Zasalamel is a man with no allegiances except to himself, though his actions may reasonably be defined as evil. The titles of both which he was referred as "The Enigma" and "The Mastermind" before his real name was revealed. He hails from an ancient tribe that was tasked with the protection of Soul Calibur, the sacred sword and Soul Edge's opposite. This was many, many years before the game's set timeframe. Zasalamel was angered by the sect's edicts that forbade the use of the sword; which didn't allow the tribe to use the weapon if a crisis were to occur. When trying to take Soul Calibur into his own hands, he was discovered and shunned from the tribe. Zasalamel had a natural gift for magic (he could perform spells after only seeing them once) and spent his time in pursuit of ancient and forbidden knowledge thought lost, until he relearned the art of magical reincarnation. The spell worked perfectly however, there was no way to "turn off" the spell; he would keep being reincarnated for all eternity, and committing suicide, no matter how many times he did it, would only start the cycle over again earlier than usual. In an attempt to end what he considered his "curse".
What lies in his soul is Anguish.
I will show you how to use the curses to your benefit with all my knowledge I have obtained in my years of fighting games and Soul Calibur to make sure you are ready for the cruel battlefield and journey which lies ahead. Whether you are mere mortal or a god you shall proceed forward with great caution!
"So, you're still floundering, mortal."
"This is your fate!"
"May you sleep for eternity!"
"I have plenty of time. Let us play."
"It is natural for time to flow. Why stop it?"