Zazz (ザズ Zazu?) is an antagonist in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. He is a Zeti and a member of the Deadly Six. When Dr. Eggman came to the Lost Hex, Zazz and the other members of the Deadly Six were forced into serving the doctor due to the effects of the Cacophonic Conch. After Sonic the Hedgehog arrived and got rid of the conch, Zazz and the others rebelled against Eggman and took control of his forces. Afterwards, Zazz followed Zavok's plans to make him and the other Deadly Six stronger by using Eggman's Extractor, while destroying Earth, but was ultimately defeated by Sonic.
Appearance
Zazz is a very tall and very lanky Zeti, with very thin limbs and body structure. The upper half of his body appears to be vibrant pink, while his body from the waist down is pure black, ending in two-clawed feet with purple toes. A third much smaller claw appears to jut out from his heels. Zazz has a long tail that appears to be bent into a vague "Z" shape, similar to that of Knuckles the Echidna. Zazz has a row of small black spikes running down his back, from the base of his neck to the middle of his spine. Zazz's thin arms end in proportionately large five-fingered hands, each finger tipped with purple nails.
Zazz has an oblong head with a large gaping mouth, which is never closed. He has long, thin, sharp teeth and a long cyan tongue, which is almost always seen hanging out the side of his mouth. He has green irises with yellow sclera and black markings under each eye. On the top of his head, Zazz has a pair of horns that point outwards, colored in alternating rings of black and light purple. Between them is a mohawk of purple hair.
Zazz wears a pair of black wrist cuffs with gray spikes on them, and a matching spiked collar.
History
Past
Many years prior to Sonic Lost World, Zazz was brought into the Deadly Six when Master Zik formed the group.
Sonic Lost World
In Sonic Lost World, Zazz and the Deadly Six met Dr. Eggman, who used a Cacophonic Conch to enslave them. Zazz then begrudgingly helped Eggman in his scheme for world domination by capturing Animals for an army of Badniks. When Zazz joined Eggman and the Deadly Six for a Badnik-making lesson where Eggman told how they would help him beat Sonic the Hedgehog, Zazz left upon Zavok's permission to fight Sonic himself, only to lose to the hedgehog.
Zazz meeting Sonic for the second time.
While in Windy Hill, Zazz and his team came across Sonic. On Eggman's orders, Zazz confronted Sonic while Eggman and his fellow Zeti left, only to be beaten again. Resuming the Animal hunt, Zazz would be punished by Eggman with the Cacophonic Conch when Zavok spoke against Eggman's criticism of their efforts. Zazz and the Deadly Six later endured further scolding for their failures by Eggman with the Cacophonic Conch when Sonic appeared and knocked the conch away. Now free, Zazz and his team took control of Eggman's Badniks and had them attack everyone at the site, with Zazz joining an attack on Eggman, before Orbot, Cubot, Eggman, Sonic and Tails chose to flee.
Having regained their freedom, the Deadly Six took control of Eggman's operations on the Lost Hex. While Sonic still opposed them though, Zazz was involuntarily used by Master Zik to demonstrate his physical prowess when he went after Sonic. Zazz subsequently went along with Zavok's plan to destroy the Earth with Eggman's Extractor and use the energies it harvested to make the Deadly Six stronger, thus getting their revenge at Eggman. Joining Zavok when he contacted Sonic's group to discourage them, Zazz taunted them with their impending deaths before Eggman cut them out.
Zazz ready to fight Sonic in Lava Mountain.
As the Deadly Six plotted to turn Sonic into their robotic slave, Zazz helped set a trap up for Sonic, only to find Tails caught in it when it returned. As Zor then arrived to announce the failed capture of Sonic, Zazz scowled in response. Using their Extractor-enhanced strength, Zazz and Zomom would later ambush Sonic and his allies, knocking everyone except Sonic into a lava pit. Zazz subsequently teamed up with Zomom and Master Zik to finish Sonic off for revenge, only to be beaten for good. What happened to Zazz afterward is unclear.
Other game appearances
Sonic Dash
Zazz as he appears in Sonic Dash.
Zazz appears as a boss event in the mobile game Sonic Dash as part of the Sonic Lost World event. He is encountered at random, and when encountered, he will be riding on top of the Moon Mech. The player must dodge his star attacks until the end of the section that the player is on. The player is then shot up into the air by a spring. In the air, the player is allowed to attack Zazz and his Moon Mech by tapping Zazz, earning more bonus points. Defeating him grants a boss bonus of up to 160,000 points, depending on the multiplier amount that is used.
In the V. 1.9 update of Sonic Dash, Zazz became a permanent boss instead of just being temporary. In addition, an indication of encountering Zazz is the Eggman symbols that appears on all the monitors before hitting the springs. However, that indication was changed to Zazz's head at the V. 1.9.1 update.
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Zazz makes a cameo appearance as a part of the "Deadly Six" trophy which can be collected in the game.
Mario & Sonic series
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
Zazz as he appears in Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
In Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Zazz appears as a playable character in the Table Tennis event. This is his first ever playable appearance in the series. The way to unlock Zazz in the WiiU version is to simply make it to the final round in the Table Tennis tournament and win the gold. Afterwards, he will challenge you a round of Table Tennis. You must win the set or Zazz will not be unlocked. In the 3DS version of the game, Zazz is unlockable in the Road to Rio. Once beaten in Table Tennis Plus in Sonic's Story, Zazz is playable. Like all other newcomers to the series, Zazz is only available in one event: Table Tennis Plus.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
In Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, Zazz appears as a playable guest character in the Table Tennis event.
Sonic Runners
In Sonic Runners, Zazz appeared during the "Zazz Raid Event". Here, Zazz returned to get revenge on Sonic by stealing Power Rings to become more powerful. Every time Zazz fought Team Sonic however, he would be defeated. The defeats prompted Zazz to seek help from Deadly Six, but their help either failed or got him teased. Eventually though, Zavok persuaded Zazz to keep on fighting. What Zazz did not realize though, was that Zavok was using him to watch Sonic's techniques to secure the Deadly Six's eventual victory overden the hedgehog.
During the "Zazz Raid Event", Zazz can be fought in three boss battles, but players have to encounter him first by playing through regular stages. For the "Zazz (Normal)" boss, Zazz rides the Moon Mech while shooting Star-Shaped Missiles. Dodge the projectiles and keep hitting Zazz with the Spin Jump to defeat him. A "Zazz (Rare)" boss can also be encountered, where Zazz rides a silver Moon Mech, requires more hits to be defeated and sets up bumpers to slow down the player. The third, rarest and strongest version is "Zazz (Super-Rare)". There, he rides a golden Moon Mech and attacks with star-shaped Saw Arms, while constantly trying to ram the player. While only having 10 HP the first time, Zazz levels up each time he is defeated, eventually gaining over thousands of HP and making his attacks much faster. He will also start dropping bumpers in the Normal and Super-Rare battles after having been defeated fifty times.
Sonic Forces: Speed Battle
Zazz is one of the playable characters in Sonic Forces: Speed Battle who was added to the game's roster in the version 2.2.0 update. He has the following gameplay characteristics:
| Rarity | Speed | Acceleration | Strength | Utilizable items |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Rare | 9/10 | 10/10 | 5/10 |
Personality
Zazz is a nasty, cruel and ruthless Zeti with an unpredictable personality which is both his greatest strength and weakness.[1][5] The meanest and most psychopathic of his entire race,[3][6] he is every bit the metalhead he looks like and is wild and unruly to the point where he comes off as rather feral.[3] In addition to giving constant yells, he always wears a very wild expression and attacks with equal savagery. He likewise walks around with erratic body movements and even twitches occasionally. He is heedless to manners and social customs, having no trouble getting extremely close to the face of others, giving rude comments and shows complete disinterest when being scolded. His insanity makes him almost fearless as he rarely shows a single sign of distress. Because of his unpredictability however, it can be easy to turn the tables on him.[1]
Zazz loves to fight and enjoys running wild more than eating three meals a day;[7] holding him back from a fight will sent him flying into a rage.[3] Hating boredom above all else,[3] Zazz is always ready for a fight, even before he knows what he will be fighting, and will pursue his enemies with relentless determination and attack with powerful strikes.[1] Another trait of Zazz is his short temper and hot-headedness; he hates when people show him disrespect and just a few snarky comments or oppositions are enough to send him into a furious frenzy.
Like the other members of the Deadly Six, Zazz is inherently malicious, sadistic and violent. He has an extreme appetite for violence and destruction, even by the Deadly Six's standards due to his unpredictable and unruly personality,[3] and he relishes in the prospect of carnage and destruction, wildly eager and joyous about killing others by dismembering them. He also has a macabre sense of humor, laughing at how Sonic and his allies would die from the Extractor. In line with his thirst for bloodshed, Zazz is an omnicidal monster, having no qualms about causing global genocide for his own gain. He is also vengeful, given that once he was freed from Eggman's enslavement, Zazz launched an attack on the scientist, and wanted to get back at Sonic after he defeated him.
Powers and abilities
Zazz possesses high amounts of physical strength, allowing him to easily lift, throw, and carry the large Moon Mech with just one hand. He is also able to run at super speeds, enough to let him keep up with Sonic, all while carrying the Moon Mech. In addition, Zazz also has incredible jumping skill, allowing him to leap high into the air and across very large distances in an instant. He is also highly acrobatic, enough to let him easily balance on the fast-rolling Moon Mech.[8]
Besides his physical abilities, Zazz also possesses the ability to project volleys of pink energy blasts, either in the shape of orbs or tacks. In the Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Lost World, Zazz is also shown being capable of flight.
As a Zeti, Zazz possesses the innate ability to manipulate magnetic fields, which enables him to control electronics. This allows Zazz to take control of robots and other kinds of machinery.
Weaknesses
Like all other Zeti, Zazz's powers are greatly inhibited when the Cacophonic Conch is blown, which causes him great pain.
Relationships
Friends/allies
Enemies
Battle
Sonic chasing Zazz during the Zone Four battle, from the Wii U version.
Zazz is encountered at Windy Hill zone on both the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Lost World. He is encountered at the end of Zone Two and Zone Four at Windy Hill in the Wii U version, and he is encountered briefly in Zone Three as well as a separate boss fight on the Nintendo 3DS version. In both versions, Zazz's primary weapon is his Moon Mech. The Red Wisp, which turns Sonic into the Red Burst Color Power, is available to use during the separate boss fight on the Nintendo 3DS version.
In other media
Archie Comics
Zazz in the Archie Comics.
In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by Archie Comics, Zazz and the Deadly Six were enslaved with the Cacophonic Conch by Dr. Eggman when he conquered the Lost Hex. However, Sigma, a villainous robot from an alternate world, freed them from Eggman's control. After Zazz and the Deadly Six received power-enhancing armor from Sigma to help with his plans, they betrayed him and tried subjugating him, but Sigma took over Zazz's mind using a device hidden in his armor, and had him serve as one of his commanders until the unified heroes freed him. The Deadly Six's involvement would later be erased when Xander Payne erased all the events of Worlds Unite.
In the not-so-distant future, Zazz would be enslaved by Eggman once again.
IDW Publishing
In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by IDW Publishing, Zazz is a villainous Zeti. He and his team, Deadly Six, were once forcibly enslaved by Dr. Eggman before they eventually betrayed him. His past is virtually identical to his game counterparts' up until after Sonic Forces.
Quotes
- "Bring it on and I'll rip it up!"
- —Zazz responding to Zavok's praise.
- "Ooh! He's gettin' pretty close. I'm gonna have to bring in my A game if I wanna mop the floor with his spiny butt!"
- —Zazz taunting Sonic during Windy Hill Zone 2.
- "Gahahah! I never thought you'd make it this far in one piece. We may get to tangle after all!"
- —Zazz taunting Sonic during Windy Hill Zone 2.
- "It's beatdown time!"
- —Zazz's opening line of the boss fight at Windy Hill Zone 2.
- "You wouldn't like me when I'm angry!"
- —Zazz during the boss fight at Windy Hill Zone 2.
- "Stinkin' hedgehog!"
- —Zazz during the boss fight of Windy Hill Zone 2 when he is hit enough times.
- "You were lucky this time!"
- —Zazz after being defeated at Windy Hill Zone 2.
- "I'm gonna mess you up!"
- —Zazz in response to when he is disrespected by Sonic.
- "I know the perfect spot to take care of you."
- —Zazz threatening Sonic after Eggman and the rest of the Deadly Six left.
- "Hoohoo! That rotten Sonic! I better take this hedgehog down, or the gang will harass me till I'M blue!"
- —Zazz taunting Sonic during Windy Hill Zone 4.
- "There's that little punk. I've been dreaming about pounding his sorry blue butt!"
- —Zazz taunting Sonic during Windy Hill Zone 4.
- "Okay, you surprised me. Better sharpen those spines, tough guy. 'Cause next up on the menu is ME!"
- —Zazz taunting Sonic during Windy Hill Zone 4.
- "Ooh, that rotten Sonic! I'm gonna take this hedgehog down! Or the gang will harass me 'till I'M blue!"
- —Zazz taunting Sonic during Windy Hill Zone 4.
- "You're going home in a box!"
- —Zazz's opening line of his boss fight in Windy Hill Zone 4.
- "You'd better try harder, small fry! Or you ain't never gonna reach me!"
- —Zazz taunting Sonic.
- "(groan) I gotta admit! I figgered you'd be roadkill by now! YOU GOT SPUNK, SHAWTY!"
- —Zazz upset that his traps didn't kill Sonic.
- "I'm gonna skin you alive!"
- —Zazz during the boss fight at Windy Hill Zone 4.
- "I can't believe it!"
- —Zazz defeated in Windy Hill zone 4.
- "But where are you gonna live when your world's dead, guys? Oh right! You'll be dead too! (laughs) Too bad for you! (giggles)"
- —Zazz taunting Sonic, Tails Eggman about their approaching end.
- "Time for some REVENGE! Right, Master?"
- —Zazz before Lava Mountain Zone 1.
- "I'm gonna beat you like a drum!"
- —Zazz's opening line of his boss fight in Lava Mountain Zone 1.
- "I'm gonna... Auugh!"
- —Zazz threatening Sonic after he gets hit by a Homing Attack.
- "The boss is gonna beat me!"
- —Zazz after being defeated for the last time.
Theme songs
- In Sonic Lost World, Zazz's theme song is "The Deadly Six Theme (Violin ver./Orchestral ver.)". This shared with the other Deadly Six.
Solo theme
- In Sonic at the Olympic Games (2020), Zazz's theme is "Boss - Zazz", a remix of "The Deadly Six Theme" that plays during his boss fight.
Trivia
- Zazz's name may be based on the music genre jazz. His accent is also reminiscent of a stereotypical New Orleans dialect.
- Zazz's personality and design are slightly reminiscent of Iggy Koopa from the Super Mario Bros. series, as they both have a tall, thin and lanky build, and always make wild shrieks.
- Coincidentally, both are the first bosses in their games; Zazz in Sonic Lost World and Iggy Koopa in Super Mario World.
- In the Japanese version of Sonic Lost World, Zazz is the only member of the Deadly Six to have spoken Engrish.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 File:SLW Zazz Profile.jpg
- ↑ LOST WORLD UPDATE "The Sonic Lost World promotion is now over but Zazz likes Sonic Dash so much he is going to hang around!"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 SEGA (23 June 2016). Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Wii U. Nintendo. Area/Level: Collectibles (Flags). "The wild and crazy member of Dr. Eggman's Deadly Six, Zazz is every bit the metalhead he looks like and his unruly and unpredictable personality makes him destructive even by Deadly Six standards. He hates boredom above all else, and will fly into a rage when held back from a fight. His competitive style is a bit more chaotic than is usually seen in the Olympic Games."
- ↑ Zazz in the cutscene before Windy Hill Zone 4.
- ↑ Sonic Lost World (Wii U) electronic manual
- ↑ SEGA (23 June 2016). Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Wii U. Nintendo. "Zazz: Eh? What are you looking at? Don't you recognize Zazz, the meanest and most maniacal of the Zeti? I am not to be trifled with!"
- ↑ Japanese profile for Zazz: "A battle crazy who loves to run wild more than three meals a day."
- ↑ During the boss battle with Zazz in Lava Mountain Zone 1 on the Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Lost World.
