Zoids: Guardian Force

Zoids: Guardian Force

The Guardian Force's logo is a combination of the Helic Republic and Guylos Empire's symbols
Japanese Name	ゾイド
Name Translation	Zoido
Genre	Adventure, Comedy, Mecha
Director	Takao Kato
Studio	Shogakukan Productions.
Network	TBS, Cartoon network
First Aired	1999-09-04
Last Aired	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 two 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, retaining the name "Chaotic Century" for the entire series.

Series Background

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.

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.

Plot

Guardian Force follows the joint Guardian Force fighters, centring around Van. With the conclusion of the Helic-Guylos war, the main antagonist switches from the Guylos Empire to a mysterious band of Ancient Zoidians lead by Hiltz. With Hiltz's knowledge of Ancient Zoidian lore, he is a powerful enemy that even the combined Republican and Imperial forces have trouble containing.

Characters

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 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.

He is shown carrying a pocketknife his father owned throughout the series.

"Fiona" Elisi Linette: During the timeskip, Fiona becomes a research assistant to the eccentric Doctor D. Fiona is quick to re-encounter Van, and the pair begin travelling together again, continuing to seek information on her past. Hints of romance between Van and Fiona are seen throughout the episodes and in episode 17 "The Boy From The Ruins" Irvine actually says that Fiona loves Van (which devastates Thomas Schubaltz).

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: Raven returns in Guardian Force. Initially suffering from 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, or planet of his family's descent, is Earth.

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

In one episode, Reese has a conversation with Hiltz about Raven's newly evolved Geno Breaker. She asked him why the Geno Breaker was red and not black, since the Geno Saurer was black and organoids have a great influence over the appearance of zoids when they fuse with the core of a zoid (Meaning that Shadow, being a black organoid, would make the Geno Breaker a black color). Both Hiltz's and Reese's organoids have effected the color of certain zoids, such as Reese's Blue Psycho Genosaurer and the red Gun Sniper created by Ambient after fusing with its core. The color of the Geno Breaker may have something to do with the fact that Raven's new Genosaurer, before it evolved, had a red and black color scheme to it. Since it was given to him by Hiltz, it is possible Ambient had "meddled" with a regular Geno Saurer zoid core to make it this way, so that when the Genosaurer evolved, the Geno Breaker also had a red and black color scheme. (This time however, red was more dominant than black unlike the Genosaurer, which was the other way around). Although never stated, it is hinted that Hiltz therefore anticipated the Genosaurer's evolution, although this remains almost pure speculation.

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's newly created Death Stinger fired 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, cumulated to kill his organoid, Shadow. This caused 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 is seen getting water from a well to care for a sick Reese after unsuccessfully 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. Shadow is later revived and Raven eventually returns to the battlefield. During the final fight against the Death Saurer at the end of the series, he saved Van from a missile barrage, and also coordinates his attacks to allow Van 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, suggest the latter.

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, including the genocide of the human race. He is the mastermind of many of the efforts that Van, Fiona and the Guardian Force are called in to control. Though he is regularly defeated, he rarely loses his cool, as they are only small steps in his grand scheme. Hiltz controls a huge organization with hundreds,if not thousands of mercenaries and henchmen, Along with vast resources including Whale Kings and legions of Zoids at his command.; Hiltz is responsible for creating and awakening the Death Stinger, which he pilots for the second half of the series, using it to systematically destroy everything that Van had come into contact with in the previous series. In the final episodes he uses the original Deathsaurer and merges with its core and that of the Death Stinger's, along with the unwilling Dark Kaiser, which results in a massive increase in the already formidable Zoid's power. Hiltz thus replaces Gunther Prozen as the new main villain. He also has a red Organoid, Ambient. Hiltz is killed in the final episode when Raven's Geno Breaker breaks his Deathsaurer's shield, allowing Van's Blade Liger, which had been propelled from the Ultrasaurus' Gravity Cannon, to puncture and destroy the Deathsaurer's core (which he had fused himself to).; Voiced by: Takahiro Sakurai and Scott Roberts
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. Also known as the "Blue Devil", Reese is a master of manipulation and prefers to control others from a distance, taking great pleasure in the suffering she causes. Although she has no problem getting directly involved when the situation demands, whether it be in person or piloting a zoid. Besides the zoids she pilots and her Organoid, Reese also uses blue insects which seem to be smaller versions of the Double Sworder she pilots, Once attached to a zoid or even a human, these insects allow Reese to control them with her powers. 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 as a child 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. Its very likely that this tragic event is what sent Reese over the edge and made her into the cold and callous monster she first appeared to be.; 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 and Mariette Sluyter
Specula: Reese's Organoid, Specula, is also psychically talented, able to control both humans and Zoids from a distance. Specula 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.; Due to an exchange program between the Empire and Republic, Thomas pilots a Republican Zoid, the Dibison, which he has modified with an artificial intelligence system, known as Beek. Thomas claims Beek is superior to an organoid in every way, although 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. He is actually being manipulated by Hiltz, however, and ends up being nothing more than a host body to ensure the survival of the original Deathsaurer's Zoid Core. Thus, when Hiltz decides to complete the revival of the Deathsaurer, Prozen is absorbed by the core and destroyed.

Deleted Scenes

In Japan, there are different censorship laws to English-speaking nations, as such, several scenes present in the Japanese version were not allowed to be broadcast on most foreign TV networks. These scenes were cut out during localisation, to remove drug references, violent scenes (blood, etc.), and any implied nudity or sexuality.

Episode 1: Hiltz throws someone off a cliff.
Episode 6: People are drinking; Van gets a gun pointed to his head and is kicked out of a Whale King (He gets back to the Whale King).
Episode 7: Reese chokes Fiona; Thomas is bleeding during his fight with Karl.
Episodes 8, 9 ,10: Quick scenes of blood.
Episode 12: This episode suffers the worst of English-dub editing. While underwater, the English version shows Reese screaming and everything fading to white as Van destroys Reese's Hammerhead. The Japanese version is much longer. As Reese screams, she physically contacts Fiona and puts Fiona and Van in her and Niccolo's place as she witnesses his (very bloody) death, making Fiona feel her pain. As Fiona wake up from this, she cries for Van to rescue Reese, while in the English version she is much less distressed.
Episodes 13, 15, 17, 32: More quick scenes of blood.

Zoids

New Zoids introduced in Guardian Force include:

Episodes

Main article: List of Zoids Chaotic Century/Guardian Force episodes

Theme songs

In the Western dub, there is only one opening and ending theme, both of which are modified versions of certain background music tracks used throughout the series. The following full-voice songs were featured in the Japanese release only.

Opening

Wild Flowers by Ramar

Endings

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

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.

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