Super Robot Wars Z/Characters

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


Characters Debuting in Super Robot Wars Z

Rand Travis (Voiced by Yoshihisa Kawahara)

"THE HEAT....CRUSHER!!!!!"

One of two halves of "Beater Services", a mechanic service, Rand Travis is a huge guy in his thirties with a good sense of humor, looking for his missing master and assisted by his master's daughter Mel Beater. He's known as "The Crusher" after his tendency to destroy more things than he fixes, an In-Series Nickname he doesn't take to so well. Being in his thirties, he has a lot of experience in dealing with all sorts of people, which is why he sort of tolerates Asakim Dowen, despite the atrocities he committed against Setsuko Ohara, and offers genuine, heartfelt support to her following those encounters with Asakim. He pilots the Gunleon, a GaoGaiGar-like mecha carrying a huge wrench and an assortment of spanners, nailguns and chainsaws with which he can trash his enemies just as efficiently as he can repair damaged allies. He and the Gunleon exemplify these tropes:

Mel Beater (Voiced by Mai Aizawa)

Rand's sidekick and co-pilot of the Gunleon, as well as its owner, Mel is the other half of "Beater Services"; her father Cielo was Rand's mentor. Tropes related to her include:

  • Back from the Dead: Thanks to the Wounded Lion Sphere.
  • Can't Grow Up: A side effect of her coming Back from the Dead.
  • Childhood Marriage Promise: Childhood for her, anyways: Rand agrees to marry her once her hair reaches her shoulders.
  • Disappeared Dad: Cielo vanished 4 years before the start of Z. According to Mel, he got caught in the same kind of dimensional warp that brought Garrod Ran to the Gallian Continent. He's only seen in flashbacks and when Xine Espio was disguising as him throughtout Z and Mel hopes she will be reunited with him one day. In the Second Super Robot Wars Z: Hakai-hen, he makes an unexpected cameo appearance -- provided you can find him -- as the man who hands over the Auto-Repair Machine Parts to Crowe Broust.
  • Pettanko: Much to her dismay. She's the same even after her true age is restored in the ending. The only change is her hair...
  • Plot-Relevant Age-Up: Technically she's 16, and in the ending, her body grows to match her real age, yet...
    • She's All Grown Up: Averted: the only difference in her appearance is that her hair grows, and between the end of the game and the Z Special Disk, she cuts it. Sure, they try to justify it in-story, but we all know the real reason.
  • Really Sixteen Years Old: A side effect of her coming Back from the Dead.
  • He Is Not My Boyfriend: Inverted. A good chunk of the cast tries to convince her Rand is her surrogate father figure and not her love interest. She won't have any of that.
  • Spell My Name with an "S": Variously referred to as Mel Peter/Beater, Mail Beater/Peter, and even Male Beater.
  • Token Loli: Word of God states she's intended to counterbalance Rand since he's older than the average SRW protagonist.
  • You Can't Fight Fate: Not so much fate, but the Wounded Lion tried to avoid the Holy War by not choosing a battle-hungry holder and manifesting itself in a repair-based mech instead of a combat model. The plan would've worked, until Mel was killed in combat and Cielo passed it on to her to save her life.

Setsuko Ohara (Voiced by Yukiko Takaguchi)

"The Glory Star! Full Burst!"

Female protagonist of Z, Setsuko's an orphan thanks to her parents' death via the Colony Drops, and was drafted into the Titans and placed in the Glory Star squad under Denzel Hammer and Toby Watson. She has a rather timid, quiet and demure attitude, making her question her purpose as a Titan, and indirectly making herself and the rest of the team the Titan's go-to Butt Monkey. While out on a training mission in the new Virgora model mechs, Glory Star got embroiled in a skirmish with the AEUG's Quattro Bajeena and Camille Bidan. In the confusion, Setsuko mysteriously transported herself, Toby and Denzel into another world.

While finding out what's going on, Setsuko encounters the enigmatic Asakim, and everything starts going downhill, as her first experience with him was his unceremonious killing of Denzel. If that wasn't enough, later on, he kills Toby in front of her, beats her up and possibly (we aren't sure due to a scene change) and. rapes her. If that wasn't enough, he later has her meet up with Alternate Universe versions of Toby and Denzel, only to see that Asakim has convinced them she's their enemy. It turns out Setsuko possesses the Sphere known as the Sorrowful Maiden, which grows more powerful the sadder she gets, and Asakim seeks to awaken its true potential by tormenting her. It's also the thing responsible for transporting her randomly throughout the dimensions. She resolves to thwart Asakim's ambitions (and later the Chimera Battalion's), but she later finds out the more she uses the Sphere's power, the more she's losing herself: first her sense of taste, then her sight...poor girl.

She pilots the machine Virgora, formerly one of three test units, each with specific weaponry and combat roles, but eventually gathers up/unlocks all weapon outloads for one mech. Later, it's upgraded a second time to the Virgora Glory. She embodies these tropes:

  • BFG
  • Downer Ending: All three of them. She dies in the bad ending and won't last long in the normal and good ones either, with the only difference is that she finally joins those alternate universe versions of Denzel and Toby in the good ending.
  • Blessed with Suck: A Sphere gives awesome power with the right emotions. Her emotional trigger? DESPAIR.
  • Break the Cutie: Done lots of times by Asakim. It's pretty much his sole purpose in her version of the story.
  • Fan Nickname: Sexsuko, or to another extent, "Setsubo" (a play on "zetsubou", the Japanese word for "despair").
  • Heroic RROD: The more she uses her Sphere, the more she loses herself.
  • It's Personal: After Asakim does...things to her, she's really pissed off.
  • Leitmotif: "The Right Stuff" for the Glory Star team; once the Virgora Glory is acquired, it becomes "The Wings Which Wipe Away Tears".
  • Meaningful Name: See Spell My Name with an "S" below. She holds the Sorrowful Maiden Sphere, which arguably fits well with the zodiac Virgo.
  • Mid-Season Upgrade: The Virgora Custom, which gets several attacks over the course of the game via a perverse version of Mega Manning, wherein what it acquires are the signature moves of the mechs of her dead teammates (the Custom itself being Denzel's unit with Setsuko's unit's left arm). The Virgora Glory plays with this by intially being a simple Mecha Expansion Pack (that broke the Virgora's primary weapon to boot!) before it's augmented by its Sphere.
  • Panty Shot: Or to Fanon, "NO PANTS AT ALL".
  • Reality Warper
  • She's Got Legs: Word of God states one of the reasons for her character design is this trope. Unfortunately, you won't see this in-game.
  • Shout-Out: Starlight Breaker "THE GLORY STAR! FULL BURST!!"
  • Shrinking Violet: In the early portion of her story, somehow.
  • Sparkling Stream of Tears: It's actually used to upgrade her mecha and part of the Virgora's attack animation.
  • Spell My Name with an "S": "Balgora", but according to the artbook "OG Secret Hangar", it's spelled as "Virgora", lifting this up to Meaningful Name.
  • Sweet Tooth: She loves desserts, only to be played tragically, since she loses her sense of taste after the Sorrowful Maiden awakens.
  • Trauma Conga Line: Probably the poster girl for SRW.
  • Unwitting Pawn: The things she does actually further Asakim's goals...

Toby Watson (Voiced by Takashi Kondo)

  • Ace Pilot: Worth mentioning is he was this in a previous squad before he joined the Glory Star.

Denzel Hammer (Voiced by Hiroaki Ishikawa)

SRW Z VILLAINS

Asakim Dowin (Voiced by Hikaru Midorikawa)

Totally NOT-Masaki.

"My past, my sin, my fate, and finally...MY DESPAIR!!"

A mysterious man clad in black, Asakim seems to be one of his own agenda. Noted for his sadistic, psychopathic tendencies, he seemingly targets Setsuko to make her suffer and gain something from her dimensional gate opening tendencies. He also uses Rand for his own benefits later, though for some reason in Rand's story, he came off as amiable towards the man. It's later revealed he's immortal due to some form of punishment and seeks Setsuko's power as a means to finally get himself killed.

Asakim reappears in Hakai-hen as the only recurring Z original. He assists new protagonist Crowe in the first half of the game from time to time, as all of the characters are new and don't know anything about him. He seems to be trying a similar plan he attempted with Rand by getting close to him, then stabbing him in the back later. Fortunately, he's stopped premptively when members of ZEUTH make an appearance, and Amuro Ray immediately attacks and drives him off, and proceeds to inform Crowe of his atrocities against Rand and Setsuko. He reappears again in Saisei-hen after realizing he has a fake Sphere and destroys Aim Liard by using his own Sphere, The Truthful Goat, to make him unable to come back from death while Uther, the King of Restoration, finishes him off for good.

If there's anything to note, Asakim's almost like the antithesis of Masaki Andoh: Emo instead of Hot-Blooded, evil instead of good...and there's his mech, the Shurouga, considered the "Anti-Cybuster": clad in black, have similar moves (Discutter to Discalibur, Cyflash to Embrace the Inferno, Hi-Familiar to Tragic Genocider, Discutter Dancing Blade to Rumbling Discalibur, Akashic Buster to Ley Buster), but darker and more sadistic. As for the tropes associated with him:

  • Attack Drones: Shurouga's Tragic Genocider.
  • Can Not Tell a Lie: Or more of a Villains Never Lie part: prior to Z, he always reveals his intentions even to his victims. Turns out in Saisei-hen, he's the bearer of the Truthful Goat, which doesn't allow him to tell a single lie.
  • Cool Sword: Shurouga's Discalibur
  • Death Seeker, Emo: He wants to die...literally.
  • Evil Counterpart
  • Evil Laugh: He does a grand one on occasion for his attacks.
  • Expy: Strangely, he doesn't have a Shu Shirakawa counterpart...
  • Hero-Killer: Kills Denzel and Toby in Z, Uther in Saisei-hen.
  • Hot Wings: Seen during Shurouga's Ley Buster.
  • Instant Runes: Creates them during the Rumbling Discalibur and Ley Buster. Closer examination reveals the Shurouga cuts its palm open to provide the "ink".
  • Karma Houdini: So far... though Saisei-Hen seems to eventually avert this. With emphasis on SEEMS...
  • Ley Lines: Shurouga's Ley Buster
  • Leitmotif: "Black Stranger"
  • Pet the Dog: Abandons Xine, but leaves a message for her to live on her own will so she can be happy; in Rand's path, he can be convinced to help ZEUTH fight the Big Bad.
    • Unfortunately, this may have all been a scheme by Asakim since in Saisei-hen, we discover he has the Sphere associated with Capricorn, which is powered by activated by curiosity. To get the Sphere, he had to leave a "curious girl". Now what girl has a goat motif going on?
  • Sphere of Destruction: Shurouga's Embrace the Inferno
  • Significant Anagram: To Masaki, of course!
  • Promethean Punishment[context?]
  • Wild Mass Guessing: Overloaded; even the Ley Buster attack alone invokes too much guessing: it features the likes of Shu Neo Granzon firing the Shukutaihou, the version of the Cybuster from the obscure Shin Masou Kishin: Panzer Warfare dueling the Shurouga, a silhouette of Crowe standing in the streets (you can recognize him if you closely look at the jacket's strap: apparently, Banpresto foreshadowed his appearance) and two women theorized to be a play on Masaki's familiar cats given human form.
  • Willfully Weak: Whenever he's playable, the Ley Buster cannot be used, presumably because mind-raping his enemies in front of ZEUTH would make him even more Obviously Evil. Unless you recruit him in Rand's final scenario, you'll finally be able to use it, since Asakim has nothing left to hide at that point.
  • Who Wants to Live Forever?: Definitely not this guy.

Chimera

A special operations unit of the New Earth Federation headed by Colonel, later, Brigadier General Edel Bernal. Their mission is to unite the chaotic world after the dimensional collapse, but are also intent on ruling the world as totalitarian dictators by controlling all information through the Universal Network (read: the Internet). Using the UN, they feed ZEUTH false information about each other in an attempt to trick them into destroying each other. Naturally, it becomes clear the Chimera are the antagonists.

Löwen General (Voiced by Isshin Chiba)

Don't trust that smile too much...

A very dedicated soldier belonging to the Chimera, Löwen has issues against hitting women and fighting them on the battlefield, less out of misogyny and more out of chivalry. Calling himself "The Young Lion of the Chimera", he pilots the Chaos Leo, a mech that looks like a man wearing a lion hide with vicious melee attacks. Later on, as the Chimera reveal their true colours, so does Löwen: turns out that he despises women, and believes the only woman who should be allowed to exist is his commander Edel Bernal, whom he worships like a goddess. The reason for this is the vague explanation of "I was betrayed by women before". In the end, he dies pathetically screaming out Edel Bernal's name as he blows up. Löwen embodies these tropes:

Schlan Opel (Voiced by Yoshiaki Matsumoto)

A member of the Chimera and Löwen's closest friend. Schlan's highly professional, a skilled pilot, and a very cunning man specializing in data collection and intel. Unlike Löwen, Schlan never joins ZEUTH officially, so we never get to use his machine Chaos Anguis (until the Z Special Disk), a humanoid mecha with a pulse rifle that can transform into a giant cobra. Later, as the Chimera reveal their true colours, he reveals himself to be a cold, sadistic killer that does not panic even when he loses, only remarking that he has gathered valuable data. He still values his friendship with Löwen though, and they truly do have a lot of affection for each other. So imagine his disappointment when he learns although Löwen might hate most women, he does not have much interest in the other sex, either. This is because Schlan has a gay crush on Löwen, and really goes love-love mode after Löwen dies. Soon after that, he dies too.

He's the one mainly responsible for the false intel almost causing ZEUTH to destroy itself, and he likes to gloat about it a lot. Schlan embodies these tropes:

Xine Espio (Voiced by Rie Saitou)

This is as worksafe as we could get for a photo

.

An extremely sexy ex-leader of a Windam squad that supposedly gets itself wiped out due to a freak explosion thanks to the Break The World event (only in name from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny; Z uses it from Super Dimension Century Orguss). She's the Sole Survivor and is found by the Chimera; without much to do, she joins them, is given a mecha and for the first part acts as a bitch towards the protagonists. However, it's later revealed she's simply lonely (as the members of her old unit are indeed dead, but are entombed within the Scab Coral that's spreading across the planet) and has nowhere to go, and if the player is lucky, they can convince her to desert the Chimera. She falls in love with Asakim and madly blushes (Squicky or not: you decide) whenever he's around. Asakim later abandons her, but tells her to live free.

She pilots the Chimera-made mech Chaos Capra (which she nicknamed "Eliphas") that resembles...what happens when Lamia Loveless' Angelg gets a Horny Devils redesign. She embodies these tropes:

Edel Bernal (Voiced by Michie Tomizawa)

A beautiful woman with a demeanor that would make the Virgin Mary seem smutty, Edel Bernal's the young leader of Chimera, with the rank of Colonel at first, later promoted to Brigadier General. She had a lover who died a while ago during some unspecified war, likes wild and macho men, drinks rose and chamomile blend tea, and wears a negligee at night (information courtesy of That Other Wiki). Her personality and position made her a natural mother figure for the chaotic world after the dimensional collapse, and Edel's determined to bring about an era of peace and stability following the bloodshed of the wars...

...At least, she would like for you to think that: Edel's actually an ultra-bitch who considered herself God's gift to humanity and superior to everybody else. She would have loved nothing more than to take her "rightful" place as absolute ruler of the world. Obviously ZEUTH wouldn't have any of this, and proceeded to overthrow her, even while the entire world's fed propaganda painting them as terrorists. Edel's eventually pushed back and attempts to kill Eureka in order to take ZEUTH down with her. So imagine to everyone's surprise when "The Black Charisma" shows up in a Lemures and reveals his true identity as THE Edel Bernal and evolves his Lemures into the Chaos Lemures. The Edel also reveals Edel Bernal had been placed under a spell that forces her to follow any command he issues after he says "I LOVE YOU!". He then unceremoniously kills her.

Edel Bernal pilots the Lemures, the pinnacle of Chimera technology (at least, what she assumed was the pinnacle). She embodies these tropes:

  • The Brigadier: Figuratively, literally, and subverted at the same time!
  • Colonel Badass: Again, figuratively and literally; she's a pretty decent pilot, and it takes some balls to take over the world.
  • Evil Counterpart: To Dianna Solel and Lacus Clyne.
  • Macross Missile Massacre: Part one of Promised Millennium.
  • Meaningful Name: Edel is German for "noble, gentle, regal", etc; Lemures is Latin for "malicious/restless spirit".
  • Mood Whiplash: Twice: one after The Reveal and the other as she's forced to happily do things like twirl three times and bark and dance in the middle of the final battle by The Edel Bernal.
  • This Is a Drill: Part two of Promised Millennium.
  • Tomato in the Mirror: All of her desires, memories and personality traits were pre-programmed in by The Edel Bernal. She's also forced to follow any command given after The Edel says "I LOVE YOU!"
  • Villainous Breakdown: It's pretty satisfying to see her slowly but surely lose her smug air as you whittle down her health until she's screaming and desperately pleading for an explanation as to why she's losing.
  • Wave Motion Gun: Part three of Promised Millennium.

The Edel Bernal (Voiced by Daisuke Hirakawa)

This is the best, non-spoiler image of this nutcase that we can come by; we apologize.

Hoo boy, where to start with this piece of work? 

The Edel Bernal is an amalgamation of three different identities taken on by the same being: Jie Babel, a hideous scientist man-thing working for the Chimera who...gets off from being beaten by Edel Bernal, "The Black Charisma", a mysterious masked man who goes from place to place to manipulate events to an indefinite goal and "The Edel Bernal", a blue-haired Bishonen with...issues. The Edel Bernal caused the dimensional collapse and various wars resulting from that for one and only one purpose: ...he thought it would be really fun. To that end, he's defeated and dies happy with no regrets, laughing all the way after having the time of his life.

...at least until he pops up again after you thought you'd beaten him for good, and the confrontation between him and the protagonist at this point incites a reaction between their mech's power sources that destroys his soul.

Being a holder of an artificial Sphere, derived from analysis of a real one in the chosen protagonist's mecha, The Edel Bernal has the ability to play with the "Origin Law", thus incorporate versions of himself from alternate realities, as well as summon them. He pilots the Chaos Lemures, the pinnacle of the Chaos machines the Chimera use and, depending on who the main character is, will either be fought as one enemy with large HP and an endless supply of mooks or three enemies with slightly less HP that must be defeated in the SAME TURN. The Edel Bernal embodies these tropes:
  • Ascended Fanboy: Many of his pre-battle comments are deliberate Shout Outs to his opponents' nicknames and catchphrases.
  • Big Bad
  • Bishounen
  • Evil Counterpart: Of Elgan Laudic
  • Evilly Affable: A lot of SRW adepts actually love this guy, even if he makes men like Ali Al-Saachez seem stable by comparison.
  • For the Evulz: Lives, breathes, talks and walks it.
  • Go Mad from the Revelation: Saisei-hen reveals the reason for The Edel's insanity was because he learned of the Black Knowledge, the knowledge of the calamity that will destroy the entire universe.
  • Gratuitous English: "GO TO DARK HEAVEN!" "SPECIAL PRESENT FOR YOU!" "WELCOME TO MY WONDERFUL WORLD!"
  • Hey, It's That Voice!: He shares the same seiyuu as Makoto Itou; the people at NicoNicoDouga had a field day with this.
  • Hidden Agenda Villain
  • Karma Houdini: Causes suffering and misery on a global scale due to the wars his machinations result in. What does he get in return? The opportunity to die while having the time of his life with no regrets, whatsoever. What a bastard...
    • Averted in the normal and good endings, when he tries to pull the "greatest climax" by killing Orson and Kei, until the chosen protagonist intercepts him, and their Sphere's response to proximity with The Edel's duplicate is to absorb it, along with The Edel's soul. The Edel Bernal screams as his soul is extinguished, knowing that his ideal world of chaos will soon end. Take that!
  • Large Ham: When compared to other Banpresto original villains, The Edel most certainly is.
  • Man Behind The Woman
  • Mad Artist: Refers to himself as the "Artist of Genesis".
  • Mad Scientist
  • Psychopathic Manchild
  • Reality Warper
  • Spell My Name with an "S", but closely tied to Spell My Name with a "The": It's The Edel Bernal, dammit, not "Ji Adel Banel"! He even explains he's the real Edel Bernal, and therefore THE Edel Bernal, during the final stage!
  • Too Kinky to Torture: He REALLY enjoys being hit, and finds the final battle to be the pinnacle of his existence.
    • To drive the point home, after having his machine trashed, he quite literally says "Please, more pain, more pleasure..."


Debuting in the Second Super Robot Wars Z

Crowe Broust (Voiced by Yuji Ueda)

"The Risk of My Life!"

A former member of the Britannian Union's Firebug Squad, Crowe is the headlining protagonist of the Second Super Robot Wars Z. Saddled with a million dollars in debt, he agreed to be the test pilot for the anti-Dimensional Beast mecha Brasta as a way to work the sum off. 

The main goal of Firebug was to start minor rebellions in various countries for Britannia that would be crushed by its main military. However, during one mission in Esther Elhaas's hometown, a Dimension Energy Crystal experiment went haywire, causing its destruction. Firebug was sent in to "clean up the mess", but Crowe took pity on her and rescued Esther and deserted Firebug. It isn't until he encounters his former commander Marilyn Catto in Saisei-hen that Crowe finally opens up and confirms the story to Esther.
  • Attack Drones: Brasta's SPIGOT-VX. Depending on the final attack, the drones can either be of a melee or ranged-based type.
  • Badass
  • Bayonet Ya: Brasta's Bayonet Spiker.
  • Chest Blaster: Seen in the last parts of the SPIGOT-VX with the Attack Drones ranged-type.
  • The Chew Toy / Born Lucky: He's pretty unlucky: that whole debt thing, plus his tendency to get shot down in events. On the other hand, he also comes with the "Fortune" pilot skill, and he does find a rather convenient way to pay off his debt, purely by chance, just like how a scale can tip one way before tipping to the other.
  • Cursed with Awesome: Compared to Rand and Setsuko, the Swaying Scales Sphere really isn't that bad: it's trigger is drive, or will, to do something; in Crowe's case, the will to repay his enormous debt. This is seen as a positive trait, which means not only does it not make him too miserable, but Asakim doesn't need to do awful things to him to force an awakening, like say...murder Esther. The Sphere's side-effect, being able to only focus on one thought or action, is easily countered by making him hear the sound of a coin dropping, as his desire for money to pay off his debt is so strong it can override the Sphere. As a result, Crowe gets the awesome power of a Sphere, with only minimal trouble from it.
  • Disaster Dominoes: The reason behind his latest debt in Saisei-hen - a highway accident that would've resulted in another million dollar debt kinda... snowballed...
  • Early-Bird Cameo: Crowe appeared much earlier in Z during the Shurouga's Ley Buster animation as the silhouette standing in the streets. That's right, folks: he was foreshadowed before Hakai-hen was announced.
  • Everything Is Better With Spinning: If the SPIGOT-VX (melee version) doesn't end with a Dynamic Kill, the Brasta comes out spinning from the explosion.
  • Expy/CaptainErsatz: Brasta reminded some players of the Lion series from Super Robot Wars Original Generation when it was showcased. Alternatively, the mechanical design somewhat resembles a Windam, albeit an Ace Custom built for Crowe.
  • Fan Nickname: "Hobo", for obvious reasons.
    • "GARlion" for the Brasta, in reference to its Lion-esque appearance, and being a pun on the Guarlion.
  • Friendly Sniper: Can be seen as this, especially if you choose to have the Brasta (then upgrade into the Li-Brasta B) as a ranged-oriented machine. He also hangs out a lot with Lockon Stratos.
  • Gratuitous English: When pulling off his attacks, though not really gratuitous from a national standpoint; he's a Britannian, and a native of Chicago, at that.
  • He-Man Woman Hater: He mentions during battles against women sometimes about how scary they are. Also, after being busted by the Dimensional Beast "Moby Dick", he wakes up with Traiya Scott and Esther by his side leading him to say "I really did die...I'm in hell. I can see a Witch and a Little Demon...".
    The root cause of this? His former CO was Marilyn, a psychotic Complete Monster despite her outwardly cheerful and silly appearance. This caused Crowe to believe all women are two-faced and their outward appearance can't be trusted until proven otherwise. The only women he doesn't think are this is Traiya, who's brutally honest and holds nothing back, and Esther, who wears her emotions on her sleeve such that Crowe can read her easily.
    • In the later part of Saisei-hen, Setsuko asks him if all the good women of ZEXIS haven't caused him to change his mind. Depending on player response, he can in fact say that yes, perhaps his view on women is wrong.
  • Honor Before Reason: His million dollar debt is entirely due to the expenses his father rang up before dying. It's even stated the debt would be no issue at all if he were to renounce his inheritance, but he refuses the idea because he sees it as his way to repay his father for raising him.
  • Hotblooded Sideburns
  • Mid-Season Upgrade: Li-Brasta in Saisei-hen; however, it can have two forms depending on the player's decision. Li-Brasta R(ed) is a Lightning Bruiser Super Robot while Li-Brasta B(lue) is a more ranged-based Real Robot with some impressive Frickin' Laser Beams.
  • More Dakka: Brasta's Assault Combat Pattern (ACP) Faiz; ammo conservation is not one of Crowe's strengths.
  • Overly-Long Fighting Animation: A lot of attacks in Hakai-hen count, but Brasta stands out with every one of its animations being unnecessarily long and drawn out, with Clutch Sniper being the most guilty. Crowe misses the first two shots and only hits with the third and final round. Thankfully, this was rectified in Saisei-hen, and a lot of the Brasta's attack animations were significantly shortened or sped up.
  • Poke the Poodle: Either to mess with Esther or simply because he really did forget, everything he described about ZEXIS is completely false. For example: Deathscythe and Sandrock being Shenlong and Heavyarms.
  • Shout-Out: Li-Brasta R's Unbreakable Fulcrum to Shin Shine Spark.
  • Shoot the Shaggy Dog: Played for laughs in the end of Z2-2. When all is said and done, in spite of saving the world numberous times Crow ends up no closer to paying off his debt than he was at the start of the story.
  • Spell My Name with an "S": Like Setsuko and Rand before him, his mech's name refers to the zodiac sign of his Sphere - in this case (Li)Brasta. Prior to Hakai-hen's release, many fans romanized it as "Blaster".
  • Swiss Army Gun: Brasta's EAGLE, which can switch between normal, grenade and sniper rounds, as well as mount a beam spiker.
  • Take a Third Option: In Hakai-hen, the player had a choice to base the Brasta as a melee or ranged machine. Rather than carry player choice over into Saisei-hen, Brasta comes equipped with both versions of the SPIGOT-VX in its arsenal. Likewise, ACP Faiz features both its melee/ranged final animations in the Dynamic Kill.
  • Take Up My Sword: A mild example. If you choose to upgrade into the Li-Brasta B, he'll occasionally use Lockon ( Neil Dylandy's) Catch Phrase, "Targeted and Firing".
  • Throwing Your Shield Always Works: Brasta's Bunker Breaker is a wire-guided shield with built-in thrusters.
  • Unwanted Harem: Despite the distrust he has of ladies, he's surrounded by 3 women: Traiya, Esther and Marguerite, after her Heel Face Turn, but that happens so late it doesn't show off.
    • Continues into Saisei-hen: Traiya just pretends to be a part of it to mess with him, though it turns out she doesn't want to feel left out, since the other two have certainly fallen for Crowe. Setsuko gets added into the mix later, and makes an attempt to get Crowe to change his views on women, which can actually succeed.
  • Work Off the Debt: The reason Crowe agreed to be the Brasta's test pilot; being one million in the hole is gonna take a little while to pay off.
    • And after he returned that million later in the game, upgrading his Brasta (right after he cleared his previous debt) cost him TWO MILLION BUCKS. And he's still in debt by the end of Saisei-Hen. Ouch...

Traiya Scott

Head of the Axion Foundation's Scott Labs, Traiya is the chief mechanical designer for the Brasta, and after Crowe agrees to work as a test pilot, his immediate superior. Throughout the course of Hakai-hen, she sends Crowe out on various missions across the globe, with his payments being deducted from his debt as he succeeds (or with expenses being incurred if he fails).

Esther Elhaas (Voiced by Chihiro Tagaino)

A young woman who initially accosts Crowe, Esther demands he eliminate the Dimensional Beasts (in particular, a white one dubbed "Moby Dick"). She later revealed her family was killed several years back by Moby. ZEXIS manages to destroy the beast, allowing her to move on with her life, thus she chooses to become a test pilot in the Scott Labs at the end of Hakai-hen.

In Saisei-hen, Esther is working as a Dimensional Monster Buster for Traiya, piloting the Brasta Es, an improved model of the Brasta. She helps reintroduce the ZEXIS cast to the player as she travels around much like Crowe did and helps them. During one mission, she and Crowe encounter his former Firebug Squad and commander Marilyn. In a twist, Marylin reveals that what destroyed her hometown was a Dimension Energy Crystal experiment gone haywire. Firebug was sent in to "clean up"; however, Crowe had a change of heart and rescued Esther, deserting Firebug. Regardless, Esther doesn't hold it against him. Unfortunately, things quickly turn to tragedy when she's transformed into a Dimensional Beast, after taking a blast for Crowe that infects her with a similar virus Gaioh, the King of Destruction, used. Crowe goes berserk upon this, forcing Rand to intervene and knock him out. To avoid a mercy killing, Zero places a Geass command to order her to cease attacking; she is then taken by the Arksabers. 

From time to time, Dimensional Beast Esther encounters ZEXIS and they repeatedly drive her off without killing her. Thanks to some assistance from Uther and Esther's own will, she regains her human form. Though horrified by the experience and concerned she may no longer be human, but simply a Dimensional Beast in human form, Crowe reminds her that "no matter what, she IS Esther". For the remainder of Saisei-hen, Esther serves a dual-protagonist to Crowe.
  • Action Girl: Though more of one still in-training. Esther's tough, but she still has a long way to go, and while she desperately wants to be one, to the point of trying to take pointers from the other ZEXIS women, notably Kallen Kozuki, Esther is told by Kallen to do her own thing and believe in herself.
  • A-Cup Angst: She got pissed off after they would not let her wear a bunny suit along with Kallen because of it, but usually doesn't care that much.
  • Alliterative Name
  • And Then Esther Was A Dimensional Beast: Thankfully averted later as the story continues.
  • Badass Normal: Esther's not a Sphere holder; in fact, the Brasta Es' as normal as you can get for a real robot.
    • Badass Abnormal: However, after being restored into a human, she gains a significant stat boost, suggesting her abilities are still being augmented the DM Virus, though she has yet to display any active Dimensional Beast abilties.
  • Body Horror: Gets turned into a Dimensional Beast. Unlike others before her, she manages to regain human form.
  • Call Back: Compare her conversation about a human-Dimensional Beast to Excellen Browning making a quip about whether or not she's still human, even when she's part-Einst; it's strikingly similar.
  • Combat Medic: Brasta Es has a repair function and Esther comes with a pilot skill that doubles its effectiveness, even though her machine's primarily a combat unit.
  • Decoy Protagonist: She's effectively the main character for the first 15 scenarios. Once Crowe returns, she gets turned into a Dimensional Beast, giving him back the spotlight.
    • Deuteragonist: Once she's restored to human form, they share the role of the main character for the rest of the game.
  • Fighting From the Inside: Esther's able to regain control of herself long enough to stop attacking for a few seconds. It's not much, but it's enough for her to show Crowe she's still in there, right around the time he was starting to believe she was gone for good.
  • Foreshadowing: Hakai-hen openly sets up Esther to play a much larger role in Saisei-hen.
  • Gratuitous English: Just like Crowe, and for the same reason: she's Britannian by birth, although no longer much of a patriot after they failed to protect her home.
  • Iconic Item: She really likes that triangle.
  • Meaningful Echo: The first time Crowe and Esther really start to become close in Hakai-hen, Esther mutters her doubts and despair that Moby Dick and the Imperium can ever be defeated. Crowe tells her whenever a situation looks impossible, and giving up seems to be the only sane option, the best response to that is to say "So what?" and follow the course. As soon as she's restored to human form in Saisei-hen, Crowe suggests because the situation is growing too dangerous, she should back out of the war. Guess what her response is?
  • Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Unfortunately, she lacked the skills to carry this out in Hakai-hen, so she demands Crowe do this in her stead.
  • More Dakka: Brasta Es' ACP Iota
  • Ship Tease: With Crowe, after Moby Dick is killed.
  • Tsundere: This is something Crowe actually likes, as her mood swings and blunt nature mean he can read her like a book, making her one of the few women he trusts not to be deceitful.

The Neo Empire Imperium

Gaioh, the King of Destruction (Voiced by Rikiya Koyama)

  • Big Bad: Of Hakai-Hen. However, that's not the end of it, because he's still present in Saisei-hen and turns out to be the...
  • Big Damn Villains: Gets this down to a science in Saisei-hen. Baron Ashura trying to summon the Mycene Empire? Gaioh already destroyed the lot of them. A ZONE running amuck? Gaioh shows up and destroys it with a punch.
  • Blood Knight
  • Captain Ersatz: Has the looks and personality similar to Akuma, except Gaioh's decidedly more cruel. Fist of the North Star fans might recognize aspects of Jugai from "The Legend of Kenshiro" movie. Incidentally, Gaioh and Jugai share the same voice actor.
    • Back in Japan, people are calling him Yuujirou.
  • Evil Redhead
  • Fallen Hero: One of the four Dimensional Generals armed with Revive Cells and Dimensional Beasts, Gaioh was once their home dimension's last hope against whatever the Black Knowledge predicted. They lost, with Gaioh being the Sole Survivor, and he eventually came to live only for battle.
  • Final Boss: Of Hakai-hen and Saisei-hen
  • Final Boss Preview: Appears barely halfway through Hakai-Hen at level 60, with full armor, high accuracy and an enormous HP pool. To make matters worse, he can move twice in one turn.
  • Hey, It's That Voice!: SHINIGAMI CHOP!
  • Honor Before Reason: Despite how horrible he is as the story goes, he did spare the leaders of the United Nations so that they can call their forces (namely ZEXIS and ZEUTH) to give him a good fight, even though he could've destroyed them all from the outset.
  • Killed Off for Real: Both routes, with Crowe delivering the final blow.
  • Make Way for the New Villains: Curbstomped by Uther in Saisei-hen. Averted in the last scenarios in both routes.
  • No Indoor Voice: His voice is so powerful it has its own echo.
  • One-Winged Angel: Dimensional General Gaioh
  • Physical God: AND HOW; his first appearance involves him briefly beating the crap out of ZEXIS ON FOOT.
  • Trademark Favorite Food: Hotdogs, so much that when he's finally defeated by ZEXIS and ZEUTH, Gaioh's last wish was to eat another one again.
  • The Unfettered: He doesn't remember much about his past, so he just goes around the world, doing what he feels like and leaving the scheming up to Aim, Shiony Regis and Carlos Axion Jr. When you're as powerful as he is, who's going to stop you?
  • Villains Out Shopping: There are a few scenes in Saisei-hen of him simply hanging out with Carlos. He also likes fast food, but mostly hotdogs.
  • The Virus: Gaioh can grow and manipulate Dimension Energy Crystals, allowing him to infect his opponents with crystalline growths that forcibly transform them into Dimensional Beasts. Judging by the numbers of them you fight, he's fought a hell of a lot of people.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: His ultimate goal's to become strong enough to fight against the calamity that will destroy the multiverse as dictated in the Black Knowledge.

Shiony Regis (Voiced by Sanae Kobayashi)

The ruler of the nation Rimonasia, Shiony hatched a plan to use the Dimension Energy Crystals abundant in her country to make it a leading world power.

Carlos Axion Jr.

The young head of the Axion Foundation and one of the richest men in the world, Carlos winds up backing the Imperium set up by Shiony, although there are hints that he has his own designs. When he's captured by ZEXIS and interrogated for Gaioh's location after revealing he's been working against them, he doesn't say a word. Unfortunately for Carlos, he doesn't realize he was earlier marked with a Geass command by Zero to always answer his questions.

  • The Atoner: In Saisei-hen, he's given his entire fortune to the reconstruction effort as penance for his deeds and now works as a manager for the Scott Lab's DM Busters.
  • Catch Phrase: "C'mon, c'mon!"
  • Heroic Sacrifice
  • Rich Bastard
  • Riches to Rags: By the start of Saisei-hen, he hasn't got two thousand in credits to rub himself together, jokingly calling himself "Zero". Subverted later, as he eventually makes a ton of money again by playing the stock market. Double subverted in the ZEXIS route ending, where Carlos not only survived his Heroic Sacrifice, but has given up his fortune to work as a simple waiter.
  • Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Once he realizes the Imperium is done for, he promptly abandons it and leaves Shiony to her fate.
  • Screw the Rules, I Have Money

Dimensional Beasts

The recurring enemies of Hakai-hen and Saisei-hen, Dimensional Beasts are part and parcel of a world that constantly suffers from dimensional quakes, with them appearing seemingly at random, and disappearing just as quickly after the initial rampage.

  • Ambiguous Robots: Higher level beasts blur the line, such as the Rhino-class sprouting cannons to fire at you and the Dino-class having clawed arms that spin like drills. Makes all the more sense once you realize how Dimensional Beasts are made.
  • Colony Drop: Dino-class Beasts spit these out of their mouths in several bite-sized portions that fuse together into a gigantic meteor mid-flight.
  • Detachment Combat, Action Bomb: The ranged attack of the Bull-class has them hurl their own tails at you. Uniquely, these severed tails mutate midflight into a monster of its own. Should these hit, they wrap around its target and explode.
  • Eldritch Abomination: From a Certain Point of View
  • Everything's Better with Rainbows: Rainbow crystals are implanted in their bodies that also glow blue/white when they begin their attacks.
  • Fan Nickname: In-universe, they're dubbed "DAMON" for "Dimension Armed MONster", but players have made a new translation of that acronym as "Dat Annoying MONster" due to certain reasons.
  • Fire, Ice, Lightning: Bizzarely, Rhino-class Beasts mush them all together in their ranged attack, shooting electrified fireballs that flash-freeze whatever they hit!
  • Legendary Catfish: The white-skinned Rhino-class coined "Moby Dick" ("MD" for short) by Esther. Of course, this color change makes it superior to other Rhino-types, and it uses blue fire in its charging attack instead of orange.
  • Living Ship: Levia-class; if you were wondering where those flat-headed flying Beasts that were fought in the opening cinematic were at, wonder no more!
  • More Teeth Than the Osmond Family
  • Nerf: The artificial DAMON in Saisei-hen. No barrier! No status effects! Yaaay! Of course, they later bring back the real deal...
  • Ramming Always Works: Bull- and Rhino-class will also charge at you like runaway freight trains, mixing it up with Impaled with Extreme Prejudice from the Bull-types and Incendiary Exponent/Not Quite Flight from the Rhino-types.
  • Roar Before Beating
  • Shock and Awe: Bull-class; truly seizure-riffic.
  • This Is a Drill: Dino-class combine this with a chained Rocket Punch that inflicts worse wounds on the target coming back than it does going out.
  • Was Once a Man: Dimensional Beasts are the remains of those who have fought and lost to Gaioh previously, with the pilots being fused with their mecha, then mutated into their current forms.
  • Weaksauce Weakness: Like the Protodevlin, Dimensional Beasts are affected by Basara Nekki's singing.

The Holy Kingdom of Insaraum

Cheval Reptail (Voiced by Takehiro Murozono)

Marguerite Pistail (Voiced by Sachiko Kojima)

Wayne Reptail (Voiced by Katsuya Miyamoto)

Geraud Garce Bantail, the Knight of Knights (Voiced by Kouji Ishii)

  • Ace Custom/Super Prototype: The Diarmuid is shown to be a far superior variant of the standard Arksaber mech.
  • Anti-Villain
  • Blade on a Stick: The Diarmuid's primary weapon is a heavy lance called Gae Bolg.
  • Graceful Loser: Should you destroy the Diarmuid without achieving a Dynamic Kill animation, the machine makes a salute just before it explodes.
  • Mid-Season Upgrade: Geraud starts off in an Elite Mook mech before moving into his Diarmuid.
  • Obi-Wan Moment: After being defeated by Crowe and the Li-Brasta, he manages to make it back to his own forces and passes on his title and mecha to Wayne before dying from his injuries.
  • Red Baron: Holds the title of the "Knight of Knights" which he passes onto Wayne before succumbing to a mortal wound.
  • Theme Naming: The mechs and themes of Insaraum's knights all share a theme of being named after precious gemstones. For Geraud, he pilots the Diarmuid (Diamond) and his Leitmotif is "Heavenly Diamond".

Anbrorn Jeus (Voiced by Kumiko Takizawa)

  • The Dragon
  • Eldritch Abomination: In her Dimensional Beast form; while each class of the monsters qualify, her form takes the cake by how disturbing it looks.
  • Evil Old Folks
  • Expy: Of Agilla Setme
  • I Was Quite a Looker: During her ultimate attack, she momentarily turns young again, though she still has that creepy witch-like cackle.
  • Killed Off for Real
  • Mad Scientist
  • Necessarily Evil: Everything she does is for the sake of Insaraum and Uther, even if her methods are depraved. She doesn't mind if history writes her down as a villain, so long as Insaraum is revived in the end.
  • Pet the Dog: A very polite, gracious host to Kei, Athena, Orson, and Eureka while they're her prisoners. She even returns them to their Orguss units once she's gathered the data she needs, although she can't guarentee the Arksabers will let them go without a fight.
  • Poisonous Friend: Manipulates her lord Uther because she truly believes the current course of action is what's best for him and for Insaraum.
  • Smug Snake
  • Undying Loyalty: To Uther, despite manipulating his actions for most of the game, so much that even Jeremiah Gottwald is staggered by her devotion.
  • Was Once a Man: She turns herself into a Dimensional Beast.

Uther, the King of Restoration (Voiced by Yasuhiro Mamiya)

The leader of the Holy Kingdom of Insaraum, Uther's the Prince of Insaraum, but after his father died in battle against Gaioh, he reluctantly became the new king, and survived alongside the remaining members of the Kingdom to have his revenge. He pilots the Seiouki "Insarius Arclinus", the personal weapon of the Seiou (Holy King), which contains the Sphere of The Inexhaustible Gourd, which allows him to revive fallen allies. However, the side effect is it drains away his life and kills him slowly.

  • Altum Videtur: He recites a Latin chant for his strongest attack.
  • Anti-Villain
  • Badass Abnormal
  • Big Bad: Subverted, because Gaioh turns out to be the Bigger Bad.
  • Bling of War: Insarius Arclinus is easily one of the most pimped-out machines in SRW history.
  • Bishounen: WOW! Even his robot has a Bishonen face.
  • Cast from Hit Points: The effect of his Sphere is it kills him slowly.
  • Curb Stomp Battle: Uther crushes Gaioh without much effort.
  • Dying Alone: In the normal route, he's abandoned by the Arksabers and dies with no one by his side, no thanks to his closest comrades having betrayed him or having died fighting for him.
  • Enemy Mine: In the final scenario of the ZEXIS route, he appears to align himself with Gaioh; however, this turns out to be a ruse so that he can take out Gaioh. Unfortunately, Gaioh reveals he had anticipated Uther would try something like that, and goes One-Winged Angel, mortally wounding Uther.
  • Expy: Of the Prince from Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince, who sacrificed all that he has for the sake of his people.
  • Final Boss: Sets himself up as this for Saisei-hen. Subverted because it's Asakim and Gaioh who're the Bigger Bads.
  • Final Boss Preview: You actually see him in action quite early in Saisei-hen, though his reluctance to fight makes him seem like a Harmless Villain.
    • In fact, it's so silly it's almost a subversion : he appears on stage 16... and does nothing except guard every turn, and if he's hit just once he freaks out and runs back to his mothership. Wow.
  • Jerkass Facade: Acts like an arrogant Jerkass after he "hardens his heart" so that ZEXIS wouldn't hesitate to fight against him.
  • Killed Off for Real: Both routes
  • Large and In Charge: Insarius Arclinus dwarfs every other in the game.
  • Meaningful Name: Named after Uther Pendragon, the father to King Arthur in Arthurian legends; the Insarius Arclinus even resembles a medieval king. Finally, "Arclinus" has a similar pronunciation as Aquarius, especially if you use both words with a Japanese accent. Makes sense when you realize Uther is the bearer of the Inexhaustible Gourd.
  • Not So Harmless: When he first appears, he's a total doormat who folds to his advisor's plans, and when he's forced to fight against ZEXIS, he does so reluctantly and retreats upon taking damage. Then he curbstomps Gaioh. Uh oh...
  • Pet the Dog: After awakening his Sphere and taking his place as the Spirit King, he allows one final act of kindness by restoring Esther into her human form.
  • Physical God
  • Power Walk: Part of Insarius Arclinus' strongest attack.
  • Too Good for This Sinful Earth: Ultimately, Uther was just too kind for his own good.
  • Took a Level in Badass: About fifty of them, after Geraud dies. He goes from a wimpy prince who flees after taking the slightest bit of damage to having the balls to put himself between Gaioh and ZEXIS, then proceeding to take him out in one attack.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist
  • The White Prince
  • World-Healing Wave: Part of Insarius Arclinus' strongest attack. Considering he's the King of Restoration and all, it fits.
  • Yank the Dog's Chain: The Gaioh he destroyed was a fake created by Aim.
  • Zero-Approval Gambit: Acts like a ruthless, corrupt tyrant in order to get his Arksabers to abandon him, so that ZEXIS will fight him without mercy. His goal was to have Crowe kill him to acquire his Sphere, and for Marguerite to take control of the remaining population of Insaraum.

Others

Elgan Laudic

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Elgan was the one who came up with the idea for the creation of ZEXIS. Prior to that, he aided both Celestial Being and the Dragon's Hive under the alias "Portman", supplying both organizations with useful information. After he reveals himself and aids in the creation of ZEXIS, he becomes highly invested in their continued success, at one point stating to Shiony that ZEXIS was "the only hope for the world". At the end of Hakai-hen, Ribbons Almark has successfully drugged and controlled Elgan into serving his designs. Fortunately, Saisei-hen reveals Elgan anticipated something like this might happen, and ensured that regardless of what happened to him, ZEXIS would exist as a policing force independent of the Earth Sphere Federation, beyond the authority of even the Organization of Zodiac or the A-Laws. 

In actuality, Elgan the ZEXIS world's version of The Edel Bernal. Unlike his Evil Counterpart, Elgan refused to Go Mad from the Revelation after learning of the Black Knowledge, but did his best to ensure humanity would be prepared to fight the oncoming calamity. To this end, he cooperated with Aeolia Schenberg from 200 years ago to help spur the evolution of the Innovators, and formed ZEXIS as a group of all the planet's greatest warriors, doing his best to help them get stronger with each trial they face.

Sadly, near the end of Saisei-hen, Ribbons shoots Elgan in a fit of rage at all his plans having been ruined, but Elgan survives long enough to pass his information of the Black Knowledge onto ZEXIS before succumbing to his wounds.

Aim Liard aka Hamul Argo (Voiced by Hiroki Yasumoto)

A mysterious man with the ability to summon Dimension Beasts as he pleases, Aim appears early and often in the plot to confront and antagonize Crowe. He's the bearer of the Lying Black Sheep Sphere, which renders him unable to tell the truth. Near the end of Hakai-hen, Asakim kills him and claims his Sphere for his own. However, Aim used the power of his Sphere to rewrite reality so that Asakim never killed him and only received a fake copy of the Lying Black Sheep. He returns to antagonize Crowe once more in Saisei-hen, pretending to be servile to Uther while scheming to take his Sphere, before confronting ZEXIS one last time; however, the world is wrapped up in so much lies and deceit that Aim becomes seemingly invincible -- until Asakim faces him once again. Using the Truthful Goat Sphere he acquired, he forces Aim to disclose his past: he was originally a researcher named Hamul Argo who built his entire career on lies. Forced to face this truth, Aim's Sphere is weakened to the point of deactivation, and he's swiftly dispatched by Uther for his manipulation of Insaraum.

Marilyn Catto (Voiced by Satsuki Yukino)

The leader of the Firebug Squad and Crowe's former boss.

Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Super_Robot_Wars_Z/Characters?oldid=2043481"