Zanoba Shirone

Zanoba is the third prince of the Kingdom of Shirone (Pax's elder brother) and a Divine Child: he is endowed with superhuman strength. This uncontrollable power turned to tragedy — through carelessness he killed his own younger brother Julius; later it is in his honor that he will name his apprentice Julie.

Being a prince, he enters the Ranoa Magic University as a specially admitted student.

Zanoba is a tall prince with a majestic bearing and a pointedly self-important manner. He is ordinarily dressed in a clean robe, though he himself, it seems, never launders it or cares about soiling his clothes, sitting right down on the floor to examine a figurine.

Behind the pompous facade of a prince hides an obsessed fanatic of figurines: at the sight of a skillfully made doll he falls into a tender, almost reverent rapture. He is indifferent to women, but passionate about the craft. He reveres Rudeus as his "master" with selfless devotion and vows never to lie to him.

He is forthright, ardent, and touchingly loyal; at decisive moments — for instance, covering his master in battle — he is ready to hold off the enemy "at the cost of his own life."

Zanoba first crosses paths with Rudeus back in the Kingdom of Shirone, enthralled by a figurine of Ruijerd (and a figurine of Roxy) of his making. At the Ranoa Magic University he becomes a devoted student and ally of Rudeus in a great undertaking — the creation and sale of dolls. So that he might have "hands," he buys a slave at the market — the girl Julie, whom he treats not as a slave but as a junior apprentice, and teaches her silent earth magic.

Together with Rudeus and Cliff he takes part in dangerous adventures (the clash with Atofe in Perugius's fortress, where lightning magic nearly kills him) and in the "Demon-race dolls" project. With Ariel's support, a sponsor and workshops are arranged for it. In the Shirone arc, Zanoba makes his choice, getting involved in the affairs of his home kingdom and his brother Pax.

In the final war against the Man-God, Zanoba fights on the front line as a tank, covering his master, and experiences the first "muscle ache" of his life. He survives; after the war he leads the reconstruction and continues the doll business. Together with Norn he publishes "Tales of the Superd Race" — a book that helps clear the name of Ruijerd's people.

As a Divine Child, Zanoba possesses colossal physical strength — so much so that as a child he inadvertently broke even a Demon Spear and killed his younger brother. In battle he serves as a reliable "shield," taking blows upon himself.

At the same time he himself is devoid of magical talent, and in the doll craft he is indispensable rather as an organizer and connoisseur with a deep understanding of figurines — while the fine work is done by his hands, the apprentice Julie, and Rudeus himself.