Zal (زال)

Born with white hair and abandoned by his father Sam, Zal was raised by Simurgh on Mount Alborz and became a great warrior. Zal falls in love with Rudabeh, a princess of Kabul, after hearing of her beauty. They fall in love before meeting, eventually marrying after a dramatic courtship and overcoming familial opposition to produce a great hero, Rostam. Sam initially opposes the marriage of Zal to Rudabeh due to her ancestry, as she was a direct descendant of the tyrant Zahak. Sam only relented after consulting his wisest astrologers. They prophesied that the child of Zal and Rudabeh would not be a monster, but rather the most glorious hero in Persian history, destined to be the protector of the Iranian crown. Zal lives for over 300 years. In his old age, he suffers great sorrow, witnessing the death of his son, Rostam at the hands of Shaghad, his half-brother. Later, Bahman, the son of Esfandiyar, put Zal in jail as an act of revenge. This event occurs following the death of Rostam. Bahman only released Zal after his own uncle, Pashotan, shamed him for mistreating a frail old man who had already lost his sons. After Bahman withdrew his forces, Zal returned to his role as king and ruled once more before passing away naturally.