Zhan Tiri is the main antagonist of Tangled: The Series. She is a shapeshifting demon from an alternate dimension that once threatened the kingdom of Corona and was the archnemesis of Lord Demanitus. She manipulates Cassandra and attempts to use her to destroy Rapunzel and Corona.
Background
In Corona myth, Zhan Tiri was a powerful creature who unleashed an all-consuming blizzard on the kingdom that threatened to destroy everything in her path. The only one who was able to stop the warlock was a man named Lord Demanitus. Using magic and science, Demanitus built a device strong enough to change the storm back into the direction of Zhan Tiri to imprison Zhan Tiri and her disciples, saving Corona from the warlock's wrath. But Zhan Tiri's defeat did not leave her unabated; her magic storm remained in Corona as a curse that waited for Corona to be at its weakest and strike again.
Role in the series
Season One
Zhan Tiri was the subject of the episode "Queen for a Day", where the storm curse she had cast long ago had returned to reclaim Corona, though the disaster was ultimately averted by Rapunzel. Her storm's story was told to the people of Corona by Xavier, as he hinted and show Rapunzel and Cassandra the device that stopped it.
Zhan Tiri's presence became known in the episode "Painter's Block", in which one of Zhan Tiri's spirit allies, Sugracha the Eternel, managed to escape their prison, and formed a plan to free her as well. Zhan Tiri was close to being freed, until Rapunzel, whom Sugracha had under her spell, broke free from it and made sure that her master would remain in his prison.
Season Two
Zhan Tiri is mentioned in "Rapunzel and the Great Tree". As told by Adira, Zhan Tiri took over and corrupted the Great Tree, taking it as her fortress to destroy all who approached. Ultimately, Lord Dermanitis put a stop to Zhan Tiri's reign with a magic spear that rendered the evil magic in the Great Tree dormant.
In "You're Kidding Me!", one of Zhan Tiri's disciples, Matthews, later revealed in "Rapunzeltopia" to be Tromus, vows to keep the Sundrop(Rapunzel) trapped within the House of Yesterday's Tomorrow forever. Subsequently, Tromus traps Rapunzel in a dream world where she never touched the black rocks, with the intent of ensuring that she accepts the illusion, all the while transferring the Sundrop's power to Zhan Tiri, personified by a eerie statue. However, Rapunzel is able to break free of the dream world, causing Tromus and the House of Yesterday's Tomorrow to vanish into oblivion, once again thwarting Zhan Tiri.
In "Lost and Found", Zhan Tiri was mentioned again by Demanitus when he tells the legend of the Sundrop and Moonstone to Rapunzel and Eugene. Zhan Tiri was summoned by Demanitus' former students, Sugracha, Tromus and Gothel until she was banished back to her own realm by Demanitus.
Season ThreeEdit
At the House of Yesterday's Tomorrow, after Cassandra walks through a door that leads into a mysterious room, she is greeted by Zhan Tiri in the form of an enchanted girl who shows Cassandra her forgotten past, while claiming to be a new friend that has been waiting for her. Together, they witness Cassandra's childhood memories, causing Cassandra to learn she is Mother Gothel's daughter and was abandoned on the night she kidnapped the princess. As Cass' pain of remembering that cruel night causes her to cry, the Zhan Tiri tells Cassandra that she is sorry that she had to live through something like that before telling her that she'll always be overshadowed by Rapunzel and that the only way for her to end it is to take the Moonstone for herself.
As Cassandra works to fully master her new magical abilities, in "Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf?", Zhan Tiri approaches Cass as her mentor on the matter. She tells her that the opal reacts to negative emotions like anger and that she should use the built up hatred Cass has for Rapunzel to power it. When Cassandra was beginning to feel guilty about her betrayal towards Rapunzel, in "Beginnings", Zhan Tiri ensures that Cassandra remains bitter towards the princess by telling her that half of the opal's power that should be hers are within Rapunzel's regrown hair, so the princess would have protection during her journey to the Dark Kingdom.
During Cassandra's training in "Be Very Afraid", Zhan Tiri tells her that she is destined to claim both the Moonstone and the Sundrop once she destroys Rapunzel, hearing this news from her had caused Cassandra to create red versions of the black rocks. Zhan Tiri explains that the Moonstone's connection to both her and the rocks have caused them to react to her own emotions of fear, as well as rage. After Rapunzel and Varian got rid of the red rocks in Corona, Zhan Tiri uses that fact to convince a doubting Cassandra that she'll always be bested by Rapunzel until she destroys her.
Sometime after Cassandra came across her adoptive father in "Islands Apart", Zhan Tiri gets Cassandra to make return trip to the Great Tree in hopes to find anything that could help them unlock the Ultimate Power. Zhan Tiri was angry that the scrolls there were damaged like Cass said from her late time there and knew that the Graphtic Scroll was destroyed long ago, until Cassandra tells her that said scroll has been restored and is currently in Corona.
In "Cassandra's Revenge", Zhan Tiri accompanies Cassandra to the Demanitus Chamber, and warns her against giving in to Rapunzel, attempting to convince her that the princess is trying to trick her. Once Cassandra drugs Varian unconscious and abducts him, Zhan Tiri makes sure to warn her that she must be more prepared for Rapunzel's arrival, which gives Cassandra the idea to create a large castle of her own where Rapunzel's Toweronce stood, consisted of black rocks. While Cassandra is leading a captured Varian up the stairs of her new castle, Zhan Tiri gives her additional commands to follow.
Once Rapunzel arrives at Cassandra's castle accompanied by Flynn Rider, Lance Strongbow, Pascal, Maximus, and Angry and Red, Cassandra takes amusement in their laughable failed attempts at infiltrating her castle. Just then, Zhan Tiri arrives to her and sadistically orders her to let Rapunzel in, force her to fight her, and break her spirit by killing her friends, to which Cassandra reluctantly accepts. Zhan Tiri then proceeds to invade Varian's dreams, where she hides her identity by first introducing herself to him as a big disembodied head, before splitting her spiritual form into half and twisting her head as well. There, she tells him that the only way to save Cassandra is with the fourth incantation, telling him to "use the sun to see the sun" in regards to the scroll before waking him up by purposely scaring him. As the awakened Varian expresses confusion at Zhan Tiri's words, she smiles maliciously at him.
By the time Cassandra finally gets Rapunzel to fight her by threatening Eugene's life, Zhan Tiri continues ordering her to break Rapunzel's spirit, in addition to stating Cassandra is more powerful. As the both of them battle, reality warps and Zhan Tiri gives off a deranged laughter as she enters a dark purple vortex.
Following Cassandra's defeat and the Moonstone cracking, Zhan Tiri exits the portal, now having a black, gray, and purple physical form. As Cassandra watches in shock, Zhan Tiri reveals that the clash of Sun and Moon has released her from her prison, and clenches her fist and revels at her return.
Trivia
- A small statuesque figurine of Zhan Tiri is seen in "Keeper of the Spire", as one of the museums' exhibits.
- Villain spirits in Tangled: The Series, like Sugracha the Eternel and Tromus are both green, while a friendly spirit like Ruthless Ruth is of a blue-like color, along with a few other colors that Ruth turns her ghostly body into.
- Zhan Tiri's Enchanted girl voice actress, Jennifer Veal previously worked on Descendants: Wicked World as the daughter of Alice, Ally.
- Zhan Tiri showing Cassandra the shadows of her forgotten past, as the Enchanted Girl, is somewhat similar to the actions of The Ghost of Christmas Past from A Christmas Carol.
- In "Race to the Spire", Zhan Tiri reveals that the blizzard from "Queen for a Day" was actually a form she had taken.