Zaaro
| NPC | Enemy | Trivia |
Zaaro is an NPC in Arknights. He is the main antagonist of Il Siracusano.
Background
One of the "Signori dei Lupi", of Siracusa, Zaaro made Bernardo Bellone as his Fang over sixty years before Il Siracusano takes place, allowing him to rise into becoming the don of the Bellone famiglia, and Zaaro has since backed them from behind the scenes to overthrow Signora Sicilia, claim Siracusa for himself, and then winning the "great game" between il Signori.[1] He also considered to make Bernardo's son, Leontuzzo, his successor Fang.
As Emperor points out, due to his involvement in human affairs for a long time, Zaaro's personality had become human-like, yet having nearly all the worst traits of humanity with none of the best.[2] Ambitious, greedy, and manipulative, Zaaro will do anything and everything to achieve his goal; in fact, his schemes kickstarted much of Il Siracusano's story:
- Bernardo being Zaaro's Fang allowed the Bellones to become Volsinii's dominant famiglia.
- After the the fall of Texas famiglia, their only surviving member, Cellinia Texas, made a pact with Zaaro to ensure her survival in return for her doing a favor to il Signore in the future.
Zaaro's body is formless and covered by heavy fog, allowing him to warp himself anywhere he wants, although he can physically manifest himself as a werewolf, albeit moving on all fours like a regular wolf would. Zaaro can instill fear onto his enemies and his howl can incite the vendetta of his allies, and he can stand upright on his rear legs when necessary, unleashing quick, short-reaching swipes at his foes with his front legs.
Story
Il Siracusano
Around seven years after the fall of the Texases, the Bellones are one step closer to become the most dominant famiglia in all Siracusa. Zaaro would manifest himself before Cellinia while she is on Lungmen to fulfill her end of the pact by aiding the Bellones to claim the prize. Although Cellinia's boss Emperor – who is yet another Beast Lord like Zaaro – mocked him for showing up unannounced and "not making any progress for millenia", she nonetheless accepts, knowing that a promise is a promise, and was taken by Zaaro into Siracusa.[2]
Following Caracci's assassination, Bernardo took Leontuzzo into a hall where Zaaro would appear before them, explaining to Leontuzzo that Bernardo was a good Fang. Bernardo later revealed the full extent of Zaaro's plan to Leontuzzo.[1]
After Rubio's death which sparked chaos among the Volsinii famiglie, Zaaro confronts Bernardo after he starts the nomadic city's separation early and talked with Leontuzzo and Agenir in the local church. Il Signore was incensed by Bernardo's actions, not realizing that he had been planning to undermine Zaaro's schemes from the beginning. Betrayed by his own Fang, Zaaro threatens to force Bernardo into obeying him, but he was surprised to realize that Bernardo had poisoned himself and dies after defiantly tells Zaaro that he had lost the game. This greatly infuriates il Signore who decides to kill Leontuzzo as a punishment for his father's treachery.[3]
Zaaro appears before Leontuzzo while he is trying to stop Volsinii's separation alongside Lavinia Falcone and Demetri Certaldo; his presence was too strong for the others to bear, who passed out as he manifests himself.[4] Joined by Exusiai, Cellinia, Lunacub, and Lappland, Leontuzzo battles Zaaro, but their attacks have little effect against il Signore as he reveals Bernardo's death to Leontuzzo and Lavinia. Eventually Emperor himself showed up alongside several Signori dei Lupi who had been eliminated from the great game; Zaaro's actions had attracted their attention and they joined forces to punish him for breaking the game's golden rule: never meddle with the humans' lives, and Emperor told Zaaro that he has basically lost the game in the worst possible way. Knowing that he won't stand a chance against the other Beast Lords and his plans are in shambles, Zaaro takes a last glance towards Leontuzzo before retreating with the winds into the wildlands.[5]
Zaaro cannot accept his total defeat, however, and plans to one day return to Siracusa. He met Lappland at some point, and for the next three months, fighting each other in a cat-and-mouse game, but he was unable to defeat or even scratch the lone wolf. Accepting his loss, Zaaro submits before Lappland and decides to follow her; whether Zaaro would make Lappland her Fang or not, or if he is just backing her is left ambiguous.[6]