Zenless Zone Zero "Names" pt.1: Fun Origins of Agents' Names

"Zenless Zone Zero," as the youngest game in miHoYo's lineup, not only introduces a brand-new world view, character designs, and storylines but also brings us a plethora of new "names." What interesting origins do these names have? Today, follow in my footsteps to uncover their stories! This time, we're exploring the names of the agents!

1. Agents from "Random Play"

1.1 Belle& Wise's full name-"Phaethon"

As the protagonist siblings of Zenless Zone Zero, Belle and Wise also serve as "Phaeton". So what does "Phaethon" really mean?

In Greek mythology, Phaethon is the son of Helios, the god of the sun, which means "burning" in Greek. Though descended from a god, Phaethon did not inherit any divine power. Therefore, he was often questioned by others about his origins. In order to prove himself, he asks for the privilege of driving his father's chariot for a single day. Although Helios carefully advised his son on the precautions to be taken, the Sun chariot lost control of itself on the way, and heaven and earth suffered as a result.

Finally, Zeus struck the chariot with a bolt of lightning, and "Phaethon" fell in flames and plunged with the chariot into the river Eridanus.

2. Agents from "Chunning Hares"

2.1 Billy's full name-"Billy Kid"

"Billy Kid" is actually a nickname; in reality, "Billy The Kid"'s real name is Henry McCarty. He was a legendary gunfighter and outlaw in the history of the American West, and was rumored to have committed many murders at a young age. Rumor has it that he was a young man, but had already committed many murders, and in 1878, "Bill The Kid" became known for his involvement in the Lincolnshire War. He was wanted by the police and was eventually killed at the age of 21.

After his death there were many novels, TV programs and movies based on his experiences. This made "Billy The Kid" the leading character of the Wild West during the American pioneer era. Many considered him to be the hero of the Wild West, and his legend has grown ever since.

2.2 NekoMata's full name-"Nekomiya Mana"

"Nekomiya" is a demon in Japanese folklore, and it is often said that when cats reach a certain age and their tails split into two, they acquire supernatural powers. They become "Nekomiya". The two tails become their most distinctive feature.

2.3 Amillion-"A Million"

"A million", as Nicole's Bangboo fits Nicole's character very well.

3. Agents from "Belobog Heavy Industries"

3.1 Koleda's full name-"Koleda Belobog"

"Belobog" is the god of light in Slavic mythology, representing the white night. Its counterpart is Chernobog, the god of darkness, who is in charge of the night. "KOLEDA" is a traditional festival of the Slavic culture celebrating the winter solstice.

4. Agents from "Victoria Housekeeping Co."

4.1 Lycaon's full name-"Von Lycaon"

"Von" is a sign of noble birth in German surnames, meaning 'from...'. which is often followed by the location of other family fiefdoms.

"Lycaon" was the king of Arcadia in Greek mythology. According to legend, "Lycaon" wanted to test whether Zeus was truly omniscient and omnipotent, so he cooked human flesh and hosted a feast for Zeus. Zeus saw through Lycaon's evil deeds and turned him into a wolf. This is one of the earliest accounts in Western culture of the origin of the "werewolf."

4.2 Lina's full name-"Alexandrina Sebastiane"

When people see Alexandrina, they think of Britain's Queen Victoria, whose full name is "Alexandrina Victoria". Queen Victoria is one of the most famous monarchs in British history and her reign is known as the Victorian era. Victoria was only 18 years old when she ascended the throne and reigned for 63 years.

During this time, Britain achieved great political, economic, technological, and cultural successes. This period is often referred to as the Golden Age of the British Empire.

4.3 Butler-"Butler"

"Butler" is a high-ranking domestic servant who originated in medieval Europe. Their main duties were to manage the household employees and to be in overall charge of banquets and receptions in the master's household. In the great houses of the past, the butler was usually responsible for managing the wine cellar and silverware of the house and supervising the service staff to ensure that the household functioned in an orderly and efficient manner.

5. Agents from "Criminal Investigation Special Response Team"

5.1 Jane's full name-"Jane Doe"

"Jane Doe" is a widely used pronoun in English-speaking countries to refer to an unidentified or unnamed woman in a medical report in a legal setting or in a literary work. The equivalent male pronoun used to refer to an unknown person is "John Doe".

5.2 Seth's full name-"Seth Lowell"

The name "Seth" appears in the Hebrew Bible as Cain and Abel, the first two sons of Adam and Eve, and Seth, their third son, who was born after Cain killed his brother Abel.

His name means "appointed" or "substitute" in Hebrew. Seth was regarded as a symbol of justice and morality, representing a legacy of righteousness and morality, and his descendants were regarded as the embodiment of goodness. This is in contrast to the descendants of his brother Cain. The latter is depicted in the Bible as a symbol of wickedness.

5.3 Qingyi's full name-"Qingyi 青衣"

The term "青衣 Qingyi" refers to a type of female role in traditional Chinese opera, known as "青衣 Qingyi" in northern Chinese operatic genres and "正旦 Zheng Dan" in southern ones.

This role derives its name from the characteristic blue or green garments worn by the performers. The Qingyi roles typically portray dignified, solemn, and virtuous characters, often embodying the archetypes of devoted wives, loving mothers, or chaste and heroic women. The performance style of Qingyi is distinguished by an emphasis on vocal artistry, with restrained movements and a composed demeanor, accompanied by a demanding repertoire of singing.

6. Agents from "Sons of Calydon"

6.1 "Sons of Calydon"

Calydon is a city in Greek mythology located in the region of Aetolia. The city was an important cultural and political center during the Ancient Greek period.One of the most famous myths of Calydon is the legend of the Calydon Hunt.

According to the legend, Oeneus, king of Calydon, forgot to make a sacrifice to Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, while celebrating the harvest. In retaliation, Artemis sent a huge owner to destroy Oeneus's crops and land, a boar called the Calydon Boar. To fight this boar, Oeneus summoned heroes and warriors from all over Greece. During the hunt, the heroes fought and eventually killed the boar.

6.2 Caesar's full name-"Caesar King"

Caesar is best known as "Gaius Julius Caesar", or Julius Caesar. He was an outstanding military commander and statesman at the end of the Roman Republic. With his outstanding talent, he became the founder of the Roman Empire. One of his classic sayings: "I came, I saw, I conquered".

In 60 B.C., Caesar secretly formed the former "Triple Alliance" with Pompey and Crassus, and then became governor of Gaul, conquering the whole of Gaul in eight years. He also attacked Germania and Britain. In 49 B.C., he led an army to occupy Rome, defeated Pompey, and imposed a dictatorship. In 44 BC, Caesar was assassinated by members of the Senate led by Brutus at the age of 56.

6.3 Burnice's full name-"Burnice White"

The name "Burnice" is derived from the Greek word "Berenice", meaning one who brings victory. During the Ptolemaic dynasty in ancient Egypt, an important queen was named Berenice II. During a foreign expedition to Syria, Berenice cut her own hair and enshrined it in a temple to pray for the safe return of her husband.

But when her husband returned from her victory abroad, her hair mysteriously disappeared. Astronomers reassured Berenice that the hair was received by God in the sky. And pointed out to her a piece of the stars in the sky. The stars are where "Coma Berenices" is today.

"Coma Berenices" is one of the northern sky constellations, located south of Canes Venatici and north of Ceres. "Coma Berenices" is also named after Berenice II. He is the only modern constellation named after a real historical figure.

7. Lucy's friends-"Grassy, Woody and Bricky"

"Grassy, Woody and Bricky" are three objects associated with piglets that appeared in a fairy tale.

"Joseph Jacobs" was an English scholar and writer. One of his most famous works "English Fairy Tales" was published in 1890. This book is a collection of English folk tales and legends.

Among them is the story of "Three Little Pigs". The story is about three little pigs who built a straw house, a wooden house, and a brick house to fight off the Big Bad Wolf. When the big bad wolf attacked, only the brick house of the third brother, who didn't mind the trouble, blocked the attack of the big bad wolf. The three brothers also finally chased away the big bad wolf together.

That's it for the interesting names of the agents in Zenless Zone Zero. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please feel free to discuss them with us, and there are certainly more interesting names in ZZZ, so stay tuned for the next time you'll get to know more about the interesting names of the enemies!