Summary
Despite only ever appearing inThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princesslike many other one-off characters and villains, there is a case to be made for the Dark Interlopers to return in a future game so that players can unravel the mystery behind them. Between branching timelines and the games' seemingly endless creativity, there have been many settings andcivilizations encountered throughoutZeldathat are rarely seen again, such as the Picori fromThe Minish Capor the Zonai fromTears of the Kingdom. The Twili fromTwilight Princessis one of those races, including their Interloper ancestors who added a darker layer toZelda.
Given thatTwilight Princesshas remained one ofZelda’s most popular games alongside the likes ofOcarina of TimeandBreath of the Wild, it has long been hoped that a future game would revisit the Twilight Realm and its people, either as a sequel or a spiritual successor. For example, whenBreath of the Wildincluded the Arbiter’s Grounds, speculation ran wild theorizingTears of the Kingdomwould tie intoTwilight Princess, demonstrating that fans still wanted moreeven a decade later. Therefore, withZelda’s acclaimed Era of the Wilds potentially over, now might be time for the Interlopers to make a comeback.
A Return to Twilight Princess is Long Overdue
Twilight Princess' Dark Interlopers Have Untapped Potential
Since its release,Twilight Princesshas been one ofZelda’s more unique gamesso far, thanks in part to a variety of things like its realistic visual design, gameplay gimmicks, and overall darker story. Though the Interlopers were by no means the first ofZelda’s antagonists to try and control the Triforce, they arguably stood out due to their Hylian origin and the dark or forbidden power they used. Having witnessed Midna wield the Fused Shadow duringTwilight Princess,it’s unsurprising then that players want to see and learn more about this monstrous and omnipotent power, including the original sorcerers that had first mastered it.
Moreover, the juxtaposition of light and dark throughout the variousZeldagames has typically been presented as a binary, butThe Legend of Zelda:Twilight Princesswas among the few that subverted this trope. While the likes of Midna and Zant showcased the two sides of the Twili, the revelation that members of the Hylian race born of the goddess Hylia were the reason why the Twilight Realm even existed adds a refreshing angle toZelda. Combined with the nightmarish cutscene that explains this to players and, as a result, the Interlopers have become one ofZelda’s more unusual villains and potentially more interesting than even Ganondorf himself.
The Interlopers' Return Offers an Alternative to Tears of the Kingdom’s Zonai
However, like mostZeldagames that introduce something new to the broader canon, characters like the Interlopers, Midna, or the Twili were likely never intended to be anything more than exclusive additions toTwilight Princess. Yet their subsequent popularity among players could prompt Nintendo to see their return, similar to howSkyward Sword’s Fi influence was felt inTears of the Kingdom. In fact, withTears of the Kingdomin mind, revisiting the Twili and their Interloper ancestry could be ideal,especially after early speculation during the game’s development and now after the introduction of the Zonai toZeldalore.
Rumors ofTwilight Princess' connection toTears of the Kingdomweren’t entirely without merit, and followingTears of the Kingdomit’s clear to see the similarities between the two races of Zonai and Twili. With aTears of the Kingdomsequel highly unlikely, players still frustrated with the unresolved mystery of the Zonai might be satisfied with a newZeldagame featuring the Interlopers instead. Substituting one ancient enigmatic race for another would be advantageous for Nintendo, as it would helpZeldamove on fromTears of the Kingdomwhile also capitalizing on long-standing calls for a return toTwilight Princess.
