Quick answer: Soul is an Order assassin with sixty-six days remaining to live. He and Zuo Shang were childhood friends, but Zuo Shang became the Order’s Shadow Sovereign and is now Soul’s sworn foe. Inanis guides Soul from the Realm of Mirage.
Phantom Blade Zero puts a small group of people around Soul. The first six sections are safe to read before you start. Everything after the spoiler marker covers characters who show up later and where you fight them.
Soul
You control Soul, who was raised alongside Zuo Shang as one of Sovereign Mu’s two adopted sons. When people he meets on the road ask about him, he claims to be a wanderer bound for Pangzhen to visit an old friend.
Zuo Shang
Zuo Shang’s in-game description spells out the history: “In his youth, Zuo Shang was Soul’s closest friend and fellow adopted son of Sovereign Mu.” His boss description starts with “Once Soul’s closest friend. Now his sworn enemy.”
You face him twice before the prologue is over. The first fight is a sparring match against the young Zuo Shang. The second is a duel in the rain, where his health bar reads “Zuo Shang, the Order’s Shadow Sovereign”.
The Flesh Sculptor
As the prologue ends, a hooded figure called the Flesh Sculptor presents Soul with two hearts. The Hollow Heart repairs his heart, but strips away all his emotions and desires. The Tainted Heart sustains him through its venom, which will take his life after sixty-six days.
You don’t get to pick between them. The prologue cuts to a card that reads “DIVERGING PATHS / END OF CHAPTER”.
Inanis
You first meet Inanis as an illusion. She waits at a stone lamp on the cliff edge in the Crimson Forest, about 35 m from the Parting Mists bell. She tells Soul what the Realm of Mirage is and asks him to rescue the Chord. Talking to her opens a menu with Train Abilities.
Once you reach the ending, Soul goes back to the Realm of Mirage. There Inanis gives you two options, New Cycle or Leave.
The Forge and Jewel
As the eldest of the Three Sisters, The Forge operates the forge at the Weeping Creek Valley Outpost, where weapon upgrades are available. She informs Soul that the former Shadow Sovereign selected Sanguine for him. She also crafted Sanguine Twin and Sanguine Reach.
Jewel lives in a hut in the Village of Lu, about 200 m from the Place of Awakening bell. She polishes accessories, and each polish costs a Tainted Crystal Shard and Remnant Dust.
Quick Hand Zhang
In the Crimson Forest, Quick Hand Zhang has set up a hideout. He says an unnamed client has asked him to recover treasures and relics. This discussion begins the tale Quick Hand’s Request, tasking you with finding 16 treasures across five regions.
Story characters (spoilers from here)
Everyone below shows up later in the story, and each entry says where you fight them. Stop here if you want to meet them unspoiled.
Mu Xiaokui
Mu Xiaokui is the only daughter of Mu Tianmiao, and she grew up alongside Soul. Long ago the two of them swore that if they ever ended up fighting each other, neither would go easy.
You fight her at the lakeside in the Village of Lu. Her health bar first reads “Mu Xiaokui, Young Mistress of the Order” and then changes to “Mu Xiaokui, Queen of Iron and Jade”.
Chang Hong
One of the Order’s Envoys, Chang Hong is a master of the spear. His composed nature goes hand in hand with a deep commitment to justice. Soul once fought alongside him.
The encounter unfolds in a Pangzhen backstreet square. Chang Hong begins on foot with the title “Chang Hong, the Thunder Spear”; once mounted, he is called “Chang Hong, the Thunder Lancer”.
Lei Dang
A fellow Order Envoy, Lei Dang lost his right arm during a mission, but Soul rescued him. Later, he attached a Tiger Cannon to the arm he had lost. Zuo Shang sends him to Pangzhen.
You fight him in the Mirage Estate, past the Perfect Vessel Pond bell. He appears first as “Lei Dang, the Tiger Cannon” and then as “Lei Dang, One-Armed Tiger”. The Tiger Cannon’s card describes it as “Lei Dang’s final gift to an old friend.”
Leng Tu and Meng Hua
At Mount Soulrend’s summit, Leng Tu, Herald of the Veil is positioned along the snowy road beyond the Soulrend Cliff bell. He proclaims “All the power in this world… serves the Lady of the Veil!”
Meng Hua, The Merciful Lady of the Blossom Veil is your next fight, straight after Leng Tu. The card for her bone fan says it was “once wielded by Meng Hua before she became The Lady.”
Zuo Shang at the end
On the Final Battle route, Zuo Shang serves as the final boss. The fight takes place in two phases at a lakeside pavilion on Mount Soulrend, beyond The Fallen Dream bell.
Other named bosses
The story also puts other named enemies in Soul’s way. These include Bai Chilian in the Crimson Forest, Master Bi Hai of Kuye Temple near the Smuggler’s Tunnel, Yuzan, No. 3 Musician Puppet, and Dusk, the Puppeteer.
Pangzhen is home to Gu Wanyue, the Wailing Wraith, Wu Xuan, the Fallen General and Xie Qiudong, the Divine Healer. Wan Jun, the Coppermaul guards the Mandate Encampment. Jade-Face and Huangxing guard The Lady’s Shrine on the Mountain of Imprisonment.
