"All I want is a fun, easy life. That's it. Nothing more. Nothing less!"
The half-elf in question was in fact the mother of Zelos's half sister Seles. If Zelos died, then Seles would become the Chosen. However, after the failed assassination attempt, the half-elf was put to death and Seles was placed under house arrest in the isolated South Eastern Abbey. Despite the resentment and bitter memories between the two, it is clear they both still care for one other deeply.
When Zelos was left with no one to care for him, Sebastian, the butler of the Wilders' estate, became his guardian. Like Colette, the Chosen of Sylvarant, he could not live with his extended family for fear that the Mana lineage could be wiped out in one attack or natural disaster.
Aside from this trauma, Zelos was something of a prodigy. He was schooled in the Sybak Imperial Research Academy, and came top of his class. However, he only excelled in maths and let his hunnies take care of the rest. Due to his station and his good looks, he had many female admirers. As he grew up he continued to use that to his advantage.
Zelos never wanted to be the Chosen. It's not as if he was given the choice. When Lloyd and his group arrive in Meltokio, Zelos joins them under orders from the Pope, although it was originally Zelos's idea to keep an eye on them. At first Zelos's demeanour appears lighthearted. He's a bit of a joker and a ladies' man — not to be taken seriously. So no one does. While Zelos does begin to open up to Lloyd, he still keeps a lot inside. Reading between the lines, one can see there is a lot more going on under the surface. Only at the Tower of Salvation do the others realise just how tormented he is. Zelos's worth as a human and as a Chosen is constantly questioned by the few that mean anything to him, and often by himself. Perhaps this is one of the reasons he became a triple agent.
Zelos' reasons for doing this are simple enough. He states several times that he always sides with the winning team. He just weighed up Cruxis, the Renegades and Lloyd's group to come to the conclusion that Cruxis was the strongest. Mithos had also promised Zelos that he would be relieved of the title of the Chosen, which Seles would inherit. While telling his former friends of this, Zelos is very harsh, rather unlike his usual self. With the benefit of hindsight, it is clear that Zelos finds it in some way difficult to betray the people he's come to think of as friends, and maybe he's overcompensating a little.
It's here that the player's choice at Flanoir comes into play. If Zelos reveals his wings, then it really is the end.
However, if you spoke to Kratos in Flanoir things will be very different. Pronyma takes Colette, but tells Zelos to take care of Lloyd. At this point, Zelos reveals his wings and the battle begins. The inevitable outcome is the death of Zelos.
©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.
