#tp theory

[carrotsnake]

My proposal: "only the true ruler of twili can destroy the mirror of twilight" isn't about bloodline or any nebulous pure of heart vibe checker. It's about learning how.

Tears makes perfect sense; the designers left the mirror's fate only to someone who understands the gravity of their decision. someone prepared to lose everything to save everyone.

[somasoa]

The Nature of Twilight Magic and how it affects the World of Twilight Princess

In The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, the Light World is overtaken by an alien magic known as twilight. Twilight magic, or shadow magic (影の魔力), first appears chronologically in the series when a group of magic wielders appeared in Hyrule, entering the ongoing conflict over the kingdom. 

人々の中に、魔術に長けた者達が現れ強力な魔力によって聖地を治めようとしたしかし、神は我ら光の精霊を遣わしその者達の巨大なる魔力を　封じこませたのだそして、その魔力こそが黒き力・・・影の結晶石である

Among the people, people who were skilled in magic appeared and tried to rule the holy land with their powerful magical power. However, the Gods sent us spirits of light to seal away their enormous magical power. That Magical power is black power...the Crystal Stone of Shadow.

Lanayru (Twilight Princess) - Translated by Sidier

We learn that these invaders used a powerful magic known as the Fused Shadow, or, per the Japanese release, the Crystal Stone of Shadows (影の結晶石). In this conflict, they almost emerged the victors, until the Goddesses of Hyrule commanded the Light Spirits to put a stop to their plans. As a punishment for their crimes, these magic wielders were sealed away within the Twilight Realm via the Mirror of Twilight, and the Fused Shadow was sealed within three dungeons across Hyrule. 

However, this doesn’t tell us what exactly twilight magic, or shadow magic, “is,” or how it affects the Light World. Let’s take a closer look at the information we’re given in the game. 

While meeting with the Light Spirit, Faron, he has this to tell us about the Fused Shadow: 

この森の奥にある神殿には、黒き力が眠っていますそれは、古代に我ら光の精霊によって封じ込められた禁断の力本来それは、光の世界の者達が決して触れてはならぬもの・・・しかし、影の王よりこの世界を救うにはその力が必要となるでしょう・・・もし、貴方がその力を望むならこの森の奥にある神殿に向かいなさい

In the temple deep in the forest lies a black power, a forbidden power that was sealed away by us spirits of light in ancient times, a power that those of the world of light must never touch... however, you will need it to save this world from the King of Shadows... If you want that power, go to the temple deep in the forest.

Faron (Twilight Princess) - Translated by Sidier

Faron tells us point blank that the Fused Shadow that he and the other Light Spirits sealed away long ago must never be touched by those who reside in the light world. This means little to us now, but his reason for saying this is shown in detail before long. Upon reaching Death Mountain, we learn the plight of the gorons; their patriarch, Darbus, has been corrupted by the Fused Shadow piece that was enshrined deep within the Goron Mines.

精霊様より託されている大事な宝をお護りせねばならねぇからな・・・だが、手に取ろうとダルボスが宝に触れた途端・・・おぞましい異形の姿に化けちまいやがったゴロ！それから奴は見境なく暴れてもうメチャクチャさ・・・噴火も一層　激しくなったゴロ・・・ワシらは必死の力で奴を山の奥深くに封印した

We had to protect the precious treasure entrusted to us by the spirits... But as soon as Darbus touched the treasure to take it in his hand... He transformed into a horrifyingly monstrous shape! Then he went on an uncontrollable rampage... and the eruptions became more and more violent... and we sealed him up deep in the mountain with desperate efforts.

Gor Coron (Twilight Princess) - Translated by Sidier

魔人と化したダルボスを封じるにも、ワシら老いぼれでは限界があるゴロ・・・

There's a limit to what we old men can do to stop Darbus, who has turned into a demon...

Gor Amoto (Twilight Princess) - Translated by Sidier

As soon as Darbus touched the treasure, he was transformed into a demon. This would naturally lead one to assume that the Fused Shadow, as well as all shadow magic, is thus demonic in nature, similar to the magic utilized by the demons in the series such as Ganondorf. However, this isn’t exactly the case.

Later in the game, Zant uses a different Shadow Crystal to turn Link into a wolf in the light world. This magic isn’t just regular shadow magic, such as that used by Midna or the Fused Shadow, but something else. Zelda and Midna both make note of this. 

これは、今までの影の魔力とは違う何か別の邪悪なる力・・・

This is some kind of evil power, different from the shadow magic we've seen up until now…

Zelda (Twilight Princess) - Translated by Sidier

アンタにかけられていた魔力の塊さ

確かに、ワタシ達の持つ影の魔力とは違う・・・

It's the mass of magic that was cast on you. It's certainly different from the shadow magic that we have…

Midna (Twilight Princess) - Translated by Sidier

Instead of being regular shadow magic, we learn that it’s actually shadow magic that has been infused with the malevolent powers of Ganondorf, which were given to Zant. Zant then created his own brand of shadow magic using Ganondorf’s demonic powers, and this was the magic he has been using against Link and Midna throughout the game, such as the Shadow Crystal and Black Fog we see at the Palace of Twilight. 

この黒い霧は、ザントが魔力で作り出した光を吸い取る影の結晶・・・精霊の光を奪い、ハイラルをトワイライトに変えていた張本人なんだ

This black mist is a shadowy crystal that Zant created with his magic power to suck out the light… he is the one who was stealing the light of the spirits and turning Hyrule into Twilight.

Midna (Twilight Princess) - Translated by Sidier

A running theme that may be apparent by now is that shadow magic commonly appears in the form of crystals - while not necessarily pertinent to explaining exactly how shadow magic works, it is an interesting detail nonetheless. This also heavily suggests that the Shadow Insects that stole the light from the Light Spirits of Hyrule were made of Zant’s shadow crystals - after all, they were designed to absorb light.

Regardless, we can see from the above text regarding Zant’s own brand of shadow magic that it’s altogether reductive to consider shadow magic synonymous with demonic magic. And of course this would be the case, given that the Sols - the “suns” of the Twilight Realm - restore the land back to its original form, before Zant corrupted it, and began turning its population into Shadow Beasts.

ここの皆、まだ完全に影の魔物になった訳じゃない

ザントを見つけ出して、仲間を元に戻してやりたいんだ・・・

ソルは　この世界を照らす太陽みたいなものなんだ

それが失われたから、みんな　あんな姿に・・・

Everyone here hasn't completely turned into a shadow monster yet. I want to find Zant and restore my friends… Sol is like the sun that illuminates this world. Because that was lost, everyone turned into those shapes…

Midna (Twilight Princess) - Translated by Sidier

While it’s useful to know that shadow magic isn’t inherently the same as demon magic, why does it have a corruptive effect on those who reside in the world of light, then? Zant, speaking for Ganondorf, and later Midna, potentially gives us a clue as to why:

そして、我が神の望みは一つ 

光と影を一つの闇に！！

And my God wants one thing. Turn both light and shadow into a single darkness!

Zant (Twilight Princess) - Translated by Sidier

所詮、光と影は交わっちゃいけないんだ

After all, light and shadow must not mingle.

Midna (Twilight Princess) - Translated by Sidier

While shadow magic isn’t evil, it isn’t “good” either. When characters like Darbus or Yeta come into contact with shadow magic, it corrupts them into demons. While it’s not darkness in the same sense as Ganondorf’s magic, it affects the light world in an adverse way that it - effectively - creates a unique type of darkness born from the mixing of light and shadow. The light world’s light also has an adverse effect on the denizens of the Twilight Realm, as demonstrated by Lanayru’s light magic nearly killing Midna, who is only saved by Zelda’s grace. 

光と影は、表裏一体・・・どちらが欠けても

成り立ちはしないもの・・・

Light and shadow are two sides of the same coin.

Neither can exist without the other.

Zelda (Twilight Princess) - Translated by Sidier

As Zelda says, the light world and the Twilight Realm rely on each other to exist. However, the blending of the two - the interaction of shadow magic with those who reside in the light - results in catastrophe, and transforms those who are affected by it into demons.

In summary, shadow magic, the magic utilized by the magic wielders who sought to dominate Hyrule, which was passed down to their descendants, the Twili, is not innately demonic, and even has its own equivalent of “light” in the form of the Sols. That being said, it is still innately corruptive to those who reside in the light and turns them into demons and causes demons to gather, effectively creating its own, unique kind of “darkness” in the process.

All that being said, how do these transformations manifest throughout the game? We know characters like Darbus and Yeta were corrupted by shadow magic, but what about, say, other bosses in Twilight Princess? Is it possible they’re also just demonic transformations born from the interaction between the light world and shadow magic? Interestingly, every regular dungeon boss in the game except Stallord features the same term in its title; “Twilit,” or, in the Japanese release, Awoken (覚醒). The fact Stallord doesn’t have this title separates it from these other bosses; this makes sense, given that Stallord is not a creature in possession of the Fused Shadow or a Mirror Shard, unlike the other bosses. Given this connection in the titles of the bosses, it’s likely that the bosses are all intended to have a shared trait or aspect unifying them. Similar to Darbus and Yeta, it’s likely that this unifying trait is that they were creatures of the Light World who were transfigured by shadow magic.

The first boss we face in the game is Diababa. This creature is a massive three-headed plant, clearly resembling a Deku Baba. Given that the Forest Temple is also home to countless Deku Babas and Baba Serpents, it’s incredibly likely that Diababa is a Deku Baba that came into contact with the Fused Shadow piece that was left in the Forest Temple. If we want to be pedantic, it’s possible it’s a Baba Serpent; however, the lack of the forked tongue and the more traditional head shape of the other two heads suggests that it’s probably just a regular Deku Baba.

The third boss we face, Morpheel, is another interesting case of what appears to be a light world being further corrupted by the Fused Shadow. At first glance, it seems completely alien in appearance, with no close resemblance to any creature seen thus far in the game, demon or otherwise. However, a comparison reveals that its “face” is remarkably similar to that of a Bombfish, a fish that is commonly found throughout Lakebed Temple. To further this comparison, it even spits out Bombfish, suggesting that they’re its progeny. Given these facts, it’s likely that Morpheel is a heavily transformed Bombfish that came into contact with the Fused Shadow.

The fifth boss we encounter, Blizzeta, is the corrupted form of Yeta. While it’s never explicitly stated that the Mirror of Twilight is made of shadow magic ala the Fused Shadow, the sages do give us this warning: 

だが、心するがよい

かけらには魔力が宿っていることを・・・

But be warned, there is magic in the pieces.

Sages (Twilight Princess) - Translated by Sidier

Furthermore, we already observe the mirror corrupt Yeta into Blizzeta, which Midna notes is due to the mirror’s power, and Yeta even reveals that the mirror has resulted in her falling ill and draws demons to it, similar to the Fused Shadow.

でも、あの鏡が家に来てから病気になったり、魔物が現れたり悪いことばかり・・・

But since that mirror came to my house, I got sick, demons appeared… Bad things happen...

Yeta (Twilight Princess) - Translated by Sidier

あんな大人しかったのに・・・これも陰りの鏡の魔力なんだな・・・

She was so quiet… I guess that’s the magic of the Mirror of Shadows…

Midna (Twilight Princess) - Translated by Sidier

With this knowledge, we can then reasonably deduce that the next two bosses that are in possession of Mirror Shards have also been corrupted, similar to Yeta.

The next boss is in the Temple of Time, Armogohma. Given its unique appearance even amongst other Gohmas, it’s likely that it was a regular Gohma that came into contact with a Mirror Shard and was corrupted. Notably, while its “true form” is that of a smaller spider, its namesake armor appears organic in nature; it has urticating hairs on its abdomen, a spinneret, pedipalps, and can even lay eggs. Given the laser ability and its strong resemblance to the lasers utilized by other Beamos, it’s possible that the Mirror Shard turned a Gohma into some hybrid between a Gohma and the other technology found lying around the Temple of Time. 

Finally, the fourth Mirror Shard is found within the claws of the Twilit Dragon, Argorok. If the name wasn’t explicit enough that it has ties to Kargoroks, the vulture-like bird enemies found throughout Twilight Princess, they are also an incredibly common enemy to find flying through the City in the Sky. Because of these facts, it’s very likely that the dragon was just an ordinary Kargorok that stumbled onto a Mirror Shard and was corrupted into a fire breathing monstrosity. 

In sum, here is what the transformations caused by the Fused Shadow and Mirror Shards look like: 

These transformations exemplify why the Light Spirits are adamant that those who dwell in the light are not to come in contact with shadow magic; it has a corruptive impact, that, even for demons, can turn them into monstrous beasts that make their previous forms pale in comparison. While the departure of Midna and the breaking of the Mirror of Twilight was certainly a bittersweet ending, it was for the best; light and shadow are two sides of the same coin, but it’s for the best that they don’t mingle.

[palmolli]

THE TWILI ARE SHEIKAHS!!!! (AT LEAST THEY USED TO BE)

Hey wall, I'm back. Did ya miss me? I feel like this has already been said, but i'm gonna go ahead and do this anyway because of free will and stuff. If this is common knowledge already, I might just tweak out.

The Yiga are said to be Sheikahs that broke away because the king back then feared their technological advances. Could the Twili be an earlier form of the Yiga?

Maybe a decent half of the Sheikah tribe wasn't a huge fan of the Skyloftians return onto the surface, and broke away into their own tribe to do dark magic and such, causing the interloper war in a fight for independence, or to take down Hylia's empire.

Like:

"Hey guys, we just got back from the sky, and we're gonna start a kingdom here. Hope you don't mind."

"We do mind."

Or

"Hey can you guys stop with the dark magic?"

"How about you guys stop breathing?"

Or

"Hey maybe don't take the Triforce?"

"What? Could you repeat that? Couldn't hear you inside this sick dark magic helmet I'm gonna use to steal the Triforce."

The Sheikah tribe is also referred to as "shadow folk" or somethin... and Impa in oot ends up as the sage of shadow, and in Hyrule Warriors, Midna takes the title of sage of shadow.

I have... physical evidence, though... it is INCREDIBLY WEAK. Sheikah and Twili both share the trait of red eyes, which, to my knowledge, isn't shared in any other race. Then again, the Twili appear to have severe jaundice. The orange hair is explainable since the Yiga have black hair. And oh my gods, I just realized that the Twili's color pallete is the same as actual twilight. Anyways.

This was just I thought I had. And have had. For a while. Thought I'd share... thanks for coming to my Ted talk and have nice day.

[scopophobia-polaris]

I didn't even conclude my Ganondorf thoughts on Bloo's poll like an idiot

[zelbits]

When does BoTW/ToTK take place?

It's a common debate that hasn't for certain been solved. Let's talk about it.

Zelda fans have been debating on where Breath of the Wild (and it's sequel, Tears of the Kingdom) takes place since the game came out.

If you're new to the Zelda universe and just started with Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom, the timeline of the video game series takes place over millennia, and there are a lot of different branches with different outcomes branching out from one pivotal game, Ocarina of Time.

First releasing on the Nintendo 64 in 1998, Ocarina of Time revolutionized the Zelda universe. It won six awards at the second Annual Interactive Achievement Awards: Game of the Year, Console Game of the Year, Console Adventure Game of the Year, Console Role-Playing Game of the Year, Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Design, and Outstanding Achievement in Software Engineering (and has since won many more). It was the first in the series to showcase 3D graphics, bringing with it a beautiful soundtrack that has stuck with players even 26 years later. It revolutionized combat mechanics with the introduction of Z-targeting, and was named the greatest video game of all time by numerous sources, and is the highest-ranking video game on MetaCritic. In 2011, it was re-released on the 3DS with better graphics and with the option to play in 3D. A more difficult version, Master Quest, was available on GameCube and the 3DS. Its sequel, Majora's Mask was also a game-changer, winning multiple awards in its own right.

Not only did Ocarina of Time completely change The Legend of Zelda's future installments, it introduced multiple timelines through Hyrulean History. Instead of looking at Zelda as a game franchise (we'll save that for a different post), let's talk about its fictional history.

In the 2011 book Hyrule Historia, Zelda fans were able to learn about the production process of their favorite games, including concept art and final designs. The book was released just about a month after Skyward Sword, another legendary game, to go with The Legend of Zelda's 25th anniversary. It included a lot of material on how Skyward Sword came about, focusing on the new game.

Before this book, fans had a vague idea of the history and timeline of The Legend of Zelda. Events were blurry and oftentimes confusing. For the first time, Zelda fans could visualize the entire Zelda history-- and were treated to a full historical rundown of each game and where it fits in.

Since the release of BoTW/ToTK, people are unsure of whether or not this timeline is still accurate. If it's not accurate, then we have no clear way of knowing what game comes when, or even if Skyward Sword is the first game.

[In another post, we'll go more in-depth on each game, its specific story, and its place in Hyrulean history. This post will only target BoTW/ToTK.]

So far, the game's creators have neither confirmed nor denied outright whether or not the timeline released in Hyrule Historia is still accurate, although they have confirmed that BoTW/ToTK take place after all previous games.

But which timeline?

We can try to find this out by looking at what Easter Eggs can be found in BoTW.

In the northern part of Hyrule Field is a small gathering of ruins just called "Ranch Ruins." Despite not being on a plateau, the ruins are nearly identical to Lon Lon Ranch in Ocarina of Time.

The quest A Fragmented Monument in BoTW features a stone effigy of what may be a reference to the Mirror of Twilight. Could Princess Zelda of the Twilight Era have erected it to honor Midna? Or could Link have? We may never know.

Probably the most iconic of Easter Eggs in BoTW is the first one you see when you leave the Shrine of Resurrection.

The Temple of Time has made appearances in multiple games, most notable being Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, and now of course BoTW/ToTK.

This, along with many, many other Easter Eggs, have been found in BoTW/ToTK. A lot can be found from games in alternate timelines, but even in my own playthroughs, the majority of Easter Eggs and references come from Skyward Sword, Ocarina of Time, and Twilight Princess. Vah Rudania, Vah Ruta, and Vah Nabooris are named after Darunia, Ruto, and Nabooru from Ocarina of Time, three of the Seven Sages. Vah Medoh, however is named after Medli, the Sage of Earth from Wind Waker, which takes place in an alternate timeline from Twilight Princess.

You could take all of the references from all of the other games and debate about it for hours, but in the end you're still left with more questions than answers. Perhaps the creators of Zelda should have left the references timeline-specific.

When BoTW was first released, a common theory was that the game's timeline placement could be interpretive to the player. With the only requirement being that it had to take place at least 11,000 years after any other game, it left a lot of room to work with.

Now that it's confirmed that it took place after Ocarina of Time, that gives us three potential timelines.

In the timeline where the hero is defeated and the one where Link is successful but remains an adult, BoTW/ToTK would have to take place after all the other games in that timeline. This is due to there not being a large enough gap between games for the Great Calamity to occur 10,000 years before the story takes place. However, this means that the references for Twilight Princess and Majora's Mask are null and void, a mere coincidence since they never came to pass.

In the third timeline, Link returns to the Child Era and prevents Ganondorf from ever gaining power in the first place. He is thus sealed away in the Twilight Realm, and Link goes off to find his friend Navi, his fairy. A few centuries later, Twilight Princess takes place. After this is Four Swords Adventures, where Ganondorf returns yet again and Vaati is resurrected. If BoTW/ToTK takes place in this timeline, Hyrule would have had to been at peace for hundreds, if not thousands of years before the Great Calamity happened.

Another common theory is that it takes place in its own timeline, 11,000 years after Skyward Sword. This is a fascinating take, because it gives this version of Hyrule a relatively fresh slate and gives a good basis for Tears of the Kingdoms' Sky Isles (not to mention the numerous appearances from Fi). The references, Easter Eggs, and hidden meanings hinting at other games could simply be timelines bleeding into one another, signs that other timelines still exist but have not happened. Before the confirmation of it happening after Ocarina of Time, some theories suggested that it even preceded Skyward Sword, perhaps a prequel to the entirety of the series.

So what does this mean for the placement for BoTW/ToTK?

In conclusion, there hasn't really been any real, solid evidence to support a specific timeline after Ocarina of Time. The most likely outcome is that it takes place in the Child Era, since it most closely aligns to Ocarina of Time and its sequels.

Until the makers of the series give an official statement on when exactly it takes place in what timeline, we may never know the specifics. Maybe it's meant to be a mystery. Even with its odd placement, BoTW/ToTK makes a brilliant standalone game, and the lack of knowledge of when it happens definitely adds to its splendor.

Released in 2017, it completely overturned Zelda fans' idea of a traditional game. The first open-world Zelda game, it introduced an expansive new version of Hyrule chock full of secrets, hidden bosses, treasure chests, and Koroks. It introduced the flurry rush, fully customizable outfits, voice acting, different sets of tack for wild horses you could catch, and a massive range of dishes you could cook. Most notable of all changes is Link's hero tunic is now blue, an unexpected but welcome change to the traditional green outfit.

It has won numerous awards including Most Anticipated Game, Game of the Year, and many more. Its story alone has set it apart from other games, introducing one of the best storylines of the entire series and unforgettable characters. It's easily one of the best games in the entire franchise.

Next week, we'll discuss whether or not the The Legend of Zelda manga by Akira Himekawa are-- or should be-- considered directly canon to the games.

Have something you'd like to add? Reblog with your thoughts or submit an ask! If you'd like to join the tag list, you can submit an ask or request it directly on a post.

[mari3with3]

How the Zonai connect the The Legend of Zelda franchise (Theory)

In TotK we're explained that the kingdom of Hyrule was founded thanks to the union of the Hylian and Zonai tribes with the marriage of Rauru and Sonia. I've seen that a big part of the fandom thinks that this is not the true founding of Hyrule and that it's the creation of a new kingdom (since this has already happened before), but I think that it is the same Hyrule that we see in Minish Cap, Ocarina of Time, Twillight Princess, etc.

Why do I believe this? Because the Zonai existed during Skyward Sword and became extinct before Minish Cap.

1°- The Zonai in Skyward Sword

Throughout Skyward Sword, in the surface we can see ruins, temples, dungeons, etc. I believe that most of these constructions were built by the Zonai: The Skyview Temple has mechanisms which work with eyes, the Earth Temple is full of symbolism and sculptures of dragons (and also has sculptures of people with fangs, long ears and three eyes), the Ancient Cistern has symbols of what appear to be tears and also flowers of lotus (which personally remind me of the figure that has the Zonai symbol from TotK), the Sandship has many spirals and in the Fire sanctuary there are statues of more dragons. Also, most of the dungeons I just mentioned (aside from being almost completely abandoned) have spirals in their architecture. As you can see, the Zonai probably inhabited all of Hyrule just like in BotW, since there we can see Zonai architecture throughout the entire kingdom.

2°- The symbols

The features that the dungeons have are eyes, dragons/snakes, owls, tears, and spirals; we can easily relate all these symbols to the Zonai, because there are many of these in their ruins. Throughout the Faron region there are statues of boars, owls and dragons/snakes; These represent the golden Goddesses and their qualities: power, wisdom and courage. In TotK we can see that the eyes represent the Zonai (in weapons, architecture, jewelry and the extra eye on their foreheads). The tears can be related to the secret stones, which have the same shape as the tears, and are apparently a very important element in the Zonai culture.

And finally the spirals, the most important symbol. Before TotK, spirals were the symbol of the Zonai tribe; In BotW all Zonai architecture was full of spirals (architecture which you can find in basically all Hyrule). According to Creating a Champion, the spiral is a unique mark to show that the Zonai were there and that the place belonged to them; This is why I believe that the dungeons in Skyward Sword were built by the Zonai. (Interesting fact: as I had already pointed out in another post, the Māori patterns are traditional art from New Zealand, one of them is a spiral and is called Rauru)

3°- The Lanayru Desert

The Zonai made buildings throughout the surface, but I believe they had one special settlement; Lanayru. Long ago I thought that the Lanayru Mining Facility belonged to the Sheikah, but now I'm almost sure it belonged to the Zonai. Here are my reasons:

The Zonai had an incredibly advanced technology for their era, in the same way, the entire Lanayru region in general has very advanced technology: artificial light, flying robots, laser rays, automatic platforms, electricity, etc.

Throughout Lanayru there are all kinds of technology and robots, if you look at their designs you will notice that they have an aesthetic very similar to the Zonai. (Another detail is that these robots work with blue/green electricity, the same color as the electricity that the Zonai Constructs have)

The ancient robots that inhabit Lanayru have many kinds, each with a different function (just like the Zonai Constructs), and it seems that most of them suddenly stopped working while doing their daily jobs. It seems that they worked for someone and then they disappeared, similar to how the Zonai became extinct.

The Lanayru Mining Facility, as its name says, is where they used to process all the Timeshift Stones that they had obtained in the mines. In TotK the Zonai also had mines where they collected Zonaite.

As I mentioned before, throughout Lanayru there is a mineral called Timeshift Stone, which has the power to change the time around it. These stones have a dark blue color, and when activated they change to light blue/green; When these pass through the Lanayru Mining Facility, a design that looks like an eye with eyelashes and a tear is added. Previously that eye would be related to the Sheikah, but with all these connections it would make more sense for it to be related to the Zonai.

4°- Origins of the Zonai

All of this points to the fact that the Zonai inhabited Lanayru and that everything there belonged to them; That means that the Zonai protected the temple of time and Nayru's flame, which leads me to think that they also protected the other two flames. As I had previously said, all the temples where the flames are have details that make them related to the Zonai. But why do the Zonai have access to these sacred artifacts?

In TotK we are told that the Zonai are descendants of Gods, and these gods were the ones who gave them the secret stones (which are also sacred artifacts). In Creating a Champion we're told that the Zonai worshiped a certain water dragon, however, in the BotW era there is no water dragon (It could be Farosh, but it's more related to electricity). But, in Skyward Sword there is a water dragon, Faron.

I believe that the Zonai are descendants of the dragons from Skyward Sword (which are basically gods). That would also explain why most temples are made for the dragons and the appearance of the Zonai and their dragon-like features too (scales, horns, fangs, bright colors, etc.)

5°- The tears

So the Zonai, being descendants of dragons, were entrusted to protect sacred artifacts such as the secret stones, the Gate of Time in Lanayru, the flames of the Goddesses, and probably also the Sacred Tears.

In Skyward Sword, when Link goes to the Silent Realm he has to find the tears of the goddesses. There are two very important things here:

After TotK we relate a lot the tears with the Zonai, and in the Silent Realm we have to collect sacred tears. Also in the Silent Realm (and only there) we will find many ''dusk relics'', which have the same shape as the secret stones.

In the Silent Realm there are machines called Guardians, which have an incredible resemblance to the Zonai (Extremely tall, with long ears, three eyes, and they also have many spirals on their desing).

Another game where there are also tears that must be collected is Twilight Princess. Here the spirits of light ask you to collect all the tears in order to restore the world of light.

6°- Connection with the Twili

Another thing I want to point out and that a big part of the fandom has noticed is the big resemblance that the Zonai and the Twili have, but I still want to show more evidence of why I think they are connected:

The spirits of light tell us that a dark tribe known as the Interlopers tried to take over the Triforce using their magic, it was then that the spirits of light stopped them and sent them to the twilight realm.

In Twilight Princess they describe the Interlopers as a tribe with incredibly powerful magic (so much so that they almost got the Triforce). In Creating a Champion they describe the Zonai as “strong magic wielders who vanished suddenly,” similar to the story of the Twili.

The architecture of both tribes is very similar; The architecture in the Twilight realm is very similar to the Zonai which we see in the Dragon's Tears. Inside the palace of Twilight we can see that the building is full of figures that look like eyes with tears, hands, snakes and spirals.

Eyes and hands seem to be very important in Twili culture as well as in the Zonai (There are giant hands in the palace of twilight and even Wolf Link has the mark of a third eye with a tear on his forehead).

The Twili have technology similar to the Zonai's (platforms, switches, etc.)

The magic of the Twili is blue/green, a color we associate with the Zonai, and when something or someone bad controls both, they turn red. Another thing to add is that when we saw the TloZ TotK logo, many of us related the cracks of the master sword with the magic of the Twili.

In BotW, in the Faron region, there is a fragmented monument which is very similar to the twilight mirror and which also has the same color as Twili/Zonai magic.

Despite being a tribe of shadows, they have artifacts called “Sol” which are made of light.

A very important piece of evidence that the Twili and the Zonai are connected is the design of the Fused Shadow. The Fused Shadow (in addition to appearing to be made from the same material as most Zonai architecture in TotK) has spirals, snakes, and eyes.

Another detail about the Fused Shadow that has been talked about for many years is that one of its pieces seems to be one of the eyes of the Majora's mask (I also once saw that someone was comparing one of Rauru's eyes in the mural with Majora).

7°- Majora

In Majora's Mask we are explained that an ancient tribe used to wear the Majora's mask to perform rituals, then they sealed the mask in shadows to avoid catastrophes, and then they mysteriously disappeared. It has been three times that we have heard about a powerful tribe which mysteriously disappeared, it's not weird to think that they could be the same tribe, the Zonai.

The manga explain us that Majora was originally a demon. Majora's armor could fulfill wishes, so many people tried to kill him to take his armor; However, Majora ate them. Afterwards, he was defeated by the Fierce Deity, who made him dance for 3 days and 3 nights until he died. The Fierce Deity used the remains of the demon to make the Majora's mask.

It may be that these people Majora killed were the Zonai, and when the Fierce Deity killed the demon, the Zonai thanked him by making a mask in his honor. I believe this because the Barbarian Armor (which is most likely of Zonai origin), when dyed blue or red, has the same marks as the Fierce Deity.

8°- Zonai appearances in other games before BotW

I don't have much to explain here, just more evidence that the Zonai could have been in Hyrule before the BotW era.

9°- History of the Zonai (my conclusion)

The Zonai are descendants of the three dragons that protected the surface in Skyward Sword. This tribe had very advanced technology and powerful magic. However, being so special, they had a small population

The Zonai had the mission of protecting the most important, sacred artifacts (the tears of the goddesses, the tears of light, and even the Triforce), which is why they came down to the surface in the distant past (The age of Creation, before SkSw). When they arrive to the surface, the Zonai took advantage of the resources that were there (the timeshift Stones) and with them created the two Gates of time and also the ocarina of time (The ocarina is a relic that has been passed down through generations in the royal family, it may have been a gift from Rauru to Sonia). However, by spending Lanayru's resources, a portion of the Zonai ended up dying along with all of Lanayru's technology.

When the Zonai descended to the surface, the Hylians and other inhabitants mistook them for Gods. The Zonai became so obsessed with the idea of being Gods that they tried to be one; So they looked for the demon Majora to kill him and take his armor, with which they could make the wish of becoming Gods, however the majority died in the attempt to defeat the demon. When the Fierce Deity managed to kill him, they made a mask of him and painted their armors in his honor, and the remaining Zonai decided to hide the Majora's mask to avoid further catastrophes. However, they did not give up trying to be gods.

When the ancient battle begin the Zonai were sent to build the Silent Realm for the Hero (that's why you have to collect tears and the guardians look so much like the Zonai). But in the middle of the war, a group of Zonai used their magic to create the Fused Shadow to enter the sacred realm (they were its protectors, that's why they knew about it) and obtain the Triforce, so they could finally make their wish. Unfortunately for them, the Goddesses found out about their betrayal and sent them to the Twilight Realm to punish them (Long time later, the other Zonai built a replica of the mirror of twilight, which is found along with the other Zonai ruins in Faron, to remember them).

At the end of the war, the goddesses gave the few remaining Zonai the secret stones, them decided to remain faithful to the Goddesses and protect the stones (It could be that, as gratitude, the spirits of light gave these few Zonai their light magic, that's why Rauru has sacred light without being related to Hylia). Throughout Skyward Sword the Zonai were hiding somewhere in the sky.

Hundreds of years after SkSw, the Zonai descended from the sky again; Rauru, who was the leader of the tribe (and was also a descendant of the Zonai who protected the stones and had the powers of light), married Sonia (who was a descendant of Link and Zelda from SkSw) and together they founded Hyrule. With the pass of time, the Zonai began to die and finally Rauru and Mineru died in the Imprisoning war, and the Zonai became completely extinct.

Alright, if you made it this far I want to thank you very much. If you have more evidence about this theory that you would like to add, or anything that contradicts it, or any comments, I would like to see it. :)

[mlentertainment]

video essay about how benson and jigsaw accidentally have similar philosophies and execute their visions horribly

[gwyns]

i wish i could find the post where i noticed that lucien wears a jacket the same color as elain's eyes in acowar where someone told me that i was "grasping at straws" bc LMFAOOOO

[heros-shade-fanclub]

I'm a little confused. From what the Hero's Shade said as well as what the devs revealed in the Hyrule Historia I thought that the Shade really was OoT Link and that wasn't a fandom decided thing. Did I miss something that indicated otherwise? I mean him saying that TP Link was a disappointment to the tunic he wore was definitely odd but otherwise?

I always thought it was originally a fan concept -- I have no idea where I got that idea from tho so I could be wrong. I know that Hyrule Historia did indicate that the concept is canon but since it came out so many years after Twilight Princess I was never sure that was their original idea for the character. The other concept sketches for him in the book seem to imply this too (like, there's a samurai version, a female version, etc. which makes me doubt they were designed with oot link in mind).

I know there's also the fact he teaches you oot and mm songs, but. It wouldn't be the first time songs from past games are featured like that. Unsure whether that was a direct hint or whether that was nintendo being like "they wanted oot 2.0, we'll give them oot 2.0". Overall I think if nintendo actually wanted people to think he was the hero of time, they would've been more heavy-handed with it?? Like from a marketing standpoint that'd make more sense considering oot's popularity? < BIG DISCLAIMER THAT I MIGHT BE BEING STUPID. If anyone who follows me actually knows the answer, please!! let us know!!!!

[beetlesbellow]

how do you feel about the theory that king mandible killed his wife?

i dont think he did AT ALL. the castle guards totally killed her and thats why he talks about sending that one brigade to fight the claw-catcher, he knew they would die and wanted payback

[echolett]

Does anyone wanna hear about the fanfic I'm writing rn

It's in the tags LOL but I can explain more about my current one or the sequel to "oh how the world needs you."

[mulderscully]

thinking abt cooper and laura starter pack

[koishua]

pissed and want to complain so why do i have to pay 3000€ for a driver's license??

[thegreatimpersonator]

swifties will try to make the most ludicrous connections out of the smallest inconsequential thing and then miss the most obvious ones like what do you mean you needed to know the meaning of the title 'the black dog' to think the album titled 'the tortured poets department' was gonna be sad

[sloaaaa]

why do i kinda feel like taking piano lessons all of a sudden.

[cindydartist]

Why I think BotW fits as a sequel to TAoL

My lovely siblings let me rant Legend of Zelda timeline stuff to them and I figured, might as well post it here. Note: this is my own headcanon, NOT what I think Nintendo or anyone else HAS to follow. I know and recognize that neither BotW nor TotK are part of the official Zelda Timeline.

--

Currently, if I had to pick a spot for it [BotW] in the Canon timeline, I'd put it after The Adventure of Link (second released game) with LU nicknamed 'Hyrule' Link. Two main reasons for that:

1) Ganondorf the Man and Ganon the Beast

The Fallen timeline in which TAoL takes place is the only timeline where pig Ganon is the predominant form of Ganondorf. (Despite all the separate incarnations of Link and Zelda, Ganondorf… is kinda just one guy through all of it who refuses to die properly.)

This is due to him gaining the Triforce of Power AND KEEPING IT by killing the Hero of Time (hence why that timeline branch is referred to as the Fallen Hero or Downfall timeline). Ganondorf's beast form is always shown in the games as an overrun of power and a sacrifice/discarding of the 'human' in him. In the other two timelines, he is beaten in that form effectively immediately after transforming, therefore has no time to lose himself. He continues to keep his gerudo form in further sequels/successors. Not so in the Fallen timeline.

By the time we get to A Link to the Past, Ganondorf has been beast Ganon up to/after the imprisoning war, a last-ditch effort by a bunch of sages after the Hero of Time’s death. Some details are unique to Hyrule Historia book, but the sealing war is a key part of history for ALttP (and its sequels) due to the plot-related presence of those sages’ descendants.

Again, Ganon only shows up in beast form in this game and going forward. A secondary factor may be where he was sealed to: Ganondorf keeping the Triforce of Power for a hot minute also keeps the Sacred Realm (where the Triforce previously resided in OoT) transformed into the Dark World (also predominately featured in ALttP)

ALttP’s Link, LU nickname Legend, later has Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages. The goal of hidden antagonists Koume and Kotake is to resurrect Ganon. (This isn't exactly spoiler territory for either gameplay, but heads up I guess?) It succeeds -- partially. The Ganon brought back is mindless - only a force of destruction. Sound familiar??

Importantly, this all adds up to a potential Decomposition of Ganondorf the Man.

While Ganon does regain some strategic thinking in The Legend of Zelda I (Hyrule's first adventure), he remains in pig/beast form. And is killed again. Okay, technically it doesn't state killing, so it could be sealing away. Except. One of the most known things about Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is if you die enough times to get a game over, it states Ganon comes back, implied to be through spilling Link's/Hyrule's blood. Quote from the game’s English instruction manual “The key to Ganon’s return was the blood of Link – the valiant lad who overthrew the King of Evil. Ganon would be revived by sacrificing Link and sprinkling his blood on the ashes of Ganon.”

Revive? Blood ritual?? Ashes??? Sounds awfully like a resurrection ritual ta me.

Thus, with further decomposition of self through death and revival, especially if one counts how many times Hyrule’s predecessor Legend defeated Ganon as killing him, it makes perfect sense to me that a logical conclusion would be BotW Calamity Ganon. (Granted, I have not finished TotK’s history plot yet, so there may be arguments/evidence I am unaware of with how he got that way. Like his existence as Gerudo Ganondorf, but from my current info, that is in the far past, potentially after Skyward Sword. Sue me, I have a working theory the Zonai are evolved Remlits)

On to my SECOND reason:

2) My Own Personal Gratification ✨

The world of Zelda I and Zelda II is frankly post-apocalyptic. Ironically more so than ALttP which is the closest to the ACTUAL apocalyptic events that happened.

Perhaps it is important to note that ALttP explicitly confirms the idea that a previous unnamed hero failed to stop Ganondorf. And that years back IRL there was genuine reason to speculate that that previous hero was Hyrule. Now think about the blood ritual.

With the release of the official timeline, that theory is now only fanon. But the potential is still there. Currently there is no canonical sequel to Hyrule’s story. Legend’s adventures give evidence readable as foreshadowing that this is a timeline where the land itself has clearly degraded. The zora are ruthless enemies that will attack on sight. Natural water is acidic and damages. There are monsters who can take the form of hylians so no-one ever knows quite who is safe to trust.

Link’s/Hyrule’s story is beautiful because he is effectively hope that refuses to give up on a land falling apart. A synergy between selfless bravery and survival. One who sees hardiness in the weakened kingdom’s people and inspires them to try a little harder, be a little kinder, trust a little more.

For all we know, as long as there is a monster or member of the Cult of Ganon, he might be running forever. Will have to carry that risk for the rest of his life. For the sake of Hyrule’s people and future, how he lives as a hero is not enough; he must control how he dies.

 Is it strange to wish that the bountiful green land of BoTW is what his kingdom will eventually be? That, even if not in his lifetime, the Kingdom of Hyrule will continue on and find its feet again?

That’s how I see BotW. Even if Ganon manages to destroy Hyrule, it will always live on through its people. You can never take what was never takeable in the first place.

--

tldr; Pigman signifies Dementia and I want Hyrule!Link to have a happy freaking ending, okay?