Summary
One of the most unexpected twists revealed inThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomwas the Secret Stones' draconification process, yet their introduction goes beyond the game’s story and raises more questions than it answers for the series ahead. While theZeldaseries has a long-standing history of magical MacGuffins that become essential to Link during his adventures,The Legend of Zelda:Tears of the Kingdom’s Secret Stones played an integral and well-crafted role in its story thanks to their unique draconification process. But between their mysterious Zonai origins andTears of the Kingdom’s recontextualization ofZeldalore gives these stones depth that’s worth exploring.
The draconification process itself can be summarized as the bearer of a Secret Stone needing only to swallow it to be transformed into a mindless, immortal dragon. While players get a few opportunities to see this process duringTears of the Kingdom’s story, the dragons it produces are not the only ones that appear in the game. In addition to the numerousdragons seen throughout the series beyondTears of the Kingdom, answers for how or why draconification is possible and what it reveals about the Zonai and their Secret Stones could prove important for speculating how this could influence the series moving forward.
The Secrets Behind Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s Secret Stones
Unfortunately, the origins and true purpose of the Secret Stones are kept predictably vague inTears of the Kingdomas part of the Zonai mystery. While the Zonai are perceived as god-like inTears of the Kingdom’s history and the Secret Stones are claimed to be treasures of the gods, this suggests that either the Zonai created the stones themselves or that an even higher power above them did. This deliberate uncertainty, combined with the stark contrast between the Zonai’s goat-like appearance and the stones' dragon transformation, might suggest that the latter is closest to the truth.
This potential connection makes sense considering how oftenZelda’s dragons have played key rolesalongside deities such as the three Golden Goddesses, especially when bothBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdomfeatured Dinraal, Farosh, and Naydra. Moreover,Tears of the Kingdomestablishes that the Secret Stones amplify the wielder’s power instead of granting it, meaning the stones possess an innate power that individuals can channel.
But despite these stones changing between bearers, as seen when Zelda receives Rauru’s stone or Ganondorf steals Sonia’s, the draconification process itself remains the same, even if the transformation’s outcome varies with each bearer.
The Secret Stones' Mysterious Link to Zelda’s Gods, Goddesses, and Dragons
The ultimate implication of all of this seems to indicate thatZelda’s dragons are the closest if not the true form of its various deities, something which might put the Secret Stones on the same level asZelda’s main divine power source, the Triforce. Just as the Triforce grants a mortal wielder their greatest wish, the Secret Stones' draconification is potentially a parallel to this and a new addition toZeldaallowing mortals to sacrifice their sense of self and transform into immortal, god-like dragons. If this is true, these new Secret Stones and their draconification process could significantly reshapeZeldahistory whenever dragons have appeared.
How Could Draconification Influence Future Zelda Games
Though eachZeldagame retains a certain degree of separation from all others, the series' cyclical narrative has often caused significant speculation about how characters, items, and features from one game might impact another. The Secret Stones' draconification process may be the latest twist, prompting fans to reconsider the lore aroundZelda’s dragons with questions ranging from the potential mortal identities of Dinraal, Farosh, and Naydra to why the likes ofWind Waker’s Valoo haven’t lost their minds, unlike other dragons. However, with itsplace inZelda’s timeline complicatedby its time travel, draconification may be something onlyTears of the Kingdomexplored.
