< Great Mazinger

Great Mazinger/Characters


This is a page about the characters appearing in the Manga turned Anime Great Mazinger. Just as a warning, this page probably contains spoilers.

The Fortress of Science

Tetsuya Tsurugi

Tetsuya Tsurugi

Voice Actors: Hiroshi Yanaka, Keiichi Noda.

Tetsuya: "All battles I have fought so far… I have fought them to prove the world that I exist!"

Tetsuya was an orphan kid was raised for Kenzo Kabuto to pilot the Humongous Mecha he was developing and repel the Mykene invasion Kenzo and his father -Dr. Kabuto, creator of Mazinger Z- were frightened of.

Not unlike a certain redhead was created twenty-one years later, Tetsuya seemed proud -and irritatingly so- on surface, but deep down he was a person insecure and frightened of being alone. He had been a lonely kid until Kenzo took him in. He felt Professor Kabuto had given him a home and someone whom call "father", and he would do anything for him. Thus, if his adoptive father asked him piloting a machine war to fight and crush an ancient Empire of giant beings, for God he would do so!

Unfortunately he completely devoted his life to pilot Great Mazinger and take down the Mykene Empire. He trained and honed his skills in because he wanted making his father proud, and he always refused quitting or fleeing because in his mind it would mean letting his father down. However his interpersonal skills were severely limited and not only he might be pretty rude sometimes but also he was oblivious to his partner's obvious advances the most part of time.

When Kouji Kabuto returned, Tetsuya got afraid and jealousy, fearing everyone -including Kenzo- would forget about him, and he would lose his father and the only thing gave meaning to his existence: piloting Great Mazinger. So, he got aggressive, hostile and confrontational, and even he refused helping Kouji when he needed him.

He rued of that. His jealous and envy did cost him dearly, and he vowed himself he would never let they overwhelmed him again.

Although similar to Kouji in some aspects –such like being a Hot-Blooded Idiot Hero-, he was also pretty different. Where Kouji was carefree and enthusiastic, Tetsuya was serious, focused, gloomy and cranky. He was completely focused on his duty whereas Kouji had a life beyond of piloting Mazinger Z. Maybe due to him being older, Tetsuya was slightly more mature than his predecessor. He did not find funny mocking from his friends’ misfortunes and he did not actively try to piss Jun off. However, unlike Kouji, he didn’t outgrow his competitiveness.

Tropes:

  • The Ace: He was trained since he was a little kid, and he is a great pilot. It is amusing when you realize in spite of he demands all acknowledge that fact he is the only one has troubles believing it.
    • Ace Pilot: In his first appearance he seemed being leagues ahead Kouji.
  • Achilles in His Tent: He was so jealous of Kouji he refused to sortie in Great Mazinger to help him when he was in danger. He regretted it bitterly.
  • Alliterative Name: Tetsuya Tsurugi.
  • Aloof Big Brother : Practically stand as the oldest of Kabuto siblings, and acts like one, to Koji, Jun and Shiro, at times. Hes a bit softer to Jun though, since she is also his Love Interest and the one he live with for the longest time.
  • Always Someone Better : Even after Koji's return, he still outdone Koji on a lot of ocassions because he is just THAT good. This eventually become a huge part of his character because while he is the actual person who stand at this position, he believed that everyone, especially Koji is the one who stand on this position. It Got Worse.
  • Arrogant Kung Fu Guy: He is a great pilot and good martial artist and he will gladly inform everybody of it. Nonetheless, he is also a Deconstruction of the trope.
  • Badass : Oh yes, even moreso than Koji or even Duke, so much that he made Ankoku Daishogun admitted to be inferior to him and seek to have a duel with him just to prove that he is better than Tetsuya, again this is Ankoku Daishogun were talking about.
  • Badass Biker
  • Badass Boast: “Ghosts of the Mykene…! You do not belong on the surface! Return the world of darkness below the Earth!”
  • Bash Brothers: When Kouji and Tetsuya were not trying to out-stubborn each other, they were a power to be reckoned with.
  • Battle Couple: With Jun.
  • Belligerent Sexual Tension: Again, with Jun. Tetsuya was tactless, wilful and hot-headed, and Jun, who already was stressed due to her personal troubles, did not appreciate when he was being careless or behaving like a blithering idiot. Tetsuya being so obsessed with training and fighting he ignored his advances worsened her temper.
  • Big Damn Heroes: Tetsuya’s specialty. Usually his first appearance at anything is a Big Damn Heroes moment, often started off with a Thunder Break.
    • However he also got occasionally saved by a Big Damn Heroes moment, sometimes by Kouji. One of them was performed in the last episode for his father.
  • Big No: He shouted one in the last episode.
  • Big Ol' Eyebrows: They are so thick they seem caterpillars.
  • Breakout Character : In Super Robot Wars Alpha, especialy Alpha Gaiden where he play a much more important role in the story, and have connection to an important plot of the story. The fact that his nemesis is this as well might help.
  • Broken Ace : Yes, all those ten years of training that turns him into a combat pro that is respected by everyone, including the Mykene doesnt cure his lack of self worth, his Inferiority Complex, and his fear of being left alone.
  • Calling Your Attacks: Continuing the legacy of Kouji, Tetsuya loudly named his attacks before they were performed by his machine.
  • Chaste Hero: He was so obsessively focused on fulfilling his mission (due to he thought piloting Great Mazinger was everything what he had) that he was Oblivious to Love, and if Jun tried to seduce him he didn't get it or taunted her or both (and since she had no patience for stupidity, they ended up fighting).
  • Combat Pragmatist: He can and will fight dirty if he needs, and he is not above of cheap tricks for reaching victory.
  • Combination Attack: His specialities include Double Burning Fire, with Kouji, and Final Dynamic Special, with Kouji, Duke and Ryouma.
  • Conveniently an Orphan: He lost his parents and he was adopted by Prof. Kabuto.
  • Cool Bike
  • Cool Helmet
  • Darker and Edgier: In spite of everything what happened to him, Kouji was mostly good-natured, carefree and enthusiastic and let nothing get him down for long. In a way, Tetsuya was more mature… but as well he was gloomier and grimmer, and prone to fits of jealous and envy.
  • The Determinator: Not matter what, he never gives up.
    • In the Great Mazinger tai Getter fight, the monster Gilgilgan ate Great Mazinger's left fist, shrugged a Breast Burn attack off, reflected a Thunder Break, blew Great Mazinger's right fist up and endured a Navel Missile, melted Great Mazinger's right leg... What did Tetsuya? He tried to head butt it. He tried his last weapon -Great Typhoon- and although it had no effect either, yet he refused to die.
  • Distressed Badass: Sometimes he has been rescued by the others.
  • Demoted to Extra : In Mazinkaiser, he get an injury and Put on a Bus. However, in the Super Robot Wars games based of the Mazinkaiser OVA, he got dialogue exchanges with the major villains from the other series.
  • Dual-Wielding: Each shin of Great Mazinger housed one double-edged long broadsword. Often Tetsuya wielded both blades at once.
  • Dub Name Change: In the Latin dub he was named “Tatsu”.
  • Eyepatch of Power: Sometimes he fought with his face half-bandaged, and the bandages covered one of his eyes.
  • Falling Into the Cockpit: Averted. Tetsuya was trained to pilot Great Mazinger since he was a kid, long before the enemy attacked for first time.
  • Fatal Flaw: Pride on two sides. He is arrogant and prideful, and its the cause of lots of problem, yet in reality, he has NO sense of pride on the inside. To put it simply, his fatal flaw is his lack and overdose of pride.
  • Get a Hold of Yourself, Man! : Delivers one to Koji in Super Robot Wars W.
  • Giving Someone the Pointer Finger: This is Great’s trademark pose when using Thunder Break... and when Tetsuya feels like doing it. Apparently, coming across like rude to his enemies is something he is not concerned about.
  • Gratuitous English: Thunder Break! Drill Pressure Punch! Navel Missile!
  • The Hero: Just so flawed like Kouji, but in a different fashion.
  • Heroes Prefer Swords: Great Mazinger was the first Super Robot that used swords. Tetsuya uses them routinely to slice Mykene Robeasts.
  • Heroic BSOD: Because he refused working alongside Kouji, the enemy almost killed him and the Professor Kabuto forfeited his life to save his. He was emotionally wrecked after this.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: In the Ota episodes. Seeing Taking You with Me example below.
  • Hidden Depths: He can come across like an arrogant, jealous jerk to other people. But throughout the series you learn truly he is still an unsecure, lonely orphan kid with SERIOUS self-esteem issues who is deadly scared of being alone again.
  • Honor Before Reason: He preferred dying in battle rather fleeing to fight another day.
  • Hot-Blooded
  • Hotblooded Sideburns: It is a character created by former Trope Namer. Duh.
  • Idiot Hero: Some of the stunts he pulled out due to his hard-headedness or pride are mind-boggling.
  • Inferiority Superiority Complex: At first sight he seems obnoxiously boastful and arrogant, but that is only a mask to hide his complete lacking of self-esteem. He was frightened of his adoptive father would forget about him and his adoptive sister would dump him for someone she barely did know, for God’s sake…
  • Irony: It is really ironic to think that the person who already gives inferiority issue to the others around him would be the one who has the biggest inferiority problem.
  • It's All My Fault: He blames himself for the death of Professor Kabuto. He is right.
  • Jerkass: He was rash, prideful, and had a tendency to lash out when he was upset. So he could be quite rude and unfair when he was angry.
    • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: However you better never doubt despite all he is deep down a good person and a hero tries to protect humankind and is willing to sacrificing himself for everyone.
  • Killed Off for Real: In Gosaku Ota’s manga.
  • Large Ham: At his worst day he was way hammier than Kouji.
    • Ham-to-Ham Combat: During his duel against Great General of Darkness seemed a "let's see who out-ham who" contest besides a swordfight to death.
  • Made of Iron: Tetsuya withstood an incredible punishment throughout the series, being wounded and harmed constantly, and still pushing himself beyond his limits and forcing himself to battle even if the pain was tearing him apart. Several times his adoptive father had to command him to go back to the Home Base. In the first episode one of the Bridge Bunnies marvel at his physical endurance, and Kenzo states it is his strong and sturdy body what lets him pilot Great Mazinger.
  • My God, What Have I Done?: When he realized his fear of Kouji taking his father away from him had gotten his father killed.
  • Naive but Skilled : Skilled soldier, good martial artist, good thinker, Genius Bruiser, The Ace, Ace Pilot, technically perfect, Not Good with People, Arrogant, always feels inferior to someone. Yup, he fits this perfectly. And he move one from that spot, for a HUGE price.
  • Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Seeing one of his quotes up.
  • No Indoor Voice
  • Not So Different : He and Ankoku Daishogun are two side of a same coin.
  • Official Couple: With Jun. They are adoptive siblings but since they are Not Blood Related, nobody seems to care (or perhaps they think Tetsuya is too oblivious to notice Jun’s advances).
  • Offscreen Moment of Awesome : In Mazinkaiser OVA and Movie, in the OVA after he returns with "Shin" Great Mazinger he defeated a high amount of mechabeast alone. In the movie, at the intro, he is surrounded by massive amount of mechabeast and mentioned how his Machine is "inferior". The next time he appeared on the screen, he is struggling against TWO mechabeast. And win. And he pilotted the weaker Great Mazinger instead of the "Shin" Great. That says something.
  • Overshadowed by Awesome : Subverted, in the reimaginings and the remakes, Koji will steal the spotlight from him, and he is always gimped in mecha department. However, it is because he gives this to Koji, so much that the only explainable reason for his lack of show off in every other adaptations are because he is so awesome that its hard to fit him without severely downgrading him. This is most notable in Mazinkaiser and Shin Mazinger Shougeki! Z-hen.
  • Parental Abandonment: Tetsuya and Jun are orphans raised by Dr. Kenzou Kabuto.
  • Redemption Equals Death: It happens in the Gosaku Ota episodes. To redeem himself for being indirectly guilty of his father's death he commited a Heroic Sacrifice.
  • Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Delivered to the Mykene army after his father’s death. It was so overwhelmingly brutal the Emperor did not dare to restart his offensive against the surface.
  • Scarf of Asskicking: He wears one constantly.
  • Seventies Hair
  • Shonen Hair
  • Slap Slap Kiss: Unlike Kouji, he did not actively try pissing off his Tsundere war comrade… usually… but he managed, nonetheless. Jun was more patient than Sayaka, but her tolerance for bullshit was just so low.
  • Slasher Smile: Tetsuya was a Broken Ace usually wore a grim, angry or bitter expression. But when he grinned in battle... It was deeply disturbing.
  • Taking You with Me: In the Ota episodes, after Dr. Kabuto’s Heroic Sacrifice and his ensuing Heroic BSOD, he crashed Great Mazinger in Demonika, self-destructing it to wipe the entire Mykene high command out.
  • Spotlight-Stealing Squad : Again in Alpha Gaiden.
  • Took a Level in Jerkass: After the return of Kouji, his jealousy made him lashing out against everybody. He argued with Kouji for anything, accused Jun of wanting replacing him with Kouji (in spite of she had always been devoted to him and had spent the whole series trying he paid attention to her!), ranted he was sick of Kouji giving orders around and refused going to help Kouji when was in danger. The last instance bit him HARD.
  • Unbuilt Trope : Set the template for Hot-Blooded Ace Pilot, and many tropes common in Super Robot shows, and Deconstruct almost every one of it.
  • Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: He is afraid of birds.
  • Worthy Opponent: The Great General of Darkness considered him his nemesis, and demanded a final sword duel with him.
  • Would Hit a Girl: Oh, yes. He would do. Even if that girl is his Battle Couple, his Love Interest and adoptive sister. However that girl is an martial artist and a Tsundere did not brook crap, so that she hit back.

Jun Hono

Jun Hono

Voice Actors: Yumi Nakatani (Great Mazinger), Mitsuki Saiga (Mazinkaiser).

Jun: "If you think wish upon a star would help, think again. Even when you wish, some wishes just won't come true. Shiro, it's no good if you don't stay determined and independent, you know. You won't become a strong person if you keep relying on us."

Jun was a half Japanese, half black (her father was a black man) orphan girl. Due to her mixed race she suffered discrimination since she was a little kid. Kenzo Kabuto took her in and trained her alongside Tetsuya to fight the Mykene army, teaching her to pilot Venus A.

Through the years she fell in love with Tetsuya and tried to get him paying attention to her, but he remained too focused on his mission to notice. However she remained devoted to him… nonetheless, she never hesitated on speaking her mind or telling him she thought he was wrong… or dumb.

During the war against the Mykene she bonded with Shiro Kabuto and met Boss, who was chasing after her in spite of she never shared her feelings. When Sayaka returned to Japan, they fought together sometimes, becoming friends quickly.

Jun was brave and mature but conflicted due to the racist treatment she put up with routinely, her longing for her deceased parents (she still keeps one picture of them) and her conflicting emotions towards Tetsuya (who she loved but pissed her off). Thus she was sweet and kind but she had quite a temper when angry.

Unlike Sayaka, Jun was specifically trained in combat in and out of her Humongous Mecha, and was a pretty good martial artist could defend herself. She could fight back a squad of Mykene soldiers, and even though her robot usually ended up trashed after fights she got some victories on her label, and she even killed one Mykene General in one single shot.

Tropes:

  • Action Girl: She switched between this and Faux Action Girl. She could be captured but she always put up a good fight.
  • Badass
  • Battle Couple: With Tetsuya.
  • Belligerent Sexual Tension: Again, with Tetsuya.
  • Biker Babe
  • Brainwashed and Crazy: For Marquiss Yanus in the Nagai Heroes e-manga.
  • But Not Too Foreign
  • But Not Too Black
  • Calling Your Attacks: Oppai Missiles!
  • Conveniently an Orphan: her parents died and she was raised by Kenzo Kabuto alongside Tetsuya. She still kept one picture of them, though.
  • Cool Big Sis: She acted like a sort of older sister to Shiro. In fact she showed caring about Shiro more than his older brothers. Given who was her surrogate father, that is quite logical.
  • Cool Bike
  • Cool Helmet
  • Executive Meddling: Rumour has it Ota was the first drew Jun dark-skinned, and Nagai liked the idea, so he Retconned Jun in being half-black.
  • Falling Into the Cockpit: Averted. Jun was trained to pilot Venus A since she was a kid, long before her first battle.
  • Get a Hold of Yourself, Man!: She tried that sometimes when Tetsuya was being unreasonable. Regretfully, it did not always work.
  • Humongous Mecha: She was the pilot of Venus A.
  • I Know Karate: She was a well-trained martial artist.
  • Lovely Angels: With Sayaka after her return. It must be noted they worked together more seamlessly from start, unlike than Kouji and Tetsuya.
  • Most Common Superpower: She is stacked. In the Mazinger Angels manga (a Charlie's Angels parody) there is one scene where Jun, Sayaka and Hikaru are showering, and Sayaka and Hikaru are envious of her build.
  • Official Couple: With Tetsuya.
  • Parental Abandonment: spoiler: Tetsuya and Jun are orphans raised by Dr. Kenzou Kabuto.
  • Parents as People: Kenzo was not a bad person but his parental skills left much to be desired. He did not INTEND to abuse her… but he neglected her a lot in favour of Tetsuya. Let’s tell before dying Kenzo asked Kouji he took care of Shiro and treated Tetsuya well because he was also his son… and he never even mentioned Jun!
    • On the other hand, he might know about Tetsuya's issue
  • The Reliable One: QUITE more reliable than Tetsuya.
  • Took a Level in Badass: In spite of her female robot was constantly trashed she won some fights. During the final battle she obliterated Hardias with one single eye beam, and in the Nagai Heroes e-manga she beat the crap out of Great Mazinger.
  • Tsundere: She controlled better her temper than Sayaka but she was still a bona fide Tsundere. Her mood shifts were due to tensions not entirely related to her partner, nonetheless.

Kenzo Kabuto

Kenzo Kabuto

Voice Actor: Hidekatsu Shibata.

Kenzo: "He’s crying. My son is… My son…! Kouji Kabuto…!"
Kenzo: "Tetsuya Tsurugi, your time is come! Annihilate Ankoku Daishogun army with Great Mazinger!"

Kenzo was the son of Juzo Kabuto –the creator of Mazinger Z- and father of Kouji and Shiro. After a laboratory experiment gone horribly wrong, he and his wife were thought dead. However, his father turned him into a cyborg in order to keep him alive.

After his transformation, Dr. Kabuto talked to him about the Dr. Hell and his misgivings about the Mykene civilization remaining alive and preparing to overtake the world. Both of them agreed while Juzo built Mazinger Z, Kenzo would work secretly upon his father’s original designs, improving them to create an even more powerful robot. Meanwhile, Juzo would raise Kouji and Shiro. Neither of them told them Kenzo was alive to shield them from the danger and psychological shock.

Besides building Great Mazinger –and another female robot, Venus A- Kenzo took two orphan kids in -Tetsuya and Jun- and raised them, training them in piloting robots and hand-to-hand combat. He considered Tetsuya another of his sons, loving him dearly, but he did not doubt on punishing him when he thought Tetsuya deserved it.

Later Kenzo revealed the truth to Shiro and Kouji. Shiro struggled to come to terms with the idea for a long time, but Kouji was willing forgiving and forgetting, and renewing his relationship with his father. This relationship caused conflicts with Tetsuya, who was frightened of Kenzo would forget about Jun and him now his real sons were back. However Kenzo never stopped caring for them, giving his life to save his adoptive son’s, even if his parental skills left much to be desired, and he asked Kouji treated him like his brother as he was dying.

Kenzo was the head of the Fortress of Science, a building specifically built with military ends –unlike the Photon Energy Lab, which was a civilian-use building-, and he led the operations against the Mykene. Like a mentor, he was harsher and less patient than Professor Yumi and when his pilots were acting against orders, and he did not doubt on disciplining them when he thought they had crossed one line.

Tropes:

  • Abusive Parents: Even though he is well-meaning, his parental skills are questionable. He let Kouji and Shiro think for years he was dead, he had no qualms about slapping Tetsuya when he thought the boy was crossing the line (albeit to be fair, Tetsuya DID cross the line plenty times, and Kenzo restrained himself most of them), and has Jun –who is also his ward- neglected.
  • Alliterative Name
  • Back from the Dead
  • Badass Boast: “Great Mazinger, send the Great General of Darkness and his seven armies to the abyss!”
  • Badass Moustache
  • Big Damn Heroes: He got several moments along the series. His two most famous –for different reasons- happened in the last episode of Mazinger Z and the last episode of Great Mazinger.
  • Cyborg: Turned into one for his father to save his life.
  • Daddy Had a Good Reason For Abandoning You: Sort of. He was trying saving the humankind. And he knew his own father was looking after his sons. However it is arguable he needed to leave his sons alone for achieving it.
  • Disappeared Dad: Dr. Kenzou was absent from the lives of Kouji and Shiro (raised by Dr. Juuzou), and that comes to bite everybody in the ass later.
  • Doing In the Wizard: In the Mazinger vs Great General of Darkness feature, he disguised himself and pretended being a prophet to warn Kouji and his friends about the imminent Mykene invasion.
  • The Engineer: He built Great Mazinger, Venus A and Junior (Shiro’s Comi Relief Humongous Mecha).
  • Generation Xerox: Right like his father he is a scientific genius and a robot builder. And he also considered fit Great Mazinger was assisted by a female partner (although Venus A was piloted, unlike Minerva X).
  • Get a Hold of Yourself, Man!: Several times when Tetsuya seemed more concerned about showing off than about the mission, Kenzo gave him a Bright Slap and reminded him what they were fighting for saving lives, not for his glory. Usually Tetsuya listened and nodded.
  • Good Scars, Evil Scars: He has a scar runs along of the left side of his head, stopping right above his eyebrow. It is not elegant or unnoticeable in spite of he is one of the good guys. In fact, it is somewhat ugly.
  • Heroic BSOD: In the Gosaku Ota manga. Great Marshall of Hell obliterated one whole city and threatened with doing the same thing to Tokyo unless Great Mazinger and the Fortress of Science were destroyed. Kenzo expected people sided with them, but when the Japanese Government turned on them and struck the Fortress, he lost it. He wanted giving up right there and then, but Professor Yumi's arrival and lecture reignited his faith and desire of keeping the fight.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: He sacrificed himself for his adoptive son and pupil at the end of the series.
  • Killed Off for Real: In the last episode.
  • Man in White: He wears his lab coat most of time.
  • Married to the Job: He was even worse than his father or Yumi in that regard.
  • The Mentor: He is somewhat cold and harsh, though.
  • Mentor Occupational Hazard
  • Not Quite Dead: Everybody thought he was dead for years. They were wrong.
  • Oh Crap: His expression when he saw the new commander of the Mykene army was Dr. Hell
  • Papa Wolf: Alright. He left his sons believing he was dead, leaving the task of raising them on his father’s hands. He treated Tetsuya like a stern commander and instructor rather the warm father the boy needed, taking care of his training but not of his psychological issues. He neglected Jun. NONETHELESS, threatening one of his children is not the last thing you want to do. It is the last thing you WILL do.
  • Parental Abandonment: He was missing from the lives from Kouji and Shiro for years, and it bit everybody in the rear.
  • Parents as People: He is not a bad person… but he was more worried with being a mentor –of the harsh kind- and saving the humanity than being a father. He did nothing about Tetsuya’s self-esteem issues and lacking of self-worth until it was too late, and he neglected Jun completely.
  • The Professor
  • Taking You with Me: That is how he saved Tetsuya’s life
  • You Killed My Father: When he ascertained Great Marshall of Hell’s true identity, his reaction was… unhappy.

Kenzo: Dr. Hell…! Vile, petty… And always very astute!

Kouji Kabuto

Kouji Kabuto

Voice Actors: Kappei Yamaguchi, Hiroya Ishimaru, Kenji Akabane (Shin Mazinger Shougeki! Z-hen).

Kouji: I have always thought people doesn't think with their head. They think with their heart. (Shin Mazinger Zero manga)
Kouji: Grandpa's murder... All the people who have been hurt... Japan's peace trampled... All because of Dr. Hell... This time, for sure... This time, I'll destroy Dr. Hell for good! (Go Nagai Great Mazinger manga)

Kouji was a Ordinary High School Student who lived with his little brother Shiro and his grandfather Juzo after their parents’ death. All of it changed when he was sixteen and his grandfather was murdered by Dr. Hell. Dr. Kabuto revealed Mazinger Z to him and requested him to save the world from Dr. Hell. Kouji vowed he would avenge his grandfather’s death and fulfil his last wish.

Kouji was an atypical main character back then: although he was a mostly good person, he might be rude, insensitive and even somewhat of a jerkass when he was angry, sexist and the poster boy for Idiot Hero given his tendencies to be loudmouthed, talking without thinking, acting BEFORE and INSTEAD of thinking and being very hot-headed and stubborn. However he was also compassionate, caring, friendly, self-sacrificing, cared greatly for his friends and fought for them –even though he constantly teased Sayaka and Boss- and he was utterly hot-blooded.

His character evolved and developed somewhat along the series. His blatant sexism and his impulsive tendencies mellowed down a bit (it is telltale in Great Mazinger he was the one recommended using planning and strategy for fighting the Mykene when Tetsuya wanted nothing else than blowing them up to pieces). He also grew up and matured, and his main motivation to fight Dr. Hell became protecting people instead of petty revenge. Although he refused giving up, he was more willing to follow orders and retreat to reevaluate the situation and fight back than his successor, Tetsuya. However, in the Mazinger Z vs Great General of Darkness movie he refused giving up and backing down, even though he knew he could not win.

He is voiced by veteran seiyuu Hiroya Ishimaru and has appeared in many other series. He is considered one of the stalwarts of the Japanese-exclusive strategy games the Super Robot Wars and appears in nearly every incarnation. In Shin Mazinger Shougeki! Z Hen, his voice is played by Kenji Akabane.

Tropes:

  • Accidental Pervert: In the Mazinger Z vs Great General of Darkness, Kouji walked in Sayaka when she was taking a shower. After getting an Armor-Piercing Slap he apologized and swore it was an accident (Although he was half-smirking as he did so).
  • Badass
  • Badass Biker
  • Badass and Child Duo: His little brother usually hangs around him. Needless to say, threaten Shiro and the pain you will feel will depend on whether Kouji is or is not riding his Humongous Mecha in the time.
  • Battle Couple: the male half, with Sayaka as the female.
  • Belligerent Sexual Tension: with Sayaka.
  • Big Eater: Kouji is occasionally shown to be one. Hell, in the Mazinkaizer movie, he eats about ten times as much as the rest of the table combined (yes, those dishes are all his) before insisting that he's still hungry.
  • Big No: Kouji screams one when his grandfather dies.
  • Brainwashed and Crazy: By the Vegans in the UFO Robo Grendizer Go Nagai manga, the UFO Robot Grendizer tai Great Mazinger movie and Super Robot Wars MX in Chapter 10.
    • And by Viscount Pygman in the series.
  • Calling Your Attacks In Gratuitous English: Koji's most famous trait (and indeed, his legacy) is his habit of yelling out weapon names before using them. His most famous battle cries, "Rocket Punch!" (that sent one or both of Mazinger's forearms flying at a foe), "Breast Fire!" (which activated the red heat sinks on Mazinger's chest, melting most enemies to slag) and "Majin Go!" are well-known in Japan, even by people who have never watched Mazinger before. This has since become the trademark of Super Robot pilots everywhere.
    • The only ones that averted this were the Photon Beam, spoken in Japanese as "Koushiryoku Beam", Great Wheel Rocket Punch (Daisharin Rocket Punch), and the Freeze Ray.
  • Chef of Iron: In original Manga. He is shown on screen to be the one that cooks for his household breakfast. It is also implied that his cooking is pretty good no matter how ridiculous it is (his croquette is huge (Sayaka said it’s a Mazinger class croquette referring to its size) and can shoot Rust Tornado (Unleash wind when cut) and Rocket Punch (launch a part of it when its cut, directly to Shiro's mouth), and of course he kicks ass in battle.
  • Combat Pragmatist: Like you wouldn't believe. In his first appearance, in which he just received Mazinger, his fight is filled by abusing the fact that Mazinger really IS invincible (at least for that point). During his second appearance, he is not above tricking his opponent to think that he gives up the fight only to kick ass. And he does this several time during the course of the series.
  • Delinquents
  • Distaff Counterpart: In the Mazinger Angels Z manga (a sequel to Mazinger Angels, a Charlie's Angels parody starring the female main characters of the Mazinger trilogy, with countless ShoutOuts to other Go Nagai works), Kouji's role was given to Kikunosuke Abashiri, a character of Abashiri Ikka, an early manga from Go Nagai.
  • Dub Name Change
    • In Tranzor Z, Koji was named Tommy Davis, which was somewhat confusing as he was unrelated to the counterparts of Sayaka Yumi and her father, whose last names were also Davis. He was voiced by Gregg Berger in the dub.
    • When ‘’UFO Robo Grendizer’’ was shown in the United States as part of Force Five, Koji's name was Lance Hyatt.
    • Italian translators never identified Kabuto as the same character in Grendizer and in the Mazinger series. In the Italian version of Grendizer (broadcast for first in Italy), Koji was called Alcor; in Mazinger Z, Ryo Kabuto; in Great Mazinger, Koji Kabuto. As a result, many in Italy thought that the heroes of Japanese cartoons all looked alike. In the Italian version of Mazinkaiser, he was called Koji Kabuto again.
    • The same confusion took place in France: he was called Alcor in the French version of Grendizer (from which the Italian one was taken), and Koji in the French version of Mazinger Z (which was broadcast much later in France).
    • The same kind of confusion took place in Arabic speaking nations: While he was still called Koji in the Arabic version of Grendizer, he was called Maher in the Arabic version of Mazinger Z that was translated after Grendizer's success in the Middle East.
    • And in Spain he was called Carlos Caribe in the Grendizer dub, despite of he was not renamed in the Mazinger Z dub.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: In CB Chara Go Nagai World, Koji blowing up the Mazinger
  • Hot-Blooded: poster boy for this.
  • Hotblooded Sideburns: Their sideburns are unmistakable.
  • Idiot Hero: ... and for this, too.
    • Genius Ditz: Unlike many similar hot-heads, Koji is actually exceptionally bright when he allows himself to think things through. This is demonstrated both in the Mazinger Z series, when at least twice he had to completely disable mechanical beasts with hostages inside (one of them being Sayaka's disabled cousin, Yuri); and in the Grendizer series, where he builds his flying saucer all by himself and later develops the Cyclone Beam. He is also an excellent shot (demonstrated in the Mazinkaiser VS Ankoku Dai Shogun movie when he shoots Archduke Gorgon in both his tiger head and human head with one shot).
    • It should be noted, that Koji is sent to America in Great Mazinger to study, so he can become a scientist since Kenzo, Koji's father mentions that he has the scientist blood of Kabuto inside him. So, it’s pretty much hereditary
  • Indy Ploy: He is able to think strategically and plotting strategies beforehand. However, given his rash, hotheaded nature, he is VERY prone to impulsively rush/leap/dive headfirst into a dangerous situation and figuring out along the way how he will walk out of it alive. These two pages of the "Mazinger Z: Relic of Terror" one-shot are a godd example:

Kouji: There's no choice but for me to go and take it back!
Sayaka: But you don't even know what the enemy is...!
Kouji: I'll find out along the way!

  • The Lancer: To Tetsuya Tsurugi in Great Mazinger and Daisuke Umon in UFO Robo Grendizer.
  • Large Ham
    • Ham-to-Ham Combat: In the Dynamic Heroes e-manga, Kouji fought the Great Marshall of Hell while riding Mazinger. It is noteworthy as it was, maybe, the first time in the history of the franchise Kouji and Dr. Hell faced each other as both were riding giant robots. Too bad it was a Curb Stomp Battle.
  • Manly Tears: He has three VERY memorable tears moments. One is in the beginning, when his grandfather dies in his arms. The other two are in the "Mazinkaiser vs. the General of Darkness", with Dr. Morimori's Heroic Sacrifice, and when he finally defeats ALL the Mikene Empire and tearfully screams "My dead friends... I AVENGED YOU ALL!"
  • Meaningful Name: Kabuto means "Helmet", and Kouji pilots his machine by attaching the Jet Pilder to its head.
  • Missing Mom: Tsubasa Nishikori
    • In episode 90, Dr. Hell fabricated a cyborg looked exactly like her and sent it to the Institute in order to wreak havoc while he made preparations for the final battle. Naturally, that stratagem caused much grief, especially to Shiro.
  • No Indoor Voice: Indoor Voice? What is that “Indoor Voice” stuff you speak of?
  • Put on a Bus: He and Sayaka went to America after the end of the series, and they were not seen again until the end of Great Mazinger.
  • The Rival: With Boss and Tetsuya, but in many Super Robot Wars games with Asuka. The two of them always butt heads.
  • Shut UP, Hannibal

Scirocco: By averting that Colony Drop, you wasted a good chance of getting rid of all those fools whose souls are bound by gravity.

Kouji: Oh, don't give us that crap! We won't let you even touch the Earth we live in!

Char Aznable: But, if things continue this way, people's hatred will consume the very Earth itself. That's why I'm cutting through to the source of the problem.

Kouji: Don't feed me that crap!! I've been listening to this from the start and all you've done is giving a bunch of complicated justifications!!

  • Sidekick: To Duke Fleed/Daisuke Umon in Grendizer. Later graduated to The Lancer
  • Triang Relations: Type 3 with Sayaka and Maria, with Kouji being the Chaste Hero in the middle.)
  • Troubled but Cute
  • Why Don't You Marry It?: Kouji Kabuto has this thrown at him by his little brother after spending just a little too much time gushing over a new support unit for the Mazinger. Kouji's reply is along the lines of a not entirely sarcastic "maybe I will," much to the annoyance of Sayaka.
  • You Killed My Grandfather: Straight after his grandfather’s death, Kouji swore he would get his murderers and he would take revenge.

Sayaka Yumi

Sayaka Yumi

Voice Actors: Minori Matsushima, Saiko Egawa, Ai Uchikawa, Youko Honda, Ikue Ootani.

Sayaka: What are you saying, Papa? Are you saying we should let it run wild even more? I can't do that! Even if Aphrodite gets destroyed...! I will fight...! I´ll take down that demon that's destroyed our town!!

Sayaka Yumi (Yumi Sayaka) is the main heroine of Mazinger Z.

She was daughter of Professor Yumi, director of the Photon Lab Institute, and she piloted Aphrodite A, a test prototype giant robot Yumi built. Her mother was deceased and she has a cousin –named Yuri-. Her father was not exactly cold and uncaring, but Sayaka realized that his first priority was his work, and sometimes she felt somewhat alone and craving for proving herself to him.

She first met Kouji when he was rampaging through the valley –or city the original manga-. She was the first person taught who Kouji how to handle Mazinger Z (even though she was more than willing to hit him back after his robot accidentally kicked hers), and always fought alongside him.

She was a bit hot-tempered and tomboyish, and had a habit of clashing with Kouji even though she had a romantic interest in him. She was usually tender and nice, but she was also somewhat prideful and just as hotheaded and hotblooded as Kouji, so his sexist, non-thoughtful, loudmouthed ways always managed to set her off. She was also quite jealous and she did not appreciate it when some beautiful woman –like Hitomi, Misato or Erika- was very familiar with Kouji –especially if Kouji looked like was enjoying the attention-. Still they were very close even if they were bickering and fighting constantly.

Tropes:

Shiro Kabuto

Shiro Kabuto

Shiro is Kouji's younger brother. He is hard-headed, hot-tempered, enthusiastic and nosy. Most of the time, Shiro's role is to add some comic relief to the plot, being the voice of reason when Kouji is doing something dumb or dangerous, and often getting in trouble himself. He remains in Japan when Kouji departs at the beginning of ‘’Great Mazinger’’, and even he gets given his own Humongous Mecha, Junior.

His character acquires a bit more depth in Great Mazinger, as he becomes acquainted with his father Kenzo, who was previously thought to be dead. Toward the end of the series, Shiro finally bonds with Kenzo, who died shortly thereafter.

Tropes:

  • Annoying Younger Sibling: Though he did have good points from time to time, and sometimes was more mature than Kouji himself.
  • Badass Adorable: He could make some impressive feats when he wanted or needed. In episode 9 the Professors Morimori, Sewashi and Nossori had been brainwashed by Baron Ashura in helping him. Shiro beat the crap out of them. Agreed, they were brainwashed and they were older men; still, it was one single child against three adult men
  • Iron Woobie : His themesong implies this, he is sad that during sunday, he dont have parents to hang with, and Koji, Boss, and Sayaka are most likely busy with the Mechabeast. And then, you have Lorelei. Yup, it sucks being him. On the other hand, he never Wangsts about it.
    • And have we mentioned in an early Great Mazinger episode he complains his older brother -his only living relative left as far as he knew- did not write him letters? Yes, definitely it sucks to be him.
  • Mouthy Kid
  • Plucky Comic Relief
  • Smarter Than You Look: During his first few appearances, his acts make him looking like Too Dumb to Live (for starters, while Koji is horrified by the Iron Mask, especially after killing it, all he says is that Koji is so cool for killing the Iron Mask). Later on in the series, he learned to pilot the Pilder in relatively short time (bonus points since unlike Koji, he has practically zero experience in piloting the Pilder, while Koji mentions that the control is similar to his motorbike) and pulls a Big Damn Heroes several times, that really says something. (Of course, he IS a member of Kabuto family)
  • Star-Crossed Lovers: His first crush was Lorelei, a Mad Scientist's Beautiful Daughter and Robot Girl. It ends up in tears.
  • Wise Beyond His Years: He seems pretty mature for his age. Then again, maybe it is due to he constantly hangs around his brother, who is somewhat immature for his age.
    • More because he is forced to life on his own without a parents care. Juzo is implied to spend most of his time to build Mazinger Z, and Koji is handling the household jobs, and go to school, thus leaving him alone.
      • And let's not forget his supposedly dead father was too busy building Great Mazinger to take care of them AND tell them he was alive.

Boss

Boss

Boss: "I’m Kabuto’s best friend. Name’s Boss. Even the author doesn't know my real name!"

Boss was a high school student attending Sayaka’s old school. He first appeared as a bully with a huge crush on Sayaka and as Kabuto Kouji’s rival at school. When Kouji –someone who Sayaka practically gushed over and also loved bikes- moved to his school, he perceived him as a menace and challenged him. However, after their first fights, he quickly became a friend and ally, often scouting for Mazinger Z on his motorcycle, or getting into some sort of slapstick mischief. He was hot-tempered and hasty, but he also was a loyal friend (and his crush on Sayaka sometimes became cute).

Later he built his own Humongous Mecha, Boss Borot, a quite strong but utterly useless robot made with garbage that provided many funny moments.

He and his gang-Nuke and Mucha- were the Tag-Along Brigade and Comic Relief characters in both Mazinger Z and Great Mazinger, and he showed up in two episodes of UFO Robo Grendizer. His cousin Misato was also a supporting character in Mazinger Z.

Boss filled that same role in ‘’Great Mazinger’’, antagonizing Tetsuya at the first –an attitude mellowed down later, but they never became so friends like Kouji and Boss were-, chasing after Jun –who ignored his advances-, being the Comic Relief character, and helping the other heroes however he could.

In episode 69, a crow named Bakarasu (its name being a blend of the Japanese words “Baka”, meaning “Dumb” and “Karasu”, meaning “Crow”) showed up, becoming soon a recurring character. Throughout Great Mazinger Boss used it like a lookout or like a messenger.

Tropes:

  • Acrofatic: Boss was pretty fat, but he could be fast when he wanted. Combine that with him being strong and sturdy, and you have he could deliver a good beating when he needed to on anyone (except Kouji, much to his chagrin and disgust).
  • Aliens Made Them Do It: The scene where the Zenteradi abduct the main characters from Super Dimension Fortress Macross and ask "I demand you show me how this 'kiss' process works" gets parodied in a Super Robot Wars Alpha 4koma and Boss is amongst the people they kidnapped in the parody.
  • Boss Can Breathe In Space According to Mazinger Z, the Boss Borot has an open-air cockpit. But when Mazinger Z appears in Super Robot Wars, the Boss Borot can normally be deployed in space just fine without apparent modifications. (It will perform like crap due to having a terrible rating for space combat, but in both Mazinger Z and Super Robot Wars the Boss Borot is a Joke Character anyways.)
    • This actually has a Justification: any mecha (not just Borot) that isn't airtight simply has the pilot wear a spacesuit.
    • In Neo Super Robot Wars (not to be confused with Super Robot Wars NEO) Boss Borot gets a spacesuit of sorts and the moniker Super Boss Borot to get around this. Boss Borot is also not usable in space at all in some of the classic SRW games, usually dealt with by removing it from your party for space levels rather than disallowing it.
  • Big Damn Heroes: Surprisingly, he does. It is Played for Laughs most of the time, but there's just too many situations that if he had not helped Koji, he would be done for.
    • Maybe the best example of it was the Mazinger vs Great General of Darkness movie: he blew Dante up, a monster that had seemed untouchable until that moment, and distracted the Mykene Robeasts for several seconds. It does not sound like much, but it does when you realize those extra seconds saved Kouji's life.
  • Butt Monkey: Often he was the target of many jokes and laughs.
  • Comic Relief: He even lampshades it in a Great Mazinger episode, whining about why he has to be the comedian.
  • Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Boss is the Butt Monkey, Hopeless Suitor and Comic Relief Gonk character. He is mocked and ridiculized by his friends and belittled by the villains, and he gets beaten easily in each battle. Still, when he is angry he can get scarily competent and even Badass. He is Acrofatic and perfectly capable of holding his own on a fistfight, and although his Humongous Mecha is a pile of scrap gets destroyed in every fight, he has blown up some dangerous Robeasts and pulled off several awesome Big Damn Heroes moments. Also, threatening Kouji -his vitriollic best buddy- or Sayaka -his crush- is a bad idea.
  • Delinquents
  • Dumbass Has a Point: More frequently than you'd expect. I.e., when Kouji refuses to help Sayaka after they have a fight and she takes off in Mazinger Z, Boss, Mucha and Nuke are the ones who urge him to stop whining and go for her.
  • Dub Name Change: To Bobo in Tranzor Z
  • Dude, Where's My Respect?: Treated as a joke, by almost everyone. Even Ashura underestimated him, so much that at one moment, he/she says that he is not a problem, at all. It should be noted that were talking about someone whose Big Damn Heroes moment is second only to Tetsuya. He saves Koji's life so many times during the series, and he is ridiculously helpful during Koji's fight against the mechabeast. Naturally, Koji is the only person that treated him the way he should be.
    • And in the Great Mazinger tai Getter Robo movie, after destroying the monstruous Gilgilgan, Tetsuya and the Getter team shook -their robots- hands, congratulating themselves for their victory ... and then Boss Borot's head -that was the only body part had been left of it!- stumbled between them and remembered them angrily he also took part in the battle. Tetsuya and the Getter team laughed, and the former admited their plan had worked thanks to him. Boss smiled, stating it was about time someone acknowledged his talent.
  • Fan Disservice: that crotch shot of Boss in an undersized speedo. So much hair.
  • Fumihiko Tachiki: In Mazinkaiser
  • Gonk
  • Hopeless Suitor: Boss has a painfully obvious crush on Sayaka. Of course, given that she's The Hero's Tsundere girlfriend and he's the Gonkish comic relief, he doesn't stand a chance.
    • By the end of the original Manga, he actually does have a chance, judging from how Sayaka acts in front of him however by this time, either he realized he has no chance(at first) or he already become such a good friend with Koji, that he doesnt care about it anymore.
    • And in Great Mazinger, to Jun. This time, on the other hand, is played painfully straight.
  • Made of Iron: He had to be to endure the punishment he did and come out of alive.
  • Magikarp Power: He is an example in the Super Robot Wars series. He starts off in a terrible machine with low stats and little value except a cheap repair cost. However, if you level him high enough (usually around 80) his subpilots Nuke and Mucha get a ton of incredibly useful spells for dirt cheap and his stats go through the roof. In addition by this time you'll usually have Mazinkaiser, which means that Boss can get out of his terrible machine and upgrade to Mazinger Z. The trick is that level 80 is absurdly high in a game series where the final bosses rarely get above the mid-70s. There are ways to level him up that high, but they're generally inefficient or a lot of trouble.
  • Mauve Shirt

Boss: We're here to get blown up but somehow never die!

Boss: My nickname's Boss! Even the author doesn't know my real name!

    • That scene actually debuted in the original Manga, only shorter.

Boss: Kabuto's close friend Boss. Even the author doesn't know my real name.

  • Only Sane Man: In episode 7, Sayaka is losing her will to fight and Kouji is playing Achilles in His Tent. Meanwhile Boss is trying to remember them over and again there IS one Mechanical Beast coming, and all of them will die if they don't fight back! Later Kouji and Sayaka are apologizing at each other and Shiro notes boss was the only was right in that situation.
  • Spanner in the Works: The different Mazinger sagas would be so much more different had Boss not interfered with the baddies plans. To clarify:
    • In Mazinger Z, thanks to Brocken Ball, Koji is able to rescue the kidnapped civilians. Not to mention the fact that in the same series, he saved Koji's life several times, gaining Koji's respect in the process. And in the Mazinger-Z versus Great General of Darkness, as a squad of Mykene Warrior Monsters are trashing Mazinger-Z he suddenly interfered. He only deterred them for several seconds, but those seconds were all that Tetsuya needed to intervene with Great Mazinger and save Kouji's life. And because Kouji did not die, he could help to save the world in Great Mazinger and UFO Robo Grendizer.
    • In Great Mazinger, if he would have not flirted with Jun and followed her when she was buying clothes, the good guys would be dead by the THIRD chapter.
    • In the Mazinkaiser movie, he pretty much saved the world (which at that point is a Crapsack World). The Mycene's plan to send one of their general to attack Koji while he is out of Mazinkaiser is completely foiled because Boss attacked the general with Boss Borot.
  • Paper-Thin Disguise: Apparently Baron Ashura's mooks can't tell the difference between Boss in a helmet and one of their co-workers. The mooks that were assigned to guard him and Kouji specifically, no less.
  • The Rival: To Kouji Kabuto.
  • Stay in the Kitchen: In Venus A first battle he got in the way of Jun several times. In one of them he stated "Girls must not fight". The ironic -and frustrating- part is he intervened right when Jun was gaining the upper hand, and because him, she could was unable to defeat the Warrior Beast.
  • Took a Level in Badass (Shin Mazinger Shougeki! Z-hen): While most of the time they're there for the audience to have a laugh, he and his two lackeys, Mucha and Nuke (who are revealed to know martial arts), rescue Kouji from Baron Ashura's clutches. In the final battle they help out in their mecha, Boss Borot, by catching a freaking ICBM, stopping Baron Ashura him/herself from flattening the heroes, and pulling Mazinger out of the rubble of the city, enabling Kouji to fight. Boss also becomes Genre Savvy by the end: "Don't worry about us, we're the comic-relief characters who get blown up but still live!"
  • Too Dumb to Live: Sometimes he showed this trait. To be fair, so did Kouji.
  • Verbal Tic: Boss often ends his words with "Da wa sa". He discards it in the Mazinkaiser OVA, da wa sa.
  • Vitriolic Best Buds: With Koji, they often bicker with each other, but they do get along rather well.

Dr. Gennosuke Yumi

Dr. Gennosuke Yumi

Professor Yumi is Sayaka's father as well as the director of the Photoatomic Institute and Dr. Kabuto's pupil. Dr. Kabuto passed onto him his knowledge of Photon energy and Alloy Z, and Yumi later used that knowledge to build Aphrodite A, a prototype robot created to test the possibilities of both. Aphrodite never was created as a war mecha because Yumi was a pacifist who intended to use Photon enery and Japanium for peaceful goals.

And then he found out that the Photon Institute was the target of villains who intended to use that technology to conquer the world. And his master had built the most powerful robot ever made to protect the place.

Once Dr. Kabuto died, he took the Kabuto siblings in and led the good guys. Although he was a kind person, he mainly was aloof, serene and calculating, traits he needed to be a good scientist and leader. He was highly intelligent and capable of keeping calm during crisis, was willing to hear good advice and could come up with plans quickly. Nobody questioned his leadership –although Kouji undermined him constantly-, and everybody accepted his authority.

Unfortunately he was not a very good father. His work in the Institute and the protection of the world were most important to him that anything, including family. Thus, he neglected Sayaka many times and he was missing when she needed him (the scene in the last episodes of Great Mazinger where he blatantly states he does not want her to sortie in Diana-A because he does not want her to get killed was a Crowning Moment of Heartwarming precisely because it).

Right like most of the Mazinger Z cast, he did not return until the end of Great Mazinger, where he tried giving council and advice and help. After Prof. Kabuto’s sudden death during the final battle he quickly took command in a chaotic and rapidly-degenerating situation, helping the heroes to regroup and strike back.

Tropes:

The Mykene Empire

Emperor of Darkness

Emperor of Darkness

The Emperor of Darkness was the supreme ruler and warlord of the Mykene and warlord. Its main goal was leading the Mykene back to the surface. However, he left the war planning and development of operations to its commanders, limiting itself to replace them when they failed too much or died. He never left his throne and never travelled to the surface. Its main action in the series was bring Dr. Hell back to life.

Tropes:

  • Battle Aura
  • Big Bad
    • Bigger Bad: He played this role in Anime/Mazinger.
  • Energy Beings: It seems a gigantic, skeletal head and torso made of –or wrapped in- bright-orange or bluish flame.
  • Everybody Hates Hades: Later versions identified it as the Greek God of Underworld.
  • Enemy Mine: Subverted. In one of the UFO Robo Grendizer manga versions, he offered Kouji Kabuto forming an alliance to fight the Vegans together. It was subverted because Kouji refused the offer and Big Bad King Vega killed the Emperor to impede that alliance and get ridden of a possible enemy and competitor.
  • Evil Is Burning Hot: Only look at him!
  • God-Emperor: He was emperor of all Mykene and in later retellings it was stated he was Hades, Greek God of Underworld. Given that the Mykene were an ancient Greek civilization lived underground, it fit.
  • Killed Off for Real: Only in the UFO Robo Grendizer manga. And it was ACCIDENTAL.
  • Orcus on His Throne: He NEVER did ANYTHING throughout the series. He just sat on his throne as his lackeys planned the war. The only proactive action he did was reviving Dr. Hell, and that did not work as well when you think about it.
  • Playing with Fire
  • The Unfought: But he can be fought in Super Robot Wars Alpha 2 and 3
  • What Happened To The Big Bad?: One of the most strange instances of this trope. Tetsuya, Jun, Kouji and Sayaka obliterated his army but they never found his subterranean empire’s capital, neither attacked him. He remained in the underground, and we never saw what happened to him after that point. You had to read the UFO Robo Grendizer Ota’s manga to find out what was his fate.

Great General of Darkness

Great General of Darkness

Great General of Darkness: "Your end has come! I have already failed too many times with you! For your blame, the Emperor of Darkness has got a fit of rage! Now I am through playing with you! The strength of the General of Darkness, commander of seven armies of Mykene… Now it shall descend upon you!" (Gosaku Ota manga)

The Great General of Darkness (Ankoku Daishogun) was the supreme commander of the Mykene Empire, and led the seven armies in their mission of conquest of the surface world. He was a gigantic warrior clad in an armour vaguely resembled that of a Roman soldier, a helmet fitted with three horns, a long red-and-indigo cape and a sword. In all his incarnations he is a very powerful warrior.

When Dr. Hell seized a bunch of ancient and outdated Warrior Monsters in Bardos, Daishogun was the one dispatched Gorgon to the surface world to coerce Hell in returning them. Later Daishogun allowed Gorgon giving Dr. Hell newer and more powerful Robeasts (even though they were not proper Warrior Monsters) to use against Mazinger Z. It is safe to assume their plan was making one of their enemies defeat the other, and then destroying the weakened winner.

When Mazinger-Z finally vanquished Dr. Hell, Gorgon attacked immediately. Mazinger-Z was destroyed, but Kouji was saved by the sudden appearance of Great Mazinger. Since that moment, Daishogun focused his efforts in destroying Tetsuya Tsurugi and his allies. However, Great Mazinger slew his Warrior Monsters once and again. Finally Daishogun ran out of patience and challenged Great Mazinger to a duel.

Tropes:

Ankoku Daishogun: "There is no forgiveness to those make a mistake and let four comrades perish!"

  • Amazing Technicolor Population: His true face -located on the chest- is blue. It may be justified, since he is not human.
  • Badass: Out of ALL villains in the WHOLE trilogy he is the most badass BY FAR!
    • In a promotional video for Mazinkaiser he simultaneously fought Great Mazinger, Venus A, Getter Robo G, Kotetsu Jeeg , Groizer-X, Gobarian and God Mazinger… and beaten the crap out of all of them.
  • Badass Beard: His true face sports one.
  • Badass Cape
  • Colonel Badass: Commander Badass, in this case. He wields a BFS, sports a Badass Cape and a Badass Beard, and he can kick the butt of nearly any Humongous Mecha invented by Go Nagai. He led the army of Mykene Empire, personally or delegating on his generals, and he was A Father to His Men considered unforgivable default intelligence costed the lives of his troops. He fought Great Mazinger because he knew he could win, slicing it with his blade mercilessly as he laughed its attacks off. And he fought Mazinkaiser quite evenly.
  • The Dragon: To the Emperor of Darkness.
  • Dub Name Change: In some Spanish dubs he was renamed “Gran Señor” (Great Lord) or “General Negro” (General Black).
  • Dying Moment of Awesome: His duel against Great Mazinger and his death. After severely damaging Great Mazinger, he thought he had killed Tetsuya, and died after expressing he had no regrets.
  • Ensemble Darkhorse: Originally he was Big Bad’s The Dragon. However he became incredibly popular. In fact he is so popular than in the Mazinkaiser movie he led the Mykene invasion. The Emperor, Marquis Janus, Minister Argos… are not even mentioned, and even though the seven generals of the Mykene hosts show up, they are not identified like such.
  • Eye Beams: So powerful like Mazinger Z’s.
  • Face Death with Dignity: Since he is killed after his duel with Tetsuya, he has no regrets. And then theres his death after his duel against Tetsuya in the future of Alpha Gaiden. And it was glorious.

Ankoku Daishogun: "All I need is a heroic song to let me endures the tortures of Hell!"

    • It was specially awesome in the anime version because he believed he had won.
  • Fantastic Racism: He does not particularly like human beings… although he is able of show respect to those prove themselves being worthy of it.
  • Villains Prefer Swords: He wears a big, broad, double-edged long sword.
  • Honor Before Reason : He put the chance to have honorable duel with Tetsuya above almost everything, including his life.
  • Large Ham: In all possible way:

Ankoku Daishogun: “Now it is my turn! This is the last chance to demonstrate my bravery! Open the hatch.”

Marquis Janus

Marquis Janus

Marquis Janus was a witch with purple, horn-shaped purple hair, clad in a red dress. Usually she carried a white wooden staff and was accompanied by a black cat. She has two faces: a beautiful and human-looking she uses to blend among humans and a wrinkled and demoniac one, usually hidden under her hair. When she wants showing her true face, her head turns 180 degrees around, and the hair covering it parts away.

She was Gorgon’s replacement after he was accidentally killed by Great Mazinger. She also was under the command of Great General of Darkness –and later Great Marshall of Hell-, and Minister Argos was her chief adviser.

Janus was scheming, conniving and very revengeful. Despite she wielded several powers –flight, teleportation, invisibility and mind-controlling- she avoided direct, physical fights. She preferred using trickery and cunning to achieve her goals, instead. She had her own Humongous Mecha, but unlike Daishogun, it was not very strong, and Great Mazinger could beat it without too much hassle.

Tropes:

Great Marshall of Hell

Great Marshall of Hell

Dr. Hell: Damned imbeciles! You do not deserve being alive! One day I shall purge all of you off this world! And everybody shall kneel before me!
Dr. Hell: I shall crush Japan in merely ten days! And the world will witness the true power of Dr. Hell!

He was a colleague of Dr. Kabuto, a well-meaning scientist. He was born in Germany on 9-6-1902. He was an unwanted child, a fact his mother reminded him of constantly. Scorned and beaten by his parents, he found shelter in books, and became very smart… However it only served for him to be accused of cheating by his teachers, and to be beaten by his classmates.

In college he did not fare much better. People ignored him and he convinced himself that all of them envied him. Back then he met Juzo Kabuto –Kouji’s grandfather- and fell in love with a Japanese exchange student, Yumiko. He thought she returned his feelings, but when he found out that she and Juzo were a couple, Hell –who was already unstable and was convinced that everybody was envious of him or out to get him- flipped out completely, convinced himself they were pretending being his friends to hurt him and attempted to kill both of them. After that incident people began to stay away him, and he suffered more humiliations and beatings –even when he was trying being nice- and he vowed to himself that in the future he would make them pay.

During the rise of Hitler, he got seduced by the idea of taking over the world and forcing everybody to kneel before him. He secretly built several Doomsday devices for Hitler –but he kept most of his technologic breakthroughs for himself- and performed human experiments with Jews in Auswitchz. When Germany was defeated, he ran away and kept a low profile for a while.

Several years later he ran into Juzo Kabuto –now known as Dr. Kabuto- and accompanied him on an archaeological expedition to the Greek island of Bardos, where ruins of the ancient Mikenese Empire were found. There they discovered that the ancient Mikenese civilization had the technology to build giant robotic warriors. Hell killed all scientists in the expedition –save Dr. Kabuto-, stole that technology and used it to create an army of fighting machines with which he planned to conquer the world.

However, Dr. Kabuto used this technology coupled with a powerful alloy he'd created to build a robot, Mazinger Z, to halt Hell's plans for world conquest. Again and again Dr. Hell's robots were destroyed by Mazinger Z, sometimes due to the in-fighting between his lieutenants Baron Ashura and Count Brocken. After nearly all of his robots had been destroyed Mazinger Z and his allies traveled to Dr. Hell's island headquarters, and Hell and Count Brocken were apparently killed while attempting to flee in the Gool, their giant airship.

In some time, Emperor of Darkness retrieved Dr. Hell’s corpse and brought him back to life, placing him in the cockpit –located on the head- of a Humongous Mecha. So it was born Great Marshall of Hell. After Great General of Darkness’ death he arrived to the Mykene palace and was greeted by the Emperor like his army’s new supreme commander.

Under his new identity, Hell sought revenge against the new Mazinger. However he never was so physically imposing and powerful like his predecessor, and he preferred using strategy instead of strength to crush his enemies. After his death he was cleverer and more manipulative… and crueller, more merciless and more of a Complete Monster. In spite of he was now working for someone else he kept his old dreams of glory and domination.

Tropes:

Minister Argos

Minister Argos

Argos was an adviser for the commanders of the army and spies such like Gorgon or Janus. He rarely directly commanded Mykene Warrior Beasts. His chest housed a super computer he used to give advice to other Mykene. He considered the Warrior Beast Cleo as his daughter.

Archduke Gorgon

Archduke Gorgon

Archduke Gorgon (Gorgon Taikou) was a Mykene and a loyal servant of the Emperor of Darkness, ruler of all Mykene. He reported to the Great General of Darkness, even though he was under the command of Minister Argos, chief of Intelligence. He was a bizarre, cybernetic being. His upper half was a blue-skinned, muscled, bearded man wore armor resembled those worn by a Roman soldier, and his lower half was a huge, long-fanged tiger.

Shortly after Dr. Hell murdered his colleagues, Gorgon showed up before him, accusing him –and rightly so- of stealing Mykene’s technology and demanding that he forfeit the robots he had stolen. Hell was able to calm him down, striking a bargain with him: he would use Mykene’s technology to take over the world but if he had troubles, he would ask Gorgon for help.

In episode 57, Dr. Hell was on the verge of succeeding, but he was humiliatingly defeated. Humiliated and disheartened, he thought of giving up, but finally he chose swallowing his pride and asking Gorgon for help. Gorgon agreed in fact, he just pretended he did. In reality, he intended to watch Dr. Hell, weakening him as he pretended to be helping him, and finally destroying him and Mazinger-Z to allow the unopposed rise of the Mykene.

Gorgon was prideful, boasting and daring, and despite his supposed alliance with Dr. Hell, he constantly showed his scorn for Hell and often showed contempt towards his henchmen. Ashura and Brocken were terrified from him, and only Pygman talked back (However he showed respect towards Ashura after his/her death). His Robeast were more powerful than Hell’s ones and actually they succeeded where Hell’s monsters failed and their shapes and powers were inspired on creatures of Classic Mythology. He had no troubles showing his strength and power, but above all he was a deceitful schemer.

In Great Mazinger it was revealed he was under the orders of Great General of Darkness the whole time. He kept serving the Mykene Empire and causing troubles for Mazinger until he was accidentally killed by Great Mazinger and replaced.

Tropes:

  • Alas, Poor Villain: Cause the inner power struggles between the Great General of Darkness, Minister Argos and the seven generals, Gorgon was betrayed, and he died as he tried saving a Monster Warrior from Great Mazinger.
  • Badass: He is a muscled, armor-wearing, sword-wielding man whose lower half is a freaking, saber-toothed tiger. You tell me that it is not badass.
  • Beard of Evil
  • Dragon with an Agenda
  • Co-Dragons: With Ashura until his/her death, Brocken and Pygman. However he never treated them like equals.
  • Magnificent Bastard: He manipulated everyone in the series to achieve his goals.
  • The Mole: He pretended to ally with Hell but he was an undercover agent for the Mykene.
  • Psycho Supporter: Subversion because he only pretended to be a Hell’s follower.
  • Spanner in the Works: His master plan almost fully succeeded, but he could not getting all of his enemies killed because he did not knew about Kenzo Kabuto and Great Mazinger. That faulty intelligence brought about the downfall of the Mykene Empire.
  • Xanatos Gambit: His plan was pitting Mazinger Z against Dr. Hell, expecting they destroyed each other or the survivor was so weakened that it would be easy destroying him/her. He could not lose, not matter what happened, and he almost succeeded.


General Juli Caesar

General JuliCaesar

He was the commander of the Superhuman Battle Beasts, and he resembled a gigantic human warrior, geared with Roman-style armour. He is an honourable, proud warrior confronts his enemies head-on and dislikes fighting dirty. His army is the largest of the seven divisions of the Mykene army and he is considered Great General of Darkness’ right hand.

Tropes:

General Hardias

General Hardias

He was the commander of the Evil Spirits army. Their main weapons were his psychic powers, fire-breathing -through from the head mounted on his hand-, psychological warfare… and fear. He enjoyed demoralizing and terrifying his victims before killing them.

  • Body Horror: Oh, my God, where begin? He resembles a giant skeleton wearing a ragged robe wrapped around his body. His skull is upside down. His waist is another bigger inversed skull. And his true face is mounted on his left arm, replacing his hand. Oh, and it is wreathed in flames.
  • Breath Weapon: One of his powers.
  • Butt Monkey: Despite his dreadful appearance, eerie powers and mastery about the sensation of fear, he was made a fool from himself many times.
  • Co-Dragons
  • Dem Bones: He resembles a gigantic skeleton.
  • Killed Off for Real
  • Mummy: One of his subordinates, Mamirez.
  • Our Ghouls Are Creepier: And how! His army was the tiniest of the seven divisions (and only four soldiers were seen in the movie and in the series: Dante, Zugar, Psychoveia and Mamirez), but they used fear and bizarre psychic abilities to destroy their enemy inwardly and outwardly.
  • Sinister Scythe: His Weapon of Choice
  • Stripped to the Bone
  • The Grim Reaper: He is not one, but... He looks like a skeleton wearing tattered rags and a scythe. He certainly looks like one. And if you keep in mind in some versions his Emperor is Hades, King of the Underworld, definitely he fits the type.
  • Youkai

General Angoras

General Angoras

He was the commander of the Aquatic Warrior Beasts. His speciality was ambushing and striking his victims from below. He was the most ruthless of all commanders. He was the commander of the naval forces of the Mykene Empire. When the Mykene Empire threw its first strike, his Warrior Monsters quickly dominated the seas.


Tropes:

General Ligern

General Ligern

He was the commander of the Mammalian Warrior Beasts. He was the vilest of the seven commanders and a glory hog was always trying to steal someone else’s thunder. His attempts for making himself looking good and his haste for attacking caused not only several defeats but also his comrades hated him. Great General of Darkness would have killed him personally if it was not for his skill for whipping his troops in berserker rages. Apparently it was the only thing he was good for.

Tropes:

General Scarabeth

General Scarabeth

He was the commander of the Insect Warrior Beasts. He was a remarkable tactician, capable to create brilliant strategies and complete impossible missions. However he was also the more battle-thirsty commander, and was prone to charge the enemy headfirst without waiting for his troops.

Tropes:

  • Animal Mecha: He resembled a gigantic rhinoceros beetle.
  • Big Creepy-Crawlies: His troops are robots shaped like giant insects, and they were Mykene Empire shock troops. They used his powerful insect-like shells to advance like tanks through the battlefield, crushing all their enemies.
  • Co-Dragons
  • Killed Off for Real
  • Leeroy Jenkins: Partially. He tends to charge impulsively against the enemy, but he is also an excellent strategist.
  • Weapon of Choice: A sword. He also could produce strands of tough-as-steel silk wrapped and immobilized his adversary.

General Draydou

General Draydou

He was the commander of the Reptilian Warrior Beasts. He was the most cunning, most careful and smartest of the commanders, being perfectly willing to fight dirty and using trickery and deception. Still he was a powerful warrior.

Tropes:

  • Animal Mecha: He resembled a humanoid lizard or a bipedal Eastern dragon.
  • Breath Weapon: He could shoot a stream of fire from his mouth. In some versions it was radioactive fire.
  • Co-Dragons
  • Combat Pragmatist: He did not mind fight dirty at the slightest.
  • Killed Off for Real
  • Lizard Folk: His troops. They were among the most vicious Warrior Monsters, since they wasted no time striking and counterattacking, and often their weapons burnt their enemies with acid or poisoned them.
  • Our Dragons Are Different: He resembled a biomechanical, humanoid eastern dragon.
  • Shout-Out: In some manga translations is told that he breaths radioactive fire. Maybe it is a shout-out to Godzilla?

General Birdler

General Birdler

He was the commander of the Aerial Warrior Beasts. He was bullish, overconfident and impulsive. He was a skilled fighter, with lightning-fast speed and high manoeuvrability. Also, his wings can launch ultrasonic waves or shoot shockwaves and tornadoes.

Tropes:

  • Animal Mecha: He resembled a humanoid bird.
  • Co-Dragons:
  • Giant Flyer: His troops resembled giant birds, and they were the primary Air of the Mykene Army. Although many Monster Warriors from other divisions could fly, Birdler and his troops were the fastest and most manoeuvrable flying soldiers.
  • Killed Off for Real

General Juuma

General Juuma

He only showed up on the Mazinger Z vs Great General of Darkness movie. The Great General of Darkness tasked him with the initial invasion and the destruction of Mazinger Z and the Photon Lab Institute. He succeeded in both counts but he failed in killing Kouji Kabuto due to Tetsuya performing an impressive Big Damn Heroes. At the end his troops were annihilated by both Mazingers and he got killed by a broken Mazinger Z.

Tropes:

  • An Axe to Grind: His Weapon of Choice
  • The Dragon: To the Great General of Darkness.
  • Beard of Evil
  • Breath Weapon: The head of the reptilian beast his torso is mounted on expels flames out.
  • Hoist by His Own Petard: He tried to burn both Mazinger with his Breath Weapon, but Tetsuya sent the tongues of flames back to him with a gust of Great Typhoon.
  • Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: By Mazinger Z with Great Mazinger’s blade.
  • Ironic Death: After standing by as his squad utterly trashed a helpless Mazinger Z, confining himself to utter insults and give the final blow, he got killed for the same robot he had mocked and nearly destroyed.
  • Killed Off for Real: He never showed up again after that movie.
  • Mix and Match Critter: The lower half is a four-legged beast with reptilian head and red bat wings. The upper half is a blue-skinned, bearded humanoid, behatted with a hat resembles a lion's head. And one of his arms is a metallic tentacle with a head attached at the tip. And one head of insect apparently sprouts from his abdomen.

Other Characters

Bakarasu

Bakarasu

Voice Actor:

First Appearance: Episode 69 (in Mazinger Z); episode 4 (in Great Mazinger)

Bakarasu was a male raven Boss and his gang met in episode 69 form Mazinger Z. Later he was a semi-recurrent secondary character for one third of Great Mazinger. He resembled a normal crow, but his beak was yellow and wide, and his eyes were surrounded by two distinctive yellow circles made it looked like if he wore glasses. He was clever enough to talk and repeat what someone else told. Unfortunately he was a trickster loved messing with humans -especially Boss-. Boss used him like a lookout to spy the enemy or a courier to carry messages around. However Bakarasu paid no allegiance to the group and apparently he only worked with them because he enjoyed making a fool of Boss. He could not be trusted with a message, either. He is basically a Comic Relief character.

Tropes:

Boss: There's a certain Jun over there. Tell her this... A weird peanut-shaped object fell from the sky into the forest.
Bakarasu: Boss has a message for you: Boss says that giant peanut in the forest is for you!

    • And later...

Boss: Tell her, sorry for the delay, but just let it slide. Let's join forces and fight together.
Bakarasu:Jun, Boss has a message: Boss is angry. Now you're rivals!

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