Zenless Zone Zero Orphie & Magus: The Charm of Harmony within Contradiction

In "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night", faced with the tragedy of the fall of the old capital, everyone searches with their own state of mind. Isolde, who is like a mother figure, chooses to walk into the darkness, seeking revenge from within the tragedy of having nothing. Meanwhile, Magus, amidst rage and shouts, strides towards tomorrow for the sake of everyone behind them. As Version 2.2 draws to a close, I wonder what score you would give this version's story?

Although Seed is deeply loved by everyone, the performance of Orphie and Magus in the main story is undoubtedly outstanding! The final battle was even specially arranged as one-on-one encounters, which won quite a lot of favor.

1. Zenless Zone Zero Orphie & Magus - "Hardcore" and "Beauty"

It's a pity that as a member of the Defense Force, she's still green; like the others, her clothing style is low-key and militaristic. Not only compared to Trigger and Soldier 11, Orphie's outfit is noticeably heavier, giving the impression of wearing many layers. However, much like Trigger's beautiful golden long hair, which can hardly conceal her loving gaze towards the world...

The color scheme on Orphie also makes her stand out sufficiently in the mostly gray army, combining a maiden's softness with the hardcore edge of military technology. The overall color coordination is quite thoughtful; besides gray and black, all other colors are composed of warm hues, specifically chosen from close shades of yellow, orange, and red.

Bright yellow is distributed on the skirt hem, the inside of the hood, gloves, and shoe soles. Furthermore, it is only accentuated by lines or logos, which easily draws the player's attention to the details and visually enriches the layers. The red, representing fierceness, anger, and restlessness, is concentrated on the tail part belonging to Captain Magus. The orange, symbolizing stability, safety, and happiness, is focused on Orphie's head, on the maiden's delicate and lovely twin-tails hairstyle. Thus, a balance is formed between the two high-saturation colors at the head and tail.

Of course, to continue its "culture of asymmetry," miHoYo arranged a contrast between the red wristband on one hand and the yellow glove on the other.

Orphie's clothing features a hoodie-like design with circular symbol-adorned ring-shaped metal decorations. This creates a visually static impression of stability, safety, and softness, suggesting Orphie as the dominant element.

However, the originally loose garment is accentuated with numerous straps. From the arms to the abdomen, and even extending to the garter straps above her black stockings, the binding and restraint with cross-continuation motif provides a hint: "Beneath the apparent stability lies the suppression of a powerful force." The answer to this restlessness is Magus on the tail, spitting flames and holding a blade.

As a technological product—a gun with a soul and a clone substitute—the body's interior boasts a hardcore armored style. This is clearly visible from the modular armor layering around the neck, extending externally to the head and tail vertebrae. Magus's eye appears designed with reference to a target's concentric circles, giving a precise and serious impression.

Orphie also wears a beret, which is both a military personnel marker and a symbol of real-world street culture, now a retro fashion item. It also aligns with Zenless Zone Zero's prevalent asymmetric design concept. However, its more practical role might be staying securely on the head during intense combat, which is necessary given Orphie's fights are conducted under Magus's restless and forceful influence.

Orphie’s introversion and the Will-o’-Wisp’s fiery temper are not just a contrast of personalities, but a bond of true symbiosis. This unique charm is now beautifully captured in the Orphie standee and badge, making them beloved collectibles among Proxies.

Orphie & Magus’s design blends a futuristic tech aesthetic with adorable elements, creating a highly recognizable character image. This unique charm is now exquisitely recreated in the Orphie stand and badge, making them a favorite among Proxies.

2. Zenless Zone Zero Orphie & Magus - "Assertiveness" and "Control"

If the design elements hidden within the static state of Orphie & Magus are not easily perceived, then the moment Orphie steps onto the battlefield, this assertive combat style and the complex feeling of being difficult to control immediately become apparent. The tail-led combat is undoubtedly one of the rare and unique designs.

Calm and steady when static, shocking and awe-inspiring when moving. Paired with Captain Magus's classic lines, it easily grabs everyone's attention. Orphie herself wields a small knife, undoubtedly excelling in the skills and speed of close-quarters combat. However, after making just two moves, Magus becomes the dominant force in the fight. The powerful tail mech shoot out highly lethal flames, takes over the knife handle, and swings it with wide, sweeping motions.

Its powerful force can even move the entire body. When control shifts to the resolute Magus, we also experience two layers of complex feelings. I believe this is a great charm of this character. Firstly, it is undoubtedly the formidable strength displayed during Magus's explosive attacks, which allows one to understand her position as the captain, and naturally, one enjoys the satisfying combat sensation of the continuously spewing flames.

Secondly, it comes from Orphie, who is being dragged and flung around in the high-intensity combat while still trying to somewhat restrain her own tail. Orphie's flustered state of flying up and sitting on the ground covering her face further enhances her perceived "weakness" in battle. After all, the tail vertebra connected to the tail is close to the hips, so combat primarily driven from the rear does, to some extent, indeed evoke a perception related to "shyness".

If our minds can keenly capture this subtle feeling during battle, it inevitably evokes a strong desire to protect. Amidst being dragged along, Orphie also does her best to keep up with the combat rhythm. Although she appears flustered, with shared determination, they still execute impressive combos, and the concept of their oneness never wavers.

3. Zenless Zone Zero Orphie & Magus - "The Capricorn" and "The Legend"

Finally, moving beyond appearance. Orphie & Magus serve as the ferry fare across the River Styx. As a member of the "Obal Squad", they are naturally deeply connected to their mythological origins. "Orphie" is likely a variant derived from "Orpheus" in Greek mythology. Orpheus was renowned for his extraordinary musical talent; his magical lyre playing could move all things.

This might not sound familiar to everyone, but you certainly know his legend. The legend says that after his wife Eurydice died from a snake bite, he ventured into the underworld and moved Hades with his music, gaining permission to bring his wife back to the world of the living. However, on the return journey, he forgot the prohibition against looking back. The moment he turned to check, his wife died a second time, forever lost to the underworld. This myth gave rise to themes such as trials of life and death in Greek mythology.

However, I believe the connection more closely tied to the characters in Zenless Zone Zeroshould be Orphism, which emerged from the cult of Dionysus. They believed in the transmigration of souls, suggesting that based on how one lived their life in the world, the soul could attain eternal bliss or suffer eternal torment. It proposed a worldview and system of the soul independent of the traditional Greek pantheon, viewing humans as consisting of two parts: body and soul. This perfectly matches the existence form of Orphie & Magus.

Actually, clones in Zenless Zone Zero are not a particularly novel concept now. But compared to similar appearances housing different souls, Orphie and Magus are fundamentally the same self from different timelines. The appearance is that of her younger self, while her soul is locked within the tail. The two can communicate with each other, and also echo from afar. It can't help but make one wonder what experiences turned a clumsy young girl into the seething figure she is today?

The biological origin of Orphie is also quite interesting. I think she is more like a creature from legend, a mix of the Capricorn from Capricornus mythology and the legendary Chimera. In constellation mythology, it's a creature with the upper body of a goat and the lower body of a fish tail, sporting a pair of goat horns; a Chimera typically has a lion's head, goat's body, and serpent's tail.

Compared to other characters, Orphie's eye colors are more complex. The orange-red pupils and the yellow outer ring achieve a gradient effect using adjacent colors, closer to a square shape, and goat eyes are often shaped like this.

When law and justice are absent, can revenge cross certain boundaries? Isolde made her own choice for revenge. And the reborn Magus found a treasure she now needs to protect in the presence of her former young self. When nothing from the past can be salvaged, if all procedures and constraints are abandoned due to anger, then so-called "justice" might ultimately lead to new "injustice".

When the words "Never want to lose the people behind me again" were spoken, the voices of Orphie and Magus overlapped. The voices of these two souls spanning across time achieved resonance, manifesting their unified will, yet ultimately could not recover what was lost. New Eridu has always moved forward bearing wounds. Orphie & Magus will never compromise with that "good night" representing death, they are the ones firmly grasping the oar of the Styx ferry.

That concludes all the content about Orphie & Magus. After reading, we believe you now have a deeper understanding of this character. If you've come to like her because of this, be sure not to miss her Banner. Of course, don't miss our future articles and in-site merchandise either. See you next time!