History VideoGame / ZoneOfTheEnders

* ObfuscatedInterface: Don't try to drive your Orbital Frame without its AI for help. [[spoiler:Ken learns this the hard way after Dingo deleted Viola's AI off her Frame.]]

-->--''Since the dawn of history, human beings have realized various forms of energy. Civilisations have progressed with them! So where does such energy like Metatron lead our civilisation!?'' [[spoiler:''Destruction! Destruction to end all! The Universe, and human subconscious, are willing their own end!'']]

* DownerBeginning: The first ''Zone of the Enders'' opens with Leo running away from a traumatic experience of witnessing his friends being crushed by a fallen Phantoma LEV when BAHRAM began their attacked on Antilia. Just before that, Leo and his friends where taken captive by a Martian woman who labeled them as Enders. Leo was given a choice to either try and fight back to rescue his friends or run away. He choose the cowardly decision and his friends were killed by the Phantoma that was wrecked by Viola's Neith.

* PressureSensitiveInterface: There's a weapon for which a light push results in a wide-angle, point-blank spray, while a hard one increases the range from "melee" to merely "short" with a narrower spread. This gets expanded in the SurprisinglyImprovedSequel, ''Zone of the Enders 2: The Second Runner''.

** Zakat, unlike all the other Orbital Frames, it is a freaking battleship!

** In ''The Fist of Mars'' the main character's mech are called [[RuleOfSymbolism the Testament]] and the main antagonist's mech is called the Iblis (which is the name of the primary devil in Islam). Also, the Testament's EvilKnockoff is called Ifrit.

* TelephonePolearm: In ''The 2nd Runner'', you can grab iron beams to [[SpinAttack swing them around]] to strike enemies or throw them like a javelin.

* PeekABangs: Dingo's bangs obscures his right eye.

* BladeOnAStick: Anubis gets a spear as its melee weapon in the second game.

Despite middling sales, ''Zone of the Enders'' continues to be a cult favorite and was a bit of a pet project for Kojima. A [[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2012-05-25/kojima-unveils-zone-of-enders-sequel-project sequel]] was announced in 2012, showing off DarkerAndEdgier looks for Jehuty and Anubis and promising more fantasy elements. An ''[[UpdatedRerelease HD]] [[CompilationRerelease Collection]]'' of the first two console games was released in October 2012 for UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 and UsefulNotes/{{Xbox 360}} ([[MythologyGag and came with a demo for]] ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance''). Unfortunately, the ports were poorly remastered and ended up running at worse frame rates than the [=PlayStation=] 2 versions. In response, Kojima Productions and Hexa Drive (the same folks behind the HD re-releases of ''VideoGame/{{Rez}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'') created a patch to fix the errors introduced by the original porting team, Creator/HighVoltageSoftware. The patch was released in July 2013, rectifying the [=PlayStation 3=] version of ''The 2nd Runner'' while the Xbox 360 version and both versions of the original game were left untouched. The UsefulNotes/PlayStationVita version of the HD Collection and [[http://www.siliconera.com/2013/05/02/we-might-have-to-wait-a-little-longer-for-a-zone-of-the-enders-sequel/ the would-be-sequel]] were QuietlyCanceled.

* BonusBoss: A secret area hidden in the second game can be accessed on NewGamePlus by using the Vector Cannon in a level taking place way before the player obtains it in the main campaign. [[spoiler:Accessing it allows players to fight against a ''slightly'' toned-down version of Aumaan Anubis.]] There's also another hidden area in the Aumann Fortress, the game's penultimate stage. [[spoiler:Accessing this area will take players into boss battle against Naked Jehuty if they're not already using said form of Jehuty.]]

* DeathSeeker: [[spoiler:Viola. Pure and simple. She everything she ever wanted to live for as a BAHRAM soldier, especially after her romantic crush, Radam, is [[DespairEventHorizon killed]], and the only thing that gave her life meaning anymore was fighting.]]

* AmbiguouslyBrown: Dingo's race is never stated, but he's noticeably darker in skin tone than the rest of the cast.

* BonusBoss: A secret area hidden in the second game can be accessed on NewGamePlus by using the Vector Cannon in a level taking place way before the player obtains it in the main campaign. [[spoiler:Accessing it allows players to fight against a ''slightly'' toned-down version of Anubis' final form.]] There's also another hidden area in the Aumann Fortress, the game's penultimate stage. [[spoiler:Accessing this area will take players into boss battle against Naked Jehuty.]]

* GrandTheftMe: One moment happens in ''The 2nd Runner'', [[spoiler:after Dingo finally wrecks Nephtis beyond repair and Viola's AI decides to hijack Ken's Ardjet in a lost-ditch effort to destroy Jehuty before her original Frame explodes]].

* KidHero: Leo Stenbuck in the first game. Despite having ''zero combat experience'' let alone in the military, [[TheGift he's able to pick up on the controls and flow of Jehuty's mechanics rather quickly]], being able to lay waste to the more experienced Orbital Frame Runners such as Viola. [[JustAKid And it grates on her]] ''[[BerserkButton every]]'' [[JustAKid nerve with their each encounter]].

** The Inhert is also a case of this looking more like something straight out of the ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' series. But considering who designed it[[labelnote:*]](Kazuma Kaneko of ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' fame)[[/labelnote]], it makes sense. To elaborate, it is the only Frame that has the cockpit on the head, cockpit itself being shaped like a statue of a woman with a sword and angelic wings, which is white in contrast to the rest of the Frame being covered in some sort of black shielding.

* NonStandardGameOver: The first game has one, but it is so hard to get that most players are unaware it even exists. [[spoiler:If you fail all SOS missions, Thunderheart is suddenly killed by a random explosion as soon as you contact him, without any foreshadowing whatsoever. ADA confirms it was caused by Jehuty hitting an underground power line, meaning that [[YouBastard Leo is directly responsible for his death]]. The game then ends just as ADA flatly asks "Are you happy now?"]]

* PreRenderedGraphics: The first game uses CGI graphics for the 3D anime cutscenes.

** [[spoiler:Deckson and Phil]] from ''The Fist of Mars'', altrough the latter survives in the 24s route.

The original, eponymous game (more distinctly titled ''Zone of the Enders: Z.O.E.'' in Japan) was a high-speed [[MechaGame mecha]] combat game released in 2001 for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2. Leo Stenbuck, a kid living in a space colony orbiting Jupiter, [[FallingIntoTheCockpit falls into the cockpit]] of a SuperPrototype Orbital Frame named Jehuty when the colony is attacked by the Martian rebel group, BAHRAM. Leo quickly discovers that BAHRAM has come to the colony for Jehuty, but realizes that their reign of terror won't end if he hands over the machine. With the help of Jehuty's [[ArtificialIntelligence AI]] program, ADA, Leo sets out to break through BAHRAM's forces, save his fellow colonists, and deliver Jehuty to the [[TheFederation UNSF]] on the other side of the colony.

''Zone of the Enders'' for [=PS2=] had brisk initial sales, mostly attributed to the fact that [[PreviewPiggybacking the game was packaged with a demo for]] ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty Metal Gear Solid 2]]''. For many players, Z.O.E. was "the free game" that came with their demo. Nonetheless, the game sold well enough to gain a cult following of its own.

A sequel, ''Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner'' (''ANUBIS: Zone of the Enders'' in Japan), was released on the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 in 2003. Miner and former BAHRAM soldier Dingo Egret finds Jehuty hidden on Callisto. Hostile BAHRAM soldiers arrive and Dingo is forced to fight his way to their command ship, where he meets his old colleague and BAHRAM's leader, Nohman. Dingo refuses an offer to rejoin the group, so Nohman [[CombatPragmatist shoots him]]. Dingo wakes up hardwired to Jehuty's life-support systems, unable to leave the cockpit. Ken Marinaris, a soldier Dingo fought on Callisto, explains that she's a UNSF spy and requests his assistance in exchange for having saved his life. Dingo escapes to Mars, battles BAHRAM forces, and clashes with Leo Stenbuck in the [[VideoGame/{{Gradius}} Vic Viper]]. He steels himself to settle the score with Nohman and finish the destined battle between Jehuty and its EvilCounterpart, Anubis.


A TurnBasedStrategy SpinOff game, ''VideoGame/ZoneOfTheEndersTheFistOfMars'' (''Z.O.E. 2173 Testament'' in Japan), was released for the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance as well. A boy named Cage Midwell finds a strangely powerful LEV hidden on a cruise liner. He climbs aboard along with a mysterious girl just before the ship is destroyed. The duo falls in with the rebel group BIS, which seeks to free Mars from UNSF oppression. ''Fist of Mars'' plays similar to the ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' series, but changes the formula with a crosshair-aligning gameplay system that determines whether attacks hit or miss. Although stats determine how difficult this is, any unit can hit any enemy and dodge any attack if the player plays skillfully.

Despite middling sales, ''Zone of the Enders'' continues to be a cult favorite and was a bit of a pet project for Kojima. A [[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2012-05-25/kojima-unveils-zone-of-enders-sequel-project sequel]] was announced in 2012, showing off DarkerAndEdgier looks for Jehuty and Anubis and promising more fantasy elements. An ''[[UpdatedRerelease HD]] [[CompilationRerelease Collection]]'' of the first two console games was released in October 2012 for UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 and UsefulNotes/{{Xbox 360}} ([[MythologyGag and came with a demo for]] ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance''). Unfortunately, the ports were poorly remastered and ended up running at worse frame rates than the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 versions. In response, Kojima Productions and Hexa Drive (the same folks behind the HD re-releases of ''VideoGame/{{Rez}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'') created a patch to fix the errors introduced by the original porting team, Creator/HighVoltageSoftware. The patch was released in July 2013, rectifying the [=PlayStation 3=] version of ''The 2nd Runner'' while the Xbox 360 version and both versions of the original game went untouched. The UsefulNotes/PlayStationVita version of the ''HD Collection'' and [[http://www.siliconera.com/2013/05/02/we-might-have-to-wait-a-little-longer-for-a-zone-of-the-enders-sequel/ the would-be-sequel]] were QuietlyCanceled.

Another remaster of ''The 2nd Runner'', titled "''Zone of The Enders: The 2nd Runner M∀RS''" was announced at Sony's TGS 2017 Press Conference. Developed by Konami in conjunction with Creator/{{Cygames}}, this new remaster includes 4K graphics, remastered High-Def Sound, and the ability to play through the entire game in VR, from the perspective of the inside of Jehuty's cockpit (hence why the A in "''M∀RS''" is upside down in the logo). It was released on [=PlayStation=] 4 and PC via UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} on September 4, 2018.

** Viola's AI from ''The 2nd Runner'' is [[AxCrazy a full-on psycho]].

** In ''Dolores, i'', "Zone of the Enders" by LAZY.

* ApocalypseHow: Pretty high on the scale: it turns out Aumaan's ultimate weapon [[spoiler:will simply compress space all over the solar system, crushing all the planets and the sun itself as though it were a massive fist]].

** In the anime, Baan considers James Links to be his nemesis. Links sees Baan as little more than a pest, for the most part. The audience sees Baan as comic relief . . . until he starts [[WouldHurtAChild shooting children.]]

* [[BulletproofHumanShield Bullet-proof Mecha Shield]]: You can grab enemies and use them as a shield. The enemies will still shoot, causing them to hurt their allies instead of you. This comes in really useful, especially in the second game, where those enemies are your only defense against a difficult boss.

* DegradedBoss: Nephtis's final appearance. A bunch of them respawn infinitely near the entrance to the FinalBoss, and the fact that you can cut them down like flies certainly feels like this trope. Then you can [[NewGamePlus replay the game]] and discover that no, they weren't downgraded, [[InfinityPlusOneSword Naked Jehuty is just that friggin' powerful]].

* TheFederation: The UNSF.

* FullPotentialUpgrade: Jehuty Ver. 2, which you get after the 'Zero Shift' program settles.

* GreenRocks: Metatron, a substance that was originally mined from Calisto. It has powerful properties that advanced the science and technology throughout the series, but it also known to cause great madness and rage to those who come into close proximity with it, creating a sickness known as "Metatron poisoning" to those who suffer from its effects.

** The Single-sword Raptor in the first ''Zone of the Enders''[='=] Versus Mode. You have to beat the game twice to unlock it [[spoiler:and Zombie Neith (which is itself a powerhouse)]], but from all outward appearances, it's only a weaker version of the already anemic Raptor. Then you realize the third strike on its 3-hit combo completely bypasses shields...

* MartialArtsStaff: Anubis uses a battle stuff as its melee weapon of choice.

* MultiPlatform: The first two mainline ''Zone of the Enders'' games where originally released on [=PlayStation=] 2. The ''HD Collection'' re-releases both games for [=PlayStation=] 3 and Xbox 360. ''The 2nd Runner M∀RS'' is a 4K and VR compatible remaster of the game for [=PlayStation=] 4 and PC through Steam.

* NebulousEvilOrganisation: BAHRAM, an illegitimate anti-terrestrial military organization is seen as the primary antagonistic force throughout the series. The organization ideology claims to give those independence from Mars, but ultimately they want command dominance over Mars rather than liberation. [[spoiler:This veers off to the deep end with destruction on a galactic scale after a Metatron-ridden Nohman in charge.]]

* NotQuiteDead: [[spoiler:Viola's Neith near the end in the first game gets wrecked and reduced to shambles by Leo, who spares ultimately her despite being responsible for the death of his friends. Viola comes back for the final boss battle, with the same broken Frame with pieces of its broken arms floating next to it.]]

* {{Remaster}}: The 2012 ''HD Collection'' was supposed to be this for the first two [=PlayStation=] 2 games, but due to how High Voltage Studios ported these games to the [=PlayStation=] 3 and Xbox 360, the games ended up being upscaled to 720p rather than having their graphics updated for 1080p standards, which took another developer (Hexa Drive) to deliver on those promises but only for ''The 2nd Runner'' on the [=PlayStation=] 3 version of the collection. ''The 2nd Runner'' would go onto to receive another remaster in 2018 with ''Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner M∀RS'', featuring higher resolution textures, enhanced visual effects, remastered audio for 5.1 surround sound, VR support, and other quality-of-life enhancements, but plays essentially the same as the ''HD Collection'' version (which itself was based off the [=PlayStation=] 2's ''Special Edition'' re-release).
* RPGElements: As you destroy enemies, you gain experience points to level-up Jehuty, increasing its Energy gauge as well as its Subweapon gauge in the sequel.

* SceneryGorn: The bad ending of the first game punishes the player with a sight of an Antilia residential area that is completely destroyed with some buildings that are still burning in flames.

** A tentative example in the names of the main protagonists: ''ZOE's'' hero is named Leo ("Lion"), ''2nd Runner's'' is named Dingo, and ''Dolores, i's'' is named James Links (i.e. "Lynx"). One might even stretch the concept to include ''Fist of Mars'' by saying such animals belong in a 'Cage,' but that's a reach. And there's no real connection at all to ''Idolo's'' Radium Lavans. Of course, seeing how the movie is a glorified pilot for ''Dolores, i,'' [[spoiler:and Radium is actually the [[BigBad villain of the series]],]] that could be excused.

* ToxicPhlebotinum: [[spoiler:Metatron is heavily implied to be this with early symptoms being drunk on power. Continued exposure to it seems to turn the affected into an OmnicidalManiac.]]

The original, eponymous game (more distinctly titled ''Zone of the Enders: Z.O.E.'' in Japan) was a high-speed [[MechaGame mecha]] combat game released in 2001 for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2. Leo Stenbuck, a kid living in a space colony orbiting Jupiter, [[FallingIntoTheCockpit falls into the cockpit]] of a SuperPrototype Orbital Frame named Jehuty when the colony is attacked by the Martian rebel group, BAHRAM. Leo quickly discovers that BAHRAM has come to the colony for Jehuty, but realizes that their reign of terror won't end if he hands over the machine. With the help of Jehuty's [[ArtificialIntelligence A.I.]] program, ADA, Leo sets out to break through BAHRAM's forces, save his fellow colonists, and deliver Jehuty to the [[TheFederation UNSF]] on the other side of the colony.

** The [[ArtificialIntelligence A.I.]] of Hathor and Anubis are decidedly evil, while [[spoiler:Hathor's twin sister]] Dolores is a bubbly and innocent RobotGirl. By contrast, [[spoiler:Dolores's [[SplitPersonality alternate identity]],]] Isis, while seeming evil at first glance, is really just a neutral [[CombatPragmatist Combat Pragmatist]] who will readily relinquish control to the pilot [[spoiler:or Dolores]]... as soon as any perceived threat is eliminated with EXTREME and unrestrained prejudice.

* AlasPoorVillain: [[spoiler:Viola in the first game. The music that plays during her death will ''most certainly'' not help.]]

* BackgroundHalo: On Viola's frame, Neith and its successor [[spoiler:(piloted by Viola's psychotic A.I.)]] Nephtis.

** Leo and Cage, helped by the fact that they have some stupidly-powerful mecha with good A.I..

* {{BFG}}: The Vector Cannon.

** With Ken in ''The 2nd Runner''. If the player holds Ken's Ardjet near the lava long enough after rescuing her [[spoiler:from Viola's A.I.]], the anime cutscene that follows changes to show her without the top half of her spacesuit and revealing her tank top. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcHm63Vc5nk Oh Kojima, you scoundrel!]]

* FightingYourFriend: Dingo never wanted Viola to be one of his enemies. [[spoiler:Unfortunately, he has to deal with Viola in the form of an evil battle-craving A.I..]]

* ManaMeter: The Subweapon (SUB) gauge in the sequel.

* MultiPlatform: The first two mainline ''Zone of the Enders'' games where originally released on [=PlayStation=] 2. The ''HD Collection'' re-releases both games for [=PlayStation=] 3 and Xbox 360. ''The 2nd Runner - M∀RS'' is a 4K and VR compatible remaster of the game for [=PlayStation=] 4 and PC through Steam.

* {{Remaster}}: The 2012 ''HD Collection'' was supposed to be this for the first two [=PlayStation=] 2 games, but due to how High-Voltage Studios ported these games to the [=PlayStation=] 3 and Xbox 360, the games ended up being upscaled to 720p rather than having their graphics updated for 1080p standards, which took another developer (Hexa Drive) to deliver on those promises but only for ''The 2nd Runner'' on the [=PlayStation=] 3 version of the collection. ''The 2nd Runner'' would go onto to receive another remaster in 2018 with ''Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner M∀RS'', featuring support for 4K resolution, optional VR capabilities, and other quality-of-life enhancements, but plays essentially the same as the ''HD Collection'' version (which itself was based off the [=PlayStation=] 2's ''Special Edition'' re-release).

** [[spoiler:Also Viola A.I.'s grudge against Jehuty, in a nutshell.]]

Despite middling sales, ''Zone of the Enders'' continues to be a cult favorite and was a bit of a pet project for Kojima. A [[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2012-05-25/kojima-unveils-zone-of-enders-sequel-project sequel]] was announced in 2012, showing off DarkerAndEdgier looks for Jehuty and Anubis and promising more fantasy elements. An [[UpdatedRerelease HD]] [[CompilationRerelease Collection]] of the first two console games was released in October 2012 for UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 and UsefulNotes/{{Xbox 360}} ([[MythologyGag and came with a demo for]] ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance''). Unfortunately, the ports were poorly remastered and ended up running at worse frame rates than the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 versions. In response, Kojima Productions and Hexa Drive (the same folks behind the HD re-releases of ''VideoGame/{{Rez}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'') created a patch to fix the errors introduced by the original porting team, Creator/HighVoltageSoftware. The patch was released in July 2013, rectifying the [=PlayStation 3=] version of ''The 2nd Runner'' while the Xbox 360 version and both versions of the original game went untouched. The UsefulNotes/PlayStationVita version of the ''HD Collection'' and [[http://www.siliconera.com/2013/05/02/we-might-have-to-wait-a-little-longer-for-a-zone-of-the-enders-sequel/ the would-be-sequel]] were QuietlyCanceled.

''Zone of the Enders'' is a HumongousMecha series published by Creator/{{Konami}} and produced by Creator/HideoKojima, the creator of the ''Franchise/MetalGear'' franchise as well as the director of ''VisualNovel/{{Snatcher}}'' and its SpiritualSuccessor, ''VisualNovel/{{Policenauts}}''.

This game was accompanied by a sort of franchise-building initiative with several tie-in products. ''Zone of the Enders: 2167 IDOLO'', a prequel [[AnimeOfTheGame anime]] [[OriginalVideoAnimation OVA]] starring Viola Gyune (TheDragon of the game) and Radium Lavans, was released just before the game's launch. The protagonists join a resistance movement against the Earth using Idolo, the first Orbital Frame. This was followed by a full TV Series, ''Zone of the Enders: Dolores, I'', where a space trucker named James Links receives the Orbital Frame Dolores from his estranged wife Rachel, one of Idolo's designers and a casualty of the OVA's events. The frame curiously thinks of the trucker as her uncle, spurring James to seek out and reconcile with his children. Both the OVA and TV series received DVD releases, and later in 2012 (in Japan), re-released on Blu-ray.

Despite middling sales, ''Zone of the Enders'' continues to be a cult favorite and was a bit of a pet project for Kojima. A [[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2012-05-25/kojima-unveils-zone-of-enders-sequel-project sequel]] was announced in 2012, showing off DarkerAndEdgier looks for Jehuty and Anubis and promising more fantasy elements. An [[UpdatedRerelease HD]] [[CompilationRerelease Collection]] of the first two console games was released in October 2012 for UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 and UsefulNotes/{{Xbox 360}} ([[MythologyGag and came with a demo for]] ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance''). Unfortunately, the ports were poorly remastered and ended up running at worse frame rates than the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 versions. In response, Kojima Productions and Hexa Drive (the same folks behind the HD re-releases of ''VideoGame/{{Rez}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'') created a patch to fix the errors made by the original porting team, Creator/HighVoltageSoftware. The patch was released in July 2013, rectifying the [=PlayStation 3=] version of ''The 2nd Runner'' while the Xbox 360 version and both versions of the original game went untouched. The UsefulNotes/PlayStationVita version of the HD Collection and [[http://www.siliconera.com/2013/05/02/we-might-have-to-wait-a-little-longer-for-a-zone-of-the-enders-sequel/ the would-be-sequel]] were [[DevelopmentHell put on hold]] in response.

Another remaster of ''The 2nd Runner'', titled "''Zone of The Enders: The 2nd Runner M∀RS''" was announced at Sony's TGS 2017 Press Conference. Developed by Konami in conjunction with Creator/{{Cygames}}, this new remaster includes 4K graphics, remastered High-Def Sound, and the ability to play through the entire game in VR, from the perspective of the inside of Jehuty's cockpit (hence why the A in "''M∀RS''" is upside down in the logo). It was released on [=PlayStation=] 4 and PC via Steam on September 4, 2018.

* AIIsACrapshoot: It is implied that the A.I. in this series is more or less [[HumanityIsInfectious a reflection of the frame runner's psyche]], so this trope gets played with a lot:
** The [[ArtificialIntelligence A.I.]] of Hathor and Anubis are decidedly evil, while [[spoiler: Hathor's twin sister]] Dolores is a bubbly and innocent RobotGirl. By contrast, [[spoiler:Dolores's [[SplitPersonality alternate identity]],]] Isis, while seeming evil at first glance, is really just a neutral [[CombatPragmatist Combat Pragmatist]] who will readily relinquish control to the pilot [[spoiler:or Dolores]]... as soon as any perceived threat is eliminated with EXTREME and unrestrained prejudice.
*** Dolores is actually a unique example, [[spoiler: as she turns out to be a remnant of Dolores Hayes's persona, which became imprinted on Idolo when she died.]]
** Viola's A.I. from ''The 2nd Runner'' is [[AxCrazy a full-on psycho]].

** In ''Dolores, I'' one Raptor goes rogue and ends up becoming friends with Dolores.
* AlasPoorVillain: [[spoiler: Viola in the first game. The music that plays during her death will ''most certainly'' not help.]]

** Dingo, a former BAHRAM military pilot, and is a genius runner to the extent to be rumored to be the only one that can match Nohman in one-on-one battle. And that's probably the reason why the Jehuty in the second game is far stronger and more useful than the first game Jehuty. (There's also the fact it gets upgrades in the second it never had in the first.)
** James Links, main protagonist of the anime, is just a lowly truck driver . . . and a former decorated, highly skilled LEV military pilot. Even if his mech's AI is keeping watch over all the complex background sub-systems, she is very much NOT suited for fighting, which means all that [[CurbStompBattle brutal ass-whooping]] that gets dealt out over the course of the series? That's all James. And then there's the "Die Hard" episode . . . .
* TheAnimeOfTheGame: ''Zone of the Enders: 2167 IDOLO'', an OVA prequel to the first game; and ''Zone of the Enders: Dolores, I'', an anime TV series that follows on ''2167 IDOLO''[='=]s story.

** In ''Dolores, I'', "Zone of the Enders" by LAZY.

* AnythingThatMoves: Yukito.

** Viola to Leo and Nohman to Dingo.

** The exception is in ''Dolores, i'', since James is a UNSF veteran, but the Dolores' A.I. is, well... not suited for combat. Then again, James isn't too good at the beginning either, as he's never piloted an Orbital Frame before. He actually improves fairly slowly (and on paper isn't a match for any of the "elites", though he generally muddles through with sheer pluck and the fact that his new "niece" is a SuperPrototype).

%%* BladeOnAStick: Anubis' .
* BleakLevel: In ''The 2nd Runner'', in the area just before fighting Nephtis, you come across an area where are broken [=LEV=]s as far as the eye can see, some of which have been ripped apart or have [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe their upper bodies destroyed]]. The music in the area is also almost non-existent and very foreboding.
* BlindIdiotTranslation:
** ''The 2nd Runner'' is rife with it, but it [[SoBadItsGood doesn't really hurt the game overall]].

** A small but egregiously noteworthy one in ''Dolores, i'' states, at the end of the series, that the plan [[spoiler:to [[ColonyDrop crash the orbital elevator onto earth]]]] will wipe out the entire population of the planet . . . 120 million people. Wait, WHAT? Why is the population of the Earth in the 22nd century less than two-hundredths of the current population? This is generally accepted to be a translation error of two decimal places, and the intended number was 12 ''billion.''

* BrainUploading: A partial, unintentional example, [[spoiler: Upon her death, Dolores Hayes's persona becomes partially imprinted on Idolo, eventually becoming the Dolores A.I. when the remains of Idolo were used to construct the Isis frame.]]
* BrightIsNotGood: [[spoiler: Aumaan Anubis]] is the ultimate form of [[spoiler: Anubis]] after merging with the fortress. [[spoiler: Anubis]] becomes a bright, white machine with yellow accents and gains a halo with large hexagonal wings. The problem is that the orbital frame's runner is [[spoiler: an omnicidal maniac that wants to destroy the solar system]].

* CainAndAbel:
** The Orbital Frames Jehuty and Anubis.
** Dolores and Hathor. As well as Testament and Iblis. This series loves invoking this trope.

* ChargedAttack: Frequently:
** The Burst Shot, where Jehuty pushes a lot of its shot energy into a "bubble" of compressed space, then projects it all at once at a target.

* CherryTapping: Forced upon you in ''The 2nd Runner'' when you fight Anubis for real [[spoiler:Jehuty has been damaged, leaving the only things it can do is blade, dash, grab, burst-blade and Zero Shift. No shield nor long-range weapons of any kind]]. Needless to say, it makes Anubis insanely hard on your first attempts.

* CloudcuckooLander: Dolores.

* ComputerVoice: The A.I. of an Orbital Frame.
* CowardlyLion: Taper in ''The 2nd Runner''.

* DamselInDistress: Happens to Ken twice in ''The 2nd Runner''; [[spoiler:first when Viola's A.I. possesses her Ardjet, then she gets captured by Nohman by time Dingo gets to the Aumaan facility]].
* DarkActionGirl: Viola.

* DeathSeeker: [[spoiler:Viola. Pure and simple. She pretty much lost everything she ever wanted to live for as a BAHRAM soldier, especially after her romantic crush, Radam, is [[DespairEventHorizon killed]], and the only thing that gave her life meaning anymore was fighting.]]

** In ''The 2nd Runner'', Jehuty's upgraded forms get a 'Passive' version. Ver. 2's stops basic shot attacks, while Naked Jehuty's stops ''all'' ranged attacks (except for the Final Boss).

** Nohman is the BigBad of the entire series, serving as a PostClimaxConfrontation HopelessBossFight in the first game, and the primary antagonist for the whole of the sequel. But in ''Dolores, i''? He's just some cocky jerk who shows up to mock Pleminger's BAHRAM unit.[[spoiler: It's revealed in backstory materials that Nohman was running his own gambit to take over Bahram via the chaos Radium's plan created.]]

** What you're trying to prevent in the first game to leave Antilia with minimal collateral damage; going around mindlessly wrecking things can impact the ending. In ''The 2nd Runner'', however, it's the complete opposite as long as you're not breaking something important to complete a task (like shooting a container to find Taper with a [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill Burst Shot]]).

* DisneyVillainDeath: [[spoiler:Baan.]]

* TheDragon: Viola [[spoiler:and her A.I. copy]].

* EscortMission: Two in ''The 2nd Runner''. The first one have you trying to bring Taper to a catapult on the BAHRAM battleship to get to Mars, then later you have to carry Ken's Ardjet out of a tower leading into Air's Cliff [[spoiler:after frying her Orbit Frame's A.I. to erase Viola]].

* GameBreakingBug: The first game on the Playstation 2 has a very nasty bug that occurs if the system's internal clock isn't set: saving at any moment in the map not only crashes the game, but also kicks the game back to the system's Browser menu. And while a save file is created, the game will fail to recognize it, as if the file is corrupted. The only way to fix this issue is by setting the time and date of the internal clock.

* GoodOldFisticuffs: The Cyclops fights (mostly) with their fists. Their Burst Attack has them performing [[MegatonPunch a powerful punch]] [[PunchedAcrossTheRoom that sends its enemies flying]].

* GreenRocks: Metatron.

** [[spoiler:Deckson and Pharsti]] in ''The Fist of Mars''. Depending on the route, [[spoiler: Phil]] might also pull one.

** [[spoiler:Dolores and Radium Lavans in ''Dolores, I''. For Dolores' case, she [[DisneyDeath survived at the end]].]]

* HopelessBossFight: Any battle against Anubis prior to the climax of the second game. While it's technically possible to inflict some damage on it if you're really good or lucky, there is no chance of actually winning against it.

* [[ImplacableMan Implacable Mecha]]: [[{{Determinator}} Nephtis]] in ''The 2nd Runner''. No matter what you do to it, it will not stop hunting down Jehuty. [[PunctuatedForEmphasis It. Will not. Freaking. Die!]] [[spoiler:Until Viola's A.I. was finally deleted after possessing Ken's Ardjet.]]

* InfinityPlusOneSword: The name of [[GodMode Naked Jehuty]] may sound stupid, but there is only one Orbital Frame that can withstand it's ''one'' full blade combo, and that one foe, is the FinalBoss itself. Naked Jehuty also has infinite sub-weapon energy, allowing it to spam Homing Missiles to wipe out everything in seconds, and use Mummy to recover its energy gauge while blocking virtually everything the game throws at it. For the full run-down: It's basic shot attack will OneHitKO any non-boss, most non-boss attacks [[NoSell won't do any damage]], the only attack it ''can't'' guard against is the FinalBoss's burst attack, simply using it's burst mode will destroy enemies in melee-range and it has Infinite SP energy. Justified since it's Jehuty after absorbing [[spoiler:Anubis']] energy. It is the combination [[spoiler:of the two most powerful Orbital Frames ever created]], so what do you expect?

** [[spoiler:Viola in the first game, until she was remade as A.I. for her new Frame in the second.]]

* LargeHam:

* LatexSpaceSuit: Viola Gyune [[spoiler:(and her A.I. copy)]], Dingo Egret, and Ken Marinaris wear one. Interesting to note that [[http://images.wikia.com/zoe/images/e/e3/Zoe2-ken-marinaris3.jpg Ken]] and [[http://images.wikia.com/zoe/images/4/41/ViolaZOE.jpg Viola's]] spacesuits have faux ZettaiRyouiki and StockingFiller appeal.

** Amante means lover in Spanish and Portuguese.

* MookCommander: In ''2'', some enemies have a [[PowerGlows glowing]] "COMMANDER" designation, which allows them to activate a party formation with nearby units, giving the other units a noticeable boost in attack and defense power (and overall aggressiveness).

* NebulousEvilOrganisation: BAHRAM.

* ObfuscatedInterface: [[spoiler:Don't try to drive your Orbital Frame without AI's help]]

** Nohman, who wants to [[spoiler:annihilate the Solar System]] because... um... well, he's crazy, and that's all the information we get.

* PlayingWithFire: Slash's Frame Tempest from the first game.

* PsychoSerum: Any human who is in contact with Metatron or Metatron-powered machines too long becomes decidedly insane and gains freaky powers. [[spoiler:Radium Levans managed a last minute HeroicSacrifice once his ships' evil A.I. was killed, while Nohman died as evil as he lived.]]

* RecurringBoss: Viola is one in both games, well... [[spoiler:one could argue about the second]], and Nohman is also one in ''The 2nd Runner''.

* [[SatelliteLoveInterest Satellite]] ImpliedLoveInterest: Celvice. She doesn't have much characterization outside of being a companion of Leo's. You can pretty much remove her from the first game and the plot wouldn't be affected at all. [[spoiler: Well, just ''barely''.]] [[PutOnABus She all but disappears in the second game.]]

** Nephtis' boss theme [[spoiler:is named "ALOIVIA", a backwards anagram for "Viola A.I."]].

* SmugSnake: Most of the villains.

* SpoilerOpening: ''The 2nd Runner''[='=]s intro manages to spoil numerous twists from the game, including [[spoiler:Viola's apparent return from the death ''and'' the fact it was really an A.I.]].

* SuperpoweredEvilSide: Dolores' ISIS Mode, although it was implied that the ISIS Mode ''is'' Dolores' A.I. of the Isis frame.

* TrueCompanions: Dingo goes into a BAHRAM ship in order to draw BAHRAM away from Callisto so his miner friends do not get hurt. Also, his main motivation to fight against BAHRAM [[spoiler:is to avenge his comrades who were unknowingly sent on a suicide mission to be used as a decoy. Dingo was the only one who survived from the UNSF's assault]].

** Another remaster of ''The 2nd Runner'' was released on [=PlayStation=] and PC through Steam in 2018 as ''Zone of The Enders: The 2nd Runner M∀RS'', which further enhances the visuals to 4K, features remastered sound design, revised tutorials, added a new "VERY EASY" difficulty for beginners of ''Zone of the Enders'', a new "PRO" control layout, and revamped the ZORADIUS mini-game. It's other new feature is being able to experience the game in VR through Jehuty's cockpit. The PC version also features some extra optional visual tweaks such as screen-space reflections and occlusion, adjustable film grain, and motion blur.

* LaserGuidedAmnesia: [[spoiler:Myona]] in ''The Fist of Mars''.

* MysteriousWaif: Myona in ''The Fist of Mars''.

* OlderThanTheyLook: Possibly [[spoiler:Amante]] in ''The Fist of Mars''.

* RedEyesTakeWarning: [[spoiler:Bolozof]] in ''The Fist of Mars'' due to his [[spoiler: overexposure to Metatron]].

* UnsettlingGenderReveal: Cage in ''The Fist of Mars'' thinks [[OverlyLongName Philbright Westriverside Warehouserock XXVI]] is a girl in their first meeting.

* WickedCultured: Lance Jimmer from ''The Fist of Mars''.

** With Ken in ''The 2nd Runner''. If the player holds Ken's Ardjet near the lava long enough after rescuing her [[spoiler:from Viola's A.I.]], the anime cutscene that follows changes to show her without the top half of her spacesuit [[BareYourMidriff and revealing her tank top]]. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcHm63Vc5nk Oh Kojima, you scoundrel!]]

A TurnBasedStrategy SpinOff game, ''Zone of the Enders: The Fist of Mars'' (''Z.O.E. 2173 Testament'' in Japan), was released for the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance as well. A boy named Cage Midwell finds a strangely powerful LEV hidden on a cruise liner. He climbs aboard along with a mysterious girl just before the ship is destroyed. The duo falls in with the rebel group BIS, which seeks to free Mars from UNSF oppression. ''Fist of Mars'' plays similar to the ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' series, but changes the formula with a crosshair-aligning gameplay system that determines whether attacks hit or miss. Although stats determine how difficult this is, any unit can hit any enemy and dodge any attack if the player plays skillfully.

* AFatherToHisMen: Deckson from ''The Fist of Mars''.

* TheAtoner: Easily all the good guys in ''The Fist of Mars'', in one way or another.

* BattleButler: Twede from ''The Fist of Mars''. Battle Secretary would be more accurate though.

* BitchInSheepsClothing: Amante from ''The Fist of Mars''

* BodyCountCompetition: There's one in ''The Fist of Mars''. What's particularly strange is that this competition [[spoiler:determines which story path you go on, and what ending you get]].

* BrainwashedAndCrazy: [[spoiler:Ares and Myona]] suffer through this in ''The Fist of Mars''.

%%* ChristmasCake: Mebius from ''The Fist of Mars''.
* ChronicBackStabbingDisorder: All the antagonists in ''The Fist of Mars'' seem to suffer from this.

* CuttingOffTheBranches: Done in ''Fist of Mars'', where halfway through, the storyline splits depending on whether you destroy more or less enemy units than a trio of [=NPCs=]. However, while the routes are notably different, the ending is more or less the same for both routes.

* DamselInDistress:
** Happens to Ken twice in ''The 2nd Runner''; [[spoiler:first when Viola's A.I. possesses her Ardjet, then she gets captured by Nohman by time Dingo gets to the Aumaan facility]].
** [[MysteriousWaif Myona Alderan]] from ''Fist of Mars'' is also targetted by the villains because of her special ability.

* GambitPileup The plot of ''The Fist of Mars''.

* GreenEyedMonster: [[spoiler:Phil]] from ''The Fist of Mars'' has a million different misgivings with Cage and they all tie back to this, namely that the girl he has a crush on is attracted to Cage, and that Cage gets to take the helm of every sortie despite being the newbie while [[spoiler:Phil]] himself is marginalized and stuck in a support role. [[spoiler:Depending on which route the player takes, he may even pull a FaceHeelTurn because of this trope. Fittingly enough, Phil even has green eyes.]]

* ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies: [[spoiler:Myona]] in ''The Fist of Mars'' falls into this line of thinking [[spoiler:after regaining her memory]]. [[spoiler:She even tries to die in the facility where she got turned into a {{Tykebomb}} so her friends do not get hurt by people who may come after her in one of the two possible scenarios.]]

* DeathSeeker: [[spoiler:Viola. Pure and simple. She pretty much lost everything she ever wanted to live for as a BAHRAM soldier, especially after her romantic crush, Radam, is [[DespairEventHorizon killed]], and the only thing that give her life meaning anymore was fighting.]]

* DeathSeeker: [[spoiler:Viola. She pretty much lost everything she ever wanted to live for as a BAHRAM soldier, and the only thing that give her life meaning was fighting.]]

* FreezeFrameBonus: When [[spoiler:Ken loses control of her Ardjet orbital frame and panics about being completely unable to control it, there's a few moments where the AI-rendition of the late Viola Gyune in a '''[[https://i.imgur.com/IcMk5z8.png very chilling]]''' '''{{SlasherSmile smile]]''']]

* FightingYourFriend: Dingo never wanted Viola to be one of his enemies. [[spoiler:Unfortunately, he has to deal with Viola in the form of an evil battle A.I..]]

* BewareTheNiceOnes: Push Dolores enough and you run the risk of waking her ISIS mode, which will terminate you in the most efficient manner possible.

* HotScientist: Rachel Links and Dolores Heyes.

-->'''ADA''': "[[TransformationSequence Shift to VECTOR CANNON Mode]]. All energy lines connected. [[DoNotRunWithAGun Landing gear and climbing irons locked]]. Inner chamber pressure rising normally. [[EverythingsBetterWithSpinning Life-ring has started revolving]]. [[SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound Ready to fire]]."

** Barring Testament, all of the BIS' [=LEVs=] & [=OFs=] are named after weapons: Edge, Blade, [[{{Excalibur}} Calibur, Caliburnus]], [[Literature/TheSongOfRoland Durandal]], [[Literature/TheHobbit Orcrist]], Vjaya (a mispelling of [[Myth/HinduMythology Vajra]],) Dreizehn (real name "Toradar"), and Justeen (real name [[AnAxeToGrind "Francesca"]].)

* BladeOnAStick: Anubis' WeaponOfChoice.