Zanoba Shirone

About Zanoba Shirone

Zanoba is the third prince of Shirone, a 'blessed child' of monstrous strength whose only passion is dolls and figures. He worships Rudeus as his master after seeing the Roxy figure Rudeus sculpted, and studies doll-making under him with total sincerity. Eccentric and loyal, he is comic relief with a genuinely kind heart underneath.

Appearance

Zanoba is a tall, lanky young man with short dark hair and intense eyes, usually in the uniform of Ranoa Magic University or royal dress worn carelessly. His hands are enormous and his grip famously dangerous. Nothing about the prince suggests his obsession until he sees a well-made figure, at which point his whole face lights up with a collector's pure, alarming joy.

Personality

Zanoba is eccentric, sincere and completely uninterested in everything except dolls. Born a Blessed Child with superhuman strength, he was a disturbing prince whose fixation on figures, and incidents in his childhood, made the court eager to send him abroad. Meeting Rudeus, the maker of the legendary Roxy figure, gives Zanoba the first real friendship and purpose of his life: he worships Rudeus as his master, studies doll-making with total sincerity, and proves, under the obsession, to be loyal, brave and genuinely kind.

Background & Story

Zanoba is the third prince of the Shirone Kingdom, born with the Blessed Child's gift of monstrous strength. His childhood obsession with dolls, including a notorious incident with a figure he loved too hard, made him the royal family's problem child, eventually sent to study at Ranoa Magic University. There he identifies the visiting Rudeus Greyrat as the anonymous master craftsman behind a figure Zanoba treasures, and enrols himself as Rudeus's disciple in doll-making, becoming one of his closest and strangest friends.

Powers & Abilities

• Blessed Child strength: Zanoba's innate superhuman strength lets him tear through armour and enemies barehanded, a gift he mostly uses to carry figure supplies.
• Doll craftsmanship: Under Rudeus's teaching he becomes a serious figure craftsman, pursuing the perfect doll with a master's focus.

Key Relationships

• Rudeus Greyrat: His revered 'master' in doll-making and his closest friend, Zanoba's loyalty to Rudeus is total.
• Shizuka Nanahoshi: A fellow student whose otherworld goods and research cross paths with Zanoba's circle at the university.

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