Historyum
Divine Profile
Proclaiming asha (Truth/Right Order) versus druj (the Lie/Chaos), Teaching good thoughts, good words, good deeds, Calling for free moral choice in a cosmic struggle between beneficent and destructive spirits
Mythology
Zarathustra, Bearer of the Flame of Asha
Zarathustra (Greek: Zoroaster) is the prophetic founder of Zoroastrianism. Born on the Iranian plateau (often placed in eastern Iran or Central Asia), he received a revelatory vision in which Vohu Manah (“Good Mind”) led him before Ahura Mazda, the Wise Lord, who commissioned him to teach the path of truth (asha) and to call humanity away from the daevas (forces of the Lie). He converted the first adherents within his kin and, famously, King Vištāspa, after debates with rival priests.
Zarathustra’s life is framed as the turning point in a cosmic drama. Creation is fundamentally good but contested by Angra Mainyu (Ahriman), source of the Lie. Through revelation, Zarathustra unveils the path by which humans choose the side of good, aligning with Ahura Mazda and hastening the world’s eventual renewal (frashokereti), when truth will triumph and death will be undone.
Mythological Stories
The Vision at the River
While drawing water for a sacred rite, Zarathustra encounters a brilliance brighter than fire. From it emerges Vohu Manah, who guides him into the presence of Ahura Mazda and the Amesha Spentas. There, he learns that every thought, word, and deed weighs in the balance of asha and druj. Returning to his people, he challenges the entrenched cults of the daevas. After ordeals and disputations, his teaching wins the patronage of King Vištāspa, and the fire of truth is established publicly an earthly beacon of the heavenly order.
Similar Deities & Modern Depiction
Movies/TV Shows
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
While not about Zarathustra directly, this film famously uses Richard Strauss’s tone poem Also sprach Zarathustra—inspired by Nietzsche—as its musical and thematic backbone. The opening fanfare underscores the film’s exploration of evolution, transcendence, and cosmic intelligence, echoing Zarathustra’s philosophical legacy. Hear the iconic theme:
Anime
Zarathustra as Character: Big Order (2016)
In Big Order, the character Zarathustra wa Ugokanai appears in Episode 9 as a mysterious, godlike figure tied to apocalyptic power. The name itself is a direct nod to Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra, suggesting themes of will, transformation, and divine rebellion. Watch Zarathustra wa Ugokanai - Big Order Made Shorter: EP 09 ... to see how the anime reinterprets Zarathustra as a symbolic force within a chaotic world.
Video Games
Chrono Cross (1999)
This cult-classic RPG subtly draws from Zoroastrian cosmology. The final boss, Time Devourer, is linked to Zurvan, a Persian concept of infinite time. Fans have also noted parallels between the game’s Frozen Flame and Zoroastrian fire symbolism, as well as the use of “Deva” (a term for divine beings in multiple traditions, but also associated with false gods in Zoroastrianism).
Shin Megami Tensei Series (1992–present)
This franchise is steeped in religious and mythological lore, including Zoroastrian deities and demons. Characters like Ahriman, Ahura Mazda, Druj, and Zurvan appear as summonable entities or antagonists. The series’ alignment system—Law (order), Chaos (freedom), and Neutrality—mirrors Zoroastrianism’s moral dualism between asha (truth) and druj (lie).
Comics
Zarathushtra (1974, India)
Published by Amar Chitra Katha, this illustrated comic retells the life of Zarathushtra (Zoroaster), the ancient Persian prophet. It dramatizes his birth, spiritual awakening, and struggle against sorcerers and false priests, emphasizing core Zoroastrian themes like sacred fire, truth vs. lie (asha vs. druj), and the founding of a religion of love and justice. The comic blends myth and history, portraying Zarathushtra as a divine messenger who challenges evil and inspires cosmic renewal.
Books
Thus Spake Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche (1883–1885)
Nietzsche reimagines Zarathustra (Zoroaster) as a poetic-philosophical figure who delivers existential teachings on the Übermensch, eternal recurrence, and the death of God. This work is not a reflection of Zoroastrian doctrine but a radical literary appropriation that uses Zarathustra as a mouthpiece for modern philosophical rebellion
Similar Deities
Moses (lawgiver and monotheistic reformer)
The Buddha (enlightened teacher confronting suffering/ignorance)
Mani (prophet of late antique Iran, dualist cosmology)
Confucius (ethical teacher shaping civilization’s moral framework))