Sanger Zonvolt

"I am Sanger Zonvolt! I am the Sword that Smites Evil!"

- Sanger Zonvolt

Sanger Zonvolt is a character from the Super Robot Wars series, in both the Alpha sub-series and the Original Generation sub-series. He is a German military officer with the attitude of a Japanese samurai, having trained in the Jigen-Ryuu sword style. He is well known for his claims as "The Sword that Smites Evil" and sorties in the battlefield with mechas that are capable of carrying his signature sword, Zankantou/Colossal Blade.

Appearances
Sänger has appeared in the following games:


 * Super Robot Wars Alpha Gaiden - Non-playable enemy character → Playable character
 * Super Robot Wars Alpha 2 - Selectable protagonist with own story route
 * 3rd Super Robot Wars Alpha - Playable character
 * Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation - Playable character (In Kyosuke Nanbu's route only) → Non-playable enemy character → Playable character
 * Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation 2 - Playable character
 * Super Robot Wars Original Generations - Playable character (In Kyosuke Nanbu's route only) → Non-playable enemy character → Playable character
 * Super Robot Wars Original Generation Gaiden - Playable character

Mecha used
In the Super Robot Wars games he appeared, Sanger has piloted these mechas:
 * Thrudgelmir: This is his mecha in his debut appearance in Super Robot Wars Alpha Gaiden. It's a monstrous, mutated Grungust robot due to Machine Cells, possessing regenerative capabilities. In the Original Generation timeline, this would be inherited into his rival Wodan Ymir.
 * Grungust Type-0: This is his mecha in the first Original Generation. A black-yellow colored Grungust Robot armed with Zankantou/Colossal Blade. Later in the series, this will be piloted by his master Rishu Togo.
 * Grungust Type-3: This is his mecha in the first part of Original Generation 2 and Alpha 2. An upgrade of the Grungust Type-0, the Zankantou/Colossal Blade here at first resemble a long katana, but also can turn into a long western Zweihander.
 * Dygenguard: This is the mecha that is mostly used to identify Sanger. The first of Dynamic General Guardian Unis, it resembled a war samurai, and used a direct-motion link system that translates Sanger's movement to the mecha. It wields Type-3's Zankantou/Colossal Blade.

Theme Music

 * Aku Wo Tatsu Tsurugi (The Sword That Cleaves Evil; retitled A Sword to Smite Evil in the North American localization of Original Generation 2) - Default theme in Alpha 2, OG 1, OG 2, and Original Generations, bonus track in Alpha 3.
 * Ken Kon Itteki (A Single Strike With Sword And Soul; retitled Samurai Sword in the North American localization of Original Generation 2) - Used when piloting the Dygenguard, default theme in Alpha 3 and Original Generation Gaiden.

Personality And Traits
The self-styled Sword That Smites Evil (Aku wo tatsu tsurugi 悪を断つ剣 Sword That Cleaves Evil in Japanese), Sänger Zonvolt is a very honorable individual who fights for his own personal beliefs. Hardened by a long career as a soldier, Sänger 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 reminiscent of a samurai, and as such, Sänger 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). Sänger 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 Sänger uses an alternate version (刃馬一体, The blade and the horse are one）.

He frequently phrases, ''"I am Sänger Zonvolt, the Sword That Smites Evil!" ("Ware wa Zengā Zonboruto, Aku wo tatsu tsurugi nari!" in the 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 the Japanese version, meaning There is nothing that can stand against my Zankantou!)'' after he finishes the attack. In the Japanese version, any of his powerful attacks using the Colossal Blade will most likely be accompanied with a loud "CHESTO!!!" kiai (a rather common kiai used by martial artists and swordsmen alike).

Original Generation Timeline
Sänger Zonvolt began as a member of the Aggressors unit, an elite group of pilots formed by the Earth Federation Army with other notable members such as Elzam V. Branstein, Gilliam Yeager, and Kai Kitamura. When the unit was disbanded, Sänger 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, Sänger 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, Sänger 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 Sänger 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 Sänger 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 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. Sänger 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 at 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, Sänger participates in the assault on the Earth Cradle, which is defended by Shadow-Mirror officer Wodan Ymir, his combat rival. Sänger comes 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 the Shadow-Mirror, Einst and Inspectors is over, Sänger chooses 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, Sänger appears in his Dygenguard as a reinforcement for the Hagane during their assault on the Hellgate facility. Sänger is also quite active in fighting the Shura army. At one point, the Shura General Magnaz Ald ambushes him and breaks the Dygenguard's Colossal Blade, forcing Sänger to fight with the Dygenguard's original weaponry (which luckily he had personally requested to be re-activated once more), showing that he is not dependent on his Colossal Blade alone. Sänger would have the Colossal Blade repaired after the fight, though.

In 2nd Original Generation, Sanger at first were amongst the people thrown into La Gias, along with Dygenguard. He was found by both Ryuune Zoldark and Hwang Yang Long, and some other pilots, and helped finish the Langran Civil War. Once he returned to the surface, Sanger took up the battle against the Gaia Sabers, Guest, Baral Garden and Ruina. Along this time, Sanger became acquaintated with a girl that was picked up by Ibis Douglas previously, Irui. He also formed rivalry with a servant of Baral Garden, Kukuru

In this time, the Dygenguard became a target of a sentient robot called JinRai, designed to destroy Dynamic General Guardian units. Sanger perservered and eventually went along with the plan concocted by Touma Kanou and Minaki Tomine to capture the main robot and eventually reprogram it.

During the final assault at the Garden of Baral, Sanger saved Kukuru from certain death, after learning how she was duped into the Baral Garden's servitude by Son Ganlong. However, much to his shock, it only delayed the inevitable, after the defeat of Baral Garden and eventually Euzeth Gozzo, Sanger saw Kukuru dying as her life was linked with the Baral Garden, although she died with no regrets. Once all was settled, Sanger once again took residence in the Kurogane, until his services is needed again.

In the Shadow-Mirror universe, Sänger was killed in combat. Lemon Browning would have his body retrieved, and using data containing his personality, she created the 15th (and apparently the 5th) unit of the W-Series of androids, codenamed Wodan Ymir and Gymnos Basileus, respectively. Wodan would become Sänger's main combat rival in the events generated in Original Generation 2.

Alpha Timeline
In the Alpha timeline, Sänger 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 chooses 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 in the Original Generation timeline, Sänger personally requested that the Dygenguard's original armament be shut down permanently, choosing to fight only using the Colossal Blade.

Project X Zone
Sanger is featured in the Bandai Namco-Sega-Capcom 3DS crossover game Project X Zone as a playable assist character. Instead of riding any of his mecha, he is shown wielding a human-sized Zankantou/Colossal Blade, able to emulate superhuman feats that was usually done by his mecha such as leaping very high and swinging such big sword with ease.

Sanger was thrown into the PXZ world via a Cross Gate where he met Endless Frontier heroes Haken Browning and Kaguya Nanbu. Through Kaguya's mystical power, she drew the shape of Sanger's soul and granted him a human-sized Zankantou/Colossal Blade that he would use in battle.