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Urana-Sensei really invoked Zodyl's mentality while relaying his backstory to the audience. It's kept brief. Wasting no time in punching all of us in the gut, providing only just enough information to make it clear his lived experience has been awful. That his life was ruined before it could even really begin. Just as the Raiders' boss himself does not divulge any more details than necessary to Rudo, Urana-Sensei only confirms how Zodyl knows so much about the trash worshippers, what broke him so hard that he too could wield a Watchman Jinki, while tying his past to his present and establishing his personal creed. Everything else is left blank, leaving plenty of room for speculation.
What is series canon is across the Ground are extreme religious groups that worship the Sphere as a “Heaven”, deify the Spherites as Gods, Goddesses, or Angels, while sanctifying all the pollution the “higher beings” drop onto the world below as “blessings”. The sickness, maiming, death and destruction caused by the debris was not only normalized, but praised. To speak against it was to commit the sin of heresy (or blasphemy if the whole belief set is insulted). He, his mother and sister (there are no mentions of a father) were victims of one such cult. With a young Zodyl only being capable of helplessly watching his family die, presumably crushed by garbage. The loss of everything he held dear at a tender age being what hollowed out his soul enough for him to contain the excessive Anima that resides within the Watchman Coat, Mishra.
Urana-Sensei does not specify when this happened, but a rough timeline can be established. We learn that trash storms (as in trash falling directly from the Sphere) happen once every 6 years. Zodyl is 23, so he would have been 5 at the earliest, 11, or 17 at the latest. The maximum age is reinforced through learning that the Sileia tribe was annihilated 6 years prior to the events of the main story, as Noerde had met Zodyl before she lost her home. Meanwhile, he had already acquired the coat and was seemingly operating independently. Attempts to zero in on a specific age are harder as there’s a contradictory truth to consider: he may have always been big for his age as that’s common for children who grow to be tall, but it’s reasonable to expect the malnutrition he’s implied to have suffered through to have stunted his growth. Was he an oversized 5-year-old? Or was he a diminutive 11-year-old? Comparing him to how Amo looked in her own flashback (as she appears to be 3 to 6) makes me think Zodyl was 11. The way he speaks in that page and how he can fundamentally oppose the concept of trash being a blessing also adds to this. However, I acknowledge this may not be accurate.
Given the sect’s worship of the Sphere and the way the anime portrayed that fateful day, it’s fair to assume that the group held strong ties to Polluted Zones and perhaps even the 5 No Man’s Lands. Operating at least partially out of such places isn’t unreasonable to assume, though being a nomadic group that follows the Sphere’s path in constant pilgrimage to various dump sites sounds believable too. As high-control organizations rely heavily on isolation to maintain control and the trash worshippers were essentially a death cult, moving would have benefitted the clergy as devotees could not build bonds outside of their community that could potentially undo the brainwashing, or offer help fleeing. At the same time, by passing different villages and towns, recruitment of new members to replace the fallen would be ongoing. Also, the lonesome lifestyle and proximity to dangerous locations would act as a built-in punishment for opposition. Cults thrive on black and white thinking, thus even the slightest criticism towards their ideology, lifestyle, or leaders is unforgivable behavior. It is likely the threat of being abandoned in harsh, lethal, conditions with little population (except for human traffickers like Mister) was a common means of silencing conflict. Something likely utilized under the illusion of choice, “You may stay and repent, or leave before you do further harm to my flock.”
Zodyl is believed to be not only the sole survivor of his family, but the entire group. Again, the anime lends itself to this idea even more so than the manga, though the latter does not provide any contradictory information. This does raise the question of how did a little boy navigate through an ongoing trash storm and the immediate aftermath? How did a little boy get out of a Polluted Zone (or No Mans’ Land) alone? Without a respirator, a proper weapon, or general gear? Finding Mishra and using the Watchman Coat would be a relatively easy answer, however, there appears to be a gap period between Zodyl being orphaned and him donning the ancient Jinki for the first time.
A common shorthand for displaying a timeskip is to draw a character’s hair longer and/or otherwise alter the hairstyle. Here, his hair is notably longer, and he looks taller, sturdier overall. I see much less difference between him in this panel and one where he first met Noerde, than this panel and the previous one. Implying he was closer to 17 when he found Mishra, though it’s unclear whether the coat was dropped during a trash storm, or was found in a heap afterward, or in-between the 6 years. This may also explain why Mishra is in such disrepair too. If it had been abandoned for some time, weather and pests would have damaged the cloth. If it was dropped intentionally, other garbage could have snagged it on the way down. But if Zodyl has only had it for a few years, having not been a Giver and civilian beforehand, the coat most likely took hits while he was still learning how to fight. His clear oral fixation and possible pica aside because he’s clearly has torn it up himself, too.
Speaking of, while the Watchman Jinki seems to be somehow correlated to his disordered eating habits, it’s very likely these behaviors were preexisting. What we see paints him as having been rebellious. Considering many extreme groups promote fasting, enforce chronic malnutrition to keep followers weak, or wield lessened rations as a consequence; eating insects and live animals may have started as a means to keep his own strength up. Perhaps he even brought his catches home to his family while they were still alive. As the trash cult was hinted to have feasted upon food waste from the Sphere, he might have seen bugs and fresh kills as a better alternative.
The second ending, BAN, further illustrates potential possibilities into Zodyl’s past and his psychology. This is done through the visual metaphor of a conversation between him and Rudo, as they are foils. The point is to underscore layers of similarities and layers of differences that led to where they are and where the two are destined to go. This is a conversation in which they illustrate for one another what their life experiences have been. Rudo getting to “see” the Sphere fanatics, Zodyl then getting to “see” Regto’s corpse. A shared vision of a girl being crushed, but it means different things. To Rudo, the clip is his desire for revenge against the Spherites (including Chika), something yet to pass. To Zodyl, this is the sister he lost years ago. If we continue examining BAN through the lens of it foreshadowing Rudo’s future while relaying what has already happened to the Raiders’ boss, we get options. For example, the scene where a devotee is knelt before Rudo may not just be the boy “seeing” Zodyl’s past, but a vision that either Spherites will beg, or Rudo will be hailed as a hero of the Ground. Perhaps a mix of both?
Zodyl looking down upon what appears to be the outline of Regto could have another meaning as well. If he was not the sole survivor, then it’s possible he was unable to leave the sect immediately, killing whoever was left when he was able to survive on his own. An alternate interpretation, one I had during my first watch before truly understanding what I was seeing, is this could represent Zodyl usurping the Raiders from the previous boss. Again, there is no mention of a father, so perhaps it could be read as him standing before his own father figure. Patricide. Be it his biological one, an older male cultist who finished raising him, the Father, Priest, or Pastor of the trash Cult, maybe even the old boss if Zodyl had spent time amongst the ranks before taking over the thief caravan. Sacrifice, specifically the sacrifice of lingering humanity for the pursuit of higher goals, is a common theme for his character; a foil to Rudo regaining his own sense of personhood while still chasing self-made justice.
The last two scenes from BAN I want to talk about are the clips of Zodyl being hung by his boots vs. Rudo praying and the outstretched hands. The former is actually what clued me into searching for different interpretations of each clip. In Episode 1, Rudo was tied and bound to scaffolding before being dropped into the Pit, but it was by his wrists. If the ending is meant to be a 1:1 retelling, why is the Raider’s boss restrained so differently? Why is Rudo shown praying when we’ve never seen any instance of Zodyl doing so (not to say he never did, willingly or not)? The first connection I made was to the hanged man tarot card which speaks of contemplation and necessary sacrifice. The hanged man is a reminder that one cannot have it both ways, therefore they must choose what they truly desire, then let go of what does not serve that goal. Otherwise, they will remain limited, if not entirely stagnant. Again, this is a crucial theme of his character.
As for the parallel shots of Zodyl and Rudo reaching for the great blue sky, I think a crucial factor is overlooked. Yes, there is the nudge that no one ever offered the future Raiders’ boss guidance, which I don’t necessarily think is wrong. But would he have accepted it had been? When everyone (especially caregivers and authority figures) in someone’s life is unreliable, even actively dangerous, there is no safety found in numbers. Instead, comfort and stability are found in isolation and self-reliance. This is referred to as Avoidant Attachment. Given his circumstances, this is most likely how Zodyl operates interpersonally, meaning it’s entirely possible there was someone who tried to offer him a bond. He just couldn’t accept it or act upon it in good faith. There is something deeply self-destructive and self-condemning about the man that gives this potential. Just as he chose to discard his humanity in order to take down the Sphere, he may have severed every chance he got at reformation. Look at Rudo, who has seen both the good in people through Regto and the Cleaners, and the nastiness through fellow Spherites and Groundling antagonists. This dichotomy in the reliability of people can generate Disorganized (also called Anxious-Avoidant or Preoccupied) Attachment, which comes with a feeling of being inherently flawed while also having conflicting feelings towards others. Nonetheless, this would mean Rudo is marginally more primed for connection than Zodyl is, which factors into circumstances just as much. But it’s just as likely no one ever tried, or at least, no one with good intentions.
There are other implications made through the canon text and artwork that are not explicitly confirmed nor debunked. I have always assumed that Zodyl was raised within the cult, at least partially, but a Redditor u/DaGorping pointed out that there is a possibility that the Typhon family were merely caught in the crossfire of a sermon as the sect was canonically aggressive and forced participation. It’s an interesting point to consider, but I personally think Urana-Sensei's intent was for the three of them to have been among the faithful flock. Which has made me question Mother Typhon’s role in all this and how that affected her children. Was she herself raised within the the trash cult and somehow survived into adulthood? Was the father of Zodyl and his sister absent, dead, or abusive? In real-life, high control groups prey upon the vulnerabilities of women and children, especially single mothers who are desperate. Could the figurehead, or another prominent member such as an apostle, have been the father or stepfather; meaning the children were utterly failed by both parents? Who is restraining Zodyl in that one panel? The figure has always looked feminine to me. Is it his own mother and he’s screaming at her to let him go? Is it another cultist and he’s calling out for the loved ones he cannot reach?
Lastly, we the audience know that Watchman Jinkis can stabilize their wielder’s health conditions as Rudo’s 3R soothes the joint and connective tissue pain in his hands. The Raiders’ boss comes off as relatively healthy, but is he really? Trauma is connected to the development of various chronic illnesses, and this isn’t considering all the wounds he may have acquired through a life of crime and fighting. The lasting side effects that may be obscured. Spending a childhood amongst dirt, debris, rot, mold almost has to have destroyed his lungs. H.pylori from contaminated water could cause ulcers, inflammation, even cancer. Parasitic infections could have occurred from eating off the ground. Salmonella and E.Coli would be among the risks too. Who knows how many serious afflictions the Anima in Mishra is compensating for.
Regardless, Zodyl is a rather mysterious character with a number of quirks and flaws that prompt questioning. We know just enough about him to have a broad understanding of his psychology and motivations, but there’s a lot left unspoken. This is both odd given Shounen animes are often very heavy handed in sharing a major character’s past, but also refreshing when it’s obvious that this character isn’t meant to be an open book. And from the perspective of a fanfic writer, this creates space for various different interpretations and headcanons, which is invaluable. Hopefully this analysis will aid other writers in crafting their own versions of Zodyl and inform potential plots he could be situated in.