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"It is just as the spies described."
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This article was last edited by Ruwbz on 04-Dec-2023 10:11.
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Zed
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Utterly ruthless and without mercy, Zed Zed is the leader of the The Order of The Shadows Crest Order of Shadow, an organization he created with the intent of militarizing Ionia Crest icon Ionia’s magical and martial traditions to drive out Noxian invaders. During the war, desperation led him to unlock the secret shadow form—a malevolent spirit magic as dangerous and corrupting as it is powerful. Zed has mastered all of these forbidden techniques to destroy anything he sees as a threat to his nation, or his new order.


ZedSquare"Balance is a fool's master."  Zed
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Background[]

Early life[]

A low class mother gave birth to Govos. When he was young, Govos saw his father walk out on their family. Born as a Northern peasant child, Govos was a servant at the Thaanjul monastery at around age 10. For two years, nobody from the Kinkou would claim him as their neophyte and apprentice. A servant boy whose duties included washing floors and cleaning dishes, he only had spare time to train in the evenings after all his work was done. As a child, it was his dream to become a Kinkou warrior. It was his hope that if he showed his determination, that Kusho wouldn't walk out on Govos the way his father had. The opportunity finally came to him when Master Kusho Master Kusho and his son Shen Shen walked up to Govos. Kusho ordered his son to spar with the servant child. Govos did not do well at first, but he continued to spar over and over again. On the last chance he had, Shen purposefully let Govos hit him. Govos' new family would nurse him back to health from the hours of sparring that occurred that day and Master Kusho would take Zed on as his student.

Getting the name Usan of Kéthé[]

At the age of around 15, Govos, Shen, and Master Kusho disguised themselves as merchants and journeyed to track down the Golden Demon. Pulling their supply cart, Govos and Shen discussed their childhood friend and Shen's now-future-fiancée, Yevnai. At the end of the cliffside, they see smoke and mutilated bodies for the first time. Kusho calls for them to aid Kotha Village's survivors. Govos is left to aid with healing and surgery, as he is less hesitant to make judgement calls. Govos heals and aids the wounded and through the traumatizing experience of letting some die, to save others, he learns a Kinkou lesson known as "The Lesson of the Scales". After the ordeal, Kusho sits beside his apprentice to give him the Amulet of the Eye of Twilight, as well as the name Usan. His new name is one of status and means "the strength of compassion" and is explained to him through tears that "it is the word for the pillar that bears the heaviest load".

Catching Khada Jhin[]

As Usan and Shen investigated the Golden Demon's killings, the trauma of seeing the gruesome crime scenes shook the two to their core. Eventually, they managed to catch the Golden Demon, revealed to be a stagehand named Khada Jhin Khada Jhin. Usan prepared to kill the criminal, but Kusho intervened, ordering Jhin to be imprisoned instead. Usan struggled in his studies as he was shaken by Jhin's crimes and the tensions between Noxus Crest icon Noxus' ongoing encroachment on Ionia Crest icon Ionia, disillusioning his perspective of balance and filling him with a vengeful desire to punish evil.

Starting the Shadow Order[]

Later, Usan found a box within the temple's hidden catacombs which contained the Tears of Shadow, a magical ichor gave him the ability to control shadow magic, at the expense of tainting his mind with darkness. He proposed for the Kinkou to strike the Noxians down with everything they had, but Kusho refused. Usan left the Kinkou and decided to take justice into his own hands. Taking on the name Zed, he formed the Shadow Order, a group of former Kinkou disciples with a goal to defend Ionia by any extreme means necessary. Realizing that the magic within the black box was a requirement for his goal, Zed and his acolytes raided the temple. When confronted by Kusho, Zed made a deal with him to fake the latter's death in exchange for uniting Ionia to fight in the war. After slaying the remaining Kinkou, the Shadow Order claimed the temple as their own and they imbued themselves with the Tears of Shadow, learning how to fight alongside their shadows.

Zed later witnessed a massacre in Bahrl, as a warning by Noxus that they would show no mercy. One of the child soldiers that Noxus sent, named Shieda Kayn Shieda Kayn, harbored tenacity and perseverance that Zed saw potential in, so he recruited him into the Shadow Order. Kayn quickly grew to master every weapon in the Order's possession, with great proficiency in stealth and assassination.

With the Order of Shadow's future ahead, Zed knew that his actions could not be undone, but he must do whatever it takes to secure Ionia's triumph.

Recent events[]

(TBA)

Appearance[]

Zed is a muscular but slimly built man with brown eyes, fair skin, and shaggy white hair. His signature armor is a menacing ninja regalia, draped with dark red and blue fabrics tucked into dark gray metal with golden accents. The most notable feature is a sinister metal mask with vertical slats over the mouth. Zed's eyes seem to glow red from within. His weapons of choice are a pair of retractable, dual-tipped blades that extend from his forearms. He also carries large shuriken on his back,

Personality[]

Like many Ionians, Zed is deeply dedicated to his homeland. Where he differs, however, is how far he is willing to go in order to protect it. Ruthless and decisive, Zed is willing to master forbidden arts, utilize deception and secrecy, and even betray his allies in his efforts to keep Ionia safe.

Abilities[]

  • Shadow Magic: Zed has absorbed the powers of the Tears of Shadows, a magical ichor that grants him control over the shadows. The power of the Tears was forbidden due to it's corruptive nature, making it's full scope unknown.
    • Shadow Teleportation: Zed can use shadows to go from one place to another. The Teleportation is instanteneous and can be done several times in a short time, allowing him to evade attacks from enemies.
    • Shadow Clones: Zed can summon shadows versions of himself and others to serve his purpose. He can use this as a distraction against his foes, or summon shadow warrior to fight against his foes. He can also can switch places with his clones, making attempts to hit him much harder.
  • Combat Techniques: Zed was once upon a time one of the greatests of the Kinkou, being a terrifyingly skilled fighter.

Relations[]

Shen[]

(TBA)

Jhin[]

(TBA)

Kusho[]

(TBA)

Kayn[]

Zed found Kayn when he was 10 year old, and has taken him as a apprentice.

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Biography

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Khada Jhin's master plan comes together in a most explosive and deadly manner! But even if Zed and Shen survive, they might just kill one another! Only one will be left standing by the end of this issue!

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Zed: Issue 5

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Zed has been captured and is at the mercy of his most bitter enemy--and once most trusted friend--Shen! Meanwhile Akali sets out on her own in search of the deadly Jhin--a journey that may lead her to her own doom! But what is Jhin's endgame?

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By Odin Austin Shafer, Edgar Salazar, Lorenzo Ruggiero, Chris O'Halloran

It's all led to this: Zed and Shen, united in a final battle with the psychopathic murderer Khada Jhin! And the life of the captive Akali hangs in the balance! Then--Shen and Zed's greatest enemy will stand revealed…and you'll never guess who it is! Shocking secrets about the past AND the present will be unveiled…and whoever survives will be left to pick up the pieces!

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Trivia[]

  • Zed and Shen Shen trained together in the Kinkou Order, led by the latter's father Kusho. Both students saw each other as rivals, but also respected the other, seeing him as a brother and best friend. Shen Shen was even a bit jealous of him (Kusho was less strict towards Zed as he saw Zed having far better potentials than his son). Master Kusho raised Zed as his own son and chose him to be the successor of his title, while Zed also looked up to him and his son as his own family. After Zed obeyed Kusho to betray the order, his relationship with Shen soured and became ambivalent.
    • Zed, Shen Shen, and Kusho worked to discover and capture Khada Jhin Khada Jhin for his brutal murders. All three of them were severely traumatized during the investigation and, when they finally caught the 'Golden Demon', Kusho spared his life. Zed couldn't believe such a monster was offered mercy, finding himself questioning his master's teachings to the point of heavily resenting him.
    • Zed's resentment towards Kusho led him to delve into the shadow arts, founding the Order of Shadow. However, he later convinced Kusho to defend Ionia Crest icon Ionia from Noxus Crest icon Noxus and helped the later fake his death. While he believes in the necessity of the Kinkou Order and their rule of scales, he seeks to abolish the old ways of balance while spreading his 'no restraint' philosophy.
      • He tried to minimize casualties when killing Kinkou members (though he needed enough people dead so the Kinkou would hate him and his new order.) Unfortunately, violence quickly got out of hand into an ugly and brutal feud.[1]
      • Zed leaving the Kinkou and "murdering" Kusho led to Shen being forced to take up the title The Eye of Twilight which he never wanted.
    • In spite of their animosity, Zed sought out Shen and to inform him about Jhin's release, in order to stop him together. They later captured him the second time in Zaun Crest icon Zaun.
    • After learning that Kusho was behind Jhin's release, Zed returned to Zhyun and killed his former mentor.
    • Zed could have revealed the truth about Kusho to Shen but then decided it was better for Shen to be disillusioned with Zed than to be disillusioned with his own father. That's probably not fair, and maybe Shen has a right to know. But Zed is flawed... and blinded by his need to feel he's worthy and honorable.[2]
  • Zed kissed Shen's Shen's fiancé, Yevnai, before leaving the Kinkou Order and later "killing" Master Kusho.
    • At one point they secretly harbored feelings for each other even though Kusho forbade Zed Zed from it.
      • Yevnai once begged Zed to run away with her, but he refused.
    • The engagement of Shen Shen and Yevnai was called off after Zed "murdered" Kusho.
  • Zed wants Gangplank Gangplank dead after he ransacked the Temple of the Jagged Knife.
  • Zed, his order, and the Navori Brotherhood are extremists. They believe the magic of Ionia is for the Ionians... meaning they should be able to use it however they like. So limits on using that magic don't sit well with them. The fact that some of the Vastaya tribes fought for Noxus, and many tribes stayed neutral during the war (at least until Noxus started burning down their lands) doesn't sit well. In Zed's view those tribes are traitors and should be killed.[3]
    • The Brotherhood was originally an ally of the Order before Zed killed Kusho. Now they are enemies.
    • Both Rakan Rakan and Xayah Xayah have encountered Zed Zed and his ninja clan in an attempt to save a grove from losing all its natural magic.
  • Akali Akali wants Zed dead for what he did to the Kinkou Order in the past, including the supposed death of her father Tahno.
    • When she was captured by Jhin Jhin, Zed and Shen saved her from him.
  • Zed favorite pupil is Kayn Kayn, whom he treats as his own son and chooses to be his successor.
    • Long ago Zed chose to be the sort of mentor and master he was to Kayn. And that choice is ultimately what separates him from Kusho. Zed realizing he wasn't a malicious or manipulative master that only sought to achieve his own ends regardless of the consequences and actually sincere in his actions as a father figure would be significant moment in his life. Especially because Zed has a lot of guilt. He knows he's damaged mentally. Zed knows what he's doing isn't exactly heroic most of the time... but it had to feel good to really, really know he trained Kayn well and earned his loyalty.[4]
  • Zed most likely means "Holy Justice" or "0".[5]
    • Zed's original name was Govos, but was changed to Usan "strength of compassion" by Master Kusho. Zed is the name he chose himself.
    • By coincidence, the name Zed also resembles:
  • Zed was born from a peasant family in Kéthé, Ionia. His father left his family when he was about 4 years old and never returned. He later rejected his own mother to stay with the Kinkou.
  • Zed worked as a servant in Kinkou Order's Thanjuul monastery for over 2 years until Master Kusho decided to take him as his student after Shen Shen purposefully let Zed hit him when Kusho wanted to test Zed's potential.
  • Zed is using a Forbidden Technique called shadow magic. He is also using shadow's tears which are a magical ichor which gives Zed and his followers the ability to use shadow magic— (when tattooed or ingested). His tattoo can be seen here.[6]
    • According to Shen Shen, Zed's shadow clones are shaped by his guilt and hatred and are controlling him instead of vice versa.
  • Zed is around 34 to 35 years old.[7]
  • Zed appears to be ambidextrous.
  • Zed was originally considered for the position of the Eye of Twilight before.
  • The armor Zed wears in-game is considered his war armor and not what he wears during stealth missions or in his day-to-day life.[8]
  • Zed has a rudimentary understanding of healing from performing surgeries and healing magic.[9]
  • It was believed for a long time that Zed killed Master Kusho to obtain the Tear of the Shadow for the power the Shadow Order members needed to fight back the Noxian army. This was later revealed to not really be the case, as Zed convinced Kusho to take part in the war and helped him fake his death.
  • Some of the known draft scenes and cut scenes in his comic series include:
    • Zed killing a Vastaya elder that knew Kusho to take his magic in Zed: Issue 1. This was later relented as Marvel editors thought it made him too unlikeable.[10]
    • A flashback scene where we see Akali Akali being dragged away while her father tries to buy time for her and some other Kinkou members to escape. Zed doesn't think much of Akali's father, and wants others to escape so he sends his weakest student against him. But Akali's father dies anyway.[11]
    • Shen Shen and Zed had a talk during the war. Shen was worried about Zed (thinking he was taking too many risks), angry at his father's inaction, but also suspected Yevnai had feelings for Zed and that had something to do with the marriage being called off.[12]
    • Some Akali's Akali's scenes including a fight between Akali and Kayn Kayn and some investigating scenes.
    • Some scenes which would have been too hard to do with rating's restrictions.
    • Three different scenes where Zed/Kayn were doing horrible stuff to monks and/or Vastaya.
    • A couple flashbacks with Kusho... specifically one when Zed got banished from the temple for using the ichor while Yvenai and Shen Shen watched helplessly.
    • Two scenes which combined with other clues in the various issues created a little map based mystery where people to use the map to figure out where Jhin was going next—if they put together all the clues.
    • Three scenes across two issues where Zed was scanning the crowd looking for Jhin. And if you put the clues together you could figure out which face was Jhin's Jhin's.[13]
    • There was no "Kusho is alive" in that draft. The original finale had Jhin Jhin taking the temple Zed Zed was prisoner in. The comic VO was their convo. Shen Shen arrives—revealing same trap they'd used to catch Jhin Jhin years before.[14]

Change log[]

Character blurb
Added.

References[]

See also[]

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