Edens Zero’s premise is laden with twists and turns, and viewers have been bombarded with revelations one after the other. Season 2 is barely halfway through and the series has already witnessed several crucial developments. However, none come close to the jarring nature of the return of Demon King Ziggy, a character previously presumed to be dead.
The very first episode of Edens Zero had cemented the demise of Ziggy, leaving Shiki in the care of the other androids on planet Granbell. While this established fact has been retracted with the revival of Ziggy, it’s still rather soon to deem his return permanent and concrete. Moreover, the peculiar circumstances and odd demeanor of this returning character further point towards a few other factors to be at play here.
The Revival of Ziggy
Ziggy’s unexpected return to the series is bound to shift Edens Zero’s landscape entirely, though not in the way fans would have hoped. Seeing a beloved figure brought back to life surely would have been a gleeful moment for the crew, yet they aren’t too thrilled about having him back. In an unexpected turn of affairs, the former Demon Lord has become a sworn enemy of mankind, vowing to take over the cosmos and rule over all life forms.
Ziggy was formerly a kind and loving android, who believed in unity and coexistence between mankind and robots. The Four Shining Stars are the embodiment of Ziggy’s ideals as they view themselves as no different than humans. However, this shift in his personality and ideals has tainted the Demon Lord’s legacy. While it's too soon to determine the factors at play here, it's almost certain that some external power is at the center of this predicament. Rebecca’s Cat Leaper could also be a likely cause seeing how it was able to change the fate of various characters. While this could be a plausible explanation to the whole ordeal, it’s still rather soon to reach any conclusion.
It could be argued that this character is an imposter posing as the former Demon Lord. However, this statement can be debunked by the fact that Ziggy was witnessed using his Gravity Ether Gear, a power that is exclusive to him and Shiki. While it's still a guessing game, the peculiar circumstances point towards Ziggy’s coded program to be overrun by a virus, or some entity taking control of his body and manipulating his actions.
The Four Dark Stars
Alongside Ziggy’s return, four new interesting characters have entered the scene. The Four Dark Stars are the newer, upgraded version of the Four Shining Stars. These androids are under the control of Ziggy, and their objective is to bring the Demon Lord’s goal of human subjugation to fruition.
The Four Dark Stars are cruel and ruthless androids, and their power is hinted to be eons above the Four Shining Stars. According to Ziggy, the Four Shining Stars were simply prototypes for the Dark Stars, meaning these new models are immensely stronger than their counterparts. With the appearance of four new absurdly powerful antagonists, the Edens Zero crew has found itself in a daunting predicament.
The Edens One Battleship
Ziggy’s return has accompanied several other revelations, and the Edens One existence is one of them. It was initially believed that the Edens Zero was Ziggy’s most advanced battleship, especially considering he was able to leave the Sakura Cosmos in this very spaceship. Instead, Edens Zero was simply a prototype for the Edens One, meaning the latter is a much more advanced and battle-ready spaceship.
The Edens One is piloted by Mr. Connors, an expert at maneuvering spacecrafts. Mr. Connors joined the Edens Zero crew in World 29 after his own spaceship had been in an accident. However, he was nowhere to be seen in World 30, a mystery that was later attributed to Rebecca’s Cat Leaper power.
Why Ziggy’s Return Is Odd
It’s not uncommon for anime series to bring back a previously-dead character, yet Ziggy’s return to Edens Zero is quite baffling. Shows tend to hint towards a character’s imminent revival, or they usually feature a recurring theme of resurrection. In this case, Ziggy’s revival was kept a surprise till the very last second, with no subtle hint towards bringing him back.
Moreover, several permanent deaths have already been witnessed in the series, and Edens Zero had made it clear that these deaths are concrete and there’s no coming back. Valkyrie’s demise is one clear example, as reviving an android should have been no issue for such a technologically advanced universe. However, it was made clear that Valkyrie will not be brought back, and passing on the title of the Swords of Edens to Homura cemented this fact.
While many would have loved to see a well-written character such as Valkyrie to be brought back, doing so would have been detrimental for Homura’s character development. Similarly, Ziggy’s return diminishes Shiki’s growth and his journey without an overshadowing parental figure. The true reason behind Ziggy’s return is yet to be unraveled, though the current scenario is surely an odd move in terms of Shiki's development.