#akayona theory

[kazumasamaanime]

Yesterday I got vol 37 (finally🫠) and I rereading the chapters and I remember yona's dream better.

what do you think, the time has come where the dream will come true🥲?

[rddykilowatt]

Once again I am here to post my mindless ramblings about Yona of The Dawn.

So enjoy this outrageously long post I've written simply because of a characters name and me being a massive loser who reads Wikipedia pages like it's the morning paper.

SPOILERS FOR CHAPTERS 100-MOST RECENT CHAPTER !!!

As a renowned Zeno enjoyer, and lover of over-analyzing media. I will finally ramble about his name (fyi if this makes me sound smart, then please reduce your expectations to zero because it's not true I am just a nerd obsessed with a silly little animanga).

So to preface I have a very odd itty bitty fixation on quantum physics/mechanics & in the discussions of probability, quantum leaps, paradoxes, and just overall the big brain stuff. There's a thought experiment called Schrodinger's cat which is used to illustrate a paradox of quantum superstition. In which there is a box & in the box is a cat w/ a vile of toxic gas/poison.

The cat is simultaneously both dead and alive until the box is opened blah blah blah massive brain probability stuff. But tied to this thought experiment is also another part of this topic. It's called the quantum Zeno effect and to put it in simpler terms it refers to a slowing down of the evolution of a quantum state under the limit that the state/it is consistently observed or in much MUCH simpler terms a watched pot never boils.

If you as a reader apply that to Zeno as a character and his powers it's such a clever thing to come up with. An immortal character that can't age, can't get sick, can't die, and can't physically change named Zeno after the quantum paradox about how something won't change under constant observation essentially. It's just,,, wow.

The whole part with the dragons crest never leaving Zeno after Hiryuu bestowed it upon him knowing his "fate" and being the only thing that keeps him sated for long periods just screams the Zeno effect to me beyond the obvious immortality, not aging, ect.

I know at this point in my fixation with this series that Kusanagi never misses a detail, let's be honest, so I feel like the part with the crest is her waggling the actual nature of Zeno's powers in our faces. Given that his name may not be an obvious reference to his power(s) unless someone knows a single thing about quantum physics/mechanics. Like Kusanagi is shoving the details at us.

Kinda like, 'you guys aren't nerds enough to just google his name by itself so here's this little guide for you about his powers in a super duper simplified story-relevant way'.

However, this all leads me to wonder what/who specifically is watching Zeno then? If a watched pot never boils & Zeno can't die/change whilst being observed or a continuous outer force is always there then what would happen if this "watcher" stopped observing/happening? Is it the Yelllow Dragon up in the Heavens? Is it the Crimson Dragon King? So many questions.

I have no idea if Kusanagi did this intentionally, or with the thought that anyone would even find out. But I sure hope she did because it's just pure genius & adds even more depth to what's already there. It feels so intentional it'd hurt if it turned out not to be.

[iluvluvnutella]

Damn, imagine if the sword won't work on Zeno unless Hiryuu's reincarnation, Yona, uses it on him. Zeno attempted to kill Hak in Yona's dream in order to trigger her.

[ratherhavehopewithyou]

“With that sword, she resists against fate.”

I’M GONNA BE SICK

[neixins]

as funny as i think it would be for hak and su-won to be sitting around the crest, head in hands because none of their ideas are working, only for yona to suddenly pop out with the dragons in tow like “hi guys i fixed everything :)” i do think the interpretation of hak and su-won as the sword and the shield is starting to hold more weight now, especially considering ik-su’s comment in ch 43 about how it’ll take a while for the sword and shield to appear (i.e. reconcile and be able to work together)

[marriedtohowl]

I GGOT GOOSEBUMPS

To fully see the context of these even in a dream is something to shake the earth

[wrath-of-dawn]

Hey. Hi. Hello. Fuck.

OK just read the new chapter and had to share some thoughts.

1) the resemblance to the beginning of this journey. They looked for jae-ha last and he has been the first to disappear. Shin-ah was second and we are back with just kija. The dragons are being lost in reverse to how they were found. Aside from Zeno of course who, just as he showed up the first time makes his presence known only of his own accord.

2) Zeno being pressed for questions and obviously either lying or avoiding saying anything. Particularly with his quick response to the chalice.

Hear me out.

The chalice was the start of this mess for Zeno. It gave him immortality and with it centuries of agony. What if he suspects that there's a way to use the chalice once more to reverse it? What if it holds the secret that will let him finally die? The palace has been burnt to the ground, the sanctity of the mausoleum breached and the chalice stolen. We don't know what chagol did with it while it was in his possession. Maybe the circumstances combined and with everything on a knife's edge with the dragons and their holy artifacts/places, it all leads up for Zeno to have an out. To finally die. He loves the other dragons as he did his own dragon Brothers but he knows either way they will die and leave him like every generation before. If there is a chance that he can finally join them and all the others before. To join hiryuu in the heavens. I think he would be hard pressed to pass up that opportunity if it ever arose. It's the only thing I can imagine that would tempt him to in any way betray his friends. We know he hides history and info on the dragons many times in the series but this and the behavior surrounding it is all just so different.

This was total conspiracy theory right here but lemme know what you think.

Honestly in my ideal scenario with the dragons this whole issue with their powers leads to a form of death wherein they lose their powers and become human. Maybe that means the eyes of the dragon go blind. Maybe the green and white dragons become amputees. In some physical or metaphysical death they separate their lives from the dragons powers and that let's them stay with their loved ones.

I don't know but God damnit I can hope.

[fuyu-mayoi]

Conspiracy theory time

Please, tell me your craziest theories about Zeno (mine below).

Let's gather the informations about the chalice :

Chapter 235 when Zeno was attacked by the assassin who stole the chalice, he became unusually violent and commented he was desperately holding on to him.

CHapter 236 to protect the Red dragon, the dragon gods collected their blood inside the chalice and gave it to the human warriors.

Chapter 241 Holding the chalice in his last moments, Chagol expresses his last wish "If I could be reborn, next time I'd like the place I go to, to be more peaceful".

Chapter 236/241 when the dragons own the chalice, it regenerates their powers and heal their bodies.

Chapter 245 In Yona's dream a worried Zeno has the chalice in his left hand "Miss it's coming, don't let it get away".

Chapter 250 we cannot see Zeno's left side and determine if he has the chalice or not. He's alone, there are no dead (or living) bodies around him. He states he has been caught and the next panel oddly goes pitch black.

The questions are : where is he now? What was the meaning of the warning he gave Yona inside her dreams? Something is coming to where or whom? And what is Yona supposed to do?

My very imaginative theory is that Chagol drank from the chalice, somehow survived and gained the mastery over the dragons (becoming the famous phoenix perhaps, reborn from the ashes?). The four dragons went berserk because the chalice was originally meant to protect the Red deity and not some human. Zeno managed to keep his will like Ki-ja because of Hiryuu's earring. The two left dragons were sent to check on Chagol's enemies, Jae-ha to Yona and Shin-Ah to Suwon. Then Chagol summoned the dragons back somewhere, hence they disappeared one after the other. Zeno escaped and he was caught because Shin-Ah (who's now serving Chagol) found him. Thanks to his eyes the Phoenix now knows his position, which is why he is annoyed.

Zeno was warning Yona that IT is coming, a new supernatural being who could defy the divine order the heavens established. To stabilize the Dragons Yona must retrieve the chalice and once the 4 are gathered again, "to protect the king (Hiryuu)" maybe there's a chance for the sword and the shield to appear once and for all.

[sorasan000]

The way I always seemed more on board the "Il double" idea than the "Suwon double" idea and in the end the Suwon double may be the more accurate idea is sending me to the floor.

[thoughtfulstudentsalad]

Personally, I’d love to see Hak as the “king” in the prophecy. Throughout the manga, Hak has felt as if he just exists to support Yona and Soo-Won, or that they are people that are above him in some manner. For him to also be of importance I think would be a moment where he recognizes that he’s always been walking alongside Yona and Soo-Won, and not behind.

I have theorized that Hak is certainly the king of the prophecy quite a number of times. If he is the king of the prophecy, he will recognize himself as truly their equal, as he always wanted and Il planned

Hak is joining the royal family by the end of this manga anyway

However I don't see why the protective charm that Zeno wears suddenly has to lose its label as the shield. It clearly exists for some reason, and I don't think it would suddenly change its focus to Hak's pendant.

One last item to throw in here: I think Soo-Won will protect Hak with the sword. I'm less certain of this, but Soo-Won is of King Hiryuu's blood, and that hasn't come much into play yet other than being a complicating factor for who should be on the throne. But what if Soo-Won weilding King Hiryuu's sword awakens it in some way? I don't know!

But has Su-Won been shown wielding the sword himself, though? In all the manga art, the one yielding it is Yona.

However, if Su-Won somehow ends up shielding Hak to protect him, that would be something to watch indeed... although cliche. I'm hoping for something that is unexpected.

Scared to see how Hak would react to that

So about that prophecy

I've spent the past 2 weeks blasting through the Akatsuki no Yona manga, and I'm ready to drop a theory on the prophecy.

TL;DR — It's actually been about Yona and Hak the whole time.

Spoilers up to chapter 259 under the cut

First, let's break down that prophecy, yeah? (I'm using the translation that's been posted on MangaDex Chapter 255 since I've found lots of different versions online):

Darkness falls upon the great earth Through the blood of dragons A revival comes again Bound by the covenant of old When the four dragons assemble The sword and shield that protect the monarch shall awaken And the red dragon shall return at dawn

Clearly, Kija, Shin-Ah, Jae-Ha, and Zeno are the four dragons.

For the sword, shield, king, and red dragon, I think it's a bit more complex.

What we know at the start of the manga is this: That the soul of the red dragon king has been reborn and that person is Yona. Yona thus goes looking for the four dragons because of this prophecy, and she finds them! And it turns out, except for Zeno, they too have been reincarnated — over and over and over again. So, the assumption we make here is — this is a cycle. That the dragon's and red dragon king's souls will continue to be reincarnated forever, and each time the red dragon king is reincarnated there will be a "darkness" that has fallen over the land.

However, what if the prophecy wasn't about the red dragon king’s soul, but about Yona specifically?

In 255, King Hiryuu speculates about the prophecy with Zeno, passing it along because he knows Zeno will go on living. When he does so, King Hiryuu confesses that even he doesn't know what it means:

However, while pondering the prophecy, King Hiryuu comes to a realization after repeating the words "...the red dragon shall return...":

"...when the red dragon shall return..."

"Return" here suggests that someone has left at some point, and then has come back. So, instead of the prophecy just generally being about the soul of the red dragon which reincarnates, it's actually about Yona. This is further highlighted when Yona visits King Hiryuu in her dream:

They are not one person — the red dragon's soul — but two separate people. And so, the prophecy can only be about one of them.

And after King Hiryuu realizes the prophecy is about his reincarnation/Yona, what does he do?

He points his sword at the dragon who will not die — who will be there when the red dragon returns. At this point, I assume King Hiryuu has realized that Zeno will have a role to play in the threat that faces the red dragon, likely as he knows about the power of the chalice and thus the deeper meaning in the words "...the blood of dragons...when the four dragons assemble..."

Another thing that supports the theory that the prophecy is about Yona and not the red dragon's soul (meaning Hiryuu, Yona, and subsequent reincarnations) is that King Hiryuu could have ended the four dragons lives at any time, but doesn’t because of Yona’s request. We learn this when Yona has her vision of the past where she speaks with him:

"Should I instead put an end to everything here...?"

To which Yona replies:

"Don't bring an end to them now." = Acknowledgement that King Hiryuu has the power to do that.

"I want to be reunited with everyone again." = Yona specifically wants to be reunited with the four dragons.

So, if King Hiryuu has the power to end the dragons, why wouldn't he have the power to have them reincarnate? And, reincarnate until they can meet Yona? King Hiryuu doesn't know how far in the future Yona lives, either, and so what if the three dragons keep reincarnating until that time? And Zeno keeps living until that time, as well? Having the possibility of reincarnation introduced to us in this world makes us think it's just something that happens naturally, but this would make it a very specific act with an end date — when they meet Yona.

But, okay, so let's say the “red dragon” in the prophecy is about Yona. Where does Hak come in?

Well, he's the king.

Walk with me a moment. We've already experienced one misleading part of the prophecy — who's to say there isn't another? We assume the "king" and the "red dragon" are the same person because King Hiryuu is both. But we've just established that the "red dragon" is actually Yona, so the "king" could very well be someone else.

Let's go back to the sword and shield now.

When King Hiryuu is talking with Zeno, he is confident the "sword" in the prophecy is the sword he was given by the dragon gods. And while he's unsure of what the shield is meant to be, he thinks it might be a protective charm, even going to suggest the crest he gave Zeno is the “shield”:

But what if the crest is also a red herring? What if the "shield" is another protective charm?

What if it's Hak's pendant?

Something to support this: the pendant is heavily featured in many panels in chapter 259. We see it constantly throughout the chapter:

Which suggests it’s something Kusanagi wanted us to see as present in this final showdown. So, why not?

If this is the case, this is what we're left with:

Four dragons: Kija, Shin-Ah, Jae-Ha, Zeno Sword: King Hiryuu's sword Shield: Hak's pendant King: Hak Red Dragon: Yona

Personally, I’d love to see Hak as the “king” in the prophecy. Throughout the manga, Hak has felt as if he just exists to support Yona and Soo-Won, or that they are people that are above him in some manner. For him to also be of importance I think would be a moment where he recognizes that he’s always been walking alongside Yona and Soo-Won, and not behind.

Plus, Kashi did have her premonition about Hak. We assume she saw him protecting Yona as her bodyguard. But what if she saw that Hak becomes the king?

And so, that's why I think the prophecy — and the reincarnation of the dragons and the red dragon — has actually been about Yona and Hak this whole time. The implication of this is that when the prophecy comes true/comes to fruition, I think it'll also mean the end of this reincarnation (and Zeno's long lifespan). Meaning, the dragons and red dragon’s soul won’t be reborn anymore.

One last item to throw in here: I think Soo-Won will protect Hak with the sword. I'm less certain of this, but Soo-Won is of King Hiryuu's blood, and that hasn't come much into play yet other than being a complicating factor for who should be on the throne. But what if Soo-Won weilding King Hiryuu's sword awakens it in some way? I don't know!

That's all I got so far, but would love to hear what y'all think!

[rddykilowatt]

ramble ramble ramble ramble zeno beloved ramble ramble ramble ramble

I’m gonna dump akayona thoughts here ‘cause I love this series lots and they make me very happy to ramble about! (warning for spoilers if you’re unaware of anything about zeno or his backstory)

I don’t see a lot of people analyzing or digging at the things that I do, usually they’re more centered around widely known details and fan favorites and such.

So here we go:

Ever since Zeno wiggled his silly way into the group (the dragons, yoon, hak and yona) he completely threw away all of his self preservation. And you can say “well ofc, he’s there to protect yona” but I think you’d be wrong for simplifying it that way. He's such a complex character. Out of all of them he is the one that stands to be the least affected by Yona’s presence same with the presence of the other dragons. He simply decided to approach them on his own accord, they didn’t approach him. This guy has had to kill and run to protect him from others and from himself for millennia.

He’s completely lost his purpose in life by the time we meet him in the series, having lost so much and constantly being at odds with the concept of time. But he found that purpose again in protecting the hhb, which is where I bring this back to the previous statement that he completely threw away all his self preservation, or rather he actually gained some.

During the Xing arc the dragons end up being imprisoned, and Zeno willingly offers himself up to Mizari to have his arm cut off as means to get away easy, but they all outwardly express their disdain toward this. Jae-ha being the one to intervene and avoid Zeno being subjected to such treatment.

Though I think it should be said that he could’ve easily sacrificed himself for them here, it's just his arm right? But he let's Jae-ha intervene and sway the topic away from him. Despite the fact that he could at any moment throughout the series (after his power has been revealed) when there’s a battle or confrontation, power his way through fights and run away or get help at the drop of the hat but guess what? He doesn’t do that, he stopped doing that for the sake of the others. He instead he chooses to stick by the side of his companions even if he could just as easily tear himself apart or be torn apart in order to help them escape.

A good example is this scene in the current arc:

Even with the artifact from Hiryuu castle in their presence that causes there powers to amp up and everything, Zeno sits tight, literally. He sits there tied up tight with the others. I bring this scene up as an example because like I previously stated he could just tear himself apart here, now more than ever to help them escape. But he doesn't.

(Whether this is due to his wisdom beyond years or because he doesn't want to upset the other dragons is up in the air for sure but we're gonna say it's cause he doesn't wanna upset the others for the sake of this post)

I feel like it should be explained further, it’s been brought up multiple times throughout the series where Zeno’s partook, especially in anxiety inducing parts, the others don’t like to see Zeno hurt even if he heals, even if he’s used to the pain. They don’t like it, they’ve been very upfront about how much they hate it, how much it scares them to see him injured in ways that would kill any mortal being, in ways it would kill any of them. Seeing him bleed is the worst experience for them. And I think Zeno makes the conscious choice to no longer completely tear himself apart just to escape in order to save them because he doesn’t want to scare them more than they already are in the situations they get involved in. As well as when it wouldn’t be necessary to do so, when they work together just as well to escape without unnecessarily blood being shed.

Zeno is honestly an enigma of a character, he says a lot but simultaneously says nothing. Which makes me love him even more.

What I’m saying here is all me reading between lines and using my own brain to come up with something that would make sense rather than it being a verbal statement or thought being stated in the series. There’s no real textual evidence that outright states that Zeno has made any of the choices I’ve stated, it’s just my own thoughts surrounding him.

At the end of it all here, I personally believe this is one of the best ways his character could be written, especially as the only one remaining from the original dragons. He gives things away to the group and the readers but only with bits and pieces. The rest is speculation or a matter of putting things together. In my opinion he keeps us hooked into the series, he’s the one character still present that carry’s so much weight and wisdom with him. He’s the one character in the hhb that understands the pain that each separate individual has faced that even they amongst themselves can’t understand.

They’ve all learned how cruel the world can be, how painful being alive is in their own ways but in my opinion Zeno is the only one that understands their individual experiences infinitely. For crying out loud he knows things that the characters around him don’t even know and that we the readers don’t as well. He’s seen and lived through more life than them all combined, but he still holds onto his humanity albeit rather stubbornly. He still continues to learn and grow and above all else he sees that everyone is human and that there can be/is still good in the world even with all the bad.

Yona maybe be in the title of the series, but Zeno is still just as much of a main character as she is.

[mii-ruby]

Theory about the "Price to pay"

Spoilers 'till chapter 260

So we're finally at the point where Yona has to talk to the dragon gods herself. We knew this was bound to happen and it was honestly the most logical turn of events. What we don't know however is the price she'll have to pay to get such a wish fulfilled.

Two theories come to mind:

1/ The first and most popular one is that Yona will have to leave the mortal realm and return to heaven to be the Crimson dragon King again.

No need for the dragon warriors anymore, they'll simply lose their powers, and the gods can finally have Yona back like they always wanted, which could be the interpretation of the last line from the prophecy "And The Red Dragon Shall Return At Dawn".

This theory, although logical, is just too cruel. Akayona is not a tragedy, I can't imagine Kusanagi will end a story about found family, self growth and overcoming your trauma with the death of the main character. I desperately tried to find another suitable price that didn't envolve Yona sacrificing herself, which leads us to the second theory:

2/Yona gets to stay on earth, but all the people she knew forget about her. I know this might sound just as cruel if not more than the previous one💦, but please hear me out 'till the end!!!!

Yona had done much more to the country as a normal girl than a princess. She went to different tribes on foot, bonded with peasants, pretended to be a bandit, pirate, an entertainer... etc, and fought off traffickers and dealers without ever mentioning she was a princess. Yes those people she helped will probably forget about her, but she can return to them and help them while being herself again. She doesn't need recognition as "Princess Yona". She draws people no matter her title.

On the other, since she'll no longer possess warriors with divine powers, she won't be a target for greedy individuals or people from enemy nations, so the gods can rest assured about her safety.

Lastly, everyone forgetting about her means that the red dragon no longer exists on earth. It's like his memory left the mortal realm and ascended to heaven again "And The Red Dragon Shall Return At Dawn". This could be an interpretation of the prophecy. The red dragon won't literally return to heaven. It's his memory that will leave people's minds and return to be a property of the heaven.

Now, even though I said that everyone will forget about Yona, I'm sure there'll be one exception to this rule. Only one individual will never forget about Yona while everyone else will, and it's Hak. The first reason is obviously the romance that'll just get reset to zero if he forgets about her. I mean, knowing  him he'll probably fall in love with her again, but it's like all their moments and all the development in their relationship will disappear and restart from zero which is something a lot of readers won't accept.

The second and most powerful reason (literally the reason that made me write  this post) is that one scene from chapter 25 that everyone hated. Remember when Yona asked Hak to be the only one to call her "Princess"? Remember when she told him even if EVERYONE IN THE COUNTRY FORGETS ABOUT HER, HE HAS TO BE THE ONLY ONE WHO REMEMBERS?

What if that scene was actually foreshadowing the ending of the series? That everyone will forget about who Yona was, and that he will be the only one to remember? Ofc I'm sure it won't be that easy. Hak will probably have to pass some kind of test to prove that he's worthy of remembering Yona, but I'm sure he'll succeed and the gods will begrudgingly yield to his request so Yona won't live a sad and lonely life after they cast their spell.

Ofc I'm aware this is still a cruel predicament. The family she fought so hard to save will forget about her, but she'll be able to start a new relationship with them. It'll prove that their bond was always genuine, that it had nothing to do with the dragons' blood, and I'm sure they'll love her as much as they loved her before.

The country also will forget about princess Yona. Her achievements will probably all be attributed to Soowon (but it's not like she cares about fame or recognition anyway).

Speaking of Soowon, it's kinda fucked up that he gets to forget the girl he hurt so much. He'll forget that he ever had a cousin, that it was her father he murdered that night, that she was the one who got the gods to heal the descendants from the Crimson illness...etc, It's unfair but we can't do much about it I guess.

What do you guys think about this theory? Would you be okay with it if it happened at the end?

[tinelifa]

Zeno and Hiryuu

The next akayona's chapter is coming soon so i am writing down my last crack theory before it come : The "Zeno" who is with Yona and Hak and who caught Kija in the chalice is actually Hiryuu.. who took over Zeno's body after Zeno became a big dragon. The real Zeno is the one Yona met in her dreams.

The Zeno who appeared in the last chapter made me think of Hiryuu, in the way he acted, and i still find it strange how unbothered this Zeno seemed to be about the safety of the others dragons..

Hiryuu was also a big liar unable to answer questions so there is that.

[thoughtfulstudentsalad]

Yes according to that logic, it can be applied to Su-Won as well, that he's not just a regular human being, that the blood of Hiryuu is influencing his personality and abilities.

But then that would mean that his own accomplishments and efforts were really never his own... the fact that he is able to do anything is only because of godly powers that he possessed by birth. If everything he achieves stems from divine powers he inherited, his struggles are no longer authentic and human.

And this is something Su-Won probably would absolutely hate. He has always aspired to possess the "power of the people", not the power of god. Similar to how Hiryuu wanted to be a human rather than god, and did not wish for the dragon warriors' help.

How ironic would it be that this king who tried to embody human strength and resilience, had godly power within him the entire time—power he could never escape (and power that is killing him).

It explains his long-lasting admiration for Hak as well. Hak's strength and ability is result of his own effort (well, Hak will say that he was born lucky as well, but Su-Won also idealizes Hak the same way Hak idealizes him. He would never see it that way, he would just think Hak was being humble, and he would see Hak as the embodiment of human capability).

In that case, Hak represents the power of humans, everything that Su-Won wants to be, versus Su-Won who carries divine baggage.

Su-Won always wanted to be like Hak and felt like he never could.

I think we are soon finally going to see the true nature of the connection Su-Won has with Hiryuu (how it affects his illness and purpose in life) once he and Hak walk into the mausoleum again.

He finally spilled it out! So proud of you KING♥️

[neixins]

the more i think about it the more plausible i think it is that yona will end up “sacrificing” herself to save the dragons. obviously she won’t die (she’d be willing to do so, sure, but this just isn’t the sort of story that’d kill off its protagonist) but she will sever her connection with hiryuu (the same way i’ve been saying for ages now that she’ll sever the connection between the dragon warriors and their powers/the dragon gods) bc like. zeno and countless generations of dragon warriors have been stuck in this cycle for so long because they’ve been waiting for hiryuu, right? so the way to break the cycle is to send hiryuu back to the heavens, despite how loath he is to part with humans, bc otherwise even if yona managed to save her friends the cycle wouldn’t actually end, the gods would just find new vessels bc they don’t really care about the damage they cause as long as they can Protect Hiryuu…. and this is making me think of zeno’s line in ch 255: “even if the dragon warriors are gone, this country can get back on its feet on its own. life goes on, with or without us.” which.. to be fair he was using as justification for a failed murder-suicide attempt but if yona says it in a different context…….and then to have the happy hungry bunch back in business helping people, only sans superhuman powers…..oh it’d be such a satisfying ending!!

[ratherhavehopewithyou]

Potential theory for akayona after reading chapter 257…

So we get a vision of the (potential) future in this chapter that is basically identical to how the entire series opened in chapter 1, right?

Keeping in theme with Yona’s recent visions, Hak and the dragons are seemingly not with her. It’s up for debate on whether the series will actually conclude in a way where some or all of the dragons die at the end, but I think most people would agree that its unlikely Hak will die.

If that’s the case, my thought is: what if that future that Yona is seeing is not one where Hak and the dragons are dead, but rather they are missing and Yona is leading the army as queen to go find them?

If Zeno really is the “final boss” of the series, maybe after failing to end his life and the dragon warrior cycle, he somehow makes an escape with both Hak and the other dragons as hostages or something?? I don’t know how this would work, but I feel like he is desperate enough at this point to pull off something unexpected. (I’m also wondering if he saw the dragons back in their human-forms in the last chapter whenever he turned around and seemed shocked? Maybe the dripping sound was their wounds??)

Of course, Soo-won is still alive at this point, so Yona can’t be queen. However, Soo-won said last chapter that he already said goodbye to Hak… so let’s say Yona and Hak make it to Zeno before Soo-won & company, and whatever ends up happening results in Zeno escaping with Hak and the dragons. What if then Soo-won arrives just in time to make Yona his successor before he says goodbye to her and actually dies from the crimson illness? It would explain how Yona ends up leading the Kouka army as the newly-minted queen to a seemingly unfamiliar locale without Hak and the dragons on an important mission…

I guess a less dramatic version of this would be that Soo-won doesn’t die, but he is still too ill to remain king and decides to make Yona queen anyway, and then he stays behind at the castle while Yona/the army go after Zeno.

I DON’T KNOW

Not saying I definitely believe any of this will happen, but it’s what’s been churning in my head since reading 257 and I can’t believe we have to wait till June for the next chapter 😭