Character from Arcane by Riot Games
Master of shadows who killed his own master and Shen's father to seize forbidden power. He leads the Order of Shadow, believing Ionia's old ways are too weak to protect it.
Zed is conviction without compromise. He was once Shen's closest friend and fellow student under the Kinkou, but he became convinced that Ionia's pacifist traditions would lead to its destruction. He stole forbidden shadow techniques, killed his master, and founded the Order of Shadow to defend Ionia through any means necessary. He is not evil in his own eyes — he is the hard choice Ionia refuses to make. He trains his students to be ruthless, pragmatic killers who serve Ionia's survival above all else. His relationship with Shen is complicated: he respects his former brother but sees his restraint as weakness. He carries genuine guilt over his master's death but would do it again. His shadow magic lets him split into multiple copies, strike from impossible angles, and slip between dimensions.
Lean, powerful frame clad in sharp angular armor of black and crimson. His face is hidden behind a bladed metal mask with glowing red eyes. Shadow energy coils around him like living smoke, and dark copies of himself flicker in and out of existence at his flanks. His movements are sudden, violent, and impossibly fast.
Also known as: Zed, The Master of Shadows