List of Edens Zero characters

The Edens Zero manga series features an extensive cast of characters created by Hiro Mashima. The story is set in a fictional universe comprising multiple planetary systems called "cosmoses", which the protagonists navigate using the titular spaceship. The characters consist mainly of humans, robots, and aliens, the majority of which inhabit the Sakura Cosmos (桜宇宙, Sakura Kosumosu, lit. "Cherry Blossom Cosmos").[lower-alpha 1] Described as a "space fantasy" series by Mashima,[1] Edens Zero depicts several characters that use a magic-like technique called Ether Gear (エーテルギア, Ēteru Gia) to harness their bodies' Ether – a magical power source – like the machines of their universe. Other prominent characters include B-Cubers, which are users of an online video platform based on YouTube.[1][2] Critics and readers have compared the characters' designs and attributes to those from Mashima's earlier series Fairy Tail and Rave Master, some of which they noted were intentionally derivative.

The main characters of Edens Zero, who comprise the crew of the titular spaceship. Clockwise from bottom-center: Shiki, Witch (bottom-left), Homura (front), Hermit (background), Happy, Rebecca, Pino, Sister, Weisz, and Mosco.

Main characters

Shiki Granbell

Shiki Granbell (シキ・グランベル, Shiki Guranberu) is the sole human denizen of the Granbell Kingdom, an abandoned fantasy theme park on the robot planet Granbell,[ch. 1] which Rebecca derives his surname from.[ch. 3] Found beyond the Sakura Cosmos as an infant by Demon King Ziggy,[ch. 14] Shiki learns the Ether Gear "Satan Gravity" (サタングラビティ, Satan Gurabiti) to use Ziggy's gravity abilities,[ch. 82] which include altering the weight and direction of gravity for himself and others,[ch. 1] creating gravitational fields and energy spheres,[ch. 8, 25] and converting kinetic energy into gravity.[ch. 66] Shiki views robots equally to humans due to his upbringing in a robot community,[ch. 41] and he aspires to make as many friends beyond his planet as possible.[ch. 1] However, he is left socially awkward from his lifetime without human interaction, and he makes unwanted physical contact and offers of friendship with new people he meets.[ch. 1-3] He also suffers from a paralyzing fear of bugs.[ch. 15] Following Ziggy's death during Shiki's childhood, Shiki's over-attachment to the other robots forces them to chase him away with the visiting Rebecca before the robots similarly break down shortly afterward.[ch. 1] After joining the adventurers guild Shooting Starlight,[ch. 3] Shiki earns the Edens Zero from Elsie Crimson and inherits Ziggy's title as "Demon King", the ship's leader.[ch. 15] He subsequently embarks on a voyage to find Mother, both in the hope of attracting more friends,[ch. 3] and to accomplish Ziggy's failed dream of finding her.[ch. 13] However, when Ziggy revives as an evil version of himself and destroys Granbell, Shiki vows to defeat him and use his wish for Mother to restore the planet to its previous state.[ch. 101-104]

Continuing his theme of naming protagonists after seasons, Mashima chose the Japanese word meaning "four seasons" (四季, shiki) for the main character of Edens Zero to represent the culmination of his previous works. Mashima originally used Ziggy's name for Shiki in the manga's earliest draft, taking inspiration from the song Ziggy Stardust by singer David Bowie, which the author listened to frequently during the manga's production.[vol. 9] In the booklet packaged with the first tankōbon volume's special edition, Mashima wrote that he often forgets to draw details of the character such as the patch on his cheek, and that he alternated between design attributes during development, such as giving him white hair instead of the final black, and whether or not Shiki would wear goggles. Other concept drawings depict Shiki wearing a bracelet that transforms into a gauntlet as an early concept for his Ether Gear.[3]

Rebecca Bluegarden

Rebecca Bluegarden (レベッカ・ブルーガーデン, Rebekka Burūgāden) is an amateur B-Cuber and Shooting Starlight member from the planet Blue Garden who travels to record videos of other planets.[ch. 1] She aims to amass one million subscribers for her account, Aoneko Channel (AONEKOチャネル, Aoneko Chaneru, lit. "Blue Cat Channel"), which suffers from low viewership due to poor-quality content.[ch. 2, 4] Ordinarily a cheerful girl, Rebecca becomes aggressive and ends her sentences with the particle zeyo (ぜよ) when angered or flustered; in the English version, she uses the word "ducky" instead.[ch. 2] She is an expert markswoman whose accuracy skills are learned from playing first-person shooter video games,[ch. 88] and is the owner and pilot of the Aqua Wing (アクアウイング, Akua Uingu), a spaceship that doubles as a seaboat.[ch. 1] After she saves Shiki from the Granbell robots' apparent betrayal,[ch. 1] he inspires her to join his search for Mother so she can become famous and attract viewers,[ch. 3, 48] while she also gains the respect of other B-Cubers for her heroism despite her lack of creative talent.[ch. 29] By repeatedly bathing in the Edens Zero's spa, Rebecca develops her own Ether Gear called "Cat Leaper" (キャットリーパー, Kyatto Rīpā), which she initially calls "Leaper" for enhancing her jumping power and agility,[ch. 64] and increasing the speed of vehicles she operates;[ch. 76] she later discovers that it allows her to mentally "leap" backwards in time and change the outcome of past events,[ch. 64, 85] something she subconsciously does thirty times throughout her life before becoming fully aware of her power.[ch. 88]

Mashima developed the heroine character of Edens Zero before giving her a name, developing a variety of hairstyles and outfits before settling on the final design.[3] The name "Rebecca" is taken from the Japanese band of the same name, drawing inspiration from their song "Friends" to compliment Shiki's personality.[vol. 9]

Happy
Main article: Happy (manga character)

Happy (ハッピー, Happī) is a blue cat who serves as Rebecca's friend and partner; the character was imported from Fairy Tail as a substitute for the series' intended mascot, Pino.[vol. 2] The narrative reimagines Happy as a feline alien from the planet Excede (エクシド星, Ekushido-hoshi, also "Exceed") who is found by Rebecca when they are abandoned on Blue Garden during her childhood, and is later revived from a nearly fatal traffic accident after Professor Weisz Steiner transfers Happy's consciousness into an identical android body.[ch. 2, 11] Happy can transform himself into a pair of firearms called Happy Blasters (ハッピーブラスター, Happī Burasutā), which Rebecca uses to shoot non-lethal Ether bullets.[ch. 2]

Weisz Steiner (young)
For the character's original counterpart, see § Professor Weisz Steiner.

The young Weisz Steiner (ワイズ・シュタイナー, Waizu Shutainā), also spelled "Wise",[vol. 9][ch. 99] is an alternate version of Professor Weisz from fifty years in the past, brought into the present after a chronophage rewinds time for his home planet, Norma (ノーマ, Nōma); due to the professor's escape from the planet, both versions of Weisz are able to co-exist as separate people.[ch. 11] Weisz uses the Ether Gear "Machina Maker" (マキナ・メイカー, Makina Meikā) to instantaneously modify machines, allowing him to improve their performance, deconstruct them, or remodel them into different weapons.[ch. 11, 27] Unlike his future counterpart, the young Weisz is an amoral criminal originally aligned with Sibir, whom he betrays following an argument over a stolen pendant belonging to Weisz's deceased mother.[ch. 96] After helping Shiki's group escape from Norma, Weisz briefly embarks on his own to indulge in the present era,[ch. 16] but decides to permanently join the Edens Zero crew upon becoming more accustomed to them,[ch. 28] intending to wish for wealth and beautiful women from Mother.[ch. 48, 100] During the crew's travels, Weisz assumes a superhero identity named Arsenal (アーセナル, Āsenaru) with a self-built powered exoskeleton that he modifies with his Ether Gear.[ch. 61, 62]

Mashima described the character as "one of the good guys, but still a scumbag", which he noted he does not write often for the characters of his works. He also said that Weisz's role in the story was "pretty clearly laid out", which made it "fairly easy to get [him] to do what I want".[vol. 2]

E.M. Pino

E.M. Pino (EM=ピーノ, Ī Emu Pīno) is a miniature "anti-bot" android who generates electromagnetic pulses (EMP) that disable all machinery and Ether Gears within range for short periods of time, affecting friend and foe alike.[ch. 7, 10] She is built by Ziggy to become the "Light of Edens" (エデンズの光, Edenzu no Hikari), the "next generation" of androids to the Four Shining Stars.[ch. 19] but has her memory damaged by Sibir's gang after she is sent to the time-consumed planet Norma for unknown reasons,[ch. 7] which leads her to question the purpose of her own existence.[ch. 15] After Weisz mistakenly steals her from Sibir, she is rescued by Shiki and assigns him as her new master, joining his crew in the hopes of restoring her memories.[ch. 10, 16] She later expresses a desire to be reborn as a human through Mother's wish and experience sensations that she cannot feel as an android,[ch. 42, 48] being given opportunities to assume the appearance of a rabbit-eared human girl through virtual or holographic technology.[ch. 31, 72]

Mashima created Pino to serve as the mascot character of the series, with her name being a pun on "EMP".[vol. 9] During development of the manga, Mashima found it increasingly difficult to include her within the first chapter, where he incorporated Happy to stand in for her. As with Weisz, Mashima said that he found it "fairly easy" to write for Pino due to her established role in the story.[vol. 2] He later called Pino his favorite character in the series, adding that he worked out "a lot" of story details for her, and that she would "probably" become an important character.[vol. 3]

Homura Kôgetsu

Homura Kôgetsu (ホムラ・コウゲツ, Homura Kōgetsu) is a young swordswoman from Oedo (オオエド, Ōedo), a planet styled after Edo-period Japan.[ch. 57] Abandoned at a young age by her mother, Kurenai,[ch. 47, 59] she is raised and mentored by Valkyrie Yuna in the use of "Soul Blade" (ソウルブレイド, Sōru Bureido), an Ether Gear that produces swords of solid Ether, which she wields with supernatural proficiency.[ch. 21] Homura lacks a social filter due to encouragement from Valkyrie to overcome her previously shy and quiet nature,[ch. 47] which results in her habitually voicing her thoughts and intentions by mistake.[ch. 19] Initially viewing Valkyrie as only a beloved teacher during her training,[ch. 57] she embarks on a five-year search for her after Valkyrie disappears,[ch. 29] having come to regard her as a mother figure.[ch. 67] Homura's search leads her to join the Edens Zero crew, where she also declares her intent to one day defeat Shiki in a friendly duel,[ch. 21] considering him to be a worthy opponent for inheriting the title of "Demon King" from Ziggy, Valkyrie's undefeated rival.[ch. 28] After discovering Valkyrie's death on the planet Sun Jewel (サン・ジュエル, San Jueru),[ch. 58] Homura replaces her as a member of the Four Shining Stars and assumes the name "Valkyrie Homura",[ch. 68] later hoping to use Mother's wish to meet with her mentor again.[ch. 100]

Mashima chose the name "Homura", which means "flame" (炎, homura), to give an impression of the color red and fire;[vol. 9] this also influenced the name of the character's mother, Kurenai, which means "crimson" (紅, kurenai).[vol. 8] He commented that he introduced the character earlier than he planned, originally intending to include two other male characters within the crew before her and the Four Shining Stars' appearance.[vol. 4]

Four Shining Stars

The Demon King's Four Shining Stars (魔王四煌星, Maō Shikōsei) are a group of female androids built by Ziggy to serve aboard the Edens Zero.[ch. 15] Each member possesses functions and powers that improve the ship's travel capacity,[ch. 16] with all four required to authorize the use of Etherion (エーテリオン, Ēterion), the ship's most confidential weapon.[ch. 69] Each also possesses a "Battle Dress" (バトルドレス, Batoru Doresu) form that enhances their combat skills to varying degrees.[ch. 71] The group temporarily disbands across the Sakura Cosmos upon Ziggy's retirement, with Shiki traveling to reassemble them in preparation of his voyage through Dragonfall, a sector of space inhabited by swarms of dragons.[ch. 16]

Witch Regret

Witch Regret (ウィッチ・リグレット, Witchi Riguretto) is a beautiful sorceress android capable of changing her own Ether's elemental attribute at will and manipulating it in a fashion similar to magic.[ch. 71] She serves as the "Shield of Edens" (エデンズの盾, Edenzu no Tate), using Ether force fields to defend the Edens Zero against intruders, while also providing other services such as massages to the crew members.[ch. 15, 16] She is frequently depicted covering her face with a visor that she wears out of embarrassment,[ch. 44] and behaves as a kind and gentle figure who becomes ruthless towards those who threaten the ship.[ch. 93] Considering herself to be a part of the Edens Zero itself, Witch remains in stasis aboard the ship before its delivery to Shiki, to whom she is completely subservient.[ch. 15]

Sister Ivry

Sister Ivry (シスター・イヴリィ, Shisutā Ivurii) is a dominatrix nun with a crass and masculine demeanor, including the use of the male pronoun ore in Japanese.[ch. 28, 88] She acts as the ship's medic, the "Life of Edens" (エデンズの命, Edenzu no Inochi), using her "Heal Atomizer" (ヒールアトマイザー, Hīru Atomaizā) function to heal wounds and repair "living" machines,[ch. 19] including the Edens Zero itself when all Four Shining Stars are assembled.[ch. 40] She is also able to convert her Ether into medicine that resembles an energy drink.[ch. 75] Before rejoining the crew, Sister joins Shooting Starlight and embarks on a mission to rescue petrified women on Guilst (ギルスト, Girusuto),[ch. 43] where she is captured and impersonated by Rogue Out's leader for ten years until Shiki's group rescues her.[ch. 26] When talking about the character's name, Mashima said it had no meaning, choosing it for how it sounded.[vol. 9]

Hermit Milon

Hermit Milon (ハーミット・ミロン, Hāmitto Miron) is a programmer with the appearance and mannerisms of a young tsundere girl who enjoys fashioning clothes and playing video games.[ch. 95] As the "Mind of Edens" (エデンズの心, Edenzu no Kokoro), she runs the ship's computer security with her "Master Code" (マスターコード, Masutā Kōdo),[ch. 19, 32] an ability that allows her to hack and reprogram electronic systems and machinery.[ch. 37, 89] Hermit is introduced with her mind isolated within the virtual planet Digitalis (デジタリス, Dejitarisu) after having suffered traumatic experiments by human scientists who manipulated her into destroying a planet of robots,[ch. 30, 40] resulting in her resentment towards all humans and any robots who sympathize with them.[ch. 33, 41] After resisting Shiki's attempts to recruit her into his crew, she eventually relents when their kindness rekindles her desire for friendship with humans, regaining her cheerful demeanor.[ch. 41]

Valkyrie Yuna

Valkyrie Yuna (ヴァルキリー・ユナ, Varukirī Yuna) is a swordswoman who serves in Ziggy's crew as the "Sword of Edens" (エデンズの剣, Edenzu no Tsurugi),[ch. 19] the manager of the ship's armaments.[ch. 69] Acting as Homura Kôgetsu's childhood mentor,[ch. 28, 47] she leaves five years before the series' present due to prejudice they face on Homura's planet for their human-machine relationship, which prompts Valkyrie to find Homura's biological mother, Kurenai.[ch. 29, 57] Two years after taking Kurenai's place in slavery on Sun Jewel, however, she is betrayed by Kurenai and sacrifices herself to defend the other slave workers from a horde of alien monsters that Kurenai unleashes on the labor district,[ch. 58] which results in Valkyrie's death when she breaks down beyond function and repair.[ch. 59] Following their discovery of her death, Shiki's crew allows her enshrined remains to be kept on the planet as a symbol of hope, while Homura assumes Valkyrie's name and duties.[ch. 68] Mashima chose the character's name because he wanted her to have a Japanese name despite having dark skin.[vol. 9]

Mosco Versa-0

Mosco Versa-0 (モスコ=ヴェルサー零, Mosuko Verusā-Rei) is an obese, white-colored android who is introduced as a member of the mercenary squad Rogue Out,[ch. 19] but is later revealed to be the Edens Zero's caretaker and Sister's verbally abused "minion" who was reprogrammed to follow her imposter; he is reinstated aboard the ship after being gunned down by Weisz and repaired.[ch. 28] Mosco battles with sumo techniques such as tsuppari, which also enables him to fly, something that is questioned by other characters.[ch. 22] In addition, he has a button with an unknown function on his belly that Sister angrily forbids anyone from pressing.[ch. 28] Mashima did not originally plan to turn Mosco into a member of the Edens Zero crew, making the decision after he "took a liking" to the character while drawing him.[vol. 4] The author based Mosco's name on the character's predetermined catchphrase, "Moscoy" (モスコイ, Mosukoi),[vol. 9] which comes from the sumo term dosukoi.[ch. 18]

Antagonists

Demon King Ziggy

Ziggy (ジギー, Jigī) is a robot who portrays the Granbell Kingdom theme park's villainous "Demon King" (魔王, Maō) character,[ch. 1] which also serves as his title as the leader of the interstellar warship Edens Zero.[ch. 15] He also possesses powerful gravity-based abilities with the capacity to demolish planets,[ch. 104] which form the basis of the "Satan Gravity" Ether Gear.[ch. 82] Initially appearing in flashbacks as Shiki's benevolent grandfather figure, Ziggy raises him from infancy after discovering him during a failed voyage to find Mother; during this time, Ziggy teaches Shiki the value of friendship between humans and machines before breaking down and "dying" from old age during Shiki's childhood.[ch. 1, 13] Later, however, Ziggy mysteriously reactivates with a more malicious personality and an intent for machines to rule over humans, becoming Shiki's archenemy and the main antagonist of the series.[ch. 101-104]

Sibir

Sibir (シビル, Shibiru) is the head of Weisz's criminal gang on Norma from their youth, during which he wields a mechanical gauntlet built by Weisz called an Augmenter Arm (強化アーム, Kyōka Āmu) that enhances his strength,[ch. 9] and pilots a Knight Gear (ナイトギア, Naito Gia) mecha that is considered to be state-of-the-art for its time.[ch. 8] He is originally Weisz's benefactor and friend,[ch. 70] but the two split after Weisz falsely accuses Sibir of stealing a pendant of sentimental value to himself.[ch. 96] On the time-eaten Norma, Shiki's group confronts an alternate version of Sibir who comes into possession of Pino, whom he forces into his service by physically abusing her and deleting her memory so he can exploit her EMP technology from the present era.[ch. 7] They later encounter the elderly Sibir from their own timeline, who has long since reconciled with the original Weisz and works as a bartender aboard the Belial Gore,[ch. 70] and assists them during their battle against Drakken Joe.[ch. 75, 90]

Rogue Out

Rogue Out (ローグアウト, Rōgu Auto) is a criminal mercenary squad founded by an android impersonating Sister Ivry to serve as her "knights".[ch. 19] Introduced as Sister herself,[ch. 20] the imposter keeps the real Sister imprisoned for ten years beneath her headquarters on the planet Guilst to siphon her healing powers,[ch. 26] which she uses to rebuild people into loyal soldiers and force her followers to fight indefinitely.[ch. 21, 25] Among her followers are Jinn, a reprogrammed Mosco, and the long-necked alien Ganoff (ガノフ, Ganofu).[ch. 18, 28] Rogue Out is hired by Illega (イリーガ, Irīga), a local frog-like alien, to kidnap beautiful female B-Cubers from other planets for his collection of petrified young women.[ch. 17] After her identity is exposed by Sister, the imposter is killed by Jinn for her deception.[ch. 26]

Belial Gore crew

The Belial Gore (ベリアル・ゴア, Beriaru Goa, also "Berial Goer") is a metropolitan space fortress controlled by Drakken Joe that contains a sector of one of Guilst's cities,[ch. 70] which is significantly inhabited by Drakken's debtors,[ch. 72] allowing him to siphon their life force to sustain his youth.[ch. 96] Among his other forces, Drakken is accompanied by three minions aboard the ship: Maria Slime (マリア・スライム, Maria Suraimu), an alien slime creature that assumes the form of a young woman with elastic legs and adhesive feet;[ch. 41, 76] Seth Anderson (セス・アンダーソン, Sesu Andāson), a sentient computer virus housed in a skeletal android body with fast draw skills;[ch. 42, 83] and Diego Reyes (ディエゴ・レイエス, Diego Reiesu), an android with high physical strength, durability, and stealth technology.[ch. 71, 83]

Drakken Joe

Drakken Joe (ドラッケン・ジョー, Dorakken Jō) is a member of the Oración Seis Galáctica (銀河六魔将, Ginga Rokumashō, "Galaxy's Six Demon Generals"),[lower-alpha 2] a group of six powerful warriors who are each capable of destroying planets.[ch. 32] Nicknamed the "Dark Alchemist" (闇の錬金術師, Yami no Renkinjutsushi),[ch. 28] he uses Ether Gear called "Alchemist" (アルケミスト, Arukemisuto) that transmutes anything into different materials and forms of matter,[ch. 79] and transforms into a powerful beast during an Overdrive state.[ch. 96] He also possesses a device that imbues weapons with his power for his subordinates to use.[ch. 72, 84] Born as a test subject with a life expectancy of fifteen years,[ch. 98] Drakken rejuvenates himself with a machine that absorbs others' life force, remaining alive for over 200 years while shortening the lifespans of countless people;[ch. 91, 96] this allows him to become the most influential figure in the Sakura Cosmos's criminal underworld as a loan shark,[ch. 70] but also causes his body and health to deteriorate over the centuries.[ch. 91] While investigating the Edens Zero to restore his wealth following the chronophage's consumption of Guilst,[ch. 43] Drakken discovers Rebecca's mental time travel ability and aims to extract it for himself to survive.[ch. 97] Although he subjugates the Edens Zero crew and kills Shiki in the process,[ch. 83] Rebecca's subsequent alteration of the timeline allows the crew to reverse Drakken's life-support system, which eventually ages Drakken into a feeble old man after he is defeated by Shiki.[ch. 96-99] The character's name is based on the video game title Drakkhen.[vol. 9]

Kris Rutherford

Kris Rutherford (クリス・ラザフォード, Kurisu Razafōdo), codenamed "Jinn" (ジン, Jin) after the wind spirit,[vol. 9] is a cyborg ninja who uses Ether Gear to manipulate wind, the strength of which is further enhanced by his 60% mechanized body.[ch. 18, 78] Introduced as a mercenary from Rogue Out, he follows the imposter Sister's orders in exchange for her help saving his younger sister, Kleene;[ch. 26] after killing the imposter, he is hired by Drakken to become Kleene's assistant aboard the Belial Gore,[ch. 77] but later helps the Edens Zero crew defeat Drakken, whom he discovers is absorbing Kleene's life force.[ch. 95] Jinn forms a rivalry with Shiki over multiple encounters, which leads him to begin practicing his Ether Gear's Overdrive form to defeat him, giving Jinn's wind the speed and power of a typhoon.[ch. 78]

Spider

Spider (スパイダー, Supaidā) is a "genius hacker" and tech employee of Drakken Joe's syndicate who considers himself to be one of Drakken's closest comrades after receiving a passing compliment from him for fixing his computer.[ch. 32, 43] In the Digitalis RPG Rogue Fantasia, Spider assumes an avatar identity named Jamilov (ジャミロフ, Jamirofu), a scythe-wielding mass murderer who targets other players and the planet's sentient NPCs alike,[ch. 32] using cheats to make himself invincible while hacking others' accounts to avoid being banned.[ch. 36, 37] After being defeated and humiliated by the Edens Zero crew, Spider is executed for tarnishing Drakken's reputation.[ch. 43] Mashima cited the character as an example of villains he created to be unsympathetic to readers, describing these villains as "the absolute worst kind of trash possible".[vol. 5]

Element 4

The Element 4 (エレメント4, Eremento Fō) are Drakken Joe's special forces, a quartet of elemental Ether Gear users who are fundamentally linked to Drakken's powers.[ch. 72, 73] The group shares its name with an antagonist group from Fairy Tail. Its members consist of:

  • Laguna (ラグナ, Raguna), an effeminately dressed man and former actor who represents water, using his "Tears Lover" (ティアーズラバー, Tiāzu Rabā) to both manipulate water and turn others into water whenever they shed tears.[ch. 72, 74] For this reason, he performs underhanded tactics to provoke his opponents into crying, such as stomping on them with stiletto heels, using emotional manipulation, yawning, or utilizing onions as eye irritants.[ch. 73]
  • Fie (ファイ, Fai), an expert long-range sniper who represents fire by cloaking his rifle's bullets and his own body in flames with his "Flame Ammo" (フレイムアモ, Fureimu Amo).[ch. 75, 89]
  • Kleene (クリーネ, Kurīne), Kris Rutherford's younger sister who is codenamed "Sylph" (シルフ, Shirufu), representing wind.[ch. 77] She wears a blank facial expression, with two devices attached to her head that indicate and suppress her emotions.[ch. 76, 92] Her "Wind Snatch" (ウインドスナッチ, Uindo Sunatchi) creates powerful winds that absorb anything, including in the vacuum of space, sometimes shrinking them to fit in her hand.[ch. 75, 76]
  • Daichi (ダイチ), a sadistic alien who represents earth and struggles with an addiction to torturing others,[ch. 80] using "Pain's Tree" (ペインズツリー, Peinzu Tsurī) to inflict pain by growing branches inside their bodies.[ch. 81]

Edens One crew

The Edens One (エデンズ ワン, Edenzu Wan) is a more technologically advanced version of the Edens Zero, which serves as its prototype.[ch. 102, 103] The ship is maintained by a group of male androids called the Demon King's Four Dark Stars (魔王四黒星, Maō Shikokusei) – Wizard (ウィザード, Wizādo), Clown (クラウン, Kuraun), Brigandine (ブリガンダイン, Burigandain), and Killer (キラー, Kirā) – who are built as "superior" successors to the Four Shining Stars.[ch. 102, 103] Originally destroyed prior to the Edens Zero crew's voyage to Sun Jewel,[ch. 49] the ship is restored within a new timeline created by Rebecca, allowing Ziggy to utilize the ship in his plans to rule humankind.[ch. 101]

Connor

Connor (コナー, Konā) is the Edens One's human captain and helmsman who originates from the Aoi Cosmos (葵宇宙, Aoi Kosumosu, lit. "Hollyhock Cosmos").[lower-alpha 1][ch. 49] Found adrift in space by the Edens Zero crew after his ship is destroyed, he initially annoys the crew with his pompous and eccentric behavior, but astounds them with his expert piloting skills, which allow him to safely steer the ship through a hazardous debris field without notice.[ch. 49] He remains aboard the Edens Zero as a passenger until his meeting with the crew is prevented when his ship's destruction is undone in the 30th timeline created by Rebecca.[ch. 99, 100] Following this, Connor reveals himself to be a supporter of the corrupted Ziggy, having been hired to assist him and the Four Dark Stars in their conquest of humanity.[ch. 102, 103]

The character's design underwent multiple changes during development, all depicting him as thinner and more attractive than the finished version as an overweight old man, with different hairstyles varying from a receding hairline to "silky smooth" hair. After storyboarding Connor's debut appearance, Mashima received input from his editor that Connor's feats were "not very interesting" for a "good-looking" character to perform. According to Mashima, the current design received complaints from his female staff over the change. Commenting on the Edens One, Mashima said that the concept was "worked out to a degree" at the time of introduction, but would not be finalized until it was storyboarded.[vol. 6]

Kurenai Kôgetsu

Kurenai Kôgetsu (クレナイ・コウゲツ, Kurenai Kōgetsu) is Homura's mother and the ruler the planet Sun Jewel, where she is known by the name Madame Kurenai (紅婦人, Kurenai Fujin, lit. "Crimson Woman").[ch. 50, 57] She monitors the planet through Satellite Blaze (サテライトブレイズ, Sateraito Bureizu), a laser satellite that she dubs the "Oculus Kurenai" (紅の目, Kurenai no Me, lit. "Crimson Eye"),[ch. 56, 60] which allows her to either execute criminals on-site or teleport them to the planet's labor district to harvest valuable metals from deadly alien monsters called Stones.[ch. 50, 51] She is served by the Zaiten Three (三罪天, Sanzaiten, lit. "Three Sin Devas"),[ch. 61] a trio of elite warriors: "Benzaiten" Garrot (鞭罪天 ギャレット, Benzaiten Gyaretto), the "Scourge of Heaven", is the labor district's warden who uses a paralysis-inflicting whip to torture prisoners;[ch. 52] "Kenzaiten" Nino (拳罪天 ニノ), the "Fist of Heaven", is a B-Cuber and anime otaku who uses the Ether Gear "Soul Arm" (ソウルアーム, Sōru Āmu) to create solid Ether fists,[ch. 53, 64] and is modeled after German YouTuber Nino "Ninotaku" Kerl;[2] and "Fuzaiten" Baku (斧罪天 バクー, Fuzaiten Bakū), the "Ax of Heaven", is a lion-like alien who wields a battle axe and moves at superhuman speed.[ch. 55]

During Homura's childhood, Kurenai abandons her to become rich at Sun Jewel's casinos under the pretense of providing for her daughter,[ch. 57] but is imprisoned at the labor district after amassing an insurmountable debt. When Valkyrie frees her to reunite her with Homura, Kurenai selfishly rises to power by marrying and assassinating Sun Jewel's previous ruler, unwittingly killing Valkyrie during an effort to increase her own wealth by unleashing a horde of Stones on the district.[ch. 58] Shiki battles Kurenai to fulfill Valkyrie's promise of bringing her to Homura for judgement;[ch. 59-67] during their fight, Kurenai pilots an Ether-resistant Knight Gear, the Kurenai Dragoon (紅鉄騎, Kurenai Tekki, lit. "Crimson Iron Horseman"),[ch. 61] which Shiki destroys after using its weaponry against it.[ch. 66] Upon her defeat, she is renounced by Homura as her mother and deposed,[ch. 67] leaving Kurenai to be taken captive by Cedric (セドリック, Sedorikku), a vengeful man previously disfigured by her.[ch. 52, 67]

Other characters

Mother

Mother (マザー, Mazā) is the creator of the universe,[ch. 48] worshiped by space explorers as the goddess of the cosmos.[ch. 3, 4] She appears as a gargantuan woman described as being larger than any planet,[ch. 3] and is capable of granting any wish to those who find her, causing them to be "born again".[ch. 14, 48] Because she exists in the hazardous outer regions of space, she is regarded as a mythical figure within the Sakura Cosmos.[ch. 13] Shiki makes it his objective in the series to prove her existence when he is disbelieved for his familiarity with her,[ch. 3] later reaffirming his goal as fulfilling Ziggy's dream of finding her.[ch. 13]

Professor Weisz Steiner

The original counterpart of Weisz Steiner is a professor who becomes Rebecca and Happy's childhood benefactor after saving the latter's life by using his Machina Maker to convert him into an android.[ch. 4, 11] In contrast to his younger self, Professor Weisz is a respectable figure who has renounced his past thievery after getting his arm amputated for stealing from Drakken Joe during his youth,[ch. 6, 91] and is noted as being a more proficient technician than Demon King Ziggy.[ch. 16] Along with most of Norma's citizens, Professor Weisz escapes the planet before it is consumed by the chronophage, which allows him to continue existing separately from his younger self without being affected by the changes in the latter's life.[ch. 11]

Elsie Crimson

Elsie Crimson (エルシー・クリムゾン, Erushī Kurimuzon) is an armored space pirate captain and member of the Oración Seis Galáctica who is notorious for conquering the "seven cosmic seas", commanding a fleet of warships that includes her personal vessel, the Skull Fairy (スカルフェアリー号, Sukaru Fearī-gō).[ch. 12, 14] Becoming attached to Demon King Ziggy from a young age after she is found by him as a refugee of war,[ch. 29, 104] she is entrusted by Ziggy with delivering the Edens Zero to Shiki, keeping the ship as a transformed cargo vessel.[ch. 14, 15] After Shiki leaves planet Granbell, she tests him by "half-jokingly" threatening to sell his group into slavery, leaving him the ship as a reward for clearing its infestation of alien parasites mimicking her and her crew.[ch. 12-14] She later allies with Shiki against Ziggy when the latter reactivates as an enemy of mankind, and resolves to defeat him herself due to her debt to him.[ch. 103, 104] Elsie is modeled after Fairy Tail character Erza Scarlet, with her name being a portmanteau of "Erza" (エルザ, Eruza) and the word "sea" to reflect her role as a pirate.[vol. 9]

Shooting Starlight

Shooting Starlight (流星の灯, Ryūsei no Tomoshibi) is an adventurers' guild on planet Blue Garden where members receive passports to travel to other planets,[ch. 2] and serves as an information center in the Sakura Cosmos.[ch. 43] Shiki, Rebecca, and Happy are members of the guild, though most of the other members are indifferent or unfriendly towards them, with the exception of Clarisse Layer (クラリス・レイヤー, Kurarisu Reiyā), the guild's kind and sensitive receptionist.[ch. 3]

Noah Glenfield

Noah Glenfield (ノア・グレンフィールド, Noa Gurenfīrudo) is Shooting Starlight's guild master,[ch. 43] which serves as a front for his role as the Galactic Intelligence Agency director overseeing the Sakura Cosmos,[ch. 100] and is rarely seen by the other members.[ch. 17] He uses the Ether Gear "Eye of God" (ゴッドアイ, Goddo Ai, lit. "God Eye") to observe people's physical and temporal positions, which allows him to keep track of Rebecca's time-leaping from when she is still a child.[ch. 88] Noah initially appears to work against the Edens Zero crew by orchestrating Rogue Out's capture of Rebecca, and later supplying Drakken Joe with information on the crew, including Rebecca's time travel powers.[ch. 43] After Rebecca becomes aware of her powers, Noah reveals his true intent to defeat Drakken by using Rebecca's powers,[ch. 88] and discloses his secret identity to the crew to build mutual trust.[ch. 100]

Labilia Christy

Labilia Christy (ラビリア・クリスティ, Rabiria Kurisuti) is a famous B-Cuber in the Sakura Cosmos who runs the aptly titled Labilia Channel.[ch. 3, 86] She is also an adversary and former friend of Rebecca,[ch. 3, 86] whom she regularly ridicules and subjects to malicious videos for her amateurish content.[ch. 16, 53] Despite her dismissive attitude towards others, she becomes fascinated with Shiki for his gravity powers when he publicly humiliates her for bullying Rebecca.[ch. 3] After Labilia is imprisoned by Drakken Joe as a favor for Rebecca,[ch. 78] she is sheltered by Amira while Rebecca attempts to rescue her herself,[ch. 85, 93] which leads Labilia to become more grateful to Rebecca, although the two remain on unfriendly terms.[ch. 100] Labilia's name is derived from the word "lovely".[vol. 9]

Xiaomei

Xiaomei (シャオメイ, Shaomei) is the series' metafictional narrator, who breaks the fourth wall to provide context and meta-commentary to the story.[ch. 5] She appears within the story itself as the "Time Oracle" (時読み, Tokiyomi, lit. "Time Reader"), a "fortune-teller" with powers of omniscience granted to her by Mother, whose location is the only thing outside of Xiaomei's knowledge.[ch. 48] Xiaomei resides on Mildian (ミルディアン, Mirudian), a planet that is isolated from the rest of the universe's time, which causes time to appear frozen from the other end of each side.[ch. 43-45] To avoid boring herself with complete knowledge of the future, she limits her power so that she cannot know the outcome of any battles beyond multiple possibilities.[ch. 45] She satisfies her obsession for watching combat by putting her visitors through battles in her planet's coliseum as compensation for her knowledge,[ch. 45] designing their matches to provide additional foreshadowing of future events.[ch. 64]

Mashima noted that he had to be careful adding Xiaomei into the main storyline due to her conceived role as an omniscient narrator, but found that because she "knows everything in the entire world", he was able to include her "without too much trouble". He added that Xiaomei had unrevealed backstory and character traits that "may gradually come to light in the future".[vol. 6]

Cosmic government

Justice

Justice (ジャスティス, Jasutisu) is an officer of the cosmic government's military force, the Interstellar Union Army (星系連盟軍, Seikei Renmeigun), who is obsessed with pursuing and capturing Elsie Crimson. He is accompanied by two colleagues named Victory (ビクトリー, Bikutorī) and Creed (クリード, Kurīdo).[ch. 12] Justice uses a form of Ether Gear that changes his hair color and forms lines around his right eye;[ch. 14] Mashima derived these design elements from the Rave Master character Sieg Hart, following a "tradition" of using such characters that includes Jellal Fernandes from Fairy Tail.[4] Mashima chose the character's name to reflect his sense of justice, clarifying that it was a code name.[vol. 9]

Amira

Amira (アミラ) is a member of the Galactic Intelligence Agency (銀河系諜報機関, Gingakei Chōhō Kikan)—G.I.A.—who uses the shapeshifting ability "Mirror Face" (ミラーフェイス, Mirā Feisu) to copy others' appearances and memories, allowing her to disguise herself for espionage.[ch. 36] She has a subordinate named Jesse (ジェシー, Jeshī), who acts as a mole within Elsie Crimson's pirate crew.[ch. 42] The Edens Zero crew encounters Amira on Digitalis, where she impersonates Homura as part of a mission to infiltrate Drakken Joe's syndicate through Jamilov.[ch. 36, 37] She later becomes the crew's ally against Drakken aboard the Belial Gore, where she impersonates Labilia Christy as a prisoner.[ch. 93] Mashima designed Amira "real quick" when developing the identity of Homura's imposter, initially planning to use Justice before deciding that creating a new character would be more interesting.[vol. 5]

Reception

In her review of the manga's first volume for Anime News Network (ANN), Amy McNulty praised the trio of Shiki, Rebecca, and Happy, noting that "Rebecca, who initially comes across as vapid, reveals some depth by volume's end", and that Happy "rounds out the trio nicely, though the manga could use more of his humorous commentary throughout to add more levity."[1] ANN's Faye Hopper described Shiki as "more Tarzan than Luffy", feeling that his unambitious goal of exploring the universe and making friends helped enrich the story, though she added that his act of groping Rebecca "really does a number on [Shiki's] likability".[1] In contrast, ANN's Teresa Navarro found Shiki to be archetypal of other shōnen protagonists.[1] Twinfinite's Carlton McGrone praised the characters' designs for being "meticulously sketched and detailed", adding that Elsie "looks to be an interesting antagonist" from the manga's early chapters.[5]

Several reviews for Edens Zero have commented on the characters' similar designs and personalities to those from Hiro Mashima's previous manga Fairy Tail, with comparisons to Natsu Dragneel and Lucy Heartfilia being drawn from Shiki and Rebecca, respectively,[1][5] while acknowledging that the similarities between characters such as Elsie and Erza Scarlet, as well as both series' versions of Happy, are intentional;[1][5][6][7] early online commenters have also likened Shiki's design to that of a "child" of Natsu and Gray Fullbuster.[8] Multiple reviewers felt the tie-ins to Fairy Tail suggested potentially deeper connections between both series.[1][6] Rebecca Silverman from ANN considered Shiki and Rebecca to be distinct characters from Natsu and Lucy, calling the former "a lot more aware of girls", and the latter "more cautious in her relationships".[1] Ian Wolf from Anime UK News criticized the manga's lack of original designs compared to Fairy Tail, but felt that the similarities would help readers accept the "weirder aspects of the story".[7]

Notes
  1. The kanji 宇宙, normally read as uchū, is glossed in hiragana as コスモス, meaning "cosmos".
  2. The name "Oración Seis", which is Spanish for "Prayer Six", was previously used by Mashima in Rave Master and Fairy Tail. Its Japanese name shares kanji with its spelling in Fairy Tail, 六魔将軍, meaning "Six Demon Generals".
gollark: It is nonzero annoyance.
gollark: Or hardware ID locking.
gollark: If you implement license keys, that is more work and will be mildly annoying to people.
gollark: Is it a significant amount worth the annoyance to users?
gollark: And will probably break if I change computer or something.

References

Edens Zero manga
Entire series
  • Mashima, Hiro. Edens Zero. 7 vols. New York City: Kodansha USA, 2018–present.
  • Mashima, Hiro. エデンズ ゼロ [Edens Zero] (in Japanese). 9 vols. Tokyo: Kodansha, 2018–present.
Individual volumes
  1. Vol. 1 (ch. 1–4): 桜舞うソラに (in Japanese). September 2018. ISBN 978-4-06-513234-0. and Into the Sky Where Cherry Blossoms Flutter (in English). November 2018. ISBN 978-1-63-236756-3.
  2. Vol. 2 (ch. 5–14): 鉄の涙 (in Japanese). November 2018. ISBN 978-4-06-513249-4. and Iron Tears (in English). February 2019. ISBN 978-1-63-236757-0.
  3. Vol. 3 (ch. 15–23): 魔王戦艦 (in Japanese). February 2019. ISBN 978-4-06-513875-5. and Warship of the Demon King (in English). June 2019. ISBN 978-1-63-236758-7.
  4. Vol. 4 (ch. 24–32): 新たな仲間たち (in Japanese). April 2019. ISBN 978-4-06-514881-5. and New Friends (in English). September 2019. ISBN 978-1-63-236824-9.
  5. Vol. 5 (ch. 33–41): 花火 (in Japanese). June 2019. ISBN 978-4-06-515677-3. and Fireworks (in English). December 2019. ISBN 978-1-63-236788-4.
  6. Vol. 6 (ch. 42–50): 言葉は強さを与える (in Japanese). September 2019. ISBN 978-4-06-516233-0. and Words Will Give You Strength (in English). February 2020. ISBN 978-1-63-236833-1.
  7. Vol. 7 (ch. 51–59): きっと前へ進める (in Japanese). November 2019. ISBN 978-4-06-516893-6. and I Know You Can Keep Pressing On (in English). April 2020. ISBN 978-1-63-236981-9.
  8. Vol. 8 (ch. 60–68): 愛する者 (in Japanese). February 2020. ISBN 978-4-06-517355-8. and Someone to Love (in English). June 2020. ISBN 978-1-63-236982-6.
  9. Vol. 9 (ch. 69–77): 涙を流すな (in Japanese). April 2020. ISBN 978-4-06-518522-3. and Don't Shed a Tear (in English). August 2020. ISBN 978-1-63-236983-3.
  10. Vol. 10 (ch. 77–85): オレたちの未来 (in Japanese). June 2020. ISBN 978-4-06-519436-2. and Our Future (in English). October 2020. ISBN 978-1-64-651037-5.

Other sources
  1. Bertschy, Zac (November 29, 2018). "Edens Zero - The Fall 2018 Manga Guide". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  2. Loveridge, Lynzee (July 17, 2019). "German YouTuber Nino Kerl Makes Cameo in Mashima's Edens Zero Manga". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  3. Mashima, Hiro (September 14, 2018). Edens Zero Vol. 1 Special Edition Booklet. Kodansha. p. 12-15. ISBN 978-4-06-513235-7.
  4. Mashima, Hiro [@hiro_mashima] (November 16, 2018). エデンズゼロ2巻登場の新キャラの設定資料。真島漫画伝統のデザイン、ジーク系に似てます。 (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved April 4, 2020 – via Twitter.
  5. McGrone, Carlton (July 27, 2018). "Edens Zero is a Must-Read Successor to the Fairy Tail Manga". Twinfinite. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  6. Valdez, Nick (April 3, 2020). "'Edens Zero' Reveals its Erza Counterpart". Comicbook.com. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  7. Wolf, Ian (November 30, 2018). "Edens Zero Volume 1 Review". Anime UK News. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  8. Peters, Megan (May 27, 2018). "The Internet Reacts To 'Fairy Tail' Creator's New Series, 'Eden's Zero'". Retrieved April 4, 2020.
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