Zyro Kurogane

Zero Kurogane (Japanese: 黒銀ゼロ, Kurogane Zero), also called the Blader of Fire, is the main protagonist of the anime and manga series, Metal Fight Beyblade Zero-G. His Beyblade is Samurai Ifraid W145CF.

Seven years prior to the events of Metal Fight Beyblade Zero-G, Zero witnessed the last battle with the No. 1 Blader in the World, Gingka Hagane triumphing against the God of Destruction, Nemesis. Although Zero was very little at the time, he has admired Gingka ever since and vowed to be just like him one day. Soon enough, Gingka would give Zero his future Beyblade, Samurai Ifraid W145CF. Zero was young at the time, and did not understand the power his Beyblade would contain. However, what he did know, is that he would be grateful for his idol and would meet him again.

Now, in the present, Zero is older and is an advanced Blader. He still has the vow to meet Gingka Hagane again one day and challenge him to a battle, to become the Blader of tomorrow. What Zero doesn't know, is that Beyblade entered a new era; into the Zero-G. Zero will put his full potential and dreams of meeting Gingka into his Beyblading because he does not want to back down, not now, not ever.

Zero is currently on his way to becoming the next No. 1.

Manga
Zero has large and spiky black hair with a flaming orange-red highlight. With a pale-white skin tone, Zero has big spiked, black eyebrows and dark blue eyes. In attire, Zero wears a purple jacket with collars lining at his neck with lime-green zippers on them; along with two circular lime-green details, and spiky grey endings.

With this, Zero wears a grey shirt with a white belt supported by a lime-green design. While having dark-red long skinny-jeans with spiked endings as well. Lastly, Zero wears purple shoes with orange-red, hot-rod highlights on them.

As a young child though, Zero had a different appearance. Being small with smaller hair and a different attire. Wearing an open jacket with buttons and finger-less gloves; and a tee-shirt underneath; along with shorts and small shoes.

Anime
Compared to the manga, Zero has the overall same general design; despite a few differences. Zero's skin is not pale and has more of a skin tone. He has brighter blue eyes along with this. Zero's jacket is an indigo-blue instead of purple with flaming hot-rod designs in place of the yellow ones. Zero's sleeve zippers are now golden and has darker brown gloves.

Zero's belt is remotely unchanged except for more golden details for the yellow variants. His pants are a darker red with golden leg zippers. Lastly, Zero's shoes have a brighter scorching highlight, and an overall black replacing the manga's purple.

Personality
Zero Kurogane is enthusiastic, extremely determined, and a character full of endeavor. As an advanced Blader, he dreams of fighting to the top, in order to be with the likes of his idol. Even if there is something new to him, Zero is up-and-ready for it. Seeing as how he fearlessly challenged Shinobu to a Beybattle; with no question. Although Zero does lose on occasions, he does not get depressed or grope about it; just happy to have battled.

He is known to greatly keep his word, as in the manga, Zero waged his belongings (his robe clothing) if he lost, which he did. Zero's also not very social, possibly because of his single-handed focus on his current aspiration to meet and battle, Gingka Hagane.

History
As a young boy, Zero Kurogane was a witness among with many others, who saw the epic battle between the Legendary Blader and No. 1 Blader in the world, Gingka Hagane and the God of Destruction, Nemesis. In the climax of it all, Zero gazed at Gingka use his whole power and force to ultimately, destroy Nemesis and save the entire world from a would-be apocalypse.

Sometime after the battle, Gingka Hagane decided to give young Zero a Beyblade. He told Zero to train with this Bey, so to one day, become even stronger than he himself, Gingka Hagane is.

Zero took the Beyblade with gratitude but would not understand the immense power it would hold until later on. Since then as Zero took into adolescence, he took a vow to become the next No. 1 Blader after Gingka Hagane and to one day, meet him once again and battle him in order to show, he is the next best.

Gathering the Gang
Arriving late for a tourney, present-day Zero Kurogane makes his mark at the "Metal Bey City Beypark Battle Royale" where he has already collected over 95 consecutive battle wins and just needs 5 more to obtain 100. After a short series of easy battles for Zero, he successfully obtained 100 wins, getting him closer to his vow to becomes the next No. 1 with his own, the Samurai Ifraid W145CF. After a short reflection on this, Zero leaves for some eager-to-be training.

Although as he arrived there, he wanted to find the best there, where after meeting with a fellow Blader, he was told the best was known as Shinobu Hiryūin. Shinobu was said to be at Beypark and Zero took off in a flash to there. There, he found various battles going on, in a BeyStadium he's never laid eyes on before.

They were the Zero-G Stadiums, Stadiums that sway around as the Beys in it move, giving more of a challenge. Zero Kurogane decided he would be next in line although seven others were there first. He told the seven he would let them go if he battled all of them head-on and they all agreed. The Bladers startled Zero and did give somewhat of a challenge, but he did not give up and easily beat all of them.

Zero then asked everyone in Beypark where Shinobu Hiryūin was and suddenly, Shinobu appeared. Known as the "Invincible Salamander", Shinobu challenged Zero to a battle, to show him what happens to those who disturb the way of battles in Beypark. Zero happily agreed and they got down to battle.

After launching, the two were in a fierce fight. Shinobu was taking the lead, while Zero was taking difficulty from Shinobu's own Bey, the Shinobi Saramanda SW145SD. With hits so often, Zero's Samurai Ifraid couldn't take it. Zero commanded Samurai Ifraid to soar the sky and dash back down to strike Saramanda, but was trapped and as a result, Shinobu took this as a lead and gave it a knockout. Zero later left and entered a burger-shop, owned by Benkei Hanawa.

There, Benkei found Zero saddened and asks what was the matter, with Zero telling him of his loss and his vow to be the next best. Too depressed, Benkei gave Zero some burgers to help him, telling him that Gingka Hagane loved burgers. After eating the burgers, Zero continued to tell Benkei of his wanting to be better than Gingka and defeat Shinobu. Benkei was interested by his story and decided to help him out; being in that same place before. A fellow Beymechanic who Zero previously met named Mal also volunteered to help Zero as well.

Intensive training soon followed, with various exercises performed in order to help Zero's stamina, strength, and stability. After two harsh days of training, Zero ran into a young Blader named Eight Unabara during an exercise.

Eight ridiculed Zero, much to his dismay and Eight took off on his skateboard. After startling Mal, Zero decided he has all the training he needed to have a re-match with Shinobu.

Leaving to the Beypark, Mal and Zero suddenly found none other than Eight in a battle. Eight successfully won the battle with ease, and then took a black marker and drew "stars" on his opponent's face. As soon as the opponent ran away in terror, Zero challenged Eight to a battle, condemning all the things he did as terrible and quite "brat-like". Eight casually agreed and showed off his Bey, Pirates Orojya 145D for their soon-to-be battle.

They took off in their battle, putting up a good fight in all their might. Zero however, was having difficulty with Eight's Pirates Orojya as it skid across the Stadium but then finally stayed in the center. Orojya took control of the Zero-G Stadium, but Ifraid later turned tables and causes massive swaying of it. Zero took this in his opportunity as blazes of flames burst out of Zero's hands and launched a Special move, one where Ifraid's beast appeared and knocked-out Orojya, with Zero winning.

Afterwards, Zero told Eight of the great fight they had, whereas Eight was heavily disappointed he lost, whilst simultaneously admitting that Zero was a great and powerful Blader. He later ran off, after Mal drew on his face with black marker, whining to return and be more stronger.

Soon after a one-day tournament, Zero found himself in another match with the first person he had lost to: Shinobu. Now more stronger than before, he fought with all his might against Shinobu. Zero gave so much strength and his wanting for winning created his first Special move: Burning Upper. It severely beat the opposing Shinobi Saramanda SW145SD with Zero taking the win.

Upon another of Benkei's rigorous training sessions, Zero Kurogane was challenged to a Beybattle by the older sibling of Eight Unabara: Kite Unabara. Zero defeated Kite and his Guardian Revizer 160SB but was offered a rematch. Although Zero accepted, there was a catch, Kite's Beyblade was a Synchrom combo between his own, Guardian Revizer 160SB and his young brother's Pirates Orojya 145D. The battle was much harder on Zero than the last, due to Synchro so as a result, Zero was defeated again.

The next day, Zero and the gang visited the WBBA headquarters to gather information on Synchrom. After speaking to Tsubasa Otori and Madoka Amano, he and Shinobu learned that their Beyblades, Samurai Ifraid W145CF and Shinobi Saramanda SW145SD are Synchrom-compatible with one-another.

They later attended a tag-team tournament that Shinobu entered. Shinobu proves to the obvious victor of the tournament, but is overshadowed when Ren Kurenai, a female Blader appears. Like Shinobu, Ren is able to defeat all of her opponents as well as her partner. Yet in her last battle, she uses her own version of Zero's Burning Upper Special move. Much to Zero's anger, he decides to take part in a Beybattle with this new Blader.

In their battle, it was very hard on Zero's part. Mostly due to Ren Kurenai commanding her Beyblade, Thief Phoenic E230GCF to mimic all of Zero's Samurai Ifraid W145CF moves. Even when put through his own Special move, Zero stood through and won the battle, thanks to using his Special move once again.

After that battle, Zero decides to partner up with Shinobu in a Synchrom rematch against Kite and Eight. Synchroming their Beys to become Saramanda Ifraid W145CF against Orojya Levizer 160SB. The end result of the battle showed Zero and Shinobu coming out victorious with their Beys, thanks to their team-work and more importantly, friendship.

Soon enough, the Unabara Brothers and Ren decided to join Zero's group of himself, Mal, Shinobu, and Benkei.

More events followed, with yet another session of training held by Benkei lead to a match between Ren and the new mysterious Blader, Takanosuke Shishiya, who had owned the Archer Gryph C145S.

Beyblades
Pre-Samurai Ifraid - Prior to owning Samurai Ifraid, Zero owned a generic Beyblade before it, in his youth. This Beyblade appeared to have a Face stating "Training" written in Japanese characters, and a triangular "Clear Wheel" with patches or rather, locks on each side. Also with a "Metal Wheel" with swirled designs covering the gaps created by its "Clear Wheel". It is unknown if it used a Track and Bottom, or a 4D Bottom.

Samurai Ifraid W145CF - Zero's current Beyblade. A Beyblade of Zero-G based on the mythical Ifrit and likewise, being of fire origin.

Saramanda Ifraid W145CF - A Synchrom creation between Zero's Samurai Ifraid W145CF and Shinobu's Shinobi Saramanda SW145SD.

Beast
Samurai Ifraid's beast is depicted as a samurai-armoured ifrit in scorching, blazing fire wielding a sword of flames. It has a trail of fire coming out from the back of its samurai helmet. Its armour is a bright-red with blue or black details around. There is a sword-holder around its waist meant to hold the fiery sword. It also has vicious horns, glowing white eyes, and sharp nails on its hands.

Special Spin moves

 * Burning Upper: (Japanese: アッパーバーニング) Zero Kurogane's very-first Special move, first used and seen in the manga's first chapter. It consists of Samurai Ifraid dashing towards its opponent in a trail of fire while submerged in blazing flames. Samurai Ifraid uses the "double-contact" of its CF Bottom and charges at its opponent with fire all around, resulting in an explosion.
 * Shooting Star Crash(Starblast Crash): (Japanese: シューティングスタークラッシュ) Zero's second Special move, first used and seen in The Dawn of a New Era!. The move is very reminiscent of Gingka Hagane's first one, Pegasus Starblast Attack. With the same concept, Zero commands Ifraid to take the skies and start dashing down to "crash" the opponent and deplete their spin completely. They even contain "star" in their names. This may be because it was Gingka who gave Zero, Samurai Ifraid.
 * Super Burning Upper: The same as Burning Upper, except with the added power of Synchrom with Shinobi Saramanda SW145SD.

Trivia

 * Kurogane is Japanese for "black steel".
 * This is quite fitting, seeing as how Gingka's last name, "Hagane", is Japanese for "steel".
 * The flaming highlight on Zero's hair, belt, and shoes are a reference to the creature, his Beyblade, Samurai Ifraid is based on; the Ifrit which is associated with fire.
 * Zero primarily has black hair, another reference to "Kurogane".
 * D.M. Fighter Honoo, a manga created by Takafumi Adachi has the main character, Honoo, bear similar design traits with Zero.
 * Zero does share similar design traits with Ozuma from Beyblade: V-Force.
 * At the "Beyblade 2012 Japan Championship 2012" held in Japan, the winners received an autographed whiteboard sketch of Zero.
 * It was revealed in the manga's first chapter that Zero's favourite BeyStadium is the Attack Type BeyStadium.
 * Zero's seiyū, Nobuhiko Okamoto, was also the seiyū for Teru Saotome from Beyblade: Metal Fusion.
 * This also makes him the first Beyblade protagonist to have a male seiyū.
 * Zero has some things in common with Tyson Granger of the Original series.
 * He has lost his first Beybattle against his rival, Shinobu Hiryūin, as Tyson lost his against Kai Hiwatari.
 * He trains physically, just like Tyson does with karate.