Dark Schneider (ABD)
This mysterious pilot makes even Black Shadow, the evil Emperor, shudder with fear. Since the huge accident four years ago, several F-Zero pilots have turned up missing--in all of the missing-persons investigations conducted by the Space Police, Deathborn was the primary suspect. Deathborn has died three times, but each time was brought back to life by exchanging his real body parts for mechanical ones. Through these procedures, he has become essentially immortal. A device installed within his body allows him to travel freely through space, making it possible for him to mysteriously appear anywhere at any time. He banishes those he dislikes to the outer limits of space, where they become drifting vagabonds for all eternity. Deathborn is plotting to take over the universe--his plan is to obtain the ultimate power that would allow him to determine life and death on every star as he sees fit.
Biography[]
Aside from the information provided in his profile, little else is known about this F-Zero pilot. From what can be gathered from the story mode of F-Zero GX, he is the champion of the F-Zero Underworld, and he had previously hired Black Shadow to acquire the championship belt of the overworld. Black Shadow had clearly failed, and Deathborn had threatened him that he would only give him one more chance. Why Deathborn didn't, or couldn't, take the belt himself is unknown.
After Black Shadow fails again, Deathborn punishes him for his failure and challenges Captain Falcon to a one-on-one race for both belts. Before the race commences, he reveals to Falcon his plan - the powers of light and darkness are condensed in both belts respectively, and that when combined, provide ultimate power that will allow him to control the universe, judging life and death on each star, saying that he can "reduce this whole galaxy into a pile of ashes in an instant", implying he has his own reasons for wanting to destroy the galaxy the F-Zero races take place in particular. After an intense race, Falcon emerges victorious and Deathborn is last seen plummeting towards his death, his vehicle exploding as it collides with a rock wall.
In the last chapter of F-Zero GX's story mode, The Creators reveal that Deathborn was their "best creation" but fail to elaborate. This implies the creators may have something to do with Deathborn's apparent deaths, rebirths, and loss of humanity.
Anime[]
In a stark contrast from his GX counterpart, Deathborn is the mysterious, powerful, mostly silent antagonist which was responsible for manipulating the F-Zero Committee, aside from Don Genie, behind the scenes.
Rick Wheeler eventually meets up with them all at once after he was abducted by Black Shadow on the F-Zero Committee's alleged planet; it's been unveiled that Deathborn and Don Genie were simply "shadows" that Black Shadow controls.
Personality[]
In GX, the main version of Deathborn is portrayed as pure and utterly evil. He is aggressive and ruthless, only showing a speck of mercy to Black Shadow by giving him one more chance to win the F-Zero Grand Prix, words which he holds true to. He also displays tendencies of a megalomaniac with his desire to obtain ultimate power and take over the universe. His choice to not attend the F-Zero Grand Prix suggests he is someone to prefer to work in the shadows and keep a low profile, though he wasn't afraid of showing himself in front of millions of F-Zero fans, just to punish Black Shadow and challenge Captain Falcon (though it's possible that there's some written law which prevents F-Zero Underworld inhabitants from entering the normal F-Zero Grand Prix. His motivations, or even how he could be driven to become so evil, remain unknown at this current time.
In the anime, however, he doesn't talk much, though he's still as intimidating and manipulative like Black Shadow.
Ikran's F-Zero timeline[]
Deathborn was rumored to be the culprit of the Horrific Accident in Fire Field during the original F-Zero race; rather than Pico or Black Shadow. He was however first seen in Falcon's Followers, after Falcon and Tinsel managed to defeat Black Shadow and Blood Falcon; he forced the emperor to win the GX race, otherwise he'd know the price of failure! As a consequence for losing, he killed Black Shadow in front of fans and introduced himself to the elitist. Surely, as champion, he'd have to accept his race tomorrow.
The day arrived, and Falcon was alone. Deathborn was pleased he brought his Belt, and then the two soared in the air and were in the process of merging. He explained that Dark and Light were the universal forces which governed the universe, and they're inside in each of their Belts. As soon as the two halves merge, it's possible to use it, then Deathborn shall incinerate the entire universe instantly! He had long waited for that moment, then Falcon was determined to beat him! It was turning into a hopeless situation, so Yugi summoned the Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon. He didn't make his mark as Deathborn lost to Falcon at the last second!! Upon his loss, Deathborn steered the Dark Schneider into the magma below his turf!!
Over a year later, Deathborn had been revived and took the form of Black Shadow!! He collected all 3 Reactor Mights of Dark, then soon used them as a solution to brainwash his victims, including Tinsel as a test subject, and the Task Force! Falcon once mentioned to Tinsel that Deathborn banished the original owners of the Mighty Hurricane/Typhoon; unbeknownst to Draq and Roger. He was nearly successful on ruling the galaxy with an iron fist and captured Tinsel in exchange for the remaining 3 Mights! It was revealed by Falcon that Deathborn was responsible for everything, as he can tell by his familiar shadow, putting Tinsel and Rick alarmed. Deathborn then dealt with the infiltration, and awaited Rick and Falcon to be destroyed and drop the Mights into the Core! Fortunately, Falcon disabled it, while he encouraged Rick to destroy it. He did just that, and from Falcon's sacrifice, he and Deathborn were never seen again!
His Boost Fire technique was known as the Death Fire.
Trivia[]
- At one point during the F-Zero GX Story Mode, Black Shadow calls Deathborn "Lord Death", specifically at the end of Chapter 7.
- In the spin-off series, Deathborn works for Black Shadow. In fact, it was later in the anime that he was Black Shadow in disguise as well as Don Genie to trick the F-Zero Committee to set up races for him. Deathborn in the games has the same machine number as Rick Wheeler, whereas Don Genie has the same machine number as Lucy Liberty.
- In F-Zero GX, Deathborn is the second F-Zero character that Mr. Zero didn't warn about getting arrested by the Galactic Space Federation.
- In more ways than one, the GX version of Deathborn was very much alike to the anime version of Black Shadow, as their motives are similar. In GX, Deathborn said that he wanted to "turn this whole galaxy into a pile of ashes in an instant" with the Ultimate Champion's Belt and let the galaxy fall in total darkness. Whereas Black Shadow's dream in the anime was to rule the galaxy in total darkness and have the universe compress until nothing but evil exists after obtaining the six Reactor Mights.
- In Ikran's Top 12 Creepiest Enemies in Video Games, Deathborn was rated 4th place due to fear of the unknown, and how omnipresent he is!
- Deathborn'd be chosen as one of Ikran's Video Game Telekinetics.
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