"Called up by Nimbus from the Academy of Air, Zephyr finds himself in awe as he begins working with his Heroes; His test scores at the Academy are some of the highest ever recorded"
― Zephyr's bio in the Tornado Outbreak Comic[src]
Zephyr is a determined young Captain in charge of a fleet of Wind Warriors. He is assisted by his second-in-command Lieutenant Nimbus.
Appearance[]
Zephyr is a black and light blue air elemental with violet eyes and clouds encircling his head-tail. Although they are never seen in-game, he possesses legs similar to Nimbus' legs. His arms and shoulders are black as well as the spiral on his chest. A light blue tornado covers the lower half of his body in the game.
From Carnival Chaos onwards, Zephyr dons a red tattered cape, metal wing-shaped shoulder pads along with a red scarf that wraps around his neck.
Character Bio[]
Zephyr, leader of the Wind Warriors, possesses the power of wind and the ability to transform himself into a raging, column of air that can level anything in his path. He worked to create atmosphere on lifeless planets but a chance meeting with a strange being named Omegaton changed the game. Zephyr's mission dictates that he helps those in need but meeting this purposefully deceptive anti-hero will challenge all that he knows. His strength, wits and abilities will be put to the test as a cosmic battle for supremacy lands on Earth. No one is safe.
Origins and History[]
Comic[]
Far before humans existed, long-living creatures called elementals shaped the universe and the objects that populate it.[1] The spacefaring air elementals were tasked with bestowing atmosphere to the planets so life could later exist on them. Zephyr belongs to a squadron of what appears to be made up of around 100 members.
Before the events of the game, Zephyr is at a lower ranking and not giving orders yet; instead he is training with elite warriors Stratos and Cyclone. It is implied he used to be a regular soldier or a student. The squadron faces a monumental threat to their duty known as the Shades. He partakes in a large battle with the Shades on an infected planet and again at a dark pulsar.
The squad retreats with Zephyr showing concern for Nimbus suddenly becoming weaker and slowly crystalizing in the process. Back into space, Nimbus announces that's its time for him to step down and place someone else in charge of leading the squadron of Wind Warriors. To pick the new leader, he sets up a competition in which Cyclone wins by poisoning Stratos in the process.
Now as the new leader of the Wind Warriors, Cyclone attempts to guide the Wind Warriors into a shade infested area; this results in Nimbus breaking out of the crystals and explaining to Zephyr that the crystals were actually ice created by himself. Zephyr then witnesses the death and crystallization of Stratos.
Now angered, Zephyr attempts to create a massive tornado that is capable of killing Cyclone but ends up tossing the now crystallized statue of Stratos towards Cyclone which ended up stunning him. He is then put in charge of leading the Wind Warriors.
In-game[]
The game begins with Zephyr giving his first order to the squad: retrieve Omegaton's six orbs so he can return home. Zephyr must learn to master the tornado, a weather condition that is said to take thousands of years to perfect. Nimbus instructs him on how to use this power to capture Fire Flyers. It is then Zephyr's job to lead the mission.
For a large portion of the story, Zephyr does not know how to use the L.O.A.D. STARR. It is not until a soldier bumps into him, causing it to fall and break, that he figures out how it works by fixing it.
The game ends with Zephyr, Nimbus, and The Wind Warriors freeing all Rock and Water Elementals, and returning home to their homeworld, Harmonia[2][3]
Personality[]
Zephyr is an intelligent, quick-witted, and resourceful leader of the Wind Warriors. He is deeply committed to his role and demonstrates unwavering loyalty to his team and mission, showing a strong sense of duty. In the early stages of Tornado Outbreak, his commitment to retrieving Omegaton's orbs highlights his dedication, even when the actual stakes are unclear. He feels he must succeed not only because it's his mission but also because of the well-being of his fellow Wind Warriors.
Zephyr’s resourcefulness shines brightest when circumstances are unpredictable, especially when things don't go as planned. He’s quick to adapt, whether it's repairing the L.O.A.D. STARR after he accidentally drops it or figuring out how to motivate his fellow Wind Warriors following a stressful mission. In the level Showdown with Omegaton, Zephyr's resourcefulness is evident when he devises a plan to combat Omegaton by distracting him with the rescue of trapped Wind Warriors and launching an assault on him from behind. Zephyr’s ability to rapidly adjust to problems is a defining trait, marking him as a commander who thrives under pressure. This level of ingenuity is one of the key reasons the Wind Warriors rely on him to lead.
While Zephyr has a strong sense of duty, he also possesses deep compassion for his fellow comrades. Whether it’s the Wind Warriors under his command or even the seemingly vulnerable Omegaton, Zephyr’s first instinct is to help those who appear to be in distress. As he unravels the true intentions of Omegaton, his compassion shifts into righteous fury as he realizes how he and his team have been misled. Although Zephyr possess the ability to manipulate tornadoes, he is shown to possess empathy towards humans for causing destruction. In the closing cinematic for the level Double Wide Damage, Zephyr is comforted by Nimbus who confesses his regret for leaving the humans homeless. Similarly, in the opening cinematic for the level Camelot Falls, Zephyr hesitates as he approaches a bustling Renaissance Faire full of humans. Reflecting on their lives, he jokingly—but thoughtfully—notes in his mission log, "Not everyone had the day off," before carrying out his objectives.
Relationships[]
Cyclone[]
Cyclone and Zephyr never much interacted with each other. Though, in the few interactions they both had, both remained neutral until it was revealed that Cyclone killed Stratos and betrayed the Wind Warriors to the Shades. Fueled by anger, Zephyr throws the now crystallized body of Stratos at Cyclone as he retreats with the shades.
Fire Flyers[]
While not verbally speaking to the Fire Flyers, he played their dangerous games of hide and seek to recharge the L.O.A.D. STARR. In Showdown with Omegaton, while the Fire Flyers were trapped inside Omegaton's orbs, Zephyr pounces onto them to free them from their prison.
Nimbus[]
Zephyr and Nimbus have a mentor-protégé relationship in the game. Over the course of the game, he teaches Zephyr the fundamental basics of growing the tornado along with grabbing and absorbing Fire Flyers. It's assumed that the two have a strong relationship since in the closing cinematic for Double Wide Damage, Zephyr expresses his feelings for the destruction he'd caused.
Stone Stomper[]
Zephyr first met the Stone Stomper towards the entrance of an amusement park while discovering Nimbus' cape pinned beneath a rock with a warning scrawled on it. Startled by the unexpected visit, he reassures Zephyr that he only wants to help him. He does this by teaching Zephyr a new move called the Stone Stomp, which allows Zephyr's tornado to quickly pounce onto objects to destroy with ease.
Their relationship is greater strengthen when Zephyr rescues all of his brothers trapped on earth and sends them back to their homeworld with their cousins, the Water Whirls.
Stratos[]
Like Cyclone, Zephyr and Stratos shared a neutral relationship with one another. However, when Zephyr discovered that Cyclone had poisoned and killed Stratos, he became distressed and attempted to harm Cyclone, only to be stopped by Nimbus.
Water Whirls[]
Zephyr unexpectedly encountered the Water Whirls while sending the squad of Wind Warriors ahead of him. Like the Stone Stomper, they reassured Zephyr that they were an ally and wanted to teach Zephyr how to dash.
Like with the Stone Stompers, their relationship is greater strengthen when Zephyr reunites their twins trapped on earth and sends them back to their homeworld with their cousins, the Stone Stompers.
Wind Warriors[]
As leader of the Wind Warriors, the Wind Warriors provide assistance to Zephyr whenever he needs it. Whenever speaking to Zephyr, they refer to him as "Sir", showing a greater sign of respect towards him. It has been shown in the closing cinematic for Carnival Chaos and the opening cinematic for Ringling Village that they are encouraged to continue the mission to retrieve Omegaton's orbs by Zephyr's speech.
Dialogue[]
Despite being the main character, Zephyr doesn't have a lot of in-game dialogue with the exception of the game's Cutscenes.
Trivia[]
- Zephyr's name was originally Eddie, a reference to the real world phenomenon of wind eddies.
- While not confirmed, assuming that he is younger then Nimbus, Zephyr's exact age is roughly around 500 to 5,000.
- Oddly, if the player views the model for Zephyr, the models is named "avatar.mb" However Nimbus's model is named "zephyr.mb" meaning at one point, Nimbus could've been a playable character.
- At one point, Zephyr had to promise paid vacations to the squad to get them to do anything. This comment, and the fact that they have a homeworld, suggests being a Wind Warrior is a choice and is not the only thing air elementals do in the universe.
- Much like Nimbus, his fingers are partially modeled in the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 version of the game.
- According to the outro cinematic for Double Wide Damage, Zephyr is shown to have sympathy for the humans that lost their homes in the destruction process.
- Like Nimbus and the Wind Warriors, Zephyr is also left handed.
- The tornado covering his lower half was passed down from Nimbus, the former leader of the Wind Warriors. This indicates that the tornado covering a Wind Warrior's lower half isn't primarily due to to their abilities to conceive tornadoes efficiently, rather it's to symbolize their role as leader.
Gallery[]
Concept Art[]
.jpeg "Zephyr artwork (Pre-released).jpeg (79 KB)")
.jpeg "Zephyr (Pre-release concept art).jpeg (199 KB)")
.png "Eddie (Concept).png (195 KB)")
Reference(s)[]
Note(s)[]
- ↑ Height estimation based on model size.