Darling in the Franxx was the highly-anticipated mecha anime from the famed Studio Trigger, who created famed anime Gurenn Lagann. While the plot is a little more risque than most mecha anime, one of the focus points is the relationship between Zero Two and Hiro.
When Darling in the Franxx made its debut, these two were already on their way to becoming one of the most famous couples during the new wave of mecha anime. However, that does not mean they are the perfect couple. Here are five reasons why Hiro and Zero Two are the perfect couple and five they are not. Beware of spoilers throughout the article.
10 HORRIBLE: Zero Two Can Be Extremely Dangerous At Times
When Zero Two is introduced in Darling in the Franxx, the characters tell the audience just how dangerous she is through exposition. To pilot a Franxx, you need two people so it can soar through the sky.
However, Zero Two has killed all of her partners from riding with them only once. Although Hiro is the only one who can pilot a Franxx with Zero Two safely, that does not make her any less of a danger to Hiro.
9 PERFECT: They Are The Only Ones Compatible With Each Other
Hiro is the only one who can pilot a Franxx with Zero Two safely, with all of Zero Two's previous partners dying from piloting with her once.
The reasoning behind why Hiro and Zero Two can pilot a Franxx is explained later on in the series and shows why they are the only ones who can pilot with the other. Just as Zero Two can only pilot a Franxx with Hiro, Hiro can only pilot a Franxx with Zero Two.
8 HORRIBLE: Zero Two Can Be A Bad Influence
Zero Two was not raised the same way as the other children in Darling in the Franxx. Because of this, her views are deemed as rebellious, and the others cannot warm up to her as fast.
While her rebellious spirit makes Zero Two such a great character, she does not make the right decision all the time. Zero Two can lead Hiro in the right direction, but she can also be a bad influence on Hiro's decisions and lead him astray.
7 PERFECT: Hiro Is The One Who Humanized Her
When the audience is first introduced to Zero Two in the beginning of Darling in the Franxx, Hiro meets her while she is in the lake naked. The interaction between them was less than ordinary and showed her character right away.
Zero Two did not care about others or what happened to her partners after she killed them. However, after starting to love Hiro, she was shown to open up her heart and change slowly.
6 HORRIBLE: Zero Two Can Be A Bit Obsessive
As soon as Zero Two discovers she can only pilot a Franxx with Hiro and vice-versa, her attitude towards him changes drastically. She goes from being uninterested in Hiro to clinging to him 24/7.
She also begins to live with everyone, albeit they sleep in different dorms and never talking to anyone else until later in Darling in the Franxx. Zero Two's obsession with him was even apparent to the other children as she acted a bit too friendly with him at times.
5 PERFECT: They Are Childhood Friends
Zero Two and Hiro count as childhood friends as they met when they were smaller, but forgot about the encounter because their memories were erased. Because of Hiro, Zero Two strived to become a human and meet "that boy" once again, which turned out to be Hiro.
The way Zero Two speaks in Japanese is also because of Hiro. While women usually use "watashi" or "atashi" to refer to themselves, Zero Two uses the more boyish "boku" akin to how Hiro refers to himself. This is a neat bit of foreshadowing.
4 HORRIBLE: They Have Frequent Communication Problems
Zero Two and Hiro desperately needed to work out their communication problems. Throughout Darling in the Franxx, they had a lot of misunderstandings that almost cost them their lives as well as their missions.
Hiro also listened to the wrong people at times and blamed Zero Two for things without hearing her explanation. If they were in the real world, they would need to be directed to couples counseling.
3 PERFECT: They Inspire Each Other
Zero Two's dearest wish is to become a human. Hiro wants to prove he is not useless and can pilot a Franxx. The aspect of longing to be accepted is what brings them together and makes each other truly understand each other.
Because they inspire each other to do better, albeit their path may be rocky sometimes, there is no doubt that this makes them a better couple.
2 HORRIBLE: Zero Two Almost Killed Hiro Multiple Times
If you try and count all the times Zero Two put Hiro in danger in Darling in the Franxx, you would realize how many times he almost died. Besides being dangerous to other people, Hiro was at the forefront of her deadly tendencies and almost lost his life during the times she was unstable.
The beginning of Darling in the Franxx was a cycle of Hiro almost dying because of Zero Two not caring about him.
1 PERFECT: They Are Destined To Be Together
Zero Two and Hiro are destined to be together no matter how you spin it. This is further shown in the last episode of Darling in the Franxx. While the other children ended up either dead or with someone they loved, Zero Two and Hiro died.
However, they were shown to reincarnate thousands of years later and meet again under the cherry blossom tree they made a promise at, showing their souls are meant to be together.