The positions in which Holy and the Edens Zero exist conveys a relationship dyed in antagonism. Holy is an agent of the Oración Seis Interstellar which by extension of their affiliation operates in opposition to the Edens Zero whom is commanded by the most recent addition to the Oración Seis Galáctica, Shiki. The disapproval in the weight behind Freedom over Order is what creates the division between the Oración Seis Interstellar and the Oración Seis Galáctica. Yet for all of the division, could there exist a member of the Oración Seis Interstellar that perceives a path beyond the surface level conflict? And could this member be Holy who may potentially be older than anyone else realises?
Considering Holy’s dialog and her penchant for addressing others with “little” before their name, it seems possible that beyond just mere playfulness, Holy could be more mature than her appearance conveys. Notable characters she has addressed as “little [name]” include Justice, Drakken Joe, Elsie, Creed and Feather. The fact that in Holy’s first panel appearance and in her introductory panel appearance she is addressing Justice and Drakken as “little Justice” and “little Drakky” respectively, I can’t help but suspect that such comments were wholly intentional by Mashima-sensei to highlight a certain secret underlying Holy. Drakken is over two hundred years old which makes any reference to him by other characters as “little Drakky” completely odd unless of course the character in question is older than Drakken. Could Holy be older than 200 years? I believe she could very well be.
With the existence of time jumping, alchemy and androids in the world, there are many ways for Holy to represent an “elder” to Drakken. She could have time traveled to the future, used Alchemy to prolong her life or incorporated mechanical mechanisms within her body to slow her aging/extend her life. Even beyond those concepts, Ether Gears exist. There have already been Ether Gears based around the elements of darkness (Satan Gravity) and light (Star Drain) so it wouldn’t be unusual for Holy to possess an Ether Gear centered around Light that allowed her prolonged or extended life if not outright immortality or eternal youth.
If Holy does possess some form of immortality or long life, it could even explain the connection she has been given to flowers and wine. White roses are often associated with purity, innocence and spirituality. Thanks to their usage in weddings, baptisms and funerals, they also represent new beginnings, hope, love, remembrance and respect for the departed. Beyond roses, flowers like lavender represent long life and the amaranth symbolizes immortality. The flower designs complimenting her outfits and the flowers decorating her place of residence could be foreshadowing to her possessing a long life. There is also Holy being themed around the colour of purple (specifically lavender) through her hair and eyes. This could be an indication of her having lived a long life. Even wine, which was featured in the bible and connected to Jesus is seen to connote purity and link a character who drinks wine to a holy figure. If her name wasn’t enough to imply the connection to the light, Holy is seen drinking wine when conversing to Justice about the danger Shura represents to the Aoi Cosmos. There is also the symbolism of bubbles which could signify life, impermanence and freedom. With all the symbolism concerning life featured around Holy, I can’t not consider the possibility that she has lived a long life and has a story stretching centuries if not millennia. Holy may even have an association with the Heavenly Knights of the Dancing Sakura that existed a thousand years ago (they will be relevant in the future story).
Going even further, there may even be relevance to the Planet Mashima-sensei had her appear on to meet Shiki and Rebecca. The Planet is called Dahlia, which also denotes a flower. Out of all the names Mashima-sensei could have chosen for the Planet, he went with one that is also associated with the name of a flower. And to have a character stylized around flowers be a central character Shiki and Rebecca meet, I find that all too coincidental. Dahlia flowers form a star-like shape. And when it comes to stars, throughout history they have been symbolic of divine guidance and protection. Is this what Holy will represent to Shiki and Rebecca – divine guidance and protection?
Another piece of evidence that could imply Holy possessing immortality or long-life as a power is her reaction to the mention of Deadend Crow. The placement of her reaction leaves little to no doubt toward her association with them. Holy, who is usually calm and composed, expressed such an inimical expression in response to Deadend Crow being brought up by Eraser. Without having some involvement, there would be no reason to react in such a manner. Therefore, it seems plausible to conclude that Holy and Deadend Crow share some history. What provides the biggest clue in conjunction to Holy’s reaction is the title Deadend Crow possesses – the Titan of Eternal Darkness. Such a title in respect of Holy can also substantiate her relevance. Deadend Crow is themed around darkness whereas Holy is potentially themed around light as per her name. The “Titan of Eternal” portion could even hint toward future developments concerning Holy. If Eternity is being used to present Deadend Crow, it implies he has existed for an age beyond a normal level. If Deadend Crow has lived for an extended period of time such as centuries and if Holy is involved with his story in some form, it may convey her ability of also possessing long life.
In ancient mythology crows have symbolised death, transition and transformation. They are also seen as the mediator between life and death. If Mashima-sensei is contrasting Holy and Deadend Crow against each other, he could extend the themes of life and death through their characters respectively. Holy representing life through an immortal or unfading form and Deadend Crow personifying death through his undying form – a state that can be said to be transitioning from life to death. Deadend Crow may not be dead but he may not also be “alive”. Could he be a machine?
It may turn out that the reason Holy joined the Interstellar Union Army was to encounter Deadend Crow and mete her justice. If this is the case, in pursuit of her objective, parties such as the Edens Zero would not represent a threat to her but rather an potential ally whom could assist her in bringing down Deadend Crow. Because of such a possibility, I feel there is genuineness in Holy’s invitation of friendship to Shiki (chapter 176). Her goal isn’t to fool them but to help them understand the larger context of events. Similar to how Holy was the only one warning Justice of the potential threat Shura posed to the Aoi Cosmos, I sense she is also aware of other important happening around the cosmoses. Holy possesses perspective and may provide a window into the deeper story of Edens Zero going forward, especially if she existed in the far past. And that hidden left eye of hers could be where her Ether Gear is housed or be the element that unlocks further mystery concerning the Edens Zero story and Deadend Crow.
12Dimension 