The Heroes
Zayn & Azrokh
Zayn
- A Boy and His X: A Boy and his legendary fire Gryphon.
- Blue Is Heroic: Downplayed. His main colour is more a kind of turquoise, but he is very much a hero in the making.
- Book Dumb: Zayn's friends are outright surprised when he knows Imago/history-related stuff. Or just when he knows stuff. Justified as not only is he not very studious, he's also not an Arkanist and thus never received the teaching that his friends had.
- Do You Want to Haggle?: According to him, "a true Maridin never buys anything for more than half its price", so he tries to haggle a replacement part for the Scaravan in Episode 8. He doesn't get to show the extent of his skills, as the merchant quickly rebukes him because the item is the first prize of a race, and thus not for sale.
- Extreme Omnivore: Hunger leads him to try and eat his Imago's food. It tastes terrible and Azrokh is not happy about it at all, but Zayn nonetheless keeps wrestling for the bag.
- Fire And Water Juxtaposition: It's subtle, but Zayn comes from the Maridin tribe, seaside inhabitants who tend to have Water Imagos, while Azrokh is associated with fire.
- Idiot Hero: Downplayed. He's not completely stupid but tends to goof a lot and act before he thinks. See Leeroy Jenkins and Stock Shōnen Hero below.
- Kid Hero: Young, optimistic, always ready for adventure!
- Leeroy Jenkins: Whoever the enemy is, whatever their strengths and weaknesses may be, Zayn always has a plan! Always the same one: "Rush ahead and attack". If it fails more than twice in a row, he'll try coming up with something else.
- Muggle Best Friend: He used to be this to Awa, Zora and Kemi until he encountered Azrokh.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Agoji used him to access the Lamp of Isbanir and free Damballa to take control of her.
- The Hero: The group follows a loose Five-Man Band dynamic and this is naturally where he lands.
- Stock Shōnen Hero: He ticks most of the boxes : kind-hearted, hot-headed, impulsive and not excessively smart, with a tight-knit band of friends. However, to be an arkanist is something one was born with; he wasn't, and his bond with Azrokh is of another nature entirely.
Azrokh the Blazing
A legendary Imago who played a key part in defeating Damballa in the past, with his then-protector Isbanir. Now Azrokh has chosen Zayn as his new companion, although the time spent in the lamp hasn't been kind to him and he has yet to regain his power of yore.- Bond Creature: Unlike traditional Imagos, Azrokh was not created out of Zayn's imagination but bonded with him. They tend to think alike without even realizing it.
- It is however revealed later that he was born out of the imagination of his first Arkanist, Isbanir from the Nabakh tribe. Azrokh just outlived him.
- Fountain of Youth: After his first fight with Damballa's snakes, he reverts into a juvenile form. Kemi hypothesizes that this is a reflex so Azrokh can spare his energy, and that all the time he spent in the lamp weakened him to the point that he can't stay in his full form, full-time.
- Good Is Not Soft: Azrokh is benevolent, but he's also a fierce predator animal with a sharp beak, sharp claws, fire powers and the willingness to use them. Before Zayn reveals his good intentions and offers him treats, Azrokh appears ready to kill the boy; and as soon as Damballa is freed, Azrokh jumps into battle and doesn't listen to anyone until he is wounded.
- Playing with Fire: All of his powers are fire-based. Oddly, he doesn't look like a typical Fire Imago.
- Super Mode: originally his normal mode until years depowered him. Azrokh can temporarily regain his adult full shape, but it tires him quickly.
- Technicolor Fire: He burns a Cyan/Turquoise fire.
- Transformation Sequence: Whenever he powers up into his Super Mode, he gets a stock transformation sequence.
- Sealed Good in a Can: He voluntarily spent decades, maybe centuries in the Lamp of Isbanir, waiting for his next companion.
- Tastes Like Friendship: One treat made him go from aggressive to curious, another from curious to friendly.
Zora & Aspic
Zora
- Ace Pilot: Windeaters (motorized flying carpets) are a cultural item of her tribe and she learned how to fly one from a very young age. In episode 8, the gang has to win a Windeaters race but Arkanists are barred from entering, so she showcases her skills by training Zayn instead.
- The Baby of the Bunch: She's the youngest of the gang.
- Buffy Speak: When Zayn asks her how hard exactly Aspic can blow air, she answers "About Super-mega hard".
- Cuteness Proximity: Zora has a habit of gushing over every new Imago she meets, and will do everything in her power to pet it unless it's extremely hostile – somewhat hostile is not enough to deter her.
- Genki Girl: She gets excited easily.thing
- Plucky Girl: She's generally optimistic and cheerful, and isn't afraid to speak her mind.
- You Won't Like How I Taste: She attempts this on Damballa early on, to little effect.
Aspic
Zora's Imago looks like a hamster, but is in fact some kind of horned viper and possesses Wind-based powers.- Big Eater: Aspic eats a lot more than a thing of his size ought to, and will even use his Vacuum Mouth ability just to gobble vast volumes of food in one go.
- Blow You Away: Aspic's main spell is a strong gust of wind.
- Inflating Body Gag: Except it's not a gag. Aspic can inhale large volumes of air and inflate considerably, which is in fact a technique he mastered. See Trampoline Tummy below.
- Ridiculously Cute Critter: In-universe, Aspic is universally considered adorable and was even elected Mascot of the academy.
- Trampoline Tummy: Aspic can inflate by filling himself with air, which makes him able to cushion someone's fall.
- Vacuum Mouth: Aspic's other main spell.
Awa & Floribou
Awa
- The Big Girl: She's the oldest, tallest of the heroes and the most seasoned fighter.
- Big Girl On Campus: She appears to be one of the top students : smart, studious, a nice person and a good fighter.
- Big Sister Instinct: Whenever there's danger, the first thing she does is to place herself between it and her friends, and assume a fighting stance.
- Cool Big Sis: She's likely to be the oldest of the kids, and they look up to her – Zora especially.
- Genius Bruiser: She's the best fighter in the group but proves to be smart early in the show. Her Establishing Character Moment is her sparring match against another arkanist pupil, who has a physically stronger Imago: she outsmarts him and wins easily.
- The Killjoy: Awa is used to hard work and asceticism, and has trouble loosening up. She also tends to not give others any more slack than she gives herself. In one episode, she scolds Floribou who wanted to join in a party, arguing that "Saïsaï warriors don't dance", which kickstarts most of the episode's conflict.
- The Lancer: Awa frequently accompanies Zayn when he decides to run headfirst into danger. She's more level-headed, more skilled and more experienced, but she's not the protagonist.
- Martial Arts Staff: Staves are her tribe's National Weapon, and she uses hers as a tool almost as often as for fighting.
- Not So Above It All: In episode 3, she reluctantly admits to having read comic books – which surprises the others, as it clashes with her usual serious, studious persona.
- Awa may be big upon always devising a strategy before a combat, but if an opponent sufficiently annoys/exasperates her, she'll drop any pretense of it and resort to Attack! Attack! Attack!, just like Zayn.
- The Strategist: Awa tries so hard to be this, especially around Zayn, often uttering sentences like "Wait! We must set up some plan before!" and so on. However, between Zayn and Zora, the only other member of the party sufficiently level-headed to go along with this is Non-Action Guy Kemi. So Awa often has to rush in battle to help/protect the former twos.
- Weapon Twirling: She twirls her staff around a lot.
Floribou
Awa's Imago. She looks like a pony despite her name implying that she's more a Caribou. She has access to various plant-based powers.- Combination Attack: Aspic can blow her into the air so she can turn her ramming attack into an "airborne flower charge".
- Empathy Pet: Floribou frequently mimics Awa's expressions, and their moves often synchronize in a fight.
- Flechette Storm: Her main attack throws razor-sharp petal projectiles.
- Forced Sleep: She can grow flowers whose scent makes Imagos sleepy.
- Pint-Sized Powerhouse: A tiny Imago, Floribou proves strong enough to knock a much larger Imago out of a ring.
- Super Mode: She can grow tall enough that two people can ride on her back, but can't do it for long because it tires her.
- Use Your Head: Can ram opponents with her antlers, often as a Finishing Move.
Kemi & Armadiode
Kemi
- Embarrassing Nickname: His mother calls him an affectionate portmanteau of his first name and "kitten". He's fine with the nickname as long as she doesn't use it in front of his friends.
- Gadgeteer Genius : Like most Yora arkanists, he's got a knack for technology.
- Goggles Do Something Unusual: His glasses also double as zooming-capable binoculars and a HUD or graphic interface of some sort.
- In-Series Nickname: His mother Oya calls him "Keminou". Shiqq calls Kemi's mother "Boss", so Kemi is "mini-boss".
- Magic Compass: Subverted. He owns a compass that was in his family for generations, but it has no powers except being Armadiode's Thamin.
- Mr. Exposition: He provides some, which is justified because he's very knowledgeable.
- Mr. Fixit: He knows his way around technology.
- Not So Above It All: In episode 3, he's dismissive towards comic books about Anzar the magnificent, suspecting them of being historically inaccurate. His impression is further reinforced when they meet his diminished form. However, after witnessing Anzar's true form, he expresses interest in reading the aforementioned comics.Kemi: Only to point out the historical inaccuracies, of course.
- The Smart Guy: Kemi is very smart, knows a lot of things and can think quick.
- Teen Genius: He can repair broken devices and is generally very knowledgeable.
Armadiode
An Armadillo-shaped Imago with electricity powers.- Barrier Warrior: He can deploy a powerful energy shield.
- An Ice Person: Downplayed. Armadiode is a lightning Imago, but since Kemi is Half-Talaji, his heritage translates in Armadiode having latent ice abilities under certain conditions.
- Mundane Utility: His lightning powers are very useful to recharge technological devices in a pinch. Armadiode can also illuminate dark places.
- Rolling Attack: His main offensive move, called "Dynamo attack".
- Shock and Awe: He has electricity powers.
Shiqq
- Badass Driver: Downplayed. He designed and built the Scarabvan, so he knows how to drive it quite well, but he's not a prodigy either.
Word of God describes him as "your grumpy bus driver". - Big Eater: The first time we see him, he's about to eat a sandwich almost as big as he is.
- Companion Cube: He has a lot of affection for the Scarabvan, which he addresses as if it were a person.
- Hidden Depths: He might know a lot more about Primagos than he lets out; when they meet Anzar the Magnificent, the latter has a moment of doubt and asks if they know each other, only for Shiqq to dismiss him nonchalantly.
- Later episodes reveal that he's none other than the Primago of lightning, although apparently amnesic. How he ended like this is yet to be explained.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He's grumpy, touchy, cynical and spends most of his time expressing how much misery the kids have brought upon him. Nonetheless, he cares a lot for the kids and hides a genuinely good, heroic nature under his usual persona.
- Mr. Fixit: He practically built the Scarabvan and knows it inside-and-out.
- Muggle Best Friend: The only member of the gang with no Imago and no intention of getting one.
- The Napoleon: Downplayed. He's very small and very grumpy, but he doesn't fly into fits of rage and is a good person.
- The Nicknamer: He calls Oya "boss", so naturally her son is "mini-boss". He also calls the children "jnoun", arabic plural of "djinn" which can be used as an affectionate equivalent of "little monster" or "little demon".
- No, You: When Zayn wonders what he is and Zora states that he's "not cute enough to be an Imago", he snaps back "What, do you think you're cute ?".
- Token Non-Human: It's unclear what he is exactly, but he's clearly not human. Later Episodes indicate that he's the Lightning Primago but doesn't know it. How he ended like this is yet to be answered.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Sweet smear. He keeps stashes of it in various spots of the Scarabvan, and will eat entire pots of the stuff without even bothering actually smearing it on toast.
The Villains
Agoji
- Dark Is Evil: She uses darkness powers and is the series' Big Bad.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: She's rightfully scandalized at seeing how shadow Imagos were tortured, and seems to show actual affections towards Zayn, who just like her suffered of not having an Imago.
- Evil Is Bigger: She's twice Zora's height and still one or two heads taller than Awa. Justified since she's a full-grown woman against pre-teens.
- Evil Makeover: Agoji gives herself one at the end of the second episode.
- Evil Mentor: To Zayn. She tricks him into freeing Damballa in the very first episode – although it seems she genuinely cared for him as well, seeing a lot of herself in him, and she offers him a chance to join her.
- From Nobody to Nightmare: She was a lowly staff member at the academy whom Arkanist barely even looked at, but her plan to free Damballa worked so well, she seized control of the palace in a few minutes and defeated all the most powerful Arkanists within it.
- Green-Eyed Monster: She always wanted an Imago, power and the respect Arkanists denied her. Now she'll get them whether they want it or not.
- Hijacking Cthulhu: She owns a staff that enables her to command Damballa. It's explicitly stated that had she not this artefact, Damballa would not be controlled by anyone.
- Kung-Fu Wizard: During her fight against Oya, Agoji at first relies on ranged attacks that involve commanding Damballa, but when Oya comes into melee range Agoji switches to kicks and staff attacks, and holds her own very well.
- Light Is Not Good: She wears light-coloured clothes in the beginning and has white hair, but has evil intentions. She sheds the white and dons dark clothes as her Evil Makeover, though.
- Magic Staff: Most Arkanists use custom-made Magitek staves to channel their Imago's powers. Agoji instead uses an ancient artefact, the Sceptre of the Moon, which enables her to take control of Damballa. It's also good for bashing stuff.
- Mirror Character: To Zayn again. Both were fascinated by Imagos from a young age, and both were unable to create one. The difference was that Zayn still managed to make friends with Arkanists while Agoji grew alone and spiteful. And when they finally obtain an Imago, Zayn does so by befriending the good-natured Azrokh's, while Agoji forcefully takes control of the malevolent Damballa, who otherwise has no intention of obeying anyone.
- Noble Demon: After having freed Damballa, one of the first things she did was to storm the prison in which all shadow Imagos were being held. The episode reveals that she always cared for them, especially since a lot of them were unjustly imprisoned and their warden was horribly abusive.
- Orcus on His Throne: Spends most of her time at the top of the palace tower, happy to send Ghoula do the dirty work of catching the heroes and the lamp of Isbanir. Justified in Agogi's case since she's actively fighting a war at the capital against most of the kingdom's arkanists, and can't spare a moment to chase the protagonists herself.
- Purple Is the New Black: She wears mostly black clothes with purple highlights, and most of her spells are purple or violet in colour.
- Significant White Hair, Dark Skin: Her design with white hair and almost pitch-black skin sets her apart early in the show, especially for a servant of the palace. She's soon revealed as the villain when she seizes control of Damballa. Downplayed in that only her white hair is really important: the Gahomey tribe as a whole have the darkest skins in the setting, so hers is nothing unusual.
- We Can Rule Together: She makes this offer to Zayn when she takes control of Damballa, and it seems to be genuine. As soon as he refuses though, it becomes Join or Die.
- Would Hurt a Child: As soon as Zayn rejects her offer, she orders Damballa to devour the heroes. After their escape, she has no qualms whatsoever about trying to hurt and even destroy them.
Damballa
- Casting a Shadow: Her element is shadows.
- Dark Is Evil: She's the show's other Big Bad.
- Evil Slinks: As a snake, she naturally slinks.
- Fangs Are Evil: Again, snakes tend to have fangs and she's no exception.
- Purple Is the New Black: She's predominantly purple in colour, though it is pretty much necessary to see her against the dark night sky background.
- Sealed Evil in a Can: Damballa spent centuries trapped in the Lamp of Isbanir.
- Snakes Are Sinister: She looks like a giant purple snake with arms, and sends forward smaller snakes as minions.
- Sssssnake Talk: She talksssss like thisssss.
Ghoula the Poacher
- Bad Boss: Ghoula often belittles or even outright hits her underlings when things don't go her way.
- Early-Bird Cameo: Ghoula is first seen in a flashback in episode 3 under another alias. She's also regularly mentioned by her underlings and other characters before her introductory episode.
- Evil Poacher: She treats Imagos either as quarries to sell, or as assets in her hunts – which will be sold as well once they get too old.
- Large and in Charge: Ghoula is much taller and more massive than her underlings, or most of the cast for that matter.
- Rebellious Princess: Discussed. In her backstory, she claims that she was once a crown princess who decided to run away from home because she enjoyed her freedom too much. Whether or not this is true is never made clear.
- Spider Tank: Ghoula and her crew ride around in a spider-shaped mecha, whose abdomen folds to reveal a mounted weapon.
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Viewer Name Confusion: Overlaps with Viewer Pronunciation Confusion. Seeing her name written may lead one to assume it's pronounced "Gou-lah". However, her name is consistently pronounced "Rrou-lah" with a guttural "r" in the show.
The six other Primagos
Primagos are Imagos of immense power and longevity, who are practically worshipped as local gods. There is one Primago for each element, and our heroes will have to bring all of them to defeat Damballa.
Anzar the Magnificent
- Big Shadow, Little Creature: He's first introduced as a big scary shadow and tries to intimidate the heroes into leaving before they can witness his diminished form. Unfortunately, Zora spots him before that and she finds him adorable.
- Hero of Another Story: In-universe exemple, his adventures are narrated in comic books that our heroes used to read.
- Lord of the Ocean: He's the closest the setting has to an Ocean god, has tremendous water-based powers and lives in an underwater palace made out of corals and shells, guarded by Imagos shaped like sea monsters.
- Olympus Mons: To the Maridins, he's somewhere between a legendary hero and a local god. They even write comic books retelling of his exploits !
- Scary Shadow Fakeout: See Big Shadow, Little Creature above.
Hoggar the Elusive
The Sarawi Primago of wind, notorious for being very hard to find. He holds high standards of virtue and will only accept to accompany the heroes after he gets a chance to test their moral character.
- Master of Illusion: Hoggar uses illusion constantly to alter his appearance, disguise himself and outright run a magical simulation to test Shiqq's heroism.
- Roc Birds: He's certainly inspired by those birds, especially in his natural form.
- Secret Test of Character: He imposes one on Shiqq to determine whether or not the group is worthy of his presence.
Enkai the Venerable
The Saïsaï Primago of Plants. He was traumatised by how humans treated Imagos in the last war and has secluded himself from humanity, instead managing a haven for Imagos whose Arkanist have passed away.
Jedda the Mischievous
The Nabakh Primago of Fire.
- Secret Test of Character: She imposes one on the heroes before joining their quest.
- Uncatty Resemblance: Played with. Jedda presents herself in human form, accompanied by a Torchtoise Imago who doesn't particularly look like her. Her true form, however, is… a giant Torchtoise.
Others
Oya and Singénie
Kemi's mother and the headmistress of the Arkanists' academy. Initially dismissive towards Zayn who's not an Arkanist, she changes her mind when she sees that he managed to bond with Azrokh. She falls under the Shadow Sleep Spell at the end of the second episode. Singenie is her Imago, a monkey with lightning powers.
- Action Mom: The moment she steps up, she vaporizes shadow snakes who no-selled the gang's previous attacks, and deals considerable damage to her surroundings. She's as protective as you'd expect towards her son and a ruthless combatant.
- Embarrassing Nickname: She calls her son "Keminou", a portmanteau between his first name and "Minou" (French for "Kitten").
- Empathy Pet: Singénie often mimics her gestures or expressions, or even completes them – for instance, if she brings her right hand to her forehead in concern, his left hand will join hers to complete the gesture.
- Laser Blade: She's got a short staff that turns into a lightning-powered luminous sword. It can apparently cut through solid marble.
- Sword Beam: At maximum power, her sword gains tremendous range that possibly extends beyond the visible blade itself.
Legba
- Category Traitor: Implied. His skin and hair colours seem to indicate that he's a Gahomé, for whom Shadow Imagos would be a cultural foundation. However, he doesn't have one, and is in fact the warden of a prison for those same Shadow Imagos, whom he abuses and experiments upon every day.
- Dirty Coward: He will gleefully use his staff of light on Shadow Imago for torture purposes – but as soon as it stops being effective, he cowers and begs for mercy.
- Light Is Not Good: He wields a scepter of light, but reveals himself as a cruel man who enjoys abusing the Imagos in his ward. Despite being technically on the side of the heroes, and their needing his skills to free Anzar the Magnificent, they're immediately disgusted by his actions.
- A Pupil of Mine Until He Turned to Evil: Episode 3 shows that Agoji used to be his pupil. Played with in that while Agoji did turn to evil, she veers more into Noble Demon territory; meanwhile, Legba himself was a terrible person to begin with who always mistreated her, likely accelerating her Face–Heel Turn.
- Small Role, Big Impact: Only appeared for half an episode and a flashback, but Legba played a big role in Agogi (and apperently Ghoula)'s backstory. Later we learn he also helped Oya with transforming Suuthek into Shiqq.
The Seven Tribes
The seven tribes who inhabit Hilaya, the Kingdom of the Seven Moons. The Maridins
- Born Under the Sail: Downplayed. Not all of them are seafarers, but since they settled the whole coastline, they count the most sailors, adventurers, explorers and seaborne merchants out of any tribe.
- Do You Want to Haggle?: According to Zayn, "A true Maridin never buys anything for more than half its original price."
- Making a Splash: They've got Aquawolves and chameleons that attack with bubbles, among others.
The Sarawi
- Bedouin Rescue Service: In Episode 6, the gang is lost in the desert and running low on supplies, but a travelling merchant guides them to the nearest oasis which doubles as an inn. Given that the desert is their natural environment, it's likely they play this role regularly.
- Bilingual Bonus: "Sarawi" (or "Sahraoui") is derived from arabic "as-saḥrāwī", which means "from the Sahara/desert".
- Blow You Away: Their specialty.
- Zeppelins from Another World: They apparently use a lot of dirigibles, which makes a lot of sense when they have Wind Imagos at their side.
The Nabak
- Lethal Lava Land: Their home region is highly volcanic, with lava lakes and rivers. They build their houses out of sturdy mineral material that evokes volcanic ash.
- The Reveal: A Nabak Arkanist reveals that Azrokh was born like any other Imago: out of the imagination of his Nabak Arkanist Isbanir. Another Imago can be seen, who looks just like Azrokh except with a predominantly Oragne colour scheme.
The Saïsaï
- Bilingual Bonus: Their name might come from woloff "Saï Saï", which means "trickster" or "prankster". Funny considering how often Awa is the most no-nonsense of the group.
- Green Thumb: They live in a forest and have Plant imagos.
- Martial Arts Staff: They seem to carry those wherever they go.
- National Weapon: Their staves.
- Treetop Town: Their forest has gigantic trees, on the trunk of which they build their villages.
The Talaji
- An Ice Person: They specialize in Snow Imagos.
The Yora
- Build Like an Egyptian: Their culture is very evocative of ancient Egypt, plus all the Magitek of course. Examples include a city seen in the background behind Kemi in the opening, which features obelisks, and of course the Egyptian Beetle-shaped Scaravan.
- Gadgeteer Genius: A lot of them use advanced technology that complements their Lightning Imagos.
- Genius Bruiser: Any fighter among them likely qualifies, since they have a habit of using gadgets and occasionally designing them themselves.
- Mad Scientist: Some of them give off this vibe.
- Shock and Awe: They make extensive use of lightning and electricity powers.
- Shout-Out: During Awa's duel at the academy, the hair of one spectator in the Yora tribunes looks a lot like Spike Spiegel's.
The Gahomé
- Black Magic: Shadow Imago magic is regarded as dangerous and was forbidden.
- Casting a Shadow: The only tribe who bonded with Shadow Imagos.
- The Dark Arts: Their mastery of Shadow Imagos was banned after the war and all of their Imagos were locked up.
- Dark Is Evil: Agoji lives up to the stereotype…
- Dark Is Not Evil: … but other members of the tribe are indiscutably good people, even in the face of all the prejudice they face.
- The Dark Side: Initially implied as the first Gaomé we meet is the Big Bad Agoji, and even the story she tells Zayn about the war casts the Gahomé as the villains. We progressively meet Shadow Imagos who aren't inherently evil, suggesting more nuance to the story.
