Who is Zelos Wilder?[]
The Chosen of Tethe'alla, Zelos is an immature, narcissistic womanizer who rarely takes anything seriously.
...Okay, not really. While he is a narcissist and a shameless flirt, his general laidback demeanor is somewhat of a ruse. He had a troubled childhood, as his parents, both of whom already loved other people, were forced together by the Oracle of Cruxis in order to produce the new Chosen. As such, he was neglected as a child, with his father, the Chosen at the time, already in a relationship with another woman, a half-elf, and producing another child through this affair. Zelos and his half-sister Seles got along well, but after their father's death, her mother attempted to murder Zelos so that Seles would become the Chosen. Zelos's mother took the attack and died, and Seles's mother was sentenced to death and Seles placed under house arrest. It was around this time that Zelos developed his mask of confidence and self-assurance. Like most Tethe'allans, he is prejudiced against half-elves (in large part because his mother was murdered by one), but he is more sympathetic than most. He himself believes that Seles would be a better Chosen than he is.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD![]
Upon the arrival of the Sylvarant Chosen and her party in Tethe'alla, Zelos joins them, ostensibly as an agent of the Church to keep an eye on them, though he is quickly branded a traitor and has no choice but to join them outright. However, in reality, he is a triple agent, working for Cruxis and the Renegades as well as for Lloyd's party. He reveals this when the party first goes to the Tower of Salvation, at which point he gives Colette to Pronyma and sends the Gatekeeper to battle Lloyd and the others. (An alternate version of these events has him battling Lloyd himself and dying so that Seles can finally become the Chosen, but this is considered non-canonical.) He reveals where his true loyalties are right before Lloyd battles Yggdrassil: Lloyd was the first person to make Zelos feel like he was truly accepted for who he was, rather than simply because he was the Chosen, and so he chooses to betray Cruxis and help Lloyd. In the end, he uses his influence as the Chosen to request that an emissary of peace be sent to Iselia after Tethe'alla and Sylvarant are united.
He returns in the sequel, and leaves, incensed, when Emil insults Lloyd. He is the only one that never doubts Lloyd's intentions even as he appears to become a villain, and it turns out that, as usual, Zelos is a lot more perceptive than he appears, as the villainous Lloyd is a fake. He joins Emil in the fight against Richter.
END SPOILERS[]
As mentioned before, he is an incurable flirt, and while he is generally very successful, he disdains the women that fawn over him as he believes they only want to be associated with the Chosen and aren't interested in him as a person, and it is perhaps because of this that he takes such an interest in Sheena, who was the only one to ever reject his advances. He seems to have known Sheena prior to joining the party, and also was the only one that recognized the convict that joined them as the president of the Lezareno Company, Regal Bryant, with whom he was also already acquainted. He maintains a cheerful demeanor even when it would be inappropriate, saying that if everyone remains upset, it will be tougher to move on.
"Don't hate me because I'm beautiful!" - Zelos
(writeup courtesy of TsunamiXXVIII)
Contest History[]
Win-Loss Record: 0-1
Summer 2007 Contest - Division 2 - First Group
- Division 2 Round 1 --- 4th place, 15164 [12.53%] - Marcus Fenix, 44524 [36.79%] - Kefka, 38712 [31.99%] - Tom Nook, 22614 [18.69%]
Damn, Zelos bombed. Tales characters have been disappointing in contests in general, but Zelos was still viewed as a dark horse to take second place and knock out...Marcus. Oops. Not only did Marcus slaughter Kefka, but Zelos finished a distant fourth, behind Tom Nook. Despite being a fan favorite, it's unlikely that he'll get a chance to return to contest play.