Catherine Lee, alias Zandra, exists across adaptations with distinct narrative contours. In the original anime, she emerges as a horned Boazanian aristocrat, molded by a childhood intertwined with Prince Heinel following his grandparents’ demise. Her formative years cement a fierce loyalty forged through defending him from peers, evolving into his shrewd strategist and confidante. Adept at manipulation and tactical ingenuity, she crafts countermeasures against adversaries while suppressing clandestine affection for Heinel. Her duality surfaces in a penchant for psychological warfare juxtaposed with restrained compassion—rejecting gratuitous violence and privately lamenting war’s toll. Her arc culminates in a fatal interception of an attack targeting Heinel, her dying confession of love met by his belated reciprocation.

The live-action iteration reimagines her as Prince Zardoz’s assigned aide, their bond rooted in explicit romantic devotion and mutual acknowledgment. Here, she orchestrates conquests with unapologetic brutality toward humans, prioritizing Zardoz’s safety and political ascendancy. Stripped of the original’s moral ambivalence, this version amplifies her cunning in dismantling assassination plots and maneuvering through court rivalries, notably clashing with figures like Marquise Zaki due to possessive jealousy. Her demise mirrors the anime’s sacrificial act—shielding Zardoz from an assassin—but triggers his subsequent refusal of survival, joining her in death.

Divergences hinge on origin: the anime anchors her loyalty in a shared youth, her internal struggle balancing duty and empathy, while the live-action pivots to politically charged alliances and externalized conflicts. Both iterations underscore her tactical brilliance and self-annihilating loyalty, though the adaptation trades layered introspection for heightened ruthlessness and romantic entanglements.