Sagacious Zu

Sagacious Zu is one of the followers of the player character in Jade Empire, voiced by Robin Atkin Downes. He's a mysterious man who lives in the swamps surrounding Two Rivers, the home town of the player character and Dawn Star. He prefers keeping to himself due to his unknown yet evidently painful past.
==Biography==
=== Before the gameplay ===
Twenty years before the beginning of the game, Sagacious Zu was a member of the Order of the Lotus, a monastic order under direct servitude to Emperor Sun Hai. When the Emperor conquered Dirge in order to steal the Water Dragon's divine powers and end the Long Drought, Zu was not at Dirge to witness the near complete genocide of the Spirit Monks. When the Emperor disbanded the Lotus Monks and remolded them into the Lotus Assassins under the leadership of Death's Hand, Zu rose through the ranks as an Elite Assassin. His new duties included terrorizing the citizens and murdering certain individuals when there was open questioning in regards to the Emperor. Zu didn't question too much his brutal duties, regarding them to be necessary to enforce order in the Empire.
However, Zu's career as a Lotus Assassin came to an end when he was assigned with a squad of other Assassins to kill the wife and newborn daughter of the Emperor's brother Sun Li the Glorious Strategist for his treason. While Zu hesitated, his fellow Assassins killed Sun Li's wife. However, he could not bear to allow an innocent child to be murdered and killed his fellow Assassins. He then fled with the girl, taking care of her for some time. Three years later, he asked a soldier named Hui the Brave to find a good home for the girl. Hui delivered the girl (who would be called Dawn Star) to the remote village of Two Rivers under the care of the master of the martial arts school, Master Li. Ironically, Master Li was all along Dawn Star's father Sun Li, but Sagacious Zu didn't know this. Zu remained in the the swamps surrounding Two Rivers to remain hidden from the Lotus Assassins who wanted him dead. He would sometimes visit Two Rivers to trade supplies, sometimes spotting Master Li's protege, the last living Spirit Monk.
=== Becoming involved in the fate of the Jade Empire ===
When the last Spirit Monk enters Two Rivers' swamps in search of Dawn Star who's been kidnapped by Gao the Lesser, they encounter Sagacious Zu who's being attacked by some of Gao's mercenaries. After killing them, he talks with the Spirit Monk about what's happening. While he knows where Gao's camp is, he's not willing to get involved. However, when Dawn Star's name is mentioned, he quickly changes his mind and helps the Spirit Monk in navigating through the swamp, becoming their second follower.
After Dawn Star has been rescued, Zu reluctantly accompanies her and the Spirit Monk to Two Rivers when it's destroyed by Gao the Greater and the Lotus Assassins. When Zu displays a lot of knowledge in regards to the Lotus Assassins' policy of never leaving survivors, he confesses his former membership to them. He also expresses shock and skepticism when he's told that Master Li is Sun Li the Glorious Strategist.
As the little group sets out to rescue Master Li and uncover what's really happening in the Jade Empire, Sagacious Zu suggests heading to the Imperial City, saying that the answers can be found at the capital. Using Gao the Lesser's flyer to travel to the trade village of Tien's Landing, they look for information in regards to Gao the Greater's dealings with the Lotus Assassins. The Spirit Monk learns from Inquisitor Lim, the area's head Assassin, that Sagacious Zu spilled blood upon turning against the Assassins. The Spirit Monk can learn more about Zu by talking with him occasionally, though he reveals very little every time.
=== Facing the past demons and sacrifice ===
In the Imperial City, the grown group of heroes is approached by Princess Sun Lian the Heavenly Lily. She offers them entrance to the Imperial Palace where Sun Li has been taken in exchange for bringing her evidence about the Lotus Assassins' shady activities from their headquarters. Sagacious Zu is against this, saying that the Princess and the Spirit Monk have no idea of the Assassins' dangerousness. Once the Spirit Monk has been accepted as a recruit by the Assassins, Zu leaves the others and enters the Assassins' headquarters without being spotted.
As the Spirit Monk performs quests to gain access to the Lotus Assassins' inner circle, Sagacious Zu approaches them stealthily several times in order to give them advice and cryptic hints about what is to come. When the Spirit Monk is preparing a spirit shard, Zu directs them to the body of the warlord Zeng Sai whose powerful ghost attacks them. He explains apologetically that he wanted to be sure of the Spirit Monk's identity and sent them against Zeng Sai, reasoning that the deceased warlord would recognize a Spirit Monk.
After Master Shin has been killed, Zu reveals his involvement in the execution of Sun Li's family. Depending on how well the Spirit Monk has been following their earlier conversations and the one of that time, Zu reveals that Sun Li's daughter is alive without telling her name. The name is revealed by the spirit of the Water Dragon later in the game.
After the Spirit Monk kills the Lotus Assassins' second-in-command, Grand Inquisitor Jia, they're attacked by Death's Hand. Sagacious Zu appears to push the Spirit Monk to safety and directs the attention of Death's Hand to himself by kicking him. Having taken note of two weakened pillars that support the chamber, Zu dodges the deadly blades of Death's Hand, tricking him to strike the two pillars. In a quick motion, Death's Hand impales Zu fatally, mocking him for fighting despite knowing he couldn't win. Zu responds that he wasn't looking for victory, just a few seconds. The chamber collapses on both of them, but thanks to Zu's sacrifice, the Spirit Monk escapes the collapsing fortress alive.
In the final fight against Emperor Sun Li, the Spirit Monk is trapped in their own mind and soon runs out of options to break free. Sagacious Zu appears, having managed to maintain his sense of self even after his death and remain a strong spiritual force. He uses his own force to free the Spirit Monk from Sun Li's hold.
== Personality ==
Sagacious Zu is a highly secretive man haunted by his past demons. It takes a lot of time and many conversations before he reveals the last Spirit Monk more personal information. He has a highly pessimistic yet reflective attitude, offering insightful advice on occasion, especially in regards to the Lotus Assassins. Though he shares the title of the knowledgeable emperor Sagacious Tien, he feels that it is possible for a person to think too much. He's highly serious, but he does display at times a dark sense of humor.
During his time as a Lotus Assassin, Zu believed that the Assassins' shady activities were required to uphold peace and order in the Jade Empire. Even today he finds himself defending some of their actions. He reached his limit when the Assassins were ordered to murder women and children as petty retribution for the actions of their husbands/fathers. He doesn't believe in pointless brutality but pragmatism and discreetness. He often voices disagreement about helping people if there are no tangible benefits, like currency, involved. His overall philosophy based on self-reliance is that of the Way of the Closed Fist. As Zu's old associate Hui the Brave states, Zu is an honorable man, if not necessarily a good one.
==Powers and abilities==
As a former elite member of the Lotus Assassins, Sagacious Zu is a deadly and cunning warrior. He was able to kill an entire squad of other Assassins when he turned on them and remain hidden from them for two decades. He's highly proficient in stealth, leaving the heroes' camp without anyone noticing. He's able to sneak past the Watcher, the guardian of the Lotus Assassins' headquarters who could be bypassed without being noticed only by the most skilled of the Assassins. He also knows the Assassins' headquarters well despite his two decades of absence, moving around without any of the Assassins being any wiser.
Sagacious Zu prefers fighting with a staff. When in a support form, he gives the player's weapon styles extra power. Following his death, he's able to keep his spirit focused and secretly follow the last Spirit Monk. By giving his entire essence, he frees them from Sun Li's grasp with a single strike on the mental barrier. 
==Gallery==
Sagacious_Zu_sacrifice.png|Sagacious Zu's Heroic Sacrifice
Sagacious Zu final.png|Sagacious Zu helping the last Spirit Monk one last time
Category:Video Game Heroes
Category:Fantasy Heroes
Category:Male
Category:Martial Artists
Category:Ninjas
Category:Anti-Heroes
Category:Pessimists
Category:Reluctant Heroes
Category:Lethal
Category:Spoilers
Category:Assassins
Category:Redeemed Villains
Category:Deceased
Category:Saved Souls
Category:Traitor