Video Game / Agarest Senki Zero

aka: Record Of Agarest War Zero

Cool Sword Sieg.

Agarest Senki Zero (also known as Record of Agarest War Zero) is the prequel of the first game and deals with Leonhardt's ancestor, Sieghart. Set one thousand years before the first game, the battle between the light and dark forces were still undergoing. Sieghart one day finds a woman named Mimel and he gets involved in the battle between light and dark.

The game was released in Japan on June 25, 2009 for PlayStation 3. One year latter, a Xbox 360 version was released on July 29, 2010. In 2011 the prequel was localized in the west. The US version was released on June 14, 2011 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. PC version was released on April 17, 2014 on Steam. In the same year the game was released for mobile platforms on October 19, 2014 (Android) and November 27, 2014 (IOS).

BEWARE, HUGE SPOILERS BELOW! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!

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Agarest Zero contains the following tropes:

TROPES A-L

• Ambiguously Bi: Sayane who is one of the love interest for Sieg has some interest in Linda's body.
• Ambiguous Ending: There are a lot of unresolved things in the normal ending. The war isn't over and there isn't indications if the remained comrades succeeded or failed in their mission. What happened with Summerill and his army, as well Alice's father is a mystery in this ending.
• Area of Effect: Many skills in this game have an area of effect (especially the extra skills). In other words, your party can be defeated in a single attack (especially in boss battles).
• Awesome, but Impractical: In the first generation is cool to keep Sieg, Linda, Routier and Sayane in the team, but this is impractical since they are going to die in the end of generation and only returns to the party if you meet the requirements for the true ending route. Plus, the first fight of the second generation is pretty hard.
• Ax-Crazy: Giganda after becoming a Gurg.
• Beach Episode: There are two beach events in the game but you need to meet the requirements for it first.
• Big Eater: In one of the cutscenes, Leonis is implied to be one.
• Blood Knight: Giganda. To the point of wanting to beat and kill every good person just for joy.
• Boring, but Practical: Playing defensive. The most common tactic against the bosses is putting a tanker or a lamb in the front of him and the rest of the characters some squares behind, in a safe position, farming Stats and SP. This is a useful strategy in the latter part of the game since the bosses have a lot of Area of Effect overpowered skills.
• Brainwashed and Crazy: Vashtor and Arzest. Both are good Larvas but Summerill manages to Brainwash they, but they retain a minimal of self control for give some help to Leonis. Subverted with Giganda since he is Evil All Along.
• Butt-Monkey:
  • Eugene and his son Niel. Especially in the hot springs events.
  • Shernini frequently gets beaten by her own pet, Decimal.
• Calling Your Attacks:
  • Much like the first game, the characters call their 3rd EX skill.
  • In one cutscene early in the 2nd generation, Tetora does this to Niel with her "Magnificent Descending Cumulus Fist!".
• Dark Counterpart Race: Shernini reveals to Leonis that the Syrium are this to High Elves, right down to their creators; Lenion and Chaos.
• Clothing Damage: Happens to Shernini in one event when Decimal attacks her.
• Cloudcuckoolander: Shernini.
• Clueless Chick-Magnet: Sieg. This is lampshaded by Eugene (except the "clueless" part) when Linda asks why Sieg has some many girls around him and some of them calling him with Affectionate Nickname.
• Cool Sword: Weapons of Eugene and Shernini. Sieghart and Leonis are always showed with swords in the cut-scenes even if they uses other weapons.
• Crossover: Characters from the first game are present. The heroes (the main character of each generation + his love interests) and Ellis are available through the digest version of the first game. The rest of characters can be purchased in DLCs. Also, there is a Digest mode of the first generation with the most relevant parts of the story and you can play it with the characters of zero version.
• Dark Is Evil: Summerill and the Gurgs are clearly evils. The first one for being Evil All Along during the first generation and the second ones for being Brainwashed and Crazy for evil.
• Dark Is Not Evil:
  • Mimel is a creature from the darkness created by a darkness God, but she is not evil.
  • Chaos, the God of darkness is not exactly evil.
• Deadpan Snarker: Dana, especially towards Niel. She usually mocks him for being small.
• Death Seeker: Vashtor after becoming a Gurg. He wants Leonis to kill him lest he kill even more in the future, but he fails to convince him to do this as Leonis tells him to atone for his sins which, sadly, wouldn't be done for a great many years time has past...
• Defrosting Ice Queen: Apli. She acts cold towards the party due his Fantastic Racism towards humans but she improves to the point of laughing of Niel.
• Determinator: Leonis, especially in the end of the second generation.
• Disc-One Final Boss: Ganoia, which is here to avenge his twin brother.
• Downer Ending: The normal ending. Leonis and Mimel do a Heroic Sacrifice to save the party, but the war isn't over.
• Easily Forgiven: Mimel in the second generation. She betrays the party but she had good intentions for it. Everyone forgive her.
• Evil All Along:
  • Ernesto, who is Summerill in disguise.
  • Giganda faked to be in the good side in order to hide his true intentions. He is serving Summerill and wants to use the war for joy and kill some people.
• Expy: Many characters are inspired in Agarest Senki characters:
  • Sieghart, Friedelinde, Routier and Sayane are inspired in the main characters of the second generation from the first game (Ladius, Valeria, Yayoi and Sherufanir). Routier also resembles and shares the same voice action with Mikuru.
  • Alice and Galios are inspired in adult Ellis and Borgnine but with different personalities (especially Galios).
  • Eugene is heavily inspired in Winfield.
  • Mimel is inspired in Dyshana, but with a completely different personality. Both are creatures from the darkness too.
  • Leonis plays the same role of Rex.
  • Dana is inspired in Noah, only changing the adventure passion for the smithing passion.
  • Shernini is a mix of Reverie and Luana.
• Fantastic Racism:
  • Syrium race suffers racism for being "dark elfs".
  • Apli hates humans and half-breeds. She gets better with the time.
• For the Evulz: Implied this is the real reason of Giganda's actions after becoming a Gurg.
• Forced Tutorial: The first battles in the game are tutorials and you can't skip it. Thankfully, the tutorials are quick.
• Foregone Conclusion: Vashtor becomes the servant of Summerill and will not join the good guys for 1000 years. The rest of the Gurgs get Brainwashed and Crazy.
  • Also, Leonis must survive. Which makes the normal ending non-canon by default.
• Gameplay and Story Segregation:
  • Sieg and Leonis always uses swords in the cut-scenes even if they're unable to use it.
  • Routier has fear of bugs but she can fight bug type monsters in the battle.
• The Ghost: Eugene's wife, Rebecca. Mentioned during the second generation and in the post game but she never appears.
• Guide Dang It!: It's almost impossible to figure out what you should do for get the true ending and have access to the post game content. Like in the first game, you will need to use a guide.

• Heel–Face Turn: Mila in the true ending route. She starts to help Mimel. Also in the boundary plane she wanted to enter in the party, but it was full. You have a chance to capture her as Monster unit though.
• The Hero Dies:
  • Subverted in the beginning of the game when Sieghart almost dies but Mimel gives her power to him, saving him in the process.
  • In the “normal ending” (or bad for some people) Leonis sacrifices himself, alongside with Mimel, to avoid Mila's explosion and save our conrades.
• Heroic BSoD:
  • Sayane had one after knowing the Elder of her village negotiated with the bad guys in order to keep the village's safety while they attack others places.
  • Linda had a brief one after knowing Sieg has many girls near of him.
• Heroic Sacrifice:
  • Hass Calinou holds off the Gurgs in order for the party to flee to another continent. He dies after the battle.
  • Leonis and Mimel in order to stop Mila's massive self-destruct explosion in the non-True Ending.
• Hot Springs Episode: Happens as an event, no less!
• Iron Butt Monkey: Eugene. He even survives being beaten by Galios.
• Large Ham:
  • Eugene is the biggest example, especially in the first generation.
  • Giganda after showing his true colors.
• Leotard of Power: Shernini wears one.
• Light Is Good:
  • Elves and High Elves are generally good.
  • Implied Lenion, the good of Light, is good too.
• Literal Split Personality: Mimel and Mila split in two during the second generation.

TROPES M-Z

• Magic Skirt: Some characters wear very short skirts but there isn't a single panty shot, due to low sprite resolution and the lack of animated cut-scenes. Subverted in a bonus gallery image in one of the Alice's event when she get caught by a plant and shows her white panties.
• Magic Staff: Weapon of Alice, Routier and Apli.
• The Napoleon: Niel. He is small and hot blooded.
• Nintendo Hard:
  • While the beginning of the game is easy in comparison with the Agarest Senki, the second generation is pretty hard and you will need to grind (and make a good strategy) to beat the post game.
  • Good luck trying to capture Mila, Decimal and the Gods in the boundary plane. You will need a lot of lucky increase items and a lot of patient to do this.
• No Fourth Wall: While the game takes itself fairly seriously, the fourth wall is torn down for the post-game Boundary Plane events. For example;
  Decimal: Bu-kaw... (Translation: Ugh... What is the matter with me?
  Leonis: Oh, I see someone has been kind enough to translate his comments for us.
  Dana: That seems rather miraculous as well...
  Shernini: Only now, Decimal, do you understand! Oh, I shall never let you go!
  Decimal: Buh...Buk... (Translation: Y-You are choking me, evil woman!
  • The scene goes on like that for awhile, ending with a Fade to Black and Friedelinde telling everyone;
  Friedelinde: Tune in next week for the thrilling conclusion of "Decimal".
• Official Couple: Implied. Linda gets a lot of events in comparison with other love interests. Linda's version of Leonis is the only one who appears in the game intro. Lastly, the game clearly pushes to Linda and Sieg as official couple (in other words, Sieg and Linda are a canon couple).
• Permanently Missable Content:
  • You can miss various events in this game for not meting the requirements for it.
  • You only have a single chance for capture Mila, Decimal and the Gods as monster units.
• Rings of Death: The game calls it “breakers”. Weapon for Cal-Vina.
• Running Gag: Like Winfield, Eugene getting caught peeping the girls in the hot springs and getting beaten by Galios.
• Sex Sells: Averted oddly, considering this is released by the guys who made the first game look like an over-the-top Fanservice game.
• Shameless Self-Promoter: Aksys Games' response to the Catherine promo video.
• Sinister Scythe: Weapon of Mimel, Tetora and Mila.
• Shout-Out:
  • Obliviously for the first game Agarest Senki. Many characters are inspired in the personality of the first game.
  • MikeZ's infamous REAL Soviet Damage! is one of the achievement/trophy names of this game.
  • On that note, a number of achievement/trophy names are shout-outs. Among others, there's 'It's a Trap!', 'Stay Classy, Kraltarla', 'Nirvana...?' (earned for creating a marionette; it is worth mentioning that Aksys localized both Agarest and BlazBlue), 'Fight in the Shade', and 'You're Already Dead!'.
  • There's a smithing item called the Mirror of Erised.
• Shrinking Violet: Routier, especially in the beginning of the game.
• Skinship Grope: Mimel does this to Sayane during the Hot Springs Episode.
• Spiteful A.I.: Hope you've stuck range-5 moves or gotten Alice up to level 25 by mid-late generation 1. Otherwise you'll be stuck chasing enemies around that run away for the sole sake of lowering your combat rating, in turn reducing the amount of EXP, money, EP, and TP gained.
• Stripperific:
  • Hands down Dana is the most Stripperific character of the game. She wears a micro skirt and almost nothing more.
  • Shernini wears a Leotard of Power.
• Story Branch Favoritism: The game clearly pushes Sieghart and Linda together as the Official Couple, with her being the only bride with unavoidable plot-related ShipTeases with him and the two other Leonis' clearly being poorly recolored versions of the Linda-mothered one.
• Team Pet: Decimal.
• The Tease: Sayane.
• Too Dumb to Live: Shermini. Her dumbness almost cost the life of the entire party when in the boundary place she accidentally gives to Decimal a super potion which turns him a threatening giant chicken.
• Took a Level in Badass: The entire party in the final moments of the second generation. After running away due to lacking the power needed to take down the enemy. They defeat each Gurg (Giganda, Azarest and Vashtor), Mila and Summerill, the former three with a drained-yet-still-helpful Oathsworn which seals them after each three's defeat.
• Took a Level in Jerkass: Giganda after becoming a gurg. He becomes a Blood Knight who wants to kill every good person just for joy. He evens mocks Sieg in front of Leonis.
• Tsundere:
  • Linda. She is very tsun-tsun towards Eugene and very Dere-Dere towards Sieghart.
  • April also counts. She is very cold towards the party and only helps because she knows the enemy is strong enough to destroy the world. She defrost with the time.
• Undying Loyalty:
  • Larvas towards their masters.
  • Gurgs towards their dark lords. Although this is part of the brainwashing which they suffer from their respective Gems of Might.
• Wake-Up Call Boss: Leptocephalus and its henchmen of Fire Spirits will cause players to grow frustrated unless they either do some Level Grinding or buying the DLC items.
• Welcome Back, Traitor: Mimel betrays the party by giving what the villain wants in exchange of the safety of the party. In the end her split personality catches it and flees, while Mimel returns to the party and everyone forgive her.
• Wham Episode: You knew it was coming but not how; Giganda reveals himself to be the first of the Gurg, and had done so entirely willingly, Ernesto is actually Summerill, Vashtor becomes a Gurg after putting up a bit of resistance, as does Arzest. The three Gurg decimate their former allies before Vashtor and Leonis duel, leaving Leonis in a coma for days expecting that he would've died.
• What Happened to the Dark Elves? The first game had stated that the Dark Elves served Summerill, and yet they're nowhere to be seen and never mentioned. This makes The Reveal about what the Syrium are all the more irritating, as it seemed like that was going to be the Dark Elves' thing.
• You Don't Look Like You: Some of the 3D enemies have had their models replaced. Most noticeable with with the Jumbo Cock, who is no longer a giant chicken but rather a Griffon thus ruining the joke, and Tyrant type enemies going from massive armored enemies to using the model for spirits from Neptunia. This is not only present in Zero's battles, but the battles in the game's abridged version of the first game as well.
• You Shall Not Pass!: In the beginning of the second generation, Hass Calinou holds off the Gurgs in order for the party to flee to another continent.

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