Zenless Zone Zero Belle & Wise: Appearance Design Analysis

Today, we continue our deconstruction analysis of characters in Zenless Zone Zero. Unlike other Agents in the game, this time we will explore the hidden design elements of the two protagonists-Belle and Wise.

1. Zenless Zone Zero: Character Design Goals

We still start with the character design goals. As the opening characters of the game, Belle and Wise must possess a sense of fashion to align with the game's foundational tone. However, as backstage support guides, compared to frontline Agents like the four members of Cunning Hares, Belle and Wise must maintain a low-key appearance to avoid being overly eye-catching.

Even in casual street environments, following the logic of visual guidance in the game's presentation, they cannot overshadow icons or other characters. This is the common goal in designing these two characters.

Beyond the commonality, Belle and Wise must also express their personality differences: the brother is introverted and steady, while the sister is playful and lively. These common design goals inherently contain numerous conflicts.

2. How to balance "fashion-forward" and "low-key"?

The design of Belle and Wise's appearances cannot incorporate overtly exaggerated cartoonish elements like other combat characters. Both characters have relatively normal body proportions, and their clothing falls under sporty-casual everyday wear. Their outfit logic is essentially no different from ordinary people, with overall color schemes leaning towards muted grays and low saturation. Following such a design approach, the result should logically be unremarkable-even potentially dull.

Yet, in reality, this isn't the case. So how do we make characters stylish while maintaining subtlety? This requires us to deconstruct modern fashion design. Contemporary fashion thrives on heritage and subversion, resonance and provocation-taking unconventional paths within familiar frameworks to strike a balance between the known and the unexpected.

As the saying goes, "The essence of fashion lies in finding novelty within the familiar."Overly common designs feel uninspiring, while overly alien ones struggle for acceptance. The fusion of both is key.

3. Zenless Zone Zero - Belle Character Design

3.1 Specificity Design

Let's start with the design of the younger sister, Belle. At first glance, the most noticeable element is her oversized, nearly rectangular vest with rounded corners. This garment further obscures the character's gender traits from a silhouette perspective. Specificity Design is key to making this design special and establishing a sense of fashion. Specificity Design refers to creating order first, then locally breaking conventions within this orderly framework-a design approach that establishes familiarity while introducing unexpected elements.

The characters on Belle’s clothes are several lines of '亓才孑', pronounced 'qicaizi'. In fact, this text has no other meaning; it represents the name of a clothing brand in Zenless Zone Zero. '亓才孑' is the logo of this brand. According to hints in the story, '亓才孑' is a very popular clothing brand in the current world. Belle’s character is designed to be fashionable and avant-garde, so compared to the male protagonist, her outfits are more in line with the trends of this world. Scions, do you want to get a Belle T-shirt and become as stylish and avant-garde as she is?

For example, the zippers on Belle's vest are gray overall but suddenly turn orange at the chest area; the Chinese characters on her undershirt appear mechanically replicated at first, yet become colorful in the bottom-right corner; the buttons on the game console at her waist also abruptly shift to orange. These elements are lively without being exaggerated, adding vividness to Belle's look.

Looking at the overall order, Belle's design appears symmetrically structured at a macro level, but upon closer inspection, asymmetries emerge everywhere, creating a dynamic equilibrium. Her miniskirt, for instance, seems ordinary at first glance, but its hem is intentionally skewed, and a layered slip peeks out asymmetrically on one side-another manifestation of breaking order.

3.2 Clashing Colors Design

Looking closely at the character's costume details, you'll notice extensive use of clashing colors design. In Belle's design, small elements on her left and right sides often feature contrasting high-saturation orange and green, perfectly aligning with her playful personality. For example, the mismatched earrings and wrist accessories-though subtle-add vibrancy without overwhelming the overall look. The blue of her hair contrasts with large orange patches on her clothing, while her eyes combine green and orange hues. Additionally, her socks differ in length and fit (one loose/short, the other snug/long), creating visual contrast beyond color.

Another prominent element in Belle's design is undulating lines. Her necklace mimics heartbeat-like waves, while hair accessories, bracelets, and even the hemline of her skirt feature fluid curves, evoking an emotional resonance with viewers.

In terms of outfit composition: despite wearing a loose hooded work vest, her figure isn't concealed-thanks to a form-fitting black turtleneck. The vest intentionally exposes her shoulders, subtly highlighting her petite frame. Paired with a short skirt, this design emphasizes her youthful charm while avoiding bulkiness.

Despite low-saturation colors and casual silhouettes, Belle remains a fashionable, lively, and endearing character.

4. Zenless Zone Zero - Wise Character Design

4.1 Symmetry and Equidistance

Let's examine Wise's design. Compared to his sister's playful charm, Wise's design reflects his calm and reserved personality. His hair is predominantly gray, with overall clothing tones of lower saturation than Belle's-only a few orange accents appear at the seams. The entire look is more understated than his sister's, and aside from the crossbody bag and placket, most elements feature symmetrical design.

Beyond symmetry, Wise's design incorporates numerous equidistant points and lines, evoking a sense of stability. His outfit-an open-front jacket paired with casual pants and sneakers-is a common, low-risk combination. To elevate this, designers needed clever touches to create distinctive features.

4.2 Layering Technique

The most notable aspect of Wise's design is layering. Multiple layers build visual depth. At first glance, it appears to be a simple two-piece set, but closer inspection reveals:

1. A black T-shirt sleeve peeks beneath the half-sleeve jacket;
2. Beneath the black layer lies a light-colored long sleeve;
3. The hem and sleeve cuffs reveal different shades, with orange fabric visible at the wrist opening.

Such complex layering transcends ordinary fashion, embodying a design philosophy that finds novelty within the familiar by breaking conventions.

4.3 Visual Deception Elements

To achieve this design effect, I believe Wise's design incorporates elements of visual deception. The most representative example is the half-sleeve jacket that appears to be layered. The reason it resembles false layering lies in its unusual shoulder opening-a design rarely seen in everyday clothing. Additionally, the exposed orange clashes with the inner garment's color, making the "false layering" explanation highly plausible.

False layering is common in daily fashion, where material contrasts and color combinations create a layered illusion, sometimes achieving effects difficult with actual layering. Similarly, Wise's T-shirt likely employs this technique to enrich visual depth, create differentiation, and add a relaxed vibe. The shoulder opening also softens the character's sharpness, enhancing understatement and ease.

Since players often view characters from behind during gameplay, designers invested significant effort in Wise's back view for easy recognition. Though seemingly integrated with the outfit, a closer look reveals a zipper opening-another form of visual deception.

In summary, Wise's design combines low-saturation tones, multi-layered styling, and visual deception to craft a character who is low-key, steady, gentle, yet undeniably stylish.

This concludes my analysis of Belle and Wise. Do any Proxies have additional insights or fun details to share? Stay tuned for more articles and exclusive Zenless Zone Zero merchandises on our site! See you next time!