Summary
One of the most mysterious aspects ofThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomis the existence of the Depths beneath Hyrule, which players can explore by diving into one of the chasms found around the map. Not much is known about the depths other than that they seem to hold a deep connection to the Zonai, are filled with Gloom and minions of the Demon King, and first appeared when the Upheaval caused the land to split open at various locations. Out of all the mysteries the Depths hold inThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, one of the most enigmatic is the presence of the Bargainer Statues.
Players can find Bargainer Statues throughout the Depths, as well as in Lookout Landing inTears of the Kingdom, and each one offers to trade a different selection of unique rewards in exchange for Poes, including armor sets like the Dark Armor Set andDepths Armor Set. These statues can be difficult to find in the vast darkness that is the Depths, but players can have some of their locations marked on their map by trading 100 Poes to the Lookout Landing statue after the quest A Call from the Depths is complete. Who built these statues and what their true purpose is still eludesTears of the Kingdomplayers, as no solid answer is ever given.
Theories About Tears of the Kingdom’s Bargainer Statues
SinceTears of the Kingdomnever gives a definitive answer as to what theBargainer Statuesare and who built them, players have developed several theories based on in-game clues. The cryptic nature of their existence makes it hard to directly pin down the lore surrounding these statues, so no one theory can completely explain their purpose. It’s unlikely these theories will ever be addressed sinceTears of the Kingdomwill not receive DLC and is unlikely to receive a direct sequel, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t merit to this speculation that makes these theories worth considering.
Bargainer Statues are Guides to the Afterlife
The most common theory amongZeldafans is that the Bargainer Statues inTears of the Kingdomare psychopomps, or spirit guides to the afterlife. The fact that they require players to collect Poes, which are lost souls unable to move on, supports this theory and creates a new picture ofTears of the Kingdom’s Depthsthat paints the location as potentially an in-between world that separates the land of the living and the land of the dead. Although this seems like the most logical explanation for the Bargainer Statues, it still doesn’t explain who built them and whether they really have the intentions they claim to have.
Bargainer Statues are Minions of Ganondorf
Another theory regarding these statues is a bit more sinister than the idea that they are simply neutral guides to the afterlife, and instead posits that they are actually malicious agents of the Demon King. OneYiga clan member in the Depthsclaims that another member had their soul taken by a Bargainer Statue, and theZeldaseries has a history of malicious soul-taking entities such as Vaati and Majora, so it’s possible these Bargainer Statues are another entity of this type. The Depths are already filled with Ganondorf’s minions and coated in Gloom, so there is a good reason to believe these statues could also be working for him as well.
Bargainer Statues Depict Another God Worshiped by the Zonai
With how many Zonai technological and architectural remnants are found in the Depths, it’s natural to assume that the Bargainer Statues were also built by the tribe. It’s interesting to note that the locations of the Bargainer Statues inTears of the Kingdommirror those ofcertain Goddess Statuesfound above ground, perhaps meaning there is a connection between the two and that the Bargainer Statues were built by the Zonai as tributes to another god aside from Hylia.
