Great/Dark Skeletons (Minor TotK and BotW Spoilers)

[HeroOfWisdom]

So, there is one main thing that has been bothering me lately about the Legend of Zelda. And that's the Great Skeletons. In BotW, there a 3, which are in Gerudo, Hebra, and Eldin respectively. In TotK, there are 6, the original three in their original places, and three in the depths, each beneath one of the originals. I found photos on Google, which I would show below if the website would stop glitching on me. The point is, I can't quite figure out what any of them are. They are referred to in game as The Great Skeletons, the Dark Skeletons, or Leviathans, depending on the game, but they could be anything. And I've seen some things on the Internet that may or may not have discussed the lore behind some of them a bit, but I can't really be for sure. I don't know if this post should be in the theories forum instead, but mainly I'm just focused on trying to understand what the heck those skeletons are.

 

[GZ Zelda]

So, there is one main thing that has been bothering me lately about the Legend of Zelda. And that's the Great Skeletons. In BotW, there a 3, which are in Gerudo, Hebra, and Eldin respectively. In TotK, there are 6, the original three in their original places, and three in the depths, each beneath one of the originals. I found photos on Google, which I would show below if the website would stop glitching on me. The point is, I can't quite figure out what any of them are. They are referred to in game as The Great Skeletons, the Dark Skeletons, or Leviathans, depending on the game, but they could be anything. And I've seen some things on the Internet that may or may not have discussed the lore behind some of them a bit, but I can't really be for sure. I don't know if this post should be in the theories forum instead, but mainly I'm just focused on trying to understand what the heck those skeletons are.

There's a great Zeltik video on the Leviathans

The Mystery of Breath of the Wild’s Last Leviathan (Zelda Theory)

What is Breath of the Wild's third Leviathan? Oshus, Jabu-Jabu, Jabun... or something else?Check out Commonwealth Realm's video: https://youtu.be/Qq_EbBiuDgI...

www.youtube.com

and a Dark Skeletons video from Commonwealth Realm.

Great Dark Dragons - Tears of the Kingdom Theory (ft Zeltik)

Are the Great Dark Skeletons Dragons in Tears of the Kingdom? In this Zelda Theory with Zeltik we go over everything this Mystery Holds!#tearsofthekingdom #z...

www.youtube.com

I agree with Zeltik that the Eldin Great Skeleton is the bones of Levias from SS, and the Gerudo Great Skeleton is the bones of the Wind Fish.

Zeltik is inconclusive about what the Hebra Great Skeleton is because of a backwards facing spike. However, Jabun has a horn emerging from this spot in his head. I can imagine it possible that, as he matured, this horn solidified into bone and perhaps shed like deer antlers.


There are the researches in BotW who theorize on how they each died, but I think they probably each just died of old age, or the specific theorized natural disasters (drought, ice age, volcano).

As for the Dark Skeletons, I agree with Conrad that they are probably Zonai dragons who flew around the depths. Both the Sheikah and the Zonai anticipated the Hero of the Wilds, and produced classic hero's tunics for him, and the Zonai simply hid them on the skeletons of the dragons that Mineru references when citing the dangers of draconification. I think they were probably "put down" because they became mindless and out-of-control, but that's just headcannon.

 

[HeroOfWisdom]

There's a great Zeltik video on the Leviathans

The Mystery of Breath of the Wild’s Last Leviathan (Zelda Theory)

What is Breath of the Wild's third Leviathan? Oshus, Jabu-Jabu, Jabun... or something else?Check out Commonwealth Realm's video: https://youtu.be/Qq_EbBiuDgI...

www.youtube.com

and a Dark Skeletons video from Commonwealth Realm.

Great Dark Dragons - Tears of the Kingdom Theory (ft Zeltik)

Are the Great Dark Skeletons Dragons in Tears of the Kingdom? In this Zelda Theory with Zeltik we go over everything this Mystery Holds!#tearsofthekingdom #z...

www.youtube.com

I agree with Zeltik that the Eldin Great Skeleton is the bones of Levias from SS, and the Gerudo Great Skeleton is the bones of the Wind Fish.

Zeltik is inconclusive about what the Hebra Great Skeleton is because of a backwards facing spike. However, Jabun has a horn emerging from this spot in his head. I can imagine it possible that, as he matured, this horn solidified into bone and perhaps shed like deer antlers.

View attachment 73672
There are the researches in BotW who theorize on how they each died, but I think they probably each just died of old age, or the specific theorized natural disasters (drought, ice age, volcano).

As for the Dark Skeletons, I agree with Conrad that they are probably Zonai dragons who flew around the depths. Both the Sheikah and the Zonai anticipated the Hero of the Wilds, and produced classic hero's tunics for him, and the Zonai simply hid them on the skeletons of the dragons that Mineru references when citing the dangers of draconification. I think they were probably "put down" because they became mindless and out-of-control, but that's just headcannon.

That actually makes a lot of sense. Thanks!