really love zato1 and eddie and i read them exclusively as romantic mainly because after like 2 games of puppeting a corpse eddie became disillusioned with his identity as only that of a shadow where even though he killed zato he couldnt really separate himself from zato either and the only reason people even cared to try and kill him was only as a way to get to zato. millia tried to kill him to put zato to rest venom ignores him because he doesnt want to desecrate zatos corpse literally no one cared about eddie as an individual and when he dies he begs millia to at least remember him as a separate entity. when revived however hes entirely on board at the idea of actually working with zato as a partner and moreover even becomes sillier and more jovial and expressive overall after coming back. zato on the other hand after a lifetime of bloodshed and assassination is rendered a shell of himself who was betrayed by some of the only people hes ever trusted and taken over by the very power he acquired for their sakes, and when he comes back is now left emotionless and only really acts out of both ennui and a sense of responsibility because he knows that everything hes done is unforgivable so at the very least tries to make up for it.
both of their character arcs are about finding what their sole identity is as two linked beings where zato lost his emotions and eddie lost his purpose and now they can only move forward together. the assassins guild was a well intentioned force that ultimately bloodied their hands but they still saved zato so despite the fact that he’d been betrayed by them he still chooses to work with them because he knows that on some level he deserved it which is why he says that his sins will never go away and actively tries to make right with the people he hurt, not just millia by being her shield but also venom in removing him from the assassins life entirely. let me carve your way starts as zatos song to millia in wanting to return to the past when they were both lovers but ends as eddies song to zato because eddie instead of just being stuck with zato now actually wants to be at zatos side. one of the major themes of guilty gear as a whole is active growth and self actualization because the next day still comes regardless of what happens and zato even if he on some level wishes he could return to the past knows that he cant and instead embraces his new role and tries to make peace with both his past and his future not only with the assassins guild but with eddie as well. even if theyre stuck together theyve also lived and died together and despite their past animosity have decided that instead of just sharing a body they can actually live together. i feel greatly about the love story of a man and his tapeworm