Similar to other Hyrule Warriors titles, Age of Imprisonment boasts a large roster of playable characters – a total of 28 warriors that you unlock as you play. Interestingly, one character heavily featured in the game’s promotion isn’t actually playable. If you’re wondering why, be warned – the reason contains spoilers for those unfamiliar with recent Legend of Zelda games. However, if you’re curious, let’s explore why you can’t play as Sonia in Age of Imprisonment.
Zelda meets Sonia and Rauru soon after she’s transported to ancient Hyrule. They both become her mentors, helping her learn to fight and control her time-manipulation powers. However, in the early part of Age of Imprisonment, players can only control Zelda and Rauru – Sonia isn’t a playable character at first. There’s a story reason for this, though some players may find it disappointing.
Sonia Is One of Hyrule’s Few Non-Playable Characters in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. Here’s Why
Although Sonia appears during training, players never actually control her in the game. This makes her one of the few important characters you can’t play as, which might come as a surprise. Players who know her backstory from flashbacks in Tears of the Kingdom might understand why. However, for those playing Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment without that knowledge, the fact that she isn’t playable actually hints at events to come.
About a few hours into the game, Ganondorf attempts to take over, and his methods are predictably evil. A flashback in Tears of the Kingdom reveals he murders Sonia and steals her Secret Stone, which allows him to become the Demon King. This likely explains why Sonia isn’t a playable character in Age of Imprisonment – all other unlocked characters are available for at least some missions. Introducing Sonia and then removing her from play could have felt misleading, but honestly, I think the developers should have included her anyway.
Sonia Should’ve Been Playable for Story and Gameplay Reasons
Ideally, Sonia should have remained a playable character. Some players might not know what happens to her, and given how complicated the Legend of Zelda timeline is, her death in Age of Imprisonment wasn’t entirely certain, even though it’s considered official backstory. However, when it does occur, it feels less impactful and more like a justification for why we didn’t get to play as her and use her archery skills.
If we could have played as Sonia at the beginning of the game, it would have strengthened our connection to her character. While it might have been frustrating to learn her abilities only to have her become unavailable, and she wouldn’t have been playable for long, it would have made Hyrule’s fall feel more impactful and raised the stakes. It also would have given us another unique way to play early on, before meeting the other characters. I understand Nintendo’s decision not to include her in Age of Imprisonment, but I still think it would have been a good addition.
Are you playing Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment yet? Who is your favorite character so far?
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2025-11-06 17:41