Z

Z (pronounced "zed") is the primary antagonist of Xenoblade Chronicles 3. He is the leader of the Consuls and is often seen in an old Amphitheater.

Appearance and personality
Z is a man with pale skin, long white hair with bangs, red eyes, pointed ears, and sharp nails. He has purple cracks on his face and horns made of purple flames on his forehead. Z wears a cardinal Victorian-styled overcoat with silver trims and a tie-like decoration in the center. The coat has glowing purple lines running throughout. His pants and shoes are of the same color as his coat.

Z is usually calm and acts in a logical matter. He believes his "endless now" philosophy is the best course of action for mankind and has proclaimed himself the ruler of Aionios. Z is also quite manipulative, convincing N to join his cause in exchange of bringing M back to life as a Moebius, telling him to slaughter the people of the City. Z can be sadistic at times, such as reviving Crys and Joran as Moebius to pit them against the party, simply because it amuses him.

Story arc
Z is first seen during a meeting with the other Consuls after D returns from his battle with the party. He comments on the other Consuls' rowdiness, then discusses the flow of time, curious on how far the flow will bring the party this time.

Z is later seen watching the party's progression at the Amphitheater with N, X and Y, remarking that the eclipse draws near. Z then observes a battle between Kevesi and Agnian forces on the theater screen while R and V plays what appears to be the Aionios version of chess, before N is sent off to Keves Castle.

Z is briefly seen in the Amphitheater after X saved N's life at Agnus Castle Barbican, issuing N new orders telepathically.

Z is featured in a series of flashbacks involving Noah and Mio's past selves, usually trying to manipulate the former. He first appears in Noah's dream, conversing with Noah after Mio's death. He is later seen killing Noah, Mio, and several soldiers from the City in Origin. In another flashback, he is seen in the Amphitheater watching Noah's and Mio's past selves. He then successfully seduces Noah into choosing the "endless now", becoming the Moebius, N. In the last flashback, Z manipulates N into slaughtering the people of the city in exchange for bringing M back to life as a Moebius. When N initially refuses, he then attempts to dissolve M's body only for him to stop once N agrees to the task. After these flashbacks, the party identifies Z as their true adversary.

Z is seen with Y when an angry X returns to the Amphitheater after her scuffle with the party, complaining about how Noah has obtained the Sword of Origin, which Z acknowledges.

It is revealed by Nia that Z and Moebius are responsible for the improper fusion of the worlds where Keves and Agnus originated from, freezing them in place by taking over Origin and then imprisoning Melia to access Origin's memories to create a time loop.

In the Amphitheater, Z is seen watching Crys's past life, while conversing with a despondent N, with Z commenting on the Sword of the End, asking Crys (now a Consul) if he will confront Noah.

Z looks at the party on the theater screen after Crys was defeated, remarking that they wanted to change the world for others before angrily declaring to them that the world he created is a benefit to all living things.

As the party and the Lost Numbers approaches Origin in the newly assembled Bravery, Z watches their arrival on the screen before Origin rises from the Great Sea. Z then activates its defenses to fend off the invading Lost Numbers and the Colonies (even those that have not been freed from their Flame Clocks) in a last ditch effort to protect his "endless now" philosophy, destroying several colonies and Lost Number ships. Z then successfully convinces N to take up the Sword of the End for the "endless now", reminding him that he desires eternity.

When the party frees Melia from the Eternal Prison after they defeat N, she reveals that Z is not an individual, but rather humanity's fears and insecurities made manifest, the collective form of Moebius. She then reveals Z's location: the nucleus of Origin.

Noah and the party (accompanied by Monica, and Ghondor) finally reach him at the Amphitheater within the core of Origin. As the party's progression is shown on the screen, he invites them to come to on the stage. He then explains human nature and the endless now. Noah tells him the importance of choice and free will. Z retorts that free will is an illusion, and explains his motives. Z then explains that taking lives is why Aionios exists and proclaims himself as an embodiment of life, prompting several Consuls to materialize and applaud him. Noah then declares that he'll defy him, challenging his claim over his world before Z engages the party.

When Z's fight begins, he seals off the party's Ouroboros powers. As the battle progress he first freezes the floor, then sets it on fire, and finally in an effort to break their morale shows the party their worst memories on the screen (Lanz experiencing Joran's death; Sena experiencing Shania's betrayal; Eunie experiencing her past self being killed by D; Taion experiencing Nimue's sacrifice; Noah experiencing Mio's Homecoming and Mio experiencing Miyabi's sacrifice). This backfires, as the party's willpower lets them regain their Ouroboros powers.

After the battle, Noah plunges Lucky Seven into the stage, declaring the scenery a sham. This destroys the entire Amphitheater, the manifested Consuls, and apparently Z. But Z transforms into his true form: Z∞, a large face made of dark energy that resembles Z and can mimic others. He declares if Origin is restarted, time will flow once again and the worlds will overlap. He demands to know why the party wants to advance to the future. Noah answers that there should be a future where destruction doesn't happen. Z∞ retorts with his "endless now" philosophy. Z∞ then transforms Origin into an angelic form with tentacles and laser weapons, which begins to destroy Aionios. Z∞ then engages the party, then separates them, with the Kevesi side facing X∞, and the Agnian side facing Y∞. Melia and Nia then punches a hole into Origin, sending several of the party's recruited Heroes to assist them. Once both X∞ and Y∞ have been dealt with, both Queens joins the party in defeating Z∞.

After he is defeated, Z∞ declares his hatred of the new world. N and M's spirits then separate from Noah and Mio. N then tells the party that he is not Z or Moebius, but a single intense desire before finishing off Z∞ by sacrificing themselves, ending Z∞'s existence once and for all. After Z∞'s death, Origin restarts and time flows once again, with the worlds separating back into the worlds Bionis and Mechonis, and Alrest respectively.

After Noah uses Lucky Seven to destroy the Amphitheater, Z reveals his true form as a large face of dark energy which he can mimic specific people such as the party and his other Consuls. When he gains control of Origin, he is able to control its weapons.

Z is not an individual, but rather a concept. He is the collective form of the fear of the consciousnesses stored within Origin. He is also the collective form of Moebius; his Consuls are merely his avatars. However upon being defeated, he expresses hatred of the world.

As a boss
Z is the final boss of the game. He is fought in five phases. Even if the party is over leveled, Z is very difficult to defeat since it's impossible to save between phases.
 * Z (boss)
 * Z∞ (part 1)
 * X∞
 * Y∞
 * Z∞ (part 2)

Trivia

 * Z's overall appearance is similar to Xenogears' main antagonist, Krelian.
 * Z's true form is similar how Krelian took the form of a disembodied face when Fei encounters him in the Path of Sephirot.
 * Z's motives and nature are similar to Xenosaga's main antagonist, Wilhelm.
 * Neither are real beings. Z is a manifestation of the fear held by the consciousness stored in Origin, while Wilhelm was created by the Collective Unconscious to protect the Lower Domain.
 * Both treat the world as if it were entertainment, with Z seeing the world's events as a film, and Wilhelm seeing them as a play.
 * Both trap the world in a time loop to avoid a perceived catastrophe in the future. Z has frozen time at the point of the two worlds' collision, creating Aionios, the "endless now". Wilhelm resets time to before the universe's collapse, a cycle known as Eternal Recurrence.