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1[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/zillion_akai_koudan_zillion__red_photon_zillion_6297.jpg]]
2[[caption-width-right:350:The White Knights. From the forefront to the background: Apple, J.J., Amy and Champ]]
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4''Red Photon Zillion'' (赤い光弾ジリオン, ''Akai Kōdan Jirion'', also known as just ''Zillion''), is a SciFi {{Anime}} that ran from April 12, 1987 to December 13, 1987 on Nippon Television in Japan and was produced by Creator/TatsunokoProduction and Creator/{{Sega}}. Thirty-one episodes were made, as well as an original video animation (OVA) movie titled ''Zillion: Burning Night''. After the production of the anime, Tatsunoko Production and Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, the producer of ''Zillion'', established Creator/ProductionIG to obstruct the dispersing of the excellent staffs of Tatsunoko branch which had done actual production. Therefore, ''Zillion'' is considered to be Production I.G’s first work.
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6In the far future, humankind has spread to other planets and solar systems. It is the year 2387, and humankind's most successful off-world colony is the planet Maris, a world so Earth-like that many call it Earth II. But the Marisians are in danger. The colony is under siege by the Noza Empire, a savage race of warrior-cyborgs from a distant star system that intends to kill all humans in order to lay eggs and reproduce on the planet. The Noza are seemingly invincible and indestructible, and the Marisian Defense Forces are severely outclassed.
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8All hope seems lost when a trio of guns of immense power are found by the colonists and dubbed the "Zillion Weapon System" after the ancient civilization that created them and the substance "Zillium" that powers them, a mysterious substance which cannot be analyzed or reproduced, and is therefore irreplaceable. Regardless, the molecular disruption beam of the Zillion Gun is far more powerful than any weapon devised by man, and it is the only thing strong enough to destroy the Noza.
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10An elite fighting force called "the White Knights" is quickly created, with three young Marissian colonists: J.J., Champ and Apple, chosen and specially trained to use these weapons. They are the last hope for survival for the colonists.
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12''Zillion'' spawned two video games for the UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem, ''Zillion'' (an action game similar to ''VideoGame/ImpossibleMission'' with a bit of ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'') and ''Zillion II''. It also left a legacy of becoming the first anime to inspire a video game system peripheral, namely the Sega Master System’s Light Phaser.
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14Opa-Opa, of ''VideoGame/FantasyZone'' fame, was a minor recurring character on the show.
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16Despite the cult success of the video games, the ''Zillion'' anime received only a very brief release in the early 1990s in the United States. The first five episodes of the TV series, as well as the ''Burning Night'' OVA were dubbed and released on VHS by Carl Macek’s Streamline Pictures line. This anime was featured in the music video for Music/MichaelJackson and Music/JanetJackson’s collaboration "Scream."
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18In 1993, Eternity Comics published a western comic book adaptation, written by Tom Mason, drawn by Harrison Fong, and lettered by Tim Eldred.
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20In 2018, Creator/{{Funimation}} announced that they had obtained the license for the series and released the complete series in October.
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22[[Characters/RedPhotonZillion Character Sheet]] recently created. Please help out!
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24----
25!!'''Red Photon Zillion''' provides examples from:
26* ActionGirl: Apple.
27* ActionHoggingOpening: The opening featured gorgeous animation and fighting sequences at the tune of an epic song. The show's animation itself was more limited.
28* AlienInvasion: The Noza Empire. They embarked on a campaign of planetary conquest to find other worlds suitable to their race's survival.
29* AlwaysChaoticEvil: The Noza army. They all are committed to the cause.
30* AngelsPose: In [[http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1e-FPGuAHTY/TdacMlveXLI/AAAAAAAACaQ/IbS0b1aruBw/s1600/zillion.jpg this picture]].
31* AnimeThemeSong: '''Pure Stone''' by Creator/RisaYuki.
32* AppliedPhlebotinum: Zillium, the substance powering the main character's guns, of unknown origin, incredibly powerful and impossible to analyze. During the GrandFinale the protagonist trio discovers that, much like the ''[[Anime/MazingerZ Mazinpower]]'', the ''[[Manga/GetterRobo Getter Rays]]'', the ''[[Anime/SpaceRunawayIdeon Ide energy]]'' or the ''[[Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann Spiral power]]''-, it is [[spoiler:sentient.]]
33* BadassCrew: The White Knights.
34* BeachEpisode: Episode Ten.
35* BigBad: [[TheEmperor Empress Admis]] rules the [[TheEmpire Noza Empire]] and wants to KillAllHumans and take over Planet Maris to allow her species to lay eggs and reproduce.
36* CleavageWindow: Apple's outfit sports [[http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/2009/11/hg101-digital-archive-project-zillion.html a very prominent one]]. It would actually be a NavelDeepNeckline if not for the tiny strap it uses as a collar.
37* CoolBike: the White Knights use cool futuristic bikes to travel to other places.
38* DarkerAndEdgier: The Burning Night OVA. For starters [[spoiler: One of the antagonists attempts to rape Apple, the plot revolves around a group of crazy whack cults, and the one-shot ends with Apple's ex-boyfriend committing suicide after giving J.J. a farewell speech to look after her.]]
39* DubNameChange: In Spain, Zillion was renamed to ''Zillion, el Caballero Blanco'' (Zillion, the White Knight). J. J. was renamed Jaime.
40* DyingMomentOfAwesome: The villains unexpectedly got some good ones: [[spoiler:TheDragon died standing up during his last duel with J.J.]]; and [[spoiler:The Queen, after seeing that the eggs had been relocated to a safe place, and therefore the children would hatch and live on, cried in relief and let herself die at last, also standing up.]]
41* TheEighties
42* EightiesHair: The hairstyles and wardrobe of the characters reflects that the series was made in the eighties, in spite of being set in the future.
43* ExtyYearsFromPublication: The anime was made in the year 1987. The story begins, as one can guess, in the year 2387.
44* GrandFinale: The last episodes, when the Noza throw a brutal final attack, and the three heroes travel at space to carry the fight to the Noza base itself and end the war once for all.
45* TheGunslinger: The three main characters.
46%%ZCE * HotBlooded: J. J., again.
47%%ZCE * IdiotHero: J. J., yet again.
48* MadeOfIndestructium: Whatever the Noza are made from, it is completely impervious to anything but the Zillium.
49* MamaBear: When you think about it, Queen Noza invaded other planets and attempted genocide to ''protect her children''.
50* {{Mook}}s: The Noza army.
51** MechaMooks: They are cybernetic lifeforms.
52** FacelessGoons: ''All'' of them wear a white mask covering their faces. Possible subversion, since the BigBad also wears one.
53* MechaShow
54* {{Metroidvania}}: The first game belonged to this sub-genre: the player explored a Noza base, searching new items to open up new areas and fighting enemies in the meantime.
55* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: The enemies are alien cyborgs.
56* PowerArmor: They were used in the game Zillion II.
57* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: Baron Ricks. When he decided that he had met his arch-enemy, he survived extreme hardships because he refused to die unless it was in a fair duel against J. J.. Also, despite having fallen out of favor with his queen and being injured, he still looked chased after J.J. relentlessly for still another battle to which he seeks either victory or death.
58* RedIsHeroic: Other than the word being included in the ''freaking'' title, J. J.'s uniform includes a red shirt that he always wears.
59* RedOniBlueOni: J. J. and Champ. J. J. is the black-haired, hot-blooded, impulsive and emotional red oni and Champ is the blond, calm, rational blue oni.
60* TheRival: Champ
61* RuleOfThree: There are only three guns capable of destroing the Noza, and there are three main characters.
62** TwoGuysAndAGirl: J. J., Champ and Apple.
63* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Out of the three main characters, Apple is the only girl. However...
64** TwoGirlsToATeam: Amy, another member of the organization, is a girl.
65* ThematicRoguesGallery: All enemies are alien cyborg.
66* TransformingMecha: In the game Zillion II, there is a bike that morph into a PowerArmor.
67* {{Troperiffic}}: The show is full with tropes were widespread in the eighties, but it is still funny and enjoyable.
68* WellIntentionedExtremist: As cruel as the BigBad can be, she was trying to save her race from extinction. She just thought that she had to wipe out the humans to guarantee its survival.
69* WholePlotReference: Burning Night is very heavily based on Film/StreetsofFire ,from the opening concert where the lead singer is kidnapped after the band's opening number to the climatic one on one duel between the lead and the villain who seeks to have the singer for their own.
70* WorthyOpponent: TheDragon considered J. J. his, and searched for all means a last fight with him.

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