Zankou

Biography
Zankou was an ancient demon who had been the scourge of both Earth and the Underworld. Various Sources have had to deal with him for several centuries. He has an exceptional power of cogniscience and seems to sense the weaknesses of his opponents. Believed to be a serious threat to the demonic hierarchy, Zankou was imprisoned in the Underworld by one of the last Sources, for contesting him and trying to overtake the Underworld; he was recently released to wreak havoc upon the world again and destroy all that is good. He is able to take over other demons' powers simply by killing them. His powers are hands down greater than any other demon, bar none, the destruction he causes is comparable only to Shax but on a much grander scale.

The most intelligent, devious, cunning and crafty demon the Charmed ones have ever faced, Zankou will do whatever it takes to get what he desires. He was able to use his expert-like understanding of human nature to successfully attack the Halliwell sisters psychologically.

Originally, he helped the Charmed Ones in their fight with the Avatars along with Leo Wyatt and Kyle Brody, realizing that their Utopia threatened the very survival of demonic existence (as well as the free will of all others, which he used to gain allies). After the threat of the Avatars had passed, Zankou began to mobilize the Underworld in hopes to control it. He attempted to steal the Book of Shadows on various occasions. He even hired a demonic alchemist to brainwash resurrected zombie innocents that the Charmed Ones were previously unable to save into attacking them (two of which he had killed that same week, one by his own hand, just for the occasion).

Because their emotions are tied to the Book of Shadows, when they became vulnerable, so did the Book, allowing Zankou to steal it during their battle with the zombified innocents. Using the potions in the Book of Shadows, Zankou stole Phoebe's power of premonition so that he could anticipate their attacks and see what they were doing to try to stop him. He then uses that to fool the sisters and is able to steal Piper's powers as well.

He was vanquished in the episode "Something Wicca This Way Goes" when he absorbed the Shadow/Nexus into his being and the Charmed Ones cast a banishing spell to destroy it, thus destroying Zankou in the process.

Appendices

 * (Book of Shadows text:)



Zankou
 * One of the
 * most powerful Demons of
 * the Underworld,
 * Zankou is a treat
 * to all that is good
 * and feared even by his
 * own kind. So great
 * were his abilities
 * and ambitions, he
 * once contested
 * The Source for
 * control of the
 * Underworld.


 * (text unfinished.)

Appearances
Zankou appeared in a total of 7 episodes throughout the course of the series.
 * Season 7 -
 * Witchness Protection
 * Ordinary Witches
 * Extreme Makeover: World Edition
 * Charmageddon
 * Scry Hard
 * Death Becomes Them
 * Something Wicca This Way Goes