Zak Sterling

Zak Sterling is a character in Dissidia Calamitas Infinita. In Clouds of Judgment, he is Liam's most skilled co-pilot but also his best friend and foil in many ways. His hobbies include skirt-chasing and gambling, both of which usually lead to his shortcomings. Despite his preferred use of trinkets and timid behavior, Zak's experience working alongside military soldiers leaves him skilled in combat and he is known for his mastery over the element of water - which fits with his Deus Leviathan as well as his hometown of Mesi.

Like in the original game, Zak seems to have no patience for 'broody' types - including Kayle Chamlett and Jesilyn Trueblood. But he is most notable for befriending Cloud 'Zero' Rain during the latter's time of distress and for being the only Warrior of Twilight in disbelief when Zero becomes corrupt. This eventually leads him to form a friendship (and short romance) with Rose Strife, who is a friend of Zero's. Zak has an on-and-off relationship with Rasia Valene but also pursues Kitsune, who is a Warrior of Madness.

Appearance
Zak's complexion is of lighter tan and his hair is a bit messy and he also has an athletic build. He usually wears torn jeans, a black belt with a pair of long pale blue-green sashes that hang on opposite sides, a blue plaid shirt only half-buttoned and brown leather boots. Around his neck is a small chain which holds his ring. Besides his aviator gloves, he also wears a light brown leather jacket. Like with the Sanford twins, Zak's Ex Mode has him surrounded with a watery Aura in shape of a sea serpent that resembles his Deus Leviathan and equipped with the Total Eclipse.

The first alternate attire, White Wave, has Zak in an all-white uniform; a buttoned overcoat with dark blue lines and buckles, a pale blue tee underneath the overcoat, a pair of trousers, a pair of leather shoes with blue socks worn underneath, and a medium-length hooded cape. His hair is also turned white with tints of blue. The second alternate attire, Mesi Sailor, has Zak in a khaki buttoned shirt as well as a pair of shorts of the same color. Underneath the shirt is a simple white tee, and completing the assemble is a pair of brown leather boots, his aviator gloves, and a blue scarf around his neck.

Zak's DLC attire is a uniform worn by Viper pilots in the 1978 version of Battlestar Galactica, and therefore aptly named Lieutenant Starbuck.

The 2nd Cycle
Summoned for the first time alongside his best friend Liam Draconys to fight as a Warrior of Twilight during this cycle, Zak meets Cloud 'Zero' Rain, a fellow Warrior of Twilight who had recently lost his will to fight because of Terra's fall to the other side and Zak becomes Zero's guardian (much to Liam's concerns) until the latter can get back up on his feet. He also travels with Kayle Chamlette and Axarath but is the only one in disbelief when Kayle believes the worst has befallen Zero and sets out alone to rescue him from 0, facing off against Kitsune along the way.

The 3rd Cycle
Still under disbelief that Zero has betrayed him and his allies, Zak is still determined to rescue his friend and bring him back to their side. Rose Strife, a newly summoned warrior who shares a homeworld with Zero, joins him as she shares that belief with him. The two, however, start to get closer through their travels. He also worries about Liam, whose dark powers are starting to manifest.

The 4th Cycle
In this cycle, Zak has developed a romantic relationship with Rose but still flirts with other girls. He apparently has no qualms in eliminating Ike Sanford since they are now on opposing sides, but it's more out of genuine dislike for the latter.

The 6th Cycle
Though Zak has a minor role this time, it is revealed he holds great disdain towards Kayle as well as Jesilyn Trueblood due to their 'high authoritarian' attitudes. He briefly duels Jesilyn but their fight ended in a tie when they are stopped by Vergil, who told them that dueling will not resolve conflicts.

The 7th Cycle
In this cycle, Zak is the one who comes up with Storm Division and suggests that Liam should lead the team. As a result, he becomes the second-in-command of the division as they plan their counterattack on the Warriors of Madness.

Battle
 Zak Sterling  Splash Slider – Uses water-based attacks to put enemies under pressure.

Due to many of his attacks being ice or water based, Zak is known as a Splash Slider. His attacks are equally powerful at both long and close-ranges, and he is versatile in the air or on the ground. His HP attacks similarly function at multiple ranges, and all of them crush guards. Zak also is the fastest among all the magic based characters, running at a speed similar to that of Yala's. However, because many of his Brave attacks are projectiles they can easily be blocked, and he has one of the longest recovery times in the game.

EX Mode
Zak's Ex Mode is Water Dragoon. While in EX Mode, Zak gains the abilities Regen and Lancet in addition to the these abilities: Leviathan's Surge makes Zak able to dodge any incoming attack faster and Co-Piloting allows his Assist bar to always be full even when use.

Zak's EX Burst is Electric Tsunami.

Equipment
Zak's Weapons: Swords, daggers, poles, thrown weapons, and guns.

Zak's Armor: Parrying arms, cloaks, bangles, rings, gauntlets, hats, bandanas, clothing, robes, and light armor.

Musical Themes

 * Main Theme: Something Really Funky
 * World Map Theme: Chasing Casanova
 * Normal Battle: Dark Waters
 * Boss Battle: Zak Sterling Gets Serious

Poses
Intro: Spins around in circles creating sprinklers of water before losing his balance as he faces his opponent, then draws out his boomerang.

Victory: Puts his hands behind his back, cracking his back in the process.

Defeat: Falls onto his back with his legs in the air, then sits up with his head down.

Attacks
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Encounter

 * "I'd rather play than fight, but bring it!"
 * "I can beat you with or without water!"
 * "You think you can beat a hot pilot like me?"
 * "Let's say we hit the showers!"
 * "Time to get wet!"
 * "I've got it under control...."&mdash; If HP is low
 * "Okay, I've got nothing to lose, right?"&mdash; If HP is low
 * "Cut the heroics!"&mdash; If opponent is stronger
 * "What's a big baddie to this old war jock?"&mdash; If opponent is stronger
 * "Sure you wanna try your luck?"&mdash; If opponent is weaker
 * "Let's take it easy, okay?"&mdash; If opponent is weaker
 * "And I'm expected to go through with this?"&mdash; When fighting an opponent in a tournament battle.
 * "I don't like you, either."&mdash; When fighting a second straight opponent in a tournament battle
 * "We ain't so bad, right?"&mdash; When fighting an opponent in a round-robin party battle
 * "I'll make sure I see this through."&mdash; When last to fight in a round-robin battle


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Victory

 * "Better luck next time!"
 * "The odds were in my favor."
 * "I love it when the plan comes together!"
 * "Alright!"
 * "Phew! I made it..." &mdash; If HP is low
 * "What a sloppy victory..." &mdash; If HP is low
 * "That's a big win for me!" &mdash; If opponent is stronger
 * "Heh. I knew exactly what I was doing." &mdash; If opponent is stronger
 * "What did you expect?" &mdash; If opponent is weaker
 * "You were brave, I gotta hand it to ya." &mdash; If opponent is weaker

Defeat

 * "You've only delayed the inevitable."
 * "Pfft! That's just terrific..."
 * "Holy shit!"
 * "Next time, you better steer clear of me!"
 * "I was defeated by my selfishness." &mdash; If opponent is stronger
 * "Wanna play a hand with me sometime?" &mdash; If opponent is stronger
 * "I don't BELIEVE this!" &mdash; If opponent is weaker
 * "Eh, I know what went wrong." &mdash; If opponent is weaker
 * }

Trivia

 * Some of Zak's encounter quotes towards the women (often from either side) allude to his womanizing nature in his original fic.
 * One of Zak's victory quotes is based on a famous quote often said by Hannibal in an 80's show, The A-Team.
 * Zak's quote when fought by Taarin references the fact that they both use thrown weapons as their weapons of choice.
 * Zak's quote when fought by Sam references many similarities between the two of them, including being modeled after Starbuck.
 * One of Zak's Bravery Attacks, Aqualung, is named after a Jethro Tull song of the same name.
 * Like Rain and Ike, Liam and Zak have special assist attacks that revolve around each other. This is because two of each playable OCs in Cloud of Judgment are created by the same author. In order to differentiate them, though, their attacks lean more towards more physical melee-based attacks.