Zoids: Guardian Force

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Zoids: Guardian Force
ゾイド
(Zoido)
Genre Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Mecha
TV anime
Director Takao Kato
Studio Shogakukan Productions
Network TBS, Cartoon Network, GMA7
Original run 2000-05-01 – 2000-12-23
Episodes 33

Zoids: Guardian Force is the direct sequel of Zoids: Chaotic Century. Guardian Force is an 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.

Contents

[edit] Series Background

Guardian Force is set four 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
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
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 and in episode 51 "the boy from the ruins" Irvine actually says that Fiona loves Van which devistates Thomas Shoobaultz.
Moonbay
Appearing at various points throughout the series, Moonbay ends up the chief pilot for the Republic'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, though his prolonged association with the group and his actions seems to prove otherwise.
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
He is the dangerous rival of Van Flyheight. 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.
Sometime later, while he was in a battle against Van, Irvine (now piloting a Lightning Saix infused with the memory banks of his old Command Wolf) and a contingent of Gun Snipers, Hiltz resurrects the Death Stinger and fires its Charged Particle Cannon in their direction. This, and the fact that he had hit his time limit fused to the Geno Breaker's core, contributed to Shadow's (unbeknownst to him, temporary) death. This causes the normally heartless Raven to feel surges of grief, despair and remorse, causing his personality to soften up significantly. As in episode 62, "The Gravity Cannon", he's seen getting water from a well to care for a sick Reese after confronting Hiltz and the Death Stinger. Later, he confides to her that any act of antagonism wouldn't really matter to him from that point on since he sees every bit of it as retribution for everything he had done. 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. It is unknown though if, as of the end of the series, he still harbors hate and anger against Van or if he now sees him as an equal, though his sudden shift in personality due to Shadow's death (who was later revived) suggest the latter.
Rosco: A.K.A The Barron of Wings. He and Viola fly the two storm sword's. In episode 63 it is presumably he dies in the village when Hiltz comes and destroys the village.

[edit] New characters in Guardian Force

Hiltz
An Ancient Zoidian, Hiltz is determined to take over Zi and restore the Ancient Zoidian race, through any means necessary, and he means consist entirely of mass destruction. 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. In the final episodes he uses the original Deathsaurer and merges with the its core and that of the Death Stinger's, along with the unwilling Dark Kaiser, who increases its armour. Hiltz replaces Gunther Prozen as the new main villain. He also has an Organoid. The name of the red organoid is Ambient. Hiltz is killed in the final episode when Raven's Geno Breaker breaks his shield and when Van's Blade Liger destroy the Deathsaurer's core.
Voiced by: Takahiro Sakurai (Japanese), 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
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 appears to have some feelings for 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 Republic 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 and from that point on, she loses her sinister side, beginning her redemption of sorts alongside Raven. During her change of heart, the animation of her eyes is different, appearing less sinister and slightly larger.
Reese originally piloted a Double Sworder, which she later replaced with a modified blue Genosaurer (dubbed a "Psycho Genosaurer" in the video games).
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 dramatically 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
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 rank or combat, he 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. His love for Fiona is unrequited throughout the entire series.
Thomas pilots a Republic 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)
Dark Kaiser
Gunther Prozen becomes the Dark Kaiser towards the end of the series, as he believes he will become the core of the Deathsaurer. He tries to turn Shadow against Raven and to persuade Fiona into resurrecting Zoid Eve completely to increase the power of the Deathsaurer. The Dark Kaiser is later tricked by Hiltz.

[edit] Episode listing

  • 1. "The Secret Mission"
  • 2. "Sniper"
  • 3. "The Blue Devil"
  • 4. "The Steel Bison"
  • 5. "The Invisible Enemy"
  • 6. "The Zoid Hunters"
  • 7. "The Devil's Maze"
  • 8. "Raven"
  • 9. "The Emperor's Holiday"
  • 10. "Assault of the Mega Monster"
  • 11. "The Wings of Darkness"
  • 12. "The Devil of the Sea"
  • 13. "A Monster Awakens"
  • 14. "The Black Lightning"
  • 15. "The Distant Stars"
  • 16. "Attack of the Geno Breaker"
  • 17. "The Boy From The Ruins"
  • 18. "Van's New Power"
  • 19. "Phantom"
  • 20. "G-File"
  • 21. "Supersonic Battle"
  • 22. "Cerberus"
  • 23. "The Nightmare"
  • 24. "Attack of the Winged Dragons"
  • 25. "The Capital Collapses"
  • 26. "The Giant Fortress"
  • 27. "The Great Sea Battle"
  • 28. "The Gravity Cannon"
  • 29. "The Final Battle!"
  • 30. "The Ancient Memory"
  • 31. "The Zoid Eve"
  • 32. "The Moment of Annihilation"
  • 33. "Return To Another Tomorrow"

[edit] Theme songs

Opening
  1. Wild Flowers by Ramar
Endings
  1. Song for... by Dear
  2. Chase by Develop=Frame
  3. Into Yourself by Transtic Nerve
  4. 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.
  • Fiona's full name is Fiona Elisi Linette.
  • 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 clearly bears the Gravity Cannon.
  • In episode 23 of Zoids: New Century Zero, another familiar Zoid makes a cameo. A camera shot viewing the area the Blitz Team was stationed at showed Moonbay's Gustav as one of the many transporter Zoids around. This can be supported by the white armor segment that was placed when the Geno Saurer shot through her Zoid. Dr. D's prototype boosters were also attached to the Gustav during the shot.
  • In episode 24 of Zoids: New Century Zero, a charged particle cannon similar to that of the Death Stinger's tail was fired at judge satellites. Some believe it to be the same Death Stinger that Van defeated.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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