In various online sources I have seen Zelos described as the personification of dedication, emulation,
rivalry, jealousy, envy and zeal.
I feel inclined to separate these attributes into two groups:
(1) dedication, zeal and envy; and
(2) jealousy, emulation and rivalry.
Dedication – wholehearted devotion to a particular purpose or cause
Zeal – great enthusiasm or eagerness, especially for a religious movement
Envy – a feeling of discontent aroused by someone else's possessions, achievements or qualities
Attempting to consider dedication and zeal in terms of Zelos Wilder's character seems rather ironic. His whole purpose in life is to act as the Chosen of Mana, the saviour of his world, a religious icon. His own attitude towards this purpose seems anything but wholehearted! It could be considered, however, that he becomes devoted to changing this situation for what he considers to be "the better". He almost certainly envies the qualities that his sister, Seles, would bring to the role of the Chosen, and the normalcy that anyone who isn't the Chosen would experience in their life. Enabling his sister to become the Chosen, and gaining the opportunity to live a "normal" life would appear to be key driving forces in his decision to betray Lloyd.
Jealousy – suspicion or fear of being displaced by a rival
Emulation – imitation (of someone) in an attempt to do as well as or better than him
Rivalry – active competition between people or groups
The words in this second group speak to me of the constant play-off between the characters of Zelos and Kratos in the game. Since there is nothing in the game to suggest that Kratos and Zelos even knew each other beforehand, I am not suggesting that Zelos is actively jealous of Kratos's abilities (after all, the Angel transformation isn't something he particularly wants to undergo). The rivalry between them is unspoken, yet enforced by the gamemakers. Zelos essentially performs in battle the same way as Kratos does, which is something of a relief if you relied heavily on Kratos before his betrayal. As a player you have to make a choice between retaining Zelos or having Kratos rejoin the team, towards the end of the game. The Affection system is key in enabling this decision to be made. In order to make Kratos Lloyd's soulmate, you have to actively annoy or ignore Zelos while he is with you, and vice versa.
It is somewhat unsurprising that Kratos's name is also taken from Greek mythology. In fact, Zelos and Kratos were brothers. They, along with their sisters Nike and Bia, were the children of Pallas (a Titan) and Styx (the eldest Okeanid). Styx and her children were the first to stand beside Zeus when he opposed the Titans, and in reward he appointed Styx to be the great oath of the gods and her children were appointed to live with him always. Zelos and his siblings therefore became the winged enforcers of Zeus, who stood in constant attendance at his throne. Now what does that remind us of? Zelos and Kratos's ties to Mithos Yggdrasill, perhaps?
There is a description of Zelos (Rivalry) in Oppian's hunting poem, Cynegetica. While it is not clear to me whether rivalry should be considered a virtue or a vice, the character depicted is clearly mighty and merciless. This certainly ties in with his willingness to sacrifice Lloyd in pursuit of his own goals, if you believe his claim that he chose "the strongest side" in Cruxis.
The Daimon Zelos has also been equated to Phthonos, the spirit of jealousy and envy, particularly associated with the jealous passions of love and desire. This may well tie in with Zelos Wilder's apparent attitude towards women, aka hunnies, in the game. Zelos may also have been the same as Agon, a god of the Olympic games, representing contest. Again, this ties in with the rivalry association, but also may explain why part of Zelos Wilder's story is told after defeating certain stages in the Coliseum. (Although the use of Coliseum stages is not a rare occurrence in computer games.)
There doesn't seem to be anything from Greek mythology to explain his triplicity in the game, or the concept of him wearing the mask of his outward persona. His multiple alliances may just have seemed necessary to the game makers in his pursuit of a better situation for himself and his sister. And of course it is common psychology for someone to present a specific personality in order to hide, or detract from, a deep-rooted pain or problem. His surname, Wilder, would seem to reinforce his personality and the fact that he is the "wilder" of the two Chosen of Mana.
Overall, it would seem that Zelos's name is a reflection of his role in the game, rather than his personality. I cannot say for sure whether (a) his character's concept was based on the descriptions of the Daimon Zelos, or (b) the name was simply chosen to reflect what the character stood for. It's likely to be a combination of both, given the extent to which mythology is utilised in the Tales games. In terms of Zelos Wilder's significance to the game as a whole, I have to say I consider him one of the best thought out characters in Tales of Symphonia.
Sources:
©KOSUKE FUJISHIMA. TALES OF SYMPHONIA™ & ©2003 NAMCO LTD., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ™, ® and Nintendo GameCube are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2001 Nintendo. Layout ©2005-2008 Emma. Content ©2005-2008 Emma & FairyV.
