Warning: The following contains spoilers for Edens Zero Season 2, Episode 17, "The Battle of Foresta," now streaming on Crunchyroll.
The Verdant Planet Foresta was supposed to be a brief visit for the Edens Zero battleship, yet the crew has become embroiled in a conflict once more. With corrupted androids enslaving humanity and Nero’s commando team annihilating all androids in sight, the once-peaceful Foresta has turned into a raging battleground for conflict and chaos. Shiki and his friends have found themselves in the center of this newfound conflict, though they must tread with caution considering the volatile nature of the two sides.
With a looming risk of corruption for the Four Shining Stars, the Edens Zero crew is in a race against time to reverse Ziggy’s corruption on Forresta. However, the conflict is laden with moral dilemmas for the crew, especially since the androids have been devoid of their free will. Shiki is forced to navigate through a tricky path, balancing the threat of the corrupted androids and the safety of his friends.
The Corrupted Androids
Planet Foresta has become the first victim of Ziggy’s plans of world domination, as the once-peaceful robots of the planet have turned into mindless machines hell-bent on enslaving mankind. With human beings on leashes and corpses left to rot on the streets, Foresta has become nothing short of a dystopian wasteland. However, the actions of these androids only stem from Ziggy’s corrupt program overriding the robots’ free will. Still, the Edens Zero crew is forced to fight back, even if it means going against the notion of treating androids as beings with emotions.
Until Hermit finds a way to block out Ziggy’s virus, the crew will have to defend itself against the encroaching robots. A few androids are yet to be corrupted by the virus, expressing their sentiments to end the violence with the humans. However, it’s only a matter of time before every single android on Foresta becomes a mindless pawn for Ziggy – including the Four Shining Stars.
Nero’s Commando Team Beast
Planet Foresta comes under the jurisdiction of Poseidon Nero, a member of the Oracion Seis Galactica and the emperor of the Aoi Cosmos. Therefore, any uprising on the planet becomes Nero’s responsibility, and his devout followers are willing to follow his commands faithfully. Nero’s Commando Squad Beast is one such unit under his command, trained to follow the emperor’s wishes no matter what.
To quell the android uprising on Foresta, the very same squad has been called upon, ensuring the bots are subdued and Ziggy’s plans are foiled. Since their orders are to annihilate every single android on Foresta by any means possible, Pino, Happy and the Four Shining Stars have automatically become their targets, a threat that Shiki is willing to oppose.
The Commando Team Beast currently has three members on Foresta, though it's likely other members exist that are yet to be revealed. Their powers seem to rival the strength of Shiki and the rest, meaning the crew is in for another grueling battle. Since Nero’s current allegiances are unknown, the possibility of the squad joining sides with the crew also exists. The only way for a truce to be plausible is for a common enemy to appear, and the only ones that fit the bill are Ziggy and the Four Dark Stars.
Moral Ambiguity of the Conflict
The entire ordeal on Foresta is laced with moral ambiguities, forcing the Edens Zero crew to rethink its next move. Since the crew is aware of Ziggy’s corruption being the reason behind the sudden change in the android’s allegiances, proceeding with an all out war against the bots seems rather unreasonable. Shiki now has to navigate through this moral dilemma, along with the added threat of Nero’s squad mercilessly killing any android in sight.
Nero’s squad and the Edens Zero crew could have potentially joined hands in the conflict to assist each other in reaching the common goal of negating Ziggy’s grip over Foresta. However, the moral ambiguity of the entire ordeal has forced the two parties to pick opposing sides. The Edens Zero crew wishes to secure the androids’ well-being while they look for a way to reverse the corruption on the planet.
Nero’s squad, on the other hand, has chosen to blindly follow their emperor’s command of annihilating all androids on Foresta, even those that do not wish to harm humans. This stark difference has forced the two sides to go up against each other, resulting in another conflict for the crew. Since the Beast Squad’s true allegiances are yet to be revealed, the opportunity of a truce between the two sides to fight a common enemy also exists, though the chances are certainly slim. However, one thing is concrete – Shiki’s resolve to ensure the safety of those around him, both humans and androids.