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The Zangi Brothers (ザンギ兄弟) are the main antagonists of the Strider Hiryu Gaiden chapter.

Leaders of the terrorist group known as the Phantom Unit, the Zangi Brothers are a duo of skillful and vicious siblings. Younger brother Aaron (アロン) is a towering giant easily three times Hiryu's size, while the older brother (whose name is not revealed) is a normal-sized man expert in deception and ambush tactics. Together they form a fearsome team with a reputation for their dreaded skills and excessive brutality in battle.

Following the arrest of one of their members, the Zangi Brothers led the capture of the leading authority in nuclear fusion, Dr. J. Hogan, demanding their man's release in exchange of the doctor's life. The Striders were contracted to deal with this situation, and Hiryu is assigned the mission.

Story[]

Strider Hiryu Gaiden[]

Manga zangi 1

Aaron

Aaron appears in front of Hiryu after he has murdered a dozen of his men. He reveals to be knowledgeable about the Striders, asking Hiryu (who has just ran blindly into enemy territory) if it's not one of their cardinal rules to carry out missions swiftly as wind and without being seen[1]. He then shows Dr. Hogan clutched in his hand, and tries to force Hiryu to surrender by threatening to crush the old man. As Hiryu refuses to drop his Cypher, Aaron suddenly changes his mind and gives up, admiting he'd be no match against that weapon and Hiryu's speed. He then drops and kicks the professor toward Hiryu, telling them they can go with a smile.

Hiryu orders the doctor to stand behind him, but just as he does so Hogan suddenly attacks him, managing to injure Hiryu's arm. The man removes his disguise and reveals himself to be the older Zangi brother, then proceeds to ensnare Hiryu with his rope dart. Thinking they have won, Aaron prepares for the final strike when Hiryu detonates several bombs he planted earlier, destroying part of the base and startling everyone. The older brother wonders if Hiryu is crazy, as such action could kill the man he's trying to rescue. Hiryu, however, simply plants his Cypher on the ground.

Manga zangi 2

The older brother

As Aaron rushes in for another attack, the older brother notices all the water spilled on the ground and realizes Hiryu is planning to electrocute everyone using the Cypher's electric output. Hastily he jumps away and tries to warn his brother, but he's too late as Hiryu activates his weapon and kills all remaining soldiers, while leaving Aaron with serious skin burns and a mostly bald head.

As Aaron rushes against Hiryu once again, the older brother hides behind his large back and awaits the moment to strike. When Hiryu jumps up to clash against his large enemy, the brother springs a surprise attack and shoots Hiryu out of mid-air. Both brothers celebrate their victory, but Hiryu suddenly starts spinning in place and throws his Climb Sickle at them, striking the older brother in the forehead and killing him instantly. A furious Aaron rushes forward to kill him, and after seeing Hiryu throwing his Cypher away mocks him thinking he has given up. Instead, Hiryu dodges the giant's attack, reclaims his Cypher (who returns to him in its Boomerang form) and finishes the other Zangi brother by striking him vertically across the body.

Skills and Abilities[]

StrG aaron fullbody

Hiryu facing Aaron

The Zangi Brothers have a well-known reputation for their brutality when fighting and their expert skills, Kuramoto noting they have abilities equivalent to a Strider of the A Class[2]. When fighting, they compliment each other's styles, with Aaron being the muscle and his brother providing strategies.

Aaron fights exclusively with a katana tailor-made to his giant size. He discards any sort of strategy and simply dashes in trying to kill his target in one strike. Thanks to his massive build he has a much higher resistance to attacks, as noted when he survived the Cypher's electric discharge which cremated all his men. Although suffering extensive burnt damage across his body and losing almost all of his hair[3], Aaron shows no signs of being impaired by his injuries, practically not reacting to them outside of increasing his anger at Hiryu. Aaron is also quite nimble and a fast runner in spite of his massive size, although nowhere near Hiryu's level of speed.

StrG hogan fake

The older brother disguised as Hogan

The older brother, on the other hand, is a tactician and a fast thinker that can take advantage of situations and his surroundings at a moment's notice. He figured Hiryu's plan of electrocuting everyone present by noting the spilled water all over the ground and Hiryu's actions, and was able to take advantage of his brother's large frame to hide behind and prepare a sneak attack on Hiryu. He's also shown to be very agile and quick as well as a master of disguise, taking the appearance of Hogan to gain a decisive advantage over Hiryu. In battle, He's shown handling a two-headed rope dart very skillfully, ensnaring Hiryu and piercing his chest with both darts at the same time.

References[]

  1. Wada, Tatsumi (December 1988). "Comp Comic". Strider Hiryû Gaiden, Pg. 312. Kadokawa Shoten.
  2. Wada, Tatsumi (December 1988). "Comp Comic". Strider Hiryû Gaiden, Pg. 311. Kadokawa Shoten.
  3. Wada, Tatsumi (December 1988). "Comp Comic". Strider Hiryû Gaiden, Pg. 323. Kadokawa Shoten.
Strider Manga/NES Series
Main Articles Manga (Gaiden) • Strider (NES)Moto KikakuTatsumi WadaMasahiko Kurokawa
Characters AranaCommanderFaceas ClayHiryuKainKubiraKuramotoMaticPolice ChiefScientistSheena
Game only: BadgerDragon FiendFlash BladeKodiakRyuzaki
Manga only: Commander KeithDr. HoganFlower GirlDirectorMariyaMinor StridersRinYuriZangi Brothers
Stage Enemies BirdClawed StridersDobermanEgypt SoldierGiant RobotMachine CannonMechanical SnailRobot Arm
Robot ClawRobot FrongRussian InfantrymanScuba SoldierSharkmanSky WingSpark Machine
Turret/Laser TurretTwin Bats
Technology Assault RifleBootsCypherKaliKunaiPhantom TrainRescue AircraftShadow Tag BulletsStealth Chopper
SystemT-48Transport TubeZAIN Project (ZAIN TerminalZainsYggdrasil)
Locations AmazonKazakh Federation (KazakhMental Institute) • Los AngelesMongoliaStrider Headquarters
AfricaAustraliaChinaEgyptJapanRed Dragon
Techniques Acceleration JumpBoomerang ThrowCypher AttackPlasma ArrowSlide InTriangle JumpTricks
Groups EnterpriseKazakh Secret PolicePhantom UnitRebel ArmyStriders
Strider Matic UnitSpecial Forces
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