Line #55 WebAnimation/RedVsBlueZero


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rvb_zero_bluray.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:''[[{{Tagline}} Is Zero greater than our five heroes?]]'']]
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4	The 18th season of ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'' follows a new cast of characters and focuses on a special ops group called Shatter Squad, who are hunting down a crime syndicate leader named Zero, who is after the Ultimate Power. The showrunner is Torrian Crawford, who previously animated [[WebAnimation/RedVsBlueSeason14 season 14]]'s "[[Recap/RedVsBlueS14E13MetaVsCarolinaDawnOfAwesome Meta vs. Carolina: Dawn of Awesome]]".
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6	It was followed by ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlueFamilyShatters'', a non-canonical comedy miniseries about Shatter Squad.
7
8	'''Warning: This page will contain unmarked spoilers for the previous seasons.'''
9	----
10	!!Tropes:
11	* TwentyFourHourArmor: Carolina's arm was broken in episode 1. Come episode 2 she's in the infirmary, still in full armor and is even wearing a cast over her armor.
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13	* ActionFilmQuietDramaScene: The episode "Shattered", which is the only one without action.
14	* ActionizedSequel: Compared to previous seasons, which typically had a strong focus on comedy and left action as a secondary element, this season has a very heavy focus on fast-paced action.
15	* AnachronicOrder: "Encounter" goes back and forth between the chase started in the previous episode, its preparations, and its aftermath.
16	* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: After 17 seasons focusing on the Blood Gulch Crew, this season moves to a new cast of characters called Shatter Squad; only Carolina, Washington, and [[spoiler:Tucker]] carry over.
17	* AnimationBump: It's the first full season done only with animation, namely in the Unreal Engine. Albeit a system to control with game controllers and use the {{Machinima}} animators for HeadBob and such was developed.
18	* AntagonistTitle: This season is named after its BigBad, Zero.
19	* ArtifactTitle: While the franchise had ''already'' undergone this beforehand, since the titular Reds and Blues had long stopped fighting each other, it's taken up to eleven here. Aside from some cameos of Wash and [[spoiler:Tucker]], the Reds and Blues are entirely absent.[[note]]While Carolina ''does'' have a substantial role, she never actually joined either Team, and was considered just part of the Blood Gulch Crew.[[/note]]
20	* BaitAndSwitchCharacterIntro: Tiny the mechanic is introduced tinkering under a vehicle. She stands up, towering over the other characters with her hulking figure. Then, after a {{beat}}, reveals her bubbly, girly mannerisms and voice.
21	* BigBad: Zero, the leader of Viper.
22	* BreakingOldTrends: In a series first, ''Zero'' is done outside any of the ''Halo'' games and is instead entirely animated, including the "machinima" bits.
23	* BrickJoke: One of the first jokes is Raymond trying to charge his phone. The final scene reveals [[spoiler:he alone didn't realize everyone was using codenames because he missed the appropriate e-mail because of said phone]].
24	* CatchingTheSpeedster: East has her [[SuperSpeed burst step]] countered by opponents a few times.
25	** In "Duo", East charges and leaps at Carolina, who catches and flips her, using East's own momentum to toss her across the room. Shortly after, East uses her burst step to run circles around Carolina, who intercepts her by driving an elbow into her gut.
26	** In "Encounter", East runs around Zero and does a flying kick at him from behind. He ducks her attack and charges her while she's recovering. She tries to charge him again, only to run straight into his kick and get knocked back. Shortly after, she tries to charge him again, zipping around and attacking from behind, only for Zero to catch her by the face without looking.
27	* ClickHello: Done twice in a row, first without the click, only a teleporter coming in... and then there's one [[ShoutOut directly borrowed from]] ''Film/TheMatrix'', only with a shotgun ("Dodge this!").
28	* DangerousForbiddenTechnique: During the final battle, Raymond overclocks the heroes' suits, increasing their power output in exchange for risking putting them into a coma.
29	* DemotedToExtra: Washington and [[spoiler:Tucker]] spend most of their screentime hospitalized after being beaten to a pulp during their encounters with Viper.
30	* EvilCounterpart: The Viper Syndicate has [[MeaningfulName Zero/One]] (the latter says during their fight that both went through the same training, only he was also enhanced), Diesel/West (both are the big, imposing brawlers), and Phase/East (one is pink, the other is purple, both have speedy powers and melee skills) - [[spoiler:with the last one downright being a person and a holographic copy]].
31	* EvilOverlooker: The Blu-ray cover has Shatter Squad at the bottom and [[BigBad Zero]] looming over them in the background.
32	* FreudWasRight: [[spoiler:Tucker is enraged about losing his sword, making him "half a man", which bringing the symbolism one step further leads him to say it's very important, "even more than the guy downstairs".]]
33	* GilliganCut: In "Duo", Raymond refuses to go check out a sound with West, then it cuts to them proceeding towards the sound.
34	-->'''West:''' Let's check it out.\
35	'''Raymond:''' "Let's check it out" is what you say when you want to die in a scary movie! Nope, I'm good. Don't feel like dying today.\
36	''[Cut to the two of them on an elevator]''\
37	'''Raymond:''' ''[slumping]'' We dying today.
38	* GivenNameReveal: The final episodes have the heroes reveal their given names: One is [[spoiler:Jamie]], Axel is [[spoiler:Lance]], East is [[spoiler:Danyell]], West is [[spoiler:Bruce]], and Raymond is... Raymond.
39	* HardLight: [[spoiler:"East" turns out to be a Holo-Echo, a solid hologram with a person's personality record, of the real East, Phase.]]
40	* HighFiveLeftHanging: In Tiny's introduction, she makes a quip about Axel being "ancient" and reaches out to East for a high five. East scoffs and turns away, and Tiny takes her hand back, looking at it in confusion.
41	* ImStandingRightHere: In episode two, Carolina goes over the dossiers of Shatter Squad to find out who she's working with and makes a bunch of snappy quips about each of them, seemingly just talking out loud to herself while footage plays of the team's various skills. After Carolina quips that Raymond desperately wants to be accepted, it cuts back and shows the entirety of Shatter Squad, who apparently just stood there while Carolina critiqued them.
42	* JackBauerInterrogationTechnique: The Syndicate's attempt to extract information out of Wash, who is [[CasualDangerDialogue very flippant]].
43	* MacGuffin: The "Ultimate Power" that the Viper Syndicate wants, that can only be found/summoned with [[PlotCoupon Artifacts]]. [[spoiler:Which seem to be "Keys" like Tucker's sword.]]
44	* MilkingTheGiantCow: When a HeadBob is not used for tradition's sake, the characters gesticulate wildly while talking.
45	* MeaningfulName: Shatter Squad was part of the Special Ops program GLASS.
46	* NeckLift:
47	** When Viper is interrogating Wash to see if he reveals where the temple is, Diesel is lifting him and pinning him against a wall with one hand.
48	** When Zero catches East by the face in "Encounter", he lifts her off the ground one-handed.
49	* NonIndicativeName: Tiny, who's a huge, [[VocalDissonance squeaky-voiced]] mechanic.
50	* NoodleImplements: Washington's brain damage was healed with cutting-edge robotics... and old kitchen appliances. Which apparently give him the power to discover if nearby microwaves will come off.
51	* OneWordTitle: All the episodes follow this pattern, aside from two-part finale "For Power".
52	* PhysicalFitnessPunishment: In the first episode, One is made to do fifty pushups as punishment for reckless, destructive racing.
53	* PunchCatch: In "Encounter", One throws a powered-up punch at Zero, who catches it, stopping it dead.
54	* RedShirtArmy: The guards in the base where Wash took an Artifact.
55	* RuleOfFunny: Carolina breaks her arm... and the cast is over the armor, [[TwentyFourHourArmor because of course]].
56	* SeriesContinuityError: Since its introduction, the "Great Key" has been established to only work for whoever claimed ownership of it, and that the only way for someone else to use it is to kill the current owner and become the new owner. [[spoiler:When East stabs Tucker and rejoins Phase however, she takes his Great Key, and proceeds to use it while going after the Ultimate Power, despite Tucker ''surviving'' his stab.]]
57	* SkewedPriorities: To West's disgust, Shatter Squad was just supposed to bring in rookie Raymond, and along the way they decided to go AWOL and race with their Warthogs.
58	* ThereWasADoor: Diesel decides to just destroy the walls on the way to the artifact.
59	* {{Troperiffic}}: Torrian Crawford [[https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/red-vs-blue-zero-new-web-series-rooster-teeth has stated]] that his goal was a "a tropey season for the specific goal of just being fun", that was "very aware of how cheesy it is."
60	* UnflinchingWalk: In episode 1, Zero sticks an explosive to a guard, kicks him across the room, then turns and walks away while the explosive goes off in the background.
61	* WalkInChimeIn: Played with in "Shattered"; Axel walks in on Raymond and One conversing and chimes in with a non sequitur because he misheard.
62	-->'''Raymond:''' I've been meaning to go over the tapes from our encounters with Viper. There's gotta be something in there that'll help us figure out countermeasures for their abilities.\
63	''[Axel opens the door and walks in]''\
64	'''Axel:''' You better believe it!\
65	'''Raymond:''' What?\
66	'''Axel:''' Oh. Huh? I thought you said... I thought you said something else. These walls are thick, it's... hard to hear through them, I-- just come with me.
67	* WelcomeBackTraitor: Shatter Squad forgives and welcomes back [[spoiler:Phase/East]] with barely any resentment.
68	* WhamLine: [[spoiler:"We need to save Lavernius Tucker!"]]
69	* WhamEpisode: [[spoiler:"Sideways" by virtue of having East seemingly kill off series mainstay Tucker before revealing herself to be the LiteralSplitPersonality of Phase]].
70	* TheWorfEffect: As if knocking out common soldiers wasn't enough, the Syndicate's powers are made clear when they manage to subdue Washington and Carolina (in the latter's case, even breaking her arm).
71	* YouCantThwartStageOne: [[spoiler:Depsite the heroes' best efforts, they are unable to stop Zero from claiming the Ultimate Power. Luckily, they still manage to defeat him thanks in part to Phase's HeelFaceTurn and the entity behind the Ultimate Power doubting Zero's worthiness enough to not give him full control.]]

Context WebAnimation / RedVsBlueZero