There are many iconic mechas in the anime medium. From Gigantor to the Gundam RX-78-2, to even gaming chairs bearing their signature colors, giant anime robots have been bombarding kids’ screens for decades. One of the greatest anime robots has slowly lost its status as one of the greats, especially among fans in the West. Zoids continues to be a prominent product globally, but because of the inaccessibility of the original anime series, certain Zoids robots have fallen to the wayside. The crowning achievement of the original Zoids: Chaotic Century anime was the main mecha piloted by the protagonist – Blade Liger. The giant mechanical lion was unusual compared to other mechas at the time.
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The Liger wasn’t a man-shaped robot or couldn’t transform into a humanoid-sized robot. It was simply an animalistic machine that attacked on all four limbs, had giant fangs, and blades on its sides. The Liger was awesome the moment it first showed in Chaotic Century, perfectly exemplifying the Zoids franchise’s aesthetics while standing out from the rest of the robots. Even among the other Zoids, the Liger stood out, which is ideal for a lead protagonist’s main mecha. The Blade Liger continues to endure, with future protagonists in the Zoids franchise using a variation of the iconic lion.
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What Makes the Blade Liger Stand Out
While giant animal robots existed before Zoids: Chaotic Century, the Blade Liger stood apart thanks to its sharp edges and bright blue coloration. There was something peculiar about the Zoid designs that made them stand out, a certain sharpness to the aesthetics that made them feel as if you could cut yourself by just looking at them. Lions have always been associated with bravery and are a popular animal among children. Their manes are cool, and there’s fury in them that makes them appealing. Zoids took the best elements of a lion and its own aesthetics to make the Liger, turning it into one of its main mascots. The Chaotic Century anime incorporates more vigorous energy into the Liger by coating it with bright blue and black paint, plus an orange visor.
The Blade Liger was the “evolved” version of the Shield Liger, embodying it with more weapons and even sharper edges. The Liger comes across as primal because it attacks on all fours and has large fangs. Its animalistic movement betrays its mechanical body, creating a fascinating contrast that helps sell the idea that the Blade Liger is a living thing. The Blade Liger’s sharp teeth and angular face make it imposing, yet its colorful blue makes it welcoming. The blue coloring makes the Liger seem heroic, as something not fear. Everything about Blade Liger works from a design point and a narrative point. The Shield Liger’s transformation into Blade metaphorically represents the protagonist maturing, showing how far the lead has come in the story.
Why Isn’t The Blade Liger More Recognized?
While a hardcore mecha fan could recognize the Blade Liger and there are still Zoid animes being released, the iconic Blade Liger from Chaotic Century has fallen into obscurity because of how unavailable the anime has become. The original anime series was produced by Xebec Studios, which went under in 2019. The company was suffering from other financial issues before going under. Chaotic Century cannot be streamed legally in Western countries because of the legal limbo the show is in because of Xebec’s closure. Japanese Blu-rays for the series launched in 2013, but there have been no official releases with the classic English dub from the early 2000s.
Zoids: Chaotic Century is also 20 years old at this point, with two full generations of anime fans coming to an age when the series ended. Certain mechas have fallen out of favor over the years, it’s part of the ongoing anime market. But the Blade Liger is still one of the coolest giant mechas in anime and deserves to be on the same platform as the RX-78-2 from Gundam and the EVA-01 from Neon Genesis Evangelion. A model kit from Kotobukiya was released a few years ago, and Takara Tomy has celebrated the anime’s 25th anniversary with a new promo image. There’s hope that Chaotic Century will become readily available again shortly and bring the Blade Liger back to the spotlight.
