- Irvine
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| * Standard Character Information |
| Name: Irvine |
| Age: --- |
| Series: Zoids Chaotic Century / Guardian Force |
| Primary Features: Zoids Chaotic Century |
| Affiliations: None (Mercenary) |
| Family: --- |
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Primary Zoid:
- Command Wolf - Lightning Saix - Stealth Dragon - Stealth Viper |
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Secondary Zoid:
- Gojulas The Ogre (IS) |
| Voice Actors: --- |
- Character Introduction
Irvine is a mercenary by career that was originally featured in Zoids Chaotic Century. He would soon become one of the most popular Zoids characters of the franchise, and remains a main character throughout all of Chaotic Century & Guardian Force, acting as a main combatant to the main team.- Personality
Irvine's always a bit left of center in terms of morality, but his heart is usually in the right place. He'll do what he thinks is best for those around him, especially when it comes to protecting his friends, or the common people. His interests in following laws or institutions put in place by the military are relatively low, and most of his life is spent working as a mercenary regardless of the legality of his actions.
- History
- Chaotic Century (Anime)
In this continuation, Irvine had a younger sister named Helena, who died of Gaphkee Karl Fever. This is the only part of his past that is touched upon prior to joining the team.Years later, he met Van and, more importantly, Zeke. He'd never had an Organoid and he was determined to get one, so he began to hunt Van and Fiona down, hoping to force them to hand over the silver Zoid. While this failed at first, he retried several times. Even after he became more loyal to the team he'd occasionally make jokes about it.
As time went on, Irvine began to assist members of the Guardian Force in combat, in spite of his aggressive defense of his stance as a mercenary. Ultimately, these battles cost him his Zoid: The Command Wolf. Through experimental testing by the Guylos Empire he was able to transplant the Zoid's core into a new body, and was gifted the top secret Zoid, the Lightning Saix; built by Dr. D under commission of the Empire.
- Zoids (Manga)
In this iteration of the story Irvine's past is clearer, although some of it is printed in an unofficial doujinshi by the original manga artist, Ueyama Michiro.Here, Irvine grew up in an orphanage in the shoreside city of Porto Mana, along with his younger sister Rebecca, who he claimed to be the only family he ever knew. Helena never appears in the manga, but Rebecca takes her place as the sister character. In her case, she always looked up to Irvine, but when he became a mercenary he kept many secrets from his younger sister, not wanting her to see the more serious side of his life. Be it a thief or a soldier for higher. Instead he told her that his long getaways were for work with a company in the Helic Republic.
After the attack on Porto by Raven and his Geno Saurer, rebecca sees a bit more of her brother's life, but still may not know all there is to know.
- Assets
- Eye Patch
Eyepatch: Irvine's most notable asset, and most consistent throughout the media, is his eyepatch. This serves to cover his eye and provides electronic assistance. The lenses rotate, each seemingly with their own function. One to record video, one to zoom in like a telescope, and one to project holograms of the recorded video.While he never lets on to the purpose of the eyepatch it seems quite obvious, and in the anime he does indeed have both eyes.
Irvine locking eyes with the abandoned Roadskipper.
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Manga Interpretation:
- Further vision than his living eye.
- Infrared vision.
The unofficial manga extra by Ueyama Michiro, artist of the Zoids Manga gives a much darker story. In this version, Irvine had a friend who, starstruck by a huge amount of money, stole a bag from the mafia. The organization's war funds. Needless to say as simple street thug kids, they weren't able to outrun the criminals. It's implied that Irvine's eye was either removed or burned with a cigar.
The sounds of an approaching Zoid scared away the criminals, and when Irvine got up, he saw a Roadskipper approaching. The old manufacturing Zoid had been dumped nearby, presumed dead. Upon hearing his screams, however, the Zoid rose from its rusty grave and came to investigate. The moment it approached Irvine, the Zoid collapsed and died for the final time. Soon after, Irvine lost consciousness.
The next time he awoke, he was in a strange place. An old scientist asked him about his eye, and when he realized he could see again, the old man explained that he had transplanted the eye from the Roadskipper that had collapsed beside him. That he would be able to see more clearly than he could've with his former eye. When pressed about why he had done this, the man claimed that he wanted no payment. That he was merely curious about how the eye could be connected, and how close humans and Zoids really were.
-Anime Assets
Irvine has an absurd number of trinkets in the anime, ranging from explosives to a plethora of ranged weaponry. Most of these are used in his attempt to capture Zeke, but he seems to have something for every occasion. Although currently unpictured, he's also known to carry a handgun, which he threatens to use multiple times in the Japanese version of the show.
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Eyepatch |
Hidden Explosives |
Hidden Putty |
Smoke Bombs |
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Grappling Gun |
Grenade Launcher |
Electric Whip |
Electric Collar |
- Zoids
- Command Wolf IS
Initial Iteration; with standard equipment. |
Experimental SM Equipment |
Command Wolf IS, Final Iteration |
Irvine's most widely recognized Zoid is the Command Wolf IS, a black and red Command Wolf with an orange cockpit and a long range rifle. How he got this Zoid was never mentioned, but it's well loved as his partner. He pilots the Zoid with exceptional skill, with the Command Wolf having a relatively high number of enemies shot down compared to Command Wolves of most other series.
When the Command Wolf is fatally wounded by Raven's Geno Breaker, Irvine absolutely refuses to abandon the Zoid, or even stay in his own hospital bed while its life is fading. He's given a hail merry by Dr. D, who offers to transplant the Command Wolf's memory and combat data into a new experimental Zoid of the Empire, the Lightning Saix. Irvine responds violently. He rages at the thought of his Zoid becoming some frankenstein experiment, but ultimately, Moonbay convinces him to give the Zoid a chance.
- Lightning Saix IS
The Command Wolf's combat data being transplanted. |
Lightning Saix with its Safety Armor on, still with the green eyes.. |
The final Lightning Saix IS, with orange eyes. |
To save the Command Wolf IS, Irvine agreed to have its combat data and memories transplated into the Empire's new project: The Lightning Saix, specifically one built by Dr. D. The former combat data was a bust, with the Saix needing to move into deployment but refusing to slow down enough to be ridden, even with the safety armor attached. Most pilots lost consciousness and the Zoid would careen into the first obstacle that it encountered.
Though the Saix struggled to accept the Command Wolf's combat data, it eventually synchronized in active combat, seemingly in response to Irvine's encouragement. Once that data was accepted the eyes changed from green to orange, and it became Irvine's primary Zoid for the rest of the anime. It was rarely damaged in combat, and took few gun shots thanks to its excellent speed.
- Stealth Viper (Tornado)
The "Snake Twister" move, used to jump. |
Arborial Stealth Mode, with camo paint. |
Using its aquatic swim capability. |
* Note: The Viz release of the manga calls Tornado the "Venomous" Viper, after the US model kit release.
Tornado is Irvine's main Zoid in the manga, and the first Zoid he ever owned. Like the Command Wolf, he pilots this typically cannonfodder Zoid with exceptional skill. Even managing to take out Redlers in the sky by coiling the Zoid's body up like a spring and leaping into the air.
As for how he got the Zoid, shortly after deciding to make some life changes, he heard about a wild Stealth Viper that was loose in the Porto desert. The Zoid only opperated at night, which made it hard to capture by the military. Irvine, with his ability to see infrared, found the Zoid with relative ease. He tracked it for over a month before finally slipping into the cockpit and registering himself as the pilot in its combat data.
-Gojulas the Ogre IS
Irvine's special colored Gojulas the Ogre.
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It was also a convenient payoff to an earlier episode, where Irvine was supposed to pilot the initial Gojulas into battle. This glory was stolen from him by Rob Herman, who refused to let the mercenary be the one to take out such an incredible Zoid. Irvine stayed behind to take care of Krueger.
- Featured In
Video Media: Chaotic Century
Video Media: Guardian Force
Video Media: Viz Media Chaotic Century Volume 2 (Profile)
Book Media: Zoids (Manga)
Video Game Media: Zoids Vs. I
Video Game Media: Zoids Vs. II
Video Game Media: Zoids Vs. III
Video Game Media: Zoids Saga I
Video Game Media: Zoids Saga II
Video Game Media: Zoids Saga III [Fuzors]
Video Game Media: Zoids Saga DS: Legend of Arcadia
Video Game Media: Zoids Infinity
Video Game Media: Zoids Full Metal Crash
