The Reason Zenos.

[Gemina]

So you basically want a stronger version of Grynewaht? Y'know, the Roegadyn who kept trying to kill us, to the point of comically being forced to retreat in a Team Rocket kind of way?

Even though I've been supporting Zenos, I can understand how such an opinion can be formulated about him. Grynewaht got his arse handed to him by the WoL and became obsessed with killing him/her for redemption, and well... we know how that ended for him, and that sounds awfully similar to our Crown Prince here.

However, Grynewaht's fate is exactly the kind of thing you do with his character; making him ultra powerful at the cost of extracting his own free will (kind of like The Mountain from Game of Thrones), and basically turning him into a tool to be used by far more prominent antagonists. To say that Zenos is along the lines of this kind of one dimensional character I feel is a bit extreme. He most certainly can't get pushed around, and made to look a fool in front of his peers like Grynewaht. While I can admit that Zenos is not a vastly multidimensional character like Emet, I also can't submit to him being that bad, or that poorly written. Zenos does entertain me.

[Nezerius]

Even though I've been supporting Zenos, I can understand how such an opinion can be formulated about him. Grynewaht got his arse handed to him by the WoL and became obsessed with killing him/her for redemption, and well... we know how that ended for him, and that sounds awfully similar to our Crown Prince here.

However, Grynewaht's fate is exactly the kind of thing you do with his character; making him ultra powerful at the cost of extracting his own free will (kind of like The Mountain from Game of Thrones), and basically turning him into a tool to be used by far more prominent antagonists. To say that Zenos is along the lines of this kind of one dimensional character I feel is a bit extreme. He most certainly can't get pushed around, and made to look a fool in front of his peers like Grynewaht. While I can admit that Zenos is not a vastly multidimensional character like Emet, I also can't submit to him being that bad, or that poorly written. Zenos does entertain me.

Not saying that Zenos is currently as simple of a character as Grynewaht, since Grynewaht was mostly just comedy-relief-turned-video-game-reference (Doomguy in Doma Castle), but I also wouldn't be surprised if Zenos ends up getting baited into becoming a pawn of Zodiark, considering how the story is currently progressing. This is due to the fact that his only objective is to become stronger so he can fight the WoL. His character needs a lot more depth to not eventually turn into a character that just keeps on coming back after getting defeated.

[Gemina]

Not saying that Zenos is currently as simple of a character as Grynewaht, since Grynewaht was mostly just comedy-relief-turned-video-game-reference (Doomguy in Doma Castle), but I also wouldn't be surprised if Zenos ends up getting baited into becoming a pawn of Zodiark, considering how the story is currently progressing. This is due to the fact that his only objective is to become stronger so he can fight the WoL. His character needs a lot more depth to not eventually turn into a character that just keeps on coming back after getting defeated.

I've seen it happen in other fiction. Antagonist gets too strong, or there is some other reason the writer(s) get themselves boxed in a corner and the only way to take him out is to make him a puppet. Madara in Naruto quickly comes to mind. I really hope they don't do that with Zenos, but the quasi link between him and Zodiark seems all but certain.

From my perspective, it seems they are doing a kind of Neo/Agent Smith thing with the WoL and Zenos, where each are continuously getting more and more powerful. I think Zenos acknowledges this and is crazy super stoked about two mortals ascending to godhood, and then battling over the fate of an entire star. IOW, I think Zenos is quite similar to an Ascian in many ways including a desire to recreate the past. As a war monger though, he would seek to recreate the battle between Zodiark and Hydaelyn that split the star into shards in the first place.

That seems simple enough, and more than sufficient to wet my beak. I am just not sure how Zodiark will fit into that without eliminating his take on things, which I think many players want to know. That's kind of what really worries me about Zenos.

[MoofiaBossVal]

That seems simple enough, and more than sufficient to wet my beak. I am just not sure how Zodiark will fit into that without eliminating his take on things, which I think many players want to know. That's kind of what really worries me about Zenos.

So far, we already have two contenders for the role of the final antagonist of the story: Elidibus and Zenos, who are thematic counterparts to the WoL. Elidibus was once a colleague of the WoL, who eventually became a spiteful old man and leader of the big bad ensemble, who is now trying to kill his friend. Zenos is the WoL's rival, both pushing boundaries and performing feats thought to be impossible. Zodiark is... what? Some big bad doom summon/creature/demon thing of pure evil? I have no investment in Zodiark as a character, and I'm not sure how he could be brought in at the last moment and made into a character more worthy of the final antagonist role than Elidibus or Zenos.

I can see either Elidibus or Zenos becoming the avatar of Zodiark, but retaining their personalities. Elidibus is supposed to be the emissary of Zodiark, and Zenos wants Zodiark's power, so in the end either can work. So long as they don't become a brand new character upon taking Zodiark's power into their bodies.