| “ | I have been awaken to carry out 3,000 years of vengeance. | „ |
| ~ Zen-Aku to the Wild Force Rangers |
Zen-Aku is a powerful Wolf Duke Org and the anti-hero from Power Rangers Wild Force.
He was voiced by first Dan Woren and then Lex Lang, who also voiced Ecliptor in Power Rangers In Space.
Personality
Zen-Aku is a Duke Org who works by himself most of the time, but is in truth he feels very lonely. He told his former host Merrick he (Zen-Aku) was "cast aside, discarded, rejected". His interest with a fellow lone wolf Merrick was stemmed from the time they merged into a singular being via cursed wolf mask Zen-Aku was sealed within, resulting the wolf Org displayed mixed characteristics of an Org and human (honorable behavior and ability to bleed when injured). Before either he or Merrick realized what's going on at that time however Nayzor used his bug to erase the latter's influence over him, resulting Zen-Aku's side became dominant albeit completely under Nayzor's control. Yet, despite regaining his freedom and powers following his separation from Merrick later on, Zen-Aku opted to merge with the Ranger once again with any means necessary despite it risked his powers became fragmented to both his host and the purified Dark Wild Zord.
After being resurrected a second time, Zen-Aku has mellowed down and is seeking redemption, no longer interested in forcing Merrick to refuse with him and when Merrick invited Zen-Aku to join him, he referred to Merrick as an "old friend".
History
Bonding to Merrick
The Cursed Wolf Mask.
Not much is known about Zen-Aku's origins, except that his spirit was locked inside a cursed wolf mask. After the defeat of Animus at the hands of Master Org, Merrick decided that his only hope of stopping him was a legend about a cursed mask that could bestow great power upon the wearer. He found his way into the lair of the Org General, Nayzor, where he found the mask of Zen-Aku. Merrick put it on and gained its powers, using the Predazord to destroy Master Org, but immediately afterwards, the wolf mask seized control of his mind, merging him with and transforming him into Zen-Aku.
Zen-Aku being sealed by the 5 guardians.
With what humanity he had left, Merrick begged the other guardians of the Animarium to destroy him, but they refused to destroy their friend. Instead, the guardians sealed Zen-Aku in an underground tomb, where he remained for 3,000 years.
Return
However, 3,000 years later, Zen-Aku was released by Nayzor to destroy the present day Animaria Guardians, the Wild Force Power Rangers. He possessed no memory of his past, only that he wanted to destroy the rangers in vengeance for their predecessors sealing him. Zen-Aku proved able to fight the rangers quite well, even using his own Wildzords, and succeeded in stealing the Elephant, Giraffe, Black Bear, and Polar Bear Animal Crystals and adding them to his collection of Dark Wildzords. However, as time went by, Zen-Aku's past nature began revealing itself. Once he found the White Ranger, Alyssa, injured at the hands of Toxica, and bandaged her up instead of finishing her.
Another time, Zen-Aku saved a wolf/dog pup when it was in danger from his fellow Orgs, even attacking Toxica to protect it. He began to become confused, even more so when he started to have flashbacks of his past. Zen-Aku began to doubt himself even more when the spirit of Animus began to appear before him, telling him to "Remember", which confused the ranger as well, especially after Princess Shayla saw Zen-Aku bleeding (which Orgs are unable to do) and they saw his actions. As he came even closer and closer to realizing the truth, Nayzor eventually used an insect that took possession of the wolf Org's mind and made him into his willing servant.
Breaking Free
However Princess Shayla had begun to piece together the truth and later, Animus managed to cause a lunar eclipse that allowed Merrick to take back control. He told the rangers' what had happened to him, but then the eclipse ended, changing him back into Zen-Aku. Shayla managed to piece everything together and realized that the curse came from the Predazord, because after Master Org's defeat, the wolf mask had made the Wolf, Hammerhead, and Alligator Wildzord's evil and their guardian along with them. Shayla then told the rangers that the only way to free Merrick was to defeat the Predazord, which they succeeded in doing with help from the new Armadillo and Rhino Wildzords.
Finishing Matters
Zen-Aku confronting Merrick.
However, Merrick and Zen-Aku had unfinished business with each other and thanks to the mask being broken, the Wolf Org returned, this time determined to remerge with Merrick. Now he was even stronger than the last time, which Shayla explained was because when they had been bonded, Zen-Aku's evil power had been divided between Merrick, Zen-Aku, and the Predazord, but with Merrick and the Predazord good again, the Wolf Org had all his power to himself. Zen-Aku battled Merrick and almost succeeded in his goal, but was eventually defeated again with use of the Predazord's Revolver Phantom attack and Merrick's use of a new pool trick he'd recently learned combined with the Armadillo Zord.
Seeking Redemption
Despite Zen-Aku's apparent destruction, he returned once again following the final destruction of Master Org. Seeking redemption, Zen-Aku decided to join Merrick in traveling the world.
Powers and Abilities
Zen-Aku's Wildzords combined as the Dark Predazord.
Zen-Aku is quite powerful, able to take on all five of the rangers in close combat without too much difficulty. In battle, he wields a large crescent shaped blade that he can use to send out crescent shaped waves of energy. When Zen-Aku was bonded with Merrick, he played a knife shaped flute to summon the Dark Wildzords and could use his powers to corrupt Animal Crystals, in order to add the Wildzords they represent to his collection of Dark Wildzords. Zen-Aku's powers wax and wane with the moon, at the full moon he is at his strongest and when there is no moon, his powers were diminished enough to allow Merrick to take control. Zen-Aku can also grow to giant size, as he demonstrated after being separated from Merrick and losing the Dark Wildzords.
Gallery
Trivia
- Zen-Aku's manner of summoning his Dark Wildzords by playing on his flute is similar to how Tommy Oliver summoned the Dragonzord by playing on his Dragon Dagger like a flute.
- Zen-Aku's name means "good-evil" in Japanese.
- When the Predazord was under Zen-Aku's control, its head resembled him.
- Up until episode "Unfinished Business", Wild Force Rangers believed Zen-Aku to be evil persona of Merrick manifested while being possessed by the Org's cursed wolf mask until the returned Zen-Aku himself revealed his true nature as a Duke Org, clarifying that he and Merrick are actually separate entities.
See also
- Duke Org Rouki - Super Sentai counterpart in Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger.
 Villains
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