#yaotl

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 (Itzcoatl); 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 Itzcoatl, 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 Itzcoatl. 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.

I just think he's such an interesting character to have in the world of TMNT, as he's basically a heroic (or perhaps reformed is a better word) version of Vandal Savage, an immortal conqueror with the experience of ages, who has lived many lives as many different people, once a villain, now having given up his brutal ways

from a narrative perspective he could make for a great ally to the Turtles, he's got money, connections, and is a seasoned warrior with literal millennia of experience under his belt, and his very long life means he's seen some shit, so 5 ft talking ninja turtles is probably nothing to special for him, just another day (and imagine the comedy that could come from a scene of him meeting the Turtles for the first time)