The Horizon Zero Dawn story introduced players to a lot of NPCs that helped Aloy on her journey and endeared themselves to fans. However, Horizon Forbidden West will be taking her much farther away from home, where she will encounter new tribes and make new allies. Unfortunately for players hoping to see their favorite side-character come back, a lot of the friends she made in the first game are unlikely to make second appearances. Horizon Forbidden West will have a completely new map and see her facing machines that haven't even been heard of in the East. It's not a journey everyone will be able to make, and not everyone will be up for it.
The Forbidden West is almost mythical in Horizon Zero Dawn; no one goes there, and hardly anyone comes back. However, there is one key NPC who will be making an appearance in Horizon Forbidden West and is likely to play a large role in the story. Players will be meeting a lot of new characters, but it's exciting to know there will be at least one friendly face. Two if Sylens is included, though "friendly" might not be the right word to describe him.
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Varl, a Nora Brave and the son of Nora War Chief Sona appears in the first half of the game and again at the end, where he helps Aloy in the final battle. Varl lost his sister Vala during the Proving attack, making his story a revenge mission. With Aloy, Sona, and several other Nora Braves, Varl ambushed the Eclipse to avenge his sister, Aloy's adoptive father Rost, and the other young Nora that died in the Proving.
He and Aloy became close during their travels together and some players have expressed wanting Varl as a romantic option, but it's unlikely that he will make an appearance in Forbidden West. While he did ask to be made a Seeker so that he could help Aloy in Meridian, he expresses discomfort at being so far from the Sacred Lands. The Forbidden West would be very, very far outside his comfort zone and there's no good reason for him to tag along considering Aloy's journey will most likely start in Meridian. Varl is a true friend to Aloy and their relationship will stay strong, but Varl's home is in the Sacred Lands.
He is devoted to the tribe and, while he's more flexible than some, he holds the tribe's customs close to his heart. To travel with Aloy to the Forbidden West would probably mean leaving the Nora for good, and Varl is unlikely to make that decision- or even have the option available to him in the first place. If Aloy does end up returning to the Sacred Lands in Horizon Forbidden West, however, it would be great to check in with Varl.
Teb was the first to accept Aloy as a friend before she ran in the Proving. As a child, Aloy saved Teb from a herd of machines, and he never forgot her kindness and bravery. Teb became a Stitcher for the Nora tribe, so he gives Aloy her first outfit upgrade in the game when she first arrives in Mother's Heart. Throughout the story, he continues to be a huge admirer of her and believes she can do anything. He's also one of three NPCs that players commonly ship with Aloy, the other two being Varl and Erend. Since players have been asking for romance options in the second Horizon games, there's a small possibility Teb might make an appearance, but it's unlikely.
Because of his sweet and gentle demeanor, as well as his genuine acceptance of Aloy as an outcast, Teb is a character that will be missed in Horizon Forbidden West. While he did venture as far as Meridian to help Aloy in her quest to stop HADES, Teb is not the adventuring type. Asking him to come all the way out to the Forbidden West area is too much, especially considering he's not a fighter and wouldn't be able to defend himself against new machines. Horizon Forbidden West's map might not even include the Nora Sacred Lands, where Teb will probably stay. He's an endearing and likeable character, but he's not self-sufficient and would slow Aloy down rather than assist.
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Most players know Nil as the lunatic who occasionally helps Aloy clear bandit camps. After returning from fighting in a war, Nil felt something was missing in his life: killing. Machines aren't good enough for him because they aren't truly alive. Nil is unnerving to be around, as any character who enjoys killing for fun would be. Aloy works with him only because in taking down bandit camps, she is protecting innocent people, but she wisely keeps Nil at arm's length.
Nil is certainly a fascinating character in Horizon Zero Dawn and leaves quite the impression, but he definitely won't be appearing in Horizon Forbidden West. If players complete the story and clear all the bandit camps in Horizon Zero Dawn, they are approached by Nil. He takes Aloy to a plateau and, since there aren't any bad people left to kill, suggests they fight each other. The player can choose to kill or spare Nil, but because the option to kill him is there, it wouldn't make sense for him to make another appearance.
Even if Guerrilla does implement a feature that would allow players to carry over save data, having killed or spared Nil probably wouldn't make a big difference, if any. As creepy as he is, though, kudos to Guerrilla for coming up with a character like Nil to keep repetitive bandit camps from becoming dull.
Vanasha had a small, but incredibly impactful role in Horizon Zero Dawn. In the quest "Queen's Gambit," Aloy helps Vanasha get Queen Nasadi and her son, the boy king Itamen, out of the Shadow Carja capitol, which led to an interesting political subplot and a difficult Rockbreaker boss. She becomes an optional ally in the game and can help Aloy in her final battle against HADES, but Vanasha has a fascinating backstory that doesn't get nearly enough attention.
Vanasha is a Carja spy and warrior, trained by Sun-King Avad's adviser, Blameless Marad. Before becoming a spy for the Carja, she served her father, a Sun-Priest. He was abusive to his daughter, but faced no consequences under the former Sun King, Jiran. Jiran's servants eventually split off from the Carja and became the Shadow Carja, which is why Vanasha works day and night to undermine them and thwart their plans.
Her profession also took her to the Forbidden West at one point. Vanasha claims to be one of the only people who has gone there and come back to tell the tale, which does not bode well for Aloy in Horizon Forbidden West. Considering Vanasha is the only character in the game who has an idea of what might await Aloy in the Forbidden West, she could make an appearance and offer some guidance. If she does have a role it will probably be a very small one: Vanasha's interests are primarily political in nature and, while she is an excellent fighter, her devotion to the Carja will keep her in Meridian for the time being.
However, if Guerrilla ever decides to make a Horizon spinoff or DLC focusing on someone other than Aloy, Vanasha would be a great option for a protagonist. She's a great fighter and a skilled spy with a background full of dangerous and intriguing stories. A DLC about Vanasha's adventures in the Forbidden West would be an amazing companion to the next game, but there's more than enough to work with if Guerrilla wanted to go the spinoff route following the conclusion of Aloy's story.
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Talanah will almost certainly be returning in Horizon Forbidden West. Aloy joined up with the Carja huntress in the Meridian Hunters' Lodge and helped Talanah hunt down the infamous Thunderjaw, known as Redmaw, that killed her father. With Aloy's help, Talanah rises up to become the Sun Hawk of the Hunters' Lodge. Aloy is known for being a strong female video game protagonist, but Talanah also represents female empowerment in Horizon: She becomes the very first female leader of the predominantly male Hunters' Lodge.
Players who aren't a fan of timed trials might not have even met Talanah. The Redmaw quest is generated only after completing several timed trials found throughout the world and hunting down several bigger machines for the Lodge. While the quest is well worthwhile, it's not a part of the main storyline, so it can be often missed. However, Talanah has been getting a lot of attention recently and will probably have a big role in Horizon Forbidden West.
In August, Titan Comics released a Horizon Zero Dawn comic book series starring Talanah. Aloy has a role as well, but most of the story takes place after Aloy mysteriously disappears from Meridian. Most interestingly, the comic book series begins right after the events of the first game. Aloy's disappearance in the books could be directly related to her journey to the Forbidden West. The comic books may also overlap with the events of the sequel later on, meaning that Talanah could join Aloy on her journey.
Talanah's role in Horizon Forbidden West is further confirmed by her presence in one of the game's official promotional images. Talanah will be in Horizon Forbidden West, and she'll most likely play a significant role in the story. What's not confirmed is how her presence may impact gameplay. Some fans have suggested that Talanah could be a companion for Aloy, who spent most of the first game traveling alone. Talanah could also wind up being a second playable character or provide an option for co-op. Both options would be a big deal and improve on Horizon Zero Dawn's gameplay, where Aloy was the only playable character for the duration of the game.
Whatever Talanah's role in Horizon Forbidden West is (multiplayer, perhaps), players can expect to see a lot more of her in the sequel. Fans who missed out on the Hunters' Lodge subplot should definitely check it out before the game's release in order to have the most complete experience with Forbidden West.
Horizon Forbidden West will be available for PS4 and PS5 in late 2021.
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