Zoids: Guardian Force

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Zoids: Guardian Force

ゾイド
Genre	Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Mecha, Science Fiction, Shounen
TV anime
Directed by	Takao Kato
Studio	Shogakukan Productions
Network	TBS
Original run	2000-05-01 – 2000-12-23
No. of episodes	33

Zoids: Guardian Force is the direct sequel of Zoids: Chaotic Century. Guardian Force is an animation/anime series based on the Zoids mecha model range produced by TOMY. The series is set four years after the events of Chaotic Century.

There are 33 episodes, although the Western dub version merges Chaotic Century and Guardian Force into a single series.

1 Series Background
- 1.1 The Guardian Force
2 Characters
- 2.1 The Chaotic Century Characters
- 2.2 New characters in Guardian Force
3 Series Comments
4 Theme songs
5 Trivia
6 See also
7 External links

[edit] Series Background

The Blade Liger.

Final Death Saurer

Guardian Force is set two years after the events depicted in Chaotic Century. The Helic Republic and Guylos Empire are at peace after defeating the attempted coup by Regent Prozen. Members of both the Helic and Guylos militaries have combined into an elite multinational peacekeeper force known as the Guardian Force.

[edit] The Guardian Force

The Guardian Force was created as a part of the peace process between the Helic Republic and the Guylos Empire, and is made up of elite, specially trained soldiers from the militaries of both nations. Led by General Kreuger of the Republic, the mission of the Guardian Force is to prevent all future wars. Members of the Guardian Force seek out dissidents, terrorists, and volatile groups, and contain them before they can do any damage.

[edit] Characters

[edit] The Chaotic Century Characters

For more information on these characters, see the profiles from Chaotic Century.
Van: Van; Offered a commission in the Republic Army for his part in the war, Lieutenant Van Flyheight is accepted into the Guardian Force during the first episode of the series.

In the four years between series, Van trained extensively, and learned to utilize the abilities of his Blade Liger without the use of Zeke, showing that he was now a skilled pilot on his own.

Early in the series, he carries an army knife that belonged to his father.

Fiona: Fiona; A research assistant to the erratic Doctor D. during the four year gap, Fiona is quick to encounter Van again, and the pair begin traveling again, continuing to seek information on her past. Hints of romance between Van and Fiona are seen throughout the episodes.

Moonbay: Moonbay; Appearing at various points throughout the series, Moonbay ends up the chief pilot for the Republican's Ultrasaurus mobile fortress, and tends to see it as her personal Zoid.

Irvine: First encountered as part of a rebel Zoid Hunter group, it is later revealed that Irvine has returned to his mercenary ways. He spends some time fighting in prize tournaments before returning to assist Van in his efforts to defeat Raven. Although associating with members of the Guardian Force for the second half of the series, Irvine makes it clear that he is not a member of the Force, nor of its component armies.

During the series, Irvine's Command Wolf is destroyed by Raven, although Doctor D. manages to upload the Command Wolf's personality into the combat data of a prototype Imperial Zoid, the Lightning Saix.

Raven: Raven; Suffering amnesia after his defeat by Van at the end of Zoids: Chaotic Century, Raven begins the series randomly devastating military bases. He later regains his memory, and comes to comprehend the events that led to the death of his parents. It is later known to the audience that Raven's home planet is Earth.

He begins the series by stealing various Zoids, but later comes back into possession of a Genosaurer, albeit one with red paneling as opposed to the purple seen in his previous Geno Saurer, and the set versions.

This is evolved by his Organoid into a Geno Breaker after an intense battle involving Van, Irvine and Moonbay, which resulted in the destruction of the latter two's Zoids.

Also his personality seems to have softened up a bit too. As in episode 62 the Gravity Cannon he's seen getting water from a well to care for a sick Reese. During the battle against the Death Saurer at the end of the series, he saves Van from a missile barrage, and also coordinates his attacks to destroy the Death Saurer.

[edit] New characters in Guardian Force

Hiltz: Hiltz.; An Ancient Zoidian, Hiltz is determined to take over Zi and restore the Ancient Zoidian race, through any means necessary. He is the mastermind of many of the efforts that Van, Fiona and the Guardian Force are called in to control, and rarely loses his cool when these plots are foiled, as they are only small steps in his grand scheme.

Hiltz is responsible for awakening the Death Stinger, which he pilots for the second half of the series.

Voiced by: Scott Roberts (English)

Ambient: An Organoid belonging to Hiltz, Ambient is able to dramatically increase the combat potential of any Zoid he merges with, and often inflicts physical changes to the Zoids he possesses.

Reese: Reese.; An Ancient Zoidian, Reese (sometimes spelled "Reece", "Rease", or "Ryss") has psychic powers, and is able to influence both humans and Zoids using her mind. She is originally allied with Hiltz, but is saved at one point by Van, and begins to see things in a different light. She is believed by fans to have a crush on Raven, and helps him come to terms with his past.

In Episode 51 "The Boy from the Ruins", it is revealed that Reese had been found in old ruins by a village boy, just as Van had found Fiona. When the Republican Army came to capture her, only the boy, Niccolo, stood to protect her. The village wanted nothing to do with her, and in their selfishness, the boy was killed and Reese caught. In this episode, Van meets with Niccolo's ghost, whom he teaches how to ride his Zoid, a Helcat. In their conversations, Niccolo mumbles "A Zoid pilot... She said I'd be one", referring of course to Reese. Later, when Van and the others are together, Reese attempts to kill them, but the ghost of Niccolo stops her. When Raven finds her, she is withdrawn with contempt.

Reese originally piloted a Double Sworder, which was later replaced with a modified, blue Genosaurer (officially known as the Psycho Genosaurer in the video games). On several fansites, it is referred to as the "Crystal Saurer."

Voiced by: Noriko Hidaka (Japanese), Mariette Sluyter (English)

Specular: Reese's Organoid, Specular, is also psychically talented, able to control both humans and Zoids from a distance. Specular is able to dramaticaly increase the size the Zoid it fuses with. It's very loyal to Reese and would even give its life for her. Specula is taller and skinnier than other Organoids.

Thomas Richard Schubaltz: Thomas Richard Schubaltz.; Lieutenant Thomas Richard Schubaltz (Schwartz in the Japanese version) is a member of the Guylos Imperial Army, assigned to the Guardian Force. He is the younger brother of Colonel Karl Schubaltz, and although not his brother's equal in combat, is a technical genius. Thomas falls for Fiona at first sight, and spends the early part of the series trying to compete with Van for her affection.

Thomas pilots a Republican Dibison, which he has modified with an artificial intelligence system, known as Beek. Thomas claimed Beek is superior to an organoid in every way, to which Van disagrees. Beek communicates through a set of buzzes and beeps, which highly resemble R2-D2 from the Star Wars trilogy.

Voiced by: Ryan Luhning (English)

[edit] Series Comments

While the last Zoids series to be screened in the Western nations before the creation of Zoids: Fuzors, Guardian Force was for a long time considered to be the most popular. Despite this, Guardian Force has been criticised for its somewhat nonsensical plot, its limited, one-dimensional characters, and that the romance between Van and Fiona wasn't dealt with in any significant way, leaving it up to the fandom.

One of the main complaints is that Van, Zeke, and the Blade Liger would develop completely new abilities or modifications simply because the script needed it.

[edit] Theme songs

Opening

Wild Flowers by Ramar

Endings

Song for... by Dear
Chase by Develop=Frame
Into Yourself by Transtic Nerve
Your Song by Earth

[edit] Trivia

The translation and dubbing of the final four episodes of Guardian Force was delayed. Australia was the first Western nation to air what came to be known as the 'Final Four', near the end of 2002. Cartoon Network in the United States followed in January 2003.
The Ultrasaurus used by the Republic in the later part of the series is believed by fans to be the same ruined Ultrasaurus the Liger Zero and Berserk Führer fight around and on during the final episode of Zoids: New Century Zero for it is clearly seen it bears the Gravity Cannon.
In Zoids: New Century Zero, another familiar zoid makes a cameo. in episode 23, a camera shot is viewing the area the Blitz Team members were at showed Moonbay's Gustav as one of the many transporter Zoids around. This can be verified by the white plate that was placed when the Genosaurer shot through her Zoid. Dr. D's prototype boosters were also attached to the Gustav during the shot.