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has always been known for its distinctive style, and its willingness to change it between series. Its various races are a cornerstone of that design, though new ones are rather rarely introduced. Prior to 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Tears of the Kingdom, the latest new race was back in 2002's The Wind Waker.
Though Breath of the Wild introduced the concept of them, Tears of the Kingdom has finally shown the Zonai, though only two of them, and even those only in flashbacks. Even still, the Zonai are wrapped in mystery, much of their history laying in the various tiers of𒀰 the kingdom of Hyrule.
The Zonai Before The Founding Of Hyrule
In Tears of the Kingdom, the majority of what we see of the Zonai is during the foundation of Hyrule, with the Zonai Rauru marrying the Hylian Sonia. However, we only ever see two Zonai during this period, Rauru, and his sister, Mineru. The rest are simply gone, without explanation as to why.
However, we do get scant pieces of information as to the earliest days of the Zonai from various sources. Tꦿhey lived in the sky above Hyrule, imperceptible to the peoples of the surface. They were viewed as godly figures, and on the odd occasion they would grace the surface, it would be a monumental event akin to divine intervention.
Though rare, there are many Zonai ruins throughout Hyrule, primarily in the Faron region. It is presumed that much of these are from before the founding of Hyrule due to the lack of information on them, and that they are the only ruins left on the surface f🐓ollowing Rauru and Mi♚neru raising the rest to the sky in their own time.
Their purpose is vaguer still. Were they built by the Zonai that descended to Hyrule, or were they built 𒁏by the denizens🥃 of Hyrule in reverence? The Barbarian armor set is associated with Faron, and bears many similarities to the Zonai clothing in Tears of the Kingdom.
The Remaining Zonai And Creation Of Hyrule
At an unspecified point in time, only that it was thousands of years in the past, Rauru and Mineru came down from their home in the clouds to become one with the people of Hyrule. Here, Rauru fell in love with the Hylian So🍸nia, a priestess that likely would have seen the Zonai as godly. Their marriage signified a connection between the two peoples, and this is what brought about the Kingdom of Hyrule.
Though the remains of Rauru and Sonia's period now float in the sky rather than the surface on which they were built, the Dragon's Tears give us brief glimpses into what life was like during their period. In many cases, the expansion of Hyrule was swift and seamless, with many races keeping their own territory but formally joining the Kingdom of Hyrule as a union. Until the Gerudo, wh﷽erein their King Ganondorf puts up a fight.
It is after this fight, when Ganondorf feigns allegiance to the Kingdom of Hyrule, we get a greater glimpse into the history of the Zonai. They were seen as gods, yet their dwindling number has brought them down to the level of Hyruleans, rather literally. There is an air about them that they are still mythical figures, and Rauru and Mineru's very presence feels unbelievable.
Of course, we can see from the Zonai's architecture that, though they were exceedingly technologically advanced, they were no gods. Rather, they also professed faith in 𝔍the Goddess Hylia, and perhaps felt closer to her due to their home in the sky. In this sense, their marriage with the🍰 surface is one that has them accepting that the Zonai are no gods, but further children of the Goddess.
Sadly, the two final Zonai are defeated in this period of time at the hands of Ganondorf, and their race is no more but for the spirit of Mineru. In another brutal twist, we never truly learn the fate of all the other Zꦇonai either, and the lands in the sky are only that which was raised, rather than their true home before their descent.
'Hyrule' is a term used to describe both the land of the surface and the kingdom that Sonia and Rauru founded. Though only formally named after the foundation of the Kingdom, the land has always been called Hyrule, even prior to the Kingdom's creation.
The Zonai And The Depths
When advertising Tears of the Kingdom, Ni﷽ntendo was keen to show both the surface and the sky, yet kept the Depths a closely guarded secret. This third layer of Hyrule adds quite a lot of, well, depth to the world, but it is also a place with a very limited historꦬy for us to examine.
In truth, we know very little about the Depths. Due to the abundance of Zonaite and how important it was to Zonai technology (and the remarkably similar name of the mineral), it was likely a prime mining location during the time of Hyrule's founding. In fact, every settlement in Hyrule has a mine beneath it, implying that these mines were large urban centres as well, and likely spawned the respective villages and towಞns above theౠm.
Throughout the Depths are also gigantic statues of the various races of Hyrule in a distinctive style that doesn't quite match that of the Zonai. Though the Gerudo statues retain the style of the modern Gerudo, those of other races are quite different. Could they have been built by an earlier people of the Depths such as the Goron in Gorondia, or are they simply a lost period of art? As they feature the Zonai, they could not have come later than🥀 the creation of Hyrule.
Regardless of when the Depths were originally used, they were undoubtedly important during the time of the founding of Hyrule. In fact, the Depths are littered with Zonai structures, from temples and factories to towers that reach to the surface. The Zonai altered the Depths immensely to the advantage of the early🌱 Kingdom of Hyrule.
Zonai Technology
Of the many new aspects of Tears of the Kingdom, the tools of creation are some of the most important. Using Ultrahand to create just about, well, anything is immensely freeing. However, this very core mechanic is tied directly to the Zonai, literally and thematically. Rauru's hand possesses the power of creation, but this technology was core to𒅌 what defined the Zonai.
As so little remains of the Zonai on the surface of Hyrule in Link's time, the only Zonai technology we see is that which falls from the sky. It is all created with Zonaite, though is most commonly found in pristine condition in giant Gacha machines in the sky. These devices range from bat𝔉teries to po⛎wer the technology, to stabilisers that can steady any creation.
This technology is what defined the Zonai, and likely gave them their deific status. Much of it comes with short descriptions of what purpose they served. The various emitters let them control the elements, mirrors let thౠem redirect light, and gravity stones could function as footholds and scaffolding in dangerous locations.
However, this technology was also equipped into their clothing to allow them to harness the elements and improve the efficiency of their devices. At the time of Hyrule's founding, we see many Hylians wearing Zonai outfits, likely to allow them to exist in harmony with the technology of the Zonai. It was this very technology that allowed Hyrule to expand so quicജkly, and even raise the v﷽ery land to the sky.
Secret Stones, And The Zonai's Connection To Hyrulean Myth
However, though the technology created by the Zonai is undeniably the most prevalent of their remaining artefacts, they are far from their most powerful tools. Rauru and Mineru brought with them six Secret Stones, powerful items that are never given an origin. It is possible they were gifted them by the Goddess Hylia, or even happened upon them themselves. Nonetheless, they are immensely powerful, and the root of Ganondorf's extreme power once he acquires Sonia's.
Though seven Secret Stones are seen at once in the past, this is because Zelda brought Rauru's stone back to the past with her, rather than being another distinct stone.
Secret Stones adapt to their user, taking on new properties to amplify that which the holder already possesses. An example of this is when Zelda acquires Rauru's stone. Instead of increasing his light powers, they strengthen Zelda's time power. The same is seen when Ganondorf steals Sonia's. Their power is not truly understood even by the Zonai, and so they keep them closely guarded, only granted to the Sworn Sages of Hyrule.
The Secret Stones hold an additional power as well, one that harkens back to the Zonai's deific status. Upon consumption, the Secret Stones perform Draconification of their holders. This turns them into an immortal dragon, devoid of the self that defined them and even their memories. They simply exist, a testament to the power of the Secret Stones. Dragons are a core emblem of much of the Zonai's architecture, both on the surface and in the sky.
However, Dragons have always been a symbol of the Goddesses in Hyrule. The dragons Dinraal, Naydra, and Farosh soar across the skies and are seen as the patrons of the various wellsprings dedicated to Hylia. Yet with the knowledge of what the Secret Stones are, it is entirely plausible that these dragons are Zonai that consumed their Secret Stones. Conversely, this also implies the Zonai were followers of Hylia as even in𝕴 this draconic form, they proteꦦct her shrines.
In fact, the Zonai parallel the humans that dwelled in Skyloft in Skyward Sword. The people of Skyloft were also closest to the Goddess Hylia, and were granted the Master Sword to protect themselves aꦺnd Hyru✤le. The Zonai also feature a third eye upon their foreh꧒ead that opens when using their Secret Stone, and the Sheikah, also possessors of ancient technology, feature an opened eye as their primary insignia.
The Zonai are vague, yes, but many hints are dottꦚed about, both in other games and even in Tears of the Kingdom itself, that hint as to their greater origins, and how it influenced Hyrulean myth f♑or millennia to come.
Remnants Of The Zonai
By the time of both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, the Zonai have long left this world, their ruins and tech in the sky the only remaining evidence that they ever existed. In Breath of the Wild, we see various ruins of theirs. The Forgotten Temple, the ruins in Faron, and the Thyphlo Ruins primarily, all of them bearing draconic carvings. This clearly relates to ♎the process of draconificati♐on, though it is unknown if these ruins were made by ancient Zonai on the surface, or by Hyruleans themselves after observing the Zonai.
In the sky, we see remarkably well-preserved Zonai buildings featuring Zonai architecture dramatically distinct from those of the ruins on the surface. They feature designs like an inverted structure, pillars and buildings start thin, widening as they grow upwards like a tree. Though draconic elements are still present, they are much less prevalent than those on the surface. Here, we also see more of their technology that is absent on the surface, and how they used it in their daily lives, such as the various Zonai constructs, such as🥀 giant sundials and bells that signalled automatically by the time of day.
In the Depths, we see the least of the Zonai themselves. Though their technology is present, such as pillars connecting to the surface and their various devices, this bears an architectural style more akin to that seen in the sky rather than that on the surface, implying these were built during the time of Hyrule's founding.