Super Robot Wars/Characters/Sanger Zonvolt

Sanger Zonvolt (ゼンガー・ゾンボルト zengā zonboruto) is a fictional character in the Super Robot Wars series. He first appeared in Super Robot Taisen Alpha Gaiden as an enemy character, who could be recruited later in the game, and was fully playable in the rest of the Alpha series and the Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation series. In canon, he pilots the Dygenguard/Daizengar.

Personal Data

Name: Sanger Zonvolt (Sometimes transliterated as "Zengar Zombolt" or "Sanger Sombold")
AKA: Boss, The Sword That Smites/Cleaves Evil(Japanese: "悪を断つ剣"; Chinese: "断恶之剑"), The Sword of the Magus
Voice Actor: Kenichi Ono
Status: Human
Rank: Major
Affiliations: Aggressors (Before OG 1/OGs), ATX Team (OG 1/OGs), Divine Crusaders (OG 1/OGs), Ancestors (Alpha Gaiden), Londo Bell (Alpha Gaiden), Alpha Numbers (Alpha 2/3)
Personal Relatives And Affiliations: Elzam V. Branstein (Partner), Gilliam Yeager, Kai Kitamura (former Aggressor Members), Sophia Nate (Love interest)
Mecha: Thrudgelmir (Alpha Gaiden), Grungust Type-0 (OG 1/OGs), Grungust Type-3 (Alpha 2, OG 2/OGs), Dygenguard/Daizengar (Alpha 2/3, OG 2/OGs/OG Gaiden)
Theme Songs: The Gate Of Magus (Alpha Gaiden), Aku o Tatsu Tsurugi (The Sword That Cleaves Evil; used as default theme in Alpha 2/3, OG 1/2/OGs/OG Gaiden), Ken Kon Itteki (A Single Strike With Sword And Soul; used when piloting the Dygenguard)

Personality and Traits

The self-styled Sword That Smites Evil (Aku o tatsu tsurugi 悪を断つ剣 Sword That Cleaves Evil in the original Japanese), Sanger Zonvolt is a very honorable individual who fights for his own personal beliefs. Hardened by a long career as a soldier, Sanger has an amazing amount of wisdom on the battlefield and can sense the potential in allies and enemies alike. His demeanor and manners of speech are reminiscient of a samurai, and as such, Sanger and his personal machines are always depicted with a sword -- in the case of the latter, all of his machines have a gigantic, specially-made sword called the Zankantou (Colossal Blade in the English localization). Sanger also has a tendency to speak with yojijukugo -- four-kanji idioms -- a trait which his fellow swordsman-in-training, Brooklyn Luckfield, inherits in future games. Examples of such phrases are ichiisenshin (一意専心, With all my heart and soul), ittou ryoudan (一刀両断, One blade that cuts in half), and jinba ittai (人馬一体, The rider and his horse are one), though Sanger uses an alternate version (刃馬一体, The blade and the horse are one）.

He frequently phrases, "I am Sanger Zonvolt, the Sword That Smites Evil!" ("Ware wa Zengā Zonboruto, Aku wo tatsu tsurugi nari!" in Japanese version), which he recites before he attacks with his Colossal Blade, and "There is nothing my Colossal Blade cannot cut!" ("Waga Zankantou ni tatenu mono nashi!" in Japanese version), after he finishes the attack. In the Japanese version, any of his powerful attacks using the Colossal Blade will mostly be accompanied with a loud "CHESTO!!!" kiai (it is a rather common kiai used by martial artists and swordsmen alike).

History

Original Generation Timeline

Sanger Zonvolt began as a member of the Aggressors unit, an elite group of pilots formed by the Earth Federation Army, with other notable members as Elzam von Branstein, Guiliam Jeager and Kai Kitamura. When the unit was disbanded, Sanger was relocated to the North American Langley Base, and started to form the ATX Team. When the Divine Crusaders declared war on the Earth Federation, led by such convictions, Sanger chose to leave the ATX Team and join forces with the Divine Crusaders, fighting once more alongside his old friend, Elzam.

As a member of the faction, Sanger upholds the more honorable intentions of Bian Zoldark, and seems to understand the point of Bian's rebellion: it is supposed to strengthen the forces of Earth and prepare them for an impending invasion by alien forces. This dedication to valor often causes Sanger to butt heads with another high-ranking soldier, Siebel Mistrel, who feels that the ends justify some truly devious means, such as trying to kill his enemies with poison gas, or making the threat of gassing a space colony.

Both Sanger and Elzam join the Earth's forces in time for Operation SRW, the final offensive against the Aerogater invaders, before going their separate ways. He and Elzam would retreat into hiding, waiting for the opportunity to reveal themselves again, when a new alien threat would arrive to terrorize the people of Earth. As expected, in Original Generation 2, both the mighty Inspectors and mysterious Einst appear. Sanger and Elzam, under the disguise of Rätsel Feinschmecker, immediately rush to join their old allies in the battle against the extraterrestrials, as well as the Neo Divine Crusaders and Shadow-Mirror. Upon arriving to the Tesla Leicht Institute to free it from Inspector occupation, his Grungust Type-3 is torn apart by the Inspector Vigagi and his Galgau, but shortly after, he acquires Bian's last gift to him, the incredible Dynamic General Guardian, which he shortens to Dygenguard.

After learning the presence of Dr. Sophia Nate, Sanger participates in the assault on the Earth Cradle, which was defended by Shadow-Mirror officer, Wodan Ymir, his combat rival. Sanger would come out of the duel as the victor, successfully completing his mission and destroying the core of Magus, freeing Sophia from its possession. After the war against Shadow-Mirror, Einst and Inspectors was over, Sanger chose to hide in the shadows once again, along with Rätsel, Yuuki Jegnan, and Ricarla Borgnine, aboard the Kurogane. In Original Generations, he is joined by the Super Robot Wars Reversal characters, Raul Gureden, Raji Montoya and Mizuho Saiki.

In Super Robot Wars Original Generation: The Animation and later Super Robot Wars Original Generation Gaiden, Sanger would appear in his Dygenguard as reinforcements for the Hagane, during their assault on the Hellgate facility. Sanger was also quite active in fighting the Shura army, often fighting Magnus Ald. At one occasion, Magnus ambushed him and broke the Dygenguard's Colossal Blade, forcing Sanger to fight with Dygenguard's original weaponry (which luckily he had personally requested to be re-activated once more), showing that he is not dependant on his Colossal Blade alone. Sanger would have the Colossal Blade repaired after the fight, though.

In the Shadow-Mirror universe, Sanger was killed in combat. Lemon Browning would have his body retrieved, and using data containing his personality, she created the 15th unit of the W-Series of androids, codenamed Wodan Ymir. Wodan would become Sanger's main combat rival in the events generated in Original Generation 2.

Alpha Timeline

In the Alpha timeline, Sanger first appears in Alpha Gaiden. Here, he has a deep sense of devotion to the main designer of the Earth Cradle facility, Sophia Nate, to the point where he is seemingly in love with her. This devotion plays a role in the dystopian alternate future in the story of Alpha Gaiden, where Sanger shows fanatical loyalty to Magus, the central supercomputer of the Earth Cradle that has fused with Sophia. Through the persuasion of Londo Bell's pilots, Sanger realizes that Magus is not the same Sophia Nate he swore to protect, and chose to fight against the Ancestors and free Sophia from Magus's control.

Continuing in Alpha 2, he would be defending the Earth Cradle once again (since the events of Alpha Gaiden would never have existed, as the Aegis Plan was successfully completed and implemented) from the attacks of Kukuru and her Magarga. The Dygenguard would be handed down to him and he would assist the Alpha Numbers in defeating the Earth Guardian Irui Ganeden and the invading Balmarians in Alpha 3.

Unlike the Original Generation timeline, Sanger never once felt the need to reactivate the original armaments of Dygenguard.

Relationship with other characters

Sophia Nate

Sophia is Sanger's superior. He is highly devoted to her and will do the impossible if it means saving her (also styling himself as 'The Sword of Sophia' at one point). In Alpha Gaiden, he is brainwashed to be fanatically devoted to her, but eventually he broke down the brainwashing and turned against her. In the canonical Alpha series, his devotion returns to the usual level, like the Original Generation series.

Elzam von Branstein

Of all his fellow friends from the Aggressors, Elzam is undoubtedly Sanger's closest partner, and he would avoid direct confrontation with him at all cost, thus it was one of his reasons to defect to the Divine Crusaders. Both work as close partners and friends, and their teamwork are almost unparalleled.

Gilliam Yeager, Kai Kitamura

Although not as close as with Elzam, Sanger respects his other two Aggressors veterans just as highly.

Kyosuke Nanbu

Kyosuke could be considered to be Sanger's successor in the ATX Team's leader spot. He is also responsible on knocking Sanger back to his senses, when Sanger was doubting about being worthy fighting alongside those he betrayed. And thereafter, Sanger highly respects Kyosuke.

Irui Gan Eden

Sanger put deep care to this little girl, like his little sister. She is also one of the only people that could force Sanger out of his usual stoic attitude and act all worried.

Trivia

• Sanger is the rival of Baran Doban in Alpha 3, only if the protagonist isn't Touma Kanou.

• The fan-based game Super Cosplay War Ultra had a homage to Sanger, a female calling herself Zenka (literally cosplaying Sanger). She serves as one of the game's bosses and utilizes attacks based on Grungust Type 3, Thrudgelmir and Dygenguard, as well as saying many of Sanger's phrases. Her ultimate move, based on Dygenguard's Unyou no Tachi, had her attacking the whole screen with one unblockable strike that takes away more than half of the opponent's life bar, and cut's the enemy naked if the enemy is male, if it's female, it will literally cut them to half. She's considered as one of the cheapest bosses of the game.