The Zonnen are an anime-only group of Rooks in the Chess Pieces. They believe that Phantom's methods are lukewarm and find the War Games to be a waste of time. Each one is named after a Solar System planet (at the time of broadcasting) other than the Earth.
History[]
Years prior to the current war, when the Chess Pieces army was in its heyday of bloodshed, amongst those converged towards its banner was a group. Alone in this line of psychopaths and bloodlusters, this particular group stood out as outstanding examples of barbarity - they found joy in that era of chaos, indulged themselves in abominable acts of abduction, decimation and destruction; and beheld the sight of ravage as a thing of absolute beauty. Their bestiality was of such that even Phantom revolted at their very presence; and far from being promoted, the group was estranged from the official military force and sent on a permanent residence in distant quarters. With the fall of Phantom and the Chess Pieces the group also decamped to oblivion; no effort to capture them has been answered ever since. That group was the gang of the Rogue Planets that revolves around the Evil Sun, Zonnen.
After 6 years of anticipation, Phantom has resurrected, the Chess Pieces has risen, and with that the Zonnens have also returned. Having already been prejudiced against Phantom's way, they soon get impatient with his monotonous War Games and attempt on the lives of team Team MÄR to resume their savour in the war's bloody cycle. They attacked Team MÄR while they were in Alan's Training Gate. In the end, Saturn is destroyed and the rest of the Zonnen are defeated and trapped in Alan's Training Gate forever.
Members[]
The Zonnen has 8 members in total, divided into 3 groups. All members are named after celestial bodies of the Solar System.
Saturn[]
Main article: Saturn
Voiced by: Rikiya Koyama
The leader of the Zonnen. Although bearing the insignia of Rook class, this man actually possesses Knight-ranked magic power, and also the viciousness of one. Limiting extreme sadism to the fiendish Zonnens, Saturn is unparalleled: he takes pleasure in turmoils and disturbances, and prides himself on the Zonnens' justly earned notoriety as 'monsters' (化け物, lit. bakemono). Saturn's psychopathy even leads him as far as to prolong the deaths of his opponents by torturing them fastidiously instead of just killing them forthwith. He endures Phantom's disfavour with sore, but is by no means despondent, as he finds soothing solace in killings.
As the war is indefinitely impeded with Phantom holding the The War Games, Saturn seeks to eradicate this hindrance by scheming the collapse of Team MÄR. He besieges their Training Gates, immobilizes Alan (the one in charge of organizing the Gate trainings) outside them and commissions his Zonnens as MÄR's assailants. When they all fail Saturn turns on Alan, who is significantly weakened under the curse of his Darkness ÄRM, in the hope it will exile Team MÄR to the Training Gate for eternity. Unbeknownst to him, under Alan's instructions Merilo appeals for Team MÄR's accumulated magic power from the Gates, and the deus ex machina ultimately reverses upon Saturn in lieu of Alan. Saturn is metamorphosed into a beast and is destroyed by the combined powers of Dorothy's Flying Leo, Snow's Yuki-chan, Alviss' 13 Totem Poles, Nanashi's Electric Eye, Jack's Earth Beans, and Ginta using Babbo's Gargoyle form.
- Eisenkugel: A one-ball chain-shot Weapon ÄRM.
- Finstarnis: A Darkness ÄRM that paralyzes the opponent in a seemingly painful hold, requiring magic power equivalent to that of a Knight. If others step near the victim of this ÄRM, they will be pushed back and possibly knocked out. The compensation for this ÄRM is that when the user is defeated, he will be transformed into a one-horned wolf-like beast surrounded in a dark aura.
Mars & Mercury[]
Main articles: Mars and Mercury
Mars Voiced by: Akira Tomisaka
Mercury Voiced by: Junji Majima
The duo that invades Ginta's and Jack's training dimension. While Mars is a snobbish girl with derisive air constantly about, Mercury is more the modest and humble type of guy. However as with the rest of the Zonnens, they're overconfident of their power, which do little to keep their killing mission from being unfoiled at the combined hands of Ginta and Jack.
- Alcan Shield: Mars' ring Nature ÄRM which sets a rainbow rope about its target to limit movements/creates a mammoth rainbow-colored shield to fend off blasts
- Astale Kuspus: Mercury's ring Weapon ÄRM, a set of seven swords darting at opponent at the whims of its user. When the final technique is commence, they will join together to form a giant shichishito.
Venus & Jupiter[]
Main articles: Venus and Jupiter
Venus Voiced by: Sayaka Ohara
Jupiter Voiced by: Katsuyuki Konishi
The duo who trespasses upon the training ground of Alviss' and Nanashi's and suffers defeat at their hands consequently. Jupiter appears quite protective of Venus.
- Aerial Wall: Jupiter's bracelet Nature ÄRM which forms a green wall of thick air around the master, shielding him against outside assaults.
- Bow of Eros: Venus's Darkness ÄRM bow with arrows which, after shot, will inspire enmity even between best comrades.
- Goddess Tact: Venus's ring Weapon ÄRM that takes the form of a ribbon.
- Labyrinth: Jupiter's Dimension ÄRM which cages its victims inside an unfathomable labyrinth with walls that grow endless.
Uranus[]
Main article: Uranus
Voiced by: Nanaho Katsuragi
Oldest sister of the trio siblings who infiltrate the Gate of Snow and Dorothy. Just like the rest of the siblings, she's eager to spar with Dorothy whom she deems a worthy opponent as 'the most horrifying witch', but together with her sisters Uranus is beaten by the princess and the witch altogether.
- Lumiere Soleil: Weapon ÄRM, a homing edged ball.
- Education: Dimension ÄRM, a giant collar.
- Nachtfalter: Guardian ÄRM, summons a giant moth which blows (presumably toxic) air with its wings.
Pluto[]
Main article: Pluto
Voiced by: Kahoru Sasajima
Second oldest sister of the trio siblings, Pluto's also the more protective and aggressive one of the three sisters.
Pluto's entirely fearless of any kinds of weapon or opponent she might face against, for she has an ultimate ace up her sleeve: the Lippenstift Dimension ÄRM which lends her the form of anyone she wishes to, and transfers on that person any injuries she endures. To make the sneaky strike infallible Pluto's also capable of imitating that person's personality to a certain, but only superficial, extent. Though the weakness passes the eyes of Snow when she assumes the form of Merilo, it is later the ultimate flaw that exposes her identity to Dorothy when she takes Snow form, leading to the ambush's failure.
- Lippenstift: A lipstick Dimension ÄRM with the ability to transform its user into an exact replica of the victim, and he/she will suffer all the injures in the user's stead.
Neptune[]
Main article: Neptune
Voiced by: Atsuko Enomoto
Youngest sister of the trio siblings, Neptune's a beaming, albeit garrulous, girl who's occasionally scolded by her older siblings.
- Rapture Shringe: Dimension ÄRM, a giant cage.
Trivia[]
- The Zonnen names are based on planets and each member is paired as the Sailor Scouts from Sailor Moon: Sailor Mercury is with Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter is with Sailor Venus, Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune and Sailor Pluto are a three-member team. Sailor Saturn is the last Sailor Scout to be found and didn't join the team until Sailor Moon Stars.
- The arc centered on the Zonnen Chess aired five months before Pluto was reclassified from a planet to a dwarf planet.