Zone Fighter / Hikaru Sakimori
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- For the 1973 television series, see Zone Fighter (series).
Zone Fighter (ゾーンファイター Zōn Faitā), given the civilian name Hikaru Sakimori (防人 光 Sakimori Hikaru), is a kaijin who first appeared in the 1973 Toho tokusatsu kaiju series Zone Fighter.
Name
As part of the Zone Family (ゾーンファミリ Zōn Famiri), the "Zone" in the "Zone Fighter" moniker is shared with his relatives Zone Angel, Zone Junior, Zone Father, Zone Mother, and Zone Great. The "Fighter" (ファイター faitā) in his name, which he is often simply referred to as within the show, perhaps indicates his superior combat ability. Direct origins or inspiration for the name are unknown. Zone Fighter is also referred to as Meteor Human Zone or Meteor Man Zone (流星人間ゾーン Ryūsei Ningen Zōn).[4]
Zone Fighter can transform into a giant state, referred to as either Zone Fighter (Giant Transformation) (ゾーンファイター（巨大変身）)[3] or Zone Fighter (Giant Man) (ゾーンファイター（巨大人）).[6]
Development
Zone Fighter was designed by artist Nobuhiro Okaseko, who was instructed by producer Kimihiko Eto to come up with "something similar to Ultraman."[7] The hero's mask was modeled by Toho veteran Nobuyuki Yasumaru,[8] and, as with other kaiju productions of the time, a wire-operated prop was used for flying scenes. That prop, along with the upper half of the suit and a miniature Hikaru have survived into the present day and are sometimes put on display at expos. Kazuya Aoyama played Zone's civilian form, while Tatsumi Nikamoto and Kinichi Kusumi donned the suits for his superhero and giant forms, respectively.
Design
Zone Fighter has a silver humanoid face, with yellow eyes and a silver antenna protruding from his forehead. His body is mostly silver except for a blue triangular pattern on his upper chest, two red lighting bolts across his body, and a large multi-colored belt buckle-like object on his lower body. His legs and arms are blue and his gloves are silver. The outer parts of his boots are green while the inner parts are red.
History
- Zone Fighter (TV 1973) [all 26 episodes]
- Godzilla Singular Point (TV 2021) [end credits]
Showa era
Zone Fighter
Hikaru Sakimori and his family are natives of the planet Peaceland, which became under attack by the beings of a neighboring planet, Garoga. The planet was ultimately seized and destroyed, forcing the Zone Family to flee to Earth. The Garogas, wanting only for Hikaru's death, followed the family to Earth and began plotting its subjugation. Hikaru and his siblings possess the ability to transform into the superheroes known as Zone Fighter, Zone Angel, and Zone Junior. However, Hikaru is the only one of the three who is also able to grow to giant size. The Garogas often deploy giant monsters to terrorize Earth and Hikaru uses his unique ability to challenge them. By day, Hikaru is a test driver for a car manufacturer,[3] but harbors only contempt for the Garogas, battling against them to protect his new home planet.
Reiwa era
Godzilla Singular Point
During the end credits of Singular Point, Zone Fighter appears with his siblings Zone Junior and Zone Angel already transformed alongside numerous other civilians, peering up at a building where the kaiju Kumonga was clinging onto, with the spider staring back at them presumably in preparation for a fight.
Abilities
Transformation and size changing
Hikaru Sakimori and his siblings can assume their Zone forms by shouting "Zone Fight Power" (ゾーンファイト・パワー) whilst pointing toward the sky. In this state, Hikaru's natural attributes are heightened, such as his strength, sight, and even hearing ability, the latter increasing twofold.[6] Hikaru can revert back to his human form by shouting the phrase "Zone Back" (ゾーンバック). Hikaru can further transform into his giant state by shouting "Zone Double Fight" (ゾーンダブルファイト), and is the only member of his family to possess the ability to do so. Hikaru may on occasion transform from his human state directly into giant form, skipping over the intermediate Zone Fighter stage entirely. Inversely, Zone Fighter is able to willingly shrink from his giant state back into human form, but may also be forcibly returned to regular size if he runs short on power or sustains too great of damage, as was the case during one of his various battles against King Ghidorah.
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Hikaru Sakimori assuming his Zone Fighter form -
Zone Fighter transforms into his giant state -
Zone Fighter transforms directly into his giant state from human form -
Zone Fighter returns back to human size -
Zone Fighter is forcibly returned to regular size after being blinded by King Ghidorah's Gravity Beams
Physical abilities
Strength
Zone Fighter's strength is on par, or equal, to that of most Terror-Beasts, being able to grapple with most of them. Zone Fighter possesses superhuman strength even in his human-sized form, able to overpower most Garoga troops even when restrained by them and can break their limbs, chop through unremovable metal helmets, and lift Goram's foot as the kaiju attempted to crush him. In his giant form, he was shown being able to lift and toss Red Spark backwards with his legs after being tackled to the ground. Even when being pushed back by King Ghidorah's hurricane winds, Zone Fighter was able to cling to a boulder and stood stand back up briefly to stand his ground before being blasted by a Gravity Beam. Fighter was able to pin Ghidorah to the ground after tackling him and repeatedly throttled the heads, before slamming them into his knee and grinding his heel into one of their necks, resulting in cracking sounds. He was also able to combat Dragon King's strength when the latter tried to crush him in between two hillsides, with Zone Fighter pushing back while lying on his side on the ground and even overpowering the Terror-Beast at one point before Dragon King regained the upper hand. He was eventually able to break free from the rubble covering him and out from the hillside after enough struggling. When Detragon tried to jump on top of him, Fighter simply lifted the cyborg up with his legs and tossed him backwards, and repeated this technique against Balgaras when the reptilian attempted the same. Zone Fighter regularly picks up and tosses around kaiju who are significantly heavier than him, with one instance involving him throwing Spyler high into the air, another having him toss Dragon King in between two hillsides with enough force to cause an avalanche, a third time having him pick up Zandora and tossing him through the air, causing the ground to split apart after he landed, a fourth having him suplex Goram, and a fifth having him throw Jellar straight up into the air. Zone Fighter is also capable of ripping off Terror-Beasts body parts, such as Balgaras' central dorsal fin, Gundarguirus' eyes, Goram's right head, along with Needlar's outer tubing and headlamp. While trying to entertain Gundarguirus, Zone Fighter uprooted a tree and engaged in a fencing match with the chimera, and later bent trees into hoops to participate in a game of ring toss. During his sparring match with Godzilla, Zone Fighter appeared to be at equal odds with the Monster King.
Sight
After Hikaru transforms into his Zone Fighter state, his vision is heightened, allowing him to see through the Garogas human disguises even while the aliens are still wearing them. His heightened senses also allowed him to see a Cobalt Garoga charging towards him, despite him appearing invisible to Zone Angel and Zone Junior. The July 1973 issue of TV Magazine specifies that his Zone Eyes can see Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture from Tokyo as well as see into the 4th dimension.
Meteor Punch
Described as being as fast as a meteor and sharp as a knife, Zone Fighter can perform an attack known as Meteor Punch (流星パンチ), where his fists speed up into a blinding fury as rapidly as a machine gun. A single punch is capable of destroying 50 centimeters of solid concrete.[9] During his fight with Gilmaras, Zone Fighter threw a punch strong enough into the reptilian's face, that the kaiju spun around in a circle. His first fight with Spideros saw Zone Fighter being able to punch the arachnid at incredible speeds, increasing faster after each blow, before finishing with a punch so powerful it let off a blinding light after making impact with Spideros's face. After being trapped underground by Zandora, Fighter was able to to punch his way out from underground with one well placed blow in order to place Akira back on the surface. Most impressively, Zone Fighter was able to punch out all but one of Grotogauros' teeth in a single blow.
Meteor Kick
Zone Fighter can use a variety of super-charged kicking attacks known as Meteor Kicks (流星キック), usually jumping into the air and using the kicks to knock foes off balance. Zone Fighter is able to use this ability even while rolling, with him using his arms to propel his body off the ground and sticking his legs up in the air to hit his opponent with the heel of his boot. Another version involves him cartwheeling into the Meteor Kick, which was shown toppling Red Spark, Wargilgar, Barakidon, Garoborg, and Bakugon. His kicking power was described as being able to knock over the Keio Plaza Hotel.[9] Zone Fighter used his Meteor Kick to send Dragon King soaring across the valley they were fighting in and repeatedly juggle Spideros.
Meteor Meteorite Press
When jumping into the air, Zone Fighter uses the gravity of his fall and his weight to crush an opponent underneath him while also keeping them pinned. He uses this technique during his first fight with Spideros, only to be launched backwards by the arachnid after he sprung up. He was however, able to successfully use it against Jellar and Custom Jellar, applying all of his weight onto Godzilla after his ally body slammed the duo. It also proved useful when fighting Bakugon, pinning the tapir to the ground all three times Fighter used it, and was also able to pin Needlar. The July 1973 issue of TV Magazine specifies the name of this ability as Meteor Meteorite Press (メテオ メテオライト プレス).
Meteor Roundhouse Kick
Zone Fighter can employ a basic attack where he rears back his leg before sending a sideways kick into an opposing kaiju's torso. He used this attack during his fight with Gilmaras. The July 1973 issue of TV Magazine specifies the name of this ability as Meteor Roundhouse Kick (流星回し蹴り).
Meteor Chop
Zone Fighter karate-chops multiple kaiju throughout the show, with one of the most memorable examples being Gundarguirus, the blow causing the kaiju's eyes to bug out. These chops were also strong enough to cause Destro-King to shriek in pain when the hero aimed the blows at his necks. They were also strong enough to shatter one of Garoborg's glass coverings in a single blow. The July 1973 issue of TV Magazine specifies the name of this ability as Meteor Chop (メテオチョップ). A variation of this technique exists called the Slice Chop, in which Zone is able to decapitate kaiju from the force of the chop, as noted in the Zone Fighter Pictorial Book.
Meteor Chin Lock
While grappling an opponent, Zone Fighter can perform the Meteor Chin Lock technique by grabbing his opponent's head and chin, before twisting at odd angles in an attempt to snap their neck. He used this attack against Destro-King, Wargilgar, and King Ghidorah and while it proved painful to the kaiju, was unsuccessful in killing any of them. It is stated by the July 1973 issue of TV Magazine to be strong enough to knock down Tokyo Tower.[9]
Meteor Rotating Press
Zone Fighter can lock his legs around an opponent's neck and roll forward, slamming them into the ground. Alternately, he can cartwheel forward and lock his legs around an opponent's neck. He used this ability during his fight with Balgaras, jumping onto the reptilian to perform it. The cartwheel variant was unsuccessful against Balgaras, however, as the kaiju simply swung him around before he could flip the reptilian onto the ground. Zone Fighter performed this attack again when fighting Grotogauros, successfully slamming the hybrid into the ground. The July 1973 issue of TV Magazine specifies this attack's name as Meteor Rotating Press.[9]
Sky Jack
Through a technique called Sky Jack (スカイジャック), Zone Fighter can extend his arms and grapple his opponent's neck or legs with extreme power. When used on an opponent's neck, he will perform a choke-hold.[9] He used this ability during his sparring match with Godzilla.
Sky Stroke
Although unused in the show, Zone Fighter can perform an ability called the Sky Stroke (スカイストローク), in which he lands an unexpected punch on an opponent by extending his arms to the sky while standing still.[9]
Mighty Cut
When in his human sized form, Zone Fighter can perform a technique called Mighty Cut (マイティカット), in which he crosses his arms and drags them across the air. This ability allows Zone to remote control Mighty Liner. He used this ability after two Garoga agents stole Mighty Liner, causing the driver to completely lose control of his steering while fleeing from Zone, bringing the vehicle right back to Fighter.
Durability
The July 1973 issue of TV Magazine specifies that his skin can withstand temperatures from -150 degrees Celsius to 1,000 degrees Celsius.
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Meteor Punch -
Meteor Kick
Movement
Jumping
When fighting Destro-King, Zone Fighter hopped over one of the dragon's Heat Rays. When Dorola attempted to charge into Fighter, the hero leapt high and over him, before landing a mountain. In another battle, Zone Fighter leapt onto a hillside to gain the high ground against Gelderah, before jumping onto him to topple him. To prevent Barakidon from running into a city, Zone Fighter leapt hundreds of meters into the air over the chicken and landed in front of him. He again leapt onto a hillside against Garoborg, before then jumping off it into a Meteor Kick that toppled the cybernetic insect. Zone also jumped onto a hillside during his fight with Mogranda, before jumping over the charging cyborg, who was attempting to gore Fighter with his drill. Despite being underground, Zone Fighter was able to escape the cavern Zandora sealed him in by jumping up after a hole opened in the ground above. Zone Fighter is also capable of leaping over fast moving objects, as demonstrated after he jumped over a tumbling Balgaras who attempted to steamroll him. Even while surrounded by disguised Garogas, Hikaru was able to jump over the bullets they fired despite not even being transformed. When battling Super Jikiro for the first time, Zone Fighter jumped high into the air and tackled him underwater, before leaping out after leaving the mecha submerged. During their rematch, Fighter was able to leap from the bottom of the seafloor, all the way back up above the waves. After fending off two Cobalt Garogas in his human-sized form, Zone Fighter leapt out of the ocean and back onto the rocky coast. He similarly performed this in his giant-sized form after killing Grotogauros underwater, jumping fully out of the water and onto land. The July 1973 issue of TV Magazine specifies that Zone Fighter can jump 37 times his own height, and he can regulate the force that his Bayonet Boots exert, allowing him to lightly kick off of a building without damaging it or leap 53 times the height of the Earth.[9]
Speed
In his human-sized form, Zone Fighter could dodge bullets fired by Garoga grunts and weave out of the way of rockets fired by the Garoga Car. While in his giant form, he showed a fast enough reaction time to course correct a Boeing 747 from colliding into Jikiro's left claw by catching and lightly tossing it back into the air. He was also able to catch an out of control Smokey after it was sprayed by Zandora's steam, before redirecting its flight path by tossing it lightly. Fighter was also shown cartwheeling out of the way of Destro-King's Heat Rays when the cyborg fired one at him, to avoid most of Wargilgar's Buckshot Missiles, to dodge King Ghidorah's Triple Gravity Beams, and to escape the explosions caused by Gelderah's White-Hot Ray. In his battle with Gilmaras, Fighter outran the amphibious kaiju when it chased him. When battling Gigan, he was swift enough to dock and dodge the cyborg's swipes. Against Mogranda, Zone Fighter repeatedly rolled out of the way from the cyborg's explosive flames. While fencing with Gundarguirus, Zone Fighter was able to dodge most of the chimera's strikes, and later cartwheeled out of the way from his flames. Zone Fighter was to dodge continuous projectiles from Needlar, including his Needla Might and Missile Shuriken, specifically backflipping repeatedly over the explosions they caused. Similarly, Zone Fighter repeatedly backflipped away from the explosions caused by Kabutogirah's Obrain Liquid. He was also shown to be fast enough to dodge and weave Grotogauros' punches. According to All Kaiju Kaijin (First Volume), Zone Fighter is capable of running at a speed of 800 kilometers per hour,[6] while the TV Magazine issue instead gives his maximum running speed as 1,000 kilometers per hour.
Flight
Zone Fighter can achieve flight similar to Jet Jaguar, by raising his arms in a 'Y' shape and levitating off the ground, and is capable of flying as far as 40 times his body length.[6] Zone Fighter flew fast enough to outpace even King Ghidorah, who can fly at Mach 3 when on Earth, while also being able to fly all the way to Venus from Earth. His flying also does not appear to be inhibited when carrying something, as he was able to carry Gundarguirus's corpse into space while flying without a problem. Zone Fighter was able to break Kabutogirah's neck by flying into the insectoid at high speeds.
Swimming
In his giant-sized form, Zone Fighter can remain underwater for long periods of time. During his fight with Super Jikiro, he fought the upgraded in the ocean before tackling him beneath the waves. Eventually, the duo would find their way at the bottom of the seafloor where they continued to fight. In his human sized form, Fighter was able to fend off two Cobalt Garogas who chased him underwater. He later fought Grotogauros in his giant form above water before chasing him onto land after the Garoga hybrid shoved him underwater.
Meteor Windmill
While in the sky, Zone Fighter can perform an attack known as Meteor Windmill (流星風車), where he loops in the air multiple times, building up speed, before ramming an opponent. Another version of this attack exists where Zone Fighter is grounded: he throws his opponent over his head, spins them in a circle until they end up in a tornado-like state, then slams them into the ground, as shown in Zone Fighter Pictorial Book. He used this attack against Spideros, looping through the air at high speeds before slamming into the spider with his fists extended. Fighter would use it again during his fight with Gigan, performing the same technique and crashing into the cyborg's face. The grounded version was utilized against Detragon, with Zone Fighter picking up the canine, spinning around in a circle, before tossing him into the ground. When attempting to use it against Godzilla in their sparring match, the reptilian was able to catch Fighter upon making impact and stood his ground. During his fight with Needlar, Meteor Windmill was more than enough to topple the Terror-Beast and was extremely weakened after being rammed into.
Meteor Spin Counter
Zone Fighter also uses a flight maneuver called Meteor Spin Counter (流星きりもみ返し), in which he does an upward loop and then spins downward. He used this when dodging one of King Ghidorah's Gravity Beams, during their first fight and was even able to outpace him by using this technique.
Astro Dash
In his human-sized form, Zone Fighter can perform an Astro Dash (アストロダッシュ), in which he flies through a broadcast from a TV set and arrives at the location displayed in his giant form. He can alternatively use the move to travel into the 4th dimension, demonstrated when he rescued Zone Angel from a hidden Garoga base. In a third variant, he can use it to jump hundreds of feet into the air, demonstrated when a Garoga ambushed him from underground.
Meteor Dash
In his human-sized form, Zone Fighter can perform a technique known as Meteor Dash, which allows him to phase through walls. He used this ability to run through a sealed door in a Garoga base.
Meteor Meteorite Collapse
Zone Fighter is shown as possessing impeccable jumping ability. This is used in an ability known as Meteor Meteorite Collapse (流星隕石崩し), where Zone confuses the opponent by jumping in front of it, before leaping over them and punching them in the back. In his fight with Destro-King, Zone Fighter jumped directly in front of the two-headed Terror-Beast preparing to strike him, before leaping over the kaiju with a secondary jump and unleashing a surprise attack to Destro-King's back, causing the cyborg to stumble forward and into the ground.
Meteor Jet
Zone Fighter can charge himself with energy to move at incredible speeds for a short burst in a technique named Meteor Jet (流星ジェット Ryusei Jetto). When he is about to use this technique, he holds his right arm up and holds his left arm to his antenna with two fingers pointed out, before a trail of blurry purplish-white energy emits from behind him. After this, Zone Fighter then charges towards the enemy at blinding speeds.
Meteor Clone Camouflage
Zone Fighter is capable of making illusions of himself through the ability of Meteor Clone Camouflage. He used this to create several clones of Mighty Liner while he was piloting it in the air to confuse the Garoga Car firing at him. Each time it fired at an illusion, it disappeared and reappeared seconds later.
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Flight -
Meteor Windmill -
Astro Dash -
Meteor Meteorite Collapse -
Meteor Jet
Weapons
Maser Shot
In Zone Fighter's human-sized form, he carries a special pistol weapon called the Maser Shot (メーサーショット) that switches between firing bullets with its barrel on the sides or a thin laser from the central attachment at enemies. It is strong enough to dispatch Silver Garogas and injure Gold Garogas, shoot off the antennae of any Garoga, destroy Shadorah's orb, and even halt Terror-Beasts momentarily, as demonstrated against Mogranda, Needlar, and Kabutogirah. Its damage can range from simple bullet wounds to minor explosions. One such instance was able to blind a Silver Garoga after being shot in the eyes with the laser.
Meteor Missile Might
Zone Fighter is capable of unleashing barrages of missiles, called the Meteor Missiles (流星ミサイル), from wrist-bound gauntlets that are strong enough to kill most Terror-Beasts, or even launch them hundreds of meters into the air, a fate met by Gilmaras. This technique is known as Meteor Missile Might (流星ミサイルマイト Ryusei Misairu Mighto) and is one of Zone Fighter's strongest attacks, used as his finishing move quite often. They have also been shown to be incredibly effective at destroying Garoga bases, engulfing them in explosions with a single volley. He will fire either one or two volleys from his gauntlets at the opponent, depending on how strong it is. He shouts the attack's name as he performs it. While Zone Fighter typically performs the attack while stationary, he is able to halt the attack to move around and switch to the second volley, as demonstrated during his first battle with Wargilgar where he ceased firing to roll forward and took a kneeing stance to fire the second volley at the crustacean. Fighter can alternatively perform the attack while flying, as demonstrated during his fight with Kabutogirah. The missiles from the gauntlets are strong enough to blow up most kaiju, but in two instances it was able to decapitate a Terror-Beast, those being Gundarguirus and Needlar. The gauntlets are summoned from the fourth dimension and are accompanied by flashing lights.[9]
Meteor Double Anti-Missile Might
After his first battle against Super Jikiro, Hikaru was surgically implanted with pieces of the Terror-Beast to upgrade his gauntlets to counter its Anti-Missile Might technology, which had absorbed and fired back his Meteor Missile Might. The upgraded attack is dubbed Meteor Double Anti-Missile Might (流星ダブルアンチミサイルマイト). This ability allows him to absorb the missiles fired back at him from Super Jikiro's Anti-Missile Might and was successful in killing the mecha.
Zobot
Zone Fighter and his siblings each possess a rocket-powered device called a Zobot (ゾボット Zobotto), which they can use to record messages, call another member of the family or Mighty Liner, use as a weapon in a pinch as an explosive device, beep when someone's in trouble, and even summon Godzilla to their aid. Regarding the rocket power of the tool, it possesses twin jets at its bottom and will fly to the Zone Family's house after a message has been recorded, either from being thrown or on its own. The propulsion of a Zobot was strong enough to make a Garoga bleed through its human disguise after slamming into their wrist. Zone Fighter can use the Zobot even when in his giant form, shown when he communicates to his family his plan of luring King Ghidorah to Venus. The Zobot can also be contacted through the Zone Family's house phone and microphone in their laboratory, without needing another Zobot to call one another. After being trapped by a boulder, Zone Fighter gave Mina his Zobot to use as an explosive, with her launching it at the boulder and exploding it.
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Maser Shot -
Meteor Missile Might -
Zone Fighter performs Meteor Missile Might while in flight -
Double Anti-Missile Might
Energy attacks
Meteor Proton Beam
Zone Fighter can fire the Meteor Proton Beam (流星プロトンビーム) from the antennae on top of his head, although it uses much of his energy. The beam itself is a thin blue beam, and is made of pure proton energy. It can destroy some Terror-Beasts in one shot, such as Spyler, or severely injure them like Dragon King. However, Jellar was able to take several shots of the beam without suffering any ill effects due to being immune to attack. During his fight with Gigan, he aimed the beam at the cyborg's left claw, destroying the bomb placed on the tip of it. While it was strong enough to blast apart Balgaras' Orb form, the reptilian's regeneration kept him alive. Zone Fighter can also use his Meteor Proton Beam while flying in space, as demonstrated when he destroyed the rest of Gundarguirus's body. The Proton Beam also proved strong enough to destroy Needlar's sword-like shuriken after the cybernetic horse threw it at Fighter.
Fighter can also use this attack while in his human-sized form. In one instance, he fired it continuously to hit four Silver Garogas, leaving each surrounded by light blue energy. These grunts writhed around before collapsing and turning to ash. He was also able to disintegrate a meteorite being communicated through by the Garogas in conjunction with his siblings Proton Beams. The Proton Beam also appears to be very flammable, as after Zone Fighter threw two Silver Garogas into a body of water, the Proton Beam set the water ablaze, burning the aliens alive.
Meteor Static Power
By rubbing an object rapidly against his body, Zone Fighter can use his Meteor Static Power (流星スタティックパワー) to charge it with deadly amounts of electricity. He used this ability on a tree he uprooted, rubbing it underneath his arm at high speeds, causing it to send off sparks and giving it an electrical charge strong enough to weaken Garoborg. This ability is especially powerful considering wood is not a natural conductor.
Meteor Proton Cut
Zone Fighter can release a series of spiral shaped energy waves from his body in an attack known as Meteor Proton Cut (流星プロトンカット), which he used to thwart Dorola's fourth dimensional abilities and instantly restored the landscape and his vision to normal.
Meteor Slice Chop
Zone Fighter can release a stream of red arrow beams from his hands by concentrating proton energy in an attack named Meteor Slice Chop (流星スライスチョップ). They can be fired from one or both hands, or as a larger and wider variant. The single-handed chop can cause explosions across the area where the arrows hit and both the single and two-handed chop are capable of removing a Terror-Beast's limbs, as demonstrated against Dorola when the single-handed chop cut off his crab claw and the two-handed chop against Detragon, severing the canine's turret hands. The larger and wider Slice Chop caused an explosion upon impacting Gelderah's neck, before revealing that it decapitated him.
Meteor Zone Slice
Zone Fighter can channel and fire a golden energy arrow from each hand after charging energy from his shoulders. This technique is known as Meteor Zone Slice (流星ゾーンスライス) and was capable of cutting off the arms of Gundarguirus. Before performing this ability, Zone Fighter crosses his arms and holds them near his head, as lightning-like energy builds up around them.
Meteor Freezer
Zone Fighter can spray a freezing mist from his fingertips capable of killing weakened opponents in a technique called Meteor Freezer (流星フリーザー). He used this technique to remove all of the heat from Barakidon's body. Before performing this ability, Zone Fighter lifts both of his arms up and sways them around in a circle before outstretching an arm to fire the mist. The mist has a temperature of -150 degrees Celsius. As shown in a diagram within Zone Fighter Pictorial Book, Zone is capable of firing the mist from both of his hands, with it being called Meteor Freezer Shot.
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Meteor Proton Beam -
Meteor Static Power -
Meteor Proton Cut -
One-handed Slice Chop -
Two-handed Slice Chop -
Wide Slice Chop -
Meteor Zone Slice -
Zone Fighter finishes Barakidon off using his Meteor Freezer
Defensive capabilities
Zone Barrier
When in his human-sized form, Zone Fighter can wrap his entire body in a red energy barrier for protection. This is known simply as Zone Barrier (ゾーンバリヤー). He demonstrated this power when protecting Hotaru and Akira while they were trapped in the negative dimension within a Garoga base. In the guide Zone Fighter Pictorial Book, Zone Fighter is shown using his Zone Barrier even in his giant form, forming it with his hands in an elongated oval-type shape.
Meteor Zone Barrier
Zone Fighter can create a wall of invisible energy to block varying degrees of projectile attacks, known as Meteor Zone Barrier (流星ゾーンバリヤー). The only visible part of the barrier are the edges, which glow different colors. The barrier was capable of nullifying Wargilgar's flamethrower, making it wash over the barrier as if it was just a wall.
Meteor Reflection Barrier
Tracing the outline of a traditional shield, Zone Fighter can create a barrier that can catch and deflect a Terror-Beast's energy beams, known as Meteor Reflection Barrier (流星反射バリヤー). This was able to reflect King Ghidorah's triple gravity beams right back at the space dragon, causing the kaiju to scream in pain and thrash around.
Zone Glass
Capable of seeing through Bakugon's illusions, Zone Glass (ゾーングラス) was developed by Zone Great in order to see through the illusion of a cluster of barbed wire appearing as a rose. Described as giving the person the vision of a Meteor Man, this glass was put into a pair of glasses known as Zone Glasses, and was given to Hikaru to investigate the garden Akira had gotten the barbed wire from. Upon reaching the supposed garden, the glasses revealed it to be nothing more than a decrepit junkyard. Fighter would later receive a liquid solution from Zone Great that functioned similarly to the glasses, immediately causing the illusion to fade if sprayed.
Intelligence
After severing Dorola's crab claw with his single-handed Meteor Slice Chop, Zone Fighter wielded the appendage like a weapon and cut off the tribrid's vine arm. Fighter was also able to lure King Ghidorah off of Earth and into space by taking advantage of the power of the Proton Crystal's energy which he installed in his antenna. When Ghidorah created a zero gravity field that suspended numerous cars in the air, Zone Fighter carefully plucked each one out of the air to ensure the passengers weren't harmed and returned them to the ground. In their final fight, Fighter was again able to lure King Ghidorah away, tricking him to land on Venus by egging him on and outsmarting him with his Meteor Reflection Barrier.
After learning how Gilmaras's flamethrower worked, Zone Fighter pulled off the kaiju's snout, turned it around, and plugged up the hole from which the flames came from. In his fight against Gigan, Zone Fighter fired his Meteor Proton Beam at the remaining bomb on Gigan's left claw, destroying it and leaving the cyborg susceptible to fatal attacks. When fighting the Silver Garogas guarding Barakidon's egg, Zone Fighter stole their antennae whips to strangle them to death after breaking free of their grasp. After learning Barakidon's weakness, Fighter took advantage of the chicken's need for light and heat to survive by blocking it from running into a city and then removing its internal heat with his Meteor Freezer. After charging up an uprooted tree with energy, Zone Fighter wielded it like a sword and was able to overload Garoborg's electrical current that prevented the kaiju from being touched. Zone Fighter took advantage of the slow speed of Detragon's missiles and was able to snatch them out of the air with ease, before hurling them back at the canine. Upon seeing Mogranda rushing towards him with his drill, Zone Fighter took to higher ground in order to leap over the avian's goring charge. After being rammed into by Balgaras' Orb form, Zone Fighter caught the Terror-Beast when he tried the same tactic again, before tossing the kaiju away. Fighter was also able to kill Balgaras after Zone Great told the hero that the kaiju would become mortal after having its central dorsal fin removed.
Due to Gundarguirus containing the sample of PS73 in his body, Zone Fighter was forced to use different methods in order to keep the kaiju from rampaging and attacking him. Such examples included asking the kaiju to leave, entertaining him through rock paper scissors, fencing, and ring toss, trying to explain that the bomb inside of him was highly destructive, preventing him from falling over, and an unsuccessful attempt at knocking him unconscious by puncturing one of his arteries. After gaining enough trust from Gundarguirus, Zone Fighter was able to perform a sneak attack on him and blinded the kaiju by tearing out his eyes, before taking advantage of the blindness by clapping to lure Gundarguirus into position to cut off his arms with Meteor Zone Slice.
When fighting Goram, Zone Fighter allowed himself to be beaten severely as any strikes against the kaiju would hurt the children inside Goram's right head. After Goram had exhausted himself brutalizing Fighter, the hero ripped off the right head in a quick matter to ensure the children would be safe, allowing himself to finally fight back and eventually kill Goram. To distract Jellar from going after his family, Zone Fighter threw himself down a mountain and in front of the mollusk before transforming. When the duo fought Jellar and Custom Jellar, Fighter responded to Godzilla's command of throwing Jellar into the air so the Monster King could fire his atomic breath at the alien mollusk. After Kabutogirah halted his Meteor Missile Might attack with Obrain Liquid, Zone Fighter took to the air and resumed the attack while flying it at the insectoid. When noticing Garoborg and Spideros overpowering Godzilla, Fighter immediately summoned in his Meteor Gauntlets and unleashed his Meteor Missile Might at Garoborg, holding the barrel against the cyborg's chest and preventing him from trying to escape by holding him in place. Zone Fighter was also smart enough to see through Grotogauros' manipulation, not falling for his false surrender and kicking the kaiju down.
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Zone Barrier -
Meteor Zone Barrier -
Meteor Reflection Barrier
Weaknesses
When in giant form, Zone Fighter runs off of proton power from the Sun, supplied to him via the Zone Marker (ゾーンマーカー) attached to his antenna. The belt buckle-like device attached to his waist, called the Zone Meter (ゾーンメーター), indicates how much power Zone Fighter has, and ranges from blue when at full power, to yellow when his power is draining, and finally to a deep red which indicates that he has only 110 seconds before he is forced back into human form.[3][10]
This limitation can be overcome, however, and in a number of ways. The Zone Marker can be recharged by Zone Angel and Zone Junior using their own Meteor Proton Beams, or by a laser fired from their shared vehicle Smokey. The Smokey is also equipped with spare Zone Markers which can be fired directly onto Zone Fighter's head to replenish his energy, with this maneuver being dubbed a Zone Marker Change (ゾーンマーカーチェンジ). Additionally, in episode 5 of the series, Zone Great bestowed upon Zone Fighter the family's Proton Crystal, which he attached to his antenna in place of the Zone Marker to grant him with enough energy to lure King Ghidorah into space. Zone Angel and Zone Junior were unable to recharge the Zone Marker themselves in this episode due to King Ghidorah blocking out the sun. The three-headed monster forcibly reverted Zone Fighter to his human-sized form after blinding him with a Gravity Beam to the face, and he had to recover for a short while before he could transform again.
While Zone Fighter can usually handle a Terror-Beast in a one-on-one battle, he can be overwhelmed when facing more than one opponent at a time, as demonstrated with Spyler and Wargilgar until Godzilla came to his assistance.
Zone Fighter was completely incapacitated by Spideros's webbing, unable to break free of it without the help of his siblings Zone Angel and Zone Junior, who dissolved it with their Meteor Proton Beams. He was additionally outsmarted by the arachnid after watching Spideros lay low to the ground, jumping on top of him only to be flipped on his back and into the ground.
During his first fight with Super Jikiro, Zone Fighter was defeated after the mecha absorbed his Meteor Missile Might and returned the missiles back at the hero. Upon reverting to his human form, he was left bedridden in a hospital with a burned body, broken arms and legs, and major blood loss, although he was able to recover eventually with bandages covering portions of his body. The doctor who treated him noted that a normal human would have died from all the injuries he sustained.
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Zone Angel and Zone Junior recharge Zone Fighter's Zone Marker -
Smokey recharges Zone Fighter's Zone Marker -
Smokey sends a replacement Zone Marker to Zone Fighter -
Zone Fighter replaces his Zone Marker with the Proton Crystal
Comics
- Godzilla (1972-1973)
- Zone Fighter's Desperate Situation (1973)
- Zone Angel's Critical Moment (1973)
- Zone Fighter (1973) - Adventure King
- Zone Fighter (1973) - TV Magazine
- Zone Fighter (1973) - Fun Kindergarten
- Zone Fighter (1973) - Fun Kindergarten, separate volume
- Zone Fighter (1973) - Akita Shoten
Gallery
- Main article: Zone Fighter/Gallery.
Trivia
- An interview with Shunsuke Fujita revealed that at one point, Zone Fighter was considered for an appearance in the 2014 PlayStation 3 and 4 video game, Godzilla.
- Zone Fighter is Toho's second tallest tokusatsu hero, surpassed only by Megaloman.[4]
- While Zone Fighter officially stands 62 meters tall, in the show itself he is only slightly taller than the 50-meter Godzilla.
- Zone Fighter's suit actor was Tatsumi Nikamoto, who also played the Red Garoga, in addition to Ultraman Leo from the show of the same name, the various Zensei Majin from Diamond Eye, Titanosaurus from Terror of Mechagodzilla, and countless other tokusatsu roles. The suit actor for Zone Fighter's giant form, Kinichi Kusumi, played numerous tokusatsu roles in the 1970s as well, including Godman, Redman, Mirrorman, various aliens and kaiju in Tsuburaya Productions' Ultra Series, and Anguirus and King Caesar in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla.
- In Godzilla Singular Point, a cube-shaped robot controlled by Pelops II has a structure on its top that resembles Zone Fighter's antenna. Zone Fighter himself also cameos in the show's end sequence.
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External links
References
This is a list of references for Zone Fighter. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]
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