7 Unsolved Mysteries & Secrets of the Depths (Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom)

From ancient creatures, to eerie statues, to giant trees made out of gloom, the depths of Tears of the Kingdom is filled with mysterious locations and interesting lore. In this video we go over 7 different secrets and try to find some answers.

Special thanks to Sidier, LoruleanHistorian, Zelda Lore and Deepl for providing translations

Some Animations provided by Monster Maze

0:00 - Introduction
0:45 - 01 Lore of the Lightroots and Shrines of Light
4:27 - 02 Ganondorf's Gloom and the Lightroots
9:53 - 03 Secrets of the Zonaite
14:39 - 04 What are the Bargainer Statues?
18:55 - 05 The Tarry Town "Paradox"
22:47 - 06 Origins of the Dondons
26:13 - 07 The Mysterious Fifth Statue

Video(s) Referenced
What are the Bargainer Statues?

Ganondorf, the Source of Ancient Technology?

Monster Maze's Video (Sheikah-Zonai Connections)

Other Source(s) Referenced
Nintendo Dream Interview

Reddit Post "Why do the monsters mine Zonaite?"

Footage taken from:
myself :)

Special thanks to my Patreon supporters!

#TearsoftheKingdom #LegendofZelda #ZeldaTotK

[NintendoBlackCrisis]

Did I just upload a video on Christmas instead of earlier when I had planned to? Yes...yes I did. Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone!

Also remember to check out the NordVPN deal if you're interested:

[FierceDeity]

Dont forget that theres an entire demon clan that has never been explored.

1st. Ghirahim mentions hes fought other demons.

2nd. Demise says other demons will find link

3rd. Shrines are where "demons" were defeated.

[blackreaper]

its safe to say that Ganondorf was most likely creating a reverse Light Root, instead of using Light to purify evil, he was creating a massive singular Gloom Root which now corrupted and pushed back the light.

[SquirreLJ]

If Ganondorf is like the heart of the roots, they could be like a circulatory system of both veins and arteries instead of one or the other. It's possible they both drain life from the Depths (or maybe Hyrule itself) to give to Ganondorf but also pump out gloom to coat the Depths.

[shirosenshiesq]

I think the easiest explanation for the Tarrey Town mystery is that it wasn't the Zonai that named it, but rather whatever person or algorithm named it in the Purah Pad. Purah clearly designed it to operate similarly to the Sheikah Slate, which fills in place names when scanning the environment. It uses modern names, like calling things 'ruins' when they wouldn't have been ruins at the time that the Sheikah Slate was made, and is filled in automatically, likely using existing data to supplement it.

Just as it named the regions of the Sky Islands after the general region they were over, it named the Tarrey Town mine after the modern location it was under.

[TheCayDawg]

I'm on board with the theory that Link is the one naming the discoveries. Since Link is the first person to explore the Depths thoroughly and has access to an immediate map of all regions, he is the one naming the Depth locales. He's just naming them based on what is directly above them on the surface.

"A mine directly below Tarrey Town? The Abandoned Tarrey Mine."

[Hairo-rvkl]

Something I just realized as I was playing the game while watching this video, the brightbloom seeds have the same scaly pattern as the lightroots!

Not only that, but the blooms themselves also look strikingly similar to the strange egg/lotus structures that can be found all over the Zonai architecture and constructs!

[Applemangh]

Something I find interesting is the idea that there's an innate elemental power of darkness that isn't inherently evil (see the Sage of Shadow from OoT), and gloom is actually Ganondorf's corruption of that power using his own evil magic.
The bargainer statues might be somehow representing darkness as a morally neutral force of nature. The depths outfit might be able to resist gloom, because it's infused with the same neutral darkness that Ganondorf corrupted to make gloom.

[CanidRose]

I have a theory that plays into the popular one of Hylia being the Goddess of Time.

It's one I've had since Skyward Sword, but I've had trouble wording it; basically, I noticed that whenever Hylia (or Zelda) is time travelling, it creates a closed loop (Zelda was always in the amber, the Light Dragon was always there, etc.) but when someone else does it, it causes changes (Link planting the Tree of Life, for example).

[NytroDesigns]

My theory is that the ancient hero is a depths dweller, some species that lived in the depths and perhaps traded with the Zonai? So, Zonai vanishing and no longer appearing would be a problem for those trapped in the depths, and light roots failing after not being maintained by the Zonai would be an even bigger problem for them.

[yairiscapellan]

Wait... the Dondon giving you Zonaite is a rarity? That always happened to me. Every time I gave luminous stone, I wanted to get gems like diamonds and rubies.

[boredgeneral]

My theory is that the 5th statue species were the red-haired barbarians from the Faron region from the barbarian set.

They were previously thought to be Zonai but it’s fairly obvious now that they weren’t. I think it’s possible that the ancient hero could hail from a thriving civilisation of these barbarians who were eventually killed off in the 10, 000 years after one of their own saved Hyrule.

[animex]

What I found interesting about that gloom tree was that, when you're diving down there and with how big that cavern is it almost looks like that tree is literally holding the continent up. I wonder if he corrupted a world tree?

[ScandociouslyHG]

I've always thought the Bokoblins were collecting the Zonaite, so Link can't have them. The way Ganondorf acknowledges Raurus arm on Link tells me he already knew earlier on, so he instructed the monsters to take them. Knowing how the Technology of the Zonai works, this will slow Link down from collecting them.

[Goremejy]

I think Ganondorf essentially made a Gloom Tree that was sapping all the energy and light from the land slowly, it’s why he’s sitting on a big tree stump. He’s using it to resore his power and its why all the light roots are drained when we find them

[gmaster]

I like the idea that the Ancient Hero depicted with the Aspect is actually part of the mysterious 5th race, that also seems to be extinct. It makes more sense than it being a Zonai as well.

[rin_okami]

I think the stone tree roots are petrified roots from Deku Trees and the like. We know there are multiple toppled or cut down giant trees in BOTW's Hyrule alone and that there have been multiple Deku Trees throughout the series. Makes sense to me that the Depths would be riddled with old roots from these ancient giants.

[brettmorgan]

Don't forget the Dueling Peaks paradox! Although TotK confirmed that the two mountains used to be one, there is a wall in the Depths (mirroring the river on the surface) splitting the Dueling Canyons. Were the Dueling Canyons once together as one? Did this wall exist before the mountain was split? If not, how was it created, and why?

There is a lot to consider when thinking about the Depths' relationship to the surface. Walls in the Depths are supposed to mirror water sources on the surface, yet we know that the water sources in Hyrule have changed significantly since ancient times thanks to the map in the Forgotten Temple. Perhaps the Depths are a more metaphysical plane than we realize, and the geography down there changes in real time to reflect the surface. Who knows!

[a.jthomas]

I wish we have additional cutscenes where Link and Zelda journey through the underground caverns beneath Hyrule Castle while riding the Dondons.

[peskybird]

I think that light roots are naturally formed plants that contain a lot of sacred light, and the Zonai built the shrines of light over the light roots to power the shrines of light.
Also, I'm pretty sure that I got Zonite from a DonDon once.