| 1 | [[center:[[WMG:''VideoGame/{{Strider}}'' [[Characters/{{Strider}} Character Index]]\ |
| 2 | ''[[Characters/StriderOrganization Strider Organization]]'' | '''''Villains from the Strider Games''''' | ''[[Characters/VillainsFromTheStriderManga Villains from the Strider Manga]]'' | ''[[Characters/StriderMinorCharacters Minor Characters]]'']]]] |
| 3 | |
| 4 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 5 | |
| 6 | !!Kuniang M.A. Team, a.k.a. The Four Winds |
| 7 | A trio of [[SameSexTriplets fighting Chinese sisters]] who uses their great mastery of martial arts to work as bounty hunters and assassins. The group is formed by middle sister and team leader, Tong Pooh; oldest sister and mood-maker Pei Pooh, and the youngest sister Sai Pooh (in the first two games)/Nang Pooh (2014 only). The team is known as "The Four Winds" (or just "The Winds") in the 2014 game. They are a recurring obstacle in Hiryu's quest. |
| 8 | |
| 9 | [[folder:Common tropes]] |
| 10 | * AnimeChineseGirl |
| 11 | * AmazonBrigade: Specially in the 2014 game, where they work directly for Grandmaster Meio. |
| 12 | * BareFistedMonk: The Kuniang are the only enemies in the first two games to fight Hiryu with only their martial arts mastery and no actual weapon or technological upgrade to boost them. This is averted in the 2014 ''Strider'' where they all received personal weapons to fight and melee attacks were mostly dropped. |
| 13 | * BilingualBonus: "Kuniang" is the Chinese word for "girl". |
| 14 | * BountyHunter: Just like Solo, they work as bounty hunters. |
| 15 | * ChromaticArrangement: The sisters wear colored clothing: Tong Pooh being green, Pei Pooh being red and Sai/Nang Pooh being blue (although Sai was purple in the Arcade original). Averted in the case of roles, as red is not the leader, but green. |
| 16 | * ColorCodedForYourConvenience: The Kuniang are [[PaletteSwap identical sprites]] in the first game (Ton Pooh = green, Sai Pooh = blue, Bei Pooh = red). Averted in the second game and beyond, where they have personalized hairstyles in addition to the color-coding (with Bei/Pei's coloring additionally becoming a lighter shade in the 2014 game). |
| 17 | * DivergentCharacterEvolution: In the first game, the sisters use the same {{Palette Swap}}ped sprite and have the same attack, and only their leader (Tong Pooh) got an official description and dialogue, the other two being merely {{Filler}} for the boss fight. In ''Strider 2'', the three were given different designs, techniques and hairstyles, with Bei Pooh becoming a FemmeFatale with a large ponytail, Sai Pooh getting a pigtailed childish look and Tong Pooh retaining the original design. Finally, the 2014 ''Strider'' gave each a weapon and fleshed out the two sister's personalities, turning [[SpellMyNameWithAnS B/Pei]] into an AxCrazy BloodKnight and Nang Pooh[[note]]Though Sai Pooh got replaced by Nang Pooh, for all intents and purposes they are the same character.[[/note]] becoming the [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Woman]] keeping both her more hot-headed sisters in check. |
| 18 | * DualBoss: The sisters are always faced together in battle, save for one instance (Pei's first BossBattle in the 2014 game). |
| 19 | * DubNameChange: The team goes by the moniker "Three Chinese Girls" in the Arcade original, but were rebranded "Kuniang M.A. Team" in the localization of the Genesis port. Starting with the PC-Engine version, they are named "Tong Pooh Three Sisters" in Japanese. The team got renamed "The Four Winds" for the localization of the 2014 game, but in-game they tend to only use "The Winds". |
| 20 | * ExtremityExtremist: In the first two games, the sisters only ever use kick techniques to fight. In the 2014 game, they instead are almost entirely focused on using their weapons. |
| 21 | * FlatCharacter: Pei and Sai are practically this in the first two games, as they exist solely to pad out the boss fight, while Tong Pooh gets to appear in cutscenes and receive profile and appearances in other games. Pei Pooh got a bit better in the 2014 game, however. |
| 22 | * FlowerMotifs: The 2014 ''Strider'' gives a flower motif to each sister, seen as a symbol on their clothing and as a shower of petals during attacks and when defeated: Pei Pooh has a peony, Nang Pooh a lily and Tong Pooh a red rose. |
| 23 | * FreudianTrio: In the 2014 game: |
| 24 | ** Id is represented by Pei Pooh, the most carefree and reckless of the trio, fighting on her own and taking pleasure in murdering. |
| 25 | ** Superego is represented by Tong Pooh, the leader of the trio, imparting her master's orders and pushing them forward as a team. |
| 26 | ** Ego is represented by Nang Pooh, the "foundation" of the team and the one who takes great efforts in keeping her sisters under check while in the heat of battle. |
| 27 | * KickChick: The three Kuniang are all about kicks... that can create ''blades of plasma''. |
| 28 | * LadyOfWar: They move with very graceful movements while dodging and jumping. [[invoked]]WordOfGod has said their movements were inspired by ballet dancers. |
| 29 | * LivingADoubleLife: In ''Strider 2'', the team is established to lead a cover life as entertainers in a Chinese acrobatics group when not out hunting people. |
| 30 | * PowerTrio: A powerful trio of martial arts Chinese mercenaries. |
| 31 | * ProfessionalKiller: In the 2014 game, they are subordinates of Grandmaster Meio who are specifically tasked with assassination missions. |
| 32 | * QuirkyMinibossSquad: A team of dancing-like Chinese martial arts bounty hunters that are also siblings and mercenaries. The members' quirkiness is expanded upon in the 2014 game, where the sisters are more than noise accompanying Tong Pooh. |
| 33 | * SameSexTriplets: They were practically identical in the first game (as they were all palette swaps), but got their own style and technique in later games. |
| 34 | * SiblingTeam: A trio of assassin triplets, at that. |
| 35 | * SkyPirate: In the first game's backstory, the sisters were this until an ill-fated encounter with the Flying Battleship Balrog. This event is also the reason Tong Pooh mocks Hiryu with the Balrog's power, as she has first-hand experience on how invincible the flying airship truly is. |
| 36 | * ThemeNaming: They are named after the four cardinal winds: Tong Pooh is Chinese for "East Wind", Pei Pooh is "North Wind" and Sai Pooh is "West Wind". In the 2014 ''Strider'', Sai is replaced by Nang Pooh ("South Wind") and their mentor, Xi Wang Mu, is named after a Taoist deity whose name translates to "Queen Mother of the West". |
| 37 | * TheSixthRanger: Though the group is always conformed by the three sisters, some times a fourth member is said to exist: the first game has three gray-colored girls who may (or may not) be Tong Pooh's clones; while the 2014 game introduced the sisters' [[TheMentor teacher]], Xi Wang Mu, as the fourth member. |
| 38 | * WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Following their third battle in the 2014 ''Strider'', the Kuniang disappear entirely from the game without any conclusion. Xi Wang Mu's dialogue, however, heavily implies they died at some point afterwards, probably by Meio [[YouHaveFailedMe for failing one too many times]]. |
| 39 | [[/folder]] |
| 40 | |
| 41 | [[folder:Tong Pooh]] |
| 42 | |
| 43 | -> Voiced by: Creator/YumiTouma (''Strider'' for PC-Engine), Yayoi Jinguji (''Marvel vs. Capcom''), Miho Yamada (''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom''), Niki Kernow (''Strider'' 2014), Eri Nakao (''[[VideoGame/ProjectXZone Project X Zone 2]]'') |
| 44 | |
| 45 | [[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nxc_tonpooh_face.png]] |
| 46 | [[caption-width-right:270:Click [[labelnote:here]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/st1_tonpooh_portrait.png[[/labelnote]] for her Arcade portrait.]] |
| 47 | [[caption-width-right:270:Click [[labelnote:here]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pce_tonpooh_portrait.png[[/labelnote]] for her dialog portrait from the PC-Engine Port.]] |
| 48 | [[caption-width-right:270:Click [[labelnote:here]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tonpooh_ingame_1.png[[/labelnote]] for her Strider 2 portrait.]] |
| 49 | [[caption-width-right:270:Click [[labelnote:here]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/newstrider_tonpooh_art.png[[/labelnote]] for her portrait from the 2014 Remake.]] |
| 50 | |
| 51 | ->''"Do you really think that you can get close to our lord? The world belongs to him! And so do you, Strider! Ha Ha ha!"'' |
| 52 | |
| 53 | -> The middle sister and team leader of the Kuniang M.A. Team. Tong Pooh is recognized by her braided ponytails and green clothes. She's the most influential member on the team, driving her sister forward during assignments. Tong Pooh is the most skilled of the three, combining graceful movements with her martial arts to dazzle and kill her targets. She's also quite prone to anger and is very confrontational, even specifically stated to draw strength from her rage during a battle. Out of the three, she's the one to responds directly to Grandmaster Meio, to which she shows deep loyalty. This always leads to her taunting and mocking Hiryu after her defeat, proclaiming her master invincible. |
| 54 | |
| 55 | * BlindObedience: She's completely devoted to Grandmaster Meio, and her lines often reflects this. |
| 56 | * BraidsOfAction: Her identifying hairstyle is a pair of long braids. |
| 57 | * BreakoutCharacter: Outside Hiryu himself, she's probably one of the better known characters and is the second with the most exposure in crossovers. |
| 58 | * CoolSword: Her weapon in the 2014 game is a rather obscure Chinese sword known as a "Rinkaku" (Unicorn's Horn) Sword. |
| 59 | * {{Crossover}}: She appears as an AssistCharacter in ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomClashOfSuperHeroes''. She also appears as a boss character in ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'' and ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone 2''. |
| 60 | * DarkActionGirl: Fierce, temperamental and very deadly. Check! |
| 61 | * {{Expy}}: Inverted, a lot of people (specially those who first experience her in the 2014 game) believes she's an expy of [[Franchise/StreetFighter Chun-Li]], but Tong Pooh not only predates her by almost 2 years, but also actually inspired her initial designs. |
| 62 | * IShallTauntYou: Even in defeat, she'll be quick to mock Hiryu for his empty victory. |
| 63 | * MiddleChildSyndrome: Subverted. One would presume that, being the leader and most relevant character in the team, Tong Pooh would be the oldest of the three sisters. But no, she's actually the middle one. |
| 64 | * SycophanticServant: Her loyalty and worship of Grandmaster Meio puts her squarely into this territory. Hiryu actually calls her out on this in ''Strider 2'', telling her she's a "whipped dog" over her total subservience to Meio. |
| 65 | * RazorWind: The effect of her personal kick attack resembles this, creating an arc of plasma as she performs a hopping back kick. |
| 66 | * RedOniBlueOni: Serves as one when compared to Hiryu, as she's quick to anger and driven by her emotions in contrast to Hiryu's stoic and straight-to-the-point persona. Among her sisters, she'd be the red oni to Nang Pooh, who is the cool-headed member who tries to keep her (and Pei) from going off the handle. |
| 67 | * RougeAnglesOfSatin: Tong Pooh's sword in the 2014 game is named a "Rokkaku" (''hexagon'') butterfly sword in English, when in truth its a Chinese sword known as a "Rinkaku" (''Unicorn Horn Sword''). |
| 68 | * SignatureMove: The jumping back kick all sisters used in the first game became her exclusive staple move in later appearance. |
| 69 | * SleevesAreForWimps: She uses a sleeveless Chinese shirt in all her appearances. |
| 70 | * SpellMyNameWithAnS: Her name is spelt "Ton Pooh" in ''Marvel vs. Capcom'' and ''Card Fighters DS'', "Tong Poo" in ''Strider 2'' and "Tong Pooh" in the 2014 ''Strider''. |
| 71 | * SpinAttack: All of her moves in the 2014 game feature lots of spinning motions. |
| 72 | * TheLeader: She's the leader and most influential member of the team. |
| 73 | |
| 74 | [[/folder]] |
| 75 | |
| 76 | [[folder:Pei Pooh]] |
| 77 | |
| 78 | -> Voiced by: Moriah Angeline (''Strider'' 2014) |
| 79 | |
| 80 | ->''"Let the winds echo with the screams of my enemies!"'' |
| 81 | |
| 82 | -> The oldest sister and the "mood maker" of the Kuniang M.A. Team. Pei Pooh is recognized by her long ponytail and red clothes. Out of the three, she's the most reckless and carefree, usually jumping at the opportunity to fight by herself, much to the chagrin of her two sisters. She enjoys fighting and killing a bit too much, though she's much more focused when fighting with her sisters. As part of the team, she's in charge of supporting her sisters from afar. |
| 83 | |
| 84 | * AxCrazy: She comes off as quite deranged during her first battle in the 2014 ''Strider''. After her defeat, she tones it down a bit for subsequent battles. |
| 85 | * BloodKnight: In the 2014 game, she introduces herself to Hiryu by claiming for "the screams of [her] enemies!". |
| 86 | * CombinationAttack: Has one with Nang Pooh in the 2014 game, where they combine attacks as a blue and red yin-yang forms around them. |
| 87 | * CleavageWindow: Her costume in the 2014 game sports the most prominent one of the team (Tong Pooh has one, but it is mostly obscured by her collar, whereas Nang and their master lacks one altogether). |
| 88 | * DragonLady: Out of the three she's the one who invokes the image of one the most, specially in her design from ''Strider 2''. |
| 89 | * MsFanservice: Becomes the team's representative in her 2014 design, what with her body suit being open at the crotch (displaying what really seems to be black panties), having a large CleavageWindow and using thigh-length pantyhoses. None of the other members' uniforms are this revealing. |
| 90 | * MixAndMatchWeapon: Her weapon is basically a hook-like set of blades with built-in machineguns. |
| 91 | * PlayingWithFire: Her weapon shoots literal fireballs. |
| 92 | * RapidFireFisticuffs: Her personal move in ''Strider 2'' consists of three kicks performed in quick succession. |
| 93 | * SpellMyNameWithAnS: She was known as "Bei Pooh" in the fandom before the 2014 game localized it as "Pei Pooh". For a while, she was also erroneusly called "Nam Pooh". |
| 94 | |
| 95 | [[/folder]] |
| 96 | |
| 97 | [[folder:Sai/Nang Pooh]] |
| 98 | |
| 99 | -> Voiced by: Creator/LaniMinella (''Strider'' 2014) |
| 100 | |
| 101 | ->''"Residents, observe justice! Observe what you reap when you defy the Grandmaster."'' |
| 102 | |
| 103 | -> Sai Pooh is the original sister from the first game and ''Strider 2'', while Nang Pooh is her replacement in the 2014 ''Strider''. Since Sai Pooh doesn't get much of a characterization, the entry is mostly dedicated to Nang Pooh. |
| 104 | |
| 105 | -> The youngest sister and stern foundation of the Kuniang M.A. Team. Nang Pooh is recognized from her sisters by her blue clothes. She serves as the middle ground between her sisters, tasking herself with keeping both their hot-headed personalities on check. Being the most determined out of the three, she's always working very hard to keep up with her older sisters and to give off a strong appearance at every moment. In the team she works as the defender, attacking targets with defensive and disrupting attacks. |
| 106 | |
| 107 | * BlowYouAway: Nang Pooh's personal move consists of spinning her spear rapidly, creating powerful gusts of winds that push Hiryu away. |
| 108 | * CanonImmigrant: Nang Pooh in a sense: the first instance of a "Nang Pooh" character was in ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'', where they were [[CloneArmy clones of Tong Pooh]] serving as mooks. |
| 109 | * DivingKick: Sai Pooh's personal attack in ''Strider 2'', an angled diving kick with plasma energy covering the leg. The move is later borrowed by all sisters in the 2014 ''Strider''. |
| 110 | * GirlishPigtails: Sai Pooh's hairstyle in ''Strider 2'' is a set of chinese pigtails. Although there's not enough info to know if she was indeed childish, her artwork atleast gives off this impression, specially when compared to the sultry Pei Pooh and the dead-serious Tong Pooh. |
| 111 | * ICallItVera: Her crescent spear is named "Houtengeki" (Moon-Piercing Halberd). |
| 112 | * RedOniBlueOni: Nang is established to serve one to her two sisters, who are way more hot-headed and prone to get carried away so she does her best to keep them both in check. |
| 113 | * WeakButSkilled: According to her profile, Nang Pooh is quite skilled at both offense and defense, but is constantly pushing herself to appear strong at all times and keep up with her two older sisters. |
| 114 | * WorthyOpponent: He considers Hiryu one after he survives one of her traps in the residence area. |
| 115 | |
| 116 | [[/folder]] |
| 117 | |
| 118 | [[folder:Xi Wang Mu]] |
| 119 | |
| 120 | -> Voiced by: Creator/LaniMinella (''Strider'' 2014) |
| 121 | |
| 122 | ->''"Oh Strider, so eager to play, so reluctant to admit it."'' |
| 123 | |
| 124 | -> The mysterious master of the three sisters, introduced in the 2014 ''Strider''. An extremely powerful martial artists with an unknown background, she dutifully serves Grandmaster Meio as one of his top lieutenants. As the master of the three Wind sisters, she taught them different aspects of her fighting style, and although their relationship (if any) is unknown, she still treats them like her own daughters. Xi Wang Mu wields form-changing knuckle guards which can transform into any kind of weapon. She rarely accompanies her students into battle or fights herself publicly, making her existence an urban legend for the world at large. |
| 125 | |
| 126 | * AmbiguouslyRelated: It's noted in her biography that it's unclear if she's the Wind's mother, another sister or someone else altogether. In-game dialogue she refers to them as "pupils", "students" and "progeny", while in Japanese she only calls them her "disciples". |
| 127 | * BlackEyesOfCrazy: Her portrait upon defeat shows the talismans covering her eyes ripped apart, revealing her eyes to be black with yellow irises. |
| 128 | ** HellishPupils: They are also slitted like a cat's eyes. |
| 129 | * DittoFighter: She copies all the moves of the other Winds during her boss fight. |
| 130 | * EyeObscuringHat: Wears a very elaborate headgear with two talismans hanging on the front, covering her eyes in all but her death portrait. |
| 131 | * MamaBear: While whether she's their biological mother is not certain, she really does seem to treat the Winds as one, and most of her BossBanter centers on them. She explicitly says to Hiryu that, while she's being ordered his elimination, she's also [[ItsPersonal doing it in their name]]. |
| 132 | --> "Lord Meio may have ordered your execution, but you will pay for the death of my students." |
| 133 | * MorphWeapon: Her knuckle guards can turn into any of the Winds' weapons. |
| 134 | * MultiMeleeMaster: As a result of her weapon, she can wield a sword, a spear or bladed guns efficiently. In addition, her backstory establishes she has studied all forms of martial arts. |
| 135 | * MysteriousWoman: Noted in her profile to be enshrouded in mystery. |
| 136 | * OldMaster: The master of the Winds, and although she doesn't look that much old physically, her backstory seems to imply she's [[OlderThanHeLooks older than she looks]]. |
| 137 | * TennisBoss: When Xi Wang Mu starts releasing red orbs the player has the option of hitting them back for damage. |
| 138 | * VoluntaryShapeshifting: One of her attacks has her transform into a purple panther of pure energy. |
| 139 | |
| 140 | [[/folder]] |
| 141 | |
| 142 | !Meio's Army |
| 143 | A common demonination for Earth's military armies and corrupt individuals who has pledged loyalty to Grandmaster Meio, and rule the world in his name. This includes the madmen ruling the military arm of his empire, the mad scientists performing experiments and developing machines for his sake, and his closer lieutenants and followers who do all his biddings with a smile on their faces. |
| 144 | |
| 145 | [[folder:Common tropes]] |
| 146 | * AristocratsAreEvil: All members of the secret group from ''Strider 2'' are designed like European nobility and are established as the heads of several nations. |
| 147 | * ArmiesAreEvil: Usually, the armies who allied with Meio do so out of fear or self-preservation, but have no qualms on ruling with an iron fist and opressing the rest of the planet on his name. |
| 148 | * DirtyCommunists: The main enemy force in the original ''Strider'' was a Russian empire set on the [[UsefulNotes/{{Kazakhstan}} Kazakh Federation]]. |
| 149 | * HeroKiller: In the 2014 ''Strider'', Meio and all of his subordinates has dealt with and killed at least one of the Striders sent in before Hiryu. In-game, only Professor Schlange makes a mention of it, however. |
| 150 | * MechaMooks: In all games, Meio's supporters employ a varied number of mechanical soldiers and machines as part of their armies. The 2014 game's Light Troopers are the best example. |
| 151 | * TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness: The group governing the world in ''Strider 2''. They are formed by corrupt corporations and criminal organizations and led by heads of states, and maintain control of Earth from the shadows while awaiting the day Meio returns to the world. |
| 152 | [[/folder]] |
| 153 | |
| 154 | [[folder:Grandmaster Meio]] |
| 155 | -> Voiced by: Creator/KojiTotani (''Strider'' for PC-Engine), Kan Tokumaru (''Strider 2''), Tetsuo Mizutori (''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom''), Eric Newsome (''Strider'' 2014), Adam Harrington (''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomInfinite'') |
| 156 | |
| 157 | ->''"All sons of old gods, die!"'' |
| 158 | |
| 159 | ->A mysterious being presumed to come from outer space, Grandmaster Meio suddenly appeared on Earth in the year 2042 intent on conquering it. Taking over the [[FailedFutureForecast still-living Russian Empire]], he waged war against the world and become its ruler after 5 years. Not satisfied with merely ruling over the world, Meio wanted every living creature on the planet to recognize his superior authority. To accomplish this, he set out to exterminate all life on Earth and use his powers to create a new race to repopulate it, this way [[GodhoodSeeker becoming humanity's undisputed God]]. Though defeated in the end, Meio somehow survived and went into a deep sleep as his plan continued on, finally awakening 2000 years later in a world inhabited by his creations, each of whom worships him as their God. |
| 160 | |
| 161 | * AFormYouAreComfortableWith: [[spoiler: In the 2014 game, Meio's human visage is the way he appears to his subordinates, with his true form being revealed as the FinalBoss.]] |
| 162 | * AdaptationalVillainy: Unlike the arcade games, the 2014 game shows that Meio is given more atrocities and CharacterDevelopment than them. |
| 163 | * ArchEnemy: To Hiryu, seemingly across thousands of years. |
| 164 | * BadassBoast: The Grandmaster in the final level of the first game: |
| 165 | --> "I shall raise the city up to the sky and rid the earth of all creatures! I will create a race to fill the new earth—all sons of old gods, die!!!" |
| 166 | * BadBoss: He really thinks nothing of his subordinates or the people of Earth he rules over, seeing them as mere playthings to be used to fulfill his ambitions. As soon as they serve their purpose or don't measure up to his expectatives, he decides to kill the whole planet and start anew somewhere else. |
| 167 | * TheBadGuyWins: Even though he was defeated in the end, Meio's plans for Earth were still carried out in his absence, and ''Strider 2'' begins in a corrupted world ruled by his human creations 2000 years after his defeat. |
| 168 | * BaldOfEvil: He has a bald head in the games, but this is inverted in the 2014 ''Strider'' artwork as you look closely, he's shown to have receding silvery white hair. |
| 169 | * BandagedFace: He's got his face covered in bandages in ''Strider 2''. |
| 170 | * BigBad: He's the main antagonist of the arcade games and the 2014 reboot. |
| 171 | * BlackCloak: He is always seen wearing one with red outlines. |
| 172 | * BodyHorror: His design in the 2014 ''Strider'' is bizarre to say the least: he's got a flat, worm-like, fleshy body with a pale complexion covered in red veins, multiple cores embedded, and instead of visible legs, he has intestine-like tubes coming from the back of it. |
| 173 | * TheCameo: He appeared as a major antagonist and the penultimate boss in ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'', and later as an NPC character and background hazard in the Story Mode for ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomInfinite''. |
| 174 | * CognizantLimbs: [[spoiler:Meio Prime has two snake or dragon-looking arms which act on their own.]] |
| 175 | * CreatingLife: The Grandmaster has the ability to create any form of life at will. He created wolves, piranhas and pteranodons in his boss fight in the first game, and has created most of the {{mooks}} found in the second game. [[FlunkyBoss In-game,]] this translates into him summoning enemies from previous stages to hunt Hiryu. |
| 176 | ** For unknown reasons, this ability is absent in his 2014 incarnation, though there are hints that the clones in the Research Facility were created by him. |
| 177 | * DepopulationBomb: The Grandmaster's plan, erasing all lifeforms (all the "Sons of Old Gods") off Earth so he could create his own lifeforms and thus become a god. |
| 178 | * DespotismJustifiesTheMeans: Everything Meio does is only to satisfy his immense overblown ego and ambitions of [[GodhoodSeeker godhood]], humanity be damned. He took over the world, but felt entirely unsatisfied because he wanted ''everyone on the planet'' to accept his rule, something practically impossible due to those who openly opposed him and those who weren't civilized enough to understand him. So what did he decided to do? [[DepopulationBomb incinerate all life on the planet]], [[DeathOfTheOldGods the "Sons of Old Gods"]], [[CreatingLife then use his life-creating powers to repopulate the planet with a new human race]] which would all worship him as a [[GodhoodSeeker New God]]. And then, things get even worse in ''Strider 2'', where he finds [[CrapsackWorld Earth's corruption and decadent state]] so beyond repair that he simply decides to [[ApocalypseHow destroy the planet]] and leave to find a new planet to start the process all over again. |
| 179 | * {{Egopolis}}: Meio went on [[AlternativeCalendar to name the years]] after himself in the 2014 game, since the game is set in "Meio 0048". He also did this in the original Arcade game, although this [[AllThereInTheManual only figures in backstory texts]]. |
| 180 | * EldritchAbomination: His 2014 ''Strider'' self has shades of this with his bizarre body structure and appearance, [[spoiler: and then he gets fully into it when he turns into Meio Prime, his real form.]] |
| 181 | * EmperorScientist: He's not only leading research teams into creating the machines of the game, he unlocked the secret to create life through researching ancient lifeforms found in the Amazon. |
| 182 | * EvilGenius: Instead of robotics, he leans more towards genetic engineering in his quest to create a new race to which replace "the sons of old gods" and rule Earth as a true God. |
| 183 | * EvilLaugh: The Grandmaster starts the arcade game off with a huge cackle. In ''Strider 2'', he occasionally breaks into a lower pitched, deep laughter during battle. |
| 184 | * EvilOldFolks: He looks quite old already, and by ''Strider 2'', he's added more than 2000 years to his age. |
| 185 | * EvilWearsBlack: The only villain to sport a mostly black costume/color scheme, and the evilest of them all. |
| 186 | * {{Expy}}: |
| 187 | ** According to [[invoked]]WordOfGod, he was designed after Sauron from ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''. Although not admitted, however, there seems to be a lot of influence from [[Franchise/StarWars Palpatine]] as well, in particular his appearance, his lightning based powers, and his base of the Third Moon, which might as well be a Death Star. |
| 188 | ** [[spoiler: Meio Prime from the 2014 ''Strider'' is a very obvious take on the FinalBoss of ''Strider 2'', Caduceus.]] |
| 189 | * FogFeet: Meio appears as a floating entity in the first game and ''Strider 2'', with nothing of his chest or lower body ever visible behind the darkness of his cloak. His sprite in the first game even has a smoke-like effect where his lower body should be. |
| 190 | * GalacticConqueror: Appears on Earth one day to conquer. In ''Strider 2'', he plans on leaving the decadent Earth and find a new planet to conquer and start everything all over. |
| 191 | * GodhoodSeeker: His main goal is to become the new God of Earth, which he plans to achieve by killing off all life already on the planet and then replacing it with life created with his own powers. |
| 192 | * GotTheWholeWorldInMyHand: The first visual once starting the original Arcade game is of Meio moving up the screen, holding the Earth between his sharp-nailed fingers as he cracks one impressive EvilLaugh. |
| 193 | * HeroKiller: In the 2014 game he personally murdered Hien, who in this continuity didn't betray the Striders, before Hiryu was sent. |
| 194 | * HumanoidAbomination: Most definitively in the 2014 ''Strider'', given his bizarre BodyHorror, but there are shades of this in his previous designs as well, mainly on the fact only his head and hands are ever visible, even thought his cloak ''is open from the front'', and they just seem to blend into the darkness inside it. |
| 195 | * KillAllHumans: His primary goal is to eradicate all life on Earth, so he can repopulate it with his own engineered life. |
| 196 | * InTheHood: He always wears a [[EvilWearsBlack black]] hood. In the 2014 game, the hood becomes larger, looking like a pope hat. |
| 197 | * KneelBeforeZod: Before the final stage in ''Strider 2'' Meio mocks Hiryu by telling him: |
| 198 | --> "Are you going to come to the third moon? And kneel down before my feet! Ha ha ha!" |
| 199 | * LoadBearingBoss: Almost always averted: the only instance where Meio's defeat leads to his base exploding on its own is in the ending created for the Genesis port. |
| 200 | * NearVillainVictory: In all three games Meio has already claimed total control of Earth and is about to execute his more nefarious plans to kill off all life on the world and recreate it on his own, but this is when Hiryu gets involved and systematically brings down his allies, then Meio himself, preventing the end of all life/destruction of Earth. |
| 201 | * OneWingedAngel: [[spoiler:Upon being defeated by Hiryu in the 2014 game, he transports himself into outer space and adopts his true form: a massively large EldritchAbomination of an alien with two serpent-like CognizantLimbs known as "Meio Prime".]] |
| 202 | * PainfullySlowProjectile: One of his attacks in the 2014 game is to sic a giant orb of energy that flies slowly at Hiryu, requiring several hits to break. |
| 203 | * PhysicalGod: Meio possess vast powers and the ability to create life of any kind on the spot, but he doesn't seem to be a true god, instead [[GodhoodSeeker trying to achieve the title]] by creating his own species to rule over. |
| 204 | * PowerFloats: He is always seen floating, as his feet are never visible beneath his cloak. His 2014 incarnation doesn't even have feet at all, his body formed by his head, arms and a long piece of meat with a core as his chest. |
| 205 | * PrideBeforeAFall: He's very boastful of himself and invariably belittles Hiryu and threatens to show him his power before the final stage. Much good it does to him in the end... |
| 206 | * PurpleIsPowerful: Meio's design in the cutscenes for the PC Engine port has his coat colored purple. The Grandmaster in ''Strider 2'' exudes a purple aura at all times. |
| 207 | * RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: Meio's default appearance always includes a black tunic/hood with red outlines. |
| 208 | * TakeOverTheWorld: By the time the games start, it's been a few years since he's done it. |
| 209 | * TeleportSpam: The Grandmaster gains this tactic in ''Strider 2'' and the 2014 game, teleporting around to avoid being hit. |
| 210 | * SealedEvilInACan: In ''Strider 2'', Meio is found within a strange coffin-like machine deep beneath some mysterious ancient ruins. At the end of the port-exclusive Stage 0, he is released from this machine by Strider Hien, with Hiryu arriving too late, just to see Meio leave the chamber. |
| 211 | * TheScottishTrope: No subordinate of him ever refers to Meio by his actual name, instead calling him "lord" ([[{{Bowdlerise}} or "master" in certain versions]]). The 2014 ''Strider'' averts this trope, although only in the English script, the Japanese keeping the same appelative given in all previous games which translates roughly to "Him" or "That Man". |
| 212 | * ShockAndAwe: Lightning attacks are a staple of his boss fights since the beginning. |
| 213 | * VillainousBreakdown: His first defeat in the 2014 ''Strider'' leads into this. [[spoiler:By the time he comes back as Meio Prime, the boastful and demeaning Meio is no more, and he just rambles about the perfect world he is going to create after killing Hiryu.]] |
| 214 | * WeCanRuleTogether: [[spoiler:Meio offers this to Hiryu in the 2014 game. He doesn't bite.]] |
| 215 | * YouHaveFailedMe: [[spoiler:In the 2014 game, he kills Professor Schlange after the good doctor fails a few too many times. He also actually thanks Hiryu for killing his subordinates, having grown tired of their incompetence.]] |
| 216 | [[/folder]] |
| 217 | |
| 218 | [[folder:General Mikiel (Ouroboros)]] |
| 219 | |
| 220 | -> Voiced by: Kouji Yada (''Strider'' for PC-Engine), Creator/ErikBraa (''Strider'' 2014) |
| 221 | |
| 222 | ->''"You really think you can win? You will never defeat the Master!"'' |
| 223 | |
| 224 | ->A decorated war general from the Kazakh Federation, Mikiel is the corrupt and power-hungry head of the military council ruling the country. When Grandmaster Meio appears on Earth, however, he's quick to switch sides and become his subordinate, allowing him to keep his position of power over the country while serving Meio as his direct representative on Earth and military overseer. He appears as as the first antagonist in the first ''Strider'' and returns for the 2014 game. |
| 225 | |
| 226 | -> In both appearances, Mikiel has his body modified to become a machine. In the first game, he and the other council members can merge themselves into a large, centipede-like creature known as "Ouroboros, the Iron Ruler", who serves as the first stage boss. In the 2014 ''Strider'', he has most of his body turned into a machine, making him a cyborg. |
| 227 | |
| 228 | * AgeLift: In the original he's a very old man with graying hair and advanced balding, but in the 2014 game he's a young adult with a full head of brown hair instead. |
| 229 | * ArcVillain: Serves as one during the first half of the 2014 game, being the one who sends troops amd the Winds against Hiryu, and then contracts Solo's services. Once he's killed, Meio takes matters into his hands and starts directly ordering the following villains to kill Hiryu. |
| 230 | * TheCaligula: In the first game, Mikiel's mismanagement of the Kazakh Federation has not only left the country in the brink of economic ruin, but also encouraged the rise of a rebel army out of the tired population that not only plunged the area into war, but [[NiceJobFixingItVillain actually led to them seeking the Striders and Hiryu getting involved in the first place]]. His 2014 version is even worse, as now he's punishing citizens for even the tiniest of crimes (like ''being slow in disembarking from the subway!'') in the name of preventing "social decay", constantly broadcasting orders and reminders to the citizens through speakers and wasting huge sums of money and resources in building his "Tornado", a powerful weapon that only he can drive and so expensive it can't be mass-produced. Why he ordered it built? Because he wanted one in his collection of weapon! |
| 231 | * CollectorOfTheStrange: In the 2014 game, he's stated to collect weapons of all kinds, including turrets, guns and even a HoverTank. His decision to mechanize himself also stems from this, as in his eyes this makes him a part of his collection. |
| 232 | * CoolTank: His prized possession in the 2014 game is a massive HoverTank known as "Tornado", equipped with a plethora of weapons including molotov bombs, laser beam walls, explosives and a huge cannon. |
| 233 | * CombiningMecha: Well, Ouroboros should count as one, the combined form of 24 Russian councilmen. |
| 234 | * {{Cyborg}}: Visibly becomes one in the 2014 ''Strider''. |
| 235 | * FakeRussian: In the 2014 ''Strider''. Instead of having him speak Russian as in the original, the developers instead went for a heavily exaggerated Russian accent instead. This applies to most of the enemies actually, but Mikiel's accent is perhaps the most obvious and noticeable one of the bunch. |
| 236 | * GetBackHereBoss: Although not directly faced as a boss, the player has to pursue him across several screens before fighting him in his Tornado tank. |
| 237 | * TheGeneralissimo: He's the despot ruler of a Eastern European country derived from the Soviet Union, having turned it into a dystopia where every citizen is monitored. |
| 238 | * GratuitousRussian: His lines in the Arcade game are spoken in a heavily accented Russian, making them ''very hard'' to understand. |
| 239 | * GloriousLeader: Has shades of this in the 2014 ''Strider'', stating things like the imposed martial law is for the people's safety and that all the strict rules and obedience is to prevent "social decay", when in truth he's only doing everything to stroke his own ego. |
| 240 | * HuskyRusskie: In the 2014 ''Strider'', he's the most brutish out of all of Meio's followers, being brash, overly confident and having little common sense (as his death cutscene confirms), and comes with the accent to prove his heritage proudly. |
| 241 | * MookLieutenant: As Grandmaster Meio's military overseer, Mikiel has total control of his armies on Earth and coordinates them in his name. |
| 242 | * NeverBringAGunToAKnifeFight: Mikiel brings [[NeverBringAKnifeToAGunFight the stock phrase]] in the 2014 ''Strider'', telling Hiryu he has "zero chances" of winning as he wields a gun and he has just a "knife". He seems to entirely disregard the fact Hiryu has just used said "knife" to destroy his beloved (and massive) HoverTank full to be brim with missiles, lasers and turrets. Suffice to say, he doesn't live for long after that statement... |
| 243 | * NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: His appearance in the first game resembles then-president of Russia Mikhail Gorbachev. |
| 244 | * NoNameGiven: In Japan he was only ever referred to by monickers such as "Kazakh High Officer". Averted in the 2014 ''Strider'', where Mikiel was carried over into the Japanese version as well. |
| 245 | * {{Ouroboros}}: Ouroboros represents one, and one of its patterns has him spin around itself, reflecting its usual representation of a snake eating its own tail. |
| 246 | * PinballProjectile: His weapon in the 2014 ''Strider'' shoots fireballs which bounce off any surface they hit, making them hard to dodge. |
| 247 | * PuppetKing: Serves as one for Grandmaster Meio, as he rules in his name while Meio's occupied on more important matters. |
| 248 | * SegmentedSerpent: He becomes one when he merges into Ouroboros. Well, closer to a segmented {{Creepy Centipede|s}} but the feelings' the same. |
| 249 | %%* SinisterScythe: Ouroboros' weapon. Because GloriousMotherRussia. |
| 250 | |
| 251 | [[/folder]] |
| 252 | |
| 253 | [[folder:Strobaya]] |
| 254 | |
| 255 | -> Voiced by: Creator/YukitoshiHori (''Strider'' for PC-Engine) |
| 256 | |
| 257 | ->''"UWAAAAH!"'' |
| 258 | |
| 259 | -> A Russian "enhanced human", Strobaya is a Kazakh soldier who has subjected himself to special modifications, turning himself into a Cyborg enhanced through special drugs, giving him incredible physical strength. He confronts Hiryu as the very first boss in the original ''Strider''. |
| 260 | |
| 261 | * AsLongAsItSoundsForeign: He's named after a brand of Russian Vodka the creator was fond of. |
| 262 | * AttackAttackAttack: His strategy is to constantly launch himself at Hiryu trying to grab and toss him into walls. Noted in his backstory that he's not one to think strategically, making his battle plan lineal and predictable. |
| 263 | * BloodKnight: His line in the PC-Engine version paints him as one, telling Hiryu he's been waiting for him to appear. |
| 264 | * {{Cyborg}}: Willingly becomes one. |
| 265 | * DumbMuscle: He's incredibly strong thanks to the drugs and mechanical enhancements, but he's not very smart and his battle strategy is described as straightforward and very easy to predict. |
| 266 | * {{Expy}}: He's pretty much [[Film/RockyIV Ivan Drago]]'s twin brother, a blonde Russian muscle man who barely speaks and got himself extra strength through some suspicious substances. |
| 267 | * HuskyRusskie: Not as slow as the norm, but otherwise fits the bill as a very strong, brutish and not so bright Russian soldier. |
| 268 | * {{Kiai}}: Everything he does, he does while screaming his lungs out. It is noted he really enjoys shouting warcries in battle. |
| 269 | * RoarBeforeBeating: Upon confronting him, Strobaya flexes his shirt/backup machine away and screams to the skies before starting the battle. |
| 270 | * RollingAttack: He rolls along the ground if his diving or lunging miss its mark. |
| 271 | * ScreamingWarrior: He screams loudly before lunging at Hiryu. |
| 272 | * ShirtlessScene: His introduction has him ripping out his shirt, and he goes like this. |
| 273 | * SkippableBoss: In the Arcade original, the player can bypass the whole battle by doing a long jump over his room. Later ports, however, removed this making him a forced encounter. |
| 274 | * SuperSerum: He uses special drugs to strengthen himself. When first found, he's hooked up to a machine that's administering them, actually. |
| 275 | * SuperStrength: Thanks to the modifications to his body and the drugs. He's so strong he destroys the backup machine hooked up to him by merely ''flexing his muscles''. |
| 276 | * WrestlerInAllOfUs: If he catches Hiryu, he will either perform a shoulder throw or a head scissors leg throw to violently strike him against one of the walls. |
| 277 | * WarmUpBoss: The very first boss of the whole series. |
| 278 | |
| 279 | [[/folder]] |
| 280 | |
| 281 | [[folder:Captain Beard Jr.]] |
| 282 | |
| 283 | -> Voiced by: Creator/IemasaKayumi (''Strider'' for PC-Engine) |
| 284 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/artwork___cap_beard_jr.png]] |
| 285 | [[caption-width-right:270:Click [[labelnote:here]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/untitled_855.png[[/labelnote]] for how he looked in the PC-Engine version of the arcade game.]] |
| 286 | |
| 287 | -> One of the Grandmaster's subordinates, and the pirate-styled captain of the Flying Battleship Balrog. Before that, however, Beard was a commander of the Earth forces opposing Meio's attempt at conquering the planet. After a particularly brutal defeat against the Grandmaster where he lost his left eye, leg and arm, Beard Jr. realized how powerful Meio truly is and switched sides. He appears as the final obstacle in the 3rd stage. |
| 288 | |
| 289 | * AirborneAircraftCarrier: He's the captain of one, the Flying Battleship Balrog. |
| 290 | * AnArmAndALeg: Lost an arm, leg and eye to Meio. |
| 291 | * AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Zigzagged. While Beard Jr. appears more capable than his men, seeing he can effortlessly whip them away from his escape ship, he's still nothing special in Hiryu's eyes, and as such goes down in measly three hits. |
| 292 | * BadBoss: Has no care in the world for his own underlings, as seen at the end of the stage where he's whipping away the desperate soldiers who try to jump into his escape airship as the Balrog is collapsing. |
| 293 | * TheCaptain: He's the captain of the Flying Battleship Balrog. |
| 294 | %%* CaptainColorbeard |
| 295 | * DressedToPlunder: Has most the trappings of a typical pirate design, including a hat, HookHand, [[SeadogPegLeg peg leg]] and [[EyepatchOfPower eyepatch]]. |
| 296 | * FaceHeelTurn: After getting a taste of Meio's powers, he quickly turned allegiances. |
| 297 | * FallenHero: He was once one fighting against Meio, but one brutal beating later he realized just how impossibly powerful Meio truly is and turned his back on everyone, becoming another subordinate of his. |
| 298 | * GratuitousSpanish: His line in the game is spoken in a decent, if heavily slurred and accented, Spanish. |
| 299 | * HookHand: Has one, and actually uses it to attack Hiryu. |
| 300 | * {{Pirate}}: Has the style of one, as part of his ShoutOut. |
| 301 | ** SkyPirate: Given he leads a huge flying aircraft carrier, although he's the only one on board carrying the pirate imagery, with the rest of the crew being decked in futuristic armor. |
| 302 | * SeadogBeard: Has a large, brown beard. |
| 303 | * ShoutOut: His Japanese name (Captain Higemaru Jr.) and design are one to Capcom's old Arcade game ''Pirate Ship Higemaru''. |
| 304 | * UniqueEnemy: Rather than a boss proper, he's closer to an unique enemy whose death is programmed to end the 3rd stage. |
| 305 | * WhipOfDominance: A ruthless pirate captain who wields a whip in battle. He's even shown to [[BadBoss use his whip against his own men to drive them off his escape vessel]]. |
| 306 | [[/folder]] |
| 307 | |
| 308 | [[folder:Desert Commander & Tank Driver]] |
| 309 | -> Voiced by: Koji Yada & Creator/YukitoshiHori |
| 310 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dessert_commander_and_tank_driver.png]] |
| 311 | [[caption-width-right:350:Left: Commander. Right: Driver]] |
| 312 | |
| 313 | -> Two characters exclusive of the PC-Engine port of ''Strider''. Part of the Kazakh military, the Desert Commander appears mid-way through the port's exclusive desert stage only to be killed by a giant antlion, the actual mid-boss. The Tank Driver is the stage's end boss, driving the large tank "Sovkhoz Я". |
| 314 | |
| 315 | * AntlionMonster: A huge one eliminates the Desert Commander before the proper boss fight. |
| 316 | * BaitAndSwitchBoss: The Desert Commander blocks Hiryu's way, threatens him like all other bosses and starts spinning on place...only to get mauled by a giant antlion, who turns into the actual boss Hiryu faces. |
| 317 | * CanonForeigner: Both appear in the desert level created for the PC-Engine version of the arcade game. |
| 318 | * CoolTank: The Tank Driver's Sovkhoz Я. |
| 319 | * NoNameGiven: Neither character is given any known name. |
| 320 | |
| 321 | [[/folder]] |
| 322 | |
| 323 | [[folder:Elder Brother Honghuo]] |
| 324 | |
| 325 | -> A boss introduced in ''Strider 2'', a high-ranking member of the Chinese Mafia. Honghuo has replaced most of his body with machine parts, and has outfitted himself with a number of weapons including a gatling gun for a right hand and a missile launcher on his belly. He's faced as the first boss enemy in the game. |
| 326 | |
| 327 | * AllThereInTheManual: His full name is only revealed in official material, as the game simply calls him "Terrorist". |
| 328 | * ArtificialLimbs: Both his hands are replaced with weapons: his right hand is a [[{{BFG}} large gatling gun]], while his left is some sort of huge, two-edged weapon. |
| 329 | * CoolShades: Wears black shades. |
| 330 | * {{Cyborg}}: 80% of his body is no longer organics, replaced with black metal parts and weapons. |
| 331 | * {{Expy}}: Of Strobaya from the first game, as the two are loyal cyborg men serving evil organizations allied with the Grandmaster, as well as the very first actual bosses Hiryu faces. |
| 332 | * FatBastard: He's got a large, black-metallic gut. |
| 333 | * MeaningfulName: His name is Chinese for "Red Fire", which is fitting of a guy whose body holds a bunch of explosive weapons. |
| 334 | * MoreDakka: One of his attacks is to constantly pelt Hiryu with his gatling gun-arm. |
| 335 | * TheSpeechless: He doesn't make any sound at all. Not even when hit. |
| 336 | * TheTriadsAndTheTongs: A high-ranking member of the "Chinese Mafia". |
| 337 | * WarmUpBoss: As the first boss in the game, he's quite simple to deal with. |
| 338 | |
| 339 | [[/folder]] |
| 340 | |
| 341 | [[folder:Schlange]] |
| 342 | |
| 343 | -> Voiced by: Toshihide Tsuchiha (''Strider 2''), Chris Subagio (''Strider'' 2014) |
| 344 | |
| 345 | -> There are two characters who go by the last name "Schlange". The first, introduced in ''Strider 2'', is Herzog Schlange. An excentric and mysterious MadScientist dressed as an aristocrat or high noble, Herzog Schlange serves Grandmaster Meio's allies by building them machines and other weapons. He's the lord of Fortress Wahnen, an ancient castle he has rebuilt extensively, showcasing a combination of both medieval and modern technology. He's the final boss in the 2nd stage, set in his castle, together with one of his greatest creations, the "Aluminium Hydra". |
| 346 | |
| 347 | -> The other is known simply as Professor Schlange, a straight-to-the-formula MadScientist reimagining featured in the 2014 ''Strider''. Professor Schlange is Grandmaster Meio's top scientist and the one in charge of his Research Facility, where both production of troopers and biological experiments take place. Rather than excentric, this Schlange is a complete nutjob, completely deranged and obssessed with his creations, and with an ego streak that borders on insanity. He pesters Hiryu throrough the Research Facility and eventually sics his greatest creation, [[KillerGorilla Mecha Pon]], at him. |
| 348 | |
| 349 | * AnachronismStew: Invoked in-universe, as this is Herzog Schlange's entire schtick, shown in the stage he's the boss of: an ancient, German castle with an army of soldiers dressed as if they came straight out of a UsefulNotes/WorldWarI battlefield and an unit of ''freakin'' medieval knights standing side-to-side with mechanical horses, sentient machines and a two-legged walking tank that wouldn't be out of place in VideoGame/MetalGear. |
| 350 | * BackgroundBoss: The Aluminium Hydra stands in the back of the stage and only attacks one head at a time. |
| 351 | * BilingualBonus: German is all over Herzog Schlange and his stage. Besides his own name (seen below), there's Fortress Wahnen itself ("Delusion"), [[MechanicalHorse Metall Hengst]] ("Metal Stallion"), [[WalkingTank Sturmgeschutz V]] ("Assault Gun") and even a minor enemy, the Rasenhamer ("Lawnmower"). |
| 352 | * BioAugmentation: Professor Schlange is all about this, as he thinks the body is nothing but a vehicle to work with. He even offers Hiryu to become immortal this way, albeit at the cost of his soul. |
| 353 | * BossBanter: Although Professor Schlange is not a proper boss, he'll pester Hiryu with his banter all the way through his huge research complex. |
| 354 | * ContinuityNod: Professor's Schlange "ZAIN Project v2" is a nod to the mind-control project featured in the [[Manga/StriderHiryu manga and NES game]]. |
| 355 | * ControlFreak: Professor Schlange is calm and demeaning while he thinks he's in control, but the more Hiryu beats his traps and wrecks his things the more he loses the script. |
| 356 | * {{Cyborg}}: Professor Schlange has no love for a biological body, thinking of it as a mere vehicle, so he has "upgraded" himself with mechanical parts, most notably having removed his entire lower half with a round contraption that connects with the facility, allowing him to quickly transverse the large complex on a whim. |
| 357 | * ForScience: Every atrocity Professor Schlange commits is to satisfy his desire for knowledge. |
| 358 | * FlunkyBoss: Herzog Schlange summons armored knights during the battle with the Hydra. |
| 359 | * GetBackHereBoss: Herzog Schlange appears standing on a floating platform during the BossBattle, and as he is the actual target one must shoot for, he will constantly drift back and forth, staying little time on any one spot for long. |
| 360 | * HighClassGlass: Herzog Schlange sports a nifty monocle, a classic fit for his aristocratic look. |
| 361 | * LabcoatOfScienceAndMedicine: Professor Schlange has one drapped around his shoulders, wearing it like a cape. |
| 362 | * LackOfEmpathy: Professor Schlange feels nothing of the sort, if how easily he's willing to experiment on captured citizens and harvest their brains didn't clue you in already. |
| 363 | * MachineWorship: As long as the machine in question is built by him, Professor Schlange will joyfully praise its beauty and perfection to kingdom's come. |
| 364 | * MadDoctor: Professor Schlange also dabbles in genetic engineering as well as robotic manufacturing. |
| 365 | * MadScientist: Herzog Schlange is one combined with the [[AristocratsAreEvil image of an aristocrat]], while Professor Schlange is the basic, vanilla version. |
| 366 | * MadScientistLaboratory: Professor Schlange has the Research Facility, which combines a robot manufacturing plant, a testing chamber, a cloning and storage building and a research and experiment laboratory into one massive complex. |
| 367 | * MeaningfulName: "Herzog Schlange" is German for "Duke (as in the title of nobility) Snake". |
| 368 | * MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate: Well, it is ''Professor'' Schlange after all. |
| 369 | * MixAndMatchCritters: Each one of the Aluminium Hydra's heads resemble one of six different animals: a dragon, lizard, turtle, snake, chameleon and crocodile. |
| 370 | * {{Orochi}}: The Aluminium Hydra was inspired by the Yamata-no-Orochi. |
| 371 | * PatrioticFervor: Herzog Schlange serves the Grandmaster entirely as a way of showing off his country's worth to him. |
| 372 | * {{Pride}}: Professor Schlange's got this overinflated, exaggerated view of himself and all things he has created, to the point he goes rambling mad the more Hiryu wrecks them. |
| 373 | * ProfessorGuineaPig: Professor Schlange, natch. He's performed several surgeries over his own body in order to fully integrate himself with the huge Research Facility he oversees. |
| 374 | * RobotMaster: Both versions are well-versed in robotics and have created plenty of strange machines for Meio. |
| 375 | * TopHeavyGuy: Herzog Schlange's [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/strider/images/b/be/Str2_schlange_concept.png/revision/latest?cb=20140317090006 got quite the upper body]], in spite of not being a fighter or actual boss. |
| 376 | * TheUnfought: Neither Schlange is actually faced as a BossBattle, although Herzog atleast appears during the boss battle as the actual target. |
| 377 | * VillainousBreakdown: Professor Schlange starts out smug and confident as he welcomes Hiryu to the research area and sics wave after wave of enemies while "guiding" him around the premises and telling him of his experiments, mocking him or offering him to become another test subject. As Hiryu continues surviving every trap and destroying the machines he's so proud of, Schlange starts losing his patience and the playful and mocking tone gets replaced with irritation and frustration, as he just wishes Hiryu to die already. After the Gravitron is destroyed, Schlange's finally turned into a raving madman, yelling at Hiryu for daring to destroy ''HIS'' creations and laboratory. |
| 378 | * WetwareCPU: Professor's Schlange "ZAIN Project v2" has this as its core, using human brains to power and control his war machines. |
| 379 | |
| 380 | [[/folder]] |
| 381 | |
| 382 | [[folder:Admiral Wilhelm]] |
| 383 | |
| 384 | -> Voiced by: Creator/HozumiGouda (''Strider 2'') |
| 385 | |
| 386 | -> A boss introduced in ''Strider 2'', a high-ranking member of the shadow organization worshipping Meio and the captain of the renewed Flying Battleship Balrog. Wilhelm is a loyal subordinate of Meio who fights with a plasma sword known as a "Shock Blade", and is very agile and nimble thanks to robotic prosthetic legs. He also ''really'' hates Hiryu for wasting his strength and talent opposing Meio. |
| 387 | |
| 388 | * ArtificialLimbs: He and the soldiers under his charge have metallic prosthetic legs. In his case, they allow him to walk on walls. |
| 389 | * TheCaptain: The captain of an entire flying fortress, the new Balrog. |
| 390 | * CoolSword: A curved sabre capable of producing a large trail of plasma when swung. |
| 391 | * EvilCannotComprehendGood: In his deathbed, Wilhelm asks Hiryu why, unable to understand why he'd go against Meio when his chances of winning are almost zero (to him). |
| 392 | * NoSell: He never flinches when hit, he's only slightly slowed down. |
| 393 | * SwordBeam: When reduced to half of its health, Wilhelm's sword starts throwing small homing blades of energy with each attack, like a very watered-down version of Hiryu's Boost move. |
| 394 | * TurnsRed: Subtle, but the color of his plasma attacks change from blue to green and purple when reduced to half of its health. |
| 395 | |
| 396 | [[/folder]] |
| 397 | |
| 398 | [[folder:Caduceus]] |
| 399 | |
| 400 | -> The final boss of ''Strider 2'', a massive otherworldly monstrosity created by Grandmaster Meio's power to serve as a vehicle to transport the seeds of his lifeforms with him once he leaves Earth for a new planet to begin his experiments again. |
| 401 | |
| 402 | * BeamSpam: His most powerful attack consists of showering the whole area with laser beams. |
| 403 | * ColossusClimb: Since Caduceus' [[AttackItsWeakPoint only weak point is its head]], one has to climb its large arms in order to get into striking distance. |
| 404 | * DeathFromAbove: His biggest attack is a massve laser storm that covers almost the entire screen. |
| 405 | * EldritchAbomination: A massive, deformed being with a vaguely mantaray shape and enough power to obliterate a planet. |
| 406 | * ElementalPowers: As the FinalBoss, Caduceus can manipulate a lot of elements during his battle. |
| 407 | ** PlayingWithFire: Can shoot fireballs from its "hands". |
| 408 | ** ShockAndAwe: Can direct a lightning strike at Hiryu from its arms' middle joints. |
| 409 | ** GravityMaster: Can send gravity waves off its shoulders to push Hiryu down. |
| 410 | * FlyingSeafoodSpecial: Has the overall shape of a giant mantaray with two big "arms". |
| 411 | * GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: Outside of some obscure Japanese material, there's no explanation of Caduceus' existence, outside Meio creating parts of it as enemies during his boss battle hinting that its another one of his created lifeforms. |
| 412 | * HealingFactor: Anything but its head, where its core is located, can't be damaged and will repair instantly. In-game, this is shown when striking its arms: it can temporarily disable its attacks, but they will be functional again in no time. |
| 413 | * KillItWithFire: Caduceus' end comes about when he freefalls into Earth and burns at reentry. |
| 414 | |
| 415 | [[/folder]] |
| 416 | |
| 417 | [[folder:Juroung]] |
| 418 | |
| 419 | -> Voiced by: Eric Newsome |
| 420 | |
| 421 | -> Introduced in the 2014 ''Strider'', Juroung is the self-proclaimed "true disciple" of Grandmaster Meio, a a religious follower of Meio who worships him as a true God and enforces his will and rule upon the refugees of the Underground. Juroung believes himself superior to others due to his fanatical belief in Meio and the right of his vision for the world, and has made his life's mission to assist his master in seeing this "utopia" become a reality. Juroung's primary ability lies in the manipulation of water, which he can use in a variety of forms and shapes to crush his master's enemies. |
| 422 | |
| 423 | * TheDragon: Described as Meio's closest subordinate, and the one he trusts the most. |
| 424 | * ElementalBaggage: Averted. Juroung's boss room is in ankle-deep water, and he has a mechanism on his back which sucks up water up to his arms, from where he then weaponizes it. |
| 425 | * TheFundamentalist: As far as he is concerned, Meio is in the right to do what he plans to do and nothing will sway his conviction. He even inquires Hiryu aloud at the beginning of his battle why he remains a non-believer and refuses Meio's call. |
| 426 | * GiantHandsOfDoom: A lot of his attacks consist of giant hands of water he uses to clasp, crush or punch his enemies. |
| 427 | * GravityMaster: His water-control is achieved through this, as Juroung uses the power of a miniature Gravitron embedded within him to shape water to his will. |
| 428 | * GroundPound: He strikes the ground in order to create rising pillars of water as an attack. |
| 429 | * HolierThanThou: He's defined entirely by his devotion to Grandmaster Meio: he enforces his will among those who ''escaped'' his dystopian rule, sees himself superior to others because his belief is stronger, and believes Meio's "will" guides him to victory. |
| 430 | * KneelBeforeZod: Demands Hiryu to do so to spare him in one of his quotes: |
| 431 | -->"Kneel before me, and I may let you live." |
| 432 | * KnightTemplar: Juroung is convinced Meio's vision is the right one for the world, and that his complete devotion will [[RightMakesMight always guide him to victory]]. |
| 433 | * MakingASplash: Juroung's main power is the ability to manipulate and control water with devastating force. |
| 434 | * ProphetEyes: Juroung's eyes are completely white, denoting his status as a spiritual shaman. |
| 435 | * ReligiousBruiser: As the devout follower and rule enforcer of Grandmaster Meio. |
| 436 | * ScaryBlackMan: A tall, imposing one that's more often than not surrounded by shadows. |
| 437 | * SinisterSilhouettes: In his introductory cutscene he appears enshrouded in shadows. |
| 438 | * UndyingLoyalty: Juroung follows Meio's orders even if it means death to him. |
| 439 | * WarriorMonk: Invokes the image with his shaman outfit and total religious devotion to Grandmaster Meio. |
| 440 | * WeaponsThatSuck: Juroung's strongest attack consists of a powerful gravity pull that sucks Hiryu into the center of the screen and stuns him in place. |
| 441 | |
| 442 | [[/folder]] |
| 443 | |
| 444 | !Other |
| 445 | Enemies that are not directly affiliated with Grandmaster Meio or his armies, being either hired for a job or forced/manipulated into working for him. |
| 446 | |
| 447 | [[folder:Solo]] |
| 448 | |
| 449 | -> Voiced by: Creator/ShuichiIkeda (''Strider'' for PC-Engine), Creator/HozumiGouda (''Strider 2''), Hideo Watanabe (''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom''), Dave Rivas (''Strider'' 2014), Yuichi Jose (''[[VideoGame/ProjectXZone Project X Zone 2]]'') |
| 450 | |
| 451 | ->''"I GOT YOU!"'' |
| 452 | |
| 453 | ->A bounty hunter and hired assassin with a reputation for being unmatched and undefeated in his profession. Very proud of his strength, Solo trusts only two things in life: money and himself, and will carry out any job no matter how risky or dirty once his costly fees are paid. In battle, he fights by using a PoweredArmor that allows him to fly and an assortment of high-power firearms, guns and explosives to exterminate from a safe distance. |
| 454 | |
| 455 | -> In all versions, Solo is contracted to exterminate Hiryu after his crusade becomes a nuisance to Grandmaster Meio, but he finds himself not up to Hiryu's skills. His pride wounded, he always returns a second time to rechallenge Hiryu and settle the score. |
| 456 | |
| 457 | * TheAce: Solo asserts himself to be the strongest human being on Earth, and carries the title proudly on his own name (see MeaningfulName below). Part of his interest in fighting Hiryu is to prove it by challenging a Strider in battle. |
| 458 | * BaldOfEvil: Visible briefly in the first game when defeated and bisected, as his visor flies away. [[spoiler:Solo ZN-2 in the 2014 ''Strider'' has half of his visor broken, showing his bald head as well.]] |
| 459 | * {{BFG}}: Solo's main weapon is usually a huge cannon of some sort. In the first game, it was a flamethrower with an attached missile launcher, while in ''Strider 2'' it is a plasma cannon. While his main weapon in the 2014 game is a much smaller rifle, he can throw some big attacks with it [[spoiler:and later replaces it with the huge flamethrower from the first game.]] |
| 460 | * BountyHunter: His main profession. [[ProfessionalKiller He]] is also a [[HiredGuns hired hitman]]. |
| 461 | * BrokenWinLossStreak: Solo is particularly proud of being undefeated in his line of work...that is, until Hiryu comes along and beats him. This is most notable in the 2014 incarnation, where this act drives him to literal madness and makes him obssessed to settle the score. |
| 462 | * CameBackWrong: [[spoiler:His return as Solo ZN-2 really messed up his head, which coupled with having been defeated for the first time in his career, turned Solo into an insane, revenge-obssessed maniac. Solo ZN-2 is also said to be [[CameBackStrong even stronger than his regular form, however.]]]] |
| 463 | * CloneArmy: The weaker "mass produced models" developed after him, featured as enemies in ''Strider 2''. |
| 464 | * {{Crossover}}: He appears as a boss character in ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'' and ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone 2''. |
| 465 | * DeadlyDisc: One of his moves in ''Strider 2'' has him create two large rings of plasma over his shoulders. |
| 466 | * DefeatingTheUndefeatable: Solo's interested in clashing against a Strider due to their reputation. He'd be this to Hiryu too given his boasts of being the strongest. |
| 467 | * DubNameChange: In his appearance in the Western-made ''Strider Returns'', he's called "Inferno". |
| 468 | * EnemyPosturing: Half the time you can actually hit Solo in the 2014 game is because he stopped flying around to mock Hiryu. |
| 469 | * EvilCounterpart: Can be seen as one to Hiryu: both are, in a sense, mercenaries who take up missions/contracts from clients and are determined to see them to the end, but while Hiryu does it out of loyalty to the Striders and follows his own sense of justice with no interest in any type of reward or aknowledgement, Solo does it merely for the money and to maintain his title as the strongest in the world. They are also thematically opposite, both being extremelly quick warriors, but one wearing simple clothing and a melee-range sword while the other fights in a full suit of armor and exclusively with long-ranged weaponry. |
| 470 | * TheFaceless: Solo's face is always hidden behind his golden visor. [[spoiler:We do get a brief glimpse of his face in the 2014 ''Strider'', when he returns as Solo ZN-2 with his visor half-broken.]] |
| 471 | * {{Flight}}: Solo's armor always comes with flight capabilities, either thrusters (original), a jetpack (2014) or the simple ability to float (''2''). |
| 472 | * FragileSpeedster: In the original game, Solo moves really fast and has a lot of firepower... but dies in 3 hits. |
| 473 | * GunsVsSwords: A futuristic take, as Solo always wields plasma cannons and guns to face Hiryu and his trusty plasma sword Cypher. |
| 474 | * HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: In the original game, you can briefly see him fly away in pieces after being defeated. |
| 475 | * IWorkAlone: Solo's philosophy of "trust no one but yourself and money" leads to him being billed as a "lone wolf assassin". |
| 476 | * LaughingMad: Sometimes breaks into a cackle during boss battles in the 2014 game. |
| 477 | * MacrossMissileMassacre: One of Solo's attacks in the first game is a barrage of [[HomingProjectile homing missiles]]. |
| 478 | * MeaningfulName: In-story, "Solo" is meant to reflect his belief and position as the "strongest man, alone at the top". |
| 479 | * MysteriousMercenaryPursuer: As expected of a Boba Fett {{Expy}}. A BountyHunter paid by the BigBad to kill TheProtagonist? Check. Wears an all-concealing PoweredArmor whose visor makes him TheFaceless? Check. A mysterious assassin? Check. Relentless pursues his target, and takes things [[ItsPersonal personal]] once he's defeated for the first time? Check. |
| 480 | * OnlyInItForTheMoney: One of the only two things Solo believes in life, the other being the weapons he holds. |
| 481 | * OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Given the meaning behind his name, it is possible Solo is meant to be a nickname and not his actual name. |
| 482 | * PartsUnknown: Unlike the other enemies in the first game, there's no clear indication of his nationality, either from design or spoken language, as he speaks English. |
| 483 | * PlasmaCannon: His weapon in ''Strider 2'', as well as the plasma rifle he wields in the 2014 ''Strider''. |
| 484 | * PlayingWithFire: His weapons tend to lean toward this. [[spoiler:Solo ZN-2 practically ''revels'' in this.]] |
| 485 | * PoweredArmor: All his incarnations use a flight-enabled mechanical suit equipped with lots of missiles. |
| 486 | * PsychoForHire: Solo's personality takes a turn to this in the 2014 ''Strider''. While previous incarnations showed him more a ConsummateProfessional focused on hunting down Hiryu, the 2014 game added a much more sadistic personality to the mix, exemplified by him taunting Hiryu mid-battle about not entertaining him enough and being generally disappointed by his performance, as well as breaking into a rather jarring EvilLaugh occassionally. [[spoiler:Once he's defeated and half-heartedly brought back to life, he goes full AxCrazy, entirely obssessed over killing Hiryu for his previous defeat.]] |
| 487 | * RecurringBoss: Solo is fought two or three times (depending if the player ignores the first encounter) in the first game, and twice in the second (the initial fight being now two phases). He's also fought twice in ''Strider Returns'' for the Genesis [[spoiler:and the 2014 ''Strider'' in an "upgraded" form known as Solo ZN-2.]] |
| 488 | * TheRival: One of Hiryu's most persistents at that. |
| 489 | * SkippableBoss: He can actually be ignored both times he's faced in the original Arcade game. Doing so on Siberia means the player will have to deal with him alongside the Kuniang sisters (although, again, he doesn't need to be killed to end the stage so one can try ignore him), while doing so on the final stage will have him pester the player for the following two bosses, which is not really a good idea. |
| 490 | * SoreLoser: Doesn't take losing well at all, best exemplified in the 2014 ''Strider'', where having experienced his first defeat on his career pushed him into insanity. |
| 491 | * SpeedEchoes: In the first and second game, he moves so fast he leaves residual images of himself behind him. |
| 492 | * SpreadShot: Solo's side arm in the first two games shoots three-way shots. |
| 493 | * WorldsBestWarrior: Solo is called the strongest man in the world and his name is a reflection of that: he's "alone (solo) at the top as the strongest man". |
| 494 | |
| 495 | [[/folder]] |
| 496 | |
| 497 | [[folder:Amazoness]] |
| 498 | |
| 499 | -> A female-only tribe living within the woods of the Amazon Rainforest. Completely isolated from the modern world, Grandmaster Meio manipulated them into worshipping him as a God by introduced the formerly extinct dinosaurs into the forest, making them worship him as someone who "commands big and strong creatures". Upon entering their territory, the Amazoness act hostile toward Hiryu. |
| 500 | |
| 501 | * BattleBoomerang: The other weapon they wield, a boomerang that spins back when thrown. |
| 502 | * {{Bowdlerise}}: The Genesis port removed the leaf sprite covering the Amazoness' chest, but edited the sprite in a way that a piece of cloth covers her breasts entirely. |
| 503 | * DomesticatedDinosaurs: The Amazoness have tamed the Triceratops to serve them as steads. |
| 504 | * LadyLand: The unexplored area where this clan of female-only warriors live in seclusion. |
| 505 | * NippleAndDimed: In-development screenshots from before 1989 show the Amazoness with an exposed breast (nipple and all!), but this was altered for the final release by overlaying a separate leaf sprite on their chest at all times. There are MAME cheats around allowing one to remove the leaf, however. |
| 506 | * NubileSavage: For a tribe of savage forest-dwelling warriors dealing with dinosaurs, they certainly know how to keep themselves clean and good-looking. |
| 507 | * SpeakingSimlish: The Amazoness scream some gibberish words while fighting Hiryu in the stage, and the one in the cutscene speaks in what seems to be nonsense words. |
| 508 | * TreeTopTown: They have build their village on the top of trees, Hiryu passing through it in the middle of the stage. |
| 509 | * UnwittingPawn: They attack Hiryu only because he opposes Meio, who they believe is a God. Once Hiryu proves superior to Meio's dinosaurs (and the even-stronger mecha T.Rex), they stop their assault and even [[SpannerInTheWorks reveal to him the existence of the Third Moon]]. |
| 510 | * VineSwing: Some Amazoness will throw their weapon at the player from swinging vines. |
| 511 | |
| 512 | [[/folder]] |
| 513 | |
| 514 | [[folder:Alien Terrorists]] |
| 515 | |
| 516 | -> The enemy force in the non-canonical ''Strider II''. |
| 517 | |
| 518 | * {{BFG}}: The terrorist leader wields a large firearm. |
| 519 | * {{Cyborg}}: The terrorist leader is a ScaryBlackMan with a mechanical lower half. |
| 520 | * FantasticTerrorists: It's in the name, after all. A group of alien terrorists with mutant soldiers in their ranks. |
| 521 | * MechaMooks: Most of the enemy force consists of robot sentries. |
| 522 | * SlaveMooks: In the home console ports "Alien Terrorists" are removed from the manual's description, and the enemy force is instead described as an army of slave warriors serving Grandmaster Meio. |
| 523 |
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