Zed

Utterly ruthless and without mercy, Zed is the leader of the Order of Shadow, an organization he created with the intent of militarizing Ionia's magical and martial traditions to drive out Noxian invaders. During the war, desperation led him to unlock the secret shadow form—a malevolent spirit magic as dangerous and corrupting as it is powerful. Zed has mastered all of these forbidden techniques to destroy anything he sees as a threat to his nation, or his new order. A low class mother gave birth to Govos. When he was young, Govos saw his father walk out on their family. Born as a Northern peasant child, Govos was a servant at the Thaanjul monastery at around age 10. For two years, nobody from the Kinkou would claim him as their neophyte and apprentice. A servant boy whose duties included washing floors and cleaning dishes, he only had spare time to train in the evenings after all his work was done. As a child, it was his dream to become a Kinkou warrior. It was his hope that if he showed his determination, that Kusho wouldn't walk out on Govos the way his father had. The opportunity finally came to him when Master Kusho Master Kusho and his son Shen Shen walked up to Govos. Kusho ordered his son to spar with the servant child. Govos did not do well at first, but he continued to spar over and over again. On the last chance he had, Shen purposefully let Govos hit him. Govos' new family would nurse him back to health from the hours of sparring that occurred that day and Master Kusho would take Zed on as his student.

Getting the name Usan of Kéthé

At the age of around 15, Govos, Shen, and Master Kusho disguised themselves as merchants and journeyed to track down the Golden Demon. Pulling their supply cart, Govos and Shen discussed their childhood friend and Shen's now-future-fiancée, Yevnai. At the end of the cliffside, they see smoke and mutilated bodies for the first time. Kusho calls for them to aid Kotha Village's survivors. Govos is left to aid with healing and surgery, as he is less hesitant to make judgement calls. Govos heals and aids the wounded and through the traumatizing experience of letting some die, to save others, he learns a Kinkou lesson known as "The Lesson of the Scales". After the ordeal, Kusho sits beside his apprentice to give him the Amulet of the Eye of Twilight, as well as the name Usan. His new name is one of status and means "the strength of compassion" and is explained to him through tears that "it is the word for the pillar that bears the heaviest load".

Catching Khada Jhin

As Usan and Shen investigated the Golden Demon's killings, the trauma of seeing the gruesome crime scenes shook the two to their core. Eventually, they managed to catch the Golden Demon, revealed to be a stagehand named Khada Jhin Khada Jhin. Usan prepared to kill the criminal, but Kusho intervened, ordering Jhin to be imprisoned instead. Usan struggled in his studies as he was shaken by Jhin's crimes and the tensions between Noxus Crest icon Noxus' ongoing encroachment on Ionia Crest icon Ionia, disillusioning his perspective of balance and filling him with a vengeful desire to punish evil.

Starting the Shadow Order

Later, Usan found a box within the temple's hidden catacombs which contained the Tears of Shadow, a magical ichor gave him the ability to control shadow magic, at the expense of tainting his mind with darkness. He proposed for the Kinkou to strike the Noxians down with everything they had, but Kusho refused. Usan left the Kinkou and decided to take justice into his own hands. Taking on the name Zed, he formed the Shadow Order, a group of former Kinkou disciples with a goal to defend Ionia by any extreme means necessary. Realizing that the magic within the black box was a requirement for his goal, Zed and his acolytes raided the temple. When confronted by Kusho, Zed made a deal with him to fake the latter's death in exchange for uniting Ionia to fight in the war. After slaying the remaining Kinkou, the Shadow Order claimed the temple as their own and they imbued themselves with the Tears of Shadow, learning how to fight alongside their shadows.

Zed later witnessed a massacre in Bahrl, as a warning by Noxus that they would show no mercy. One of the child soldiers that Noxus sent, named Shieda Kayn Shieda Kayn, harbored tenacity and perseverance that Zed saw potential in, so he recruited him into the Shadow Order. Kayn quickly grew to master every weapon in the Order's possession, with great proficiency in stealth and assassination.

With the Order of Shadow's future ahead, Zed knew that his actions could not be undone, but he must do whatever it takes to secure Ionia's triumph.

Zed wears intricate silver armour - head to toe, his helmet adorned with glowing red eyes. A red scarf-like material drapes from his shoulders. Beneath the armour, Zed has white/grey hair, is in his late 30s/early 40s, is muscular and covered in black shadow like tattoos, he has piercing red eyes. Zed is serious and dangerous and the many years he has spent as the leader of the order of shadows has sharpened his wit and skills.