The Legend of Zelda games have a rich history that is often conveyed in unconventional ways. The series’ lore can be hard to follow due to its unconventional storytelling methods, but games like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom take different approaches to share the history of Hyrule. We have previously discussed how Zelda games are just as much about the world as they are about the story, and one of the most effective ways to do this is by letting players immerse themselves in Hyrule’s history.
Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom
Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are no different in this regard, and both games have a way of making players feel like the history of the land is an actual part of their journey. In the case of Zelda sequel Tears of the Kingdom, this is done by immersing players in a world that has a deep and ancient history.
Tears of the Kingdom’s aesthetic is a mix of Breath of the Wild, Skyward Sword, and Twilight Princess. The game’s Zonai technology allowed for a literal scale shift, with the player exploring the skies and the depths below. The Zonai structures in the Sky Islands are characterized by bright white colors, sharp angles, and a vertical expansion that mirrors the Zonai’s physical features.
On the surface, however, the ruins remain similar to those in Breath of the Wild but with a heavier emphasis on dragon motifs. There is a clear contrast between the ruins in the sky and those on the surface, but the reason for this is more than just aesthetic.
The core premise of Tears of the Kingdom’s story is Zelda’s time travel, which has caused many of the Zonai lands to be lifted into the sky to protect them from evil and the passage of time. The ruins on the surface, on the other hand, were left behind as a testament to the Zonai’s ancient history.
Before Tears of the Kingdom, Breath of the Wild only briefly mentioned the Zonai as an ancient people of Hyrule who revered dragons. It is now revealed that the Zonai were seen as gods by many Hyruleans before the founding of the nation of Hyrule. This suggests that the ruins on the surface may have been built by native Hyruleans to honor the Zonai.
The emphasis on dragons in these ruins aligns with the Zonai’s ability to transform into Immortal Dragons using Secret Stones. The Barbarian set, which features designs similar to Zonai sets, further supports the connection between the two.
This explains why the presumably older ruins were not raised to the surface – they did not represent the Zonai as the later Hyruleans wanted them to be remembered. Not all plans go perfectly, and the Ring Ruins in Kakariko village is evidence of that. They fell onto the surface and became a source of interest for the people of Hyrule, allowing Ganondorf to influence their perception.
It’s important to note that the design and preservation of the Ring Ruins are consistent with other Zonai ruins in the sky. Tobio’s Hollow is another interesting location with a mix of Zonai and older designs.
The ruins here, like others on the surface, resemble the Zonai ruins, but a crack in the pedestal reveals a lustrous white stone surface underneath, reminiscent of the Zonai Ruins in the sky. The Depths, connected to Tobio’s Hollow, are even older and may have been repurposed by the later Zonai inhabitants, explaining the dual eras of design and why it was not raised to the surface.
That’s everything we know about the Zonai civilization in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. For more on the game, check out our Tears of the Kingdom review. We have also put together a list of the best Tears of the Kingdom codes and secrets for your perusal.
