Miyabi is officially here! Join me in playing ZZZ with my link: hoyo.link/1qSlFJAL Make sure to use code BIG4E86C for 60 Polychromes and 6,666 Denny! (Valid only for version 1.4) **NOTES & CORRECTIONS** - none yet
I think it was the scabbard that was damaged and the sword did not get damaged since the bullet content was more likely a special blend of ether that acted like steriods that caused it to go beserk and during that time the scabbard got damaged. Also Miyabi speciality is hollow investigation where hollows are full of ether.
I think the attack Miyabi unleashed against Bringer was due to the deal she made with the blade. Remember that up until now she never properly inherited the sword and never used the foxfire (her father says so during the call, showcasing her raw talent). So maybe she can deal more significant damage to Nineveh now. Or at least that's how I see it.
Nicole has more than surprised me throughout this entire season; she became the core and catalyst for so many things that somehow helped the siblings > duped Miyabi off her katana in the past so she has access to S6 > introduces us to Rain so we can decode the content of Koleda's father's last message > started the Red Fang incident which ended up giving us access to Fairy plus she stood her ground to us not just once but twice, especially when she decided to FIGHT SECTION 6 in the outer-ring rather than handing us over, Nicole is the GOAT
@@seid_1068 I was honestly fully expecting her to run away with us at least, but the fact that she told us to run away while she tries holding ground against Miyabi of all people, that's just peak
There is something about Nicole I don't see a lot of people talking about. When you do Soldier 11 trust rank up quest "just toss it" it's hinted that Nicole is the daughter of an high ranking officer of New Eridu Defense force. In the quest Soldier 11 tells you "How a senior officer's daughter chooses to live her life is a personal matter and shouldn't be exploited by others." and "You've likely seen her frequently on TV. I simply want to emphasize that her fingernails hold no particular significance." So it would fit with Nicole since with the Vison Corporation trial she was on TV and she is the only one with noticeable fingernails since they are paint in different colors.
@@nightfallguild isn't that Lucy? Nicole was orphaned since a kid, it would be weird that someone digged up Nicole's past and found that she's a kid of a high-ranking officer when she's left as an "orphan" her whole life
I think calling last attack "mental attack" when we clearly see explosion undermines how cool and important that scene was, showing us that siblings have more secrets.
I was gonna say this. I'm pretty sure he literally used self-destruct to explode and try to kill the siblings... but they weren't harmed for some reason.
@@SirJeal You can see both of their eyes lit up like the same way when they encountered Sacrifice with Belogos. Maybe this ability to protect them activates when they are near each other?
@@urdeadnotbigsuprise7439 Yeah, probably. For all we know they might have other modifications we don't know about as well. That explosion was definitely not a mental attack though! Lol.
@@urdeadnotbigsuprise7439 yeah also their eyes seem to glitch in a similar manner to that of ethereal/people becoming corrupted so it makes me think the siblings might not even be human
31:23 Something to consider is that up until now Miyabi never used Tailess' power. But after that deal she made with it she gas access to that power now. So shes stronger than when she fiught Nineveh previously
i think its important to note two things: 1. that attack on phaethon at the end was not mental, it seemed to be a legit explosion, killing bringer. somehow, both belle and wise were able to withstand it, hinting that helios academy may have genetically modified the students in some way that makes them invincible to certain attacks (or at least gives them some sort of protection). it definitely seems like the implants do more than just allow them to communicate and inhabit bangboos 2. the government aligned factions (NEPS, section 6, and soldier 11) still do not know we are phaethon. we revealed ourselves to be proxies, not that we are the number one most wanted criminals in new eridu. this will most likely come up again later in the story, so i feel its important to clear that up.
@RocGirl05 actually, if we remember the Chapter 2 Interlude, when Zhu Yuan and Qingyi enter the hollow to chase down the criminals, Belle and Wise introduce themselves as Phaethon through Eous and call a truce to help PubSec out.
Yk I always found it weird that the siblings called the Helios academy their home, it gives me kiana vibes. Like they were test tube babies, clones made in the Helios academy for some kind of research reason. At the end, bringer basically hinted that carole was a part of the reason for hollow zero, and since she is the sibling’s teacher and they treat her like their mother, it makes me wonder if she is literally their creator.
Don't let the sibling's glowing eyes distract you from the fact that our local burger addict Anby HAS memories from her Defense Force days. She's not an AMNESIAC! I repeat, SHE'S NOT AN AMNE-
@@EndyTg Anby being amnesiac is probably another head cannon people have and told that to other like it was a fact. I think that's why so many thought so. There was even a trust event she talked about how she used to be a drill instructor.
@@EndyTg Well Anby did appear in Soldier 11's trailer so she does have some connection with the Defence Force. It's the same as Billy before the full release of the Sons of Calydon.
Personally, I feel like her suddenly being able to cut through the hollow stems from this being the first time that she actually uses that the sword to its full capacity, considering her father mentioned that the strength she's always displayed is her strength alone without tea. Getting the extra strength that the sword grants
I love how the constant cutbacks to the front desk of Random Play suggest that this video is just Bangaboo 18 lore dumping some poor unsuspecting costumer
ZZZ might be my favorite story telling in all of hoyo’s game. It’s the fact that everything is connected and it’s so satisfying to see everyone coming together. The climax of chapter 5 would not hit the same without any of the previous 4 chapters. The pacing is amazinggg
The reason why Miyabi couldn't put a dent on Nineveh was that she only used her raw power. Miyabi was able to cut through the Elpis hollow because she used her raw power AND Tailless's power since she had gained control of that power from that fight inside her mind.
One thing I really appreciate about this game's first arc is how well everything is connected and how actions in the earlier chapters catalyze events and happenings in the subsequent ones. This recap shows that so clearly! It's so good! A great service for the community!
ZZZ is by far the only anime style gacha game that actually feels like im watching an Anime. every plot got well served and connected to the climax in an efficient way but still enteraining. Other similiar game even in hoyoverse still feels like a Visual Novel
There is something up with Belle and Wise. One theory I like is that they are hyper advanced andorids (or cyborgs), like Billy and Qingyi but even more impressive. That would explain why they always speak of the White Star Institute and their teacher instead of their "real" family. And it might be how they survived the explosion at the end of the latest quest.
@Dylangillian not necessarily. If they are androids they were made during or at least based on tech from the old civilisation. We know that technology can be corrupted by ether and it's pretty clear that the old civilisation fell due to the hollows. They could be so old that the tech wasn't made to be ether resistant. This is obviously just speculation and I don't think it's very likely, but it's still possible.
I have my simple theory that they have some very advanced "hidden" implants besides those ocular ones, which are definitely connected to Ether in some way, since they started glowing (and glitching?) when the explosion happened from Bringer, an Ethereal.
Belle and wise are wayyy too sus I feel like they are test subjects or something cause what do you mean their names are characteristics like what if they are ethereals made to be smart and beautiful. Cause we genuinely don’t know anything about them before the Helios institute(what if there was nothing before then) and have you ever seen Hoyo MC’s that don’t look alike I.e aether and lumine, and Stelle and Caelus.
My main guess now is maybe they were experiments and Carole took them away out of sympathy and then when Eridu fell she was found and taken away for abandoning and betraying the ‘cult’ but belle and wise managed to escape or were hidden
Can we talk about Anby not only catching Section 6 surrounding the Cunning Hares but also being confident in *throwing hands with them?!* I swear this girl has SO much more going on than meets the eye, we really should start exploring her past in one of the future seasons. She's so much stronger than she lets on.
shes my favorite character for a reason. She absolutely was defense force, but defected for some reason. soldier 11 has a distain for her, as seen in s11's character demo where she flat out ignores her inner monologue from anby. im very very excited to see how the two interact, because i beleive S2 of ZZZ will dive into her storyline (said hopefully)
The lore in this game is so so good thank you for continuing to produce high quality zenless lore videos even if the game isn't as popular as hoyo's other offerings :)
27:10 are we sure that Tailless is an Ethereal? It's certainly a good possibility, but it also reminded me of Fairy a lot. With the whole simulating the inside of a Hollow and fairy being a perfect navigator of Hollows. Given that it's an ancient family heirloom the blade should have been made in the old civilization, it might have more capabilities than most other things we've seen before. It could also be a combination of both, an Ethereal being somewhat controlled by fusing it with a powerful AI.
I think you may be on to something with the both thing. We know Fairy can easily "solve" the maze that is a Hollow, so whats to say she can't make a maze. The maze/AI would be in the scabbard to contain the Tailless and it would track the Miyabi's family, mainly her father, would be working with whoever made Fairy. Only time will tell if this is right.
Plus absolutely nothing about tailess design gives us hints of an ethereal. As you said it makes more sense for it to be something from the old civilization, especially with their super advanced technology
Considering that Tailless was able to stand in for the Sacrifice sample to achieve whatever goal Sarah and "The Order" are striving towards, I'm wondering if the entity in the blade is a Capital-S Sacrifice (or some kind of Old Civilization equivalent).
@ericbright1742 I had that thought after posting this comment. My idea now is that Tailless is a Sacrifice that's been passed down and fed by the Hoshimi. The scabbard is an AI similar to Fairy, but probably not as powerful as her.
it's not a ethereal, it literally creates "foxfire that destroy ethereals", but there's something really magic with it, sarah got somekind of energy reading and uses it to the elixir but the sword itself loses no power. it also is something strange with yanagi getting the oni blood in some ritual that kinda of merged he and oni leader, enough to make her the new leader. miyabi's epi show some images of a hand+eyes and the tailess current holder fighting so.... yup
We did see Phaethon being stuck with Billy in a hollow in chapter 4 so they definitely have higher aptitude than most normal people in New Eridu I feel like.
@@skelebro9999 They can probably stay in there for a while before their condition kicks in. As shown in Chapter 5 with Miyabi, they don't start becoming corrupted they just start having adverse health reactions.
the siblings never said they are Phaethon but zhu yuan and qingyi should have recognized eous. But never once did they and the section 6 refer to the sibling as phaethon, just proxies. I cant stop thinking about it.
No they do get corrupted remember after the mc is brought out of the hollow and everyone is recapping us on what happened after we passed out someone mentions we were showing initial signs of corruption@@freshlymemed5680
Poor Soldier 11, they must have forgotten to send her an invitation to the final battle. But seriously, it's bizarre that she's the ONLY character who didn't appear in this whole thing and if you take away her story quest she practically doesn't exist in the story.
@@jwnwiwhebwoeb i mean.. the end of her story is basically saying fake it till you make it.. phaeton faking to be phaeton so they can become real phaeton. i jsut cant. lmao
I don't really have any problems with it. It'd be unrealistic to have everybody involved without feeling they are shoe horned and, besides, our relationship with her isn't as meaningful for now.
I just got back into ZZZ and this is exactly what I needed; an easily digestible summary of the plot As someone with both low attention span *and* terrible memory, this is a god send! Thank you for the amazing work! 👍
Ashikai. Your videos give me so much joy you don't even know. Im so thankful for loremasters like you that help me keep playing games that give me burnout because the worldbuilding is just so amazing. You are doing literal god's work and you have to understand how much happiness you're giving, I cant guarantee there's people like me that get so motivated™ from a lore video but man. I love your explanations and theories. Keep up the work, you're amazing, and i hope i can someday contribute more than a mere youtube comment ❤️
ZZZ really impressed me. It has to be the best told story from hoyo imo. Genshin suffers from playing coy too much to stretch the story content. HSR can get lengthy and draggy but is amazing nonetheless. ZZZ just goes straight to the weeds, good foreshadowings and setups, and no bullcrap loose ends on loose ends to stretch the content... they straight up delivered on the first season. Really cool
30:16 small side note, Miyabi was pushed into the hollow, and instead went berserk there killing ethereals EDIT: Miyabi got stronger lore wise this patch as she struck a deal with Tailless during this whole sequence ergo Nineveh have not yet tasted Miyabi's new found Motivation
Hi Ashikai, I love these recap videos. I finished the 1.4 story chapter just yesterday and I was slightly confused because I forget some story bits. Thank you for this recap video! It really helped me completely understand the story.
The way they seamlessly tied all the seemingly unconnected plot threads together with a few lines at the beginning of the chapter was a masterclass. My mouth was agape for a solid ten seconds. I personally think chapter 5 was a little rushed because I wanted a longer spotlight on the other oh-so-loveable factions but I must tip my hats off to the writers for a very engaging and very well written 10/10 first act.
I love lore vids like this because 1. Great video, yummy, 2. The comments always open up to really nice discussions that u can’t find elsewhere. I’ve been DYING to talk about zzz lore but most people ik don’t really care about the lore.
Uhm. Khors part have mistake. He noticed Sacrifice BEFORE going for prototype to seal it. That's entire reason for fasttracking prototype acqisition with bag of cash.
Gotta hand it to the devs. The 1.4 update ties everything together nicely. The pacing feels just right, with no parts dragging on too long (though the Chapter 2: Interlude is up for debate). The balance of lore and world-building is spot on, giving us just enough to deepen our understanding without overwhelming us. Almost every character introduced so far plays a role in the final battle (Soldier 11 being the exception). The plotlines remain mostly consistent, with only minor gaps that could be expanded on in future updates. One standout is how impactful one of the first characters we met turned out to be (Nicole). Her network extends all the way to the chapter’s end, except for N.E.P.S.. Though, given her background, it makes sense that her reach with the N.E.P.S. faction is limited. Overall, I really like the 1.4 update. It closed everything neatly and effectively built on the story while leaving room for future exploration. Mad props to the ZZZ devs.
Just a slight correction in 29:31, we don't actually know for sure that Victoria Housekeeping was working for the Hoshimis at that time, just that they were in the venue and was well connected to ask for Souichiro's time. In 32:27 that attack was definitely not mental, and was a showcase that the siblings are not as feeble as they make themselves out to be. The bgm at that part sent chills to my spine cuz it just got me thinking "WHAT ARE THEY". besides that really appreciate this season recap! Really love how they built up the story, how each faction was given their time to show their motivations and how they connect to Phaethon and the story itself.
they're only "not feeble" because we've only seen them in Hollows being feeble, which they are said to have a condition that makes them more susceptible to Ether Corruption
Love those moments then all off the sudden everything is falling into right place... only to present us with more questions! Thank you for an as always peak video!
Hey Ashi, I won't be able to watch this vid due to me being way behind in this game (I finished Tour de Inferno patch stuff yesterday), but I'm very glad you could get this vid released
Your ZZZ recaps are amazing! Also every character so far in this story is so suspicious, what and who are the twins, what and who is Anby and why are her and Soldier so alike, in kit, personality and looks? What is the faction Sara is working for doing? Trying to make Ether-Human-Hybrids so they can live prolonged life within the slowly dying planet like Rene tried to make Abyss-Humans to survive the apocalypse? So many questions, not enough answers yet! Can't wait for Season 2!
In regards to Miyabi's attack that cut through the Hollow while Nineveh was untouched. Didn't Miyabi essentially get a powerup after making a deal with Tailless? She didn't have that when she attacked Nineveh.
I love how loyal Nicole and the Cunning Hares are to the Proxies. They were ready to throw down with not only Section 6 but the Void Hunter herself for their safety. True friendship. Season 1 of ZZZ was absolute cinema. Can't wait for season 2!
I feel like with how the first arc focused on found families, it'd only be natural for the following arc to focus on broken families especially as Lycaon's reunion with his old buddy is coming closer as teased at the end of the Bangboo vs Ethereals event
ive only been playing the game for ~2 and a half weeks and ive been absolutely loving it! im really happy with the story and lore so far, and i cant wait to see where the writers take this
31:16 Souichirou, Miyabi's father confirmed she hasn't fully utilized Tailless's power, she relied solely on her skill alone so I think she wasn't at full power when fighting that flying sht
My theory is that Belle and Wise were given enhancements like their eye implants in order to help their teacher with Hollow research. Most likely that they volunteered.
Thanks for this big recap video Ashikai ! ^^ i always wondered about the true goal of the Cult. At the last scene where Sarah was in call with someone, she mentionned "Elixir P07 was a success". i think they are currently experimenting on a sort of serums that'll make them turn into "pure", perfect intelligent Ethereals ("Creator, please REFINE me" , refining meaning removing impurity) that'll lead into the "Age of Hollows" (like Bringer said), which might be an era of pure destruction and domination that nobody could stop. And this makes me that "Sacrifices" are experiment tests of the Cult that are used to achieve their goal but also a sort of "offerings" for the "Creator", who might be a Ether being/god that they are worshipping.
I think Lycaon is hiding something from Wise, Belle, and Koleda. He knows exactly what happened to Koleda's father and told Rina to play along for now and that the Proxies could prove useful. Oh God, It's gonna hurt so bad when they eventually find out, and Wise & Belle will feel like their trust and friendship with Lycaon was betrayed and fake. 😩💔😢😭
I don't own or play ZZZ, but I have some questions/theories: - Is it possible that Sarah is Carole Arna? After all, Phaethon have never met her or seen her face, so they wouldn't recognize her. (Her appearance on TV during the Chapter 2 opening didn't show her face at all, and the only PC who'd seen her face from a close-ish distance is Nekomata.) - Is it possible that Yanagi recognizes Anby, because she was part of the Defense Force before Miyabi recruited her for Section 6? Since Soldier 11 is part of it and it's implied that she and Anby are at least related. - Remember that sniper who's Soldier 11's partner during her story quest? Remember how her face was never shown, only that she'd have a female voice? But when Sarah was talking about the Elixir test, she has the rifle beside her, implying she's the one who shot it? What if she's "undercover" in Obol Squad? Or worse, the Obol Squad is an 'evil' faction. Or maybe the higher-ups are corrupt *coughTOPScough* and they are just using the Defense Force for their own ends.
Can you believe that there are players who don't know basic info about the lore of New Eridu being the last major city on the planet. My proof: go check the comment section of the recent Zenless zone zero promotion video.
Correct me if I'm wrong but to my memory they don't allude to that fact or imply it at all in the game itself. I do remember that one promotional vid before the games release showing hollows appearing all over the world.
@@freshlymemed5680 It has been mentioned and implied many times that New Eridu is the last big city, this should be common information by now but apparently not, Like it's should be the first information that you'll know about the world of ZZZ This is just gacha players as usual lacking the ability to read, it's nothing new.
@@freshlymemed5680 There are places outside Eridu where life can thrive (Recent Famitsu interview confirmed this), just that the city MIGHT be the last big one But then again people reading AoT were led to believe Paradis was the last stand for Humanity, until it wasn't.
I had no idea that Bringer was the one who killed Khors Belabog. It seems so obvious hearing the recording now and all. Now i wish Koleda and/or Belabog Industries was more involved against Bringer on a personal level. Imagine how kino it would be to have Koleda confront the man who killed her father.
Now that it got mentioned i wonder how Nicole's situation with the white star institute is currently since she basically caused them to lose Fairy, are we gonna get an update on that in the upcoming story?
Either for the future, or they told WS the cargo was lost at the Hollow (I don't think they were told was it was) and the institute found that an acceptable result (this is headcanon though, they should address it in the story if so).
Great recap, I regret skipping through some of the content when I first started as I just wanted to dive into the combat. It took a while before I got invested in the story. I've been tempted to start a separate account to replay the main story and see some of the changes they've made.
What I understood regarding Miyabi cutting the hollow is that when she fought Mineva in hollow zero, that blow was her power alone, since her father said she didn't rely on Tail less power. But now after she almost lost control, she learned how to use some of that power and that was what she did against Bringer. I may be wrong, but that was my understanding of the chapther
32:22 I don't think that's a mental attack, during the explosion you can see some debris coming from the explosion so I think he actually self-destructed before disintegrating. So either they had a shield of some sort or they actually took the blast and came out unscathed.
looking back through this recap, there are an awful lot of "happy coincidences" happening in an otherwise pretty airtight evil plan. I think your time travel theory is already at play xD
Your perspective on Ninevah is interesting i don't think it was as devastatingly strong as you stated especially cause it seemed more like it was running away instead tho it tanking attacks from her scales it higher I would also say Miyabi used a stronger attack against Bringer because she had some sort of agreement with tailless where she can use the power of the blade unlike before
31:00 If you look a little closer, the serum is in fact the substance Sara extract from Tailess 29:55, that is why Bringer uses a sword and says he is using the cursed blade`s power in the 2nd phase. And it is probably this new mixture that she is refering to in 31:40!
The thing with Miyabi. She cut the hollow but the thing is she was likely using the power of her sword alongside with her own skill. Before this however she had only ever relied on her skill minus the blind rage she had after the death of her mother.
One of the first thing I thought when I finished 1.4 is I wanted to hear your speculation video for all the new lore, but I know those take time. I'll settle for a recap video for now though.
I was waiting for the big faction team up forever! Figured it was something that would happen much later. But season one was good and paced pretty well.
![[2.7 HSR] Unraveling the Stellaron Mystery - A Honkai Star Rail Theory](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/t1pb0bxCQqk/mqdefault.jpg)
![[2.7 HSR] Unraveling the Stellaron Mystery - A Honkai Star Rail Theory](/img/tr.png)
![[1.2 ZZZ] What Made Hollow Zero Erupt? - A Zenless Zone Zero Theory](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/jS-tZQGytkI/mqdefault.jpg)
Miyabi is officially here! Join me in playing ZZZ with my link: hoyo.link/1qSlFJAL
Make sure to use code BIG4E86C for 60 Polychromes and 6,666 Denny! (Valid only for version 1.4)
**NOTES & CORRECTIONS**
- none yet
Peak getting sponsored by hyv you love to see it
I think it was the scabbard that was damaged and the sword did not get damaged since the bullet content was more likely a special blend of ether that acted like steriods that caused it to go beserk and during that time the scabbard got damaged. Also Miyabi speciality is hollow investigation where hollows are full of ether.
I think the attack Miyabi unleashed against Bringer was due to the deal she made with the blade. Remember that up until now she never properly inherited the sword and never used the foxfire (her father says so during the call, showcasing her raw talent). So maybe she can deal more significant damage to Nineveh now. Or at least that's how I see it.
I'm pretty sure Belle and Wise didn't reveal that they are Phaethon to Zhu Yuan and Qingyi, just told them they are proxies
Why are you using "Season 1" and "Season 2"? Does it mean that next patch will be 2.0 and not 1.5 or am I missing something?
the main takeaway is Nicole is the GOAT and the main contributor to the progression of the plot with all her connections
And the one who started it all! Billy and Anby are pretty important too! 😊
Nicole deserves to be an S-Rank Agent after this chapter
real. I've always thought she was just a comic relief and constantly overestimates herself. but turns out she really got a strong network
She's the diamond 💎 she's the ring💍she's the treasure 🪙 a little bit tricky ✨
@@biiyen8458 I want her to get the Dan Heng/Tingyun treatment in the future, give her a 5* upgraded form lol
Ah, Nicole, or as I like to call her - Nick Fury. There isn't a single soul in New Eridu that she doesn't know
Nicole Fury 😂
@@skelebro9999 oml how did i not think of this incredible joke
Mostly cause she's probably scammed them all at one point and felt bad about scamming them.
@@Asheriancommand truly the best and the worst scammer alive
nicole, zhu yuan, miyabi, and phaethon are basically the most important people in new eridu
Nicole has more than surprised me throughout this entire season; she became the core and catalyst for so many things that somehow helped the siblings
> duped Miyabi off her katana in the past so she has access to S6
> introduces us to Rain so we can decode the content of Koleda's father's last message
> started the Red Fang incident which ended up giving us access to Fairy
plus she stood her ground to us not just once but twice, especially when she decided to FIGHT SECTION 6 in the outer-ring rather than handing us over, Nicole is the GOAT
FRRR that scene with Sect 6 really solidified my love for her and the cunning hares. it was so good
@@seid_1068 I was honestly fully expecting her to run away with us at least, but the fact that she told us to run away while she tries holding ground against Miyabi of all people, that's just peak
There is something about Nicole I don't see a lot of people talking about. When you do Soldier 11 trust rank up quest "just toss it" it's hinted that Nicole is the daughter of an high ranking officer of New Eridu Defense force. In the quest Soldier 11 tells you "How a senior officer's daughter chooses to live her life is a personal matter and shouldn't be exploited by others." and "You've likely seen her frequently on TV. I simply want to emphasize that her fingernails hold no particular significance." So it would fit with Nicole since with the Vison Corporation trial she was on TV and she is the only one with noticeable fingernails since they are paint in different colors.
@@nightfallguild isn't that Lucy? Nicole was orphaned since a kid, it would be weird that someone digged up Nicole's past and found that she's a kid of a high-ranking officer when she's left as an "orphan" her whole life
@@nightfallguild plus Lucy still likes personal care like a princess eventhough she's a member of a biker gang now
I think calling last attack "mental attack" when we clearly see explosion undermines how cool and important that scene was, showing us that siblings have more secrets.
I was gonna say this. I'm pretty sure he literally used self-destruct to explode and try to kill the siblings... but they weren't harmed for some reason.
@@SirJeal You can see both of their eyes lit up like the same way when they encountered Sacrifice with Belogos.
Maybe this ability to protect them activates when they are near each other?
@@urdeadnotbigsuprise7439 Yeah, probably. For all we know they might have other modifications we don't know about as well. That explosion was definitely not a mental attack though! Lol.
@@SirJeal Either way, siblings are hiding much more compared to everyone else, including us.
@@urdeadnotbigsuprise7439 yeah also their eyes seem to glitch in a similar manner to that of ethereal/people becoming corrupted so it makes me think the siblings might not even be human
31:23
Something to consider is that up until now Miyabi never used Tailess' power. But after that deal she made with it she gas access to that power now. So shes stronger than when she fiught Nineveh previously
Yup. She was using her own power before
Can we talk about how a Murderous intent Sword that is powered by the Souls it captured is literally called "tailless"?
i think its important to note two things:
1. that attack on phaethon at the end was not mental, it seemed to be a legit explosion, killing bringer. somehow, both belle and wise were able to withstand it, hinting that helios academy may have genetically modified the students in some way that makes them invincible to certain attacks (or at least gives them some sort of protection). it definitely seems like the implants do more than just allow them to communicate and inhabit bangboos
2. the government aligned factions (NEPS, section 6, and soldier 11) still do not know we are phaethon. we revealed ourselves to be proxies, not that we are the number one most wanted criminals in new eridu. this will most likely come up again later in the story, so i feel its important to clear that up.
@RocGirl05 actually, if we remember the Chapter 2 Interlude, when Zhu Yuan and Qingyi enter the hollow to chase down the criminals, Belle and Wise introduce themselves as Phaethon through Eous and call a truce to help PubSec out.
nah s11 just playing dumb
Yk I always found it weird that the siblings called the Helios academy their home, it gives me kiana vibes. Like they were test tube babies, clones made in the Helios academy for some kind of research reason.
At the end, bringer basically hinted that carole was a part of the reason for hollow zero, and since she is the sibling’s teacher and they treat her like their mother, it makes me wonder if she is literally their creator.
@@franciscomendez8314 they introduced themselves through eous though no?
@hakun0695 Phaethon is the only proxy in new eridu who can enter Hollows via Bangboo. It's essentially their signature gimmick
Don't let the sibling's glowing eyes distract you from the fact that our local burger addict Anby HAS memories from her Defense Force days. She's not an AMNESIAC! I repeat, SHE'S NOT AN AMNE-
Yeah she's just keeping it close to the chest.
there has never been evidences of Anby being one in the first place
ever since Chapter 1 it's implied that she just moved on from her past
@@EndyTg Anby being amnesiac is probably another head cannon people have and told that to other like it was a fact. I think that's why so many thought so. There was even a trust event she talked about how she used to be a drill instructor.
@@EndyTg Well Anby did appear in Soldier 11's trailer so she does have some connection with the Defence Force. It's the same as Billy before the full release of the Sons of Calydon.
I think she just laying low just like Billy
Personally, I feel like her suddenly being able to cut through the hollow stems from this being the first time that she actually uses that the sword to its full capacity, considering her father mentioned that the strength she's always displayed is her strength alone without tea. Getting the extra strength that the sword grants
Belle and Wise being part of the only characters that we don't know the last names of. And THEY'RE THE MCS
1.4 story was so peak I felt like watching a movie
makes sense, we do run a video store...
I didn't know my Christmas gift was gonna be an Ashikai ZZZ recap video... THANKS A BUNCH SANTA!
I love how the constant cutbacks to the front desk of Random Play suggest that this video is just Bangaboo 18 lore dumping some poor unsuspecting costumer
ZZZ might be my favorite story telling in all of hoyo’s game. It’s the fact that everything is connected and it’s so satisfying to see everyone coming together. The climax of chapter 5 would not hit the same without any of the previous 4 chapters. The pacing is amazinggg
Exactly. Everything fit.
absolute cinema
The reason why Miyabi couldn't put a dent on Nineveh was that she only used her raw power.
Miyabi was able to cut through the Elpis hollow because she used her raw power AND Tailless's power since she had gained control of that power from that fight inside her mind.
15:16 I played it all, paid attention and was engrossed in the story AND I DID NOT KNOW THAT WAS BRINGER'S VOICE
🤡🤡🤡
I noticed that was his voice when I replayed the story.
One thing I really appreciate about this game's first arc is how well everything is connected and how actions in the earlier chapters catalyze events and happenings in the subsequent ones. This recap shows that so clearly! It's so good! A great service for the community!
ZZZ is by far the only anime style gacha game that actually feels like im watching an Anime. every plot got well served and connected to the climax in an efficient way but still enteraining. Other similiar game even in hoyoverse still feels like a Visual Novel
@@satyamahayana6367 Zenless should get an anime adaptation tbh
There is something up with Belle and Wise. One theory I like is that they are hyper advanced andorids (or cyborgs), like Billy and Qingyi but even more impressive. That would explain why they always speak of the White Star Institute and their teacher instead of their "real" family. And it might be how they survived the explosion at the end of the latest quest.
I feel like their low Ether aptitude pretty much kills that theory. Also the fact the EMP had no effect on them at all.
@@Dylangillian Technology does have established issues with Ether and you need specifically built machines otherwise they risk corruption
@Dylangillian not necessarily. If they are androids they were made during or at least based on tech from the old civilisation. We know that technology can be corrupted by ether and it's pretty clear that the old civilisation fell due to the hollows. They could be so old that the tech wasn't made to be ether resistant. This is obviously just speculation and I don't think it's very likely, but it's still possible.
I have my simple theory that they have some very advanced "hidden" implants besides those ocular ones, which are definitely connected to Ether in some way, since they started glowing (and glitching?) when the explosion happened from Bringer, an Ethereal.
@@svahn1I think they are more of modified humans than actual Androids
Belle and wise are wayyy too sus I feel like they are test subjects or something cause what do you mean their names are characteristics like what if they are ethereals made to be smart and beautiful. Cause we genuinely don’t know anything about them before the Helios institute(what if there was nothing before then) and have you ever seen Hoyo MC’s that don’t look alike I.e aether and lumine, and Stelle and Caelus.
My entirely baseless idea is that the video tapes they hand out are infected with something or at least have some alternative function
My main guess now is maybe they were experiments and Carole took them away out of sympathy and then when Eridu fell she was found and taken away for abandoning and betraying the ‘cult’ but belle and wise managed to escape or were hidden
They definitely are hiding wayyy more than we know about them so far. From both the playable NPCs and us, the players.
knowing how HOYO writes their MC's, i wouldn't be surprise if both Belle and Wise are the twist villains.
Prototype Bangboos
Can we talk about Anby not only catching Section 6 surrounding the Cunning Hares but also being confident in *throwing hands with them?!* I swear this girl has SO much more going on than meets the eye, we really should start exploring her past in one of the future seasons. She's so much stronger than she lets on.
shes my favorite character for a reason. She absolutely was defense force, but defected for some reason. soldier 11 has a distain for her, as seen in s11's character demo where she flat out ignores her inner monologue from anby. im very very excited to see how the two interact, because i beleive S2 of ZZZ will dive into her storyline (said hopefully)
@lithominium9955 saaaaaaaaaaaaame (also she's just adorable and cute)
In the current event with puzzle pictures, there's one that shows Anby and Soldier 11 fighting Ethereals together... coincidence ?
I think not !
The lore in this game is so so good
thank you for continuing to produce high quality zenless lore videos even if the game isn't as popular as hoyo's other offerings :)
I'm ready to get my mind somehow blown by events I've already played through for myself.
27:10 are we sure that Tailless is an Ethereal? It's certainly a good possibility, but it also reminded me of Fairy a lot. With the whole simulating the inside of a Hollow and fairy being a perfect navigator of Hollows. Given that it's an ancient family heirloom the blade should have been made in the old civilization, it might have more capabilities than most other things we've seen before. It could also be a combination of both, an Ethereal being somewhat controlled by fusing it with a powerful AI.
I think you may be on to something with the both thing. We know Fairy can easily "solve" the maze that is a Hollow, so whats to say she can't make a maze. The maze/AI would be in the scabbard to contain the Tailless and it would track the Miyabi's family, mainly her father, would be working with whoever made Fairy. Only time will tell if this is right.
Plus absolutely nothing about tailess design gives us hints of an ethereal. As you said it makes more sense for it to be something from the old civilization, especially with their super advanced technology
Considering that Tailless was able to stand in for the Sacrifice sample to achieve whatever goal Sarah and "The Order" are striving towards, I'm wondering if the entity in the blade is a Capital-S Sacrifice (or some kind of Old Civilization equivalent).
@ericbright1742 I had that thought after posting this comment. My idea now is that Tailless is a Sacrifice that's been passed down and fed by the Hoshimi. The scabbard is an AI similar to Fairy, but probably not as powerful as her.
it's not a ethereal, it literally creates "foxfire that destroy ethereals", but there's something really magic with it, sarah got somekind of energy reading and uses it to the elixir but the sword itself loses no power.
it also is something strange with yanagi getting the oni blood in some ritual that kinda of merged he and oni leader, enough to make her the new leader.
miyabi's epi show some images of a hand+eyes and the tailess current holder fighting so.... yup
Technically, they never said Phaethon had low Ether aptitude, they just said they have a "condition".
We did see Phaethon being stuck with Billy in a hollow in chapter 4 so they definitely have higher aptitude than most normal people in New Eridu I feel like.
I wonder what this condition is?
@@skelebro9999 They can probably stay in there for a while before their condition kicks in. As shown in Chapter 5 with Miyabi, they don't start becoming corrupted they just start having adverse health reactions.
the siblings never said they are Phaethon but zhu yuan and qingyi should have recognized eous. But never once did they and the section 6 refer to the sibling as phaethon, just proxies.
I cant stop thinking about it.
No they do get corrupted remember after the mc is brought out of the hollow and everyone is recapping us on what happened after we passed out someone mentions we were showing initial signs of corruption@@freshlymemed5680
You do the best ZZZ lore videos hands down! please keep asking the right questions 🔥🙏🏽
Chapter 5 had me a little bit lost but your recap explained everything better than I could've asked for so thank you
Poor Soldier 11, they must have forgotten to send her an invitation to the final battle.
But seriously, it's bizarre that she's the ONLY character who didn't appear in this whole thing and if you take away her story quest she practically doesn't exist in the story.
@@Truck-kun11 She was busy petting Inky
Hopefully season two will bring her into the limelight along with her teammates from OBEL Squad 👍 I’m particularly excited about Trigger
Because she doesn't know that he is the actual Phaethon
@@jwnwiwhebwoeb i mean.. the end of her story is basically saying fake it till you make it.. phaeton faking to be phaeton so they can become real phaeton. i jsut cant. lmao
I don't really have any problems with it. It'd be unrealistic to have everybody involved without feeling they are shoe horned and, besides, our relationship with her isn't as meaningful for now.
Thank you for this video, Ashikai. I really needed this.🙏
I just got back into ZZZ and this is exactly what I needed; an easily digestible summary of the plot
As someone with both low attention span *and* terrible memory, this is a god send!
Thank you for the amazing work! 👍
34:05 William Shakespeare enjoying some Gacha theories fr
Ashikai vid before Christmas? Never expected this at all. Time to lock in guys
Ashikai. Your videos give me so much joy you don't even know. Im so thankful for loremasters like you that help me keep playing games that give me burnout because the worldbuilding is just so amazing. You are doing literal god's work and you have to understand how much happiness you're giving, I cant guarantee there's people like me that get so motivated™ from a lore video but man. I love your explanations and theories. Keep up the work, you're amazing, and i hope i can someday contribute more than a mere youtube comment ❤️
ZZZ really impressed me. It has to be the best told story from hoyo imo. Genshin suffers from playing coy too much to stretch the story content. HSR can get lengthy and draggy but is amazing nonetheless. ZZZ just goes straight to the weeds, good foreshadowings and setups, and no bullcrap loose ends on loose ends to stretch the content... they straight up delivered on the first season. Really cool
30:16 small side note, Miyabi was pushed into the hollow, and instead went berserk there killing ethereals
EDIT: Miyabi got stronger lore wise this patch as she struck a deal with Tailless during this whole sequence ergo Nineveh have not yet tasted Miyabi's new found Motivation
CONGRATS ON SPONSORSHIP MATE!
Looking forward to see more zzz contents in the future!
Hi Ashikai, I love these recap videos. I finished the 1.4 story chapter just yesterday and I was slightly confused because I forget some story bits. Thank you for this recap video! It really helped me completely understand the story.
The best ZZZ lore video I've seen so far. Playing 1.4 made me so confused so you've saved me. Hopefully you keep making those!
The way they seamlessly tied all the seemingly unconnected plot threads together with a few lines at the beginning of the chapter was a masterclass. My mouth was agape for a solid ten seconds. I personally think chapter 5 was a little rushed because I wanted a longer spotlight on the other oh-so-loveable factions but I must tip my hats off to the writers for a very engaging and very well written 10/10 first act.
Me searching: "ZZZ what are hollows?" Notification for your vid follows immediately after. I feel spoiled 😂
This video is GREAT, all the information needed to stay up to date with history
You are one of the best narrators on TH-cam! ❤ please keep making content. Your videos are also edited and put together incredibly well!
I love lore vids like this because 1. Great video, yummy, 2. The comments always open up to really nice discussions that u can’t find elsewhere. I’ve been DYING to talk about zzz lore but most people ik don’t really care about the lore.
I heard ballet twins for the first time in the game and was like: the US number for emergency services
this was a super good summary of the story, thank you
I’m glad that it released tonight, I have something to watch now before Christmas 🎉
Merry Christmas Ashikai!
This and the Penacony recap have been god sends and I really appreciate the works you do on them.
Uhm. Khors part have mistake. He noticed Sacrifice BEFORE going for prototype to seal it. That's entire reason for fasttracking prototype acqisition with bag of cash.
Gotta hand it to the devs. The 1.4 update ties everything together nicely. The pacing feels just right, with no parts dragging on too long (though the Chapter 2: Interlude is up for debate). The balance of lore and world-building is spot on, giving us just enough to deepen our understanding without overwhelming us.
Almost every character introduced so far plays a role in the final battle (Soldier 11 being the exception). The plotlines remain mostly consistent, with only minor gaps that could be expanded on in future updates.
One standout is how impactful one of the first characters we met turned out to be (Nicole). Her network extends all the way to the chapter’s end, except for N.E.P.S.. Though, given her background, it makes sense that her reach with the N.E.P.S. faction is limited.
Overall, I really like the 1.4 update. It closed everything neatly and effectively built on the story while leaving room for future exploration. Mad props to the ZZZ devs.
Thank you so much for this video. It cleared up some little things that were unclear for me
Just a slight correction in 29:31, we don't actually know for sure that Victoria Housekeeping was working for the Hoshimis at that time, just that they were in the venue and was well connected to ask for Souichiro's time. In 32:27 that attack was definitely not mental, and was a showcase that the siblings are not as feeble as they make themselves out to be. The bgm at that part sent chills to my spine cuz it just got me thinking "WHAT ARE THEY".
besides that really appreciate this season recap! Really love how they built up the story, how each faction was given their time to show their motivations and how they connect to Phaethon and the story itself.
they're only "not feeble" because we've only seen them in Hollows being feeble, which they are said to have a condition that makes them more susceptible to Ether Corruption
14:13 old model Miyabi jumpscare. Proceed at your own risk
👁️ 👄 👁️
cue in Sid from Ice Age
Love those moments then all off the sudden everything is falling into right place... only to present us with more questions!
Thank you for an as always peak video!
thanks, this summary is really helpful, just came back to the game
The tv terrain stop the train sequence was genuinely so hype I really loved the tv mechanic so much ☹️☹️☹️
Grand summary. Even made some stuff regarding Miyabis sword much clearer to me. Thanks! Ä_Ä
Hey Ashi, I won't be able to watch this vid due to me being way behind in this game (I finished Tour de Inferno patch stuff yesterday), but I'm very glad you could get this vid released
Yeyy, Thank you, I try to skip all story bits so it's nice to have it all in a single video
Your ZZZ recaps are amazing! Also every character so far in this story is so suspicious, what and who are the twins, what and who is Anby and why are her and Soldier so alike, in kit, personality and looks? What is the faction Sara is working for doing? Trying to make Ether-Human-Hybrids so they can live prolonged life within the slowly dying planet like Rene tried to make Abyss-Humans to survive the apocalypse? So many questions, not enough answers yet! Can't wait for Season 2!
In regards to Miyabi's attack that cut through the Hollow while Nineveh was untouched. Didn't Miyabi essentially get a powerup after making a deal with Tailless? She didn't have that when she attacked Nineveh.
Yup, just like how bringer and co got their formula from making use of the century old curse, miyabi got the blade's hidden potential through the pact
thank you ashikai!!! love your zzz vids!!!
God I LOOOOOVE getting a notification for one of your videos when I'm at work. Thanks for being such a solid coworker since genshin 1.1 🎉
i do like these kind of review videos. things are spread out throughout the months that i tend to forget what happened in the earlier chapters.
I love how loyal Nicole and the Cunning Hares are to the Proxies. They were ready to throw down with not only Section 6 but the Void Hunter herself for their safety. True friendship.
Season 1 of ZZZ was absolute cinema. Can't wait for season 2!
Omg this video was really good thank you so much ❤️
I feel like with how the first arc focused on found families, it'd only be natural for the following arc to focus on broken families especially as Lycaon's reunion with his old buddy is coming closer as teased at the end of the Bangboo vs Ethereals event
ive only been playing the game for ~2 and a half weeks and ive been absolutely loving it! im really happy with the story and lore so far, and i cant wait to see where the writers take this
thank you for making this video!! i was really hoping someone would summarize the current zenless lore into one easy to understand and cohesive video
Peak story! Thanks ashikai for the summed up the main story line!
31:16 Souichirou, Miyabi's father confirmed she hasn't fully utilized Tailless's power, she relied solely on her skill alone so I think she wasn't at full power when fighting that flying sht
My theory is that Belle and Wise were given enhancements like their eye implants in order to help their teacher with Hollow research. Most likely that they volunteered.
Thanks for this big recap video Ashikai ! ^^
i always wondered about the true goal of the Cult. At the last scene where Sarah was in call with someone, she mentionned "Elixir P07 was a success".
i think they are currently experimenting on a sort of serums that'll make them turn into "pure", perfect intelligent Ethereals ("Creator, please REFINE me" , refining meaning removing impurity) that'll lead into the "Age of Hollows" (like Bringer said), which might be an era of pure destruction and domination that nobody could stop.
And this makes me that "Sacrifices" are experiment tests of the Cult that are used to achieve their goal but also a sort of "offerings" for the "Creator", who might be a Ether being/god that they are worshipping.
I think Lycaon is hiding something from Wise, Belle, and Koleda. He knows exactly what happened to Koleda's father and told Rina to play along for now and that the Proxies could prove useful. Oh God, It's gonna hurt so bad when they eventually find out, and Wise & Belle will feel like their trust and friendship with Lycaon was betrayed and fake. 😩💔😢😭
Congratulations on getting sponsored by Hoyoverse, have always loved to watch your videos!
I don't own or play ZZZ, but I have some questions/theories:
- Is it possible that Sarah is Carole Arna? After all, Phaethon have never met her or seen her face, so they wouldn't recognize her. (Her appearance on TV during the Chapter 2 opening didn't show her face at all, and the only PC who'd seen her face from a close-ish distance is Nekomata.)
- Is it possible that Yanagi recognizes Anby, because she was part of the Defense Force before Miyabi recruited her for Section 6? Since Soldier 11 is part of it and it's implied that she and Anby are at least related.
- Remember that sniper who's Soldier 11's partner during her story quest? Remember how her face was never shown, only that she'd have a female voice? But when Sarah was talking about the Elixir test, she has the rifle beside her, implying she's the one who shot it? What if she's "undercover" in Obol Squad? Or worse, the Obol Squad is an 'evil' faction. Or maybe the higher-ups are corrupt *coughTOPScough* and they are just using the Defense Force for their own ends.
13:49 i finished chapter 4 and left chapter 5 for when I got back from holiday and already got spoiled 😭
Can you believe that there are players who don't know basic info about the lore of New Eridu being the last major city on the planet.
My proof: go check the comment section of the recent Zenless zone zero promotion video.
Correct me if I'm wrong but to my memory they don't allude to that fact or imply it at all in the game itself. I do remember that one promotional vid before the games release showing hollows appearing all over the world.
@@freshlymemed5680 It has been mentioned and implied many times that New Eridu is the last big city, this should be common information by now but apparently not, Like it's should be the first information that you'll know about the world of ZZZ
This is just gacha players as usual lacking the ability to read, it's nothing new.
@@freshlymemed5680 There are places outside Eridu where life can thrive (Recent Famitsu interview confirmed this), just that the city MIGHT be the last big one
But then again people reading AoT were led to believe Paradis was the last stand for Humanity, until it wasn't.
@@RFEZR honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if a twist like this happens, even though hoyo says it's the last big city, even I don't fully believe it.
@@RFEZR I think they are talking about the Outer Ring for that one.
I had no idea that Bringer was the one who killed Khors Belabog. It seems so obvious hearing the recording now and all. Now i wish Koleda and/or Belabog Industries was more involved against Bringer on a personal level. Imagine how kino it would be to have Koleda confront the man who killed her father.
Now that it got mentioned i wonder how Nicole's situation with the white star institute is currently since she basically caused them to lose Fairy, are we gonna get an update on that in the upcoming story?
Either for the future, or they told WS the cargo was lost at the Hollow (I don't think they were told was it was) and the institute found that an acceptable result (this is headcanon though, they should address it in the story if so).
Aww Yea I Was Waiting For This
Tnx For All Your Hard Work Ashikai❤🎉
Love the recap videos
I don’t play zzz at all but I was interested in what is going on lmao
Great recap, I regret skipping through some of the content when I first started as I just wanted to dive into the combat. It took a while before I got invested in the story. I've been tempted to start a separate account to replay the main story and see some of the changes they've made.
What I understood regarding Miyabi cutting the hollow is that when she fought Mineva in hollow zero, that blow was her power alone, since her father said she didn't rely on Tail less power. But now after she almost lost control, she learned how to use some of that power and that was what she did against Bringer. I may be wrong, but that was my understanding of the chapther
32:22 I don't think that's a mental attack, during the explosion you can see some debris coming from the explosion so I think he actually self-destructed before disintegrating. So either they had a shield of some sort or they actually took the blast and came out unscathed.
Wow, it's only been a week since update. So fast!
I feel like ashikai is our bangboo guiding us through the labyrinth of the plot! Thanks!
looking back through this recap, there are an awful lot of "happy coincidences" happening in an otherwise pretty airtight evil plan. I think your time travel theory is already at play xD
I have waited for this video for so long
Really appreciate this as I. Interested in the story and lore of zzz but really don’t have anymore bandwidth to play the game myself
Tbh what I really loved is the Sakura/HoC and Nihility/Acheron reference with Miyabi and the sword. Such a throw back especially for fans.
I am so glad for this recap ❤
Great content! Thank you Ashikai~ ♥
Your perspective on Ninevah is interesting i don't think it was as devastatingly strong as you stated especially cause it seemed more like it was running away instead tho it tanking attacks from her scales it higher I would also say Miyabi used a stronger attack against Bringer because she had some sort of agreement with tailless where she can use the power of the blade unlike before
31:00 If you look a little closer, the serum is in fact the substance Sara extract from Tailess 29:55, that is why Bringer uses a sword and says he is using the cursed blade`s power in the 2nd phase.
And it is probably this new mixture that she is refering to in 31:40!
You are right
The thing with Miyabi. She cut the hollow but the thing is she was likely using the power of her sword alongside with her own skill. Before this however she had only ever relied on her skill minus the blind rage she had after the death of her mother.
I feel like someday, the siblings will collectively become a Void Hunter as Phaeton. Maybe being considered as the successor of Joyous.
One of the first thing I thought when I finished 1.4 is I wanted to hear your speculation video for all the new lore, but I know those take time. I'll settle for a recap video for now though.
This was such a nice summary of all the events that occurred so far! I'll definitely be referring back to this before playing the next season
I was waiting for the big faction team up forever! Figured it was something that would happen much later. But season one was good and paced pretty well.
King Deshret report: there is no Deshret in the video