The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom introduces a variety of new characters to the world of Hyrule. The title was released in May 2023, and players are still diligently exploring its massive map and hidden lore. Given the breadth of new ideas introduced in the latest Zelda title, many fans think that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will receive a DLC announcement soon. While this DLC could stem from a variety of places, one new character offers a compelling opportunity to explore the deepest origins of Hyrule's water tribes. Zora Queen Yona provides vital lore that could make for good DLC material.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the latest entry in the long-running Zelda series. The title is a direct follow-up to 2017's Breath of the Wild, and follows Link on a quest to recover Zelda from the past, and defeat resurrected Ganondorf. Tears of the Kingdom expands much of the lore from Breath of the Wild by adding new characters and two new regions to the map of Hyrule - the Sky Islands and the Depths. These locations feature various reveals for the deeper lore of Tears of the Kingdom's Hyrule, many of which involve an ancient tribe called the Zonai.
Lady Yona's Relationship to Hyrule's Zora
Tears of the Kingdom fans first encounter Lady Yona during the Sidon of the Zora sub-quest, where she is introduced as Prince Sidon's fiancée. While she is said to be one of Sidon's oldest friends, dating back to early childhood, Yona's presence in Hyrule has major lore implications. Yona and her two companions were not present in Hyrule during The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, having only recently arrived in Zora's Domain. Yona's official description states that she is royalty from another domain, hinting that her people originate from a land beyond Hyrule where an entirely different tribe of Zora resides.
Following the events of the Sidon of the Zora sub-quest, Tears of the Kingdom's Prince Sidon and Lady Yona are wed, and the two assume the throne of Zora's Domain. As Sidon and Link continue the fight against Ganondorf, Queen Yona works tirelessly to protect the Zora of Hyrule. Using her innate healing abilities, Yona seeks to repair the damage done by the Mucktorok's toxic sludge. With Ganondorf vanquished, a future DLC could take up the threads left dangling by Yona's origins, allowing Link to venture beyond Hyrule and interact with the other Zora Tribe.
Future Zelda DLC Could Explore the Zora Tribes' Origins
While DLC has yet to be officially confirmed, Tears of the Kingdom's Queen Yona offers fans a rare glimpse into one of the series' most popular civilizations. With Ganondorf vanquished for now, the Zora's Domain in Hyrule is safe. Because of this, future DLC quests would likely need to expand beyond the map of Hyrule. Having earned Yona's trust, the character could perhaps enlist Link in matters surrounding the re-unification or strengthening of the two Zora Tribes' relationship.
While Yona's presence in Tears of the Kingdom's Hyrule has massive lore implications for its specific narrative, this is not the first time that two tribes of Zora have been present in a title. Various titles in the Zelda series have featured two subspecies of Zora - the River Zora and the Sea Zora. While the Sea Zora are often Link's allies, the River Zora are one of the series' oldest enemies, appearing since the very first title where they are called Zola. While Yona's people do not appear to follow the traditional role of the River Zora, a future Tears of the Kingdom DLC could explore an ancient conflict between her Tribe and Hyrule's Zora, long before Sidon and Yona's lifelong relationship began.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available on Nintendo Switch.