"Wisdom flies with the wind."
Article by: Joren de Bruin (Tensei-San)
Pictured from: Heroes of Newerth
Created by: S2 Games
First appearance: 2010
Bio
Zephyr is one of 60+ playable heroes in the PC game Heroes of Newerth. While the game is based on a Warcraft III modification called "Defense of the Ancients" and borrows many ideas and elements from it, Zephyr is an original creation by S2 Games.
According to the in-game lore, Zephyr is part of the Beast Horde, a faction of anthropomorphic animals who have allied themselves with the Legion of humans to combat the nefarious Hellbourne faction and defend the land of Newerth. Zephyr does not have a lot of characterization, but he is described as a riddler, a sage, and a lover of sweets. In combat he is simply known as the warrior of the winds. Zephyr's design is based on the looks of real-life horned owls.
In-game, Zephyr utilizes his wind-based powers for both offense and defense, allowing him, for example, to blow his enemies into a desired direction, or use a wind shield to deflect blows and increase his movement speed. One skill involves him conjuring a huge typhoon that slows down and damages any enemies caught within, dealing more damage the closer they are to its center. His cyclones give him the ability to heal himself, and in addition, they help him gather gold in battle quicker than others. Because his offense and defense are quite balanced, Zephyr is fairly easy to learn for new players.
Zephyr enjoys considerable popularity among the Heroes of Newerth community due to his relatively goofy appearance, which made him the focal point of several forum memes. "Party-time Zephyr" depicts him surrounded by rainbows and disco balls, and a variation on "haters gonna hate" features the owl with a decidedly smug look on his face.
Selected game appearances
Windows
- Heroes of Newerth (2010)