Zato-1
Aliases: Zato-ONE, Lord Zato, Eddie (while possessed), Beast (while possessed)
Age: Likely in his 20’s
Height: 5’11
Weight: 150 lbs
Occupation: Assassin, Leader of the Assassin’s Guild (formerly)
First Appearance: Guilty Gear (May 14, 1998)
Themes:
Feats:
Zato-1:
General
-Joined the Assassin’s Guild at a young age
-Drove Dr. Baldhead to insanity by killing his patient
-Sacrificed his eyesight so he could be implanted with the Forbidden Beast Eddie
-After being implanted with Eddie, became the leader of the Assassin’s Guild
-Began dating Millia Rage, a fellow assassin who had caught his attention due to her immense power
Guilty Gear XX Drama CD Night of Knives
-Alongside Millia, infiltrated a party to assassinate the Duke of Calroni
-Briefly fought a semi-serious Slayer to prove he was worthy of being its leader
-Although he lost, Slayer complimented him for his strength
-Agreed to kill the Young King, a 2-year old, in exchange for Millia’s freedom after she’d been kidnapped by Leon
-Alongside Millia and Venom, fought through Calroni’s palace to get to the Young King
-Survived being mortally wounded by Millia, who had become disgusted by his willingness to kill the Young King
-Alongside Slayer, fought a squad of soldiers who had been turned into God series Gears
Guilty Gear
-Escaped from his dimensional prison and entered the Second Sacred Order Tournament so he could kill Millia
-Fought Millia, with the match ending inconclusively
Guilty Gear X
-In his Path 1 ending, he briefly regained control of his body and allowed himself to die before Eddie could harm Millia
-Canonically, he attempted to fight Millia, but was killed, allowing Eddie to fully take over his body
Guilty Gear Xrd
-Was resurrected by the Conclave, a group of sages who have absolute power over the right of speech and international affairs, as part of their plan to resurrect Justice
-Began working with Slayer, Venom, and Millia to rebuild the Assassin’s Guild
Arcade Mode:
-Defeated Millia, Sol, I-No, May, Ky, a casual Slayer, Bedman, and Ramlethal
Story Mode:
-Saved Chipp Zanuff from being killed by Bedman
-Discovered the specifics behind Bedman’s fighting style and how to counter it
-Relayed information about the Conclave’s plans to Sol, Ky, and Gabriel
-Alongside Millia and Slayer, defended Illyria from the Anti-Matter Gears
Eddie:
Guilty Gear X
-Canonically, he managed to fully possess Zato-1 after his death at Millia’s hands
All Paths:
-Defeated Baiken, Potemkin, Faust, Ky Kiske, Venom, and Millia
Path 2:
-Defeated Dizzy
-Stole Millia’s parasite, Angra, after defeating her
Guilty Gear XX
All Paths:
-Contacted Faust to see how long he had to live
-Defeated Faust
Paths 1 and 2:
-Defeated Ky Kiske
Paths 1 and 3:
-Defeated I-No
-Worked with I-No in exchange for a new host
Path 1:
-Defeated Baiken, Zappa, Sol Badguy, and a casual Slayer
-Attempted to possess Slayer’s wife, Sharon, but died after her immortal body rejected him
Path 2:
-Defeated Chipp, Millia, and Venom
-After defeating Venom, mocked him for his devotion to Zato and escaped into the night
Path 3:
-Defeated Potemkin, Johnny Sfondi, May, Dizzy, and I-No (again)
-Was captured by That Man and used for experimentation
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus
All Paths:
-While weakened and dying, defeated May and a casual Johnny
Path 1:
-Defeated Baiken, but was unable to incapacitate her
-Defeated Justice, Sol, and Millia
-Fought Testament to a standstill
-Attempted to possess Sol, but was unable to due to a lack of energy
Path 2:
-Held May hostage and threatened to kill her in an attempt to make Johnny leave him alone
-This failed, as May broke free a few seconds later and launched him through the air with a single strike
-Defeated Faust, Chipp, Zappa, A.B.A, Dizzy, and Venom
-Discovered that he was able to live without a host
Guilty Gear Judgment
-Visited the island of Isene to search for a new host
-Destroyed a living three-headed pillar
-Killed a woman who had been forcibly fused to a giant plant monster
-Teamed up with Venom to kill a group of monsters
-Killed a giant, mutated wolf
-Killed Inus, the king of the Underworld, in an attempt to steal his body
-Murdered Judgment, a sorcerer who had absorbed Inus’ powers
Guilty Gear Dust Strikers
-Defeated Millia, Venom, and Slayer in the Four Assassin Guild Brawl
-Killed Gig, a massive insectoid Gear
-Discovered that his different mortality granted him the ability to live without a host
Strength:
-Low Multiverse Level due to fighting Sol and defeating characters comparable to him, such as Ky and I-No, multiple times
-Sol’s body contains the Flame of Corruption, which can erase everything in the universe and merge it with the Backyard, a dimension that is larger than the universe
-After their fight, Slayer acknowledged his strength and said he was “quite powerful”
-Can slash with enough force to send a giant, mutated wolf crashing through a metal wall
-Is noted by Millia to have gotten stronger after his resurrection
-Grabbed one of the arms on Bedman’s bed with enough force to make it release Chipp
-While in the form of a shark, Eddie was able to tear through an Anti-Matter Gear with one bite
Speed:
-Massively Faster than Light+ due to keeping up with I-No, Sol, and Ky, all of whom are superior to Jack-O’ Valentine
-Kept up with Millia, Baiken, Potemkin, Faust, Venom, Dizzy, Zappa, Chipp, Johnny, May, Justice, Testament, A.B.A, a casual Slayer, Bedman, and Ramlethal
-Superior to Justice, who can move at MFTL+ speeds
-Escaped a collapsing lava pit in the span of a few seconds
-Managed to escape a collapsing castle within seconds
-Created a tendril and used it to restrain one of the arms on Bedman’s bed before it could kill Chipp
Durability:
-Low Multiverse Level by scaling to his strength
-Took hits from Millia, Baiken, Potemkin, Faust, Ky, Venom, Dizzy, I-No, Zappa, Sol, Chipp, Johnny, May, Justice, Testament, A.B.A, a casual Slayer, Bedman, and Ramlethal
-Withstood a beating from a semi-serious Slayer, though it left him injured
-Survived being mortally wounded by Millia
-Survived an attack from May that launched him some distance away and heavily injured his body
Intelligence:
-Has in-depth knowledge of the language of flowers
-Discerned Bedman’s fighting style and how to exploit its weaknesses
Skills:
Expert Assassin:
-Due to his training in the Assassin’s Guild, Zato’s an expert in killing others
Master of Stealth:
-Is skilled in infiltration
-Infiltrated a party to aid Millia in her assassination job
-Infiltrated the palace in Calroni to carry out his mission of killing the Young King
Personality:
Zato
Pre-Resurrection:
-Was originally a passionate man with a cold and professional attitude
-Idealized Millia for her power, which later evolved into a romantic interest
-Would often attempt to embrace her, even in situations where it would be inappropriate (such as before one of their assassination jobs)
-Cared for his fellow assassins, to the point where he would feel remorseful whenever members of the Guild died
-Felt bound to his duties as an assassin, and would accomplish his assignments regardless of how immoral they were
-Although he would occasionally express remorse for his actions, he believed that his role as the Guild’s leader required him to take on these decisions
-Often pondered the consequences of his life as an assassin and whether it was possible to lead another lifestyle
-Believed that those who abandon their subordinates have no right to call themselves leaders, and would do everything he could to make sure no one got left behind
-Held a lust for strength and excellence within the Guild, which led him to sacrifice his eyesight so he could use Eddie
-After Millia’s betrayal, Zato became embittered and vengeful, to the point where he became obsessed with killing her
-Enjoys drinking wine, especially ones that have been fermented for a long time
Post-Resurrection:
-Because of the way he was resurrected, Zato’s mental state was initially left a jumbled mess, causing him to mostly speak in nonsensical fragments
-Though this became less of an issue as time went on
-For the most part, lacks any emotions and has almost no memories of his past life
-The only thing he remembers, and the only thing that can make him feel any positive emotion, is Millia, and he will fly into a rage if she’s harmed in any way
-Extremely polite toward others, and will offer to help his opponents back up after defeating them
-Is apathetic toward the idea of dying again
Eddie
Pre-Resurrection:
-Due to being bonded to Zato, he inherited the same personality as his host
-Is deranged and sadistic, taking joy in physically and emotionally harming others
-Looks down on humanity and sees himself as being superior to them
-When he isn’t seeking out host bodies, Eddie often ponders the meaning of life, as well as his own existence
-Struggles to find his own identity, and becomes frustrated when he’s reminded of Zato’s memories
-Due to his status as an anti-Gear weapon, he’s been programmed with instincts to kill Gears
Post-Resurrection:
-Has become calmer and more relaxed, presumably due to either Zato’s influence or the experience of dying
-Is a more comedic character, often prone to getting exasperated at Zato’s inability to carry a conversation
Weapons and Equipment:
Eddie:
-One of the six Forbidden Beasts, a series of parasitic biological weapons that were created to destroy Gears
-Was given to Zato at the cost of his eyesight, and allows him to manipulate shadows
-Possessed Zato from the events of Guilty Gear XX until his death in Accent Core Plus
-Often appears as Zato’s shadow, though he can assume other forms if he desires
-Possesses a malleable body, which he can turn into a liquid or gaseous form
-Can turn himself into clothes for his hosts to wear
Powers:
Extrasensory Perception:
-Eddie can sense the auras of living beings, allowing him to tell if they’re human
-Post-resurrection, Zato is able to sense Millia’s presence
-Zato is able to sense the powers of other beings
Umbrakinesis:
-Thanks to Eddie being implanted in his body, Zato can manipulate his shadow and use it as a weapon
Shapeshifting:
-Can morph his shadow into different weapons or forms
-By covering himself with Eddie, Zato can extend this ability to himself
Flight:
-Can fly by having Eddie cover him and create wings on his back
-Eddie’s also shown the ability to do this by himself
Intangibility:
-Due to being Zato’s shadow, Eddie is able to phase through people or solid objects, rendering him immune to harm
-Zato can make this extend to himself by covering himself with Eddie
Body Manipulation:
-By melding with his shadow, Zato can alter his body’s composition and density, turning himself into a liquid substance or pure mist
Possession:
-In the event that Zato is killed, Eddie can possess him to keep fighting in his stead
-Eddie can also possess others and use them as new hosts, giving him total control over their bodies
Resistance to Perception Manipulation:
-Because Zato is blind, any attempts at manipulating his sight will be ineffective
Dark Space:
-A pocket dimension of darkness that Zato can drag opponents into
-In this dimension, he can create shadows, teleport wherever he desires, and control anything that casts a shadow
Moveset:
Invite Hell:
-Zato swings his arm through the air and summons a massive, shadowy spike
-Can summon them at either close-range or long-range
Break the Law:
-Zato sinks into his shadow, allowing him to move across the stage at a faster rate
-Is invincible during this move
Shadow Gallery:
-Eddie leaps out of Zato’s shadow, taking the form of a shark, before clamping down on the opponent as a bear trap
-Follow-up from Break the Law
Summon Eddie:
-Eddie appears from underground, allowing him to follow up with several attacks
-Additionally, he will attack in tandem with Zato’s punches or kicks
Traversing Attack:
-In X and Xrd, Eddie summons a buzzsaw that travels across the screen
-In Accent Core, he summons a jagged blade
-Used as a follow-up from Summon Eddie
Small Attack:
-In Accent Core, Eddie sticks his hand into the ground, summoning a blade that strikes the opponent from behind
-In Xrd, he moves forward with his fin extended
-Used as a follow-up from Summon Eddie
Anti-Air Attack:
-Eddie shoots out of the ground in the shape of a shark
-Used as a follow-up from Summon Eddie
Dead Man’s Hand:
-Eddie becomes a massive hand and grabs the opponent
-Follow-up from Summon Eddie
Shadow Puddle:
-Eddie goes underground, becoming a pool of shadows
-During this time, he can move forward and avoid attacks
Shadow Puddle Shadow Summon:
-Zato summons Eddie from a pool of shadows
-Follow-up from Shadow Puddle
Drill Special:
-A larger version of Invite Hell
-Follow-up from Shadow Puddle
Overhead Attack:
-Eddie morphs into a demonic face that spits out a sphere
-Follow-up from Shadow Puddle
Shadow Hole:
-Zato summons a massive black puddle
-If an opponent steps in it, they’ll temporarily become trapped
Traversing:
-Allows Zato and Eddie to switch places by sinking into each other’s shadows
-Can be followed up with stronger variants of Traversing Attack, Small Attack, Anti-Air Attack, Invite Hell, and Overhead Attack
Drunkard Shade:
-Zato summons a shadowy barrier in front of himself, letting him reflect projectiles
Damned Fang:
-Zato grabs the opponent, coats them in an orb of darkness, and plunges his hand in, damaging them
Flight:
-Eddie envelopes Zato’s body, allowing him to briefly soar through the air
Force Breaks:
Drill Special:
-A larger, stronger variant of the original
Exhaustion:
-Zato clutches his head as Eddie swirls beneath him
-Used to build up energy so he can continue attacking
Overdrives:
Amorphous:
-Zato summons a massive shark head that emerges from underground
Executor:
-Eddie turns into a flame-wreathed sword and lunges forward, hitting the opponent multiple times
-Only usable in midair
Great White:
-Zato summons a shark that swims around the opponent and bites them up to 5 times
Instant Kills:
Fear of the Dark:
-Zato summons a gigantic shadow hand that crushes the opponent into a bloody mess
Black in Mind:
-Zato grabs the opponent and encases them in a shadow shaped like a woman’s face. The shadow then splits apart into a skull, scaring the life out of his opponent
Guzmania Magnifica:
-Zato slams his palm onto the ground, creating a shadowy figure that moves up to his opponent. It then lunges forward and destroys their shadow, causing them to collapse
Weaknesses:
Zato-1
-Is blind, though this doesn’t seem to affect him in combat
-Is one of the hardest Guilty Gear characters to play as
-Is a glass cannon in-game
-Dark Space can be resisted or even destroyed by a strong enough opponent
Eddie
-Can be somewhat arrogant at times
-Although he can possess Zato’s body post-mortem, he’ll eventually need to find a new host in order to continue living
-Needs to expend some of his energy if he wants to possess people
-Additionally, certain people require more energy than others, meaning he’ll have to search for another host if he lacks the energy to control them
-Has limits to what he can possess, as he can’t control people who are stronger than him or immune to parasites
(“My mind is no longer with me. I have no interest in… anything. And yet, this empty shell still reacts to one thing… You, Millia. That is why I will protect you. Now… I have something to live for.”)
(“To be frank, your mission does not concern me. But you have hurt the one thing that matters to me… Millia. You’ve awoken the anger of a dead man, child, and I will not hesitate to erase you from this world.”)
(“SO THAT’S HOW IT IS… I GET IT NOW… LIVING… ISN’T ABOUT FLESH… MY EXISTENCE… THE PROOF THAT I’M ALIVE… ALL THE THINGS I’VE DONE… ALL OF THAT… IS WHAT LIFE IS… REMEMBER… WHO I AM… AND HOW I HAVE LIVED… I WILL… CONTINUE ON… IN YOUR MEMORY…”)
(“GO AHEAD. LET THE HATE FLOW. I CAN CARVE MY MIND INTO YOUR HEART… AS LONG AS I USE THIS WASTED OLD BODY. HATRED IS MY BOND TO OTHERS. EACH AND EVERY SCAR IS PROOF OF MYSELF. CHASE ME DOWN! AND KILL ME! THAT SINGLE MOMENT WILL VERIFY MY ENTIRE EXISTENCE…”)
(“AAH… I HAVE NO REGRETS… I LIVED TO THE FULLEST…”)
Brendan’s Versus Battles 
