@@MonsterMaze I found it funny because it showed how badass link is XD. You ask for a machete and he gives you an ancient claymore made by the Sheikah which was given to the royal guards as weapons to oppose the worlds evil.
Now that the game is out and we know more about the zonai first hand, it’s really interesting how all the theory making reflects misconceptions of ancient peoples in real life.
Interestingly, it’s implied that the dragons aren’t separate from their respective goddesses, but rather aspects of the deities. Other faces for the same being, if you will.
The idea of the dragons only being visible to the one of pure hearts its similar of how the minishs where invisible to everyone expect for childrens of pure heart. Maybe this could mean that the minish could have play a part in all this. Maybe the Minish even interacted with the Zonai since their tribu could see them. And one of the discarted ideas of BotW is that the Minishs were going to appear in the game.
Don't forget the Kokiri Children! Being that the Legendary Hero of Time was raised among them, and that he held the Triforce of Courage, the Virtue of Farore, who the Zonai Tribe clearly worship the most, I like to think that they took the Kokiri Emblem and made it their own as a way of honoring both the Hero and the Goddess.
@@dayshallcomeagain sounds like the koroks are very pure themselves...and while hestu was nice to everyone, you gotta admit how nice they are to link in botw. Out of everyone, we never heard their side of things or history and whether they're aware of the hero raised by the great deku tree's ancestor. it'd make sense for their level of hospitality and treatment of present day link if that tidbit was passed down. That they'd know the hero of legend their ancestors raised had returned to the forest and treat him well. And just like before, he could see and hear them. Despite the generations, he still has the beastly strength and magical capabilities like the hero of old.
The thing is that many Zonai theories don't actually look at the symbolism that was important to the Zonai themselves and must thereford be rooted in some idea Nintendo has for this race. The simple fact that they have three animals appearing to be linked to the cardinal parts of the Triforce immediately demonstrate they have a deeper awareness of Hyrulean history. The Dragon representing Courage goes back to Skyward Sword when the original hero worked alongside the dragon spirits and the Boar representing Power shows awareness of the events in OoT or TTP. The owl representing wisdom is unusual as nobody has possessed the Triforce of Wisdom except Zelda and she has never been associated with owls. I'm aware of owls being considered wise creatures so maybe that is where the symbolism is drawn from. This all means the Zonai do not appear to be a new race, but rather a group which have been well aware of Hyrulean history dating back to the beginning. The Barbarian armor is also designed for a humanoid so this excludes many races in Hyrule leaving only the Hylian, Gerudo, Sheikah and Twili. Only two of these races are considered talented magic-users as the Zonai are described.
@@kamille286 Well AoC did actually prove to be a real well-spring of lore info despite being treated with a measure of contempt by some of the fanbase due to it being in an alternate time line. If you look again at the BotW2 teaser with new this information we can see that Ganondorf is not only a source of Malice but his very consciousness is within it as well. Furthermore we see that Malice is a preexisting energy found in evil creatures as text from CoA shows that Ganon grows stronger from absorbing Malice within various monsters. This is significant as it shows that the corpse is certainly Ganondorf and not some other Gerudo male. Given that his body is found in catacombs deep under the surface which are seemingly are Zonai in origin this suggests the Zonai were closely affiliated with him otherwise he would not have been there. The shadowy scene we see upon his death also shows him to be unarmed so this does not appear to be a battle he lost. This opens two possibilities: the first is that the Zonai were allied with him but then betrayed him or they deliberately helped him to transcend his body to allow his consciousness to be one part of the dark energy found within all evil beings. It may well be that the Zonai were Ganondorf cultists like Astor.
@@KryyssTV for the owl you have kapora gabora the light sage in OoT. He takes owl form to give advice and some times even carry link. He is considered very wise.
I love those videos about the zonai. I'm so intrigued by that race. They're so mysterious and why have they been almost completely erased from history? What happened to take such drastic measures? I hope we will learn more about them in botw2
@@MonsterMaze I came across another theory backed up with evidence that I find intriguing. Would you mind watching this and maybe you can research and prove or disprove some claims... Idk if I'm allowed to post this video, if not you can erase this message. Enjoy 😊 ua-cam.com/video/QaDvoxyvkvs/v-deo.html
Im just wondering what will people do if the zonai have little to no significance in the sequel. Or if they arent even actually called the zonai and that was just the name of a place
Wind changes on a whim, so does their name. In fact I daresay the zonai have gone under multiple names and link has almost always been raised by, near or a descendant of that group of people. TP had called the ancient hylians sky people. I believe alttp said something similar. Majoras Mask - oot time link - is the one who's mirrors the zonai most - especially when you consider the appearance of the Fierce Deity Mask and was the probably the one who started it or unintentionally continued it. Inhuman strength with enough ?spirit energy? Magic? to create energy beams that also fights like a beast. Sounds pretty zonai to me. Then there's a constant theme of testing one's courage, fighting lynels and such. Even the forest temple is such a place, the theme of overcoming your fears and the illusions of the twisted hallways - by the shutting your "eyes" the hall is no longer twisted, breaking the illusion. This also falls in line that the forest makes common use of illusions and trickery to force you to get lost. Both the themes for the forest temple from oot and city in the sky give off a sort of insanity and lost feeling. (I played them when in the labyrinths: 10/10 recommend, both were fitting there and given the origins of the different links and the multiple ruins botw's labrynths theme plays at, it fits). After all, the earliest link came from the sky - the chunk of land and its people once came from faron woods, whom worshipped the water dragon. If I'm remembering this correctly, it was the minish had this nearly identical backstory. The fact the final temple fit perfectly back into the ground in SS shows the sheikah had a hand in it's creation - and why one such person guards the area.
@@caseycook9589 faron is a jungle, and dense jungles have different “floors”. Predators would’ve lived on the lower levels, and it would’ve made sense for the early zonai to build their dwellings in trees, above large hunting animals. Faron may also be prone to floods due to heavy rainfall, which would make it necessary to build high.
you've mentioned in the video that because there weren't any houses at the ruins that means no one lived there but with real-world ancient ruins a lot of times the religious aspects are built out of stone and the housing and other more mundane structures are made from wood that might rot over a long period of time
I have my own theory: The theory is that while the majority of the stonework we see in the Faron Woods were built by the Zonai for religious/spiritual purposes, the small village of Lurelin was their home. Lurelin is close by to the forest, not to mention the Zonai swirl is depicted commonly throughout. I wouldn't be surprised if the people of Lurelin are what remains of the Zonai Tribe, their descendants. One boy who is found investigating the fragmented monument which glows at night due to the luminous stones found within, which is also said to be connected to the tribe, can easily translate the language, perhaps due to the fact that he is a descendant of the tribe members and was taught the ancient language, or maybe it's not so much him who is translating it, but the spirits of the zonai who are communicating with him, helping him to know what it means. The current citizens also seem akin to Polynesian islanders, who were known as great seafarers and way finders, their relative apperance, clothes and their culture as a fishing village by the sea being very similar. In-game text and creating a champion mentions other lands beyond the Hyrulean Sea, even mentioning that the reason Akkala Citadel was built was to repel invaders from across the ocean. I wouldn't be surprised if these invaders were actually the Zonai Tribe, who settled in the Faron Province and made their home there. Perhaps that explains the sudden disappearance of the tribe. They didn't die out, but rather left for their former homeland, with a few members and their families staying behind, eventually leading to the Lurelin Village we see today.
With all these videos recommended to me after TotK, I'm getting a crash course in just how much speculation can hinge on connections that weren't all that strong to begin with. I'm really curious why the Barbarian Armor was assumed to be Zonai in origin. All I've been able to find is that it was associated with the Faron region which we know has had the Zonai, Kikwi, humans, monkeys, the spirit of light, Bokoblins, Moblins, Parella, a Skull Kid and probably others in the known part of the timeline. So an "ancient warlike tribe from the Faron region" isn't exactly a signpost pointing to Zonai. And of course, no Zonai swirls on the whole thing. Of course, TotK ironically does now show a certain similarity that wasn't available to be seen back then - specifically the minimalism of what exactly the outfit covers. But the material and style is all wrong for that. I do notice that the Barbarian set is covered in eye-like circles. I'm curious why that wasn't linked to the Sheikah, as potentially an ancient proto-Sheikah tribe. That would be a clue to how they ended up in the shrines. Obviously this is easy to point out in hindsight, so it's not really a criticism, but I really do wonder how the community latched on to these with such certainty that they were Zonai in origin.
Oh yeah, Akkala is dreadful too. Though Akkala was never really my favourite to begin with. The citadel is great, but the landscape is quite dull in my opinion
One of my nitpicks of BOTW was that the Faron region, while gorgeous in scenery, had nothing plot-significant in it. It would be interesting if BOTW 2’s plot focused heavily on the Faron region.
As an ancient Zonai, I remember the days when the tribe lived in peace in the big jungle. The region was a jungle and a city in the same time! It was a dreamlife, but everything changed when the calamity attacked! And now im dead. Wait....
Oh oh he said the forbidden word! Great vid. I really hope they touch upon the zonai in the sequel so all the hard work going into these theories can payoff
Probably irrelevant or simply coincidence but the name Zonai could be attributed to the Ancient Greek word for "girdle, belt" (zone sing, zonai pl.). The Barbarian armour also showcases a belt so it could have been a prominent feature of those people's culture, enough to be named after that. Exonyms like that were very common in ancient history e.g. the name "Scythians" was based on the root "to roam" to refer to the so-called tribe as "nomads". Similarly, Zonai, "the Belters" could both mean "the ones who live in the periphery" or "the ones wearing (distinctive) belts". Speaking of "barbarians", the rather pejorative meaning of the term interpreted either as uncivilized or primitive is a relatively modern assignment. In ancient Greece, a barbarian was simply "someone who didn't speak Greek", a foreigner in its broader sense, and it had no connotation regarding the civilisation itself, it used to refer to Celts, Goths etc. Therefore, I understand how this connection between Zonai and "barbarism" was highlighted in-game but I don't think it necessarily means that Zonai were lesser people civilisation- or technology-wise, as proven by all the ruins left behind by them. If anything it may be used as an eyewash with some future reveal in BOTW 2 that Zonai were even superior to Sheika! Finally, names and toponyms resembling Greek are scattered throughout Hyrule but there are a few that are directly related to Zonai, which based on what I've said so far, makes the connection even more suspicious, for example "pagos" as in "Pagos Woods" means "rocky hill or frost" in Greek, probably a description of the terrain and most interestingly "typhlo" as in "Typhlo Ruins" means "blind, dark, unseen, dim, obscure" which I think is self-explanatory. Generally, I think that the developers just used this sort of ancient history inventory to evoke the feeling of "ancient/lost civilisation allure", however it sure is fun to speculate!
No need to over think the name, Zonai is just wordplay on the Japanese word Nazo which means Mystery or Puzzle. Nintendo are deliberately messing with fans you see.
@@KryyssTV oh I am well aware of the backstory, I still find it's much more fun creating your own story and not allowing a single developer's note suck the mystery out of everything ;)
Well I don't see why they have to be necessarily mutually exclusive, all they gave us is a lazy explanation on the name origin, so I'll give you that, but anything else is up for speculation and can potentially be verified in a future game! Otherwise, we should all admit that what Monster Maze and other Zelda theorists do is pointless. We are all here for the fun whimsical aspect of it all, I believe!
I think the Zelda devs care for the environment and lore that the Zonai archeology creates, because, judging by the first gameplay we got to see of the game, it was one of the first things that they designed!
Considering the zonai symbolism about the three goddesses and especially the owl one, I find it really interesting that Zelda's nickname as a child was "little bird" as Urbosa keeps calling her now, and if I'm right it was the way her mother called her too. :)
You know what’s crazy? I live in North Carolina and I’ve never had a white Christmas, but it actually snowed here this year! On Christmas Day! Not enough to stick to the ground, but hey, I’ll take it!
I found a place just before the stable coming from hyrule that could have been a bridge at one point! There is a bore statue nearby. It dips down a bit but the pillars you have been describing and an actual paved bit of path is still there. maybe the actual city was spread across the falls? Oh and there are pillars on both sides of the river marking the bridge.
I don't know which I'd prefer more Nintendo giving us more information about the Zonai and giving them a bigger role by turning their ruins into traditional Dungeons, or them just tossing them to the side and just considering them insignificant after the 1,000s of videos about them, or theories on how pivotal they'll be to BotW2 because that would just be kind of funny, but also sad.
@@Broockle No, I'm pretty sure they are of ancient Hylian origin. Their stonework is much less gradiloquent and more delicate, not featuring any Zonai symbolism and additionally they're found throughout all of Hyrule.
The towers could be made by someone else, but the base surrounding the towers in that specific area are unmistakably Zonai made. So.. yeah.. its hard. Masterworks desribes them as Zonai made, but the artwork they show doesn't match that of the in-game variant. They gave them a complete overhaul, and made them much more boring looking.
@@Broockle I'm thinking that the Zonai began to breed with the Hylians and over time the Hylian culture replaced the Zonai. Depending on when the towers were built, their appearance could be the result of Hylian influence on the remaining Zonai population.
This video was amazing, as always! I love the mystery surrounding the Zonai, its so intriguing! One thing that stood out to me was that the spirits on thundra plateau have colors that very closely resemble the colors of the divine beasts on Impa's tapestry. Perhaps they are connected? Maybe the Zonai passed down their own legends about the original champions through the thundra plateau spirits? Maybe thundra plateau is the orignial champions' final resting place? There is so much potential!
Idk if you saw the fanmade concept art of the 10,000 year old Link on Twitter but it depicts that Link as a Zonai warrior and even though it was clearly fanmade it was still really cool
I actually expect the name Zonai was given to them by Hylians and they called themselves something else. Like Pikory vs. Minish. We will find out in botw2. Yet again great video btw.
I do believe they are going to use the zonai as a way for link to access the triforce of courage hence the magic entering his right hand where all of the triforce pieces show up upon the threes hands. Because the right hand is always known as the true power within warriors. Hence the basics of swordsmanship even within the book of five rings. And Michael as the right hand of god.. the creators use real life examples within these games. Along with religion it’s just at the base of the stories.
replaying botw after years, rediscovering things i have befor in new amazement. Shrines i must of done befor but do not remember at all. This game is amazing. Still so much to discover and the sequel is so near!, its sad to say but i think BOTW will be forgotten after Tears of the Kingdom comes out, or maybe theyll add something to the old game thatll make going back and playing again worth it. The new game will have new discoveries, and i wonder if those will give us better perspective and ideas of the discoveries and mysteries in botw. Cheers!, to the time we all had with this remarkable installment to the Zelda universe.
Dude! The three districts was genius. Challenge: what if the tower district was the boar district? I know boat statues are hard to find since they're mostly buried (or discarded!?) But where do the boars congregate?
I always felt like the dragons are literally incarnations of the three Golden Goddesses. Like how Zelda is an incarnation of Hylia. They're just that powerful that even their incarnation is a damned dragon.
There's never been any incarnations of the Golden Goddesses, if they were they'd be even more powerful than Hylia. It would also defeat the point of creating Hylia herself if the goddesses intended to manifest.
Based on the fact that, presumably, only people that are pure of heart can see them, it is entirely possible that they were descendants of Link. Or perhaps they were that era's version of the yiga tribe, but reversed to follow the hero of 10,000 years ago.
i was thinking that in the area where the boko camp is now may have been a settlement area because its so wide open and theres nothing else like it on the path except at the opening of dracozu lake itself. in the water in the lake there are also submerged dragon heads around the "teeth" of the lake
I wonder if the zonai ruins in faron woods (where all the lizalfoes are along the walls) are what's left of the forest temple in oot? It's about the right location too.
7:17 in a way the hylian religion is like Christianity who mainly worship jesus while the zonai are more like other religions who worship the main creator god (or gods)
I feel like when they call the Zonai savages they’re comparing them to shekiah and hylians who had guardians and a castle. People who do things traditionally or different may have been referred to as savages.
I'm not sure if our theories should have a revisit because of Age of Calamity. I feel like Age of Calamity confirms things we had on or having other secret theories in the game.
"get out your machete"
*pulls out claymore
Details detail!
@@MonsterMaze I found it funny because it showed how badass link is XD. You ask for a machete and he gives you an ancient claymore made by the Sheikah which was given to the royal guards as weapons to oppose the worlds evil.
Now that the game is out and we know more about the zonai first hand, it’s really interesting how all the theory making reflects misconceptions of ancient peoples in real life.
Did somebody say ZONAI?!
Never heard of them...
i said zonai
Hey people talking Zonai? I'll let myself in
No I did not
I said “Maybe Link’s mom is possibly of Zonai descendants.” I know it is unlikely.
Interestingly, it’s implied that the dragons aren’t separate from their respective goddesses, but rather aspects of the deities. Other faces for the same being, if you will.
Oh, like avatars! I think that's the term used for various religious deities around the world, particularly in Hinduism
perhaps they were just creatures made to represent them
Similar to the different names of God?
@@JamesonMcLeod something like that.
The Zonai are practically the Atlanteans of the Zelda lore.
ha ha yah
Kokiri swirl.
"Meanwhile, in Norway"
Me, looking out the window: uh, yeah. Pretty much.
OMG Yes! 2 Zonai videos by Commonwealth and MonsteMaze!
I’ll check the amount of times the Z-word was said in this video.
Well?.... we're waiting!
@@MonsterMaze 32
@@MonsterMaze They never said they'd REVEAL the number.
ToTK is out and this feels like a historical vid
4:00 There’s a...horse god? I’ve 100 percented every shrine and never knew this.
lol the more you know, that’s the beauty of Botw you can still keep finding new things and it’s awesome
i think the horse god is a side quest
It's how you bring back a horse you've killed.
Its not a sidequest, but some people at the highland stable mention it
@@ab-wj8yg spoiler, it has do do with horses. Not gonna say what though
5:56
Damn I wasn’t expecting a real life history lesson 😳
Courtesy of the Romans ;)
Courtesy of Raid Shadow Legends
The idea of the dragons only being visible to the one of pure hearts its similar of how the minishs where invisible to everyone expect for childrens of pure heart. Maybe this could mean that the minish could have play a part in all this. Maybe the Minish even interacted with the Zonai since their tribu could see them. And one of the discarted ideas of BotW is that the Minishs were going to appear in the game.
Don't forget the Kokiri Children! Being that the Legendary Hero of Time was raised among them, and that he held the Triforce of Courage, the Virtue of Farore, who the Zonai Tribe clearly worship the most, I like to think that they took the Kokiri Emblem and made it their own as a way of honoring both the Hero and the Goddess.
@@dayshallcomeagain sounds like the koroks are very pure themselves...and while hestu was nice to everyone, you gotta admit how nice they are to link in botw. Out of everyone, we never heard their side of things or history and whether they're aware of the hero raised by the great deku tree's ancestor. it'd make sense for their level of hospitality and treatment of present day link if that tidbit was passed down. That they'd know the hero of legend their ancestors raised had returned to the forest and treat him well. And just like before, he could see and hear them. Despite the generations, he still has the beastly strength and magical capabilities like the hero of old.
"A closer Look a the Zonai Ruins"
*HOW* HOW could you look *any* closer!?
2 words: Magnifying Glass
The thing is that many Zonai theories don't actually look at the symbolism that was important to the Zonai themselves and must thereford be rooted in some idea Nintendo has for this race. The simple fact that they have three animals appearing to be linked to the cardinal parts of the Triforce immediately demonstrate they have a deeper awareness of Hyrulean history.
The Dragon representing Courage goes back to Skyward Sword when the original hero worked alongside the dragon spirits and the Boar representing Power shows awareness of the events in OoT or TTP. The owl representing wisdom is unusual as nobody has possessed the Triforce of Wisdom except Zelda and she has never been associated with owls. I'm aware of owls being considered wise creatures so maybe that is where the symbolism is drawn from.
This all means the Zonai do not appear to be a new race, but rather a group which have been well aware of Hyrulean history dating back to the beginning. The Barbarian armor is also designed for a humanoid so this excludes many races in Hyrule leaving only the Hylian, Gerudo, Sheikah and Twili. Only two of these races are considered talented magic-users as the Zonai are described.
@@KryyssTV that is a Very good point dude. I really hope BotW 2 gives us more information about them
@@kamille286 Well AoC did actually prove to be a real well-spring of lore info despite being treated with a measure of contempt by some of the fanbase due to it being in an alternate time line. If you look again at the BotW2 teaser with new this information we can see that Ganondorf is not only a source of Malice but his very consciousness is within it as well. Furthermore we see that Malice is a preexisting energy found in evil creatures as text from CoA shows that Ganon grows stronger from absorbing Malice within various monsters.
This is significant as it shows that the corpse is certainly Ganondorf and not some other Gerudo male. Given that his body is found in catacombs deep under the surface which are seemingly are Zonai in origin this suggests the Zonai were closely affiliated with him otherwise he would not have been there. The shadowy scene we see upon his death also shows him to be unarmed so this does not appear to be a battle he lost. This opens two possibilities: the first is that the Zonai were allied with him but then betrayed him or they deliberately helped him to transcend his body to allow his consciousness to be one part of the dark energy found within all evil beings. It may well be that the Zonai were Ganondorf cultists like Astor.
@@KryyssTV for the owl you have kapora gabora the light sage in OoT. He takes owl form to give advice and some times even carry link. He is considered very wise.
I love those videos about the zonai. I'm so intrigued by that race. They're so mysterious and why have they been almost completely erased from history? What happened to take such drastic measures? I hope we will learn more about them in botw2
Yes, I genuinly hope so too. We need answers ^^
@@MonsterMaze I came across another theory backed up with evidence that I find intriguing.
Would you mind watching this and maybe you can research and prove or disprove some claims... Idk if I'm allowed to post this video, if not you can erase this message.
Enjoy 😊
ua-cam.com/video/QaDvoxyvkvs/v-deo.html
Im just wondering what will people do if the zonai have little to no significance in the sequel. Or if they arent even actually called the zonai and that was just the name of a place
Wind changes on a whim, so does their name. In fact I daresay the zonai have gone under multiple names and link has almost always been raised by, near or a descendant of that group of people. TP had called the ancient hylians sky people. I believe alttp said something similar. Majoras Mask - oot time link - is the one who's mirrors the zonai most - especially when you consider the appearance of the Fierce Deity Mask and was the probably the one who started it or unintentionally continued it. Inhuman strength with enough ?spirit energy? Magic? to create energy beams that also fights like a beast. Sounds pretty zonai to me. Then there's a constant theme of testing one's courage, fighting lynels and such. Even the forest temple is such a place, the theme of overcoming your fears and the illusions of the twisted hallways - by the shutting your "eyes" the hall is no longer twisted, breaking the illusion. This also falls in line that the forest makes common use of illusions and trickery to force you to get lost. Both the themes for the forest temple from oot and city in the sky give off a sort of insanity and lost feeling. (I played them when in the labyrinths: 10/10 recommend, both were fitting there and given the origins of the different links and the multiple ruins botw's labrynths theme plays at, it fits).
After all, the earliest link came from the sky - the chunk of land and its people once came from faron woods, whom worshipped the water dragon. If I'm remembering this correctly, it was the minish had this nearly identical backstory. The fact the final temple fit perfectly back into the ground in SS shows the sheikah had a hand in it's creation - and why one such person guards the area.
I am so glad on how true this is! We will most definetely be learning more about the Zonai, they are a key part in tears of the kingdom!
It's interesting that outside of Kaneli in Rito village the only other owls we see in BOTW are these Zonai ruins!
You've cracked the code! The zonai worshipped Kaneli! *DUN DUN DUUUN*
Perhaps the zonai were tree-dwellers? That might help explain why we don’t see any of their dwellings in-game.
That makes sense to live in a forest then, but there is nothing significant in trees
@@caseycook9589 faron is a jungle, and dense jungles have different “floors”. Predators would’ve lived on the lower levels, and it would’ve made sense for the early zonai to build their dwellings in trees, above large hunting animals. Faron may also be prone to floods due to heavy rainfall, which would make it necessary to build high.
@@Fluffkitscripts That's a strong point. Then the stone structures would only be for markers and religious sites.
Well
@@MawsYT yes we know tears is out now, congratulations on discovering the concept of linear time.
That intro was genius. XD
Here from 2 years in the future. The sequel to this game is all about zonai
you've mentioned in the video that because there weren't any houses at the ruins that means no one lived there but with real-world ancient ruins a lot of times the religious aspects are built out of stone and the housing and other more mundane structures are made from wood that might rot over a long period of time
I have my own theory: The theory is that while the majority of the stonework we see in the Faron Woods were built by the Zonai for religious/spiritual purposes, the small village of Lurelin was their home. Lurelin is close by to the forest, not to mention the Zonai swirl is depicted commonly throughout. I wouldn't be surprised if the people of Lurelin are what remains of the Zonai Tribe, their descendants. One boy who is found investigating the fragmented monument which glows at night due to the luminous stones found within, which is also said to be connected to the tribe, can easily translate the language, perhaps due to the fact that he is a descendant of the tribe members and was taught the ancient language, or maybe it's not so much him who is translating it, but the spirits of the zonai who are communicating with him, helping him to know what it means. The current citizens also seem akin to Polynesian islanders, who were known as great seafarers and way finders, their relative apperance, clothes and their culture as a fishing village by the sea being very similar. In-game text and creating a champion mentions other lands beyond the Hyrulean Sea, even mentioning that the reason Akkala Citadel was built was to repel invaders from across the ocean. I wouldn't be surprised if these invaders were actually the Zonai Tribe, who settled in the Faron Province and made their home there. Perhaps that explains the sudden disappearance of the tribe. They didn't die out, but rather left for their former homeland, with a few members and their families staying behind, eventually leading to the Lurelin Village we see today.
With all these videos recommended to me after TotK, I'm getting a crash course in just how much speculation can hinge on connections that weren't all that strong to begin with. I'm really curious why the Barbarian Armor was assumed to be Zonai in origin. All I've been able to find is that it was associated with the Faron region which we know has had the Zonai, Kikwi, humans, monkeys, the spirit of light, Bokoblins, Moblins, Parella, a Skull Kid and probably others in the known part of the timeline. So an "ancient warlike tribe from the Faron region" isn't exactly a signpost pointing to Zonai. And of course, no Zonai swirls on the whole thing.
Of course, TotK ironically does now show a certain similarity that wasn't available to be seen back then - specifically the minimalism of what exactly the outfit covers. But the material and style is all wrong for that. I do notice that the Barbarian set is covered in eye-like circles. I'm curious why that wasn't linked to the Sheikah, as potentially an ancient proto-Sheikah tribe. That would be a clue to how they ended up in the shrines.
Obviously this is easy to point out in hindsight, so it's not really a criticism, but I really do wonder how the community latched on to these with such certainty that they were Zonai in origin.
1:18
Akkala wants to have a word with you. I swear that I see more rainfall in Akkala than in Faron.
Oh yeah, Akkala is dreadful too. Though Akkala was never really my favourite to begin with. The citadel is great, but the landscape is quite dull in my opinion
Also, there aren’t as many areas to climb.
I wonder if Nintendo even has anything planned for the Zonai. Or at least had any idea what they actually were at the time of BoTW and its release.
Given that the name Zonai is wordplay for a Japanese word that means Puzzle suggests they intend to make further use of them in Zelda.
@@KryyssTV oh that's cool!
I think they have. I think they will release a game about the Zonais
I love almost anything zonai! Great video!
I’m pretty sure why the zonai ruins are in the Faron is because that’s where the zonai construct factory and sprit temple are above ground
One of my nitpicks of BOTW was that the Faron region, while gorgeous in scenery, had nothing plot-significant in it. It would be interesting if BOTW 2’s plot focused heavily on the Faron region.
That would be amazing. They could give it a new twist that way. Some areas were very underused aside from some shrines and korok seeds
Ah yes. The iconic Link-getting-struck-by-lightning-on-purpose shrine. Good times.
Link: **sees Dragons because he's pure of heart**
Also Link: **Shoots arrows at the Dragons to sell their scales**
As an ancient Zonai, I remember the days when the tribe lived in peace in the big jungle. The region was a jungle and a city in the same time! It was a dreamlife, but everything changed when the calamity attacked! And now im dead. Wait....
Oh oh he said the forbidden word!
Great vid. I really hope they touch upon the zonai in the sequel so all the hard work going into these theories can payoff
they almost have to. the Z-Word was one of the biggest teases in botw
Welp, time to watch this again.
didnt expect to catch any vids this close to upload today
Probably irrelevant or simply coincidence but the name Zonai could be attributed to the Ancient Greek word for "girdle, belt" (zone sing, zonai pl.).
The Barbarian armour also showcases a belt so it could have been a prominent feature of those people's culture, enough to be named after that. Exonyms like that were very common in ancient history e.g. the name "Scythians" was based on the root "to roam" to refer to the so-called tribe as "nomads". Similarly, Zonai, "the Belters" could both mean "the ones who live in the periphery" or "the ones wearing (distinctive) belts".
Speaking of "barbarians", the rather pejorative meaning of the term interpreted either as uncivilized or primitive is a relatively modern assignment. In ancient Greece, a barbarian was simply "someone who didn't speak Greek", a foreigner in its broader sense, and it had no connotation regarding the civilisation itself, it used to refer to Celts, Goths etc. Therefore, I understand how this connection between Zonai and "barbarism" was highlighted in-game but I don't think it necessarily means that Zonai were lesser people civilisation- or technology-wise, as proven by all the ruins left behind by them. If anything it may be used as an eyewash with some future reveal in BOTW 2 that Zonai were even superior to Sheika!
Finally, names and toponyms resembling Greek are scattered throughout Hyrule but there are a few that are directly related to Zonai, which based on what I've said so far, makes the connection even more suspicious, for example "pagos" as in "Pagos Woods" means "rocky hill or frost" in Greek, probably a description of the terrain and most interestingly "typhlo" as in "Typhlo Ruins" means "blind, dark, unseen, dim, obscure" which I think is self-explanatory.
Generally, I think that the developers just used this sort of ancient history inventory to evoke the feeling of "ancient/lost civilisation allure", however it sure is fun to speculate!
No need to over think the name, Zonai is just wordplay on the Japanese word Nazo which means Mystery or Puzzle. Nintendo are deliberately messing with fans you see.
@@KryyssTV oh I am well aware of the backstory, I still find it's much more fun creating your own story and not allowing a single developer's note suck the mystery out of everything ;)
@@breakinglost3740 Sounds like you're more interested in your own ideas than the truth as defined by the creators.
Well I don't see why they have to be necessarily mutually exclusive, all they gave us is a lazy explanation on the name origin, so I'll give you that, but anything else is up for speculation and can potentially be verified in a future game! Otherwise, we should all admit that what Monster Maze and other Zelda theorists do is pointless. We are all here for the fun whimsical aspect of it all, I believe!
What a combo! Best Hyrule crossover.
Wish you could post pics in the comments so I could show you the dump load of snow we just got here in Southern Ontario :p
I hope you had a good Christmas.
Sure did! The same to you :)
Got here as fast as I could after the Commonwealth realm video
I hope we get some type of Faron village in BOTW’s sequel
I think the Zelda devs care for the environment and lore that the Zonai archeology creates, because, judging by the first gameplay we got to see of the game, it was one of the first things that they designed!
This is the first time I've heard anyone point out the Zonai districts. Very interesting stuff.
Considering the zonai symbolism about the three goddesses and especially the owl one, I find it really interesting that Zelda's nickname as a child was "little bird" as Urbosa keeps calling her now, and if I'm right it was the way her mother called her too. :)
Been a long time since we gotta good zonai video ! Awesome job as usual
I saw Zonai and instantly clicked 🤣
I really hope they give us AT LEAST a hint at who the zonai were and what happened to them. Maybe I'm getting my hopes to high.
your wish has been answered
@@Kuroo9 came here looking for a comment like this lmfao
they gave far more than a hint dw
You know what’s crazy? I live in North Carolina and I’ve never had a white Christmas, but it actually snowed here this year! On Christmas Day! Not enough to stick to the ground, but hey, I’ll take it!
Happy new year to both of you!
HE SAID IT ZONAIIIIIIII
I found a place just before the stable coming from hyrule that could have been a bridge at one point! There is a bore statue nearby. It dips down a bit but the pillars you have been describing and an actual paved bit of path is still there. maybe the actual city was spread across the falls? Oh and there are pillars on both sides of the river marking the bridge.
I don't know which I'd prefer more Nintendo giving us more information about the Zonai and giving them a bigger role by turning their ruins into traditional Dungeons, or them just tossing them to the side and just considering them insignificant after the 1,000s of videos about them, or theories on how pivotal they'll be to BotW2 because that would just be kind of funny, but also sad.
its so fun seeing people having their own speculations on who the zonai were before tears of the kingdom
I got age of calamity for Christmas and I just finished it, it was so much fun! Just got to put territoko back together. Love zonai theories
The quality of your videos are always amazing man.
I'll keep this in mind next time I go on my Banana/Hearty Durian runs.
Wow, I learned a view things about em with this video! The districts and them possibly being pure of heart!😁thank you
I has been winter for 8 days be patient and also thankful for the rain you guys get
6:00 similar structures are also found in South America (specifically Peru), which makes another connection to the regional/cultural similarities!
9:26 indigenous/ancient South American civilizations were also seen as "savages" by some colonists.
The three statues in this region might also be connected to the Three Poisons in Buddhism (the snake, the bird, and the pig)
Wait a moment, aren't the "Zonai towers" of ancient Hylian origin?
looks like Zonai style to me
@@Broockle
No, I'm pretty sure they are of ancient Hylian origin. Their stonework is much less gradiloquent and more delicate, not featuring any Zonai symbolism and additionally they're found throughout all of Hyrule.
The towers could be made by someone else, but the base surrounding the towers in that specific area are unmistakably Zonai made. So.. yeah.. its hard. Masterworks desribes them as Zonai made, but the artwork they show doesn't match that of the in-game variant. They gave them a complete overhaul, and made them much more boring looking.
@@fluffynator6222
is it possible that the Zonai and Hylians share some history?
@@Broockle I'm thinking that the Zonai began to breed with the Hylians and over time the Hylian culture replaced the Zonai. Depending on when the towers were built, their appearance could be the result of Hylian influence on the remaining Zonai population.
This video was amazing, as always! I love the mystery surrounding the Zonai, its so intriguing! One thing that stood out to me was that the spirits on thundra plateau have colors that very closely resemble the colors of the divine beasts on Impa's tapestry. Perhaps they are connected? Maybe the Zonai passed down their own legends about the original champions through the thundra plateau spirits? Maybe thundra plateau is the orignial champions' final resting place? There is so much potential!
Die Hard is a Christmas Movie, and no one can tell me otherwise.
Followed instantly with the jingle all the way reference. Love the content!
I thought this was a nbc vid lol
It won't be long until his Zonai radar goes off, and he comments on this video.
@@MonsterMaze Don’t worry, we won’t let him in.
Not because I live in a rainforest a have a machete!
...I have a machete, but not because I live in a rainforest!
Theorists: Zonai
Everyone else: uuuugh
US: YES GIVE ME MORE
Link can see the dragons because he's secretly a child in a flesh suit
Hm... Interesting, I heard Zonai again....
Idk if you saw the fanmade concept art of the 10,000 year old Link on Twitter but it depicts that Link as a Zonai warrior and even though it was clearly fanmade it was still really cool
Excellent production, MM and Conrad!
Hey! from North Cape! (Norway) :)
It's ZONAI TIME BABEEY
just when I thought that I started stop seeing Zonai videos on my youtube subscription a new one pops up
I don’t think link is very pure of heart,I mean if you look in there it’s filled with food,Zelda,and the master sword,and a few sealed rooms.
epic video as always
Who's here after tears of the kingdom gameplay?!
same
I actually expect the name Zonai was given to them by Hylians and they called themselves something else. Like Pikory vs. Minish. We will find out in botw2. Yet again great video btw.
Happy NewYear! Good Video!
Wonderful production ❤️
Theory: Link is a Zonai descendent
Zelda the Hylian
Ganondorf the Gerudo
Link the Zonai
I do believe they are going to use the zonai as a way for link to access the triforce of courage hence the magic entering his right hand where all of the triforce pieces show up upon the threes hands. Because the right hand is always known as the true power within warriors. Hence the basics of swordsmanship even within the book of five rings. And Michael as the right hand of god.. the creators use real life examples within these games. Along with religion it’s just at the base of the stories.
1:31 90th century BRUH WHAT
19th, lol. My pronunciation is terrible
Yes!
replaying botw after years, rediscovering things i have befor in new amazement. Shrines i must of done befor but do not remember at all. This game is amazing. Still so much to discover and the sequel is so near!, its sad to say but i think BOTW will be forgotten after Tears of the Kingdom comes out, or maybe theyll add something to the old game thatll make going back and playing again worth it. The new game will have new discoveries, and i wonder if those will give us better perspective and ideas of the discoveries and mysteries in botw. Cheers!, to the time we all had with this remarkable installment to the Zelda universe.
Great video and great editing as always!
Dude! The three districts was genius. Challenge: what if the tower district was the boar district? I know boat statues are hard to find since they're mostly buried (or discarded!?) But where do the boars congregate?
Back to back! I love videos like these.
I always felt like the dragons are literally incarnations of the three Golden Goddesses. Like how Zelda is an incarnation of Hylia. They're just that powerful that even their incarnation is a damned dragon.
There's never been any incarnations of the Golden Goddesses, if they were they'd be even more powerful than Hylia. It would also defeat the point of creating Hylia herself if the goddesses intended to manifest.
My Norwegian heart is proud
Who would have thought the zonia would be so advanced
Based on the fact that, presumably, only people that are pure of heart can see them, it is entirely possible that they were descendants of Link. Or perhaps they were that era's version of the yiga tribe, but reversed to follow the hero of 10,000 years ago.
I was 100% that Link family came form the Zonai.
i was thinking that in the area where the boko camp is now may have been a settlement area because its so wide open and theres nothing else like it on the path except at the opening of dracozu lake itself. in the water in the lake there are also submerged dragon heads around the "teeth" of the lake
I wonder if the zonai ruins in faron woods (where all the lizalfoes are along the walls) are what's left of the forest temple in oot? It's about the right location too.
I think that maybe the Zonai tribe as a whole sacrificed themselves to create that spirit hand that's holding down Ganondorf in the botw sequel.
7:17 in a way the hylian religion is like Christianity who mainly worship jesus while the zonai are more like other religions who worship the main creator god (or gods)
Wasn’t there a boar statue somewhere in the region as well? I remember NBC mentioning it in an old video of his.
I feel like when they call the Zonai savages they’re comparing them to shekiah and hylians who had guardians and a castle. People who do things traditionally or different may have been referred to as savages.
I have few words for those that don't have to deal with any snow.
Goddamn Gerudo
9:12 children would never lie? nice one
I'm not sure if our theories should have a revisit because of Age of Calamity. I feel like Age of Calamity confirms things we had on or having other secret theories in the game.
Drinking game ! Take a shot every time your hear “Zonai”.
Edit : I,m hammeredf righjt n ow
I love that intro 😂
I don’t see NBC anywhere.........I think it’s safe