Van Flyheight
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Van Flyheight (Ban Freiheit in the Japanese version) is a character from the anime series Zoids: Chaotic Century and Zoids: Guardian Force, based on TOMY's Zoids model franchise. Voiced by Daisuke Kishio in the original Japanese version and Matthew Erikson in the English dub of the series, he is the protagonist of the story.
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[edit] Personality
Van Flyheight is a typical shōnen hero. Van's dream is to one day become a great Zoid pilot like his father, Dan Flyheight. Van loves Zoids, seeing them not as tools of war but as partners to protect and assist people, and feels that their lives are worth something.
Endowed with a spunky attitude and a strong sense of justice, Van aims to do what he feels is right and is always looking out for other people. He shows great loyalty to his friends Fiona, Irvine, Moonbay and his Organoid, Zeke, and will do anything to protect them. His open nature means that many people are attracted to him, and he enjoys a good challenge.
Van starts out somewhat amateurish as a Zoid pilot, but as the series progresses his abilities as a pilot begin to grow. His specialty is close range combat, a feature that both the Shield Liger and the Blade Liger excel in.
For all his seeming outer strength, he sometimes questions his own abilities or whether he does the right thing. For example, in episode 16, "New Helic City", Van rescues a lost Imperial Soldier from a group of thugs, but when this same soldier destroys portions of the city with a Power Reinforced Command Wolf in a blind panic, he wrestles with his inner turmoil and wonders if what he did was right.
Van has a healthy appetite, and is particularly fond of papayas.
[edit] Battle Statistics
[edit] Chaotic Century
- Close Combat: 28
- Ranged Combat: 7
- Maneuvering: 5
[edit] Guardian Force
- Close Combat: 60
- Ranged Combat: 10
- Maneuvering: 14
[edit] Zoids
[edit] Shield Liger
Acquired by Van in the very first episode, "The Boy from Planet Zi", the Shield Liger was Van's first Zoid. It was resurrected from an old wreck by his Organoid, Zeke. Van struggled to pilot the Zoid at first, being unable to control it properly or bring out its potential without Zeke's help. As the series progresses, however, eventually Van masters control of the Shield Liger, and is able to bring out its power on his own. Notable opponents of Van's Shield Liger were Rosso's Red Horn and Raven's Zaber Fang.
While many Shield Ligers appear during the series, Van's is distinctive from others due to having gold feet instead of grey. This is possibly intended as foreshadowing to his second Zoid, the Blade Liger.
Van pilots the Shield Liger until episode 22, "Farewell to a Friend", when it dies in battle against Raven's Geno Saurer, its core shot out by the latter's Charged Particle Cannon.
More technical, detailed info on the Shield Liger can be read in its article.
[edit] Blade Liger
Van acquired his Blade Liger in episode 25, "The New Liger", after it is resurrected by Zeke from the petrified remains of the Shield Liger. Van pilots the Blade Liger for the remainder of the series, defeating Raven's Geno Saurer, as well as the Death Saurer, Geno Breaker and Death Stinger with it.
Through-out Guardian Force, the Blade Liger would see many upgrades to counter opposing threats, and to keep up with Van's increasing abilities as a pilot. The Blade Liger would acquire a stronger shield, would be given the ability to switch between a gatling and a sniper attachment for its ranged weapons, its boosters given the ability to pivot, and its joints reinforced to enable it to run faster. It would also be given the CP-012 Attack Booster upgrade to fight the Geno Breaker.
More detailed, technical information on the Blade Liger can be read in its article.
[edit] Zeke
Though not technically a Zoid he has piloted, Zeke is Van's Organoid partner. He goes by the name "Sieg" in the Japanese version, and in both versions, Zeke is named after the Command Wolf Van's father once piloted. Zeke is friendly and loyal to both Van and Fiona. In addition to basic Organoid powers, Zeke has the ability to resurrect dead Zoids, and heal Zoids that are damaged in battle. He has displayed this ability on multiple occasions, sealing cracks in the Shield Liger's body and growing back one of the Blade Liger's blades after it broke off in battle.
[edit] Other Zoids
Van has also piloted the following Zoids temporarily at one point or another:
- Command Wolf (Manga only)
- Liger Zero (Manga only)
- Guysak
- Rev Rapter
- Pteras
- Redler
- Helcat
