Who’s Who In Saints Row: The Third—Zimos

The Saints Row series is known for a lot of things, but memorable characters aren’t high on that list.

The Saints Row series is known for a lot of things, but memorable characters aren’t high on that list. Aside from Johnny Gat or Shaundi, Stilwater was largely populated by ciphers and forgettable wannabes. Of course, while you’re spraying raw sewage on passers by in a septic truck or setting them alight in a go kart, you’re probably not too concerned about making new friends.

With Saints Row: The Third, Volition is going out of its way to deliver loads of action as well as a lineup of interesting friends, rivals, and other people. This week, Game Informer is highlighting just some of the folks you’ll be interacting with in Steelport.

As Steelport’s oldest pimp, Zimos is a fixture in the criminal ecosystem. At first, the Syndicate tolerates the eccentric character, and he even forges a friendship with Phillipe Loren’s protégés, Viola and Kiki DeWynter. The relationship goes south for as-yet-unknown reasons, and Zimos finds himself locked away in the basement of one of the Syndicate’s human trafficking hubs.

After being rescued by the player, the temporarily gimp-suited Zimos becomes an important ally. His ties to the criminal underworld are critical in the player’s early days in Steelport, and he’s a great guide to the city. “In general, he’s kind of like the lovable granddad of the Saints,” says lead writer Steve Jaros. “He’s too old to care, he has a lot of swagger. Pretty much he’s seen it all, he’s done it all, and he’s too cool to be scared or offended.”

In addition to the role of de facto tour guide, Zimos provides plenty of comic relief. He has had a tracheotomy, though that hasn’t stopped him from smoking through the subsequent hole in his throat. He speaks using an electronic voice box, which has been autotuned. In other words, everything he says sounds like it was plucked from a T-Pain song. Stay classy, Saints Row.