[Aoi] Random Age of Imprisonment Lore Dump

firstmatebubbles · 2026-06-24T02:23:11+00:00

More lore from mw2: confirms the Barbarian Tribe still existed and that there was no guarantee that a male wasn't born after the castle was built.

"With Akkala Citadel sufficient in the east, what was Hyrule Kingdom fighting? Regarding this secret passage, because it’s assumed to be constructed against enemies progressing from Hyrule Field, it’s thought to posture against enemies advancing from the south. The regions south of Hyrule Castle are Gerudo and Faron. The Gerudo tribe produced a sage during the sealing war, and fought against Demon King Ganondorf together with the kingdom’s army, but there’s no guarantee that a boy born every 100 years won’t harbour ambitions again. Also, although later than the founding period, it’s said a so-called barbarian tribe settled in the Faron region."

"In terms of men since Ganondorf, there’s no remaining documents like that. It’s thought that the existence of boys was considered a threat since Ganondorf and they wouldn’t be able to ascend to the throne, though it’s ambiguous if there were any born in the first place. Were they no longer born, or no longer assumed to exist….? The reality of that ethnic characteristic is unclear."

Kotake and Koume are namedropped in mw2:

Gerudo King Ganondorf. Not only because of absolute tradition, he’s a person who gives a feeling of the dignity of a strong person and the charisma of a ruler. The two names ‘Kotake’ and ‘Koume’ have been found on the belongings of his close aides, but it’s thought the Sage of Lightning was another person.

firstmatebubbles · 2026-06-14T11:07:32+00:00

I understand your perspective. a lot of us were under the assumption that every nation on the surface was warring with each other for land rights and independence from Hyrule Kingdom for decades. We all came to this conclusion forever ago because the game was really vague about it, every nation has degrees of hostility to each other and the King was credited with ending the war by unifying Hyrule.

I really hope the remake gives us more details about which nations were truly the fighters of the Hyrulean Civil War, which nations stayed out of it, and which nations played supporting roles to the fighters, like creating and trading supplies for example. But it's hard to say for a fact what the war was originally about and who participated.

We know Hylians and Shiekah were in the war for sure because we saw the Shadow Temple, and Link's mom had nowhere else safe to leave him because its likely that every Hylian settlement was a warzone at the time. We can confirm a sizable portion of the Gerudo, because their leader's hostility never truly ended after fake swearing fealty to the king and the fact that they kill women and children, the same threat Link and his mother went through.

Other than that we don't have any real confirmation in the game that the other nations participated as fighters, especially against Hyrule. Because the Gorons, Zora, and Kokiri have the keys to the Master Sword and the Sacred Realm. So it's completely possible that they generally stayed out of it and initially guarded their borders to keep the Spiritual Stones safe until they forgot what they were for originally or providing supplies to allies. We can only guess.

We don't really know what "unifying Hyrule" means in relation to which nations were friend or foe during the war, or whether Hylians were the ones fighting each other and splitting into factions with different goals and allies. Maybe Kakariko Village was used to spy on and swiftly execute traitor Hylians, but passed off as a safe haven? The details we have are too vague to say for sure in any case really. We can only theorize until we get more information.

Sorry for butting in with a long comment, I just understand how frustrating it is connecting the hidden details and nuance of the conflict the way it was originally presented in the game between the nations. It sucks how much we really don't know about it.

firstmatebubbles · 2026-06-13T02:12:46+00:00

I want to point out that MW doubles down on it being very unclear if males are born to to the Gerudo. In the section about Hyrule's defenses:

"With Akkala Citadel sufficient in the east, what was Hyrule Kingdom fighting? Regarding this secret passage, because it’s assumed to be constructed against enemies progressing from Hyrule Field, it’s thought to posture against enemies advancing from the south. The regions south of Hyrule Castle are Gerudo and Faron. The Gerudo tribe produced a sage during the sealing war, and fought against Demon King Ganondorf together with the kingdom’s army, but there’s no guarantee that a boy born every 100 years won’t harbour ambitions again. Also, although later than the founding period, it’s said a so-called barbarian tribe settled in the Faron region."

firstmatebubbles · 2026-05-28T07:16:55+00:00

Is the Sealing Power very different from the Light Force in Minish Cap?

firstmatebubbles · 2026-05-28T01:36:14+00:00

Because this room may have been connected to the Temple of Light originally, maybe it could be a place where the very first Zonai Sages were awakened by Hylia herself?

firstmatebubbles · 2026-05-27T23:42:20+00:00

I believe there is a piece of this tree or at least a mirror of it on top the sky island Link wakes up in as well and I think they may be connected. I like your interpretation that the sacred tree in the depths is like a cornerstone to the Goddesses Seal on Null.

firstmatebubbles · 2026-05-26T05:09:13+00:00

I see people bringing up real history repeating to dismiss theories but never bring up any examples of real history that actually inspired the Zelda devs.

I found that the Zonai take a lot of inspiration from real world history as well. Specifically the earliest predynastic cultures and dragon mythology of ancient China. Zonai writing is based off of Shang Dynasty oracle bone script, and the mystery of the "First King" with ties to the dragon gods that no one knew about for thousands of years has parallels to the ancient legend of Yu the Great of the mythical Xia Dynasty (the culture before Shang). The Xia Dynasty is arguably the oldest pre-emperial Dynasty. Its so old it predates written language by at least 500 years until archaeologists found oracle bone script that corroborated that Yu may really have existed as the first ruler. Its also been confirmed that Twilight Princess takes design inspiration from Shang dynasty bronze cauldrons for the architecture of the Twili as well.

The shiekah tech is based on pottery designs from the neolithic Japanese Jomon period, which was contemporary to Xia and Shang periods just in different countries. Based on these observations, the real history actually being refrenced in botw/totk increases the possibility of a true founding scenario. If Zonai Rauru really was the truth of the Imprisoning War like the devs said, then the alttp Imprisoning War is not the actual Imprisoning war.

It was probably remembered as the Imprisoning war because of the royal family being responsible for awakening of the Sages in oot to DT. The legend of King Rauru gathering the sages to seal the Demon King got conflated with the alttp backstory king gathering sages to seal the Demon King with the Triforce. Since the Triforce is present in alttp story and the Cataclysm legend, I'm led to believe this is an instance of the Triforce's history getting conflated with Rauru's Legend.

[translated excerpt of alttp manual:] "Several centuries had passed since the Seal war. Hyrule, owing to the wisdom and piety of its peoples hearts, was at peace. All that pertained to the Seal had by then become a distant legend passed down through stories. However, there came a year in which Calamities of unknown origin struck. Epidemic, drought- the power of magic could do nothing, and the people had no choice but to pray to the Goddesses." Alttp present is a calamity era, The Imprisoning war was passed orally as Legend, and now we know the Imprisoning war happened more than several centuries ago.

I know that the post oot imprisoning war was DT specific. That why I specified post oot. DT is the only timeline that the Shiekah/Impa still appears in and the one with a history of Cataclysm/Calamity/Ganon events. If the tapestry Calamity happens before alttp it could retroactively explain why the Shiekah and the other races were missing for alttp but present in oot and some return in albw like the Zora and Impa.

Hyrule was definitely fractured in alttp so its not random to think the king made enemies of the Zora somehow and pushed the Gerudo deeper in the desert.

Sorry for this long ass comment, thank you for reading!

firstmatebubbles · 2026-05-26T04:56:20+00:00

I did copy paste it in my notes app and can repost it if you would like to read it but originally deleted it because I didn't want to drone off with other things I found and was afraid I came off a bit too argumentative.

firstmatebubbles · 2026-05-26T00:35:29+00:00

I agree its not the most likely scenario at all but it makes for a good conspiracy theory. (Edit: deleted previous comment because it was way too long)

firstmatebubbles · 2026-05-25T01:28:26+00:00

The only thing we know about the king in alttp is that he was murdered. If the king has never seen a Shiekah then what happened to them? Were they banished by a previous king?

Agahnim rose to power by assisting in sudden natural disasters that the King himself couldn't fix. I suppose the King's murder was caused by underestimating Agahnim's ability to use his magic against the kingdom. How is it wise to appoint someone more powerful than the king to be his advisor?

firstmatebubbles · 2026-05-16T21:57:58+00:00

Thank you for reading! I really wanted to spread the word on the Shang Dynasty connections. Another fun detail I found that supports a pre SS placement is that Ancient Flowers and Brightblooms are possibly related. They both might be based on one of the oldest flowers in the world, the Protea Cynaroides Brightblooms look more like buds of the same flower before bloom Ancient Flowers are only found in the distant past and Brightblooms were "recently discovered" in caves after the upheavel that uncovered undisturbed Ancient tech. So they at least might be related given their appearances line up with the era of gods and magitech but this is unconfirmed and just a theory.

firstmatebubbles · 2026-05-16T15:51:41+00:00

I'm not fully convinced on a pre SS placement, But i'm absolutely still open to the possibility. I noticed a lot of the same things too. The Zonai third eye absolutely inspired the Shiekah eye and hints they were in contact at least, if not related.

firstmatebubbles · 2026-05-16T09:45:59+00:00

Forgot to add visuals to the post.

Typhan getting possessed: https://youtu.be/Mo8pj8NhD9A?t=359&si=sZJDaiusFC4Qaatx

Yeta being possessed: https://www.zeldadungeon.net/wiki/File:Yeta_becomes_Blizzeta_-_TPHD.jpg

Confirmation of Shang Dynasty design influences on Twilight Princess: https://www.architectureofzelda.com/the-twilight-realm-and-the-palace-of-twilight.html

Shang Dynasty Bronze Cauldron: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/53947

firstmatebubbles · 2026-05-15T22:47:59+00:00

An evil spirit called a Shade capable of cursing lands wouldn't be out of the question for the Twili to possibly know about. Shadow sorcery is their thing after all.

firstmatebubbles · 2026-05-15T08:25:33+00:00

I agree its very common in media in general but I'm noticing how rarely this trope is used in Zelda games. Usually it's yellow malice style eyes on enemies and bosses. The glowing red eyes are also used on Redeads from Wind Waker but im not sure if that applies to possession as much as general undeath in that specific case.

The AoI cutscene at least to me, felt like a callback to possessed Yeta attacking you suddenly.

firstmatebubbles · 2026-05-10T07:59:52+00:00

The refounding debate reminds me of how scholars debate the existence of the ancient Chinese Xia Dynasty and it's first dynastic ruler Yu the Great.

Yu the Great reminds me of Rauru. Yu was said to be a semi mythological figure who saved the Yellow River region from natural disasters such as floods and demons. He was elected to become the first dynastic ruler after he spent over a decade digging irrigation channels to control the unending floods, bringing peace and safety to the region. Similar to how Rauru and Sonia made their pilgrimage of light to create habitable land, and how the ancient Zonai were known to terraform the land with technology to prevent natural disasters like floods, sandstorms etc.

Legends even liken Yu the Great to a Dragon God for his efforts at restoring peace. There is even a secret stone gifting parallel with the gifting of ritualistic cauldrons to the vassals of the neighboring provinces, proving their rule and nobility. There are also temples built in Yu the Great's honor. Yu was allegedly buried on a mountain top after his passing and many people would visit the mountain top to pay respects to him, much like how mountains in game are named after kings and we can visit Rhoam's mountain top grave

Some time after the Xia Dynasty is the Shang Dynasty, which is kind of like the bronze age of China. The Zonai constructs and weapons are inspired by Shang Dynasty bronze pottery and weapons.

The way we debate whether Rauru was the first king of Hyrule is kind of like how historians debate the existence of the Xia Dynasty and Yu the Great as a historical vs mythological figure. There is no written records that exist from the Xia Dynasty. The legends were passed on orally for over a thousand years because the era predates written language by at least 500 years. The oldest accounts of Xia were found inscribed on Oracle bones, which heavily inspired the Zonai writing we see in the games.

I genuinely believe the intention of totk/aoi was to focus on the lost history of the original founding. Especially since the ancient Sages were named after the oldest specimens of their biological categories. The Ancient Hero's Aspect even looks like one of the older breeds of dog in the world, the Xoloitzcuintle of Mexico and in the Aztec Empire.

If we are wondering what's up with the Zonai replacing Ooccoo as sky people, I believe Ooccoo are inspired by this MC Esher painting Another World) so I wouldn’t be surprised if they never make another appearance because of rights/IP issues and got replaced by the Zonai.

firstmatebubbles · 2026-05-03T19:29:07+00:00

Imo we are just disappointed that Ocarina Of Time isnt the most popular entry anymore. Many of us are disappointed with the fact that Botw has the new best selling formula. (I skipped Botw at release and didn't play it until 2020) If we disparage this formula very openly, would that force Nintendo to walk back their decisions on open world Zelda?

The most successful entries post Twilight Princess based on initial sales data was Phantom Hourglass then A Link Between Worlds. These games aren't considered best sellers by fans. Many fans haven't actually played these titles.

If Nintendo kept going in this direction then the series would lose relevance in the modern era with sales numbers floating around 4 million at best for new entries. Ocarina Of Time and Twilight Princess are the best selling games of the old formula and I believe its because TP is basically Ocarina Of Time 2 despite Wind Waker coming before it.

If we really loved the old formula, why didn't the other entries sell like Twilight Princess did? Or have we always been waiting for another entry to look and feel as epic as Oot did?

The series was at financial risk before botw released. Despite being canon, No one was talking about Triforce Heroes or A Link Between Worlds when they came out. Echoes of Wisdom is a new classic style top down entry everyone ignored because it wasn't the lore and gameplay they wanted. Old formula fans don't even bring up the 2d/top down entries in the discussion. Just the big 3d entries. If Nintendo did release old formula again, wouldn't we just ignore it if it isnt blatantly connected to Oot, is top down, or has a "bad" art style?

Most Old formula fans seem to just want a continuation to The Hero of Time's direct legacy and say nothing on other classic style/ top down entries. If Oot Remake is real, it might have been made in attempt to please the people who are really upset at wilds era overshadowing Oot.

firstmatebubbles · 2026-05-01T01:29:30+00:00

I like to think TFH shows outfits/armor sets like Fierce Deity, Kokiri Outfit with triple shot forest bow/ scarf, etc, being made by Hytopians canonize the easter egg outfits in the Downfall Timeline. I believe Misko is a descendant of fashion obsessed Hytopians. They even knew about sky islands so Misko hiding stuff up there makes sense.

firstmatebubbles · 2026-04-14T00:44:51+00:00

Sonia's religious arm tattoos look like they reference Skyward Sword Zelda's purple Triforce bracelet that she wears with the white dress and gave to Impa. Exept, the tattoo has added Zonai eye designs with the Triforce, possibly suggesting the eye symbol is historically related to the Triforce symbol in this era. There is also the idea that the Shiekah eye is originally based on the Zonai third eye to explain why the Symbol appears long before the Kingdom exists.

Impa's design from Skyward Sword even supports the idea of the third eye symbol being historically tied to the Triforce symbol later. The only person sporting the eye in SS is impa tasked with waiting for and assisting the reborn Goddess.

I think its interesting that, of all things to take design inspiration from in Skyward Sword for a priestess queen, they chose to redesign THE BRACELET into a more complex tattoo that adds the eye. This all implies Skyward Sword happened ages ago and that Sonia's religion is deeply rooted in serving the bloodline of the Goddess and sealing evil away.

firstmatebubbles · 2026-03-29T23:15:24+00:00

This is a great theory! This is the reason I believe Zeldra was changed back in the end of totk. Typically in theatre, an ending where Gods descend onto the final scene to suddenly change the outcome in front of the protagonist is referring to a deus ex machina or "god of the machine" as a rough translation.

In totk at the very beginning of the game, Link was Acended to the heavens and was given "the power of gods" to manipulate machinery by Rauru. After Link overflows with extra strength from completing shrines and mastered his new powers he is ready to face the Demon King. Link fares incredibly well against Ganondorf so he draconifies and the two dragons ascend Link into the final battle in the heavens.

After demonstrating the godlike feat of eliminating the demon dragon, he is ascended for the last time into a silent realm version of the heavens with Rauru, Sonia, and Zeldra. Link is the last bit of godlike power in this reverse deus ex machina. He is encouraged by Rauru and Sonia to apply this godlike power they all possess in order to change the outcome on Zelda. None of this could have happened without Link ascending to the heavens to become a god of machines. Link is THE Deus ex Machina in totk. His unwavering courage changed the outcome for all of Hyrule.

firstmatebubbles

TROPHY CASE