Horror in the Hollows

The Haunted Housekeepers

Zenless Zone Zero is an action game by Hoyoverse (known for Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail) that consists of various factions of Hollow Raiders, brave warriors who explore the numerous Hollows across the world. One such faction we meet during Chapter 3 of the main story is the Victoria Housekeeping Company. Introduced to us in the chilly Ballet Twins Hollow (named after the dilapidated building which makes up the greater portion of the area), everything about their appearance in the hollow is saturated in an eerie atmosphere. Even artwork depicting the group, as seen above, is most often cold, mysterious, and haunting. This depiction is, of course, by design; each member of the Victoria Housekeeping Company is in fact inspired by classic creatures in horror.

Corin Wicke

To begin, we'll take the character of Corin Wickes, who was actually first introduced back in Chapter 1 of the story. While it may not be obvious by her stature, she is inspired by Frankenstein's Monster, especially as depicted by Boris Karloff, as pictured above. Her pale green hair references the rotting flesh of the monster, and her accessories that resemble mechanical bolts are a clear reference to the bolts extending from the monster's neck. The chain around her waist and large cuffs around her wrists represent the desire of the public to cage the monster, but when combined with her massive sawblade weapon, it may also be a reference to "slasher flicks" in general--a subgenre of horror that places emphasis on gorey deaths performed by an iconic killer.

Ellen Joe

Not all iconic killers are humanoid, however, and Ellen Joe represents those animalistic forces of nature like the shark from Jaws. While the most direct reference is likewise the most obvious, Ellen can also be considered representative of any and all horror "villains" that are less like malignant murderers and more like natural disasters. That said, her weapon of choice is a pair of hedge-clippers stylized to look like the jaws of a shark. This design choice may be a nod at the more "whodunit" style of film that, while leaning more into the mystery genre, still oftentimes classifies as horror. Likewise, it may also reference the use of the typically iconic and oftentimes makeshift weapons employed by killers and heroes alike!

Alexandrina Sebastiane

Alexandrina Sebastiane (I love that overly-fancy name) is a less specific reference to another classic horror creature: the ghost. Ghast, ghoul, phantom, or whatever you may call it, Rina's long, flowing dress and pale skin and hair is a direct comparison to common depictions of the spectral undead in many forms. One specific example that comes to my mind is Jacob Marley, from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, as he appears in the 1970 film adaptation simply called Scrooge (pictured above). While the specialized Bangboos she uses as weapons can float around her using electromagnetism, even she herself can use this same power to hover above the ground, adding to her eerie, supernatural aesthetic. Her use of electricity may even be a nod to the "dark and stormy night" upon which many a haunted tale takes place.

Von Lycaon

At last, we come to Von Lycaon himself. This one should be rather obvious: he's a wolfman. There isn't a whole lot more to write home about as far as we know in Chapter 3, but Lycaon has come up once again in recent story events involving another character: Hugo Vlad. As his name implies, this creates an interesting dynamic.

Of Wolf and Bat

Hugo Vlad, while not a member of Victoria Housekeeping, is a member of a group called Mockingbird, which which Lycaon was formerly associated. As his last name implies (so heavily, in fact, I'd be shocked if you DIDN'T get it), he is a reference to vampires such as Count Vlad Dracula himself. Throughout the events of the Act I Epilogue, we learn that Hugo and Lycaon shared a mentor in a man named Jack and, after his death, the pair formed Mockingbird in an effort to act out the ideals they all shared. The two had differing views on what Jack's teachings truly meant, however, leading to a dramatic falling out between the two.

Vampires and Werewolves have developed a sort of rivalry in pop-culture over the years. There seems to be practically zero historical precedent for this, as tales of Vampires and Werewolves respectively were, well, just that. For the common man of the past several centuries, one inhuman monster was more than enough to deal with, and to have more than one in any given story detracts from the power of the one. In the 21st century, however, it has become more and more commonplace to pit the two against each other. Personally, I suspect the 2003 film Underworld to be the origin of this trend.

In the film and its sequels, Lycans (from the word lycanthrope meaning "wolf-man") are portrayed as an oppressed group of slaves tyrannized by the Vampires before rising up in revolt and beginning a war that takes place behind the scenes of normal everyday life. Over the course of the film, we're introduced to Michael Corwin, a descendant of one of three brothers, the other two of whom were the very first Werewolf and Vampire. In Michael, there is the potential for the mingling of the two species, creating a hybrid that is more powerful than either of the others combined.

The Vampire vs Werewolf trope continued in film, television, and--as we've seen above--video games. While earlier iterations were a bit more schoolyard-playground, "wouldn't it be cool if" kind of battles, over time the dichotomy took on a more archetypal aspect. While both Vampires and Werewolves are different forms of cursed humanoid (mileage may vary due to artistic liberties), this opens the door for comparison in storytelling.

Vampires are often depicted as suave, sociable, seductive creatures that exist within the upper echelons of human society, their immortal nature allowing for them to accrue wealth beyond imagining. Their manner of dress is most often Victorian, but no matter what era they are in or originate from, they prefer to dress in whatever is considered "high fashion." In this way, they're often seen as aristocratic, pompous, and rather representative of culture when pitted against the Werewolf.

While Vampires are able to maintain a humanoid form in their exploits (though they can transform in many different ways at will), Werewolves are defined by their ability to transform. Whether beneath the full moon or whenever they wish, whether under their own power or against their will, a werewolf is a werewolf because it can change. This human-animal duality allows for an obvious association with nature and the wild.

Culture vs Nature, Composed vs Wild, Dexterous Precision vs Raw Strength, Hot-Blooded Animal vs Cold, Undead Flesh; the dynamic of the Vampire & Werewolf pairing can be as varied as anything. I find it particularly fascinating how Zenless Zone Zero flips this dynamic on it's head: despite being inspired by werewolves, Von Lycaon is the picture of refinement. Elegant and proper, even his signature Weapon Engine is called "The Restrained." Striving to live by his mentor Jack's code, his stringent personality clashes with Hugo's flippant, devil-may-care personality. Despite idolizing Jack, Hugo believes that some crimes are unforgivable and can only be punished by death, and so carries on the Mockingbird name in his own cold way.

With the release of Version 1.7's story Bury Your Tears with the Past - Part 2 recently released in Zenless Zone Zero, it seems that the tale of Lycaon and Hugo is far from over. While I have yet to play that section of the story, the teasers released in previous weeks seem to be bringing these two former friends back together for a begrudging, buddy-cop tale of intrigue. That said, I do wonder if the rest of the members of the Victoria Housekeeping Company will make an appearance, either to help or hinder their beloved hound as he deals with his past. I will be excited to write more about it once I've seen for myself what the game has in store.