Blade Liger

The Blade Liger is a liger type Zoid, a race of mechanical lifeforms from the fictional Zoids universe. The Blade Liger features heavily in the first two anime series’, Zoids: Chaotic Century and Zoids: Guardian Force, as it is piloted by the main character, Van Flyheight. It also plays secondary roles in the Zoids: New Century Zero and Zoids: Fuzors anime and a larger role in the Battle Story.

Overview
While the Shield Liger's capabilities were solid for its day, the Blade Liger improves upon them, being faster and more agile than its predecessor. It also gains new weaponry, the most noticeable being a pair of laser-edged blades capable of cutting through all but the densest of enemy armor. Its energy shield is enhanced with the addition of four cooling units located in the white "fins" of its shoulder armor. Like the Shield Liger, it sports a shock cannon, and the Pulse Laser Guns found on the blunt sides of the blades add to the Zoid's limited ranged-combat ability.

In the anime Chaotic Century, Van Flyheight's Shield Liger evolves into the first Blade Liger with the help of his organoid Zeke. In contrast, much of the Blade Liger's enhanced performance in the battle story comes from the newly-discovered Organoid System built into the Zoid's design, which was used in upgrading it from a Shield Liger and increases its capabilities compared to a "normal" Zoid.

The Blade Liger is a very versatile Zoid so as a result throughout its career it has a large number of available up-grades, most notable ones are the AB unit that provides an increase of speed and ranged combat and the Multi Weapon Set. Their are numerous others such as an Anti-CP shield (seen in Chaotic Century), a multi-directional shield (seen in the manga), and high-voltage laser blades (seen in Zoids: Fuzors). The Zoid itself and the AB upgrade have room for significant improvement for performance.

Battle Story appearances
The arrival of the Geno Saurer in ZAC 2099 posed a severe problem for the Helic army's forces on the Western Continent. With its high performance and devastating Charged Particle Cannon, the Genosaurer was more than a match for anything that their forces fielded. When upgrades of the Shield Liger and Gojulas proved to be difficult to use, the Republic developed a new Zoid, the Blade Liger.

The Blade Liger's high performance made it a dangerous opponent, capable of matching up against the Genosaurer and other new Guylos Zoids. However, the Guylos Empire created a new Zoid to counter it, the Geno Breaker. Against the Geno Breaker, the tables were again turned against the Blade Liger. Despite this, the Blade Liger was still an effective fighter, especially after the development of the Attack Booster System, allowing it to again go toe-to-toe with the cutting-edge technology of the new Guylos Zoid. A Blade Liger was also instrumental in the defeat of the rogue Death Stinger.

Problems with manufacturing the Organoid System limited the production of the Blade Liger. As a result, it was largely replaced in frontline service after the new Liger Zero was deployed in ZAC 2101.

Chaotic Century
The Blade Liger first appeared in Zoids: Chaotic Century mid-way through the series. After Van's Shield Liger was destroyed by Raven's Geno Saurer, his Organoid, Zeke, and the Ancient Zoidian, Fiona, merged with the wreck. The Zoid "evolved" into a new form to increase the Zoids over all performance and combat ability, over the course of several days, to create the Blade Liger, a completely unique Zoid. It was this first appearance where Dr. D named the Zoid, based of the steel laser blades it was equipped with. Van used the Blade Liger for the remainder of the series, defeating both Raven's Geno Saurer and Prozen's Death Saurer with it using its Blade Attack to negate the CPC.

Guardian Force
Van continued to use the Blade Liger throughout Zoids: Guardian Force. During the course of the series, the Blade Liger was upgraded to include several completely new weapons, such as a system that could quickly switch out the Pulse laser guns attached to the blades for sniper rifles or gatling guns. To neutralize charged particles and counter the Geno Saurer, the Blade Liger's shield was upgraded, and it also sported the CP-12 attack boosters upgrade for a short time. At the arrival of the Geno Breaker, Van's Blade Liger was upgraded for higher performance and maneuverability with a new top speed around 325km without the AB unit. It could reach 350km with boosters active, making it the fastest Liger-type Zoid. This was to increase the penetration ability of the Laser Blades.

Over the course of the series the Liger survived many near fatal attacks. Still, Van used the Zoid to great effect throughout the series, at one point even having to upgrade the Blade Liger in order to keep up with his own speed. The AB unit was only use a few times, and wasn't used after the battle with Geno Breaker. When the Death Stinger's CPC fired at the base, it might have destroyed the disengaged Attack Boosters. In episode 60, The Giant Fortress, the Blade Liger is seen leaving the Ultrasaurus with the AB unit equipped, but as it jumps off the boosters disappear—it's possible this was an editing mistake with stock footage.

New Century Zero
Leon Toros used a red Blade Liger during Zoids: New Century Zero. This Zoid proved to be powerful in close combat, but was not without its defensive limitations. Oddly enough, given the Blade Liger's very specific origins in Chaotic Century, nothing is stated as to where Leon's Zoid came from. It was, however, said to be a rare Zoid with "only a handful of units in existence", and a red one was even rarer.

The Blade Liger is one of the Liger Zero's opponents during the series, and was able to match up against the base Zero in close combat. However, it never managed to officially defeat it, being interrupted by the Backdraft.

Leon and his Liger also appeared in the Royal Cup, and the Liger Zero used its Schneider armor this time. The Blade Liger was able to counter the Zero Schneider's Buster Slash attack, but it was over-powered and defeated by the new Seven-Blade attack. Despite loosing the battle, the Blade Liger managed to render the Schneider inoperable, forcing the Liger Zero to use the Panzer and the basic armour for its remaining battle against the Berserk Fury.

This last fight between the Blade Liger and Liger Zero the cause of speculation among fans as to the origin of the red Blade Liger. The final attack Leon uses is almost identical to the attack Van used against the second Death Saurer (though this may be reused animation). Not only that, but the timing of Dr Layon's explanation of ultimate X Zoids may imply that the Blade Liger possesses some of the characteristics of an ultimate X, since it "came" to Leon of its own free will shows that it had a personality of its own like the Liger Zero. However, this is merely speculation, and no supporting evidence is given to back up these claims except some video games and the Battle Story explain that a Organoid system is required to build one.

Fuzors
Blade Ligers in Zoids: Fuzors were associated with Rastani and the Black Impact Team. Unlike the previous series', the Blade Liger was depicted as a common Zoid, albeit a high-performance one. These Blade Ligers are notable as being the first Zoids to fight against a Fuzor, the Killer Spiner, which was able to destroy all three of them effortlessly. The only other Blade Liger seen in the series was trapped with other Zoids set for destruction by Alpha's minions, and was colored primarily white. In episode 7, RD, Dr. Pierce, and Dan investigate an area where two Blade Ligers were ambushed by the Zaber Fang Holotech, though the Ligers are never seen on-screen they might have belonged to the Black Impact team.

The original Blade Liger's animation model differed significantly from the model's design, possessing a far wider body, along with a differently-shaped mouth, producing what some fans regarded as a 'goofy grin'. The animation model used in Fuzors was heavily revised, resulting in an appearance that corresponded better to the model.

Also, the base colors differ from that of the other series. The Blade Liger's legs are normally black and the body is light grey, but the Black Impact Zoids had a black body and blue legs, much like the Chaotic Century Shield Liger. The claws also differ, being smaller and leaner like those of the Liger Zero.

Rastani's Blade Liger blades glowed blue instead of yellow in the previous seires, the Blade Liger belonged to Black Impact and thier team of custom Blade Ligers so it could be part of it's modifications. In episode 11 Rastani stated that "I added some extra voltage just for you", this means the blue laser blade is simply more effective than the standard yellow despite this the blade still broke on impact. The Blade Ligers in the American version had a tendency not to use the E-Sheild at all.

Chaotic Century
After Caesar (Van's Shield Liger) was heavily damaged during the fight to protect the town of Porto from Raven and the Genosaurer, it became snagged on a power line leading from Wendeen (the ancient Zoid that provided wind power to Porto). Thanks to the combined efforts of Fiona and Wendeen, Caesar was encased in a heart-shaped cocoon on Wendeen's body, letting Caesar evolve into its Blade Liger form.

Caesar continued to fight as a Blade Liger until the fight against the Death Stinger, where it was heavily damaged. Its core was then transplanted into the frame of the Republic's new Liger type—the Liger Zero.

In the manga, there are a handful of changes to the Blade Liger's abilities. Notable among them is that the E-Shield can be focused in any direction, and can be used to support the Blade Liger over water.