These are characters from Nintendo's F-Zero video game franchise listed chronologically by game release. In each completed installment of the F-Zero video games, new playable characters were unveiled. They come from all over the universe to compete in the F-Zero Grand Prix. Each have their own unique reason for entering the Grand Prix and unique vehicle that have different performance abilities. Some of the characters are superheroes, supervillains, cyborgs, mutants, and the like, which makes the series akin to something out of an American comic book. The most pilots to debut in a single game is F-Zero X which brought twenty-seven new characters into the franchise.
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Creation and development
During the of development of the first F-Zero game, Takaya Imamura was surprised at the level of freedom he was given to design the characters and courses.[1] With the introduction of a story mode in F-Zero GX, Miyamoto mentioned that the characters Imamura created are finally "coming to life and taking on some personality."[2] The characters Mr. EAD and James McCloud resemble Mario and Fox McCloud respectively. "EAD" is also the same abbreviation used with Nintendo's internal development group located in Japan. According to Nintendo Power, "It's just one of the fun things the developers decided to put into F-Zero GX." They also stated "As similar in looks as they are, Fox and James McCloud don't have any connection."[3] Toshihiro Nagoshi, one of F-Zero GX's co-producers, stated that its story mode was included because the development team felt that the F-Zero universe was unique and they wanted to explain some of the characters' motivations and flesh out the game world. Nagoshi was fond of the characters and found a way to draw out their personalities.[2]
Pilots
- † indicates name alterations due to localization.
Captain Falcon
Captain Falcon (キャプテン・ファルコン Kyaputen Farukon?, Captain Douglas Jay Falcon†) is considered the poster child of the franchise.[4] He is described as an accomplished F-Zero pilot and renowned bounty hunter.[5] In F-Zero X, it is rumored that he is called "Captain" because he was once an officer on the Internova Police Force.[6] By the age of 36, Captain Falcon had built a reputation as one of the best bounty hunters in the galaxy, one that has earned him many enemies. This constant danger forces him to live in a sanctuary on a chain of islands off the coast of Port Town, where he spends most of his time. His desire for solitude is such that even after winning a race, he takes his award and quickly dashes home. Each of his home islands contains a different racetrack, allowing him to keep his racing skills at their peak while remaining relatively safe.[7][8] Captain Falcon drives the Blue Falcon in his races, and uses a sidearm and a midsize spacecraft called the Falcon Flyer in bounty missions.[5][9] In F-Zero X, Captain Falcon’s DNA is stolen while he is hospitalized following an accident in the F-Zero Grand Prix. The thieves use the DNA to create a clone of Captain Falcon, Blood Falcon.[10][11] In F-Zero GX, Captain Falcon is 37 years old and the sitting champion of the F-Zero Grand Prix, boosting his already high popularity even higher. In the games' story mode, after winning a number of races and saving Jody Summer, he goes on to defeat Black Shadow and Deathborn.[10][12][13] In F-Zero: Maximum Velocity, which is set twenty five years after the main series, Kent Akechi claims to be the son of Captain Falcon.[14] Captain Falcon is a representative for F-Zero in the Super Smash Bros. series. He is a fast close combat fighter whose combat techniques mix Kung Fu and street brawling.[6] His signature move is the Falcon Punch, a slow but powerful punch in which a flaming falcon surrounds his fist. "Captain Falcon" also appears in the F-Zero GP Legend anime, though as a title given to a person. Throughout most of the anime, Bart Lemming holds this title, and it is passed onto Rick Wheeler after Bart's death in the last episode. Although he does not appear in every episode, he plays a significant role in the series: his main goal is to stop the efforts of the Dark Million Organization.
Other pilots
| Character: | Vehicle: | Alias: | Summary: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Originated from F-Zero | ||||
| Dr. Stewart | Golden Fox | Dr. Robert Stewart | Charismatic pilot and licensed M.D. | |
| Pico | Wild Goose | Notorious assassin who recklessly drives around the circuits. | ||
| Samurai Goroh | Fire Stingray | Boss of Intergalactic bandits, and rival bounty hunter to Captain Falcon. | ||
| Originated from F-Zero X There is a total of twenty-seven characters in this list, with two of them sharing the same vehicle. Many characters were given first and/or last names that were not in the original Japanese version. Such details were either retconned out of continuity or ignored altogether by the games succeeding it. |
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| Antonio Guster | Green Panther | Right-hand man of Samurai Goroh, that was later betrayed and abandoned by him. Is now a solo bandit seeking revenge on Goroh. | ||
| Mrs. Arrow | Queen Meteor | Mrs. Monique L’Amoreaux Arrow (North American version of F-Zero X)† | Former F-Zero circuit model, married to Super Arrow. | |
| Baba | Iron Tiger | A rookie pilot who went on a spiritual journey to increase his confidence. As a result, his physical strength has increased twofold, as has his bragging. | ||
| Beastman | Hyper Speeder | Strives to protect people from dangerous creatures, as well as Bio Rex, after an encounter with a gigantic crocodile on the planet White. As a result, he became a beast hunter and now races in the Grand Prix to advertise his services. | ||
| Billy | Mad Wolf | Is the first monkey to enter the F-Zero Grand Prix. Was raised in a special lab where he was educated in human literacy and communication skills. The lab developed an F-Zero machine suitable for him. | ||
| Bio Rex | Big Fang | Genetically-engineered dinosaur with human-level intellect, but retains his aggressive instincts. | ||
| Black Shadow | Black Bull | The "Emperor of Evil" who wishes to destroy his archenemy, Captain Falcon, in front of millions of fans on the F-Zero circuit. | ||
| Blood Falcon | Blood Hawk | A nearly identical clone created from Captain Falcon's DNA who is fully loyal to Black Shadow. | ||
| Dr. Clash | Crazy Bear | Rather obese F-Zero engineer who constructed a machine that assists him in piloting his vehicle. | ||
| Draq | Mighty Typhoon | Runs a delivery service with Roger Buster and uses an F-Zero machine he found with an unknown recipient and no return address. | ||
| Mr. EAD | Great Star | An android created by the mysterious organization "EAD". | ||
| Gomar & Shioh | Twin Norrita | A pair of Furikake aliens who act in unison and are bound together for life. | ||
| Jack Levin | Astro Robin | Former pop-rocker who become an F-Zero pilot. Apparently has an extremely large female fanbase. | ||
| James McCloud | Little Wyvern | Intergalactic mercenary in need of money to support his wife and son. | ||
| Jody Summer | White Cat | Fighter pilot for the Galactic Federation respected by both her peers and superiors. | ||
| John Tanaka | Wonder Wasp | Mechanic for the Galactic Federation who has a crush on Jody Summer, thus entered the races to protect her. | ||
| Kate Alen | Super Piranha | Pop diva who decided to pursue F-Zero racing. | ||
| Leon | Space Angler | An bipedal wolf/alien from a wartorn world, competes to raise money for a school back on his world. | ||
| Michael Chain | Wild Boar | Leader of the illegal racing clan "Bloody Chain", whose numbers are dwindling. | ||
| Mighty Gazelle | Red Gazelle | MM Gazelle (Japanese version of F-Zero X).[15] | A severely injured human pilot, turned into a cyborg. | |
| Octoman | Deep Claw | An octopus-like alien from a world that is in deep conflict with the Galactic Federation. | ||
| Roger Buster | Mighty Hurricane | Runs a delivery service with Draq. Has no real interest in the F-Zero Grand Prix, he just wants to find the rightful owners of the machines he and Draq use. | ||
| Silver Neelsen | Night Thunder | Nearing the age of 100, he holds the record for most F-Zero races entered, but has yet to win a Grand Prix. | ||
| The Skull | Sonic Phantom | Arbin Gordon (Japanese version of F-Zero X).[16] Sterling LaVaughn (North American version of F-Zero X)† |
Former pilot of the old-school F-Zero days. Resurrected from the dead by science and black magic to race again. | |
| Super Arrow | King Meteor | A superhero from Earth who is determined to stop archvillian Zoda from winning the Grand Prix prize money. | ||
| Zoda | Death Anchor | A psychotic criminal genius. | ||
| Character: | Vehicle: | Summary: | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Originated from F-Zero: Maximum Velocity | ||||
| Alexander O'Neil | Stingray | Former football player | ||
| Blitz Wagner | Silver Thunder | |||
| Jane B. Christie | J. B. Crystal | Is probably lying about her age | ||
| Kent Akechi | Falcon MK-II | Claims to be the son of Captain Falcon | ||
| Kumiko | Fighting Comet | |||
| Lord Cyber | Sly Joker | A wealthy baron | ||
| Megan | Hot Violet | Rumored to be a Karate expert | ||
| Mickey Marcus | Fireball | Fan-favorite of the F-Zero circuit | ||
| Nichi | Wind Walker | Nicknamed "The Sweep Man" | ||
| Yazoo Jr. | Jet Vermilion | |||
| Originated from F-Zero AX | ||||
| Dai Goroh | Silver Rat | The only son of Samurai Goroh. As a F-Zero pilot, he seems to show more aptitude and potential than his father. | ||
| Dai San Gen | Pink Spider | Similar to Gomar & Shioh, these three aliens share a telepathic link. | ||
| Don Genie | Fat Shark | Famous mogul head of the universal traders. Has been arrested numerous times for shady dealings and is a suspected conspirator with Black Shadow. | ||
| Lily Flyer | Bunny Flash | A young soldier in the Galactic Federation reserves. | ||
| Phoenix | Rainbow Phoenix | Time-traveling detective. | ||
| PJ | Groovy Taxi | Suspended taxi driver who modified his cab into an F-Zero machine. | ||
| Princia Ramode | Spark Moon | Energetic princess of the desert kingdom of Magica. Was determined to race in the Grand Prix after witnessing a race on Earth. | ||
| QQQ | Rolling Turtle | Phoenix's robot partner. | ||
| Spade | Magic Seagull | A magician trying to raise money for his circus. | ||
| Terry "Digi-Boy" Getter | Cosmic Dolphin | A boy genius. | ||
| Originated from F-Zero GX | ||||
| Deathborn | Dark Schneider | A human who has died three times, only to resurrect himself by replacing his damaged organs with mechanical ones on each occasion, making him essentially immortal. Can teleport anyone he dislikes to anywhere in the universe. Seeks to harness the combined forces of light and dark to conquer the universe. | ||
| Character: | Vehicle: | Alias: | Summary: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Originated from F-Zero: GP Legend | ||||
| Ryu Suzaku | Dragon Bird | Rick Wheeler[17] | A champion racer and a detective, Rick's life came to a tragic end, not before he was awake from cryo sleep for 150 years. Now a member of the Galaxy Mobile Platoon, Rick now competes in F-Zero races, but vows to bring the one who nearly killed him to justice, Zoda. | |
| Lucy Liberty | Elegance Liberty | Lucy's a newcomer to the Galaxy Mobile Platoon. She works very close with Dr. Clash to learn the mechanics of F-Zero and occasionally take part in races. | ||
| Misaki "Miss Killer" Haruka | Moon Shadow | "Miss Killer" was changed to Luna Ryder.†[17] | Miss Killer was originally Misaki Haruka, Rick Wheeler's girlfriend. She was deepfreezed and woke up 150 years later. Brainwashed, she joined Black Shadow.[17] | |
| Lisa Brilliant | Panzer Emerald | She is the wife of Samurai Goroh and a member of his group of intergalactic thieves. | ||
| Character: | Vehicle: | Summary: | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Originated from F-Zero Climax Alternate characters are unlocked after completing and placing first on all cups in every difficulty. They are Berserker (Captain Falcon), Young Captain Falcon (Rick Wheeler) and Hyper Zoda (Zoda). |
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| Berserker | Red Bull | |||
| Clank Hughes (Tech) | Dragon Bird | |||
| Death Soldier | Soldier Anchor | |||
Notes
- ^ Interview: F-Zero AC/GC. IGN.com (2002-03-28). Retrieved on 2007-06-21.
- ^ a b F-Zero Press Conference. IGN.com (2003-07-08). Retrieved on 2007-06-21.
- ^ "Player's Pulse", Nintendo Power (Redmond, WA: Nintendo of America) 175: pp. 11-12, January 2004
- ^ Gerstmann, Jeff (2003-08-25). F-Zero GX review. GameSpot.com. Retrieved on 2007-01-16.
- ^ a b [1991-08-13] in Nintendo EAD: F-Zero instruction manual (in English). Nintendo, pp. 14, 21-28.
- ^ a b Fran and Peer; Craig. Smash Profile: Captain Falcon. IGN. Retrieved on 2007-06-05.
- ^ F-Zero X Driver Bio. fzerox.com. Nintendo. Archived from the original on 2001-10-25. Retrieved on 2007-08-05. “Some men are good. Some men are evil. Captain Falcon qualifies as a little bit of both. No one is sure why he is called “Captain” although it is rumored that he was once an officer in the Internova Police Force. There is no evidence to back up this story and Captain Falcon is a private man who will disclose nothing about his past. He is almost as elusive as his present day life, as he is a fierce bounty hunter who must protect himself from his dangerous enemies at all times. Captain Falcon makes his home on a string of islands off Port Town. Guarded by high security, each island has a practice racecourse for his F-Zero machine, the Blue Falcon. There are only 2 things that will lure Captain Falcon away from his archipelago fortress: the lure of high bounty, or the chance to compete in the F-Zero GP.”
- ^ Sackenheim, Shawn. Captain Falcon's Biography. All Game Guide. Retrieved on 2007-01-16.
- ^ HAL Laboratory. Super Smash Bros. Melee. Nintendo. Nintendo GameCube. 2001-12-03. “Captain Falcon's speedy midsize star cruiser boasts an on-board computer that allows Falcon to control it remotely ... perhaps that's why it's never appeared on-screen in an F-Zero game. Without this ship, Falcon couldn't prowl the galaxy like a lone wolf: the Blue Falcon is a state-of-the-art machine, but it's only used for F-Zero races.”
- ^ a b Pilot & Machine. F-Zero.com (2003). Retrieved on 2006-12-16.
- ^ (2003-08-25) in Amusement Vision: F-Zero GX instruction manual (in English). Nintendo, pp. 32, 41.
- ^ Pelland, Scott (ed.) (2003). F-Zero GX Player's Guide. Redmond, Washington: Nintendo of America, Inc, pp. 9, 76 - 94. ISBN 1930206-35-6.
- ^ Schneider, Peer. F-Zero GX story guide. IGN.com. Retrieved on 2006-11-24.
- ^ "Advance Strategies: F-Zero Maximum Velocity", Nintendo Power 145, June 2001
- ^ The Pilots & Machine 2 (Japanese). Nintendo. Retrieved on 2007-08-26.
- ^ The Pilots & Machine 10 (Japanese). Nintendo. Retrieved on 2007-08-14.
- ^ a b c DeWoody, Lucas (2005-01-05). The Legendary Race - The History of F-Zero. Advanced Media Network. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
References
- F-Zero GX instruction manual at Replacementdocs. Last accessed on August 28, 2007.
- Pilot & machine at the Official F-Zero GX website. Last accessed on August 27, 2007.
- Pelland, Scott (ed.) (2003). F-Zero GX Player's Guide. Redmond, Washington: Nintendo of America, Inc. ISBN 1930206-35-6.
- F-Zero: Climax Cheats at IGN. Last accessed on August 28, 2007.
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| Main series | F-Zero · BS F-Zero · F-Zero X (Expansion Kit) · Maximum Velocity · GX / AX · GP Legend · Climax |
| Anime | F-Zero GP Legend |
