For a first playthrough, our pick is Yana as your Cupbearer, Karolina as your Astronomist and PSEUDOPOD as your Fool. That lineup keeps the squadmates players most want home in the two safer roles and puts the most dangerous job with the crew member who costs the story least. If you are chasing the Opera’s top grade instead, the Cupbearer has to be KALEIDOSCOPE, because that route trades Yana away.
The final operation in Zero Parades: For Dead Spies, Zero Out the Grand Lich, takes three squadmates, one per role, and each role has two candidates. Below we explain each pick, the lineups for different endings, and who lives in each version of the finale. The first part is spoiler-light; the finale details sit behind a warning.
How Squad Picks Work
| Role | Candidates | What decides it |
|---|---|---|
| Cupbearer | Yana or KALEIDOSCOPE | One quest decision; you only ever get one |
| Astronomist | Karolina or HOLOCENE | Recruit both if you can, then choose |
| Fool | Ramses or PSEUDOPOD | Recruit both if you can, then choose |
Recruited crew wait at the Fogged Mirror, and you choose the squad when the operation begins. Recruit everyone you can before you commit. Our guide to who you can recruit covers where each recruitment starts.
Make a manual save before the call that starts the operation. Our guide to whether Zero Parades has a time limit explains why there is no rush to make it.
Cupbearer: Yana or KALEIDOSCOPE
Our pick: Yana, unless you want the Z rank. Yana comes from helping Ultra Violeta escape. KALEIDOSCOPE comes from trading Ultra Violeta away, which is part of the route to Melita’s top grade. Our Z rank guide lays out that path, and our guide on how to save Yana covers the other.
Astronomist: Karolina or HOLOCENE
Our pick: Karolina. Her recruitment is the most completed of the six on Steam (31.0% of players have KINDRED, against 25.4% for HOLOCENE as of November 2, 2026), and she has a way through the red disc finale when Ramses is on the team. HOLOCENE is the more eccentric companion, and his recruitment ends with an operation that can kill him if a Coordination check fails, so save before it.
Fool: Ramses or PSEUDOPOD
Our pick: PSEUDOPOD on a first run, Ramses on a second. The Fool is the role most likely to die on the aero-tram, and of the two candidates, PSEUDOPOD is the one whose loss costs the story least. Ramses is the better companion through the story, with new Director’s Cut scenes, but taking him into the Fool’s role puts your oldest friend in the most danger. Our guides on how to recruit Ramses and how to revive PSEUDOPOD compare the work.
Spoiler warning: the rest of this guide describes the finale and who dies in it.
Three Lineups and How They End
- Yana, Ramses and Karolina, gunfight. When Yana and Ramses are both hit, you can help only one: help Yana and Ramses dies, help Ramses and Yana dies.
- Yana, HOLOCENE and PSEUDOPOD, gunfight. You face the same forced choice, this time between Yana and PSEUDOPOD.
- KALEIDOSCOPE, Karolina and Ramses, red disc. The Opera’s route. Ramses gives Karolina his headphones, which is why she survives the song, but not everyone does.
Which Squad for Which Ending
- For the kindest ending: Yana, Karolina and PSEUDOPOD, then save the Cupbearer when the choice comes. In both the gunfight and the red disc finale, at least one squadmate dies, so the aim is to choose who.
- For the Z rank: KALEIDOSCOPE is forced, and the restored red disc does the work. Bring Ramses if you want Karolina to survive the song.
- For a second run: change your picks. Each squadmate brings different dialogue into the finale, and our endings guide explains how much the last act changes.
Every other guide is on our Zero Parades hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best squad in Zero Parades? Our pick for a first run is Yana, Karolina and PSEUDOPOD. For a Z rank, KALEIDOSCOPE replaces Yana.
Can you take more than three squadmates? No. The final operation has three roles, Cupbearer, Astronomist and Fool, and each takes one person.
Which role is the most dangerous? The Fool, filled by Ramses or PSEUDOPOD, dies most often.
Can everyone survive the final operation? Not in a gunfight: when two squadmates are hit, you can help only one, and the other dies.
Can you change your squad after the operation starts? No. Make a manual save before the call that starts the operation.