Line #58 Franchise/Zoids


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ligerzero.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:'''''STRIKE LASER CLAW!''''']]
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4	A model line and anime series featuring animal-shaped HumongousMecha.
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6	''Zoids'' is set on the planet Zi, a mostly desert-like world where the human population lives with Zoids, native mechanical lifeforms that can be turned into deadly fighting machines.
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8	Most of the stories concern battles between the Helic Republic, the Guylos, and Zenebas Empires. This is told in the "Battle Story" [[AllThereInTheManual in each of the model kits]], though the animated series doesn't follow them too closely. These models have been sold in North America, Europe, Japan, and elsewhere periodically since the 1980's, rarely accompanied by the storyline.
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10	Unique in all of the series is the animation style. The people and most of the environments are animated traditionally, but [[TwoDVisualsThreeDEffects the Zoids are CGI]]. The process is generally well done; the CG uses CelShading and matches the frame rate, making it noticeable but not distracting.
11
12	The animated series takes a lot of inspiration from the ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' franchise, with the first two series having a war theme and later series lightening it up with a [[TournamentArc tournament storyline.]]
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14	''Zoids'' (dub title ''Anime/ZoidsChaoticCentury''), was aired in 1999 and is the first anime series. Taking elements from the Battle Story, Chaotic Century focuses on [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Van Flyheight]], a boy who comes across a small Zoid known as an Organoid, which he names Zeke (Sieg in the original Japanese), sleeping in a pod hidden in an old ruin. He also discovers a [[MysteriousWaif mysterious girl]] he names Fiona (Fiine), who happened to be sleeping in the pod next to Zeke's. Zeke has the ability to resurrect Zoids, so after restoring an abandoned Shield Liger to life, Van takes it to help Fiona find "Zoid Eve". Along the way, they meet up with the smuggler and trader Moonbay, the mercenary Irvine, and end up getting caught up in the war between the Helic Republic and Guylos Empire that takes priority over finding Zoid Eve.
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16	The second season of Chaotic Century, ''Zoids: Guardian Force'', takes place two years after the end of the first season. Van is part of a special forces unit founded to help keep the peace between the Republic and the Empire. As he reunites with Fiona, they find themselves opposing a mysterious group that seeks to cause chaos all over the planet. While ''Chaotic Century'' had concluded its story, it left a lot of the backstory concerning Fiona and Zoid Eve a mystery. ''Guardian Force'' delves heavily into the backstory and finally gives a conclusion to the characters' timeline. The show had such a fan following that Cartoon Network actually relented to fan complaints that the last four episodes were not aired during its Toonami run and ran a marathon of those last four episodes.
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18	The second anime series, ''Anime/ZoidsNewCentury'', takes place centuries after the previous two, events from the first two seasons only [[BroadStrokes vaguely being canon]] and confirmed as such by voiceovers left out of the dub. The world is more or less at peace, and battles between groups of Zoids are now a national spectator sport. The story focuses on Bit Cloud, a wandering Junk dealer seeking to build the perfect Zoid. Bit runs afoul of the Blitz Team, one of the competing teams of Zoid warriors, and while imprisoned, ends up befriending the Liger Zero, a tempermental Zoid that usually doesn't let anybody pilot it. The Liger Zero seems to like Bit, however, so the Blitz Team allows him to work off his debt by piloting the Zoid for them. As the story progresses it reveals an organization that likes to break the normal rules, calling themselves the Backdraft Group. ''New Century'' is actually the first ''Zoids'' anime to be released in North America, premiering on Creator/CartoonNetwork's ''Creator/{{Toonami}}'' block. ''Chaotic Century'' was aired later, usually early in the morning after the end of Adult Swim programming and before the resumption of Cartoon Network's regular programming.
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20	The third series, ''Zoids: Fuzors'', is similar in theme to ''New Century'', but set in its own continuity. It shows off the concept of the Fuzors, Zoids that can {{combin\|ingMecha}}e with other Zoids to boost their power or give them new abilities. ''Fuzors'' was also aired on Toonami, but was canceled after only 13 of its 26 episodes aired. Eventually, all 26 episodes were shown in Australia. In a curious change, the series was shown in Japan ''after'' its US release. The Japanese version had new animation added, to the point where the second episode is completely different.
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23	The fourth series, ''Zoids: Genesis'', is also in its own continuity, and is [[AfterTheEnd set after a]] [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt terrible cataclysm]] wrecks the civilization on Zi. This series only had a limited release outside Japan. ''Genesis'' was believed to have been a FranchiseKiller; however…
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26	The fifth series, ''Anime/ZoidsWild'', was announced to the complete surprise of the fandom 12 years later. It follows Arashi, a young wannabe Zoid Rider who tames the rare wild Zoid Liger, who previously escaped from the world conquering Death Metal Empire. Together, they fight against the Empire's forces to keep the rest of Planet Zi from being overrun.
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29	Shortly after the conclusion of ''Wild,'' ''[[Anime/ZoidsWildZero Zoids: Wild Zero]]'' was released. It follows Leo Conrad and Buzz Cunninghame, who run into a girl named Sally as she searches for her missing grandfather, a researcher who helped terraform the world of Zoids two generations ago. Another researcher is also looking for her grandfather, with vaguely sinister intent.
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31	The original '80s release of the models in the UK was accompanied by a Creator/MarvelUK [[http://www.zoidstar.com Marvel comic,]] which stands entirely in its own continuity. It followed the story of the survivors of a human prison ship which crashed on what they think is an uninhabited planet but is in fact Zoidstar, former capital of the Zoidaryan Empire. The Zoids are the android-piloted war machines of the Zoidaryans left to run amok after the (almost) total extinction of their masters. Thanks to the actions of the last remaining Zoidaryans the Zoids have divided into two antagonistic armies -- the Blue Zoids and Red Zoids -- and are fighting a brutal war across the ruined surface of Zoidstar. A third faction soon arises dedicated to uniting the other two and conquering the galaxy.
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33	A spate of video games take place in their own pocket continuities, {{Mega Crossover}}s of several of the above, or some combination of the two. Notable entries include the TurnBasedStrategy game ''Zoids Assault'' for the Platform/Xbox360 and the ''Zoids Saga'' RolePlayingGame series for Platform/GameBoyAdvance and Platform/NintendoDS, along with a Commodore 64 game simply titled ''Zoids'' and released during the kits' original 80s heyday. Genesis is also included as one of the series in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsK'', which is considered a good sign for Takara Tomy and Bandai to work together.
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35	It also spawned a SpinOff model line called ''Soukou Kyoshin Z-Knight'', which is about Earthlings' humanoid HumongousMecha developed from Zoids. It was moderately successful, but was ultimately discontinued in 1993. It also has a short promo {{OVA}} by Creator/{{Sunrise}}.
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39	[[foldercontrol]]
40
41	[[folder:Tropes Used in the Franchise as a Whole/The Battle Story]]
42	* TwoDVisualsThreeDEffects: The Zoids themselves, of course.
43	* AbortedArc: The ''Rebirth Century'' storyline was aborted with the cancellation of the model line.
44	* AbsurdlySharpBlade: Any blade or blade-like weapon is generally treated as such.
45	* AceCustom: Helic's personal Kentauros as mentioned below, Karl Schwarz' Saber Tiger and Iron Kong customs, not to mention the Dengeki Hobby Magazine Zoids like Saint Gale Impressa and Rez Tiger.
46	* ActionGirl: Rosa Lauri, bodyguard of President Helic and his eventual wife. Two notable feats are taking on Franz (an Empire soldier) in sword to sword combat on top of a Battlerover and Roadskipper and letting him live after she trounced his ass and piloting the Kentauros (a Gojulas/Ultrasaurus/Salamander/Gordos hybrid Zoid that was Helic's personal ride) against an enemy Zoid that Helic could not defeat -- she grabbed said Zoid and flew really high into the sky before turning upside down and piledriving it into the ground. She ''survived''. Helic very promptly afterwards asked her to marry him.
47	* AllThereInTheManual: The toy series' Battle Story plot-line.
48	%%* AnimalMecha
49	* AttackDrone: Depends on the continuity, but especially Zabat and the first four chimera Blox.
50	* BeamSpam: The only purpose for Gunbluster.
51	** Also used with Seismosaurus. Thirty-one double-barrelled lasers makes for an [[http://momonga.zink.net.nz/images/model/new_069_bs-back_fb.jpg awesome light show]].
52	* BeehiveBarrier: Several Zoids, particularly the [[MeaningfulName Shield Liger]] series, can generate these.
53	* {{BFG}}: Too many to list, but "buster cannons" as seen on certain Gojulas models are good examples.
54	** The biggest one of all is probably either a [[http://www.geocities.jp/mercyrabbit01/z_mercy20050401.jpg custom Seismosaurus weapon]] or the [[http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p268/grimmstudios/GCcopy.jpg Gravity Cannon]] from Guardian Force.
55	%%* BigBad: Evil Emperor Guylos in the Battle Story. Unusually for a BigBad, he ended up dying of old age.
56	* CannonFodder: Most of the smaller mecha, except when piloted by a significant character.
57	%%* ChainsawGood: The Spinosapper Zoid.
58	%%* ChestBlaster: A few, but King Gojulas especially.
59	* CombiningMecha: In 1989 Shoteagle, Gorgolauncher, and Thundercannon combined with the few ''Grade Up'' Zoids, later in 2001 this was done to a very minor extent with Berserk Führer and a handful of much smaller Zoids, then in 2002 combining was the RuleOfCool for the Blox Zoids. Taken further with Fuzors in 2003, dropped with Genesis, brought back with Neo Blox in 2006, and gone since 2007.
60	* CutShort: Several toylines were cancelled with unreleased products. The ''Rebirth Century'' line had an accompanying text story that was never completed either.
61	%%* DeathRay: Charged Particle Cannons.
62	* DubNameChange: Wardick is changed to Warshark.
63	* EmergencyWeapon: The Gojulas Giga can fire a massive energy blast from the 32 spikes on its back, at the cost of greately weakening the Zoid.
64	* {{EMP}}: The Neo-Zenebas Empire was particularly fond of these: the Dimetrodon has jamming abilities, while the Grounchar and Dark Spiner can completely freeze enemy Zoids.
65	* EmpathicWeapon: According to the Battle Story, all Zoids are living, sentient beings that can override their pilot's control if necessary. In fact, most characters refer to their Zoid as a "partner" rather than a "vehicle". In the anime, to what degree the Zoids seem alive and how people treat them varies widely between characters, continuities, and even individual mecha.
66	* TheEmpire: There's plenty of sympathetic Zenebas characters in the Battle Story, while the first appearance of the Guylos lot marks 'em as rather merciless, playing this trope very straight... though by the newer stuff they're nicer, and confusingly enough (Neo)Zenebas replaces Guylos as the evil empire later on in the 1999-2003 Battle Story.
67	* EnergyWeapon: Pretty much every Zoids storyline has these. But for [[RuleOfCool some bizarre reason]], the Seismosaurus' [[BeamSpam thirty-one double-barrelled mini-lasers]] behave like real lasers in its model, Battle Story and video game appearances.
68	* {{Expy}}: In all four series, the main hero pilots a Liger-type Zoid, his sidekick pilots a wolf, and TheDragon pilots a theropod zoid. Fuzors is the only anime where the BigBad Zoid is ''not'' a Tyrannosaurus-type.
69	** Not to mention that usually, TheHero's Liger-type will have or acquire a form that utilizes some sort of CoolSword or {{BFS}}.
70	* FacialMarkings: Actually justified a bit in source material. Apparently, the unusually high metallic content of the atmosphere of the planet Zi causes changes in humans similar to drinking water with colloidal silver in it--meaning it changes the color of your skin. The implication is that as generations passed, the mutations became less noticeable as their bodies adjusted. In Guardian Force, it's stated that the dominant race of humans came from Earth within memory, so they hadn't adjusted fully; by the time of NCZ, they were almost totally accustomed to it. No explanation for why Zoidians had those markings, though.
71	** The zoidians were around long before the humans arrived. presumably this happened to them too.
72	%%* GatlingGood: Gator, Megatopros, Gunbluster, Dark Horn, King Gojulas, Gun Sniper, Elephander with its Assault Gatling unit, Shadow Fox, Scissorstorm, Laserstorm, Energy Liger.
73	* GreyAndGrayMorality: The Helic Republic and the Zenebas (and later Neo Zenebas) Empire in the Battle Story, while Zenebas was a man who believed they should strike their enemies first he was also a loving father and a kind leader, the only truly evil decision he made was allying with Guylos, and he regretted that. Meanwhile, Helic was a good man, but he was never a warrior, and when he had taken back his lands he still pressed on. This is really obvious however between Ray Gregg and Wolf Muroa, both want peace (Ray under the Republic and Wolf under the Empire) and think the war has gone on long enough.
74	* GunsVSSwords: Occurs fairly often, protagonists tend to have some sort of blade weapon on their mecha.
75	* HellishHorse: Evil Pegasus, which is black with red wings toting a pair of gold lances and a golden horn called Thunder Blade. Even more frightening is how much collectors pay to get one.
76	* HoverSkates: Especially powerful zoids can move this way, usually using thrusters all over their body rather than specifically foot-mounted ones.
77	%%* HumongousMecha
78	* IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace: Every location on Nyx, aptly labeled "The Dark Continent". The old line mentioned places such as the Bloody Gate and Devil's Maze, while most place names in the newer line are from Norse mythology (Yggdrasil Mountains, Sessrumnir City...)
79	* IfItSwimsItFlies: Practically all aquatic mecha in Zoids are capable of near-supersonic flight.
80	* InvisibilityCloak: In the form of active optical camouflage, formerly the big thing regarding Helcat and Diablo Tiger but cheapened and thrown onto practically everything in the anime (or can actually be used on everything in some of the games).
81	* JackOfAllStats: Depending on the continuity, Red Horn, most lion or tiger types, Command Wolf types, Black Rhimos, Bearfighter, and Shadow Fox amongst others.
82	* TheJuggernaut: Ultrasaurus, Death Saurer, Mad Thunder, Gilvader, King Gojulas, Gojulas Giga, and Seismosaurus. In Battle Stories, these zoids were consider unstopable when they were introduced. Most of them eventually got dethroned, except the King Gojulas that got destroyed by [[DroppedABridgeOnHim meteor shower]] instead.
83	%%* KatanasAreJustBetter: Liger Blue Souga, which just places one onto its side when using the Gusoku Myoko armour.
84	* KnightTemplar: Störmer in the battle story who wanted to make "a better Zenebas empire" for himself and princess Elena.
85	** And then there was Wolff, who wanted to do the same thing for the Neo Zenebas Empire... and in doing so, had to kill the current Republic president: his aunt, Louise ''Elena'' Camford, whose middle name makes her exactly who you'd suspect in disguise. Whoops.
86	%%* LargeHam: Again, Störmer. But then, given that he piloted a Gilvader, it's understandable.
87	* LaserBlade: Via technicality, every blade on the mecha themselves has at least some physical component to it beyond energy. Elephander has one coming out of its nose!
88	%%* LightningBruiser: Depending on the continuity, anything with "liger" in its name plays this straight, the Energy Liger usually fits this to extreme degrees.
89	%%** Mecha of the Geno Saurer family generally fit this role as well.
90	%%* MechaExpansionPack: Half the point of the models.
91	* MechanicalAnimals: This centers around naturally occurring robotic animals humans use for combat, transportation, and other activities. While normally smaller animals such as foxes and turtles do get upscaled in the anime and toys to accommodate human pilots, normally large animals like elephants, whales, and dinosaurs are also present. The zoids can be upgraded with better armor and weaponry, with a few special ones such as the the lion-like ligers and the T-Rex like genos being able to undergo evolution. Later series introduced smaller zoids that could attach and augment the larger ones naturally, such as an owl that could enhance the sensory input of it's partner.
92	* MechanicalEvolution: The ''Zoids Bible'' says that they originally descended from simple metallic life-forms, evolving pretty much exactly the same as on Earth except for the appearance of the Zoid Core. This makes less sense when you consider that Zoids reproduce asexually, dinosaur-type Zoids didn't die out completely, and "convergent evolution" just doesn't work like that.
93	%%* MerchandiseDriven: Inherent with the nature of the show.
94	* MightyGlacier: Many, but notable examples include all the Gojulas types, Death Saurer, and Ultrasaurus.
95	* MiniMecha: Plenty of lesser-known lines were these. Often featured open cockpit designs, or even just a seat.
96	** Frightening considering Ptero Rayse and its [[FridgeLogic Mach 2.5]] top speed without so much as a seat for it's pilot. No, if you're a Ptero Rayse pilot you just deal with it!
97	* MissingMom: The mothers of all four protagonists are absent without explanation.
98	* {{Mooks}}: Rev Raptors are like the Zaku of Zoids: numerous, used extensively by the villains, and easily destroyed.
99	%%* MoreDakka: Gunbluster, King Baron and Brastle Tiger.
100	* MultiformBalance: The Liger Zero and Berserk Führer armours, as mentioned above. Battle Story and other variants give us the Liger Zero X (an Empire version designed for electronic warfare) and various packs for the Berserk Führer that replace its iconic "eggbeaters" with high-powered boosters (Storm CAS), hybrid particle cannons (Jagd CAS), or a high-output reactor and missile pods (Zenebas CAS).
101	* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Killer Spiner, Evil Scorpion, Evil Pegasus, Anna's Death Stinger called Killer From the Dark...
102	** Not to mention some of the weapons like Hyper-Killer Fangs or Killer Lance
103	%%* PaletteSwap
104	* PileBunker: CP-08 Pile Bunker, used by Rev Rapter and Iguan.
105	* PuppetGun: Using the Gun Sniper for its ''intended'' purpose involves the pilot being turned around in the cockpit to fire the Zoid's rifle, which is also its ''[[{{BFG}} tail.]]''
106	* SeriesMascot: Liger-type Zoids tend to be at the center of a lot of the marketing, and one is usually the Zoid of choice for the protagonist. In particular, Liger Zero is one of the most recognizable Zoids due to it being one of the first Zoids ever exported to North America, being featured prominently in Hasbro's marketing, and its significance in the ''New Century'' anime.
107	%%* ShockAndAwe: Liger Zero X, Grounchar, and to a lesser extent Dark Spiner.
108	%%* SmokeOut: Command Wolf types, König Wolf types, Guysack, Shadow Fox, and Saberlion.
109	* SoLastSeason: Done quite literally. The powerful Zoids from the previous series tend to end up as fodder for the ones in the newest.
110	%%* StaticStunGun: Liger Zero X
111	* SuckingInLines: Some continuities will use their own versions of this for charged particle cannons.
112	* SuperRobot: King Gojulas, let's put this into perspective: it alone turned the war from "Helic fighting guerrila combat" to "The Guylos empire is almost dead". Its roar would shake Zoids and break them apart, his chest cannons obliterated armies, if anything got close, it simply picked it up and tore it in half. It took a ''meteor shower'' to put it down. This is understandable, considering that it's the Zoid equivalent of ''[[Franchise/{{Godzilla}} Mechagodzilla]]''.
113	* ThisIsADrill: Spinosapper's ''laser'' excavator, although it's circular instead of conical.
114	%%* TimeSkip: Original Battle Story -> New Battle Story. Zoids: Rebirth Century started to fill the gap until it got cancelled.
115	%%* UnitsNotToScale: Inverted by Chaotic Century/Guardian Force/New Century Zero.
116	* VibroWeapon: King Gojulas' "super sound blaster."
117	* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Due to the nature of the Battle Story, it's never confirmed that Elena was killed or if she was simply sick of it all and escaped.
118	* WorthyOpponent: Ray Gregg to Wolff Muroa, it began when Ray spared Wolff to save his men, and grew from there when Ray caused the death of Anna, Wolff's [[ChildhoodFriends childhood friend]] (technically, Anna set her Zoid to self-destruct when she realised she had lost). From there it snowballed out of control until they had their final showdown in the Zero Falcon and Energy Liger respectively. They had a rather peaceful resolution, however.
119	[[/folder]]
120
121	[[folder:Tropes Used in ''Fuzors'']]
122	%%* CombiningMecha: [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Duh.]]
123	%%* GladiatorGames
124	* MidSeasonUpgrade: [[TheHero RD]]'s Liger Zero has the Fire Phoenix as its first Fuzor partner, which [[CombiningMecha combines]] into Liger Zero Phoenix but got destroyed midway of the series and is then replaced with the Jet Falcon, which combines to form the more powerful Liger Zero Falcon. RD's [[TheRival rival]], Blake, initially pilots a Berserk Fury, which combines with the Buster Eagle to form the Buster Fury, but after their destruction, he later receives the Gairyuki which has a pair of Fuzor partners: the Evo Flyer and the Dispelow.
125	%%* TheWorfEffect: Rastani from is the walking embodiment of this, right up there with [[TropeNamer Worf himself.]]
126	[[/folder]]
127
128	[[folder:Tropes Used in ''Genesis'']]
129	* AbortedArc: What ever happened to the Gilvader?
130	* AchillesHeel: The Bio-Zoids can NoSell anything but Leo weapons.
131	* AfterTheEnd: Zi has been wrecked by an event known as "God's Fury".
132	%%* AGodAmI: Emperor Jiin.
133	* AwkwardlyPlacedBathtub: Colonel Felme dosn't care where the bathtub she is taking her bubble bath in is at.
134	* DepletedPhlebotinumShells: Bio-Zoids are immune to anything except weapons made of Leo[=/=]Metal Zi.
135	%%* TheDragon: Zairin to Jiin.
136	%%* FallingIntoTheCockpit: Ruuji with the Murasame Liger. (Literally)
137	%%* HeelFaceTurn: Zairin and Felme.
138	%%* HollywoodTactics
139	%%* HotSpringsEpisode: Episode 9.
140	%%* KidHero: Ruuji.
141	* MidSeasonUpgrade: Most of the main characters get new Zoids in the middle of the series, except [[TheHero Ruuji]], as his Murasame Liger already had its own [[TransformingMecha powers]] (though the Murasame Liger's transformation powers aren't available at the start, Ruuji started unlocking them midway of the series).
142	* MookChivalry: Averted with Digald. Their soldiers are shown using terrain to their advantage, springing ambushes and sneak attacks, and repeatedly concentrate their fire on the most dangerous enemies to bring them down quickly. They even retreat when the situation looks bad.
143	%%* MsFanservice: Kotona Elegance.
144	%%* NakedOnArrival[=/=]NakedFirstImpression: Downplayed with Re Mie - see ShirtlessScene below.
145	%%* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:Felme]].
146	* ScientificAndTechnologicalThemeNaming: The Sky People are named after transition metals: Fermi from Fermium, Prome from Promethium, Palla from Palladium, [[spoiler:Ron Mangan (Manganese)]], etc.
147	* ShirtlessScene: A rare female example. The first time Re Mie is seen, she's completely nude save for a small towel tied around her waist. Thankfully, her nipples are also covered due to the fact that she's carrying a giant fish about as big around as she is.[[note]]Not that there's anything to see to begin with, considering she's flat as a board.[[/note]]
148	%%* TokenMiniMoe: Re Mie.
149	* WasOnceAMan: [[spoiler:Remember how the Mechanical troops are able to strategize far more than machines? Late in the series it is revealed that they have HUMAN SOULS in them.]]
150	[[/folder]]
151
152	[[folder:Tropes Used in the UK Comic]]
153	%% * ABoyAndHisX: X = Various dinosaurs (Griff and most notably Great Gorgon, Mighty Zoidzilla. %% Explain what their relationship looks like and what effect it has on them. %%
154	* AbortedArc: The comic ended with no real resolution.
155	%%* ALongTimeAgoInAGalaxyFarFarAway
156	* BigBad: With a name like Krark the Prince Of Darkness, what else could he be?
157	* BloodKnight: Zoidzilla, who didn't care for factions; all he wanted to do was fight.
158	%%* CannonFodder: Most smaller Zoids.
159	%%* CrapsackWorld: Zoidstar.
160	* DesertPunk: Zoidstar. Justified because it essentially is a neverending battlefield for the Blue and Red Zoids.
161	* ShoutOut: The comic featured a group of humans sent to an alien planet by an evil megacorporation to bring back a sample of an alien life form so the Corporation can weaponise it. The Corporation also sent along an android to make sure that everything went as planned.
162	%%* FallingIntoTheCockpit: Griff.
163	%%* KidHero: Griff.
164	* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Krark the Prince of Darkness, Red Horn the Terrible, Mammoth the Destroyer. Gore the Lord Protector obviously subverts this trope.
165	* OnlySaneMan: Krark the Prince of Darkness; he belived that the Zoids should stop fighting amongst themselves and unite under his rule to conquer the galaxy. Rather telling that the only sane man is also the BigBad.
166	%%* RedOniBlueOni: Blue Mammoth and Mammoth the Destroyer. Bonus points because they are [[FaceHeelTurn one and the same]].
167	[[/folder]]
168
169	[[folder:Tropes Used in Various Video Games]]
170	* EleventhHourRanger: In ''Saga Fuzors'', Blood Keel will join the party partway through the final dungeon of the main game. The postgame sees Blake (onscreen) and Team Tigers (offscreen) join just before the start of the secret chapter's BossRush; while Vareth, Dart, Sabre, Zeru, Juno and Acty join right in the middle of it.
171	* AwesomeButImpractical:
172	** In ''Saga'', Zoids sized LL or above can only be placed in formation with S-sized zoids. This can severely limit your party options if you want bring along a Gojulas or anything bigger. The following games would instead change this so that it only affects size ''XL'', with most of the zoids in this class being so powerful that they don't ''need'' much backup.
173	** Fusion/Unison in ''Legacy'' and ''Saga: Fuzors''. This allows you to combine 2-4 zoids into a single unit mid-battle which grants a powerup and one action per turn per pilot. However, fused zoids do not gain the benefits of any equippable weapons, armor or stat changing items any of the component zoids might have. This usually means that instead of fielding the components of a powerful fuzor, it's usually a better idea to drop in the same number of more powerful single zoids with good equipment instead.
174	%%* BadassLongcoat: Arrow and Kouki, both in blue
175	* BaitAndSwitchBoss: Prozen becomes this in ''Saga: Fuzors.'' Up to the point he appears, approaching visible zoids in the overworld would always trigger a boss fight. Approaching Prozen's Death Saurer in the second trip to the ''Chaotic Century'' world triggers... [[CutsceneBoss a cutscene in which Van one-shots him with the Blade Liger.]] The actual boss follows soon after.
176	%%* BigBad:
177	%%** The Emperor in ''Saga''
178	%%** Gard Krueger in ''Legacy''
179	%%** Emperos in ''Saga: Fuzors''
180	%%** Viper in ''VS.''
181	%%** Reika Hexe in ''Battle Legends''
182	* BlindIdiotTranslation: The infamous localization of the GBA ''Zoids Saga 2'' as ''Zoids Legacy''. Ruuji becomes Luge in ''Zoids Full Metal Crash.''
183	** Also [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment Bombing Attack Bombs]].
184	* CanonForeigner: ''Saga: Fuzors'' changes up things by having its focus primarily be on the then still-airing anime it shares its subtitle with, which results in the game's protagonist Will becoming this as he joins Mach Storm and fights alongside them as their second best pilot after RD.
185	* BossRush: The secret chapter of ''Saga Fuzors'' is basically made up of this and little else. It consists of back-to-back battles against Dr. Pierce and his Energy Liger, the fused Energy Ray Liger, the entirety of Richter Scale, Alpha Richter's Seismosaurus, its first fusion form Ultimate Seismo and finally its second fusion form Berserk Seismo.
186	* CharacterSelectForcing: In the ''Saga'' games beginning from ''2/Legacy'', the player can technically put any pilot in the party in any Zoid that the party owns. However, most pilots specialize in certain Zoid types, allowing them to use higher level(and thus, more powerful) Zoids of those types without a penalty, effectively forcing the player to use them like that.
187	* ClassicCheatCode: ''Saga Fuzors'' has four. Two that can be used at any time to unlock some bonus zoids (who would only otherwise be available in the postgame) for use, a third that gives the player the ability to construct a single Murasame Liger (indeed, the only one in the game) once the main story is complete, and a fourth which unlocks the secret extra story chapter.
188	* TheDragon: [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Blood Keel]] to the Evil Emperor in the first ''Saga'' game. Fittingly, he and the rest of his team show up DragonTheirFeet as a PostFinalBoss.
189	* EvilCounterpart: The BF to the Zero in the Silver Beast Machine God Game Boy Color game. And how.
190	* FantasticRacism: Emperos, the BigBad of ''Saga: Fuzors'' is a Zoidian who believes humanity to be a lesser species that needs to be conquered and/or exterminated. This also extends to his primary trio of enforcers.
191	* FreudianTrio:
192	** In ''Saga'' we have the Three Beastketeers of Arcdia: Regina is the Id, Arth is the Ego and Jack is the Superego.
193	** ''VS'' has both the Blue Unicorn and Rottiger squads: Zan and Max being the respective Ids, Teeta and Reiner as the Egos and team leaders Alvarn and Claudia as the Superegos.
194	* FourTemperamentEnsemble:
195	** ''Saga'' gives us Athle as the Sanguine, Regina is the Choleric, Arth is the Melancholic and Jack is the Phlegmatic.
196	** ''Battle Legends'' meanwhile has the Blue Unicorn team's Zan as Sanguine, Teeta as Choleric, Alvarn as Melancholic and Shoma as Phlegmatic. The Rottiger team has Kouki as the Sanguine, Max as Choleric, Reiner as Melancholic and Claudia as Phlegmatic.
197	* GrandTheftPrototype: This happens twice in ''Saga Fuzors''. First the Victory Liger Acty creates for Will is stolen by the Ambitions, requiring an entire chapter to recover. Two chapters later, Acty has finished the Victory Liger's fusion partner, the Victory Rex... which is promptly stolen by the Ambitions.
198	* JokeCharacter: In ''Legacy'', Benajamin and Sebastian are bar-none the weakest characters the player can field due to their complete and total lack of passive pilot skills. ''Saga Fuzors'' has their boss Harry and his sister Mary one up them in this regard: While the previous game gave Harry some decent skills, ''Fuzors'' has Harry's skill list made up entirely of indelible skills that provide penalties instead of bonuses. Mary likewise has a similar skillset, but her penalties are nowhere near as drastic as Harry's and she also has a bonus to missile-based weaponry to compensate.
199	%%* KidHero: Alster and Athle.
200	* LetsPlay: [[http://teamphantomtiger.blogspot.com/2011/02/lets-play-zoids-legacy-chapter-1a.html Starting here]], with the two would-be [=LPers=] ending up TrappedInTVLand.
201	* LongLostRelative: The Emperor turns out to be Athle's long lost brother in ''Saga''. Of course, As the Emperor is a megalomaniac who killed their parents and wants to rule Planet Zi across all of space and time, this means he's the [[CainAndAbel Cain to Athle's Abel.]]
202	* MacrossMissileMassacre: because of how weapons worked in "Zoids Battle Legends" (weapons of the same type fired all at once) you could stack smaller missile launchers on a large zoid. IE 32 missiles every time you fire when using a Gojulas Giga.
203	* MadScientist: Opis from the first ''Saga'' game. So much so that his ''Japanese'' character description uses the exact words (well, in katakana) "mad scientist". His mad science becomes the catalyst for the plot of ''Saga Fuzors'' when he revives Emperos and his entourage and joins up with them for the express purpose of being able to do even MORE mad science by reviving the Death Saurer and finding it a suitable fusion partner.
204	%%* MysteriousWaif: Juno in ''Saga 2/Legacy''.
205	%%* NewMeat: Shoma Cheval is this to the Blue Unicorn Squad in ''Battle Legacy''.
206	* OriginalGeneration: All the main characters of the ''Saga'' games, as well as the ''VS./Battle Legends'' main characters. As for Zoids, there's the Trinity Liger, the Geno Hydra, the Blitz Tiger, the Death Meteor, the Victory Liger, and the Victory Rex and its various combinations with other Zoids (and that's just from the ''Saga'' games).
207	* PostScriptSeason: The second trip to the New Century Zero era in ''Saga Fuzors'' takes place after the end of the series and sees the party forced to join Team Champ to participate in a brand new tournament.
208	* ThePromise: In the opening scene of ''Saga Fuzors'', Acty asks Will about one they made when they were children. However, Will seems to have forgotten it, which makes Acty cross. In the ending, [[spoiler:Will admits that he was lying. It turns out to have been a ChildhoodMarriagePromise.]]
209	* SecretCharacter: ''Saga Fuzors'' has a slew of these:
210	** Karl and Thomas Shubaltz and Rob Herman of ''Chaotic Century'' can be unlocked by completing stage 10-2 of Challenging Mode in the postgame.
211	** Zan and Teeta from ''VS'' are the reward for clearing Challenging Mode stage 10-3, while their rivals Reiner and Claudia are the reward for finishing stage 10-4.
212	** Shoma and Kouki are unlocked by clearing the final stage of Challenging Mode level 10.
213	** Rastani from ''Fuzors'' is found in a specific arena in the postgame. Defeating him unlocks him for play.
214	** Mary Champ from ''New Century Zero'' is recruited by completing a postgame GuideDangIt event in her era's map.
215	%%* SiblingRivalry: Lance and Arrow in ''Infinity Fuzors''
216	%%* TheStoic: Arth in ''Saga''.
217	* TeenGenius: Acty is the head of zoid research and development for the Zi-G Corporation despite only being 14 years old.
218	%%* UnflappableGuardian: Regina to Athle in the ''Saga'' games.
219	%%* YouKilledMyFather: Athle towards the Emperor in ''Saga''. Will towards Crown in ''Saga: Fuzors.''
220	[[/folder]]
221

Context Franchise / Zoids