History Anime / Zambot3

Still, the show stands out because it isn't ''just'' 'MonsterOfTheWeek.' As our lead hero Kapei and his allies fight the Gaizok, ''countless'' homes and towns are [[DestructiveSavior demolished in the process]], and whereas some later series such as, say, MegasXLR would just play it all for laughs, Zambot plays it all completely straight. The result ''would'' have been a turning point for the HumongousMecha Genre had it caught on, with greater maturity&sophistication, and a ''much'' darker tone, then quite a few shows that had come out by then. But alas, this wasn't to be, and it wouldn't be until a couple of years until Gundam and the invention of the RealRobot genre that the next big advance in the HumongousMecha genre would occur. (Made by [[YoshiyukiTomino the same guy, no less!]]

Still, the show stands out because it isn't ''just'' 'MonsterOfTheWeek.' As our lead hero Kapei and his allies fight the Gaizok, ''countless'' homes and towns are [[DestructiveSavior ''demolished'' in the process]], and whereas some later series such as, say, MegasXLR would just play it all for laughs, Zambot plays it all completely straight. The result ''would'' have been a turning point for the HumongousMecha Genre had it caught on, with greater maturity&sophistication, and a ''much'' darker tone, then quite a few shows that had come out by then. But alas, this wasn't to be, and it wouldn't be until a couple of years until Gundam and the invention of the RealRobot genre that the next big advance in the HumongousMecha genre would occur. (Made by [[YoshiyukiTomino the same guy, no less!]]

''Zambot 3'', or more fully, ''Invincible Super Man Zambot 3'', is a 1977 anime series by long-standing mecha anime studio Sunrise and YoshiyukiTomino. Despite consisting of pretty standard SuperRobot fare, ''Zambot 3'' stands out for two things. Firstly, it had something of a DownerEnding. Secondly, it featured [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids child abuse]] on an unprecedented level for a childrens show. The general story is that [[AlienInvasion Earth is being invaded by aliens known as the Gaizok]], which came to earth chasing after the survivors of another planet they ruined, who came [[AlienAmongUs to live and hide on earth.]] However, they left behind two weapons - [[CoolStarship King Beal]] and [[SuperRobot Zambot 3]]. Cue MonsterOfTheWeek format.

It occasionally gets featured in the ''SuperRobotWars'', where usually they have a high chance to appear together with its spiritual successor ''{{Daitarn 3}}'' (in fact it can't seem to exist without Daitarn in SRW), thus they could do combination attacks together. This, however, is mostly offset with the lessening of its [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids brutal nature and child abuse]]. Its appearance in ''SuperRobotWarsZ'' rectifies this to a degree, by showing how the abuse takes its toll. But it still avoids the KillEmAll ending.

* HumansAreBastards:The reason why Gaizok decided to destroy mankind.

* HomeBase: The Zambase, which was an AirborneAircraftCarrier AND a CoolStarship.

* InfantImmortality: averted.

** [[Gaizok is actually a super computer designed to find and destroy any creature with an evil intent in the universe.]]

* DestructiveSaviour: This series PERSONIFIES this trope. Yoshiyuki KillEmAll Tomino went to extreme lengths to show why it is not a good idea getting two HumongousMecha fighting in a populated area. Although [[KidHero the children piloting]] Zambot stop the MechaBoost, they caused enormous amount of damage, ([[UngratefulBastard which does nothing to convince the Earth folks who hate them they are ON its side]]).

[[caption-width:300:DestructiveSavior's, child abuse, and KillEmAll, ''oh my!'']]

* InfantImmortality: So very averted

[[caption-width:300:DestructiveSavior's, child abuse, and KillEmAll, ''oh my''!]]

[[caption-width:300:DestructiveSavior 's, child abuse, and KillEmAll, ''oh my''!]]

[[caption-width:300:Our justice takes the shape of a giant robot! Its name is Zambot 3!]]

* TheButcher: TheDragon is [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Killer the Butcher]].

* AIIsACrapshoot: [[spoilers: The BigBad is]] an alien super computer.

''Zambot 3'', or more fully, ''Invincible Super Man Zambot 3'', is a 1977 anime series by long-standing mecha anime studio Sunrise and YoshiyukiTomino. Despite consisting of pretty standard SuperRobot fare, ''Zambot 3'' stands out for two things. Firstly, it had something of a DownerEnding. Secondly, it featured [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids child abuse]] on an unprecedented level for a childrens show. The general story is that [[AlienInvasion Earth is being invaded by aliens called Gaizok]] which came to earth chasing after the survivors of another planet, who came [[AlienAmongUs to live and hide on earth.]] However, they left behind two weapons - [[CoolStarship King Beal]] and [[SuperRobot Zambot 3]]. Cue MonsterOfTheWeek.

It occasionally gets featured in the ''SuperRobotWars'', where usually they have a high chance to appear together with its spiritual successor ''{{Daitarn 3}}'' (in fact it can't seem to exist without Daitarn in SRW), thus they could do combination attacks together. This, however, is mostly offset with the lessening of its [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids brutal nature and child abuse]]. ''SuperRobotWarsZ'' rectifies this sorta, by showing how their abuse takes their toll. But it still avoids the KillEmAll ending.

* AIIsACrapshoot: The BigBad is a alien super computer.

* TheBattlestar: King Beal, Bandok
* BigFriendlyDog: Chiyonishiki
* [[spoiler: BittersweetEnding: The series ultimately ends with many innocents killed, much of Japan completely wrecked, and several members of Kappei's family dead, including his teammates - but also with Gaizock's assessment that HumansAreBastards proven wrong, as a crowd of people flock to Kappei to finally cheer him as a hero.]]

* DestructiveSaviour: This series PERSONIFIES this trope. Yoshiyuki KillEmAll Tomino went to extreme lengths to show why it is not a good idea getting two HumongousMecha fighting in a populated area. Although [[KidHero the children piloting]] Zambot try to stop the Mecha Burst, they make just so much damage ([[UngratefulBastard which does nothing to convince the Earth folk who hates them they are ON its side]]).
* EarnYourHappyEnding: Kozuki. And also Kappei, even if in [[AnyoneCanDie much]] [[StarCrossedLovers more]] [[HeroicSacrifice expensive]] [[BreakTheHaughty way]].

** Actually, the [[NeverRecycleYourSchemes associated trope]] is ''averted''. Butcher ''does'' bring back the most successfull of the Mecha Boosts for one episode and that one is included.

* InfantImmortality: Averted. And HOW!
* {{Jerkass}}: Kappei is a total ''asshole'' at first, deliberately refusing to have his machine combine with the others, nearly killing someone by pretending to punch them ''while in the machine'', and pretty much mucking things up more than they need to.

* KillEmAll: By the man himself
* LargeAndInCharge: Butcher

* OffModel: Constantly.
* OmniscientMoralityLicense: So it's okay for Uchuta and Kappei to mock Keiko and imply she hasn't been weened off her mother's breast milk and then laugh when she rips her birthday present kimono in the process of trying to grab them. It was all just to piss her off so she'd storm off and go visit her mother. Sure. That makes up for being, you know ''asses'' for no real reason.

* UnbuiltTrope: Could be considered a {{Deconstruction}} of SuperRobot anime...''decades'' before ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' and ''{{Bokurano}}'' came out.

* WhyAmITicking: Halfway through the series, this becomes the weapon of choice of the Gaizok.

* UnbuiltTrope: Could be considered a {{Deconstruction}} of SuperRobot anime...''decades'' before ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' came out.

* UnbuiltTrope: Could be considered a {{Deconstruction}} of SuperRobot anime...''decades'' before ''NeonGenesisEvangelion'' came out.

* DeathIsDramatic: At least, it becomes so - in the first few episodes, civilian casualties seem to be completely shrugged off.

* A.I.IsACrapshoot:The BigBad is a super alien computer.

* AcePilot (The ace pilot Kappei literally pilots a robot called Zambo Ace)
* AlienAmongUs (The Jin Family)

* TheBattlestar (King Beal, Bandok)
* BigFriendlyDog (Chiyonishiki)
* BloodlessCarnage (Whenever a human bomb explodes, the human completely vanishes)
* TheButcher (TheDragon is [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Killer the Butcher]])

* DeathIsDramatic (At least, it becomes so-- in the first few episodes, civilian casualties seem to be completely shrugged off)
* EarnYourHappyEnding (Kozuki. And also Kappei, even if in [[AnyoneCanDie much]] [[StarCrossedLovers more]] [[HeroicSacrifice expensive]] [[BreakTheHaughty way]])
* FallingIntoTheCockpit (In Kappei's case, literally)
* FinishingMove (MOON ATTAAACK!)
* ForgottenPhlebotinum (The Gaizok create a material that can deflect absolutely any attack. One Mecha Boost is coated in this, then it is never reused)

* {{Jerkass}} (Kappei is a total ''asshole'' at first, deliberately refusing to have his machine combine with the others, nearly killing someone by pretending to punch them ''while in the machine'', and pretty much mucking things up more than they need to.)
* {{Kaiju}} (The Mecha Boosts are technically robots, but they generally look more like organic monsters you might find in a Godzilla film)

* KillEmAll (By the man himself)
* LargeAndInCharge (Butcher)

* LimitedAnimation (No animation supervisor, and many episodes were animated by just one or two people)

* OffModel (Constantly)
* OmniscientMoralityLicense (So it's okay for Uchuta and Kappei to mock Keiko and imply she hasn't been weened off her mother's breast milk and then laugh when she rips her birthday present kimono in the process of trying to grab them. It was all just to piss her off so she'd storm off and go visit her mother. Sure. That makes up for being, you know ''asses'' for no real reason.)
* OnTheNextEpisodeOfCatchPhrase ("Well, how are they going to fight through this?")
* PsychopathicManchild (Butcher's not only a completely unforgivable asshole, but spends most of his on screen time acting like a moron. Makes it all the more terrifying when he turns killing people into a game.)

* ScarfOfAsskicking (A technicolor one made by Aki in one episode. Zambot wears this at the very end of the episode, possibly making this the TropeMaker for mecha)
* SleepLearning (which is only the start of the child cruelty)
* SomeKindOfForceField (around the Bandok)
* SpiritualSuccessor ({{Daitarn 3}})

* SuperRobotWars (''{{Super Robot Wars 4}}, {{Super Robot Wars Compact 2}}, {{Super Robot Wars Advance}}, {{Super Robot Wars Reversal}}, SuperRobotWarsZ/2, and SuperRobotWars64'')

* VillainsOutShopping (Killer the Butcher, in spite of being a pretty depraved guy, is often shown doing stupid stuff like trying on jewelry or taking a bath)
* WhyAmITicking (Halfway through the series, this becomes the weapon of choice of the Gaizok)