Zone Fighter

aka 流星人間ゾーン aka Ryuusei Ningen Zoon

1973

This is the splash page for the Zone Fighter reviews, because we need a page with all the info so I don’t keep repeating it over and over and over again. Laziness breeds efficiency! Zone Fighter is Toho’s tokusatsu series that was broadcast in 1973 for a total of 26 episodes (two 13-episode blocks.) The peaceful Zone Family’s peaceful planet Peaceland is destroyed by the evil Garogas, so the Zones head to Earth to hide out under the name Sakimori. But you can’t run from evil alien goons, and soon the Garogas are hanging around Earth in a giant satellite in the sky trying their darnedest to get those nasty Zones. Zone Fighter and his family fought a variety of evil Terror-Beasts under the control of the Garogas. Godzilla, King Ghidorah, and even Gigan pop up in a few episodes, which is why people care about this show more than Robot Detective. Eventually, they all fall victim to the power of cancellation, and the story is never completed with the ultimate destruction of the Garogas (or the Zones, if you cheer on evil like we always do at TarsTarkas.NET!)

So who are the peaceful Zone Family of Peaceland, Land of Peace? (Now Land of Pieces!) Let’s Meet the Zones!

	Hikaru Sakimori (Kazuya Aoyama) – Oldest of the three Zone siblings, usually working as a race car driver. He can transform into Zone Fighter, and also can transform into a bigger, stronger Zone Fighter.
	Hotaru Sakimori (Kazumi Kitahara) – The middle Sakimori child, suffering from middle child syndrome. Maybe. If they bothered to give her any characterization. She doesn’t do much except be a girl. Heck, even during fight sequences she doesn’t even fight. Hotaru is still in high school, you pervs!
	Akira Sakimori (Kenji Sato) – The youngest Sakimori is also the most annoying. But he is far less annoying than his weekly schoolmate friend who will be played by increasingly awful child actors. Turns into Zone Junior, which will be a horrible superhero name when you’re like 50 or so.
	Yoichiro Sakimori (Shoji Nakayama) – Daddy Zone for some reason doesn’t turn into a super hero, he just invents toys, as he runs the Toy Research Institute.
	Tsukiko Sakimori (Sachiko Kozuki) – Mommy Zone is just there. So far all she has done is look worried. Maybe she’s expressing post-traumatic stress trauma after the destruction of her homeworld and subsequent flight to Earth as refugees where they must hide their identities and be constantly hounded by their enemies. Or maybe the writers are too focused and action and selling toys to boys that they don’t care.
	Raita Sakimori (Shiro Amakusa) – Grandpa Zone is also known as Zone Great. He’s not really that great. Sometimes he uses the Great Raideki Satellite, so at least he does more than Mom and Dad Zone.
	Zone Fighter – Zone Fighter (song lyrics “Zone Fighto, Zone Fighto Zone Fighto!”) wears a costume similar to his siblings, until such time as he has to become giant.
	Zone Fighter Big Mode – When Zone Fighter says “Zone Double Fight” he grows to giant size to fight the giant Garoga monsters. Special attacks include his Meteor Missiles, which he fires from his wrists like guns, the Meteor Proton Beam, which zaps from his head, making an energy door shield, and flying into TV’s. You read that last one right! In something totally different from Ultraman that isn’t a rip-off, he can only stay big a small amount of time and he has a power meter light that changes color as he gets weaker. It’s a very obvious power meter light, but luckily the evil Garoga monsters are pretty dumb.
	Zone Angel – Zone Angel is the alter-ego of Hotaru Sakimori. Zone Angel and Zone Junior usually spend most of the giant monster battle watching, then getting in the flying car and reenergizing Zone Fighter.
	Zone Junior – Zone Junior is the alter-ego of Akira Sakimori. He’s just as useless as you think he would be.
	Garogas – Why so serious? These bug-eyed, antennaed, sharp-toothed (but unmoving mouthed) aliens are the Garogas, who are evil and live in a satellite orbiting Earth, where they randomly fire monsters to attack the planet. Their boss is all gold, the squad captains are gold, and the goons are silver. Garogas can disguise themselves as human, but are given away by their webbed fingers. Oddly enough, I don’t think the actual Garogas have webbed fingers. Maybe I should stop writing this and go back and check. Nah.

Recurring/Important Cast –

	Takeru Jou (Hideaki Obara) – Takeru owns a model shop and gets involved in the wacky adventures of the Sakimori/Zone family, because we needed yet another character to clutter up the lineup of this short program. Learns the secret identities of the Zones. Is usually referred to as “Sensei” by the annoying kid of the week.
	Baron Garoga – The boss Garoga of the region, who orders all the other Garogas around. Has a wand and a cape, and is FAB-ulous!
	Red Garoga – Sometimes Baron Garoga is too busy eating ice cream or something to fight Zone Fighter, so this Red Garoga steps up to the task. He doesn’t fare any better…
	Candy Cane Red Garoga – Of all the various Red Garoga to menace the Zone Family, the one with the candy cane striped antennas is the most distinct. He spends most of his time luring children into his clutches, which is totally not creepy at all. Seen in Episode 20
	Long-Antennaed Garoga – When the Garoga kidnapped Hotaru and replaced her with an evil duplicate, that evil duplicate was this Long-antennaed Garoga, who has the longest antennas ever seen on the show. He used his antennas as whips and also seemed to be made of explosives, because he exploded after Zone Fighter threw him off a cliff. He failed because he was a failure. Is only seen in Episode 7
	White Garoga – A White Garoga appears in Episode 21 to visit his colleague Baron Garoga. The two are contemporaries of the same rank, and after trading some gossip and work griping, White Garoga gives Baron Garoga the alien creature that will be turned into the terror-beast Jellar.
	Garoga Scientist – The Garoga Scientist is responsible for several of the various gimmicks and monsters the Garoga use against the Zone Family. The Garoga Scientist makes notable appearances in Episodes 14 and 22.
	Yuri the Garoga – A Garoga disguised as a lovely lady, who leads various members of the Zone Family into traps. She never returns to Garoga form, and hangs out with the Red Garoga group leader. So we don’t really know if she’s a human who works for the Garoga or a Garoga who’s gone Japanese and isn’t coming back. Her and the Red Garoga from that episode might have a thing going on, so here’s hoping they ran off to live together in the countryside. Seen in Episode 17
	X Garoga – Elite squadron of Garoga who come to Earth to fight the Zones. Wear spiffy giant X’s on their uniforms, in case you forget who they are. Despite beign elite troops, they are easily defeated. Have visual tricks to help them fight. The X Garoga combine to form the monster Grotogauros. Seen in Episode 26
	Bird Zone – The Zone Family Bird, whose only major appearance in Episode 14 involves him being used as a test subject for a mysterious compound, and thus being controlled by the Garoga in that he says “Garoga” over and over again until he’s cured.

Recurring Monsters –

Godzilla (Toru Kawai and Isao Zushi) – Godzilla is the king of monsters and for some reason answers calls from tiny robots to go kill monsters. Which he does. Godzilla kills more monsters in this series than he does in the films until Final Wars. Remember, this is goofy, defender of Earth Godzilla, who is only a shell on his back away from being friend of all children. Eventually Godzilla will decide that being full of meat is not his thing and he goes for bigger and better things. One can only assume that with old age, Godzilla began experiencing dementia and kept thinking Zone Fighter was his old buddy Jet Jaguar, thus his constant help despite not knowing Zone Fighter prior to getting called to battle. Godzilla even lives in a cave at this point, further supporting my dementia theory. While his roar is heard in the beginning of every episode, Godzilla appears in episodes 4, 11, 15, 21 and 25.

The Terror-Beasts
Here are the Terror-Beasts of the week, added as they appear. Monster stats are translated from official stats, examples of which can be seen here and here

	Red Spark (Reddosupaaku) Terror Beast Type: Cannon Height: 75 meters Weight: 75,000 tons Appearances: Episode 1 The first Terror-Beast Zone Fighter fights, Red Spark had a big cannon in his chest.
	Jikiro (Jikiro) Terror Beast Type: Magnetic Height: 78 m Weight: 95,000 tons Appearances: Episodes 1, 22, 25 Jikiro had magnetic powers, and could draw metal objects towards him. He’s someone’s favorite, because he returns the most out of the Zone Fighter villains, even getting a super form. By his third appearance he so depowered that he’s easily defeated.
	Destro-King (Desutorokingu) Terror Beast Type: Subterranean Height: 85 m Weight: 80,000 tons Appearances: Episodes 2 and 12 Two heads prove to not be better than one when Zone Fighter defeats this duo-singular being. Destro-King has mouth lasers and uses his heads as blunt objects.
	Dorora (Dorora) Terror Beast Type: 4th Dimensional Height: 76 m Weight: Unknown Appearances: Episode 3 The powers of the 4th Dimension apparently give you a head on your back. Also a rose for an arm. But it doesn’t prevent you from being horribly murdered by Zone Fighter. Dorora can spit red dust offensively.
	Wargilgar (Warugirugaa) Terror Beast Type: Destruction Height: 108 m Weight: 82,000 tons Appearances: Episode 4 Wargilgar breathes flame. Lots and lots of flames. Dies by fire. It’s like a no smoking sign on your cigarette break! Is the first monster murdered by Godzilla on the Zone Fighter series, so there’s that.
	Spyler (Supairaa) Terror Beast Type: Laser Height: 85 m Weight: 80,000 tons Appearances: Episodes 4 and 12 Spyler is the monster form of the Garoga who pretended to be a survivor from Peaceland. And now he’s a monster who does monster things like roar a lot and get killed by Zone Fighter. Has a metal moon-shaped object on his butt that gets ripped off by Godzilla. Is gunned down by Zone Fighter.
	King Ghidorah (Kingugidora) Terror Beast Type: Super Space Height: 100 m Weight: 30,000 tons Appearances: Episodes 5 and 6 Hey, it’s THAT King Ghidorah! Looks like King Ghidorah was hurting for money and is farming himself out for odd jobs. I hope you got paid in advance, King Ghidorah! Is defeated far easier by Zone Fighter than you would expect, despite being a two-parter “event” villain.
	Dragon King (Doragonkingu) Terror Beast Type: Horned Height: 74 m Weight: 81,000 tons Appearances: Episodes 7 and 12 A giant monster called Dragon King is having fun burning a local city and headed to a dam, until Zone Fighter spoils his fun and easily defeats this fire-breathing idiot. Appears in the beginning of the episode and is easily defeated
	Gilmaras (Girumarasu) Terror Beast Type: Thorny Height: 75 m Weight: 75,000 tons Appearances: Episode 7 Gilmaras! You know he’s a tougher monster because he’s at the end of the show and not the beginning. And he looks sort of like Gigan mated with Titanosaurus, except he’s based on a swordfish. Is among the dumbest Zone Fighter villains, often falling down of his own accord.
	Gelderah (Geruderaa) Terror Beast Type: Red-headed Height: 78 m Weight: 74,000 Appearances: Episode 8 Gelderah looks like weird lizard wolf with an amber-encased brain. Can spit out poisonous gas that damages flying car electronics. Likes to bite Zone Fighter in the neck. It is unknown if Gelderah is a vampire, as his corpse was destroyed by Zone Fighter.
	Garoga Gorilla (Garoga Gorira) Terror Beast Type: Giant Ape Height: 58 m Weight: 68,000 tons Appearances: Episode 9 A normal gorilla who became a Terror-Beast after having his blood sucked by the Garoga Spider! Instead of curing him, he’s murdered by Zone Fighter! BOOOOOOOOO!!!
	Spideros (Supaidaurosu) Terror Beast Type: Spider-type Height: 70 m Weight: 73,000 tons Appearances: Episodes 9 and 25 Villain who is easily disctracted, allowing for Zone Fighter to do a complex aireal manuver to take him down. Looks like some sort of bee guy. Returns in Episode 25 to get murdered by Godzilla, making him one of the few monsters killed by both Godzilla and Zone Fighter.
	Shipudoro (Shippudoroo) Terror Beast Type: Deformed Height: 68 m Weight: 87,000 tons Appearances: Episode 10 Shipudoro is like a weirdo octopus, and though Zone Fighter easily defeats him, he is notable for being one of the few Monsters Zone Fighter doesn’t murder. In fact, he doesn’t even bother defeat him again at the end of the episode, and Shipudoro is never seen again. So maybe he escaped Garoga enslavement and now lives in peace on Monster Island.
	Shadorah (Shadoraa) Terror Beast Type: Energy Height: 70 Weight: Unknown Appearances: Episode 10 A monster who origininated from Zone Fighter’s shadow after being set loose via the Giant Garoga Orb. Special powers include yelling at Zone Fighter, which gives Zone a big migraine! He also spits green poison gas and has eye beams.
	Gigan (Gaigan) Terror Beast Type: Terror-Beast of the Future Height: 65 m Weight: 25,000 tons Appearances: Episode 11 Gigan comes from the land of Godzilla films to fight Godzilla on tv. He fares just as badly here, and is even more beat up on because Zone Fighter then murders him. At one point Godzilla is just playing with him, stuffing his tail in Gigan’s mouth and slamming Gigan up and down.
	Barakidon (Barakidon) Terror Beast Type: Strongest Height: 73 m Weight: 63,000 tons Appearances: Episode 12 Barakidon’s a mutant chicken with claws and what looks like sunglasses. He flaps his wings for wind attacks and shoots smoke from his mouth. Barakidon hatches from a mutant egg.
	Garaborg (Garoboogu) Terror Beast Type: Electric Height: 78 m Weight: 90,000 tons Appearances: Episodes 13 and 25 Garaborg looks like a bug, has a big claw on one hand and a tube device on the other. Garaborg also has a car battery charger in his chest, and a headlight device above his head. He also quacks like Donald Duck! Can project a force field that shocks Zone Fighter. His weakness is his giant eyes that are easily damaged. Not a lot of thought went into this Terror-Beast design, I hope the Garoga fired whatever consulting firm came up with this idea! His second appearance sees Zone Fighter blasting a hole right through him with his machine gun.
	Detragon (Dettoragon) Terror Beast Type: Missile Height: 78 m Weight: 77,000 tons Appearances: Episode 14 Detragon looks like an Anubis dog, and instead of hands just has two turrets jutting out out of each wrist socket. Detragon can fire very slow missiles out of those sockets, and his attack strategy can best be described as awkward hugs. Zone catches some of the missiles and throws them back, eventually he shoots off Detragon’s rocket hands. Detragon proves to be an easy kill, as Zone Fighter just fires his wrist guns until Detragon explodes.
	Zandora (Zandora) Terror Beast Type: Earth-eating Height: 78 m Weight: 91,000 tons Appearances: Episode 15 A drill-headed dingaling who burroughs underground, but can’t defeat Zone Fighter and Godzilla as they teamp up to destroy him. Godzilla wasn’t even called, he just happened by. Godzilla rips off Zandora’s tail and beats him with it. Zandora and spit exploding mist.
	Mogranda (Moguranda) Terror Beast Type: Drill Height: 108 m Weight: 86,000 tons Appearances: Episodes 16 and 25 Goofy-looking horse monster that always has a cheerful experession on his face. Is powered by meteors with strange red substances in them. Can spit red dust. One hand is a giant metal lobster claw and there is a drill rising out of his back that grinds up the red junk from the meteor. He can also spit flames, because, why not?
	Balgaras (Barugarasu) Terror Beast Type: Transforming Height: 62 m Weight: 59,000 tons Appearances: Episode 17 Balgaras has an attack mode that resembles a squeaking Daruma doll, but soon turns into dinosaur mode. Has armored skin, big hands, and suction cups on his body. Balgaras can regenerate damaged portions of his body. Has the most ridiculous death scene in Zone Fighter history!
	Gundarguiras (Gandaagirasu) Terror Beast Type: Bomb Height: 71 m Weight: 80,000 tons Appearances: Episodes 18 and 19 One of the dumbest Terror-Beasts, Gundarguiras has a transparent stomach and a disposition for eating experimental explosives. Zone Fighter thus can’t fight him without setting off the bombs, and does a series of increasingly ridiculous game challengest against Gundarguiras, who just throws a tantrum and cheats if he doesn’t win. Obviously a member of the Republican party. Is violently murdered by Zone Fighter, his limbs blown off one by one, then his torso is tossed into space to destroy an oncoming meteor.
	Goram (Goramu) Terror Beast Type: Twin-headed Height: 92 m Weight: 79,000 tons Appearances: Episode 20 A sort-of two-headed monster, except one head is hollow and contains kidnapped children. You’d think this would be some sort of awesome episode debating if Zone Fighter should attack this monster despite the kidnapped children, but you’d be wrong. Can spit dual bursts of flames. Is eventually murdered and turns into clay.
	Jellar (Jeraa) Terror Beast Type: Mollusk Height: 73 m Weight: 71,000 tons Appearances: Episode 21 Some space goo found by the White Garoga, it’s quickly turned into a Terror-Beast that proves a difficult challenge for Zone Fighter, thank goodness Godzilla was there! His arm is ripped off and becomes Kastrom-Jellar. Like his child, both are blasted with purple atomic breath and then riddled with bullets until they turn into goo.
	Kastom-Jellar (Kasutamujeraa) Terror Beast Type: Reincarnated Height: 70 m Weight: 68,000 tons Appearances: Episode 21 A bonus Terror-Beast who grows from the ripped-off arm of Jellar. Somehow looks very different from Jellar despite being a clone. Like his parent, both are blasted with purple atomic breath and then riddled with bullets until they turn into goo.
	Super Jikiro (Suupaajikiro) Terror Beast Type: Super-Magnetic Height: 82 m Weight: 100,000 tons Appearances: Episode 22 Extra bonus super strong version of Jikiro that has a red paint job and more powerful magnetics. Zone Fighter defeats him thanks to experimental surgery that makes him immune to the magnetic powers. When Jikiro reappears he will be back to normal form.
	Bakugon (Bakugon) Terror Beast Type: Great Height: 80 m Weight: 69,000 tons Appearances: Episode 23 A mammal monster with a flame-thrower tanks built into his back. He lookslike a big furry ALF with horns and a backpack. Bakugon shoots flames from his big nose, which is hilarious. Can use hypnosis. Is not immune to being shot hundreds and hundreds of times.
	Needlar (Niidoraa) Terror Beast Type: Needle-Shooting Height: 77 m Weight: 80,000 tons Appearances: Episode 24 Despite being named Needlar, Needlar barely shoots needles. He looks like a cyborg Aztec elephant bull or something. Needlar randomly has explosions all over his body, which is hilarious. He’s glitched, they couldn’t wait until he was finished and are beta testing him in the field. Typical Garoga practices. And, yes, Needlar breaths fire just like almost every other Terror-Beast. Needlar also shoots (explosive) needles, thanks to the power of putting a blowgun up to his chest. He can also just toss his needles at his opponent, which is just if not more effective. Needlar also has the power to project energy from his hands that causes Zone to have long electric shocks. Has one of the most violent deaths of the series.
	Kabutogirah (Kabutogiraa) Terror Beast Type: Armored Height: 73 m Weight: 75,000 tons Appearances: Episode 25 Kabutogirah, who has big shades and big dreads and sword arms. Kabutogirah breathes explosive gas that can also be acid gas. As the big bad in an episode with losts of Terror-Beasts, you’d think he’d be ore powerful, and not just a guy who gets wacked halfway through the episode.
	Grotogauros (Gurotegaurosu) Terror Beast Type: Illusion Height: 80 m Weight: 80,000 tons Appearances: Episode 26 The X Garoga have combined together to make this freaky guy who looks like a camel at a burn ward. Has hypnosis powers and spits and snorts his hallucinogenic gas. Can fight well in the ocean or on land.

Other creatures:

Garoga Spider
Appearances: Episode 9
Garoga Spider sucks blood from various animals, turning his victims into Terror-Beasts

Zone Gadgets:

	Smokey – The Zone Family spaceship that usually is hiding in the clouds. Zone Angel and Zone Junior usually fly it around and recharge Zone Fighter, as that idiot runs out of power quickly. Buy some better batteries, Zone Fighter!
	Skyline GT/Mighty Liner – It’s a flying car. This is the only car we really see Zone drive, despite his job as a driver. Mightly Liner is the name when it is flying, so I guess Skyline GT is its undercover name.
	Zobots – The Zone Family will send messages to each other and Godzilla with tiny robots that fly like rockets. Don’t laugh, this was before cellular phones. But the Zones are from a highly advanced planet, that should have cellular phones… One can reason that the Zones live outside their carrier area thanks to their move to Earth and it will cost too much to terminate their contract, so to avoid roaming charges they have to use zobots for the next 13 months…
	Bolt Thunder/Great Raideki – Grandpa has a cloud he controls from the safety of home. It shoots lighting, so is Grandpa really Zeus?
	Pandora Capsule – The spaceship the Zone Family has been keeping in reserve, until episode 6! Armed with proton missiles.

Garoga Gadgets:

	Garoga Space Station – The Garoga Space Station orbits Earth, and occasionally shoots rockets filled with monsters to the planet.
	Garoga Car – The Garoga Car has a Garoga face on the grill, a HUGE double-barrel cannon on the top, painted eyes on the sides, and all sorts of wacky 1970s funky car embellishments. Best Garoga Car EVER!
	Garoga Car 2 – Garoga Car 2 shows up after the first Garoga Car meets an untimely end. Garoga Car 2 is a fancier, awesomer car, but it also meets an untimely end on its first appearance. Best Garoga Car EVER!
	Garoga Car 3 – Garoga Car 3 is the least-detailed Garoga Car so far, with no cool skull sculpture on the grill, but it does have a cannon on the top and a decorated hood. It can open portals to alternate dimensions and engage in battle with the Mighty Liner. Episode 14
	Garoga Candy Cane – This delicious weapon is used by the Garoga to beat on members of the Zone Family. Unfortunately, no one bothered to train the Garoga how to use their candy canes, and usually the weapons are seized from them and the Garoga are beaten with the candy canes. But they are tasty!
	Garoga Mystery Orb – The easily destroyed Mystery Orb is but a delivery system to get Zone Fighter so sick, his shadow turns into a Terror-Beast.
	Garoga Terror-Beast Rocket – The Rocket the Garogas use to send Terror-Beasts to Earth.
	Garoga Terror-Beast Drill – Underground drill rocket that delivered the Terror-Beast egg that spawned Barakidon.
	Garoga Terror-Beast Drill Accessories – Accessory underground drill rockets that accompanied the rocket containing the Terror-Beast egg that spawned Barakidon.
	Garoga Fighter – The mainstay of the Garoga space fleet, and the model the producers spent the most money on, thus it gets reused as both smaller fighters and as a submarine!
	Small Garoga fighters – Swarms of these small Garoga fighters attack Zone Fighter in the Mighty Liner when he enters a dimensional portal. They are no match to Zone Fighter’s tactic of being the main character and thus never dying. Appear in Episode 14
	Garoga Submarine – A dab of yellow paint and suddenly the Garoga Fighter model is now a submersible craft! Not surprisingly, it manuevers underwater just like a spaceship in the sky. Is no match for Zone Fighter and the Mighty Liner. Seen in Episode 22