Zealot
Game Apperances: Blood, Blood II
Affiliation: Cabal
Difficulty Stats:
| Difficulty Level | Hit Points |
|---|---|
| Still Kicking | 50 |
| Pink on the Inside | 70 |
| Lightly Broiled | 100 |
| Well Done | 130 |
| Extra Crispy | 170 |
N/A
Zealots are two different enemies between Blood and Blood II: The Chosen, but in either game they are advanced fighters.
Blood[edit]
"These blue-robed Tesla Cannon wielding cultists have been through special 'training' to make them very mean. Their armor protects them from electrical damage." — Blood Manual
In the first game, the Zealots are one of the new enemies featured on the Plasma Pak add-on. They are advanced cultists wearing lightning-blue/bright-cobalt robes with a silver belt. These are some of the most deadly of the robed enemies before the terrifying Priest, since their weapon of choice is the Tesla Cannon. In addition, they are resistant to electrical attacks, meaning the same weapon is highly ineffective on them (will require a lot of Tesla Charges to kill one).
Assuming the Plasma Pak add-on takes place some time after the events of the main game, it is quite possible that the Zealot elite soldier rank was created because the Cabal wanted to secure itself after Caleb's actions which weakened the cult. This could also explain why the Cabal started to seek for new followers at this time.
Blood II[edit]
"Zealots are an invaluable resource in the Cabal army, as they are the only members of the Cabal with mastery of the Dark Arts. These abilities give them extremely effective offensive abilities. Zealots usually accompany groups of lesser Cabal members like Fanatics. They provide backup by using their magic to defend, heal, and generally strengthen the performance of an attack group. " — Blood II: The Chosen Manual
Zealots appear unrelated to their Blood counterparts in this game, but are intelligent and well-trained. Only a choice few members undergo the transformation, and fewer survive with their sanity intact. They are the only members of the Cabal with any skill in the dark arts, making them an invaluable resource. They usually accompany lesser members, and are smart enough to coordinate an attack with other units. Other Cabal members tend to fear them due to their cold inhuman personality.
Zealots have no apparent armor, but wear a green raincoat, stained with blood at the sleeves, and pants. They wear no shirt, which reveals their body's rib cage and organs. This may indicate they have no skin.
Zealots have the ability to shoot fireballs, release shock waves of energy, teleport, heal, and project a shield. In later levels, Zealots are more common, and appear in twos and threes.
Their design was considered one of the more interesting of the Cabal foes in Blood II, as opposed to the more mundane new designs for the Cultist and Fanatic. Their design is a probable influence on that of Cabadath in the Chzo Mythos (Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw has played Blood II).
"Only a choice few Cabal members get chosen to undergo the process that will transform them into a Zealot, and even fewer survive the ritual that follows with their sanity intact... No one knows why they cover their faces. Many claim they no longer need normal senses. Others say that it is so they don't have to be forced to look upon the faces of other, lesser, Cabal members, maybe it is simply an intimidation tactic. The most likely answer is that what they saw during their transformation ritual so taints them, they fear looking upon the world with natural eyes." — Blood II: The Chosen Website
