The council is in session.
The Zodiarchs were originally known as The Council of Twelve, a group of mages appointed by the Wizard King to help govern his realm. They each wear a helmet based off of an animal from the Chinese Zodiac, hence their name: a rat, an ox, a tiger, a rabbit, a dragon, a snake, a horse, a sheep, a monkey, a rooster, a dog and a pig. They are the tertiary antagonists of Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch and their illusory forms ultimately become the final antagonists of the game. Over time, they became corrupted and plotted together to kill the Wizard King in order to gain total control of the kingdom and to use Cassiopeia as a puppet ruler. Their actions resulting in the Nazcaän Kingdom falling into near ruin and poverty, and upon Cassiopeia's maturity, led to her seeking any means to alleviating the suffering happening within her kingdom.
Horace, the sage of ages, who was in charge of teaching Cassiopeia magic, created the Wizard's companion to aid in her magical education. However, before he got the chance to teach her the wrongs of using the forbidden spell, Manna, he fled in fear that the Zodiarchs were plotting to kill him as well. As a ghost, he regrets fleeing and wished that he had stayed by Cassiopeia's side.
The original council is implied to have died in the first use of the forbidden spell alongside all of Nazcaä's populace, but were recreated in illusory form by the White Witch to serve faithfully in her warped quest to destroy the world in order to birth a new "perfect" one. This council of illusion acted primarily in concert with each other save for a single member: Gallus. With his soul stored within his wand, the Wizard King disguised himself by taking the form of the tenth councilman in order to closely watch over his daughter even in death. As Gallus, he worked behind the scenes to assist efforts to eventually lead a savior to help her. After Cassiopeia is restored to normal, the illusory council, including the White Witch persona, break free from Cassiopeia's mind and merge into a single monstrous being to serve as the game's final boss. It can be argued that the council are the main antagonists behind Cassiopeia's descent into despair, as they are the cause of all of her suffering.
Members[]
Not much is known about the members of the Zodiarch except that Gallus was the 10th member. He was later revealed to be the ghost spirit of the wand Astra, and that Cassiopeia was his daughter, implying that he is the ghost of the Wizard King.
Appearance[]
The helmets of the Zodiarchs each resemble an animal of the Zodiac, and each of their staffs are slightly different, depending on the Zodiac animal they represent.