For something that started up in 2011, Studio Trigger has produced a number of memorable series. One of the most recent is a mecha show called DARLING in the FRANXX, which has received a fair amount of attention because it wasn’t exactly subtle about its symbolism to say the least. Said series had two main character, with the male lead being Hiro and the female lead being Zero Two. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Zero Two from DARLING in the FRANXX:
1. She Would Be the Veronica
There are two female characters who are interested in Hiro. As a result, if one was to sum up the situation using Archie analogies, Zero Two would be the Veronica in the sense that she has a more assertive personality as well as a more rebellious attitude towards the rules by which they live.
2. Compared to Both Asuka and Rei
Speaking of which, Zero Two has been compared to both of the main female characters from the influential Evangelion. Personality-wise, she is closer to Asuka, but when it comes to her background, she is much closer to being Rei.
3. Hybrid
Zero Two’s horns are one of her most notable physical characteristics. It is important to note that they are not some kind of accessory but rather real horns. As a result, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that Zero Two is a half-human hybrid.
4. Compared to an Oni
On the whole, Zero Two invites comparisons with oni, which are a kind of Japanese monster that is famous for their size and strength but not so much for their smarts. The stereotypical image of an oni is a hulking, horned figure with either red, blue, or green-colored skin, which is very relevant because Zero Two used to have red skin as a child. On top of this, it should be mentioned that Zero Two can be read as “O-Ni,” with ni being Japanese for “two.”
5. Compared to a Jian Bird
With that said, both Zero Two and Hiro have also been compared to Jian, which is a kind of bird in Chinese mythology. In short, a Jian has a single eye and a single wing, which is why said birds come in pairs with each Jian forming one half of a perfect union. Naturally, the Jian is a symbol of romantic couples, who can soar together but would be unable to lift themselves off of the ground on their own.
6. Compared to a Cat
It is amusing to note that Zero Two has been compared to a number of animals as well. For example, her voice actor has compared her to a cat, which is based on both her horns that bear a small resemblance to feline ears and her stranger behaviors such as licking as a way of showing affection.
7. Compared to a Black Widow
Besides cats, Zero Two has also been compared to the black widow spider, which is named thus because the females of some of the species are known to sometimes eat their mates. In part, Zero Two is compared to black widow spiders because of the way that she has snared Hiro’s affections. However, there is also how her co-pilots keep on getting killed.
8. She Isn’t Faultless When It Comes to Her Co-Pilots’ Deaths
It isn’t uncommon for veteran characters in Japanese anime and related forms of media to suffer trauma because they have managed to survive while their comrades have not. Generally speaking, they are either faultless or mostly faultless, meaning that it is a kind of survivor’s guilt. Zero Two is very much not faultless when it comes to her co-pilots’ deaths because she drains their life-force whenever they pilot together.
9. Her Favorite Picture Book Is a Gender-Flipped Version of Beauty and the Beast
When she was a child, Zero Two’s favorite picture book involved a monster princess falling in love with a human prince. In other words, it was pretty much a gender-flipped version of Beauty and the Beast.
10. Jaded
At the start of the series, Zero Two is rather jaded, with the result that she can be rather unempathetic. This is perhaps unsurprising, seeing as how she has seen enough people die in the fighting that she just can’t be bothered to make connections with them, particularly since she is also very focused on the reason that she is fighting in the first place.
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