I'm never not thinking about this image.
Zuka is one of the lucky few 'phernals who lives long enough to experience a mid-life crisis.
It's an interesting use of a double negative, isn't it? I think so.
This drawing carries with it a very interesting message— one where you feel like you understand what's being communicated to you. We already know (via the QnA) that Zuka feels quite negatively towards being recognized as a legend. It's a standard enough fact to any fan of him that this illustration seems base level. But to me, this drawing such an effective way of characterization.
Zuka wishes to be far removed from his past. However, that is made difficult due to his renown. Hence, he will never not be associated with his glory days. That's the message I got from it, at least.
There are two things that stood out to me when I first saw this.
...Well, okay. One of them is a detail that is meant to stand out to everyone: the sharp, blue elephant(s) in the room.
If I'm remembering correctly, inphernals recognize others by their horns. That makes perfect sense for their species. Horns come in unique shapes and colors and are the most distinct natural feature they possess.
Of course, this ties back to my earlier observation. We see Zuka's horns painted in the blue of his youth, but they're in the same physical state as they are in the present. Even with the form changed, a chunk broken, the rest of them are still majorly there. He will still be recognized even if time has changed him. The part that has become detached is small compared to what remains there.
He isn't escaping that. Fun!
Another (far less regarded) aspect that's come to my notice is the lack of a face and presence of a shadow. I have to be wholly honest; I love this detail even more than the horns. It's more out of the way and blends in (as any shadow would) with Zuka's palette. This is exactly what I was getting at earlier by almost understanding what's being said to us.
Not even I really thought too much of it on my first go, and maybe it really isn't this deep. But you can see how much attention the horns draw, right? I can't help but feel like it's meant to divert our attention.
Faces aren't nearly as distinguishable in the Inpherno, so what would an empty one imply? A blank slate? Dissociation? To others, what exactly becomes lost of him when it's gone? Who notices, if anyone?
(There's also an interesting bit of information I heard once, is it true that Zuka has issues remembering faces? Is it still true?)
There's a lot of different ways you can interpret a missing face. Ultimately, though, I believe it works in tandem with the horns.
All food for thought...
I hope to return to this when we better understand her lore, too!
