Zell had great aspirations when he was 13 to become a great soldier, like his Grandfather, who he looked up to tremendously. To try and fulfil his dream, he joined Balamb Garden at the ripe age of just 13 in order to be trained by the world's best. He packed his bags in his room in Balamb City and went up the road to Balamb Garden.

He's an honest fighter, believing fairness is the only way. With Zell, discipline knows no bounds, and being very straight forward and devoted to the cause until the end, he fits the military stereotype perfectly. He is the perfect team mate to have, and Squall aknowledges this. Zell's an extremely talented fighter; he's quick, and at the same time lethal. His primary weapon is his fists, but he is also a master at martial arts.

He can, however, loose his temper quite quickly and without warning letting loose a dangerous habbit of wanting to settle things with violence (when Seifer keeps calling him 'Chicken Punk', all Zell does is clench his fists). He has little time for logic, and prefers to act on impulse.

These negative sides to his personality doesn't bother Zell at all, but it is clear to those above him (including Squall) that he will never be a leader, just a very useful and loyal colleague.

Limit Break: Duel
Instead of one special attack, Zell can execute several moves to attack one or more targets. The choices appear as a menu at the bottom. The code for executing the selected move is also displayed, like with Sabin from Final Fantasy VI.