How to Achieve Z Rank in Zero Parades by Completing and Solving for Dead Spies

Select Language:

Zero Out The Grand Lich is the final mission in Zero Parades: For Dead Spies and is considered the most challenging. You get this mission fairly early, but you must meet certain conditions first before moving into the final phase of the game.

There are multiple ways to fulfill these conditions, and many different ways the mission can play out. Your overall performance as an agent on this mission will be scored, with the top score being Z Rank.

To start the final mission, you need to complete “Contact The Secret Prisoner” first and then talk to Melita over the payphone in Party Alley. The mission triggers automatically after these steps, though it might take some time for all pieces to fall into place. The basic steps for starting the endgame include knowing Reyes’ arrival time and destination, recruiting three squad members, and figuring out how to kill Reyes, such as by obtaining a gun.

How to Get a Gun

There are two methods to acquire a gun in Portofire.

First Method: Buying from Goat Eyes
The easiest way is to go to Goat Eyes at Quisach Roundabout and pay him between 100 and 150 Sol. You can earn money by working at places like the Fogged Mirror (bussing tables), the Housing Campaign (sweeping), or the Old Docks (moving crates, after speaking to Lucia, Tonio, or the Boatman). After a few hours, Goat Eyes may say there’s been a problem, and the price will increase by 50 Sol. You can pay the extra or try to persuade him to honor the original price. Paying the initial price is recommended because it costs only money, which is easy to earn.

Second Method: Building a Gun
The alternative is to craft your own firearm by getting a copy of “The Wang Guide To Improvised Firearms, Vol. 2” from the public bookshelf in Party Alley. Interact with this book in your inventory to learn how to make a gun. Then, go to the workbench at Fot 24’s back room to build the weapon, which requires passing a Technoflex check and sacrificing either a wolf cup or Reno’s model train set. Note: sacrificing a cup may lock you out of collecting all cups, and Reno’s train set can be used as leverage later. You might also consider buying the Blood Golem album from Petre in the Bootleg Bazaar for extra options.

How to Find Out When the Grand Lich Is Arriving

You can learn the Lich’s arrival time and location through two primary ways. The preferred option for earning a Z rank is through the quest “Make A Deal With Transnational Capital” by trading Ultra Violeta (UV) to Kaleidoscope for Dante. This method, while somewhat unprincipled, provides detailed intel.

Alternatively, during the quest “The Worth of a Heart,” giving the Project Autonomía Final Recording to Hauzman reveals that the Lich will arrive when the Ginkyo tree in Party Alley sheds its leaves. To get this information, trade the Red Disc to Bagman, which can lock you out of getting the reconstructed Red Disc needed for a Z rank.

For the recommended approach:

Let the Metal Stripper steal the Red Disc in the Silo.
Return to the Fogged Mirror and speak to Hauzmann.
Exit dialogue and go to Bagman’s Hideout (via the roof of the Housing Campaign).
Force Bagman to give you the Reconstructed Red Disc through a check or take it after killing him.
Return to Hauzmann and give him the Project Autonomía Final Recording, which will tell you the Lich’s arrival time.

If you don’t care about Z rank, you can skip interacting with Bagman and not need the Red Disc.

Make a Deal with Transnational Capital
Trading Ultra Violeta for Dante with Kaleidoscope allows you to learn the Lich’s destination and timing directly from Dante, who will reveal the Grand Lich’s movements. If you kill Dante here, you can also earn a special achievement. In the end, you learn through this route that Dante is actually the Grand Lich, with the person you confront on top of the War Shrine being his body double.

How to Find Out Where the Grand Lich Is Going

If you trade Ultra Violeta for Dante, Dante will reveal the Lich’s destination and arrival time, avoiding the need for the side quest “Pump and Dump the Junior Negotiator.” To trigger this, pressure Fredrik at the payphone in the Backways to give up Silhouette, which involves passing checks related to “The Gap” and dialogues with the Duchess.

If you prefer not to trade UV, you can find Silhouette at a bar in Party Alley after 10 PM and get her to tell you the Lich’s destination through a Nerve or Cold Read check.

Assembling the Crew

You’ll need three squad members for the final mission. Each has their strengths and weaknesses, and the choices will influence the checks and the outcome of the final fight.

Cupbearer: Yana (Yo-Yo) or Kaleidoscope.
Astronomist: Karolina (Kindred) or Holocene
Fool: Ramses (Radian) or Pseudopod

You can find each in different locations or have them in disguise. Each member can help in specific situations and checks.

Triggering the Endgame

Once you meet all prerequisites—know when the Lich arrives, have your squad, and possess a gun—you’ll return to Foto 24. Outside, Cascade will notice fallen leaves, leading you to Party Alley where the Ginkyo tree is shedding, signaling the time’s up.

You can’t sleep to pass time anymore. When ready, call Melita to discuss the final plan with your squad. Note: If Holocene is your Astronomist, you cannot pick Radian as your Fool, and vice versa.

Preparing your squad and choices here will impact your ending. After talking with Melita, you’ll sleep automatically, and the scene shifts to the Tram Station.

The Final Area

Sleeping will place you at the War Memorial Shrine for your final debrief. You may spend some time with your chosen crew members—either the Fool or the Astronomist—without affecting the story, just dialogue.

Next, you’ll appear back on the Aerotram, where you’ll meet your Cupbearer. Here is the key step: place the Red Disc in the Jukebox. Doing this is necessary for a Z rank.

Options at the final scene:

Play the Blood Golem album or the standard tram music for combat preparations.
Confront the final challenges, which may involve shooting through enemies or setting off a bomb.

Approaching the Ending: The Final Choices

You may choose to fight your way out or use the Red Disc to hypnotize everyone, causing a vegetative state, which might lead to the bleak Z rank ending. This decision impacts who survives and the final scene.

If you direct your squad to use the Red Disc, most will perish unless paired with specific choices like Radian surviving with Holocene.
If you opt for a gunfight, perform checks to kill Tesoro and the goons, then help your wounded squad members for the best outcome.

After the chaos, you’ll return to the boat, where Melita will give your final ranking based on your performance. Achieving Z rank often involves making morally questionable choices but offers the most complete ending.

Choosing Your Squad

In the final scene with the crew, reviewing each member’s stats, strengths, and the consequences of your choices helps optimize your final mission. The method you use—whether initiating a gunfight, playing the Red Disc, or using a bomb—determines their fate.

Cupbearer options: Yana (Yo-Yo) or Kaleidoscope.
Astronomist options: Kindred or Holocene.
Fool options: Ramses (Radian) or Pseudopod.

Their survival depends heavily on how you handle the final confrontation and the tools you choose, impacting whether you get the sought-after Z rank and the game’s bleakest ending.