Zero Two

Zero Two (ゼロツー) is one of the main characters in DARLING in the FRANXX series. She is an elite FRANXX pilot who is a member of a race of humans with klaxosaur blood.

Personality
Zero Two's personality is described as dangerous yet alluring. She's an elite pilot with the pseudonym "Partner Killer" (パートナー殺し), given the mysterious happenings of her co-pilots dying after a short number of FRANXX outings. She appears to btuitous amount of honey on her food before eating it. She also has this habit of licking herself and others.

Appearance
Zero Two has long pink hair and a pair of red horns on her head. Her red uniform is completely distinctive and stands out from the rest of the cast. Her eyes are cyan with pinkish-red eyeliner. She is the tallest girl among the squad and about the same height as Hiro.

EPISODE 1: Alone and Lonesome!
Zero Two is seen on the carrier. She asks Nana where she can find an ocean, as she feels like swimming.

Zero Two is later spotted by Hiro skinny dipping in a lake near The Birdcage. She disappears prompting Hiro to assume she is drowning and in need of rescue. Zero Two jumps out of the water with horns elongated and a live fish in her mouth. She spits out the fish and licks herself believing that she will taste "salty", to her disappointment.

Zero Two, in the nude, begins to converse with Hiro. She tackles him into the water and licks his cheek, remaking that he tastes "dangerous" and she loves it. His "taste" coupled with the fact that he was not afraid of her horns (in fact, he loves them) prompts her to propose that he become her "Darling". Before Hiro can accept, Nana and Zero Two's "partner" arrive to retrieve her.

During the welcoming ceremony, a klaxosaur attacks the new FranXX damaging the garage. Zero Two piloting Strelizia in wolf-form saves the Parasites from a would-be particle beam. Strelizia and the klaxosaur battle causing catastrophic damage to the outer wall of The Plantation. Strelizia's wolf form is overcome and is flung into a section of The Plantation where Hiro was.

The lifeless body of Zero Two's unnamed partner drops out of the derelict Strelizia. Zero Two emerges from the wreckage bloodied and tells Hiro she'll have to pilot the Strelizia alone as "she always has". Hiro begins to reprimand her that if she pilots a FranXX in her current state she'll die. Zero Two claims she isn't afraid of death and if she doesn't do it countless more people will die from the klaxosaur attack. Hiro declares that he will ride with her. Zero Two asks if he's ready to die which Hiro states he doesn't know but he may very well be if he can't pilot a FranXX. Zero Two extends her hand to him mirroring their initial meeting at the lake. Hiro takes her and she pulls him into the cockpit declaring him her "Darling" and they kiss. The kiss reactivates the Strelizia and the Hiro-Zero Two pairing unlocks its "Iron Maiden" form to the amazement of Dr. FranXX and everyone else.

The new Iron Maiden Strelizia begins to overpower the klaxosaur and destroy it's core effectively killing the mechanical beast. In the aftermath, repairs are being done to the damage of the klaxosaur attack, Zero Two carrying an unconscious Hiro alight from the now deactivated Iron Maiden Strelizia. Zero Two gazes into the sunset and looks towards Hiro saying "I found you, my Darling!"

EPISODE 2: What it Means to Connect!
Zero Two is having breakfast at The Birdcage with the Parasites. She completely covers her meal in honey and proceeds to eat it with her bare hands to the disgust of all the Parasites except Hiro. She is approached by Zorome in an attempt to "hit on her"while putting down Hiro. She begins to wipe her honeyed hand on his uniform mortifying Zorome. Zero Two takes the pitcher of honey and starts sitting with Hiro and begins pouring honey all over his breakfast as well. She curls around him and calls him "darling" then proceeds to sit on his laptop feed him, much to the anguish of Ichigo so as to prevent her from finishing her meal.

Nana enters the room and informs them that Zero Two is on "standby" awaiting further other from HQ. She also commands to go back to her own table and not to mix with the Parasites. Zero Two antagonises Nana stating that she merely wanted to have breakfast with her darling.

Later in the hangar, Zero Two is confronted by Ichigo. Ichigo thanks Zero Two for saving their lives but warns her to stay away from Hiro so as not to get his hope up then hurt him. Ichigo declares that she is not part of "their" squad. Zero Two approaches her and asks Ichigo what she "is" to her darling. Ichigo states that she is the leader of the squad. Zero Two begins to sniff her and lick her cheek astonishing Ichigo. Zero Two says she tastes "sweet" and that she likes her taste before gleefully leaving.

During the discussion for Hiro's parasite promotion, Zero Two volunteers to be his partner, he being he darling. Zero Two's proposal is met with harsh resistance by Ichigo, stating that she is not part of the squad and that if the test is merely to measure Hiro's aptitude it should work with her, having Zero Two participate would be unnecessary. Nana informs Zero Two that HQ hasn't authorized the use of the Strelizia so Hiro will have perform with one of his squadmates. Zero Two concedes stating that her injuries haven't completely healed yet. She allows Ichigo to have Hiro and go for it "this one time" and to make sure to take care of "her" darling.

After Ichigo's spectacular failure, Zero Two is shown flipping her hair in the wind and triumphantly eating her lollipop while leaving the training grounds.

EPISODE 3: Fighting Puppet!
Zero Two temporarily partners with Mitsuru, he being the only official stamen available at the time". He pilots the Sterlizia on par with Hero that he proposes that Zero Two take him on as her "official partner". Zero Two puts him to the test and goes "All Out". Prompting Nana to initiate the retrieval of Strelizia and her stamen (Mitsuru).

The result leads to a deactivated Strelizia. Zero Two emerges from the robot and gives Hiro a light wave and smile. Mitsuru does not emerge from the FranXX. He is shown to have passed out in the cockpit, bloodied and broken, on the brink of death.

EPISODE 4: Flap Flap!
In the aftermath of Mitsuru's near-death experience, Zero Two is told to return to the frontlines by Nana on Papa's orders and the Strelizia is grounded. Much to Zero Two's dismay.

Zero Two finds Hiro in the boy's bath and asks him to run away with her and leave his "weakling" comrades. Her mood dampens by Hiro's visible fear of her and asks him if he's like everyone else; if he thinks "she's a monster".

A giant centipede-like razor klaxosaur attacks the carrier meant to acquire Zero Two. Plantation 13 Parasites deployed FranXX to combat it, only to be ambushed by another klaxosaur. Zero Two and Hiro change into suits and rush into the situation room when Nana tells her that it won't help and the Strelizia is not authorized to "fly".

At this point, armed security personnel arrive to collect Zero Two and return her and the Strelizia to the front lines by any means necessary. Zero Two gives a long goodbye to Hiro remarking about how she "felt like things could work out too" and that she wanted to be with him. In lieu of a kiss, Zero Two pokes his forehead with her horns and departs with the soldiers.

Hiro
Zero Two took an interest in Hiro ever since they first met. She was very impressed by the fact that he is not disgusted by her horns. In the second half of Episode 1, she kissed Hiro and successfully piloted Strelizia with him. After that, she grew closer to him, and insisted on addressing him as her 'darling'. In Episode 2, Zero Two sat on Hiro's chair while eating and sat on his lap afterwards.

She uses her S-ID to get Hiro through restricted areas while doing a waltz.

In Episode 4, Hiro confessed saying that "When we first met, I couldn't take my eyes off you. I realised that I've never really cared about riding the FranXX. I wanted to ride with you!". They subsequently broke past security to the Streliziea and flew off to rescue the Parasites.

Ichigo
Zero Two does not have any clear opinion towards Ichigo, despite Ichigo's impolite attitude towards her. However, when Ichigo confronted Zero Two in Episode 2, she responded by licking her and telling her that she has a sweet taste.

As seen in Episode 4: "Flap Flap", she takes delight in the fact that Ichigo can't have her "darling". During the battle with the klaxosaur, for a split second, Strelizia (Zero Two) gives Delphinium (Ichigo) a prideful grin knowing it pains Ichigo that Hiro chose Zero Two over her, even if that choice meant certain death.

Goro
Goro once said she wastes her "good looks" with her vicious eating habits.

Miku
Miku thinks that Zero Two and Hiro make a good couple which makes Ichigo uneasy.

Zorome
In "What it Means to Connect", Zorome hits on her during breakfast. She subsequently wipes the honey from her hand onto Zorome's uniform. Much to the shock of Zorome!

Mitsuru
In "Fighting Puppet!", Misturu volunteers to be the temporary partner. The result leaves him bloody, broken, and on the brink of death.

In "Flap Flap", he becomes fearful of her, stating anyone that willingly wanted to pilot with her was insane. It is not known what actually happened to him, but from his prospective she tried to 'devour his body, blood, and soul'. And while she was doing it, she was smiling.

Nana
She handles Zero Two. She also handles and transmits Papa's orders and authorisations. She also tells her to sit at the table she's "supposed" to be sitting at, instead of mixing with the Parasites.

Etymology
Zero Two's nickname can be read as "oni": "o" from "0" which can be written as "○" in kanji and ni from 2. Oni means "demon," a reference to pair of horns on her head.

Quotes
"Found you, my darling."- Quoted from the ending scene of Episode 1 where she drops Hiro outside the cockpit of the Strelizia and happily smiles at him.

"Your taste makes my heart race." - Quoted from the scene during Episode 1 when she first licks the cheeks of Hiro on their first encounter after grabbing and falling along with him near the water.

"Here, this is nice and sweet!" - Quoted from the Episode 2 pouring honey over  Hiro's  breakfast.

"I feel like I'm gonna suffocate in here." - Quoted from Episode 2 while she's riding the elevator.

"You are just like me." - Quoted from the first encounter between Hiro and Zero Two and afterwards before their first flight on the Strelizia together, when she extends her hand again to him during Episode 2.

"I like the look on your eyes, it makes my heart race." - Quoted from the dialogue before their first flight together when she sees Hiro's tears during Episode 2.

"I'll let you have him this one time. Go for it!" - Quoted from Episode 2 when she "allows" Ichigo to have Hiro ride her.

"I can get you out of here." - Quoted from the 1st half and the ending scene of Episode 3 when she was with Hiro at the balcony viewing the city.

“Do you think I’m a monster too?”- Quoted from Episode 4 when she confronted Hiro in the bath.

"Nobody's ever said such embarrassing things to me before!" - Quoted from Episode 4 after running away from her Guards and towards Strelizia together with Hiro.

" You wanna ride me, huh? " - Quoted from Episode 4 after Hiro's confession.

Trivia

 * Zero Two wears pink panties.
 * Zero Two is the only known member of the APE Special Forces Unit (so far).
 * Only known character to be a klaxosaur hybrid, and to have red horns.
 * Zero Two is the only known character to lick.
 * Zero Two eats with her hands, never seen to be using cutlery.
 * Characters licked by Zero Two:
 * Herself = She doesn't like how she tastes.
 * Hiro = She said he tastes like danger.
 * Ichigo = She said she tastes sweet.
 * Zero Two and Hiro have the same eye color
 * Zero Two has a sweet tooth. She is almost always seem with her lollipop. She also pours inordinate amounts of honey on her meals.
 * Zero Two has never seen an ocean but would like to taste it.

Gallery
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