Zoom Takazumi (Hot Wheels: Battle Force 5)

Zoom Takazumi (voiced by Alessandro Juliani) is the Scout of Battle Force 5. He is youngest yet most excited to kick butt on the team. He's a former member of the Order of the Flying Fist and a student of Master Takeyasu. Personality Being the youngest of the team, Zoom is energetic, out-going, curious, and reckless. Like Vert, who is his idol, Zoom is optimistic and strong-willed, and is determined not to give up, even if the going gets rough. He is also fairly alert as the team's scout, able to observe and notice things the other members of the team cannot. As a young teenager, he enjoys taunting and angering his opponents with a series of hit-and-run attacks. He is prone to doing stunts and showing off to his teammates and can be annoyed when his skills aren't recognized. Zoom hates being lectured, a disdain that carried over to when he was in the order and often broke rules which led to being lectured. He finds it offensive when other members, particularly Spinner, call him a "kid" for being the youngest, but he eventually grew over it. Zoom sometimes tends to be irresponsible and constantly looking for change as he abandoned the Order of the Flying Fists to find a new life outside because it was boring to him. Zoom also heavily looks up to the leader of the group, Vert Wheeler, as an older brother. Whatever Vert does, influences whatever Zoom does too. He has a tendency to mimic the moves that Vert does, sometimes in order to impress him. Despite being reckless and brash, he also shows a selfless and caring side, as well as a strong sense of justice. In many cases, he was willing to sacrifice his life for the greater good. In Missing in Action, Zoom had no problem being left behind, claiming that he was the 'least most important guy on the team', which could also mean he has self-esteem issues. Appearance Zoom's main color in color scheme is yellow, but he also has red and orange accents. In his Shocksuit, his suit is yellow with red brims and orange linen and white collar, gloves, and boots, along with the Sentient Scout symbol on his shoulder. He also wears his iconic headband and is never once seen without it. In his fusion form, his suit becomes white with yellow accents. In his civilian attire, Zoom wears a bright yellow t-shirt with a red Sentient Scout symbol on his shoulder and orange brims on the collar and sleeves, a red long-sleeve shirt underneath, along with a pair of blue jeans, and red and yellow flats with white soles. He still retains his headband in this form, albeit it's colored plain red. He has black spiky hair and brown eyes. History Both he and Zen were students of the Order of the Flying Fists under Master Takeyasu. He specifically was chosen to guard the Blue Flame. Eventually, he got bored of staying in the compound and eating rice 24/7, resulting him leaving the Order to start a new life. Years later, Sage called him over to Handler's Corners along with Agura Ibaden, Stanford Isaac Rhodes IV, and Sherman and Spinner Cortez. After a battle with the Sark, he recieves his vehicle, the Chopper, and forms the Battle Force 5 with his new friends. In the episode "The Chosen One" Zen found him and tried to get him to return to the Order beause he had been chosen to protect the Blue Flame. Frustrated, Zoom rejected the offer and goes to the garage to release his frustration; however after a successful Battle Key run, Zen allows him to stay with the team and thier friendship mended. Relationships Vert Wheeler Vert and Zoom share a strong older brother-younger brother relationship, with Zoom having some hero worship towards him, causing the younger to look up to Vert. On occasion Vert likes to show Zoom tricks and show him stunts, which the Zoom tries to mimic. Although never shown on-screen, it's been referenced that Vert sometimes teaches Zoom new tricks to do. However, Vert sometimes misjudges Zoom's abilities, which caused the younger on several incidents to get injured. Zoom often disobeys Vert, sometimes for fun or sometimes just to show off, which earns him a lecture (which Zoom has a great disdain for). In Junkyard Dogged, Vert, along with Stanford, briefly showed some jealously for Zoom since he managed to snag a date with Grace. Despite so, they are good to each other. Vert is always there to help Zoom when he is in need of help and keeps a watchful eye out for him when they're in the Battle Zone. He is usually the first one to react when Zoom is knocked off the Chopper. It is interesting to note how often they pair up in battle, suggesting a very close relationship. Agura has described Vert's and Zoom's brotherly relationship as "It's like Vert and Mini-Vert", since Zoom has some hero-worship towards him. Vert sometimes affectionately calls Zoom with friendly nicknames such as Zoomster and Big Guy. Spinner Cortez Spinner used to annoy Zoom by calling him a kid; however, after an incident where Zoom stayed behind to fight the Vandals, the two became friends. After the incident, their friendship only went uphill, with very few instances of them quarreling ever since. in Ascent of the Red Sentients, Spinner panicked and was deeply concerned for Zoom's welfare after he was caught in the Fusion Test Explosion, even giving him a hug upon finding out he was okay. Agura Ibaden Agura and Zoom share a somewhat older sister-younger brother relationship. She is the silent watcher in Vert and Zoom's brotherly relationship, making sure that Vert doesn't lead the younger astray. On occasion, when she thinks Vert has gone to far, Agura will even go far enough to scold Vert for endangering Zoom. She and Zoom rarely quarrel and they share a good relationship with each other. Sage Sage and Zoom are good allies. While Zoom respects and follows Sage's orders, Sage also in turn, cares for Zoom. In Man Down, Sage looks after Zoom while the others go look for the plant to create the antidote. She even risked being found out by Zeke trying to obtain a Milkshake for Zoom since there was a possibility that he might not survive. Later on, Zoom said he was willing to risk his safety for Sage in The Shadow Zone, even though he risked turning into a Shadow Speeder. Although unknown whether webisodes are considered canon, in Birthday Bash, Zoom risked his life to retrieve a Blue Sentient artifact from Sage's home world as her 21 millionth birthday present. Sage was overjoyed upon receiving it and tells Zoom that she will treasure it. Rawkus Rawkus doesn't take sides as he likes to keep things in balance, but he begins to trust Zoom after he said that Master Takeyasu was his master. He grew to depend on Zoom and Vert as they make it through the Shadow Zone. He manages to help Zoom on the SkyKnife as he nearly loses his mind and nearly gets consumed by the Shadows. Master Takeyasu Zoom's mentor and teacher. He disproved of Zoom leaving the order, but they still share a teacher-student relationship. Both Zoom and Zen was devastated when Takeyasu was trapped on the Red Sentient planet, but was sure that they would meet again. Zen Before the events of the TV Series, Zoom used to share a close relationship with Zen since they both are apart of the Order of the Flying fists. Similar to Vert and Zoom's relationship, Zen thought of Zoom as an idol because he was the best warrior of the Flying Fists and he was crushed when Zoom had left. Although their relationship was reforged in the events of The Chosen One, Zen and Zoom part ways after Zen decides that Zoom was needed elsewhere. Even so, Zoom and Zen remain good friends. Grace Grace and Zoom share a somewhat romantic relationship, although not very prominent throughout the show. When Stanford and Vert tried to go out with her, she revealed that she instead had decided to go out with Zoom, mainly because she said he was more of a gentleman than both combined. Although in a supposed relationship with Grace, he doesn't seem to make much out of it throughout the series. In the Total Revolution Movie, Grace is seen making a comment about how she hopes Zoom would return home soon, implying that they are still in a relationship, which again remains not prominent. Vehicle Chopper Zoom's vehicle is the Chopper, a yellow motorcycle whose wheels can split into bladed propellers for flight. It also has a grappling cable to latch onto other vehicles to get airborne if the Buster's ramp can't be used. It is the only vehicle in Battle Force 5 able to get airborne, which is useful for scouting and recon. The Chopper is used for the combination SkyKnife, in which the Saber is bestowed with flight abilities. Skills and Weaknesses Skill Muay Thai Training in the Order of the Flying Fists, Zoom is a skilled Muay Thai fighter and the best warrior in the flying fists; however when he left the order, his fighting skills grew a bit rusty, although his connection (which other Order Members are unable to come into contact to) with technology allows him to make up for this. He is strong and skilled enough to knock out two Vandals via hand-to-hand combat in Time Out without them even noticing him. Speed and Agility Zoom is renown for his speed and agility throughout the show. He can agilely avoid sudden attacks and the flexibility of the Chopper allows him to dish in attacks without breaking a sweat. He was the only member of Battle Force 5 able to keep up with Rawkus and follow him into the Red Sentient Planet. Zoom has been described as the fastest individual alongside Vert, which often leads to pair-ups between them since Zoom is the only one able to keep up. Stealth Zoom is the most stealthiest of all the members of Battle Force 5. In Missing in Action, he was able to momentarily hide from the Vandals, who are known trackers and hunters, which is an impressive feat (but he was soon captured anyway after his ambush failed to take the Vandals out). Spinner has described Zoom as their "stealth guy" in Man Down. Even Vert wasn't able to notice that Zoom had gone ahead and taken out the two Vandal guards in Time Out. In the Blue Tide, Stanford and Spinner also defended Zoom's ability after Zemerik had indirectly insulted him about his stealthiness and abilities, saying that there was no way Zoom would activate a security system. Weaknesses Despite being the fastest individual (alongside Vert and the Saber) and the stealthiest, Zoom is considered the weakest defense-wise. Since he's on a motorcycle, he's much susceptible to being injured than the other members. Sherman made a brief comment to Spinner in Gearing Up that his older brother should feel lucky that he's not on a motorcycle, because how dangerous it could be. This being so, he is often a target for enemies and often ends with Zoom as the "guy in distress" in many situations. Terrain and weather can also be a hindrance to Zoom more than the other Battle Force members, an example when he gets too cold in the Snow Battle Zone. Being hit too hard once can easily disorient the Scout enough to not attack anymore or on some occasions, even knocked off of his Chopper. Without his vehicle, Zoom is a target for enemies to run over. In some incidents, Zoom can even be pinned under the Chopper if he's too injured or in a difficult position to push the bike off him. These are moments where Zoom turns to the other members for assistance. While being weakest in defense, Zoom makes up for this with speed, tending to avoid taking hits instead of absorbing hits like the other members. Other times, Zoom's overconfidence and competitive behavior can lead to him being in danger, injured, or some cases, captured. Multiple times, he has pulled unnecessary stunts and fights, just for fun or to show off. However, as the series progresses, Zoom begins to outgrow this negative qualities. Trivia By definition, the word zoom means 'To move or to travel quickly', which matches Zoom's personality, not only because Zoom is fast, but his personality is very energetic which makes him move quickly. Since Zoom grew up in warm climates, Zoom can't handle being in cold weather and feels uncomfortable being in such places. The yellow color scheme fits Zoom's personality as he is the youngest because yellow has been associated with a young and energetic nature. Zoom's nationality has been confirmed as Asian, hailing from Thailand, although his last name, Takazumi originates from Japan. Zoom's last name, Takazumi, might be a reference to Takazumi Katayama, a Japanese former Grand Prix motorcycle world racing champion. Like Katayama, Zoom is also a skilled motorcyclist. His last name also can be pronounced so that his first name, Zoom, is repeated: Zoom Takazoomi. Quotes "Ice. Why did it have to be ice?" (Deep Freeze, said twice when the places where it's too cold) "Hit 'em 'til they say 'no mo'!" (Mouth of the Dragon) "There's something creepy about this place." (Lord of the Kharamanos, as he drives through a desolate zone) "Guys? Ever get the feeling..." (Deep Freeze, learning that the Mobi is rogue) "*cough cough* Yeah, ugh...could you hold it down? I got a wicked headache..." (Ascent of the Red Sentients' (Part 2), after an explosion occurs) "Woo-hoo, I got some hot wheels!" (Gearing Up, when he was about to go into a stormshock for the first time) "Time for some big air." (Gearing Up and My Man, Zug) "Guys, patience is a virtue." (Common Cold War) "Ownage!" (Catchphrase first heard in Basic Training twice. Once when he snagged the battle key from the Cortez brothers and again when he took out the mini zurks that are heading toward Agura) "Hot wheels! But, whose are they?" (The Power of Resistance, after seeing the Splitwire coming out from the stormshock) "Man, I hate lectures." (The Chosen One, when he was getting scolded for a stunt he pulled in a BattleZone) Conversations involving him Agura: "Aw, it's like Vert and Mini-Vert." (Cage Match, Agura makes a comment on Vert's and Zoom's close relationship.)