Grimoire of Zero

Lore & Background

The story is set in the year 526 of the Liturgical calendar, where witches and sorcery are notorious but magic remains obscure. A half-man, half-beast mercenary, scorned as a Beastfallen, dreams of becoming human. He encounters a witch named Zero, who offers to turn him human if he guards her while she searches for her own spellbook, the Grimoire of Zero, which contains powerful knowledge that could cause chaos. Despite his hatred of witches, he agrees.

Zero is a child-like witch who created magic by writing the Grimoire of Zero. She is knowledgeable in sorcery and magic but naive about everyday matters. The mercenary, whose real name is never given, is a white tiger Beastfallen—cursed beings originally created by witches as soldiers. He is a skilled fighter and cook, and dreams of opening a tavern. Other characters include Albus, a young witch from the Mooncaller Clan; Holdem, a wolf Beastfallen and former prince; Thirteen, Zero's older brother and the main antagonist of the first volume; and Sorena, a great witch wrongly executed for a plague.

Reader's Guide

Grimoire of Zero is significant as a prize-winning light novel series that expanded into multiple media, including a manga adaptation by Takashi Iwasaki, a spin-off manga by Yasuoka, and a 12-episode anime by White Fox that aired from April to June 2017. The series explores themes of prejudice, identity, and the misuse of power, centered on the relationship between a witch and a beastfallen mercenary. Its world-building, featuring the Liturgical calendar and the concept of Beastfallen, offers a unique fantasy setting. The anime was licensed by Sentai Filmworks and streamed on Amazon's Anime Strike, with MVM Films releasing it in the United Kingdom. The series' legacy lies in its successful cross-media adaptation and its contribution to the isekai and fantasy light novel genre.

Did You Know?

• The light novel won the Grand Prize at the 20th annual Dengeki Novel Awards.
• The mercenary's real name is never revealed, as Zero warned him not to give his name to witches.
• Zero prefers sleeping on the mercenary's stomach fur to a real bed.
• The plague that led to Sorena's execution was accidentally started by an unnamed novice witch.