Zenless Zone Zero Cissia: The Charm of Snake Thiren

The 30 eggs I just bought are missing? No need to guess—it must be Cissia! This Public Security agent, who completely doesn't fit the Public Security vibe, brought us lots of laughs and meme-worthy moments in the Version 2.7 story, as well as highlights of self-sacrificing duty. What kind of design concept lies behind this small snake with remarkable flexibility? In this piece, let’s dive in and chat about it!

1. ZZZ Cissia: Identity and Personality

Cissia, from a wanderer in the Outer Ring to being taken in and becoming a Public Security agent—what a journey. Interestingly, Cissia seems quite resistant to her own identity as a Public Security officer, appearing rather afraid of many of her colleagues, especially her superior Severian. Such a timid Public Security agent, such a dramatic character—you could sense it the moment you saw Cissia’s illustration. Let’s take a closer look at this agent.

2. Cissia - Character Design Analysis

The first thing that catches the eye is undoubtedly the striking white snake behind her. Its tail is printed with the official N.E.P.S. insignia of the Public Security, directly highlighting her most prominent identity—wildness assimilated by order. On one side, she is a Public Security officer representing the city's rules; on the other, she is a snake-type Thiren, inherently bearing the characteristics of will.

Cissia's outfit is highly unconventional for a Public Security officer—a stylish crop top that shows her midriff, with a diamond-shaped reflective material on the abdomen, clearly mimicking snake scales. The inside of her ruffled miniskirt features winding, snake-like patterns. Paired with a side ponytail, golden hair, white accents, and striking red, the overall look gives off an unrestrained vibe. Yet, elements of the Public Security uniform bind that wildness.

Metal handcuffs restrain her originally flamboyant sleeves, and a lightning-bolt collar adorns her neck. This aligns with the description in Mindscape 4: Cissia should have been under Public Security supervision as a criminal, later being recruited to become a special investigator. However, compared to the uncertain, terrifying life in the Outer Ring, such concrete constraints actually provide her a sense of security.

3. Snake Elements and Prototype

As the first Agent in Zenless Zone Zerowith a core "snake" concept, Cissia's most prominent outfit feature is the integration of serpentine elements. For instance, the two sides of Cissia's top are actually designed to look like two snakes biting the hem, creating a snug fit. The snake-shaped hairpin, single-sided earring, snake-shaped garter decoration, the cross-shaped cutouts on the black stockings, and the white snake pattern on the shoes—all these elements collectively reinforce the core snake motif.

Judging from Cissia's fondness for eating eggs, her biological snake prototype is likely the egg-eating snake. Egg-eating snakes feed on bird eggs and can swallow eggs several times wider than their own bodies. They possess a sharp sense of smell, able to detect the scent of eggs through the air, and have climbing abilities. When threatened, they can produce a warning sound by rubbing their scales and often mimic venomous snakes for self-defense, though they themselves are mostly non-venomous. These characteristics align quite well with Cissia's portrayal.

4. Cissia - Personality

The illustration adopts a lazy yet slightly aggressive forward-leaning posture. The expression, with one hand raised beside her face covering her teeth in a prominent open-mouthed look, fits both the biological traits of a snake and a girl's playful, sly charm. Her gaze appears casual but hides a hint of vigilance, perfectly capturing her usual timid nature and her tenacity in critical moments.

5. Cissia - Name and Weapon Research

Regarding Cissia's name, in Greek it translates to "snake grape" or "white vine," symbolizing resilience and vitality in Western culture. It also homophones with "Sibyl," a prophetess in mythology who could foresee the future.

Regarding Cissia's weapon, a spear-like arm that transforms into an electric whip, the first impression might be the Chinese historical weapon, the "serpent spear." However, the serpent spear has a single, curved blade rather than twin coiled lines. Considering Cissia's snake archetype, it is likely inspired by Hermes's caduceus and miHoYo's beloved EvangelionLance of Longinus. Cissia's character demo, "The Dereliction of Suspect X," pays homage to Keigo Higashino's mystery novel "The Devotion of Suspect X."

6. The Dual Cultural Symbolism of the Snake

Regarding the snake elements in Cissia and the depth they bring to the story, we can look at it from the cultural archetype behind the snake. In both Eastern and Western mythology, the snake has always been a symbol of duality, representing both life, healing, protection, and renewal, as well as temptation, danger, chaos, and rebellion.

Cissia's creation deconstructs this black-and-white dichotomy, endowing the snake image with a softer, more growth-oriented core. In Greek mythology, the snake represents both the healing and life of Hermes's caduceus and the danger and intimidation of Medusa's serpent hair. The Garden of Eden's serpent represents temptation. Cissia dismantles this danger: her aggressive venom is not a weapon for malice, but armor to protect her own fragile life and guard those she cares about; her temptation is not the vulgarity of a traditional femme fatale, but more like the direct, childlike, tenacious purity of "once she bites, she won't let go."

In Chinese mythology, Nüwa created the world with a serpent's body; the White Snake used her serpent form to express deep affection and protection. The image of the snake has always been bound to guarding and renewal. Cissia's character arc is precisely a journey from egoism—living just for the next meal—to protectionism, facing her fears to defend her companions.

Her growth is akin to a snake shedding its skin; each confrontation with trauma is a rebirth. When seeing her nightmare—Promeia—standing before her, if we were to say we needed Cissia, she might still have had the chance to escape by claiming weakness. But when we acknowledged her fear, cared for her, and chose to tell her to run, that instead ignited her inner desire to protect, overcame her fragility, and spurred her to rise up in that moment.

As cold-blooded creatures, snakes are especially fond of warm places, and our room, at long last, provided a sense of security to her who was once displaced and drifting. In the fable of the farmer and the snake, the snake seems to always bite the hand that feeds it, but our Cissia is a good snake at heart. Having witnessed our sincerity in extending a helping hand even in the face of danger, and having seen our kindness in protecting others at all costs, she also wants to do something for us. Isn't this how beautiful bonds between people are formed?

Finally, we also hope that Cissia's "powerful venom" can bring a boost to Electric-type teams, and that she has delicious eggs to eat every day! Wishing everyone a successful pull for Cissia in the new version! Until we meet again in the next Zenless Zone ZeroAgent appreciation!