Zed (Kiba)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (March 2007) |
Zed is a major protagonist in the fantasy anime Kiba.
Contents |
[edit] Character outline
He is a 15-year old boy originally from Calm, a land where no wind blows. While in Calm, Zed had a somewhat unusual habit: breaking doors. He claims that by doing this he "feels that he can go anywhere."[1] But then again, he can't really go "anywhere." He usually winds up in the Blue Oyster Bar. While on the run from the police of Calm, he encounters a space-time crevasse that leads him to the land of Templer, where he meets the sage Jiko and his disciple, Roia. He draws his Shards from a set of three crystals on his left arm. The blade he wields is red, requiring three Shards to form. His Spirit, Amil Gaoul, appears to be a wind-based entity that uses two large, white-feathered wings as weapons. These wings have proven capable of slicing through other Spirits, as well as humans.
[edit] Synopsis
At first he is frustrated with his inability to control Amil Gaul but desiring power to help the Jimoto Princess Rebbecca, he acquired a new spirit, Rambos (ランヴォス Ranvosu?), 'the soul of power', as well as a more powerful sword that creates a wider blade. While less powerful than Amil Gaoul, Rambos nonetheless lives up to its nickname, able to destroy a fearsome water beast simply by grabbing it. With this new power, he was able to easily defeat Dumas and Gláucio. He eventually discovers his friend from Calm, Noa, in the land of Task, in possession of the Key Spirit Sachira.
Later, Zed participated in the Neotopian Joust as a representative of Templer along with Roia and Robés. He was at first happily reunited with his friend Noa, but their relationship was severed by a series of events soon after the Joust began. First was when Roia was arrested by Neotopia and Noa refused to help. The second was when Noa 'defeated' Zed during a latter match of the Joust and revealed that Roia would be executed for her 'crime'. The only reason Zed lost, however, was because he hesitated while getting ready to beat Noa and, being someone who only follows the rules while not caring about anything else, Noa took it to his advantage. After his defeat, Zed's key spirit was stolen by Hugh, who was in disguise, but had it returned later by Noa.
Shortly after escaping from Neotopia, Zed was 'abducted' by Neotopian soldiers and taken to the barren outskirts of Neotopia. They attempted to execute him, but Zed was saved by the artificial shard casters from Ulbakus. It was at this time that Zed witnessed the invasion of Neotopia by Hugh's forces and the beastmen of Task.
At the start of the invasion, Zed discovers that Amil Gaul will not 'awaken' but is not gone either, causing much confusion for him. Later during the battle against the rogue artificial spirit, Ex-Machina, Zed is able to summon Amil Gaul, but he now appears red. A short time later Amil Gaul changes into a phoenix made of green flames and single handedly defeats Ex-Machina. When his spirit returns to his shard, Zed discovers that his entire lower arm has turned ashen, and his summoning crystals have turned black.
Zed is then captured along with Noa by Hugh but manages to escape a short time later. They hold up at Hiram's secluded temple until Hugh and his forces corner them. After threatening to kill hostages, Zed drags Hiram out to Hugh. A battle ensues when robes and Templer's army appears to aid him. During this battle, Zed's anger at the senseless slaughter created by Hugh allows Zed to re summon Amil Gaul. At first he appears as a more stable form of the green phoenix but then transforms back into a humanoid form, but now is covered in armor and his eyes finally open; this is Amil Gaul's true 'awakened' form. While his spirit battle Pronimo, Zed fights Hugh.
When it seems that the battle is even, a windstorm created by Amil Gaul gives Zed the opening he needs. Hugh throws lightning shards at Zed, but the wind causes the attack to turn back against him. At the same time Zed throws explosive fire shards which also hit Hugh. Zed then lunges forward, aided by the wind, and skewers Hugh through the chest with his sword.
After these events, Noa disappeared and Zed returned to Templer. He had little time to relax when he learned from a wounded Ginga, that Task has launched an attack on Ulbacaks. Zed and Roya have now gone to Ulbacaks to assist Ginga. Dr. Bender tries his ultimate system of spirit control on Amil Gaul for the Taskers. This is a failure where Amil Gaoul destroys the central lab which leads to the destruction of the entire island. When Zed orders Amil Gaoul to go back to pickup Ginga Amil Gaoul refuses by completely ignoring him while flying him and Roya away from the island.
Shortly after returning to Templer, Zed is informed that Sagiri had arrived after having escaped from the Seekers. A member of the Seekers arrives to recover Sagiri and Zed is shocked to discover that it's his mother, Sara. Zed's mother leaves before he has a chance to talk with her and angrily demands to know how she is acquainted with Jiko. Jiko then reveals to Zed how he had brought Sara to Templer from Calm and made her into a shard caster, believing that she was the chosen vessel of Amil Gaoul.
When Zed attempts to pursue his mother, to attempt to reason with her, Jiko intervenes to stop him. A battle ensues and Jiko knocks Zed unconscious and imprisons him. Jiko apologizes to Zed but tries to tell Zed that his mother is now possessed by an 'evil spirit', and because it was his fault, he must confront her. Later, Zed is able to convince Roya to release him and they race off to find Sara. Upon confronting her again, Zed tries to reason with his mother, but is horrified when Sara tells him that she only loves Amil Gaoul and despises him. Heartbroken and crushed, Zed gives up Amil Gaoul to Sara, but before she can extract the spirit's shard, Jimu and several Tuskan soldiers appear.
The battle is intense with Jimu stealing then using Sara's two Key Spirits against Zed. The surprising arrival of the Seeker's flying ship ends the battle. In the confusion, Sara disappears and Zed is left confused. After Sagiri agrees to return with to the Seekers, Zed accompanies her in the hopes to tracking down Noah. It is while on the ship that Zed learns that his father had been a member of the Seekers and had been on a scouting mission to Calm when he met Zed's mother. After learning about the various forces that wish to acquire the Key Spirits, Zed resolves to go to Task and take back the shards that Jimu stole. As he prepares to leave, Sagiri stops him and wishes him luck and gives Zed her Key Spirit, Shadin, saying that she doesn't want it and that it will serve him better.
Zed arrives in Task and shortly afterwards encounters the runaway Mirette. A brief battle ensues between Zed and Gitra, but is resolved when he learns Zed means no harm. The trio are then confronted by Deucem who initiates a rematch between himself and Zed. The battle seems even until Zed's anger over all the death and destruction caused by people seeking the Key Spirits, people like Deucem, boils over. Zed beats Deucem to his knees and then administers the final blow sending Deucem tumbling off the floating landmass into the void below. Gitra then helps Zed sneak into the Task Palace and directs him where he can find Jimu.
Before Zed can confront Jimu, however, he is stopped by a strange individual who summons the Key Spirit, Sachira. Seeing Sachira, Zed demands to know if Doruga is Noa but is attacked. Zed summons Amil Gaoul who holds off Sachira's attacks. Jimu intervenes and summons Pronimo and Monardi, who team up with Sachira to incapacitate Amil Gaoul. Zed then summons Shadin who is able to repel the other spirits. Zed and Doruga spar with their sword, but Zed is then attacked from behind by Jimu, who knocks Zed out. Doruga is angry that Jimu interfered but allows Jimu to take Zed's two shards.
Zed is then put in a cell and laments losing Amil Gaoul. Zed is then freed by Morima who provides a cryptic answer to Zed's question of why she's releasing him. Zed then confronts Doruga again who finally confirms that he is indeed Noa. He explains that after the fall of Neotopia, he lost everything that had meaning. He came to Task to get all the key spirits so that he can obtain ultimate power and fill the void in his life, he cares about nothing else anymore. After a short battle, Zed escapes and returns to Gitra and Mirette and apologizes for failing.
He tries to convince Mirette to not go back to the palace and asks her to allow him to take her burden. Mirette then escapes and Zed and Gitra track her back to Taste's Cave where she wants to see the 'stars' one last time. She is confronted by Doruga (Noa) who demands her spirit. Zed arrives and says that Noa can't be trusted with the spirit. Jimu also arrives but before anyone can battle, Mirette's key spirit finally awakens and emerges. This causes the other key spirit shards to be absorbed into Mirette's body. As Zed looks on helplessly, Mirette is surrounded by a black haze and a massive black spirit emerges from her body, the combined spirit of all the key shards, Tasker.
Unable to help Mirette, Zed escapes with Gitra while Jimu takes Mirette back to the palace. Eventually, Zed and Gitra storm the palace once again in order rescue Mirette. With the unexpected help of Noa, Zed manages to rescue Mirette and they flee the palace. Jimu and his soldiers pursue them and after catching up to them, Mirette once again unleashes the black spirit. However, the spirit separates into the individual key spirits and Zed witnesses Jumamis incinerate Jimu. Now injured, Zed is unable to stop Noa from taking the key spirits, however, Amil Gaoul returns to him instead.
Later, as Zed reflects on recent events, Jiko and Roya appear looking for him. Zed tells them about what's happened and resolves that he will not allow Amil Gaoul to fall into Noa's hands. He is then confronted by his mother and they go off away from Jiko and Roya. Sara's actions at this point convince Zed that his mother is lost and give her Amil Gaoul's shard. Roya comes searching for him shortly afterwards, telling him that Sara is fighting Jiko and convinces him that his mother can still be saved.
Before they can leave, Zed is confronted by Deucem, who survived their last fight but is now horribly scarred. The two engage in a sword fight while Roya runs on ahead. Deucem appears to grasp victory, knocking Zed's blade away and moves in to make the final blow. At the last second, Zed dodges and places three shards on Deucem's back that explode, horribly burning Deucem and causing him to collapse. Zed rushes to his mother but arrives too late as Sara had just died. Roya returns Amil Gaoul's shard and says that his mother's last thoughts were of him and that she thanked him for 'saving' her.
After defeating Tasker with Amil Gaoul's help, Zed is transported to another world where he now shares his body with Amil Gaoul. While resting on top of a building, he supposedly receives the same paper airplane that Noa had thrown from Templer. He then flies off, possibly returning to Templer.
