[@sansjoestar702]

@@raimu4467 what if the zonai were present before skyward sword?

[@chadpeterson5698]

@@sansjoestar702 Ganondorf wasn't so that's where the theroy falls apart

[@frankie_is_broke5591]

@@raimu4467 they could still have been part of the Zonai culture. It could have formed as a coming together of many previous societies.

[@heehomgee4671]

Just a theory, but due to the Zonai ruins meant to represent Courage, Wisdom and Power, what if the Zonai are a true neutral? Like, they worship Ganon yes, but the Worship the heroes of Courage and Wisdom to the same extent.

[@strangerdanger1135]

@cookie kingdom NOW THAT IS A AN UNEXPECTED PLOT TWIST

[@cakeassassin6277]

They worship the Holy trinity. The triforce Champions

[@owendickerson8959]

Good idea. I like that.

[@Natoursofcourse]

Ghost trick pfp eyyyyyy

[@sansjoestar702]

that the same thought that i had they didn’t just worshiped dragons, they even worshiped owls and bulls/horned creature as shown in the statue in the game and as we know owls are always represented wisdom in legends and stories and maybe the bull represent the courage here

[@Zachman-de1gx]

With me binging Zelda videos after Tears of the Kingdom it’s funny to see how this aged and how much more we know about the Zonai. I love seeing how accurate or funnily inaccurate old theories are

[@baconatorrodriguez4651]

Pretty sure we'll find out in the third game they weren't gods that came down from the sky, but similar to fallen angels cast down to Hyrule, and either repented, or perhaps were still evil.

[@DinoMeat-qw4lg]

@@baconatorrodriguez4651 A third game hasn't even been confirmed

[@simplysupreme1030]

⁠​⁠@@baconatorrodriguez4651But they’re literally confirmed to be gods that came from the sky in TOTK, why would a third game just randomly retcon that. They were a peace dwelling all-powerful tribe, that’s the reason Ganondorf hated them so much in the first place

[@jonathanvelasco7332]

Lol. Yeah, I cringe with some of the theories. Like the Zonai being the barbarian tribe that settled in faron. Or ganondorf willingly being sealed.

[@jonathanvelasco7332]

@simplysupreme1030 I haven't finished the game so I may be wrong. But what I've seen so far, people saw them or thought they were gods, because they came from above. But that doesn't mean they are. Hylians at some point lived in the skies and that didn't make them gods, I think. So yeah, knowing more about the whole civilization, not only rauru and mineru would be neat.

[@skeltonbaking]

The barbarian armor really threw off all these theories. As well as the fact that the Zonai came from the sky.

[@Dobbysharemon]

Yeah all these theories make more sense then what actually happened to them in totk

[@BloodScorchedSun]

I never once took the flavor text as meaning specifically Zonai so it’s wild to see pretty much all this being based on the set and them being warlike.

[@carloscarlin114]

@@BloodScorchedSun Because the Zonai ruins were inspired by Aztec and Maya architecture they just went with the idea the armour must have belonged to the Zonai, it is kinda racist if you think about it "Oh, savage group of people, totally the inspired by indigenous Americans for sure"

[@Tanookicatoon]

@@carloscarlin114 It's absolutely racist. I've been trying to tell people that a lot of the phrases that Zeltik says are really freaking racist.

[@davisbowe8668]

@@carloscarlin114 I think it's more the fact that the 3 pieces of Barbarian Armor come from the Zonai Labyrinths. There's nothing "racist" about it. Obviously we know differently but before TotK, this was all the information we had on the Zonai, so it made sense to piece together whatever we could find. Some of y'all are so obsessed with racism that you try to find it in places where it doesn't exist. It's pathetic.

[@Cruizinelli12]

I can’t say who the Zonai were, or their origins, but I love how the game developers and designers took inspiration from real ancient societies and their architecture. I also love how much research this channel has done into every detail behind a character, village, and all the other lore that goes into the LOZ series.

[@NintendoBlackCrisis]

I already know that these theories are going to be amazing. Can't wait to watch them later tonight!

[@Candy-8448]

Greetings... I didn't expect to be the first reply to a big youtuber's comment 38 mins after the comment was made.

[@kryptoeditss]

Monke

[@Candy-8448]

@@kryptoeditss oranges are cool

[@Maisonbleuedame193]

Yay

[@kryptoeditss]

WHO LIKED MY REPLY

[@danialahmar3123]

My addition to this theory: Im thinking that the zonai had two factions. One side supported ganon, the other didnt and instead chose to leave to the skies and i think the ancient hero was from the side which didnt support ganon. At least i like to think that the estranged part of the zonai went underground and the other side became enlightened and went to the skies.

[@Redstoniste]

So, just like Sheika and yiga ?

[@fluffynator6222]

And one faction reversed their symbol and constructed the labyrinths together with the Sheikah.

[@schalomforever]

@@fluffynator6222 That explains why the builings in the sky have such a strange geometry with the smaller ends of the pyramids of the pillars facing the ground!

[@fluffynator6222]

@@schalomforever Yeah. I'd assume they were constructed in a coalition between the last Zonai and the Sheikah.

[@retrohero8622]

I was going to say that.

[@Kanjiimufu]

There is somewhat of an discrepancy here, depicting the Zonai as a savage tribe of barbarians serving Ganondorf for the promise of strength, and seeing the actual ingame ruins, honoring animals depicting all three aspects of the Triforce, Wisdom, Courage and Power: Owls, Dragons and Boars, and calling them adept magic users who can build flamethrowers. My theory is, that the Zonai fought against Ganons forces, bested them and built a tomb to imprison him after learning, that he can not be killed permanently. They still honored him, he became the very image of power to the zonai: the boar. They designed their warriors armor in the image of him or his forces in an effort to emulate his strength, and they depicted him in murals, not weak and beaten and dishonored, but proud and strong, just to show: "Yes, this man was like a god of war and in glorious battle, we bested him." Maybe they build the others structures in hyrule afterwards, to contain something else. Skeleton Horses are pretty common around the North Lomei Labyrinth, could be the influence of the remains of Ganondorfs Horse.

[@MaxRobertoErikson]

Fun fact: One of the reasons why Cleopatra of Egypt is remembered so well to this day is because people who defeated her in her last war, really wanted everyone know what an accomplishment it is to actually defeat Cleopatra. No, I don't remember who actually defeated Cleopatra (aside from being Greek or Roman).

[@sephiroth8684]

@@MaxRobertoErikson Octavian. Or Augustus. Take your pick with the name. And yeah, have you seen Cleopatra’s kill count?

[@cursedcat6467]

The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom: I’m about to end this man’s whole career

[@angstyuchiha]

Watching this after playing TOTK is so fun. He actually said in the beginning of the video that maybe the Zonai helped seal away Ganondorf, and then said he didn't think that's the case! 😂

[@MrVipasana]

The beast face above the door to the Zonai “dungeon” looks like it has 3 eyes. I think it could be a mahakala. If it is a mahakala, it’s purpose at the entrance would be to keep evil spirits and forces out of the “temple”/“dungeon”. This would suggest this structure was of religious or spiritual importance to the Zonai.

[@itsarcaneplayz3959]

I wish it that dungeon entrance was in totk instead, it got cut.

[@missingcheetah3163]

Just a thought, if Ganon was a “prisoner” they would most likely remove any jewelry. Especially in a world where jewelry can enhance or give special abilities.

[@alexcasper2464]

Also, his earring has a section that looks exactly like the symbol on the guardian-like creature from the new trailer. Maybe another link?

[@indecentolive1774]

Then again, the tribe doesn’t seem that interested in jewelry, if you look at the barbarian armour.

[@have_a_cup_of_water_08]

@@alexcasper2464 the guardian creature looks like it has yiga clan symbol an inverted eye on face both arms and nowhere else

[@perrymoser3014]

Unless the jewelry is enchanted to help seal him away

[@tysondennis1016]

What if it was kept on to identify him?

[@blindsloth364]

you have to admit, the weird hand thing isnt serving ganondorf. idk if its a zonai thing or something, but it is most definitely not *with* ganondorf, as it catches link before he falls in the first trailer, giving up on sealing ganondorf to save link, and merging with him for some reason in the second trailer. personally i think it merges with him to stop the spread of malice, but it could be any reason. but no matter what, the hand does not help ganondorf, and is definitely sealing him in some way. doesnt exactly mean the zonai didnt follow him, but the hand definitely doesnt

[@Zeltik]

yeah agree, the hand definitely doesn't look like it's serving ganon any more. If it was Ganondorf who 'sealed' himself with the spirits of the tribe, then they probably weren't too pleased about the whole thing

[@MidoriOfTheShuinsen]

I mean, if some prick used the souls of my people to fuel whatever ritual he was attempting, I'd be rather miffed, and would gladly help the first one that opposed him I come across.

[@IAmWhiteEagle]

my guess is its Zonai magic stuff, and it saved link and zelda knowing they were important to taking down Ganon

[@Techhunter_Talon]

Remember in the tapestry there's a single warrior on the other side of the Calamity? Maybe one of the Zonai escaped their fate and turned on Ganon just as Kohga and Soogha did in Age of Calamity?

[@bk7064]

My bet is that they froze Ganon in time, hence the hand on Ganondorf. That connection was keeping him frozen, waiting until the hero Finally returned. Hence why it *THEN* Saved Link.

[@namenamename390]

You know what'd be funny? Imagine if the sequel just didn't expand on the Zonai at all. I doubt it, but you never know with Nintendo and Zelda.

[@Varunic219]

Guarantee it'll happen

[@argo9721]

Doubt? you mean it will absolutely happen

[@namenamename390]

@@Varunic219 let me guess, your uncle works at Nintendo?

[@Zeltik]

that is absolutely going to happen

[@lrc4263]

@@namenamename390 My uncle works at Nintendo. The blue-green energy is the spiritual opposite of Ganon’s Malice, and is referred to as “Hylia’s Grace.” Hylia herself granted her Grace to the Sheikah and other ancient tribes for them to harness to power their ancient technology. It’s the same Grace that kept the Monks alive.

[@danin6895]

I still don’t understand the barbarian armor, like the style of it doesn’t resemble the zonai at all.

[@lastcorridorsans]

I mean, the patterns on the skin are the only part I can see similar to the clothes Zelda was wearing in the memories.

[@YA0I4L1FE]

You ever thought that maybe Gannondorf wanted to find a way to rid the evil incarnation? Maybe the Zonni wanted to help him but the malice was too strong to seal away? i want to believe that is the case. Since Gannondorf in the windwaker looked like he wanted peace for his clan but I could be overlooking it. This was still an interresting theory.

[@wareagle4206]

That’s a pretty cool idea

[@zelestial1681]

Thats a solid theory tho. Elaborate further if you would.

[@Efc124]

@@zelestial1681 shut up

[@MrHinchapelotas]

That would be awesome, but nintendo would never mess with such a fundational element sadly.

[@250914616672152]

@@Okanekaseku i have believe the godness hylia knows about the curse demise put on granondorf but she lets the cycle continue, after all what its best idea to keep people believing in you than an ancient evil demon resurrecting every 100 years who wants destroy the world

[@oracle372]

Continuing this theory: The Zonai were betrayed and trapped in the tomb they’d built for their god. In hatred, they turned on him, sealing him in the tomb. Although Ganondorf’s plan was to be in the tomb, the zonai spirits manifested as a hand, and tied to stop the malice’s from spreading. If it weren’t for the Zonai, Ganondorf’s malice would be stronger, causing a constant endless Calamity, as opposed to every thousand or so years.

[@riskyworks]

Another theory, Ganondorf manipulated the Zonai into thinking sealing him like that would stop him (Likely using a disguise as an advisor, then having his plan be to be defeated) He would then maybe have the last wish of making it themed around him (Or maybe the Zonai just did it to show that it was for Ganondorf, so Link and Zelda WOULDNT reawaken him) Ganondorf's plan here is likely that while he would be stronger if he wasn't sealed like this, it would be worth it, as reincarnation would likely not let him remember all those details, likely just the basics of Link, Zelda, Sheikah, Triforce and of course the Master Sword etc. His would then be shown in the Calamity 100 years before botw, where he used his knowledge of his previous defeat, to stop that method (Which worked for 100 years) His plan would then likely be that if he were awakened he would infect Link's sword arm with malice, making him unable to use the Master Sword, then getting rid of the Master Sword and Zelda, as without those, Link would be nothing, (A theory I saw about the arm does suggest that the malice just undid the shrine of resurrection, as the arm looks like the arm of the monks, meaning the green arm was to save his arm. But that is just a theory I saw) Using the arm might have a cost, like costing a ton of stamina and health (Like the shrine of resurrection) Aka it is all a huge plan, the malice would then likely also prevent Link from wielding the Master Sword again until he fixes that problem, which would severely slow down Link's quest to stop Ganondorf. The difference between the armors are hard to explain at this time though. But it does seem like everything was all a hard of one big plan

[@MCjossic]

The Malice in the sequel is visibly different from the first game's Malice. This could be because the hand was limiting the power of the Malice. When the hand lets go of Gannondorf, the Malice gets stronger

[@swizzamane8775]

As such, I think the disembodied voice we may/may not be hearing, COULD be saying, "(We're/I'm), so sorry". That is to say, they are sorry for causing all this, and after all this time, they cannot contain him any longer. So they attach themselves to Link (as we see in one of the trailers).

[@Seabasstard22]

@@swizzamane8775so close too

[@fluffynator6222]

The Zonai being evil is actually quite possible. Just like the Yiga they reverted their symbol, possibly trying to distance themselves from the rest of the Ganondorf loyalist Zonai. These good Zonai later aided the Sheikah when constructing the labyrinths, maintaining their old culture but adopting the more blocky design we see in the labyrinths and shrines. They also seemingly copied the Japanese building style of the Sheikah, constructing gates and shrines on the sky islands similar to Japanese culture. Even their magic resembles Sheikah tech, the green strains of magic being similar to the teleportation animation of the Sheikah tech. When the Sheikah gave up their lives as researchers the Zonai did so too. However, their history was lost or erased due to their connections to Ganondorf and people forgot about them.

[@JKd3vLD]

What if the Zonai are actually a third sect of the ancient Sheikah? Then we would have Sheikah, Yiga and Zonai...

[@jellysauce3938]

Branching from this I have 2 ideas. If this is true, then what if residents of Lurelin Village are descendants of Zonai like the residents of Kakariko Village are to the Skeikah? Or, what if the Zonai were diehard followers of Ganondorf, and after sealing him, the Sheikah massacred the Zonai, leaving only the ruins. They might have also destroyed the boar busts, as those are obviously relating to Ganondorf.

[@fluffynator6222]

@@jellysauce3938 Yes, I'd assume that Lurelin is the Zonai's, Kakariko but since their culture was seemingly erased they never found out about their history.

[@Moka-nh8hg]

@@jellysauce3938 Wait the people in kakariko village aren't Sheikah?

[@Moon-Vixen]

one thing I love about this community is how we're able to make some of the most amazing theories with *so little* to go on, yet we find absolutely *everything* possible. even if we're dead wrong, it's still my favorite part of gaming. the theories. the hype. it's almost better than the games themselves.

[@lonestarr1490]

Yeah. But Nintendo also plays a part in this. They simply know how to construct a mystery and feeding it oh so minor details every so often. Sure, one could argue that fans just see clues everywhere and most of it was just simple decoration and served no sinister purpose. Kind of the same way conspiracy theories work. But I'd argue that many of those things are way too involved to simply be placed there by random chance, just because one designer thought it would be cool to have Maya like ruins scattered all over (for instance). Nintendo knows on how to hint on a mystery hidden below the surface. Maybe it's not completely fleshed out (as of yet), but there's definitely intention here.

[@Link-Link]

@ToadIs Based what is wrong in age of Calamity except for the new timeline split?

[@sephiroth8684]

@@Link-Link yeah, the timeline split in age of calamity is screwed up

[@darkslayer1161]

Only the Souls Borne community has as much a passion to dig up lore as the Zelda community. And it's beautiful. That being said, hope elden ring is a good game and hope botw 2 is good as well.

[@jackrebble]

This is so interesting to watch after TOTK has dropped

[@HyruleGamer]

I really love the little barbarian helm design on the thumbnail! 😍

[@maverickmoore102]

Oh hey

[@nopotatovisible2550]

I think the Zonai built the labyrints as a sort of trial for their own people to prove they were strong, and then the Sheika came along and took their armour and labyrints to use for the hero

[@verdantmistral442]

I think the funny part about the labyrinth in Akala is that it is a reference to Zelda 2: Adventure of Link, but since most people don't give the game a chance most people wouldn't know there's a massive labyrinth out in the sea with a temple at the end in the game.

[@williamjohnson7833]

I don’t know man, to me it seems like the flashback with ganondorf and the hand’s silhouette shows that ganon was sealed against his will. Just look at his body language, he’s got clutched arms and hands, his mouth is wide open as though he’s screaming, he’s recoiling away from the hand, which is also seemingly grabbing at him as if he’s struggling to get away. If he willingly submitted himself to the seal, wouldn’t he just stand there and take it? Why put on the dramatic pose? EDIT: also, the boar statues in Zonai Ruins aren’t nearly as well-maintained as the owl and dragon statues. I bet if they worshipped ganon like they worshipped Farosh, his statues would stand just as high and mighty as the dragons and owls. Instead of standing tall and proud, they’re all neglected, uncommon, and half-submerged in the dirt. You’d think if they worshipped him like they worshipped farosh, they would have treated his depictions with much greater respect than, say, the owl, which doesn’t represent the zonai in the slightest but is still treated with respect roughly equivalent to farosh. Yet the boar is still treated poorly compared to the owl.

[@shaders3864]

Yes I absolutely agree thank you for wording those ideas way better than I did in my own reply. I do like some parts of the theory and wouldn’t be against the idea of them maybe being involved initially, but I do at least think they did at one point see the era of their ways and more likely attempted to seal him away at the cost of their lives or something.

[@redspiderlilys6]

the ritual could have been extremely painful

[@Envy_May]

maybe if ganondorf turned on the zonai, they fought back afterwards ? it could also make sense with the comment above that mentions the zonai being three sects

[@basedimperialism]

Ganondorf's pose is easily explained as the seal being extremely painful, which is what allows him to exude so much malice. In a way, it's like Darth Vader, who purposefully inflicts emotional pain on himself in order to fuel his Dark Side powers, which is why his main base is on Mustafar, which is where Padmé died, where he lost his master, and where he lost his limbs.

[@Tabbychu]

I've been saying this since the first trailer dropped, but Ganondorf being sealed and undead like he is could be the reason that there hasn't been another male Gerudo born since him- because he never truly died.

[@MidoriOfTheShuinsen]

I mean... it would certainly throw off the cycle.

[@BrandonCaparas]

What about the Gerudo dude that gives you the clothes in BOTW?

[@aidanwong1521]

@@BrandonCaparas he could just be a hylian

[@lonestarr1490]

@@aidanwong1521 Yeah, definitely a Hylian. I thought everybody knew this.

[@BrandonCaparas]

@@aidanwong1521 his name is Vilia and you can look it up yourselves: he's awfully tan and red haired for a Hylian :/

[@Nitrinoxus]

While every part of the temple leading down to Ganondorf's chamber definitely gives the impression that the Zonai were loyal to Ganondorf, something about the scene in the ritual chamber doesn't quite mesh with that -- the dark King's pose in the chamber, and in the moment frozen in time in the shadows on the wall, seems more consistent with a man whose final living moments were spent in combat against a warrior. I think you've got the right idea overall: the Zonai, a tribe that worshipped powerful beings, recognized the Gerudo King's supernatural might and forged a worshipful alliance -- from the cave paintings, it's safe to assume that Ganondorf fought alongside the Zonai in some capacity, and that his presence in their ranks would've greatly increased their fighting strength, letting them rise to prominence as a conquering force in the region, an outcome that would've justified their worship of him and further endeared the Zonai to Ganondorf... a fact he would exploit when he set his plan into motion. Everything about that plan -- the isolated temple, the ritual setup, the ceremonial procession and attire -- all went as Ganondorf foresaw, right up until he got to the 'slaughter them all, devour their spirit energy' phase. It certainly looks as though someone vehemently disagreed with genocide, and fought back against the mad Gerudo: even setting aside the hand clutching Ganondorf's chest, those circular holes in his hand and sternum might be _arrow wounds,_ frozen in that state of injury by Ganondorf's near-death sealing -- two shots to the left hand, which I believe has historically been Ganondorf's dominant hand, and then one more through the chest just _slightly_ too low to pierce the heart. If my hunch is correct, the last person to see Ganondorf alive was a warrior whose skill may well have rivalled Link's own. _Someone_ fought back, and I think it's a fair bet that we're going to find out who that someone _was._

[@silas7003]

yknow Ive realized which Ganondorf's death scene aligns pretty well with this because of you pointing out all this. Thats Windwaker Ganondorf and his clothes have been rotting off Tetra is the one who shot those arrows at him while Link was fighting him off and he made similar poses during the finishing blow

[@Nitrinoxus]

@@silas7003 There's definitely parallels between the two, even if they aren't the _same_ Ganondorf.

[@silas7003]

@@Nitrinoxus yee but it'd be cool as frick if they were. lmao

[@Nitrinoxus]

@@silas7003 Indeed, though I think it's more likely that this Ganondorf is the one who immediately followed after Demise -- given how _old_ the Calamity is, and how much raw power this version of Ganondorf possesses, it'd make sense if there was a direct, unbroken connection from the Demon King to him.

[@silas7003]

ooo true though. Its just at that point how did they get that body there considering he took himself and the hero into basically an ethereal pocket dimension filled with lightning and rain. And why would they have put the holes into mummy Ganondorf if the final fight with demise was with Link using a sword and shield? Granted theres that whole chance that the Demise we see in Skyward sword is still a proxy body like the Blights are in BOTW and this one is the true body of Demise sealed off by the Goddess herself. like thats a possibility too but the body still seems kinda weird to me if thats the particular case. Like iunno I feel like the sealed off body of a god in this universe wouldn't show signs of rot and decay if its able to continuously regather enough power to influence anything past its seal let alone so far above the ground away from itself. Could also just be symbolic or the whole ass way he looked from the start too tho lmao

[@godofmath1039]

Imagine being so wrong that you were wrong about being wrong

[@creativename.]

💀

[@kanaansch]

Bro it was a theory 1 year ago

[@mediate27]

😂

[@danh638]

I hope we get some sort of huge cinematic cutscene seeing how Ganon became the calamity seeing a warrior king throw it all away to embody malice.

[@chadpeterson5698]

Or better yet to make Ganondorf more sympathetic just to make the story a little darker since a villain with a sympathetic backstory is more often than not darker than a villain who is completely evil, Ganondorf loses himself in his rage built up from the lifetimes of pain and suffering he had experienced and as such he's beyond saving and because of Demise's curse he's beyond death to so as a result he not only can't free himself from his rage and pain but also he can't be put to rest either just to make his backstory more tragic and dark.

[@danh638]

@@chadpeterson5698 yes exactly a sympathetic villain that you can't help is always a winner.

[@chadpeterson5698]

@@danh638 yeah pretty much a darker version of Darth Vader. Except also involving a demonic force.

[@chadpeterson5698]

@@danh638also making Ganondorf a sympathetic villain who can't be saved would forever keep Ganon out of the pure evil wiki which I don't think he belongs there anyway since he's too complex. ( except for the manga)

[@wxldfl4wer850]

@@chadpeterson5698 i mean it's not too complex. Ganondorf is literally the embodiment of all evil, malice is quite literally "pure evil". Doesn't matter how sympathetic you think he may be, he will always be the King of evil.

[@rachelgray6790]

“The armor looks more like something a Bokoblin would wear than a Hylian” What if Bokoblins are Zonai mutated by the corruptive influence of Ganon? That would be wild

[@greenhat8978]

Wouldn't be the first time an evil being has mutated people... in Twilight Princess Zant did the same thing

[@Ineviyath]

Somebody actually made a video about this theory - one of the points was that silver bokos have markings similar to the ones on the barbarian armor.

[@cheeselad2401]

@@Ineviyath yooooo

[@schalomforever]

@@Ineviyath Could you link the video please? I can't find it but it seems interesting ^^

[@Zeltik]

or what about Lynels? They're described as being half man half beast... 🤯

[@amethyst_the_rainwing]

The Zonai have always got me curious. When I first saw the Zonai ruins I was like “wHo DiS tRiBe?”

[@Margar02]

Same! One of the things that bothered me the most about Skyward Sword (amd some other zelda games) were the races/tribes they introduced with little to no explanation, and which (to me) created more questions than answers. The Zonai need some more explanation and lore because I won't be happy with "eh, they were just there, forget about it" that we have always gotten with races such as Locomo, Wind Tribe, Kikwi, Mogma, etc.

[@amethyst_the_rainwing]

@@Margar02 I agree. All tribes should have a story. Important or not.

[@Margar02]

@@amethyst_the_rainwing yeah, like they dont have to go in depth but their existence should make sense in the overall lore!

[@gapetheapegod7976]

New hero who dis?

[@ShadowSkyX]

I bet it's oot era hyrule as a whole. If you go back, there's a lot of practices that are barbaric in nature and Link fights like a beast. Sheikah/royal family dabbled in using malice and while its in a different dimension of termina, possibly majoras mask and song of healing; the two pieces that likely created redeads. As horrible as guitines are, they are actually more humane; relying an executor like the gerudo that may or may not have a good arm and aim...is so much worse if they take several tries to cut all the through. The fact oot link gets the fierce deity mask - who also adorns similar body paint - leads me to think he was a direct desendent of the zonai or started it. The constant need to prove one's courage by fighting strong monsters is a pretty good indicator. He had strength _and_ capable of using magic After all.

[@dylanwoods5944]

Love how all the new comments are just parroting "Wrong," as if Zeltik had presented this as a fact video and not a theory, lol. But I will admit, it is really interesting to see how far off or close to the truth the fanbase were to what the Zonai really were like.

[@Tanookicatoon]

Mostly because Zeltik was being grossly racist with every direction they took in this theory. "Oh it looks Maya/Aztec, This Barbarian armor is for a bunch of savages like the American natives. Therefore the Zonai worship the villain."

[@billcipher8645]

​​​@@Tanookicatoonthat's disingenious. The barbarian armour pieces are rewards for completing all 3 Zonai labirynths, it's not in any way farfetched to connect that to how Zonai were in nature. Especially that it mentions the Faron region which has the most Zonai constructs remaining. I don't think this theory was influenced by racism in any way, at least not intentionally

[@Tanookicatoon]

@@billcipher8645 It's not? Listen to the way the dude talks. Literally no one talking about the Zonai uses the word "savage" the way he does. Who the hell calls rumors "Chinese whispers"? Zeltik is one second away from ranting about "Gypsies" in every video.

[@billcipher8645]

​@@Tanookicatoonwhich video has him talking about "Chinese whispers"? I'm not really a fan of him to be fair and only watched a few videos, that's why I gave him the benefit of the doubt. The way he describes them as savage a lot of times is strange for sure

[@dragonmasterjoe724]

It’s nice looking back on this video now TOTK is out

[@jaehaalexander1172]

This is an interesting perspective. I disagree though. I think the Zonai were "good". I think the cave paintings are telling the history of Ganondorf not necessarily glorifying him. And the boar similarities just being a sign of who is being housed here. I think the sealing ritual does need souls to keep it in place (luminous stones) that eventually ran out.

[@CheetoLord452]

i agree with this, the temple and ritual wasn't necessarily Ganandorf's plan, but rather the ritual was a sealing ritual and the designs on the temple could have been warnings on who is sealed within

[@cherrysquids3994]

I hope the Zonai turn out to be like the Sheikah, being a tribe of morally grey tatics

[@sethfeldpausch4337]

Man, this was a well crafted theory and all, but I just can’t get on board with it. The Yiga are the followers of power/Ganon/Ganondorf, the Sheikah are the followers of wisdom/Hylia/the royal family, so it only makes thematic sense that the Zonai would be followers of courage/Link/the Hero! Now Nintendo doesn’t always follow themes that they start, so Zeltic’s theory could end up being true, but with the colors of the different triforce energies, and all the evidence pointing toward their devotion to the hero, I just don’t buy that they’d be yet ANOTHER tribe devoted to power! Again, great theory, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens with the Zonai!

[@nobleoxidation]

I like this idea-- add in that the Zonai Ruins lead to the Spring of Courage, I'd say this is something to consider.

[@knilolaslynn4994]

That actually makes a lot of sense

[@rock2k14]

I honestly prefer the theory of the Zonai and the Sheika imprisoning Ganondorf and using him and his fragment of the Tri force as a very literal power source, it adds such a nice shade of grey to the universe that smears the black and white, I'm not saying it's a more viable theory, I just think it's a more interesting story beat

[@rhettmitchell]

I like

[@ghettokage6104]

Sheikah*

[@Chris-gx1ei]

Aaaah, it is nice to look back at the days of before TotK came out and it is kinda suprising to see how much of the things we assumed were wrong, for example in the end the Zonai were no Barbarians and more like a Mix of Anchient Greeks and Native South Americans, and they were not even humans, instead they were Demi-Gods comming directly from the Heavens to (re)found Hyrule

[@carloscarlin114]

They assuming the Barbarian Armour belonged to the Zonai pretty much was the basis for the entire theory which is why they were so off, obviously hindsight is always 20/20 but it made no sense as the ruins are specifically named after the Zonai, if the armour belonged to them it would make no sense for it to not say so as well, also the armour is described as being from a group specifically from the Faron region but we saw the Zonai ruins all over Hyrule even in the first game. (Typho ruins, the Labyrinths and Thundra Plateu). I think their bias towards the whole Mesoamerican and Incan inspiration played against them, they just assumed Nintendo would go with the Apocalypto style backwards evil ancient empire of savages trope common in Hollywood but Nintendo went with the "Ancient aliens built the pyramids" kind of trope instead.

[@Oblivionator100]

The LoZ lore has always been about repeating patterns. One of them is Ganondorf's use of charm to win over followers of a tribe, then double-cross them later. He did it with the Gerudo, the Hylians, and the Twili. I love this theory because it would actually be a really good way to repeat the pattern again, betrayal followed by retribution on the part of the betrayed. It also shows a disturbing inability to learn on Ganondorf's part. Just treat people right yo.

[@airlialo7895]

Amazing how this aged

[@simplysupreme1030]

Wow you were actually right lmao

[@kakemon01]

A notable detail about the mural in the first BotW2 trailer depicting Ganondorf; We see him riding a horse charging towards the left. In old european paintings, engraving and tapestries, this usually refers to enemy forces, while friendly forces usually charge towards the right. As Nintendo is based in Japan where they read right to left this could mean th opposite, but if it follows medieval tradition it could explain why the Zonai depicted him that way, without having to necessarily be on his side.

[@cavemaneca]

I've been playing around with the idea that Ganondorf was a willing participant in whatever ritual put him in that cave, due to how ritualistic his clothing/etc looks. Some interesting theories here that could back that up.

[@literallyanangrymoose7717]

Would be a fabulous and curious inversion of expectations.

[@Jarock316]

Could be possible that is when the Malice was released. Reminder, all the previous Zelda titles are considered myths and legends in BotW, and not one of them ever mentioned Malice.

[@_itsmunah]

They took him straight from hyrule field at the end of tp and put him in stasis so he couldn’t reincarnate again. This eventually caused the calamity when the malice built up so much that it spewed out. The calamity was stopped 10k years ago until it built up again took over the tech and tried to form a physical body… one could only hope they move 4SA from taking place after tp.

[@notapro6430]

Actually, the reversed audio makes a LOT of sense with BotW 2’s trailer with stuff going back in time. The metal ball going back up the mountain, the raindrop going back into the sky, the power link has can control time to make it move in reverse. So having reversed audio contain hints is a pretty clever idea

[@bouncybubble]

Watching this after totk has released is interesting

[@sneaks9150]

I’ve been thinking back on this video since totk came out. Goes to show how big our theories went with what little info we had.

[@thecdog09]

All of these theories were 100% better than what we got.

[@trevorgray2287]

I've got two theories, though they aren't exclusive and could both be true. First, I think the Zonai could have descended from the Knights of Hyrule, which is to say they're part of the hero's bloodline. Each generation, one hero rises to defend Hyrule from evil. By the nature of family trees, that means there must be several members of the bloodline that *don't* become the hero. As the generations move on, it's likely a significant portion of the population of Hyrule are part of the hero's bloodline. Over the centuries, a portion of this bloodline became their own tribe, the Zonai. This is why the heart of their civilization was in the Faron region, as it is the region most associated with Farore, the golden goddess of courage. They are described as "savage" and "warlike", which could be explained by a cultural focus on courage. They would have had a social drive to prove their courage. It also fits in with the factional pattern of Breath of the Wild: The Triforce of Power's influence can be seen in the monsters with their association with Ganon and the color red. The Triforce of Wisdom's influence can be seen in the Sheikah with their relationship with the Royal Family of Hyrule, Zelda's affinity for their technology, and their association with the color blue. If these associations were intentional, then it would follow that the Triforce of Courage would have a strong influence over a particular faction. As the Zonai are associated with the color green and their ruins being so prevalent around the Spring of Courage, the Zonai make a compelling candidate as representative of the Triforce of Courage. Second, and perhaps more related to the video's theory, I think the Zonai may have been a cult that revered the cycle of war between Ganon, Zelda, and the hero. Their ruins are littered with statues representing not just aspects of power, but of wisdom and courage as well. As a "warlike" group, they may have idolized not just the waxing of Ganon's power, but the very struggle that played out between good and evil again and again. This could explain why seemed to help the Sheikah with their shrines, but also why have a sort of reverence for Ganon as well. It could even be that they were playing both sides, helping the Sheikah with their preparations for Calamity Ganon while also putting Ganondorf in a stasis between life and death to ensure he would never truly die. Heck, it could even be that they didn't want the cycle to continue, but for the war between Hyrule and the forces of evil to persist indefinitely, without ever waning.

[@tytbmbutterboi6664]

I ADORE theories like this. Taking something we've assumed all this time, and COMPLETELY twisting it on it's head.

[@serious_mood_rig7511]

Imagine all the amazing theories that will come out of Botw2, so many amazing things could happen, man just thinking about it is making me even more hyped!

[@kryptoeditss]

Monke

[@cowcorpse5533]

Who else is here waiting for the new zonai lore video

[@anthonyi.s.6699]

In the end they were a bunch of furries which one touched Ganon nipple and lost his arm

[@lastcorridorsans]

The memories were like avengers endgame lol Ganondorf became Thanos but the avengers have some of the infinity stones this time.

[@KeiTh0r]

Big furry gives adult manlet weird arm to defeat Gigadorf

[@carloscarlin114]

​@@lastcorridorsans The arm even works as the gauntlet were Links put the 6 power ups he gets from the sages, one in each finger and one in the back of the hand, someone in Nintendo EPD was totally obsessed with Infinity War and Endgame when they designed the arm.

[@SplatBlobby]

@@carloscarlin114 Lol, that's the only thing I could think of after doing 3 region phenomena

[@Bounsingonbongos1]

Just had this thought near the start of the video. In star wars lore, the Jedi temple was built on an old sith shrine to contain it. Maybe the Shieka were doing something similar.

[@Splitboltxful]

unreal production value zeltik, showing us why you’re the best in the game. great job on the video

[@rjshredder2377]

Him and monster maze are A1- I remember when zeltik just makes videos comparing Wii-u vs switch BOTW

[@ghettokage6104]

Fr

[@mrkekskopf5904]

This theory kind of implies that the sealing hand is evil as well, which I think we can be 99% sure it isn't. Kind of pokes a big hole in this.

[@wolfiemuse]

It would be cool to see you go over these theories that were wrong (or at least, at the current time of writing this, very likely to be wrong) after we get confirmation on true/false for some of these old theories. It would be cool to hear some behind the scenes of how you first thought of this idea, if someone else presented it to you, what you thought as time went on, etc. you could call it “Reacting to My Old TotK Theories” or something!

[@dragonsswarm1987]

Seeing this makes me think of what I think happened. I think they might have worshipped him once upon a time, but where betrayed by Ganon, causing them to abandon their boar statues, and the stragglers helped create the Labyrinths and thundra plateau, the Zonai's final act, I think that they're still around though, because the barbarian armor looks a lot more like a Lynel than it does Ganon, I think that those who stuck with Ganon were corrupted into that form, or the majority of them being turned into Lynels might have been the betrayal itself.

[@icedbergamot]

I've got another theory that I haven't really seen explored The preserved Ganon looks to be in a similar state to a mummy so it'd be reasonable that this incarnation's body is thousands of years old and it's said the Zonai disappeared thousands of years ago Given the supposed power of the Zonai, could they have either sacrificed themselves or have been sacrificed by some other higher power within the Zelda series in order to seal away Ganon? Edit: Nevermind they mentioned something similar

[@corruptedplayer]

This video is the second part of monster maze's theory, which touches exactly that

[@icedbergamot]

@@corruptedplayer Definitely, and I should probably edit my original comment 😅 I wrote it before I saw the second half lmao

[@dolgarththebarbarian2061]

Despite the gist being talked about in the video, human sacrifice was considered a big part of Mesoamerican culture which the Zonai appear to be based on.

[@ryuusouru8286]

"that this incarnations body" excuse me but isn´t it always the same ganondorf we see in the Games? the only ones who are getting really reincarnated are Zelda and Link arent they?.

[@dolgarththebarbarian2061]

@@ryuusouru8286 There is a probability that it could be the same, but we can't confirm that it is. We can't with impunity even confirm that Ocarina, Twilight, and Windwaker are even the same Ganondorf.

[@sirensongss]

The way that they are leaning into the Zonai reminds me of deltarune being an expansion on these fringe parts of the game that were delightful theory fodder but felt not like more than that. Makes me absolutely thrilled for both games

[@philltheotherguy1868]

What do you mean? Deltarune has little to do with undertale as far as I know.

[@Solibrae]

Dr. Gaster is a Zonai CONFIRMED!1!!1!

[@Solibrae]

@@philltheotherguy1868 There are some mysteries in UNDERTALE which DELTARUNE Chapter 1 references, and might be explaining in future Chapters. Both worlds seem to parallel each other, think Hyrule and Termina.

[@noatrope]

@@philltheotherguy1868 Certain narrative and metanarrative allusions raised the suggestion that the voice who discards your character at the beginning of Deltarune is Alphys’ predecessor as Royal Scientist, who apparently did something to retcon himself out of existence such that you have to actually mess with Undertale’s game files to restore characters and text that refer to him

[@bikkiikun]

FYI: Being a Japanese game and all you might want to look in possible Japanese meanings (in the context of what is shown in the game). You could easily make an argument that ZO means "Statue" or "Figure" (= 像). As for the NAI part, there are multiple possibilities. 1) Not existing, not being there, not owned (= 無い) or 2) to twist or to twirl (there's a lot of twirls in the Zonai Artwork) (= 綯い) or 3) dead or deceased (= 亡い). And Gerudo is very likely derived from the Japanese transliteration of the German word fir money: "Geld" (they love to steal it). Or if you want to be creative you could dig up the following Kanji 気, 流 and 道, which could be read as Ge, Ru and Do. With 気 meaning "to have the appearance of" or "to seem", 流 meaning "banishment (as criminal punishment)" and 道 meaning road, path, way or a set of practices or way of life. They are afterall a people that keeps up the appearance of being outlaws, even paraiahs in a way. Of course if you use a different reading, even join the kanjis, then 気流 means air current or airflow. Which could reflect on the ever present winds along the path.

[@ChibiProwl]

Cool!

[@savagehunter537]

Man, this did not age well, but I still love zeltic's channel, keepngoing mate.

[@lastcorridorsans]

It did age well, people are still watching this vid after totk release even though this theory is clearly not fully correct

[@savagehunter537]

@Vibin Seal I didn't mean it was bad, just amusing.

[@tarman47]

Very interesting to come back to this one now to see where we were before TOTK.

[@doommustard8818]

I'm bothered by the assumption that "the zonai" are a single people/tribe united under the same deity. If they were a single tribe all worshipping the same deity why are there different temples with clearly different idols.

[@dash3995]

Interesting theory, it also might have been that the zonai DID seal Ganon, destroying themselves in the process, what if they used the soul power from their people to seal away ganon, using the same kind of magic that Astor used in age of calamity

[@MidoriOfTheShuinsen]

A kind of Monkey's Paw situation? I could see it. "You seek eternity? Fine! You'll spend eternity in this tomb!"

[@shaders3864]

Yes, completely agree with this. Plus the fact of the trailer showing the shadow of Ganon seemingly screaming in agony trying to get away from the hand and the disrepair of the boars in the Zonai ruins which are rare and in terrible shape compared to the owls and dragons, I feel it makes a lot more sense.

[@Mr.Goufball]

One thing I’ve thought about the zonai is that as far as I know their name has never officially been stated as being zonai. People just sort of assumed that’s their name because of the location called zonai ruins. However it is very much possible that zonai simply was the name of that location and not the people living there.

[@ItsIsaan]

The creating a champion book refers to them as Zonai.

[@CatLover-sf3uw]

I have a… somewhat dark theory on the how the Zonai vanished. Astor, a follower of Ganon, didn’t even flinch when he took the souls of the Yiga. So what if the Zonai took it a step further? Instead of killing others, they all took their own lives to keep Ganondorf in the cycle forever? I'm a bit creeped put by this myself...

[@randomstuff14688]

Yo that aged well

[@thewriterslens5689]

Coming back to this video now that TOTK is out, I'm disappointed that the Zonai weren't some barbaric, Ganon-worshipping race. It would have been a lot better, story-wise, than what we actually got, IMO. Additionally, the fact that much of the reason behind them suddenly disappearing thousands of years ago is also anti-climatic.

[@dachking6657]

You ever think about how Breath of the Wild is essentially the entire world versus the physical form of an extremely pissed off guy’s hatred for two people that he knew millennia ago Crazy

[@nworder4life]

I mean not just a guy, Ganondorf is the reincarnation of a demon king.

[@52paces]

I do really enjoy how Nintendo took one of BOTW’s most mysterious, rad, and kinda unknown parts and made it almost a huge section of the sequel. I myself do theories in my head, and BOTW 2 certainly has my gears going wild!

[@alisethera9349]

Watch the Zonai never be mentioned by name in the final game.

[@52paces]

@@alisethera9349 Yes it’s gonna be the lost sister tribe of the Zonai: The Conai Tribe

[@_incogni_]

I'd laugh if the Zonai we literally a monster race.

[@lonestarr1490]

Well, so far I'm aware of no depiction of them. So it might quite possibly be the case.

[@lucielm]

Wh as t if kilton was a zonai?

[@rolandhinson261]

@@lucielm OH MY GOD

[@_incogni_]

@@lucielm ah yes the ancient zonai technology of the squeaky hammer! 😄

[@logans.7932]

Hey, we don’t get enough civilized monsters in LOZ. Maybe they’re an evolutionary ancestor of modern -Blin creatures?

[@benbassist]

This is fun coming back after the game has come out.

[@ZorLink21]

I think originally, the temple where Ganondorf was sealed (which never made it into the final game) had those designs to warn people that he was there and that he was dangerous.

[@aartanema7962]

I'm not the most knowledgeable about the lore but something bothers me about this theory. If it was Ganondorf's plan to seal himself away in secret, why would he order or even let his followers decorate the place in his image. And in your logique, they could not have done it while Ganon was dormant because they would be dead by then. I think the zonai helped seal Ganon. I interpret the decorations as warnings and ways they would pass on the information about what was sealed here and why. I think there were no shackles because the sealing was sudden, an attack almost. Maybe Ganon was lured down there or if he was brought there once sealed. I think the zonai died in the first ever calamity. Ganon avenging himself for being trapped. Raging against the world through malice.

[@shaders3864]

Ooh, never thought about the idea of them being the first victims of the calamity. It could also explain why the boar statues all over the Zonai ruins are all buried or in disrepair compared to the others. (Also I have replied this a lot in other comments sections. Just hate how this was left out of the video for some reason)

[@Wolffman109]

4:38 This is a little far-fetched, but based off of the fact that the Zonai are described as a "strong magical tribe that vanished thousands of years ago), and the war paint on the Barbarian Armor, could it be possible that the Zonai have something to do with either Majora or the Fierce Deity? Granted, it's unlikely, given that the Zonai were most likely Hyrulian, and Majora and the Fierce Deity are most likely Termanian, but I just wanted to get this comment there, and see what people said.

[@elementsfanfics3859]

Well, since Termina is possibly a parallel universe to Hyrule, perhaps the Zonai are related to the Hyrulian equivalent of Majora and the Fierce Deity.

[@Wolffman109]

@@elementsfanfics3859 But what ARE the Hyrulean equivalent of Majora and the Fierce Deity?

[@ChibiProwl]

The eye on Majora’s Mask and the eye of the Fused Shadow look VERY similar. 🤔Could the Zonai and Twili be related? Both the Zonai and Twili are said to be powerful Magic users.🤔😎

[@MonsterMaze]

It was a pleasure to be part of this as always my friend! Great video!

[@nickharman2064]

at 4:05 when you start discussing the Barbarian armour, is it just me but do the stomach markings resemble fingers and holes...akin to the sealing hand? Potentially the other markings resembling the malice tendrils leaking away? Also, there are some similarities between this outfit and the new trailer 'sky' outfit - wrap style footwear, the loin cloth, the bone gauntlet on the right arm could even draw comparisons to a mock up of the gold bracer of the spirit arm..? And could the art and dedications to Ganon be some kind of fearsome warning, respecting the power of what lies in wait for whoever keeps going? Rather than it being a victorious, jubilant depiction? BTW, got some really creepy vibes from this video 🙈

[@seb-3]

The part where you mentioned the Help us whispers reminded me of the Book in Moria at Balin's tomb where the dwarves wrote that they were trapped and couldn't get out. I like the idea of the same thing happening to the Zonai. Being trapped with no way to escape your death just seems so dark to me. If this happens in Botw 2, in my opinion it will be the darkest thing ever in the Zelda Series. Another thing to give you nightmares is that if we hear whispers of help us, that means not even the Zonai's spirits could escape. That just makes it darker.

[@rthan1868]

The idea that this place was built at ganondorf's request was right but not by the zonai. It was his lair which he was sealed in. Incredible how some of this was correct

[@axelrosete3744]

I'm still surprised on how the similarities between the Zonai and the Mayans are just been pointed out now. Both were ancient civilizations that disappeared mysteriously and that were highly advanced for their time. Architecture-wise, the Zonai take a lot of inspiration from Mayans primarily and then from the Aztecs. I also find it interesting how the BTW 2 reveal trailer shows a mummified Ganondorf, which was also a common practice on the Mayan culture. Furthermore, the malice that appears to come out of Ganondorf's chest could be a reference to the human sacrifices both Mayans and Aztecs use to make which involved ripping the hearts out of their victims/sacrifices. I would suggest learning more about this parallel culture in the real world to hypothesize about the Zonai.

[@fernbedek6302]

Nintendo: “Oooh, good stuff. Write that down.”

[@nolanwalsh5223]

These videos so funny after playing totk

[@Therrealmasonjar2]

it's funny to see how wrong we were about the Zonai appearance, Technological prowess, weather they were good or evil and how far back in the past they were. As we see the Zonai descended then ascended to the heavens after building a very advanced civlization

[@golden5798]

I have an idea that's a bit out there but it does make a bit of sense: The Zonai were followers of Ganon at the beginning they built a shrine for Ganondorf so he could conjure Mass amounts of malice, when Gannon no longer needed them he slaughtered every single one of them their Spirits rebelled trapping him in place for who-knows-how-long, but eventually part of it broke out releasing so much malice he could create the first calamity so while he was being trapped there against his will he still able to create Calamity after Calamity in an attempt to finally rule all of Hyrule and when Link and Zelda travel down to where Ganon is trapped he has regained enough power to escape from his prison

[@Ninterra]

I've watched both of the BotW 2 trailers who knows how many times, and I still missed so many small details. This is an amazingly crafted theory!

[@rasvhw]

Love the new Zonai series! Can’t wait to see what this theory brings to light

[@TruckerWife]

My husband always asks to put on your videos when he's stressed out. It has even replaced movie night for us. Thanks for the awesome videos! Only wish you could put them out more often.

[@calarthur96]

saying they were inspired by aztec/mayan art and immediately calling them "primitive, impressionable" "no evidence to suggest they were an ADVANCED society" literally the only evidence we have is their architecture which is giant and impressive by any standards holy shit dude

[@Stevexx21]

it was all a theory..

[@SuperA-64]

Or the use of the word “calamity” is used to also describe the conflicts Hyrule has had with Ganon in general since its so long ago. So the conflict in Twilight Princess would be called a “calamity” for example. Calamity not necessarily meaning The Calamity. This means the first calamity would have been the true first Calamity (where Ganon uses Malice to strike at Hyrule). I don’t think Ganondorf would keep using this strategy more that 2 times. He would have just striked at Hyrule the first time and then learned from his mistakes and attacks a second time almost eliminating Hyrule

[@Champitoinwonderland]

Yes!!! Finally someone that thinks about the "Calamity" in this way! When I played the game for the first time, and had story time with Impa, I just assumed that the "Calamity" (or Calamities) that repeats and is defeated countless of times to become legend, was just a reference to the endless cycle of Denise's hatred. Just a reference to all the events involving Ganon and Demise in all the other Zelda games before BOTW.

[@lh9591]

I read this as “FLOWERS of Ganon” and was excited for a flowerblight Ganon take.

[@ghettokage6104]

Fr

[@lionel_dg]

I always found that the Zonai helmet resembled Stallord from Twilight Princess

[@Paperbutton9]

sooooo close , god i love these zelda theories

[@KaitoMomota11037]

Because of that theory I spent like the whole game expecting to see that the last ancient drawings hidden by rubble under Hyrule castle would reveal that the Zonai were actually traitors lol

[@SilverPhantomX]

By disappearing, they've might've just found a way to send them to the sky based on what we saw in the trailer. And maybe it might connect with the Sky Islands from Skyward Sword as well.

[@peppy619]

That moment when this fan-made story is 10 times better than the story we got in the original game...

[@Huziplayz2010]

Sadly yea, correct me for im wrong but totk does not talk about these “older zonai buildings”

[@Molybed1]

The Zonai are the dark interlopers from Twilight Princess.

[@tj5425]

I like going back and watching these after release lol

[@Jarock316]

We'll be getting our answers in May via Tears of the Kingdom. One of the new enemies in the game is called a Zonai Construct, found on the Floating Islands.

[@TheRCScotsman]

Just watched both videos. Man, I REALLY hope you are both right! This would easily be the darkest, most sinister and most twisted Zelda, yet... and I'm all for it!

[@TRquiet]

If he’s a lich, Ganondorf could be **every boss** in the new game, simply regenerating between fights.

[@brogurtt-bone614]

Such a great theory to watch again just before the release of the next game. I think a lot still hold true, and I'm excited to see just how little was wrong.

[@Eay89]

Well, we now know how little was wrong. Most of it.

[@eddiej788]

its all wrong pretty much

[@blddemn6645]

I love how he changed the title by adding "tears of the kingdom" in it

[@casualcraftman1599]

The Oocca and Zonai makes me wonder what the hell is causing these advance sky civilizations to die out?

[@aidendude4156]

"shows that zonai were a primitive people" 💀 3:06

[@lastcorridorsans]

OOOHH OOOHH AAAHH AAAHH

[@spencercarlton4006]

Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if their civilization played out exactly like the sheika and the yiga. A small group of people are entirely devoted to both sides

[@Yippieeep]

Now I just realize that there is probably another unknown tribe cuz of the Barbarian set

[@Wanderingsage7]

It could be, and what I hope it is, that Gannondorf found a way to separate himself from Demise's curse, aka Malice. Wind Waker shows that Gannondorf isn't always evil.

[@HenningGu]

Hindsight is 20/20 but honestly.... what is up with the Barbarian armor?