Zero (Tony Revolori)’s Timeline and Summary
- At some point previous to the film's beginning, Zero is forced to flee his homeland after his family is killed and his village is burned.
- He takes up refuge in Zubrowka.
- Zero works as a skillet scrubber at an undisclosed location, three months as a mop and broom boy in the Hotel Berlitz, and six months as a kitchen boy in the Hotel Kinski. Apparently none of that counts for much.
- He gets a job as a lobby boy at the Grand Budapest and begins to learn from the best there ever was.
- He accompanies Gustave to Lutz to visit the deceased Madame D. While there he prompts Gustave to steal Boy with Apple, which is rightfully his according to an unverified will.
- He brings Gustave some Mendl's pastries in jail, some containing tools for escape.
- He waits for Gustave and travels with him to the Zubrowka Alps thanks to the Society of the Crossed Keys.
- He accompanies Gustave to a monastery confessional where they speak to Serge and learn of Madame D.'s second will.
- He chases Jopling down the mountain on a sled, which ends in his pushing Jopling over the edge of a cliff and saving Gustave who is hanging on for dear life.
- They run from Henckels and disguise themselves as Mendl's workers, waiting outside the Budapest for Agatha and Boy with Apple.
- When they see Dmitri enter the Budapest they follow and a firefight ensues.
- Agatha almost falls from the hotel and Zero tries to save her, resulting in both of them falling into the Mendl's truck but not before revealing the second will.
- Zero marries Agatha. They have a child. Both Agatha and their son die only a few years later from Prussian grippe.
- Zero becomes Gustave's heir, inheriting the hotel and other capital of Madame D.'s that Gustave owned.
- This makes Zero, who we'll now call Mustafa, rich, but he uses his fortune to maintain the unprofitable hotel.
- A few times a year he visits the hotel and stays in his old servants' quarters.
- During one of these visits he tells this story.