The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is set to follow-up on the story of the much beloved Breath of the Wild release. The Zonai are an ancient tribe of people that were only briefly discussed in the prior game, though appear to take center stage in Tears of the Kingdom.
This mysterious, potentially prehistoric group has already been long wiped out before the events of Breath of the Wild, though remnants of the Zonai remain in armor sets and ruins scattered throughout the world. We can only glean information from item descriptions as to the nature of this people, though prevalent symbols such as the water dragon do give us some further insight.
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As the Zonai may become an essential plot element in the next Legend of Zelda installment, it may be more important than ever to know more about this ominous tribe. Here is everything that we currently know about the Zonai.
Who are the Zonai in Tears of the Kingdom?
In Breath of the Wild, you only encounter traces of the seemingly long-gone Zonai people. Through ruins and items such as the Barbarian set, we can assume that the Zonai were a warring people with magical powers. Common symbols such as the water dragon are likely idols that the Zonai worshipped.
In the Tears of the Kingdom trailer, we see the first moments of the game as Link and Princess Zelda explore a cave that appears to have been inhabited by the Zonai. Whatever the inciting incident and central conflict emerges from Tears of the Kingdom, we can likely assume that the Zonai will play into the plot somehow.
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Aside from this, Link is also seen using a shield weapon with a dragon etching similar to the Zonai’s signature symbol. Whether friend or foe, the Zonai’s weapons will seemingly come in handy for Link in his latest adventure.
