Megadeus

The Megadeuses (canonically correct), or Megadeï are the great robots of the anime series Big O. The title derives from the Greek Megas (Μεγας, "Great") and the Latin Deus ("God"). The voice-actors of the series invariably pronounce the title as though it were "Megadeuce" or "Megadux" (the "Grand Duke" of the Byzantine navy). This was probably judged to be more pleasing to the ear, and the Japanese language lacks the sounds to pronounce "Deus" correctly anyway. The name "Big O" also appears to be a play on words based on the Greek letter omega (o-mega literally translates as "big o"). The letter omega had religious overtones and is used in Christianity to signify the eschaton.

The four most common Megadeï of the series are the Bigs, all of which are humanoid in appearance and require human pilots (referred to as Dominus Megadeuem). Their main characteristics are disproportionate arms and legs, a need for a pilot, a cockpit in the neck, the phrase "CAST IN THE NAME OF GOD, YE NOT GUILTY" appearing on a display screen when a Big activates, the phrase "CAST IN THE NAME OF GOD, YE GUILTY" appearing when a Big kills a pilot, and "CAST IN THE NAME OF GOD, YE NOT" when a Big finally rejects a pilot.

• The Big O - the Megadeus piloted by Roger Smith
• The Big Duo - the Megadeus piloted by Schwarzwald and later renamed Big Duo Inferno by pilot Alan Gabriel.
• The Big Fau - the Megadeus piloted by Alex Rosewater
• The Big Venus - the Megadeus which appeared very shortly in the final episode of Season 2, most likely as a result of Angel's realization that she was the Director.

No one knows exactly where the Megadeuses came from or who originally built them. Roger occasionally has flashbacks of memory where he 'remembers' an apocalyptic war between an army of other Bigs and the electrical hydra-monsters, and the Bigs running rampant. However, Gordon Rosewater has told Roger that these memories are entirely fictional. One of several mysteries as the series progresses is that Roger gets strong evidence pointing to both possibilities at the same time, but no final answer was ever given.

Bigs appear to be semi-autonomous, capable of limited independent action or even refusing to take the commands of its Dominus (pilot) if it feels a greater goal should be addressed. Big O itself was also capable of interfacing with R. Dorothy Wayneright, an android, to unleash its ultimate attack in the final episode, and it was implied that the controls were not jerry-rigged in any way but that interfacing with an android was an intended part of its design. It is speculated that this three-way arrangement was the intended original way for the Bigs to operate: a human piloting the Big with the guidance of an Android.

Big O appears to have been designed for land combat, while Big Duo can actually fly by using its "fingers" as propeller blades. In the final episode it was revealed that the rotating blades in the wrists of Big Fau actually act as water turbines and make it perfect for aquatic movement. This has led to speculation that the myth of Behemoth and Leviathan in the series refers to Big O (Behemoth on land) and Big Fau (Leviathan of the sea). This would also mean that Big Duo is the "Ziz." The Ziz is a mythical giant bird that would be served along with the Behemoth and Leviathan at the banquet at the end of the world. Indeed, it has been confirmed by the show's official plot guide that the Megadueses are definitely supposed to be Behemoth, Ziz, and Leviathan. Venus is mentioned to be 'Lucifer' (perhaps due to the mutual allusion of 'Venus' and 'Lucifer' to the term "morning star"), or likely, a 'fallen' Angel.

The Big O

It is the first "Big" of the series and shares his name with the main title of the same series. Piloted exclusively by Paradigm City's best Negotiator, Roger Smith (with the exception of R. Dorothy Waynewright in the final episode), Big O is very heavily armed and protected and could very well destroy almost all of Paradigm City by itself. Due to the thick armor and large amount of heavy artillery incorporated into Big O it is quite possible that megadeuces like it were specifically designed for close quarters ground combat and long range siege attacks during the time before the people of Paradigm City's memories were erased.

The Big O's armament

• Sudden Impact: Big O's most noticeable weapons are the two large pistons that make up almost all of its arms. When the button located on the top of Big O's arm control sticks is pressed once, the piston, located on Big O's elbow, extends and intakes massive amounts of air into the empty cavity inside the arm where most of the piston once was. When the button is pressed again, the piston quickly retracts, forcing the air inside the cavity to escape through the vents on Big O's wrist with tremendous force. The air escaping the piston can rip through most objects with great ease. As seen in episode 12 of the first season "Enemy is Another Big", the piston weapon's air can force its way through multiple skyscrapers lined up next to each other, even when fired from a distance. The pistons can be used as many times as the pilot desires, as long as there is air to intake. Referred to as "Sudden Impact" (both as an attack and the weapon itself) in the Manga, where a "Triple Sudden Impact" also exists. The Arm pistons are also capable of taking in water (while submerged) and, when the Arm Pistons eject the water, can be used as a propellant to launch Big O to the surface. This can be seen in episode 07 of the first season, "The Call From The Past" and in the last episode of season two, "The Show Must Go On".

• Arm Shields: The outer side of Big O's arms are heavily reinforced with thicker armor to use as a shield against opponent attacks. The Arm Shields have no offensive features, though they are capable of deflecting enemy beam and melee attacks.

• Chrome Buster: One of Big O's most powerful weapons. The Chrome Buster itself is located on Big O's forehead. When activated, it fires a large particle beam that destroys anything in its path.

• Shock Shield Shield generator mounted under the shoulder and forearm armor. When deployed, the shoulder plates are raised with a generator/ lift mechanism and the plate armor on the forearms separates to project the shield. It can be used to deflect energy attacks by enemies, and can also be used as an offensive weapon by expanding its size until it overlaps the opponent.

• Eye Lasers: A standard weapon for every Big, the Eye Lasers are super heated beams of light that are shot out of the eyes. This weapon can be used as a long range attack and for cutting through objects.

• Cannon Party: A cluster of several cannons, concealed under the armor of the upper chest. When activated, the upper chest and neck section of armor opens to reveal two sets of three cannon barrels. The cannons then fire a barrage of shells that explode upon impact of its target. The ammunition must be replaced after each use.

• Missile Party: Big O's missile weapons are located in the rib and stomach area of the Megadeus. There are six separate compartments, each containing three missiles, for a total of 18. The missiles can either be fired in unison, or separately by compartment. The missiles have two modes of use. The first is a timed detonation, and the second mode is detonation upon impact. The Missiles must be replaced after each use.

• Anchors: The metal skirt around Big O's waist houses many rocket-propelled harpoons that are attached directly to Big O by chains. These harpoons can be fired in unison in all directions or individually. They are controlled remotely by the pilot if needed. The chains attached to the harpoons are incredibly strong as a single chain can support all of Big O's weight. Roger Smith uses this weapon in various situations, such as pulling Big O out of harm's way or to hold Big O in place (such as when it uses its ultimate attack in the final episode). They can also be used offensively against other Megadeuses. The chain can be detached from Big O and replaced by another harpoon if needed.

• O Thunder: Under the wrist area of both of Big O's arms are four large rotating beam barrels. When used, the armor of the wrist opens and the barrels underneath rotate at high speed and fire shots at a very high rate, similar to a gatling gun. This results in Big O literally punching a hole through a target.

• Final Stage: Big O's most powerful weapon, it can be seen in the last episode of the second season. It is located within the torso of Big O and is extended out the front of Big O during use. This weapon can only be activated when the Megadeuse accepts the human pilot as its Dominus, and an android that is hard wired into the Megadeuse's system activates the cannon. Most of Big O's armor is moved or repositioned. The twin arm control sticks inside the cockpit are then replaced by a single control stick. The cannon has a massive recoil, and as such Big O must be held in place by firing its anchors into the ground. When fired, the cannon launches a blast of the charged energy much bigger than the Big O itself. The full extent of the blast's power is unknown, but it was able to completely and instantly obliterate the largest dome in Paradigm City as well as destroy the very ground that the blast was shot across. Because the blast generates so much heat and recoil, the cannon can only be used once, and will then detach itself from the Big O.

The Big Duo

It is the second Big found in the series, and was piloted first by Schwarzwald and then by the cyborg Alan Gabriel, though he required to be hard-wired to the Megadeus to be able to pilot it (also interesting to note is that both pilots of the Big Duo shared the names of Biblical angels; Schwarzwald's true name was Michael Seebach and the mech was later hard-wired by Alan Gabriel). It was found by Schwarzwald in a hangar to the south of Paradigm City. It fought in only three battles throughout the entire series (two battles in Season 1 and one in Season 2), and is the only Megadeus possessing the ability of flight. Alan Gabriel may have died after losing control of the Megadeus, which in his hands was called Big Duo Inferno. Big Duo itself attacked Alan after displaying the message "Ye Guilty" instead of the traditional "Ye Not Guilty". Schwarzwald's image also appeared and his thoughts were being heard by Alan as he was rejected by Big Duo. Alan was dropped from Big Duo in a veritable cocoon of wires. Big Duo Inferno finally explodes when he collides with what appears to be a gigantic stage light, miles above Paradigm City, under the amazement of Roger Smith and Big O. Judging by the rapid flight capabilities of Big Duo and its ability to carry bombs with extremely powerful (possibly nuclear) payloads it is possible that megadeuces like it functioned as long range heavy bombers and possibly as heavily mechanized "paratroopers" to quickly secure an area after a bombing.

The Big Duo's armament

While Big Duo may not be as heavily armed and protected as Big O or Big Fau, Big Duo more than makes up for its lack of fire power in maneuverability and flight ability.

• Eye Lasers: A standard weapon for all the "Bigs", the Eye Beam is a super heated laser that is shot out of the eyes. This weapon can be used as a long range attack and for cutting through objects. The Inferno version of Big Duo fires a single but more concentrated Eye Beam out of the larger lens rather than out of both eyes much like Big O's Chrome Buster.

• Machine Guns: Although not used during any of Big Duo's battles, it comes with machine gun placements in its arms (each with two mounted on the wrist block and one in the hand propeller cone) and around its cockpit (two right below it). These machine guns appear to be based on the Browning M2 Machine Gun usually seen on World War II aircraft, namely "Flying Fortress" bombers and fighters.

• Mummy Disguise: Only seen during Big Duo first appearance, this mummy-style disguise was most likely employed by Schwarzwald to hide Big Duo's real identity from Roger Smith. Schwarzwald was however able to manipulate the bandages to wrap around Big O and pull the Megadeus towards itself.

• Smoke Screen: Big Duo can expel a thick smog through vents on the outside of the Megadeus to be used for getting away undetected or blinding an opponent for a stealth attack. Schwarzwald uses the smoke screen to blind its flight feature from Roger Smith.

• Finger Blades/ Rocket Boosters: Big Duo's most impressive and useful feature is its flight ability. While in flight, both hands of Big Duo spin at high speeds and are used as propellers and the rocket engines located on the portion of the arm behind the elbow are used as propulsion. This exclusive feature makes Big Duo the most maneuverable of the four Bigs in the series. While not in flight, Big Duo can use its spinning hand as a cutting weapon. This can be seen during the first confrontation between Big O and Big Duo. In the Inferno version of Big Duo, the fingers are much longer and extremely sharp and can also be repositioned and spun to form a drill-like weapon, much like Alan Gabriel's cyborg hands and exactly the same weapon Dorothy 1 uses against Big O in act 02 of the first season entitled "Dorothy, Dorothy".

• Missiles: Big Duo can fire miniature Missiles in an alternating pattern from two launchers situated in his chest. Both of the launchers are six-barreled, rotating missile launchers. The chest has two holes, so the launchers fire like a gatling gun. These Missiles must be replaced after each battle.

• Megaton Missiles: The Megadeuses most powerful and devastating attack, Big Duo's Megaton Missiles are located inside its hollowed out cnemis. When activated, the cnemis of Big Duo moves outward to reveal the Megaton Missiles pointing straight up within the hollowed out cnemis. Due to its position and launching limitations, the Megaton Missiles can only be fired straight forward while in flight while making a dive maneuver towards the target. The destructive force of both Megaton Missiles are very roughly equal to four kilotons of TNT. There is only enough room in the legs for one missile in each leg, so they must be replaced after use. In the manga, it is suggested that they are nuclear weapons.

The Big Fau

First seen in Act 21, aptly titled "The Third Big", it is the third and final "Big" found in the series which had a certain importance and was piloted by Alex Rosewater. The parts for Big Fau were transported within the three foreign Megadeuses that fought Big O offshore of Paradigm City at the end of the first season and the beginning of the second season. After the foreign Megadeuses were disabled (but not destroyed), they were recovered by the Paradigm science team and Big Fau's parts were salvaged and re-assembled secretly under the supervision of Alex, but lacked a memory core. Despite missing this vital component, Big Fau was activated and piloted by Alex Rosewater. Judging by Big Fau's streamlined appearance, its ability to travel effortlessly through the water, its conning tower shaped head, and the flexible periscope-like laser cannons on its back, it is likely that the Megadeus like Big Fau were used primarily for naval combat, functioning as heavily armed amphibious craft, and providing ocean-based combat support for land and air based Megadeuse's.

During its maiden battle against the Union Megadeus Bonaparte, Alex could completely control the Big, allowing him to tear Bonaparte to piece before finally destroying it with Fau's dorsal beams. But once Bonaparte was vanquished, the dorsal beams began to fire randomly around the dome. Big Fau then displayed the message "Cast in the Name of God... Ye Not" before shutting down control to Alex. After much damaged had been done, it was stopped by Big O. Later, Big Fau was jerry-rigged into working by Jason "Gold" Beck, using R. Dorothy's Memory Core, finally completing Fau. This was signified by the message "Cast in the Name of God... Ye Not Guilty" completely. Big Fau and Alex then went on a rampage, leading to the final confrontation of the series between the two "Big's". Both Big's used some of their most powerful weapons in the fight. Big Fau was finally partially destroyed by Big O at the end of the act, and then, "vanished" along with the rest of Paradigm City because of Big Venus.

The Big Fau's armament

Compared to the two other Bigs, Big Fau did not display as much armament, probably due to Alex's limited understanding of its capabilities (compared to Roger and Schwartzwald, Alex didn't seem to have fully mastered his Megadeus). Still, it filled this gap by using advanced weaponry and technology which gave Fau the ability to easily defeat the Union Megadeus Bonaparte and later, seriously damage Big O and injure Roger Smith during their final confrontation in the last episode.

• Saw Cuffs: As the name indicates, Big Fau's wrists are equipped with extremely sharp rotative blades which are very useful in close-combat. Used very effectively against the Union Megadeus Bonaparte and later, Big O, they are powerful enough to damage and even grind into even the thickest armor. They also give Big Fau the ability to travel underwater by using them as turbines.

• Eye Lasers: A standard weapon for every "Big", the Eye Lasers are super heated beams of light that are shot out of the eyes. This weapon can be used as a long range attack and for cutting through objects. Not actually used during a battle in the series, Big Fau is seen using this weapon in the flashbacks Roger has of the rampaging Bigs.

• Dorsal Beams: There are two lasers on Big Fau's back that are attached to a snake-like movable tubing situated on his back which allow these lasers to be fired in any direction. They are powerful enough to destroy a normal Megadeus as seen in the episode "The Third Big" but are no match against Big O's Arm Shields.

• Torso Cannons: More powerful and larger than the Dorsal Beams, these cannons are integrated in Big Fau's frontal upper torso and deployed horizontally when needed. They appear to use kinetic projectiles instead of beams, and combined with their incredibly long-range, could be likened to howitzers. The main problem with them is, that they can only fire at objects situated in front or above the Big Fau and the Megadeus must pivot on himself in order to fire in other directions.

• Impact Barrier: Big Fau is the only "Big" of the whole series having this kind of unique and advanced technology integrated in him. A special invisible shielding which protects Big Fau especially from frontal attacks, making him almost untouchable and invincible. Big O's Ultimate Cannon was the only weapon able to penetrate it.

• Rocket Drills: Big Fau can spin his fists and Saw Cuffs at extremely high speeds while his arms are shot out of their sockets by small rocket boosters situated at the back of the arms, turning them into highly destructive moving drills. This seems to be more of a last ditch weapon, as the rocket drills can be destroyed while in flight, literally disarming Big Fau.

The Big Venus

The Big Venus was seen very briefly in the last episode of the series, Episode 26: The Show Must Go On (but was seen in previous flashbacks), when Angel realised that she was "The Director", and started to turn Paradigm City into whitespace nothingness, along with the heavily damaged Big Fau. Then, R. Dorothy Wayneright revealed that a similar event was the cause of "The Event" that wiped everyone's memories of 40 years ago. Roger pleaded the Big Venus and Angel to allow everyone to live a normal life, telling it that everyone has a purpose. It worked, and the Big Venus "reset" Paradigm City back to the way it was. The design of Big Venus is eerily similar to Big O, except in chestplate, color (it was nearly all white), and head design.

The Big Venus' Armament

Almost nothing is known about Big Venus' capabilities, as it was only seen near and at the very end of Big O (the former being very briefly in a flashback). It only used one notable ability during the episode: the ability to make anything disappear into whitenspace nothingness with a single touch. This single ability makes it far more powerful than the three Bigs combined, and that is probably why it is the only one that could wipe away everyone's memories of 40 years ago. It's unknown if this is truly one of Venus' capabilities or if this was "given" to it by the Director.

• Sudden Impact: Having a design very similar to Big O's, Big Venus also appears to possess Sudden Impact pistons in its arms. However, it doesn't use them at any point in its appearance.

• Mouth Lasers: What appears to be a "grinning" mouth piece is actually several lasers clustered together, each appearing as a tooth in the mouth. The size of the beams are greater than that of the standard "Big" eye lasers. These weapons are only seen in action during Roger's flashback, in which Big Venus is seen standing as a dark and great silhouette in the sky raining these lasers down upon the land, in similar form to Zeus.

See also

• Big O

External links

• A treatise on the meaning of the Megadei