‘Record of Ragnarok’: Is Zerofuku Based on a Real God?

Record of Ragnarok is a seinen manga written by Shinya Umemura and Takumi Fukui and drawn by Ajichika. An anime series adaptation produced by Graphinica studio was produced by Netflix in 2021, with a second season scheduled to air in 2023. Now, Record of Ragnarok might not have brought too many novelties in its genre, but it is a show whose topic and characters attracted the attention of fans around the world, and because of that, we are going to talk about one of the characters from the series. The character in question is Zerofuku, the Gods’ representative in the sixth round of Ragnarok, who faced Buddha, but the fight was interrupted when Hajun took over (but he also lost). But, what we are going to tell you here is whether Zerofuku is based on an actual god, like most Gods in Record of Ragnarok, or not.

Zerofuku is the God of Misfortune and the fusion of the original Seven Lucky Gods. In the beginning, he had the noblest heart of all the gods, and his favorite hobby was bringing joy to the world. However, everything changed when he discovered humans. His gentle nature made him feel great pity for them, so he decided to travel the world to absorb all the misfortune into himself. He fought against Buddha in the sixth round but lost, after which his body was taken over by Haju, who also lost. Unlike most other deities, he is not based on an actual god but is inspired by Lakshmi and the Eight Immortals.

The rest of this article will focus on Zerofuku, one of the fighters on the side of the Gods in Ragnarok. We are going to tell you who he is and what happened to him, but also whether he was based on an actual god or if he is an original character in the series. Zerofuku will have a bigger role in the upcoming anime episodes, so we decided to dedicate this article to him. Be careful, though, as the article will have many spoilers.

Unlike most deities, Zerofuku is actually an original character

As fans of the series will know, the characters of Record of Ragnarok are quite intriguing and very diverse. Most of them are actually based on actual historical or mythological figures (despite the original takes), but a small number of original characters are still present in the series. Zerofuku is one of them, and in this article, we are going to present his story to you.

As we’ve said, most of the deities in Record of Ragnarok are actually based on actual mythological figures (e.g. Zeus, Thor, Poseidon, Hades, etc.), and the number of original characters is quite small. And while Zerofuku is an original character (unlike the Seven Lucky Gods and Hajun), he is also – in a way – inspired by one actual deity and a group of mythological figures. The deity in question is Lakshmi, while the figures are known as the Eight Immortals.

In Hinduism, Lakshmi, or Mahalakshmi, was the goddess of (good) fortune, prosperity, wealth, and abundance and the wife of the god Vishnu. Her origin is associated with the goddess called Sri, cited in the Rig Veda.

She is the daughter of sage Bhrigu. Her vessel is the owl, and she is associated with this animal, just like the goddess Athena in Greek mythology. She took refuge in the Sea of Milk after the gods exiled her; this is also the place of her rebirth. She is often seen as the Benevolent Goddess and is often referred to as the Benevolent or the Beautiful.

The goddess Laksmî brings prosperity, a word that brings together different aspects. Sixteen are distinguished, namely: (1) fame, (2) knowledge, (3) courage and strength, (4) victory, (5) good children (6) valor, (7) gold and material goods, (8) abundant food, (9) happiness, (10) bliss, (11) intelligence, (12) beauty, (13) Higher purpose, thought high and the ability to meditate, (14) good morals and ethics, (15) good health, (16) long life. She is also the goddess of beauty.

She is a benefactress who helps develop inner wealth. Gold and jewels are its symbols. She is embodied on earth, following Vishnu, in the guise of Sîtâ in the Rāmāyana and of Draupadi in the Mahâbhârata. She is represented with four hands, which designate spiritual virtues. From one of the hands escape gold coins and precious stones, while the goddess blesses the faithful.

Dressed in a red sari and seated or standing on a lotus, she most often wears a crown. She is unarmed. She is also accompanied by two elephants, who are symbols of luck. Moreover, many gods worship her, including Ganesh. As you can see, the similarities between Zerofuku and Lakshmi are obvious, as Zerofuku, like Lakshmi, worked to make the people happy, although Lakshmi did not take all of the world’s misery into her as Zerofuku did.

The Eight Immortals are deities of Taoism and Chinese folk religion. They are often represented in popular and religious iconography, in person, or in the form of the talismans with which they fight against evil, called the Eight Jewels or the Eight Hidden Immortals.

The iconographic theme dates at the latest from the Tang, but their exact identity was fixed under the Ming. The group of eight motifs is known from the Eight Immortals of Huainan, advisors to Liu An. They are:

• Cao Guojiu is a Song emperor’s uncle; he is depicted in court clothes and with a jade plate or a pair of castanets.
• Han Xiangzi, a nephew of the scholar Han Yu, is depicted with a flute.
• He Xiangu is depicted with a lotus flower.
• Lan Caihe, an eccentric beggar who is depicted wearing a blue robe, only one shoe, and a basket of flowers.
• Lü Dongbin, a Taoist alchemist, is depicted with a sword.
• Tieguai Li, is an often drunken lame man; he is depicted with a cane and liquor.
• Zhang Guolao, a Taoist master, is depicted on a white donkey and with a yugu.
• Zhongli Quan, or Han Zhongli, was a general of the Han dynasty.

As Zerofuku consists of seven entities and is there to protect the people from evil, it becomes quite clear how and why he can be compared to this group.