(sometimes spelled Xelloss) is a fictional character and primary figure in the Slayers fantasy comedy light novel series and its manga, anime, and other adaptations. He is a powerful mazoku (monster), who is both a help and a hindrance to protagonist Lina Inverse and her friends. Xellos is the single most powerful servant of Zelas Metallium, who in turn is one of the five retainers of Ruby Eye Shabranigdo, one of the Slayers series' deity-like beings. Because of this relationship, some consider Xellos Metallium to be his full name, but he calls himself simply "Xellos, the Mysterious Priest". Character Xellos behaves like a trickster, answering nearly all questions directed toward him with "Sore wa himitsu desu," literally "That is a secret." He enjoys the reactions that occur when he withholds information from others. For the majority of the second season, Xellos acts simply for comedy's sake, frequently breaking the fourth wall, all the while subtly advancing the plot. Generally, Xellos' mood can be determined by the state of his eyes: if they are closed, he is acting as the "Trickster Priest," but when he opens them, he reveals his dark nature. Xellos' true intentions are a mystery. As a Mazoku, his main goal is to return the universe into the nothingness of the Sea of Chaos, but near the end of the third season he instead helps Lina Inverse and the others save the world. Even though he tends to manipulate Lina and the others, he has saved their lives on few occasions. His reasons for doing so are never revealed. Xellos is extremely loyal to Zelas Metallium and usually acts only if ordered to do so, although at times he has aided Lina's group without specific orders. Presumably, he would gladly follow any of her requests in order to keep her pleased, even if he himself is not pleased with them; for example, in Slayers TRY, he was ordered to offer to kill Lina Inverse if Valgaav joined the Mazoku side. In the novels, the Slayers group generally abhors his presence, while in the anime he is treated as a tolerable nuisance. In Slayers NEXT, the second season of the anime, Hellmaster Phibrizzo orders Xellos to follow Lina. While following Lina he occasionally helped but often hampered her quest to find the Claire Bible. During this time, he hides in guise of a travelling priest, though he is revealed