Zenos: The Big Bad (The Feedback Thread, Part 1)

[Yuella]

I actually think he can be the Golbez of the story. He turns out to be Azem's brother or something and there will be a FuSoYa type npc who makes him realize this and they will die fighting the final boss before we finish it off.

[Rosenstrauch]

If Zenos turns out to be the reincarnated soul of Hythlodaeus, I'll scream. At least that might finally make him interesting, though.

[Vyrerus]

If Zenos turns out to be the reincarnated soul of Hythlodaeus, I'll scream. At least that might finally make him interesting, though.

That would be most unexpected.

[Kesey]

If Zenos turns out to be the reincarnated soul of Hythlodaeus, I'll scream. At least that might finally make him interesting, though.

I think Zenos will turn out to be highly connected to the WOL as Azem. I think the way he has used the term "friend" since SB has been the hint. Then his reoccuring dreams of Amaurot on top of it and what we have learned about souls and reincarnation. I think Ancient Zenos and Azem will turn out to be friends that competed (rivals) for the seat of Azem and also adventured together.

Also as someone has posted above asking for a FuSoYa type character, that can easily be filled in by Hythlodaeus.

[Mahoukenshi]

If Zenos turns out to be the reincarnated soul of Hythlodaeus, I'll scream. At least that might finally make him interesting, though.

I don't know. It will only make him (more) interesting if it causes any kind of change or reaction in Zenos and not just a reaction like "Lol whatever, muh hunt must continue!!!". But at this point, I'm not really sure what I'd want from Zenos (other than being gone for good this time xD). I mean, one can be "glad" that Zenos actually decided to do something at the end of 5.4.

[myahele]

If Zenos turns out to be the reincarnated soul of Hythlodaeus, I'll scream. At least that might finally make him interesting, though.

For a while I speculated that Zenos was the reincarnation of Hythlodeaus or someone they knew back at Amaurot. It might explain why he' considers WoL a friend, why he see's visions of the Final Days as a child and whatever Emet-Selch did to him. Zenos could even see the color on one's soul which seems to be a very rare ability even among the Ancients and Hythlodaeus was even more gifted in his opinion. Although Krile could sense a person's aether in the lifestream, nothing was said about colors. Much like how he had high expectations for WoL, maybe he had plans for Zenos since he carried Hythlodeaus soul?

[LineageRazor]

I also think that, as much as I love his character, Zenos is doomed.

I agree. He's already done it once - shortly after we beat him as Shinryu, the guy committed suicide, after all, believing that he had fulfilled his ambition and finally had the "perfect fight" he'd longed for. If the plot doesn't do him in, he'll do it himself.

Also, frankly, it's tough to think of a resolution in which he lives. Even assuming he doesn't choose to kill himself again (and he might not, since it didn't work the first time), he's too dangerous to just let wander the earth; he makes no effort to hide the fact that the lives of normal people are worthless to him, and extraordinary people are the ones he deliberately seeks out to challenge and kill. Prison survival is unlikely, as well; if the Alliance actually managed to capture him it's pretty unlikely he wouldn't be executed. (They had to bend over backwards to spare Fordola, and her list of war crimes is a drop in the bucket compared to Zenos's.)

In regards to joining forces with the WoL... eeeeh it could happen, but I'd think it'd be more along the lines of, "I can't let this god kill you, and spoil our glorious rematch!" than along the lines of actual friendship. While I agree that Zenos considers us a friend, I believe that his take on friendship is an extremely twisted, self-serving one, all take and no give. He either has no consideration whatsoever for the WoL's emotional well-being, or mistakenly believes that the WoL shares his worldview and ALSO lives for the ultimate battle.

[Yuella]

We don't know that Hythlodaeus was a good person. We only had a short conversation with him. For all we know, he caused the Final Days

[YianKutku]

We don't know that Hythlodaeus was a good person. We only had a short conversation with him. For all we know, he caused the Final Days

We do, however, know that he really likes to talk, and explain stuff to us (as well as annoying Hades, in the way friends do). Which is kind of not what Zenos has been doing, since Zenos barely bothered responding to Fandaniel.

(Maybe Hythlodaeus's reincarnation is instead Gaius "Loves The Sound Of His Own Voice" Baelsar.)

[Yuella]

Hmm I just read Through His Eyes in Tales from the Shadows. It has two parts. The first part has Hades and Hythlodaeus talking. The second part is about Solus and Zenos.

"In the end, they were all just malformed creatures. Feeble, frail, and foolish. Thrashing blindly about in their fleeting, fragmented lives, repeating the same mistakes over and over again. Never could they replace his brethren. Yet in spite of himself, when he cradled the newborn in his arms and stroked that downy hair, he could not help but hope. For what, he could not be certain, but he hoped nonetheless"

That is not a coincidence.

Also in the first part, Hythlodaeus refers to Azem as "Our Friend". This points to Zenos being one of Hythlodaeus' shards