#k'in and yun

[exiled-prince]

Today marks 3 years since Onyx Equinox aired. Even though I was late to the party, I'm glad I found this show. Among most of the media set in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, Onyx Equinox is the one of the few with the most historical accuracies. It's a show that inspired me to continue my personal project. Thank you, Sofia.

[dragongirl028]

Interview with Sofia Alexander - Onyx Equinox Season 2 Revelations

So, as indicative of the title, recently, Ryuyin Ovi of Crunchyroll Latin America sat down with Onyx Equinox creator and executive producer Sofia Alexander for a juicy, THREE-HOUR LONG INTERVIEW regarding "what would have been" during season 2 of the series, as well as other behind the scenes tidbits. The interview was entirely in Spanish (but Sofia hopes to do another one someday in English), and also starred Cecelia Guerrero (LA voice of Izel), Amanda Hinojosa (LA voice of Xanastaku), and Alessia Becerril (LA voice of Zyanya). Below are a multitude of bullets containing the big points revealed during the live stream. Sit back, [try to] relax, and enjoy!

• Color was a showcase of symbolism throughout the series. Mexican pink represented Olmec technology, turquoise represented the Underworld, and red was indicative of the mortal realm. There was no consensus on a single meaning for yellow. For example, Zyanya's yellow was that of the cempaxúchitl, honoring her family and the people [of Daani Baán] who died and are trapped in the Underworld.

• Huitzilopochtli already made his appearance in season 1 as the possessed Daani Baán elder who's body was consumed by light, and who's heartbeat increased the longer he was possessed. As for season 2, Sofia played with the idea of ​​him being the youngest of the principal Gods. His King form was going to be like a child, not as young as Izel but more like a shonen protagonist. He was going to be very smart and impulsive, like “I’m more open to supporting,” with a more explosive vibe.

• Quetzalcoatl had a plan for losing the bet in season 1, essentially giving a vibe of "Okay, I lost, but I actually won."

• As indicated at the very last scene of season 1, Nelli is the heron emissary of Quetzalcoatl we see on occasion. Before Izel was going to be the potential sacrifice at Uxmal, Nelli prayed to Quetzalcoatl, telling him she would give her life for her brother; in exchange, he would take care of Izel. That brotherly power, the love of a sister for her brother, is what Quetzalcoatl sees as valuable in humanity, as something that must be protected. With Neli's request, and already being aware of the other Gods' displeasure with humans, he began to move pieces in a game of 4D chess.

• Nelli WAS going to return in season 2. How exactly, and in what form, is unknown to the audience.

• "Yunzel" is canon, and was going to be fully established in season 2 🏳️‍🌈

• Izel and Nelli are children of an eagle warrior and a woman from Tenochtitlan. They had to flee the city because their father was accused of being a traitor, as someone tried to kill the Tlatoani, and used him as a scapegoat. The children went ahead to escape, but got lost in the jungle, eventually being saved by Maak, who was a pochteca (professional, long-distance traveling merchant in the Aztec Empire). In season 2, Izel was going to find his parents alive.

• Season 2 would have also focused more on Xanastaku. Her red wings indicate that her power came from a human sacrifice. Akapun (the former high priest, who was her teacher), physical abused her. The Gods in the world of Onyx give people like the flyers in Tajín their powers. Akapun's mental state was declining, and that connection was affecting him. Xanastaku was going to be the high priestess, but Akapun didn't want to give her that responsibility yet, as she was too young. Xanastaku insisted on being ready, and fought with Akapun, resulting in the former nearly killing her, and the latter killing him in self-defense, and gaining his power. There was the idea that Akapun would have survived and search for her [after she flees Tajín], or that she has to return to Tajín to solve something that came up.

• A character named Ollin (meaning "movement" in Nahuatl) was going to be introduced, who would help Xanastaku with regard to astronomy. At first he was going to be Xanastaku's twin. Before that, the idea of ​​twins wasn't even thought of for the series. Originally, there would have been a character named Steia (sp.), who eventually became K'in. Then, this character became the twins Xanastaku and Ollin, who was previously going to be called Citlali (as for who Citlali was the original name for remains unclassified at the moment), and in the end, only Xanastaku was used.

• Xanastaku wants to save Zyanya from her curse given by Mictlantecuhtli. The reason Zyanya used her obsidian amulet on Xanastaku after the latter absorbed a dangerously HUGE amount of energy from Mictecacihuatl during the final episode's climatic battle was to save her from being destroyed by the power that ultimately killed Akapun. Xanastaku's biggest plot was going to be related to Zyanya.

• Coyolxauhqui was also going to be introduced in season 2, as an ally of Izel. This alliance is not because she's inherently good, but because she greatly admires Mictecacihuatl, and doesn't like her brother, Huitzilopochtli (if you know the mythology, can you blame her?)

• Besides Coyolxauhqui and Huitzilopochtli appearing, the only other God planned to make a proper appearance was Xipe Totec

• If Quetzalcoatl had chosen someone other than Izel as his champion, it would have been Zyanya.

• K'in and Yun are not actually full-blooded Mayan, but Purépecha! One of their parents was Mayan, while the other was Purépecha. It was thought that by being twins, they ran the risk of being sacrificed. Taking into account the date they were born, they were destined to be Ulama players. Maak, their adoptive caretaker, and the former brief caretaker of Izel and Nelli, was a very famous former Ulama player. There was no consideration of introducing the twins' parents, although there was the idea that K'in would have wanted to meet them.

• K'in's trauma of being alone and away from Yun: The twins' souls are very tied together, mostly because of their symbolism, and the destiny that unites them in order to help Izel. Sofia wanted to play with the idea of ​​the difference in needs between them--K'in needs Yun very differently than Yun needs K'in. Another thing to consider is that K'in, because of his personality, needs people, his brother, more than he could admit.

• Plans with Yaotl: He was going to return. Mictecacihuatl brings him back to life (as a jaguar), but he is more connected to the Underworld than to the mortal world. He seeks his purpose, and wants to teach Izel how to be a warrior, and he also wants to protect him as he feels he should have done. He was going to have to make a journey in the Underworld before returning with a physical form, and at the same time, feel worthy of protecting Izel. Mictecacihuatl and Yaotl, despite being a couple when the latter was human, were not going to be endgame in season 2.

• Considering all of the events that happened in season 1 thanks to her, Mictecacihuatl feels a very strong obligation to humanity. She was going to be a kind of adoptive mother to Izel.

• Izel and Yaotl reunion: Taking place in Tenochtitlan, it was going to be emotional and full of drama. Yaotl doesn't trust the Tlatoani, even though Izel admires him greatly.

• There was going to be a time skip of several years, and Izel (now aged around 17-19) would be part of the Tlatoani's elite guard in Tenochtitlan. Rather than end the world in the blink of an eye, Tezcalipoca was also going to partake in some 4D chess. The Tlatoanis Sofia was going to use are fictional, but their names would come from historical, real-life figures (e.g., Huitzilíhuitl, Itzcoatl). The Tlatoani that we see at the end of season 1 was already working with Tezcatlipoca, and not only did he already know everything about Izel, but he even knew of everything that was going to transpire before the series officially started, or before Izel was even born! This Tlatoani (Huitzilíhuitl) tried to kill his brother (Iztcoatl); Izel's father protected the latter (likely the event that led to Nelli and Izel fleeing Tenochtitlan).

• As mentioned previously, Izel admires Huitzilíhuitl, as he was one of the only ones who "believed" in all of the events that transpired in season 1, the end of the world, etc. Izel felt safe, with the advantage of being in such a great city filled with warriors, not knowing that they were "in the nest of snakes." His story was going to lead him to Itztcoatl, and bring him back as the true Tlatoani.

• Graphic novel? Art book? Other products?: A graphic novel was planned, but it requires time and money, which is currently unavailable. Sony still has the rights to Onyx, and it is not known when they will be able to release any additional merchandise. The soundtrack, however WILL be released on Spotify by Gustavo Farias!

• The outcome for Tezcatlipoca: Shocker--Quetzalcoatl is the main antagonist, despite wanting to "free humanity" from the wrath of the Gods! His main goal was for Izel to challenge the Gods, and for him to somehow use his power in exchange for sacrificing his life. The Olmecs were going to come in and be used with that power to face Tezcatlipoca. Quetzalcoatl is... chaotic, like "Okay, we did our (the humans) plans and that's it, they don't need us anymore, not even me." Tezcatlipoca was going to be defeated in a tragic and sad way. He feels betrayed by his brother, and doesn't want to be forgotten. Both would eventually be destroyed by humanity, and the only survivor would be Mictecacihuatl!

• Onyx was planned to have three seasons, and a movie which focused on the creation of the world à la the myth of Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl vs. Cipactli.

• Four of the Olmec mechs were going to be used at some point (Yeah! Robot fight!)

• The outcome for Xolotl: At some point, Meque would become self-aware. He doesn't get angry at Quetzalcoatl, and he was going to have a "mega axolotl form", albeit with a smaller role. (MY BOY!!! 🩷)

• Was there any chaos in Mictlan (the Underworld) after Mictlantecuhtli died: No. Mictecacihuatl was already prepared to have the control.

• Quetzalcoatl was interested in Izel searching for Itztcoatl. He was going to give Izel a feather, and whoever has the twin feather is the true Tlatoani of Tenochtitlan. In order to fight the Gods, you need an alliance with the people of the Aztec Empire, and in order to have said alliance, you need to bring the true Tlatoani back to Tenochtitlan.

• The final battle would have been in Teotihuacan

• Izel was going to need help from Yaotl to be able to use the power of a God. Quetzalcoatl was going to die before the final battle, in a confrontation with Izel. This is how Quetzalcoatl could give Izel his power.

• The idea of ​​Izel wearing green/turquoise is a nod to the Zelda games.

• Who tells the story at the end of the series?: There was the idea that Mictecacihuatl would tell Izel's story, although it was not confirmed.

• Sofia designed Mictecacihuatl with María Félix in mind

• How was K'in going to react to Yunzel's relationship?: First of all, K'in and Yun already had some friction. Starting with the time when Izel pushed Yun and broke his leg, even though it eventually got healed, it was never the same again. Yun still feels [physical] pain if he plays a lot. In fact, Yun never wanted to be an Ulama player, but rather, a diplomat. He took on the Ulama playing more for K'in. As for his reaction to Yunzel, K'in would be somewhat jealous, and he would feel that Izel would distract Yun from his goals.

• Speaking of K'in, he was going to have a romance with the princess of Tenochtitlan.

• Yunzel's first kiss was going to be "very serene, intimate, romantic. It wasn't that it happened soon, but it took years to consolidate itself." (Awwww!)

• Sofia was thinking about the idea of ​​sacrificing K'in. She felt that it would be beautiful if he would give his life for Yuns happiness, but Anna (Sofia's wife) convinced her not to. At some point, the mystical Olmec ball the twins used throughout season 1 would have been destroyed. Sofia's idea was that K'in's head was going to be the new ball (YIKES!)

• Why doesn't Mictlantecuthli have a "human form"?: He never felt an affinity to humanity to present himself in a way that was pleasing to mortal eyes. He's not an evil being, he's a being from the Underworld.

• The end of Izel and his team: A happy ending was intended. Zyanya would return to being human. She wanted to continue being a warrior, but after all of the events of the series, she seeks a quieter life. She will always have a strong bond with the Underworld (Or rather, all of them, in some way). K'in was going to end up with the Tenochca princess.

• With regard to romantic relationships, Xanastaku is compared to Frieren.

And there you have it, folks! BIG shout-out to @voyagercocuyo3 for translating all of the content into English (because I only took a year's worth of Spanish in college... hahaohwell!) As always, if anything else comes up, you'll be in the know through me, whether here on Tumblr, or on the Onyx Equinox Discord server!

[crookedvertebrae]

I watched Onyx Equinox for the first time in one sitting a few days ago and it's single-handedly been pulling me out of my art slump so here are a couple sketches

[dabruzzy]

Onyx Equinox characters as text posts part 2

[akirakan]

"I've been meaning to do a post of this for a while, but it was still difficult since I still had hope and I didn't want to surrender.

I can't find any words to thank you for all the love you've given to Onyx Equinox. Even with 3 years with no announcement for a second season. But I think it's time to tell you that it won't be possible do to many reasons outside of my power.

Crunchyr*ll studio shutdown a few years after Sony's acquisition. And I have no power on the series. I wanted to give you music but it couldn't be. Also a comic. It's sad, but that's how the industry works. I still want to to give you details about how the series would move forward- and like that give some sort of conclusion to y'all.

Alas. I feel fortunate for having the opportunity to tell the story of Onyx Equinox as my debut as a showrunner. I hope OE inspires you to make your own stories! Keep supporting other mexican creators and help yourselves.

Again, thank you si much for all the support. We'll see each other again soon with a new story that I hope you'll like 💖

Sofi"

Sofia Alexander officially confirms that a second season -or any sort of continuation- of Onyx Equinox won't happen.

[wangyu23314]

朋友给的Yun & K'in

[arc-angel-o]

SPOILERS ABOUT MEQUE - SEASON 2 SPECULATION

So based on what I'm reading here, Meque will have a bigger role in S2 and it will relate to the twins

And more evidence for the K'in Will Leave The Group theory... I'm scared

The second screenshot is mainly just to establish Xolotl's patronage of ballgame, being another connection to Yun and K'in. The first screenshot is the one I'm more interested in/worried about.

[gd-gone]

ONYX EQUINOX AND HOW TO SUPPORT THE SHOW!

Guys I know it's easier for a lot of you to go to youtube and watch the episodes of OE that have been uploaded there, but please don't. Right now Crunchyroll is deciding on if OE is gonna get renewed and a major factor may be viewership. I know plenty of you don't wanna slog through adds or pay for an account just to watch it without commercials, but please try to do so. This show means a lot to folks and I truly believe it could be the beginning of something great.

Here are things you could do to support the show.

• Play the show on the Crunchyroll site, even if your not watching it. Leaving favorable comments on there or even the videos available on they're youtube channel could also help.

• Take a listen to the official companion podcast hosted by the series creator, Sofia Alexander. It is available in multiple platforms including; Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and even on the Crunchyroll site itself.

• Spread awareness about the show to those who might not know of it. Be sure to warn them that whilst it's a great show and animated, it is NOT a kids show and does feature adult language, blood, and body horror.

• Find ways to contact Crunchyroll through social media and show interest in the show and also ask for more merch and information.

• Currently the only merch available is a shirt on Hot Topic, but it's success could garner confidence in adding more stuff at a later date.

[gatorgumz]

All 12 episodes of Onyx Equinox season 1 are now available for you to watch on Crunchyroll! This show was an absolute honor to work on, and I hope everyone enjoys the ride!

[notapaladin]

Moments from today’s Onyx Equinox episodes that turned my heart into a puddle. (PLUSHIE MEQUE WHEN)

[exiled-prince]

This mashup is going along fine (Left: English Right: Spanish) Yun from Onyx Equinox and Scaramouche/Wanderer from Genshin share the same VA's and thus this mashup was created.

Thank you @quantumgirl3 for helping me translate the Spanish part!

[thecartoonuniverse]

Every episode of the first season of Onyx Equinox has released, and yesterday I was finally able to complete the video I have been working on for a long time that explains the setting, lore, mythology, characters, and so much more! It is truly an amazing show and is a fascinating look into Mesoamerica. Please check out my video, and if it intrigues you, make sure to watch the show (it’s free on Crunchyroll). Many thanks to @snowflake-owl for helping with the thumbnail and a few others for their contributions! If you enjoyed the video please give this a reblog!

[tina-rocket]

There is one (1) cishet person in this squad and it’s K’in

[dabruzzy]

Onyx Equinox and weapons

Something I find interesting about Onyx Equinox is how the bond between characters is shown through them sharing weapons.

The best and most obvious example of this is how K'in and Yun have to use the ball together or it won't even work since they share a single soul. The fact that they are able to fight monsters or even just play with it without having to say a single word shows how perfectly in sync they are. Also K'in is the one who tends to hold the ball more often and doesn't want anyone but Yun to touch it, and he clings to it when he's scared because it reminds him of his brother, showing that he's the more anxious and codependent twin, while Yun, as the more kindhearted twin, lets other people play with it or hold it, so it's also a great way to offer some bits of characterization.

Then you have Yaotl sharing his shield with Izel, which only happens specifically after they grow closer to each other. Izel also immediately knows how to use it because of Yaotl sharing his memories and fighting abilities with him when he offered to use his energy to save him. Yaotl found his humanity again thanks to Izel and Izel became stronger thanks to Yaotl, and sharing the shield really shows how far they've come both as characters and together.

Finally there's this short moment where Zyanya gives Xanastaku her tepoztli. I'm definitely looking too deeply into this, but that tepoztli belonged to Nhisya, her friend who died when they challenged Mictlantecuhtli, so I do think there's some significance to it. After losing all of her loved ones Zyanya didn't want to form attachments to anyone else so that she wouldn't suffer like that again, but maybe Xanastaku can be the one who manages to bring her out of her shell. They didn't really get a chance to interact or bond with each other, but there does seem to be this understanding between them since they both have a dark past and are trying to redeem themselves. Xanastaku is the one who most consistently shows concern for Zyanya and was the only one who defended her and was sympathetic to her when she came back to help the team, and Zyanya sacrificed her humanity to save her life. Xanastaku was also the one who managed to calm Zyanya down when she was about to attack the team in her monster form. I do think if the show went on they would've grown pretty close.

[akirakan]

Poster made by Sofia Alexander for the OE bible when pitching the series.

Interesting that Izel originally was going to helm a macuahuitl.

[hetthepumpking]

Some Zyanya fanart. I loved her interaction with Xanastaku and hope we get to see more of them (even with Zyanya ending the season trapped in that big lizard form)