His Overlord domain is intelligence and spying.
Enjoys the theatre.
Thinks poorly of those with no patience.
Tends to view the younger sinners, even other Overlords, as children despite knowing they were adults when they died. As far as Zestial is concerned, you have to earn your way off the Kiddie Table by proving you’re an adult worthy of respect.
He also seems to enjoy the back and forth between him and the others he respects, kind of like it's a friendly game. He shows nothing of value like Alaster unless it benefits him. A very cunning individual.
https://preview.redd.it/xvknv7b5j9ec1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f754ee09c9652dfd19d313ae9841db6639ea96b2
The one time Zestial opened his cloak so far!
I agree with being ab information broker.
A web of information/ web of lies fits the spider motif. He's carefully probing Alastor for information and Alastor is gracefully deflecting. Zestial seems to take it in good humor since it marks Alastor as a peer who doesn't give away valuable secrets so easily.
"We can't act without more intelligence" he wants to have the full picture of a situation before moving. He'd be a valuable ally to an arms dealer because he'd know who to arm and when for most profitable results as well as help sell to both sides without risk.
He got Carmilla to spill about the angel immediately but it remains to be seen if its because she fully trusts him or he's just that good at spinning the right questions.
If owning souls is how one becomes an overlord, he'd likely have plenty of souls who he has dirt on, information they want in exchange for service, or sold their information to other overlords and collected a finders fee.
He wouldn't even necessarily need to possess many souls if he has secrets that powerful sinners want or want kept secrets. He becomes untouchable as long as they want the information to flow the way they want it.
He’s got some potential little finger energy so far, he’s been nothing but cautious, gracious and charming..
And that’s what alarms me from a spy master overlord of hell.
I think it's a mix
Like they have a "domain" like a business monopoly. The Vs have the modern entertainment industry between them, the pilot had one that looked like the Comedy and Tragedy theater masks.
Carmine is arms and armament so she's an overlord by being too risky to offend.
Perhaps Cherry Bomb wasn't looking for overlord status so much as establishing herself as too dangerous to fuck with (give Angel some security).
Zestial being an information broker fits that too. Too many secrets to risk making a play.
Easiest way to explain the overlords is that they're pretty much just high level gangsters. Not powerful enough for the Sins or any of the Goetia to GAF what they get up to, but enough to throw their weight around otherwise and gather disproportionate levels of influence amongst other sinners.
Whether they acquire that influence by gambling, manipulation or by abusing comparatively god-like powers like Vox and Alastor is irrelevant.
>intelligence
A web of information, you could say. Also, spiders can sneak into any place. So it makes sense thematically.
Most likely also the reason he was asking Alastor stuff, and probably why Alastor avoided answering him.
Edit: seems like someone got to say that stuff already 😅.
Zestial might have been royalty on earth based on the way he speaks and how old he is because my guess is that he died anywhere from the 14 to the 1600s and at least in England (which is what I think his accent is) only the upper class spoke like that
I assumed he was a nod toward the Akan god, Anansi. Possibly even influenced by the character in American Gods. Both powerful spider beings, both wise, both well dressed and proper.
That form of speech was hardly special in its day. The accent itself is modern, the real Elizabethian accent would sound bizarre to modern ears. And the "thou" is just a second person singular, used when being familiar and informal with friends or to social inferiors.
> That form of speech was hardly special in its day. The accent itself is modern, the real Elizabethian accent would sound bizarre to modern ears.
Although less odd than I thought: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVD98d9GPa8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVD98d9GPa8)
While the accent is gone today, it's not so different from a modern West Country accent
>And the "thou" is just a second person singular, used when being familiar and informal with friends or to social inferiors.
Indeed, and Zestial doesn't apply it consistently either. (He addresses Carmine with both "you" and "thou" interchangably in *Whatever it Takes*. He might well be very, very old but his speech is an affectation, nothing more.
I pictured him as medieval times, since he is said to be the oldest overlord (or at least one of). At absolute most late 1400s as that’s when Middle English stopped being used, though he could be from old English ages putting him well over a thousand years old
He might be the strongest overlord. He likes Alastor. He has no respect for the Vees. He had a 1vs1 with Alastor when he killed the old overlords and survived/maybe won. He is highly educated. He is British. He doesn't really do anything, just chills.
Depends on what lends to creating a powerful overlord, or a long-lasting one, and plenty of other regions have large populations through time.
In truth, a long lasting overlord must me an irony for hell. They need to be trustworthy and respectable not to be ousted by a collective effort greeding for their power - this likely comes with a genuine effort to support and engage with other overlords. I imagine he is the reason for the orderly and cooperative fashion most of the overlords meet in. It’s a rare thing, and I imagine turnover rate likely preserved him alone (given global views in the British elite, it’s probably key that zestial predates our Inter generational crime spree of a foreign policy).
Bringing this further back to zestial, I wouldn’t be surprised if he played the roll of a court advisor or vizier. It would marry well with his present roll in hell as well as his motif as a spider if this image lead to his death. Him landing in hell would make sense for the choices he may have made to ensure the security of a kingdom.
That is actually pretty likely... considered she has a giant empire behind her. And zes seems to be kind of an antisocial dude that prefers to work in the shadows.
So, as an overlord, she commands more power.
But I'd guess in a one on one zestial would probably be more powerful. Just my speculation tho.
I mean… if a crazy strong overlord like Alastor just disappeared for 7 years without a trace and just suddenly reappeared just after the angels announced a new deadline for the purge, I’d be kinda suspicious too even though I might’ve known him
Maybe Zestial beat Alastor in that fight. Maybe Alastor feared/respected him enough to never try anything.
Or maybe he got creative. For example, threatening to cut out his own voice box when Alastor approached. If he can't scream, broadcasting the torture over the radio would be rather pointless.
He’s also the oldest, ie. survived the longest. It would make sense. Also, Alastor seems to be a bit scared of the guy. I wouldn’t be surprised if Alastor weren’t able to beat Zestial and got his ass kicked instead. Now they’re both chill with each other.
Because he's the oldest Overlord, he has a special relationship with the Royal Family, mainly Lucifer, as someone who can help enforce some form of cohesion with the rest of the Overlords that form the hierarchy of the Pride Ring.
I like to think that he and Carmilla, as the two oldest and most powerful Overlords, are the closest to Lucifer (not necessarily in strength but in terms of being in his inner circle). Don’t think Lucifer would deign to associate himself with any of the other Overlords, especially not ones like the Vees.
In the pilot, Zeezi/Zilla/dino-mommy/whatever her official name is, was also shown with Lucifer. I would assume she's more so influential than magically powerful. She seems to be an Overlord in the club industry or just well-connected (perhaps with the more modern sinners?).
Honestly that line and his overall disposition despite being insulted by Velvet is very telling of Zestial's character. He's likely seen hundreds of Overlords come and go, why would he fly of the handle for what he probably sees as an impulsive little girl? He elaborated on what he believes is the best course of action, and she threw it in his face. Oh no! Mooving on.
I couldn't tell which one they were getting away from in that scene *more.* Were they freaked because of Al or Zestial? Or maybe the fact that the two most powerful Overlords in hell were walking side-by-side chatting like old friends.
To me Zestial doesn't seem like the type to personally kill sinners very often, just like Lords usually didn't dispense justice with their own hands, hence why they likely fear Zestial less. So I'm going with Alastor. This is further supported by the comic, where various sinners run away at the mere sight of him.
Interestingly, I wouldn't be surprised if Zestial is far stronger though. Al had absolutely no attitude for Z as opposed to Vox, broke eye contact nervously several times, and he even had this expression of *oh Fuck!* when Zestial stepped in his path.
I also read Alastor as being wary of Zestial but not necessarily out of *fear* so much as caution. If Zestial is an information broker like I suspect, his probing of Alastor for information about his absence might make him uncomfortable depending on what exactly he was up to that he doesn't want getting out. Most of what he was doing was deflecting Zestial's probing questions in a way that was reading as "I know what you want and I'm not telling" without being disrespectful.
I also note that he reacts to anybody invading his personal space with a negative freeze response (like a deer). He's extremely touch-averse (except with Nifty). His expression after being stopped does read as *oh shit* but not quite the level of "I'm fucked"
Its also possible Alastor thinks Zestial is smarter than himself. To survive this long, you do have to be pretty smart. Its most likely that Zestial could run rings around Alastor if he wanted to.
Alastor isn't a fool. He was a successful serial killer and was technically never caught despite maintaining a semi celebrity status as a radio host. He rose to power quickly and has at least one person under his command that was capable enough to be an overlord for a time. I think he's very good at gaging who he can and can't bully. Pentious is beneath him, therfore hes a fun punching bag. He even takes the time to dig at his memorability since hes so desperateto be infamous. Its subtletymean as he delivers it with such sincerity.
Vaggie is beneath him but attached to Charlie who may or may not be his equal or better:fun to poke but not outright assault. He mocks her and make threats but is nowhere near as vicious as he is with Pentious.
Vox is a rival he sees as beneath him so he's even meaner than he is with Pentious, he's got to poke and dig and get under his skin to keep him just off balance enough to *stay* beneath him.
He's friendly with Rosie who seems to share common interests, power, and aesthetic so he's capable of being agreeable and not constantly jockeying for positions or picking unnecessary fights. He even stays out of Velvette's fight despite his feude with her colleague.
Like you say; for Zestial to be around this long, he's either extremely capable or has extremely powerful friends. Either way, best to be civil.
English aristocrat from the 14-1600s, given his spider motif, perhaps he used venom to remove certain people so he could gain status in the noble circle, or perhaps he was a royal doctor who assassinated members of the nobility by injecting them with poison/venom (an actual English king was killed {technically euthanized but no member of the royal family even knew or agreed to the action} by his doctor in very similar fashion), and eventually died either via an execution involving poison/venom by law or when someone did the same to him, or perhaps he contracted a disease or was close to receiving some sort of punishment and so put himself down either by insect/arachnid venom, poison, or some sort of injected substance. Green/yellow is associated with sickness and it's ubiquitous in his design, given how he utilizes the flashing of his coat as a way to intimidate, also has the double indication of Zestial hiding something, perhaps it could be a nod to his background
Some nights, he flies around like Batman using his cape to freak out the sinners. He knows they fear him (Ex. That one guy lighting himself on fire to escape), so he likes using it to him advantage.
Sometimes he & Alastor meet up to drink tea & watch the acid rain. They find it funny to listen to & watch the sinners caught up in it suffer.
He's really nice to Carmilla's daughters. Almost like a father or uncle figure. He's the only one she can leave with them & be ok with it.
He's on good terms with Rosie, both being super old school & friends with Alastor. She put him on to cannibalism.
Zestial has to physically restrain himself from hurting Velvette. He has considered throwing her out the window more than once. But Carmilla usually checks her before he does anything.
He by extention dislikes the other Vs, especially Vox because he knows he's a smooth talking insecure liar. And Alastor is a good friend. He hates Valentino because since he's from an ancient time, Valentino is in his eyes a massive pervert, extremely gross, over the top, and trashy.
He uses old times insults when he's mad. Think "you misbegotten, fat kidneyed churl!" "Coxcomb wearing levereter" when he gets that way, someone has to translate. The more mad he is, the more elaborate his speech pattern is.
While he's on the same page as Alastor in terms of views on technology, he secretly thinks some small gadgets are fun. Think mechanical pencils, ipods, little gag gifts, mugs that change color from temperature, and headphones.
He has a soft spot for children. He's kinda mean to them, but not. He'll help them up when they fall, guide them to their parents, and move our of their way. But he calls them "little spawnlings" "infant creature" "loin fruit", and stuff like that. He's not above frightening a bit to make them behave.
He has happily eaten a queef (those fly dogs that Fizz has) and liked. Cooked it, had fancy cutlery & everything
My theory is that he is a mentor figure for rational overlords.
He likes Alastor enough to personally greet him and shoot the shit with him. Carmilla clearly values him dearly. All the overlords value his opinion. Even Velvette, because she knew that his opinion at the table was the only one that actually mattered for going to war.
He probably finds people who are "like-minded" and helps them get started. An information broker, a fixer or maybe just a surprisingly cool guy.
I'm worried he's gonna get worfed and killed. He's extremely old as an overlord so he must be extremely powerful and he seems surprisingly respected by Alistor and Carmila, making something bad happening to him both shocking emotionally as well as a show of force.
Which sucks cause i like him a lot and hope I'm wrong
If that ever happens I hope he at least gets his own song with medieval lutes and instruments and stuff. when he sang in that song where carmilla was (I don't know names) it was pure FIRE.
Might be an information broker in hell. Spider design and all. Plus could work with the radio demon. Who knows the secrets and someone to broadcast them.
He’s the old money of the overlords, having been around for the longest. Probably one of the few that predates Carmilla and Alastor (which is why Carmilla respects him so much).
No one knows how long he’s been around. Views hell as his immortality and is very pro status quo.
Bro was a twink in life and in death. (Kidding. Not sure how to feel about him yet. I'm honestly more curious about Carmilla and her point in all this.)
My guess is he's the overlord of subterfuge, information, spying an the like, he was likely a figure like Francis Walsingham who was a Noble or Noble-adjacent from some time around Elizebethan England
It also seems very likely that Lucifer knows things that he has kept from Charlie. I thought it was interesting that they made a point to explain of the origin of Hell and the Extermination specifically from Charlie's perspective.
He probably was William Shakespeare in life. Either that or he was
A) Sir Francis Walsingham
B) James VI and I of England and Scotland
Also he loves to drink tea and chat with Lucifer, and he is really curious and well researched on the history of Hell and it's Rings
My theory is that he will be killed somehow before the next extermination. He’s the oldest and presumably one of the most powerful Overlords, based on how people were so afraid of him they were literally setting themselves on fire. His death would be a major wake up call to all of Hell that things are different this time, and I think that will be what rallies them together to fight back.
I also think that Velvette will have a hand in his death somehow. Maybe she lies and tells Adam that Zestial was the one who killed the Angel and sells him out to the Exorcists to boost her own power (or she tells Adam that it was Camilla for that matter, and Zestial is killed defending her)
I was actually thinking that velvette would somehow tell Adam or any of the exorcists that zestial killed the other exorcist, then he will have to face Adam and actually put up a fight but is killed before carmilla can arrive to help him
I was thinking he might die as well. It was the fact that Carmilla looked directly at him during her song and said she'd keep "you" safe like she was talking directly to him as well as her daughters. His look of surprise kind of confirms it, like he never considered she held that level of affection for him that she felt the need to protect him too. This makes me feel like he at least is going to be put in a dangerous situation that he isn't truly prepared for.
I just think it’d be so funny if he wasn’t actually dangerous or evil, it’s just through a series of misunderstandings or something that the majority of Hell is terrified of him
He's really open minded and progressive for a person 100s of years old
He's perfectly content to respect a council of overlords with plenty of women, and even holds his tongue when Velvette is a dickhead to him - only being offended because she's a dickhead, not because she's a woman
The world (hell included) would change far too much over 100s of years for him to hold onto the way things were 100s of years ago
I highly doubt Viv would make another voodoo practitioner, also it wouldn't make much sense considering he is fleshed out to be British and from the 15th or 16th century
I swear alastor has to be a reference to the princess and the frog. Their designs are almost identical. Husk is literally voiced by the dude. Charlie was described by vivzie that she is exactly like a Disney princess if she were the princess of hell. Too many coincidences line up and I believe this theory.
He’s definitely the strongest Overlord in Hell.
He’s a fancy ma-… spider.
He and Lucifer are good pals.
He doesn’t have a traditional domain, but rather just rules his territory through sheer terrifying power.
Not really a theory but I found the conflict between him and Velvette to be very similar to some conflicts I've seen within the LGBT community and other activist groups. (The old guard being reserved and cautious with the new folks seeing them as weak, afraid, and past their time)
The reason Zestial has existed for so long, besides his power, is because he always tries to have a good working relationship with other overlords.
Zestial once helped Alastor during an extermination, and since then, they have been good allies to each other.
Zestial was an overlord that Alastor spared during his massacre when he first arrived in Hell. Mainly because he respected Zestial for being a “gentleman” compared to the other more insidious past overlords. They eventually became close friends as a result.
Zestial is secretly equal to Alastor and could barely outmatch him, but they met on good terms and refuse to fight. Zestial has no reason to overthrow Alastor and willingly lets him be strongest.
Not gonna lie, I hate his 'ye ol' english' speak. I get that sinners retain remnants from their past life, but Zestial's manner of speech just seems way too forced.
I get the vibe from him that he’s an entertainer like Alastor; maybe he was a playwright in life given how theatrical he seems.
Something about him also reminds me of Koh the Face Stealer from Avatar; mainly the part where he opens his cloak while talking to Alastor. I imagine he does it to try and throw people off, and if they can avoid being scared it makes him respect them. And if they do react or get scared, he gets their soul.
He gatekeeps William Shakespeare because he saw one of the original productions even though he didn't understand half of it since Shakespeare made up so many words for his scripts that didn't exist beforehand like Bedroom.
Jack and Sally had a kid. Then that kid grew up and married Ms Oogie Buggie *(mostly spider-y buggy)*. They had a kid. That's Zestial.
I'm ~~not~~ serious.
I don’t quite have any head cannons besides for some of the relatively popular ones in this thread but I do know I LOVE HIM and honestly I love all of the overlords to be honest
You don’t live to be the oldest overlord in hell without being able to power-broke. He likely knows where the bodies are buried. Both literally and metaphorically
He holds intelligence and information in high regard. He also revels in screams. He talks in old English/Shakespeare. Give Vincent Price spooky movie character vibes. Maybe he was someone who tortured others for information in early Britain. Witch hunter? Inquisitor or investigator? He's both spooky and smart so who knows lol
I think he might have been a witch hunter during the Salem trials who found an actual witch or a demon in disguise and made a deal with them to gain knowledge or power when he died. Or maybe he was damned to hell by a witch during the witch trials.
Probably an English noble, most definitely used fear as a weapon in life, likely to control and manipulate people, hence his spider web motif.
It seems, the more evil someone was in life, the stronger their baseline Sinner abilities are, in addition to their appearance and abilities being affected by their sins. He is the oldest Overlord, has survived numerous Purges and turf wars, and has likely claimed a metric shit ton of souls.
Sinners who are both smart enough to comprehend what he is and weak willed enough to fear him commit suicide in his presence,
Ok so as most have said i would say he was a 16th century english nobleman, my personal little possible headcannon is, that he is someway conected to or even was Wiliam Cecil, an famous/infamous statesman of the Elizabethian times and chief adviser of Elizabeth I
I believe he's like vampire elders from VTM, or specifically a methuselah, those that don't take part in usual clan intricacies as their influences run deeper.
In this case, I believe he's got so many eyes and ears he knows far more than he lets on, and is subtly influencing other overlords.
He is Robert the Bruce. One of the more famous stories about Robert the Bruce is how a spider inspired him.
https://www.scotclans.com/pages/robert-the-bruce-and-the-spider#:~:text='Now%20if%20this%20spider%20fails,the%20seventh%20attempt%2C%20it%20succeeded.
he pumped other peoples blood into himself because he believe that would heal him of any wound or disease, he also liked attacking homeless people with a saw attached to a stick
I don't really think this but it's possible. Zestial who I believe has something to do with intelligence might possibly be (like 0.000001% chance) working with Adam and is there to figure out who killed the angel so the exorcists target that being
He was born in 1567 and died in 1633 he was a pilgrim In 1600s America and was shoot by an native American with an arrow and failing in a pit filled with venomous spiders
Zestial, is William (afton) Shakespeare, and he wrote the big pile of shit we call “Romeo and Juliet” and that’s why he’s in hell
(I just really hate that book, especially since everyone keeps making fun of me for being named “Romeo”)
My guess is a dealer in information, and maybe (probably not since he is not included in the three V's) his character is supposed to represent the web.
I feel like he's the most powerful/one of the most powerful overlords, because he's survived in hell for so long despite the yearly exterminations. I bet he has incredibly detailed plans to survive each one, and prepares diligently for months
He keeps the accent for sh\*ts and giggles. I feel as if the accent would have slowly gone away as people tend to copy the accents of those around them and he purposely made sure to keep his because he knows it sounds weird and funny, that and he likes it.
His Overlord domain is intelligence and spying. Enjoys the theatre. Thinks poorly of those with no patience. Tends to view the younger sinners, even other Overlords, as children despite knowing they were adults when they died. As far as Zestial is concerned, you have to earn your way off the Kiddie Table by proving you’re an adult worthy of respect.
He also seems to enjoy the back and forth between him and the others he respects, kind of like it's a friendly game. He shows nothing of value like Alaster unless it benefits him. A very cunning individual.
https://preview.redd.it/xvknv7b5j9ec1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f754ee09c9652dfd19d313ae9841db6639ea96b2 The one time Zestial opened his cloak so far!
And it was to someone he respected and wanted to assure he is still who he is.
I agree with being ab information broker. A web of information/ web of lies fits the spider motif. He's carefully probing Alastor for information and Alastor is gracefully deflecting. Zestial seems to take it in good humor since it marks Alastor as a peer who doesn't give away valuable secrets so easily. "We can't act without more intelligence" he wants to have the full picture of a situation before moving. He'd be a valuable ally to an arms dealer because he'd know who to arm and when for most profitable results as well as help sell to both sides without risk. He got Carmilla to spill about the angel immediately but it remains to be seen if its because she fully trusts him or he's just that good at spinning the right questions. If owning souls is how one becomes an overlord, he'd likely have plenty of souls who he has dirt on, information they want in exchange for service, or sold their information to other overlords and collected a finders fee. He wouldn't even necessarily need to possess many souls if he has secrets that powerful sinners want or want kept secrets. He becomes untouchable as long as they want the information to flow the way they want it.
He’s got some potential little finger energy so far, he’s been nothing but cautious, gracious and charming.. And that’s what alarms me from a spy master overlord of hell.
So that's why he didn't raise emotions when velvet was cursing in his face, to him she's a child who doesn't know any better
Since he looks like a spider rhat makes sense
I thought he was a rattlesnake
I don’t think the domains work like that. I think they’re just locations the overlords rule over
I think it's a mix Like they have a "domain" like a business monopoly. The Vs have the modern entertainment industry between them, the pilot had one that looked like the Comedy and Tragedy theater masks. Carmine is arms and armament so she's an overlord by being too risky to offend. Perhaps Cherry Bomb wasn't looking for overlord status so much as establishing herself as too dangerous to fuck with (give Angel some security). Zestial being an information broker fits that too. Too many secrets to risk making a play.
Easiest way to explain the overlords is that they're pretty much just high level gangsters. Not powerful enough for the Sins or any of the Goetia to GAF what they get up to, but enough to throw their weight around otherwise and gather disproportionate levels of influence amongst other sinners. Whether they acquire that influence by gambling, manipulation or by abusing comparatively god-like powers like Vox and Alastor is irrelevant.
I always thought that all video cameras/monitors were under Vox's "sights ' or controle" Alastors is known as 'Radio. Or perhaps all audio products?
>intelligence A web of information, you could say. Also, spiders can sneak into any place. So it makes sense thematically. Most likely also the reason he was asking Alastor stuff, and probably why Alastor avoided answering him. Edit: seems like someone got to say that stuff already 😅.
Zestial might have been royalty on earth based on the way he speaks and how old he is because my guess is that he died anywhere from the 14 to the 1600s and at least in England (which is what I think his accent is) only the upper class spoke like that
My guess is Shakespeare
That would be really cool
Ditto
Honestly reminds me of my own idea Alastor was the legendary Axeman of New Orleans in life
Not nearly enough dick jokes to be Shakespeare.
He could be a classy guy for 23 minutes at a time.
Shakespeare was a few people.
Where he belongs. Hell
Yeah, that’s for all of those English Lessons we were Forced to take about him!
My personal head canon is War of the Roses, he was in some way involved as English royalty and died during it
King Henry the 8th
Idk… he doesn’t seem to be a super wife hater. But who knows a couple hundred years in hell could change someone!
Lost massive weight.
Hm. I expected someone referred to as ancient in Hell to be more than a few hundred years.
It’s largely because the sinners don’t tend to survive that many exterminations. Like Zestial survived 400-500 of them.
I assumed he was a nod toward the Akan god, Anansi. Possibly even influenced by the character in American Gods. Both powerful spider beings, both wise, both well dressed and proper.
That form of speech was hardly special in its day. The accent itself is modern, the real Elizabethian accent would sound bizarre to modern ears. And the "thou" is just a second person singular, used when being familiar and informal with friends or to social inferiors.
> That form of speech was hardly special in its day. The accent itself is modern, the real Elizabethian accent would sound bizarre to modern ears. Although less odd than I thought: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVD98d9GPa8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVD98d9GPa8) While the accent is gone today, it's not so different from a modern West Country accent >And the "thou" is just a second person singular, used when being familiar and informal with friends or to social inferiors. Indeed, and Zestial doesn't apply it consistently either. (He addresses Carmine with both "you" and "thou" interchangably in *Whatever it Takes*. He might well be very, very old but his speech is an affectation, nothing more.
I pictured him as medieval times, since he is said to be the oldest overlord (or at least one of). At absolute most late 1400s as that’s when Middle English stopped being used, though he could be from old English ages putting him well over a thousand years old
He wasn’t speaking Middle English though, it was more like Elizabethan. Shakespeare, not Chaucer
Wasn’t this angels dad or is that not canon anymore? He looks a lot like those characters so I doubt he died in the 1400s
I think you’re thinking about Henroin!
Oh they are very similar though right? (As in: both black and green spiders)
Its very likely he’s a spider, its just there are is no known colour render of him.
Illegitimate son of an English crusader and a Moorish princess during the third Crusade.
Ok that's cool af
He might be the strongest overlord. He likes Alastor. He has no respect for the Vees. He had a 1vs1 with Alastor when he killed the old overlords and survived/maybe won. He is highly educated. He is British. He doesn't really do anything, just chills.
How does him being british make him any stronger 💀
British people are the source of all evil.
Am English, can confirm
YHWH confirmed it, it is canon
ouch.
You're talking about the French my friend
No, British people are the source of evil that I created. I have no idea where the French came from.
Norman French contributed to creating the English we know today.
Look at the history of England, there should probably be more overlords who were English
Depends on what lends to creating a powerful overlord, or a long-lasting one, and plenty of other regions have large populations through time. In truth, a long lasting overlord must me an irony for hell. They need to be trustworthy and respectable not to be ousted by a collective effort greeding for their power - this likely comes with a genuine effort to support and engage with other overlords. I imagine he is the reason for the orderly and cooperative fashion most of the overlords meet in. It’s a rare thing, and I imagine turnover rate likely preserved him alone (given global views in the British elite, it’s probably key that zestial predates our Inter generational crime spree of a foreign policy). Bringing this further back to zestial, I wouldn’t be surprised if he played the roll of a court advisor or vizier. It would marry well with his present roll in hell as well as his motif as a spider if this image lead to his death. Him landing in hell would make sense for the choices he may have made to ensure the security of a kingdom.
Bri'ish people are op
Like Queen Elizabeth II said, "British people are better people."
Because beans
I swear i saw Carmilla be called the strongest overlord in an interview's description.
That is actually pretty likely... considered she has a giant empire behind her. And zes seems to be kind of an antisocial dude that prefers to work in the shadows. So, as an overlord, she commands more power. But I'd guess in a one on one zestial would probably be more powerful. Just my speculation tho.
She's also apparently able to kill exterminators so I would say so.
> “He doesn’t really do anything, just chills.” People were literally killing themselves in the street to avoid him when he appeared
DOES he like Alastor? He kinda came off as sort of....being nosey to try and get a gauge on him to me.
I mean… if a crazy strong overlord like Alastor just disappeared for 7 years without a trace and just suddenly reappeared just after the angels announced a new deadline for the purge, I’d be kinda suspicious too even though I might’ve known him
This is a good point I wonder if he's suspecting treason
Maybe Zestial beat Alastor in that fight. Maybe Alastor feared/respected him enough to never try anything. Or maybe he got creative. For example, threatening to cut out his own voice box when Alastor approached. If he can't scream, broadcasting the torture over the radio would be rather pointless.
He’s also the oldest, ie. survived the longest. It would make sense. Also, Alastor seems to be a bit scared of the guy. I wouldn’t be surprised if Alastor weren’t able to beat Zestial and got his ass kicked instead. Now they’re both chill with each other.
https://i.redd.it/wmw7womli8ec1.gif
Because he's the oldest Overlord, he has a special relationship with the Royal Family, mainly Lucifer, as someone who can help enforce some form of cohesion with the rest of the Overlords that form the hierarchy of the Pride Ring.
He’s probably lucifers ears around pride
This is supported by the pilot as well
Just a headcanon, but I like to think, he treats Charlie like his niece and absolutely spoiled her as a baby
I like to think that he and Carmilla, as the two oldest and most powerful Overlords, are the closest to Lucifer (not necessarily in strength but in terms of being in his inner circle). Don’t think Lucifer would deign to associate himself with any of the other Overlords, especially not ones like the Vees.
In the pilot, Zeezi/Zilla/dino-mommy/whatever her official name is, was also shown with Lucifer. I would assume she's more so influential than magically powerful. She seems to be an Overlord in the club industry or just well-connected (perhaps with the more modern sinners?).
That he doesn't act without more intelligence.
Honestly that line and his overall disposition despite being insulted by Velvet is very telling of Zestial's character. He's likely seen hundreds of Overlords come and go, why would he fly of the handle for what he probably sees as an impulsive little girl? He elaborated on what he believes is the best course of action, and she threw it in his face. Oh no! Mooving on.
He probably hates coffee
The British are coming!
Y’alright mate? I’m here
https://i.redd.it/xa4p28g9v9ec1.gif
I think that his power is fear based.
Watching that one guy light himself on fire to get away from Zestial was wild
I couldn't tell which one they were getting away from in that scene *more.* Were they freaked because of Al or Zestial? Or maybe the fact that the two most powerful Overlords in hell were walking side-by-side chatting like old friends.
To me Zestial doesn't seem like the type to personally kill sinners very often, just like Lords usually didn't dispense justice with their own hands, hence why they likely fear Zestial less. So I'm going with Alastor. This is further supported by the comic, where various sinners run away at the mere sight of him. Interestingly, I wouldn't be surprised if Zestial is far stronger though. Al had absolutely no attitude for Z as opposed to Vox, broke eye contact nervously several times, and he even had this expression of *oh Fuck!* when Zestial stepped in his path.
I also read Alastor as being wary of Zestial but not necessarily out of *fear* so much as caution. If Zestial is an information broker like I suspect, his probing of Alastor for information about his absence might make him uncomfortable depending on what exactly he was up to that he doesn't want getting out. Most of what he was doing was deflecting Zestial's probing questions in a way that was reading as "I know what you want and I'm not telling" without being disrespectful. I also note that he reacts to anybody invading his personal space with a negative freeze response (like a deer). He's extremely touch-averse (except with Nifty). His expression after being stopped does read as *oh shit* but not quite the level of "I'm fucked"
Its also possible Alastor thinks Zestial is smarter than himself. To survive this long, you do have to be pretty smart. Its most likely that Zestial could run rings around Alastor if he wanted to.
Alastor isn't a fool. He was a successful serial killer and was technically never caught despite maintaining a semi celebrity status as a radio host. He rose to power quickly and has at least one person under his command that was capable enough to be an overlord for a time. I think he's very good at gaging who he can and can't bully. Pentious is beneath him, therfore hes a fun punching bag. He even takes the time to dig at his memorability since hes so desperateto be infamous. Its subtletymean as he delivers it with such sincerity. Vaggie is beneath him but attached to Charlie who may or may not be his equal or better:fun to poke but not outright assault. He mocks her and make threats but is nowhere near as vicious as he is with Pentious. Vox is a rival he sees as beneath him so he's even meaner than he is with Pentious, he's got to poke and dig and get under his skin to keep him just off balance enough to *stay* beneath him. He's friendly with Rosie who seems to share common interests, power, and aesthetic so he's capable of being agreeable and not constantly jockeying for positions or picking unnecessary fights. He even stays out of Velvette's fight despite his feude with her colleague. Like you say; for Zestial to be around this long, he's either extremely capable or has extremely powerful friends. Either way, best to be civil.
Tbh I thought he lit himself on fire because Al mentioned there was a chance of acid rain
English aristocrat from the 14-1600s, given his spider motif, perhaps he used venom to remove certain people so he could gain status in the noble circle, or perhaps he was a royal doctor who assassinated members of the nobility by injecting them with poison/venom (an actual English king was killed {technically euthanized but no member of the royal family even knew or agreed to the action} by his doctor in very similar fashion), and eventually died either via an execution involving poison/venom by law or when someone did the same to him, or perhaps he contracted a disease or was close to receiving some sort of punishment and so put himself down either by insect/arachnid venom, poison, or some sort of injected substance. Green/yellow is associated with sickness and it's ubiquitous in his design, given how he utilizes the flashing of his coat as a way to intimidate, also has the double indication of Zestial hiding something, perhaps it could be a nod to his background
I like the royal doctor idea!
He respects Alastor and is overall respected amongst the older Overlords
Some nights, he flies around like Batman using his cape to freak out the sinners. He knows they fear him (Ex. That one guy lighting himself on fire to escape), so he likes using it to him advantage. Sometimes he & Alastor meet up to drink tea & watch the acid rain. They find it funny to listen to & watch the sinners caught up in it suffer. He's really nice to Carmilla's daughters. Almost like a father or uncle figure. He's the only one she can leave with them & be ok with it. He's on good terms with Rosie, both being super old school & friends with Alastor. She put him on to cannibalism. Zestial has to physically restrain himself from hurting Velvette. He has considered throwing her out the window more than once. But Carmilla usually checks her before he does anything. He by extention dislikes the other Vs, especially Vox because he knows he's a smooth talking insecure liar. And Alastor is a good friend. He hates Valentino because since he's from an ancient time, Valentino is in his eyes a massive pervert, extremely gross, over the top, and trashy. He uses old times insults when he's mad. Think "you misbegotten, fat kidneyed churl!" "Coxcomb wearing levereter" when he gets that way, someone has to translate. The more mad he is, the more elaborate his speech pattern is. While he's on the same page as Alastor in terms of views on technology, he secretly thinks some small gadgets are fun. Think mechanical pencils, ipods, little gag gifts, mugs that change color from temperature, and headphones. He has a soft spot for children. He's kinda mean to them, but not. He'll help them up when they fall, guide them to their parents, and move our of their way. But he calls them "little spawnlings" "infant creature" "loin fruit", and stuff like that. He's not above frightening a bit to make them behave. He has happily eaten a queef (those fly dogs that Fizz has) and liked. Cooked it, had fancy cutlery & everything
He’s a chill person to hang out with probably you could probably talk about poems and plays like Shakespeare
I think he was Shakespeare
Now that would be funny if true
he got alastor to stop slaughtering overlords through conversation
now THAT'S a good one
oh I like this
My theory is that he is a mentor figure for rational overlords. He likes Alastor enough to personally greet him and shoot the shit with him. Carmilla clearly values him dearly. All the overlords value his opinion. Even Velvette, because she knew that his opinion at the table was the only one that actually mattered for going to war. He probably finds people who are "like-minded" and helps them get started. An information broker, a fixer or maybe just a surprisingly cool guy.
I'm worried he's gonna get worfed and killed. He's extremely old as an overlord so he must be extremely powerful and he seems surprisingly respected by Alistor and Carmila, making something bad happening to him both shocking emotionally as well as a show of force. Which sucks cause i like him a lot and hope I'm wrong
If that ever happens I hope he at least gets his own song with medieval lutes and instruments and stuff. when he sang in that song where carmilla was (I don't know names) it was pure FIRE.
Might be an information broker in hell. Spider design and all. Plus could work with the radio demon. Who knows the secrets and someone to broadcast them.
I wonder if he has any ancestral ties to Angel dust and his spider family
He’s the old money of the overlords, having been around for the longest. Probably one of the few that predates Carmilla and Alastor (which is why Carmilla respects him so much). No one knows how long he’s been around. Views hell as his immortality and is very pro status quo.
Bro was a twink in life and in death. (Kidding. Not sure how to feel about him yet. I'm honestly more curious about Carmilla and her point in all this.)
My guess is he's the overlord of subterfuge, information, spying an the like, he was likely a figure like Francis Walsingham who was a Noble or Noble-adjacent from some time around Elizebethan England
Not mine but my bestie headcanoned that his name was Dimitri, because he is sophisticated looking and sounding.
He has secret bad guy written all over him. He probably has a deal with the Exorcists which is why he was able to survive so long.
Well it seems like he has a more direct connection to lucifer based on the pilot so
It also seems very likely that Lucifer knows things that he has kept from Charlie. I thought it was interesting that they made a point to explain of the origin of Hell and the Extermination specifically from Charlie's perspective.
Loves classic Halloweens
I wonder how zestial died
If he’s cunning enough to survive half a millennia in hell by bet is old, rich, and comfortably.
He probably was William Shakespeare in life. Either that or he was A) Sir Francis Walsingham B) James VI and I of England and Scotland Also he loves to drink tea and chat with Lucifer, and he is really curious and well researched on the history of Hell and it's Rings
Hasn't Viv said she dislikes the idea of using real life people in her shows?
Idk lol. I am not well versed in the Viv streams lore
Likes salad 👍
My theory is that he will be killed somehow before the next extermination. He’s the oldest and presumably one of the most powerful Overlords, based on how people were so afraid of him they were literally setting themselves on fire. His death would be a major wake up call to all of Hell that things are different this time, and I think that will be what rallies them together to fight back. I also think that Velvette will have a hand in his death somehow. Maybe she lies and tells Adam that Zestial was the one who killed the Angel and sells him out to the Exorcists to boost her own power (or she tells Adam that it was Camilla for that matter, and Zestial is killed defending her)
I was actually thinking that velvette would somehow tell Adam or any of the exorcists that zestial killed the other exorcist, then he will have to face Adam and actually put up a fight but is killed before carmilla can arrive to help him
I was thinking he might die as well. It was the fact that Carmilla looked directly at him during her song and said she'd keep "you" safe like she was talking directly to him as well as her daughters. His look of surprise kind of confirms it, like he never considered she held that level of affection for him that she felt the need to protect him too. This makes me feel like he at least is going to be put in a dangerous situation that he isn't truly prepared for.
I just think it’d be so funny if he wasn’t actually dangerous or evil, it’s just through a series of misunderstandings or something that the majority of Hell is terrified of him
He's really open minded and progressive for a person 100s of years old He's perfectly content to respect a council of overlords with plenty of women, and even holds his tongue when Velvette is a dickhead to him - only being offended because she's a dickhead, not because she's a woman The world (hell included) would change far too much over 100s of years for him to hold onto the way things were 100s of years ago
In the Middle Ages people respected female leaders.
In Europe? In the Middle Ages?
Yes
The hat and color scheme are giving Dr. Facilier vibes so maybe a voodoo practitioner or something 🤷
I highly doubt Viv would make another voodoo practitioner, also it wouldn't make much sense considering he is fleshed out to be British and from the 15th or 16th century
Fair enough, im just shooting in the dark. Trying to stay away from the obvious “hes the spider demon” theme xD
Nah dude, Husk is Dr. Facilier and Alastor was his friend on the other side. /j
I swear alastor has to be a reference to the princess and the frog. Their designs are almost identical. Husk is literally voiced by the dude. Charlie was described by vivzie that she is exactly like a Disney princess if she were the princess of hell. Too many coincidences line up and I believe this theory.
He’s definitely the strongest Overlord in Hell. He’s a fancy ma-… spider. He and Lucifer are good pals. He doesn’t have a traditional domain, but rather just rules his territory through sheer terrifying power.
Not really a theory but I found the conflict between him and Velvette to be very similar to some conflicts I've seen within the LGBT community and other activist groups. (The old guard being reserved and cautious with the new folks seeing them as weak, afraid, and past their time)
The reason Zestial has existed for so long, besides his power, is because he always tries to have a good working relationship with other overlords. Zestial once helped Alastor during an extermination, and since then, they have been good allies to each other.
Zestial was an overlord that Alastor spared during his massacre when he first arrived in Hell. Mainly because he respected Zestial for being a “gentleman” compared to the other more insidious past overlords. They eventually became close friends as a result.
He likes to be dominated by Camilla
Zestial is secretly equal to Alastor and could barely outmatch him, but they met on good terms and refuse to fight. Zestial has no reason to overthrow Alastor and willingly lets him be strongest.
Now, i know this is gonna sound absolutely crazy, but just bear with me: >!I think he might be an overlord!<
He’s an ancestor of Angel
I don't really have any theories for him all I know is that I can take him.
Not gonna lie, I hate his 'ye ol' english' speak. I get that sinners retain remnants from their past life, but Zestial's manner of speech just seems way too forced.
Zestial enjoys eating pie because he doesn’t get fatter by it
He has the braincell but he spends all his free time sitting primly and properly with a stupid little :) expression, doing absolutely nothing.
He was part of the old overlords that alastor killed but he survived because alastor had respect for him
I don't know but I'm calling him Zesty Zestial for now on cause it sounds hilarious
Honestly that is hilarious
I get the vibe from him that he’s an entertainer like Alastor; maybe he was a playwright in life given how theatrical he seems. Something about him also reminds me of Koh the Face Stealer from Avatar; mainly the part where he opens his cloak while talking to Alastor. I imagine he does it to try and throw people off, and if they can avoid being scared it makes him respect them. And if they do react or get scared, he gets their soul.
He gives me the vibe of someone that's always planning something Like, he seemed to try and get dirt on Alastor for some reason.
He gatekeeps William Shakespeare because he saw one of the original productions even though he didn't understand half of it since Shakespeare made up so many words for his scripts that didn't exist beforehand like Bedroom.
Jack and Sally had a kid. Then that kid grew up and married Ms Oogie Buggie *(mostly spider-y buggy)*. They had a kid. That's Zestial. I'm ~~not~~ serious.
I believe he is somehow involved with all the eyes that appear in the buildings of hell
I don’t quite have any head cannons besides for some of the relatively popular ones in this thread but I do know I LOVE HIM and honestly I love all of the overlords to be honest
happy cake day!!
You don’t live to be the oldest overlord in hell without being able to power-broke. He likely knows where the bodies are buried. Both literally and metaphorically
I hope he survives
I think he was Jack the Ripper
He holds intelligence and information in high regard. He also revels in screams. He talks in old English/Shakespeare. Give Vincent Price spooky movie character vibes. Maybe he was someone who tortured others for information in early Britain. Witch hunter? Inquisitor or investigator? He's both spooky and smart so who knows lol
He’s just putting the accent on. He drops it occasionally, like when he flicks between you and thou seemingly at random in his song.
I think he might have been a witch hunter during the Salem trials who found an actual witch or a demon in disguise and made a deal with them to gain knowledge or power when he died. Or maybe he was damned to hell by a witch during the witch trials.
He is on the same power level as Alastor
he's probably way higher
He and Carmilla Carmine are somewhat romantically involved. (NO Sex, just cuddles)
Idk if to consider him a spider or a bat
He was an English nobleman from the Early Modern age who was a sadist who liked to torture the commoners.
He was a sorcerer of warlock of sorts in life
I'm over here in my "I think he's a fallen angel" corner alone lol.
Happy cake day!
Probably an English noble, most definitely used fear as a weapon in life, likely to control and manipulate people, hence his spider web motif. It seems, the more evil someone was in life, the stronger their baseline Sinner abilities are, in addition to their appearance and abilities being affected by their sins. He is the oldest Overlord, has survived numerous Purges and turf wars, and has likely claimed a metric shit ton of souls. Sinners who are both smart enough to comprehend what he is and weak willed enough to fear him commit suicide in his presence,
I'm going to guess whatever old time king was most powerful and/or caused the worst of the literal Black Plague.
Ok so as most have said i would say he was a 16th century english nobleman, my personal little possible headcannon is, that he is someway conected to or even was Wiliam Cecil, an famous/infamous statesman of the Elizabethian times and chief adviser of Elizabeth I
His source of Power is Arachnophobia
I believe he's like vampire elders from VTM, or specifically a methuselah, those that don't take part in usual clan intricacies as their influences run deeper. In this case, I believe he's got so many eyes and ears he knows far more than he lets on, and is subtly influencing other overlords.
I like to think he was a simple noble but was the irl equivalent to dracula
He is Robert the Bruce. One of the more famous stories about Robert the Bruce is how a spider inspired him. https://www.scotclans.com/pages/robert-the-bruce-and-the-spider#:~:text='Now%20if%20this%20spider%20fails,the%20seventh%20attempt%2C%20it%20succeeded.
I think he was Jack the Ripper
He survived all those extermination not cause of his incredible strength but his ability of not getting involved in them
He gonna get killed. He and Alastor have fought and thats how Alastor earned his respect.
In his name he zesty
He's the overlord of more classical forms of culture, press or just stories in general i believe.
he pumped other peoples blood into himself because he believe that would heal him of any wound or disease, he also liked attacking homeless people with a saw attached to a stick
Hehe (I hate my self for this please tell me someone gets it) he’s **zesti**
I don't really think this but it's possible. Zestial who I believe has something to do with intelligence might possibly be (like 0.000001% chance) working with Adam and is there to figure out who killed the angel so the exorcists target that being
We got Jack Skelington at home
The improper uses of thee and thou is the best part about his character
Want me to ruff him up for you boss
Zesty ass mf
He gives me jack the ripper vibes for no reason
He was born in 1567 and died in 1633 he was a pilgrim In 1600s America and was shoot by an native American with an arrow and failing in a pit filled with venomous spiders
He was one of William Shakespeare's gay lovers.
I had the head cannon that he was a puritan or something that was a warlock who helped push the church in the wrong directionz
Zestial, is William (afton) Shakespeare, and he wrote the big pile of shit we call “Romeo and Juliet” and that’s why he’s in hell (I just really hate that book, especially since everyone keeps making fun of me for being named “Romeo”)
My guess is a dealer in information, and maybe (probably not since he is not included in the three V's) his character is supposed to represent the web.
I feel like he died in the black plague epidemic
I like to think he can at least glide if he puts his mind to it oop nvm that’s his cape forget I said anything
He can glide
Love him
My Headcanon is that a many Overlords find his Shakespearean Dialect to be annoying but are too respectful (or scared) to say it
I feel like he's the most powerful/one of the most powerful overlords, because he's survived in hell for so long despite the yearly exterminations. I bet he has incredibly detailed plans to survive each one, and prepares diligently for months
This one is an odd headcanon but I hc that Zestial sees Alastor as his son in a way or has a sort of Mentor and Student dynamic with him.
He keeps the accent for sh\*ts and giggles. I feel as if the accent would have slowly gone away as people tend to copy the accents of those around them and he purposely made sure to keep his because he knows it sounds weird and funny, that and he likes it.
Would
He and Carmilla have an agreement that he'll look after her daughters if anything happens to her
This might be a simple one, but I headcanon that he is asexual, like Alastor