Grendizer/TV

TV

Nagai

Grendizer (グレンダイザー Gurendaizā) is the titular robot of the show UFO Robo Grendizer. He serves as the guardian of Planet Fleed and is piloted by Duke Fleed.

Backstory[]

After the Vegan Empire ravaged Planet Fleed, they sought Grendizer's power to further enhance their military strength. However, before they could seize the robot, Duke Fleed escaped with Grendizer to Earth.^[1]

History[]

When the Vegan Empire launched its first attack on Earth, Duke was compelled to pilot Grendizer to defend the planet, igniting the battle to protect it. Throughout this struggle, he received support from the Space Science Laboratory's staff, as well as from his former rival, Koji Kabuto, his friend from the ranch, Hikaru Makiba, and, later on, his long-lost sister, Maria Fleed. Over time, the Space Science Laboratory developed additional Spazers, enhancing Grendizer's performance across various terrains.

At the tail end of the war, ^[2] ^[3] Lady Gandal confronts Grendizer and the Double Spazer in space, using the Vega Beast Gragra. Grendizer is knocked to Earth, but the Vega Beast is ultimately destroyed. Lady Gandal returns to the Skull Moon Base and attempts to assassinate King Vega to live in peace, but Gandal takes control of her body and kills her. Shortly after, Gandal is killed in his Mothership. In the final battle, Grendizer and the Cosmo Special destroy King Vega's mothership, defeating him. With the threat eliminated, Duke departs with Maria aboard Grendizer to rebuild Planet Fleed.

Weapons and Attacks[]

Hand Beam (ハンドビーム Hando Bīmu): Three beams of concentrated energy fired from the back of one of Grendizer's hands, which can also be fired simultaneously from both hands, allowing six beams of fire at once. While plentiful, each individual beam is small, and as a result is considered one of the robots weaker attacks, often deployed to destroy Vegan Saucers or to put the finishing touches on downed foes.
Backhand Missile: Missiles which are fired from the same opening the Hand Beams are deployed from.
Screw Crusher Punch (スクリュークラッシャーパンチ Sukuryū Kurasshā Panchi): Grendizer flips the blades mounted on it's wrists forward as the forearms begin to spin in place rapidly, where they are then fired with tremendous force, essentially turning the forearms into flying drills. This attack can be considered Grendizer's equivalent to the Rocket Punch utilized by Mazinger Z. The attack is capable of flying at speeds up to Mach 5 and can achieve 4000 RPM. There are also two more variations to this attack, the Screw Punch (スクリューパンチ Sukuryū panchi), in which the blades fold at a 90' degree angle resembling a fan, and the Crusher Punch (クラッシャーパンチ Kurasshā Panchi ), where the blades fold over the fist in a bullet shape. Grendizer also has a normal Dizer Punch (ダイザーパンチ Daizā Panchi) which is similar to the Atomic Punch of Great Mazinger and the Rocket Punch of Mazinger Z.
Harkens (ハーケン Hāken): Crescent-shaped blades mounted in the shoulders of Grendizer. The machine is capable of ejecting either of them at a time, each deploying a shaft to be utilized as Single Harkens (シングルハーケン Shinguru Hāken). When both are simultaneously ejected, they can combine at the base of the shafts to form a single bladed staff, the Double Harken (ダブルハーケン Daburu Hāken). In either the Single or Double form, the Harken can also be thrown at enemies like a javelin.
Shoulder Boomerang (ショルダーブーメラン Shorudā būmeran): In tight situations, Grendizer is capable of launching the Harken blades from its shoulders with incredible force as a projectile. When ejected, they can also be wielded and thrown like regular boomerangs.
Anti-Gravity Storm (反重力ストーム Hanjūryoku sutōmu): A rainbow-colored beam of concentrated, anti-gravity energy which is fired from the red crest on the torso of the robot. It is capable of launching foes upwards by thousands of feet, or crushing them instantly through the intense forces of anti-gravity. In earlier episodes it was depicted in a form identical to Mazinger Z's Breast Fire, but later episodes depict it as it's own, unique attack.
Space Thunder (スペースサンダー Supēsu Sandā): Identical in nature to Great Mazinger's Thunder Break, Grendizer can release a burst of electric energy from the horns on its head. Grendizer can unleash up to 60,000 degrees worth of volts for up to 10 hours continuously. This attack can also be deployed while docked with a Spazer.
Dizer Beam (ダイザービーム Daizā Bīmu): A beam of energy identical in power to the machine's Hand Beams, fired from the eyes of the robot. This attack is primarily utilized when Grendizer is docked with a Spazer, as its other attacks are disabled to allow flight. Identical in function to the Photonic Beam utilized by the Mazinger robots.
Dizer Full Power (ダイザーフルパワー Daizā Furu Pawā): Seen only in Super Robot Wars Z, Grendizer can disable its power limiters and run at over 100% efficiency for short periods of time. As a consequence, this can cause the machine to suffer from severe cool down times following use. Identical in function to the Mazin Power feature that is utilized by the Mazinger series.
Dizer Tera Max: Similar to the regular Dizer Power function, various panels open up around Grendizer's body enabling the robot to generate even more power than normally displayed. Used exclusively in a one-off manga to activate an enhanced Space Thunder.

Equipment[]

Spazers[]

Main Article: Spazers

Spazers are support vehicles used to give Grendizer more mobility, all but the original Spazer is piloted by an external pilot.

Ultra Submarine[]

The Ultra Submarine is a surface to depth vehicle used for ocean opponents. It was used only once in the anime.

Foreign names[]

America and English speaking Canada: Grandizer (Force Five, Shogun Warriors),
The Philippines: Grendaizer
French speaking Canada and the majority of Western Europe: Goldorak
Taiwan: 金剛戰神/King Kong God of War (TV Airing)
Hong Kong:巨靈神/Giant Spirit God (TV Airing)
South Korea: 그랜다이저/Geulaendaijeo UFO로보 그렌다이저/Yuepeuo lobo Geulendaijeo (TV series)
Russia: Грендайзер/Grendaiser (TV broadcast);
Arab World: مغامرات الفضاء: يوفو- جرندايزر;
Italy: Goldrake (TV series, 1978 dub)

Trivia[]

Grendizer's original design was based on "Gattaiger", a giant robot featured in the animated short Uchu Enban Daisenso. As a result, Grendizer's overall design, weapons — and even his pilot — are heavily inspired by Gattaiger.
The anime presents two contradictory origins for Grendizer:
- After Duke relents and agrees to share his secrets with Koji, Dr. Umon explains the events that led to his adopted son's arrival on Earth. According to him, Grendizer was built by the Vegans using resources acquired from the conquest of Planet Fleed.^[1]
- Although never explicitly stated, characters familiar with Grendizer, such as Naida and Maria's guardian, acknowledge him as the guardian of Planet Fleed, strongly implying Grendizer existed long prior to the Vegan invasion. Furthermore, other details support this version:
  - Maria's pendant is capable of directing her to Grendizer's location. This feature and Duke's possession of an identical pendant suggests both are family heirloomss whose connection with Grendizer would not make sense if he was a Vegan weapon.
  - Grendizer's security system, explained after Naida's attempt to plant a bomb on the robot and before Maria's introduction, is said to attack any person other than Duke who attempts to enter Grendizer.
  - This version aligns with the origin of Gattaiger as well as the origin given to Grendizer in both the Go Nagai and Gosaku Ota's manga tellings of the story.
Throughout the series, characters frequently express fear that Grendizer could be destroyed by falls from high altitudes or particularly powerful weapons. However, the robot sustained visible damage only once: during the battle with the first Vega Beast, King Gori, which tore off one of Grendizer's arms.