Kataphrakts (Aldnoah.Zero)

Kataphrakt are a type of mecha that feature in Aldnoah.Zero.

History

Kataphrakts (Japanese: カタフラクト, Hepburn: Katafurakuto?) were a kind of mecha that had been originally developed by the Vers Empire following the Martian colonists discovering highly advanced alien technology on Mars. After the discovery of the ancient alien "Hypergate" on the Moon in 1972, Mars was colonized, and the settlers there uncovered further alien technology they named 'Aldnoah'. This advanced power source and technology allowed the colonists to declare unilateral independence from Earth. The Vers Empire developed the first Kataphrakts, transforming robots originally intended for exploration into powerful, piloted weapons systems, each uniquely leveraging the reality-bending properties of an Aldnoah Drive.

In 1999, the First Earth-Mars War broke out during Operation Earthfall, where the Vers forces easily overpowered Earth's military with their superior, Aldnoah-powered Kataphrakts after Gilzeria declared hostilities against the United Earth with the Martian Kataphraktos being deployed against the UFE lunar base. Meanwhile, Earth forces, in contrast, were still reliant on conventional military hardware like tanks. During the conflict, a catastrophic malfunction that erupted at the Hyper Gate causing the Moon to be destroyed with this event being referred to as Heavens Fall. Both Earth and the Vers Empire were reeling from the planetary-scale disaster. The first Earth-Mars war ended in a cease-fire agreement around the year 2000, establishing a demilitarized zone between the two powers.

In 2003, the United Earth forces had managed to develop their own Kataphrakts in the wake of the Martian conflict. The mecha were then deployed on urban pacification operations after political instability caused massive riots to erupt around the world. The resulting UFE units were more militaristic in design and lacked the unique Aldnoah-driven abilities of their Martian counterparts, highlighting the immense technological disparity that defined the conflict. In the ensuing fifteen years of shaky peace, a massive political and social divide deepened. On Earth, widespread instability and riots occurred, with the newly developed UFE Kataphrakts being first used for urban pacification. The Vers forces, particularly the Orbital Knights whose path home was cut off, took up residence in numerous floating castles within the Satellite Belt, solidifying their presence as a constant threat to the planet below. The Martian aristocracy continued to view Terrans as an inferior, greedy race, while many on Earth harbored deep resentment towards the Martians for the catastrophe.

Overview

In appearance, Kataphrakts were a series of mecha and war machines that were developed by humanity. Kataphrakts were a class of large, humanoid, piloted mecha that served as the primary combat units.

The machines were broadly categorized into two distinct types based on their origin and power source. United Forces of Earth (UFE) Kataphrakts were conventional, mass-produced military hardware. They were designed for versatility, equipped with standardized weapons like cannons, machine guns, and blades, and operated on a standard OS named ASIMOV. The Terran units possessed basic mobility, including some hovering capability, but were generally considered second-rate and were easily outclassed in direct confrontations with their Martian counterparts. Martian Kataphrakts, used by the Vers Empire's Orbital Knights, were significantly more advanced, each powered by a unique and highly potent "Aldnoah Drive" that granted it a single, specific, and often reality-bending ability. These unique traits included dimensional barriers that absorbed all energy, precognitive systems, molecular armor, the ability to create clones via quantum teleportation, optical camouflage, gravity manipulation, or high-intensity plasma blades. These specialized powers made Martian Kataphrakts seemingly invincible and capable of single-handedly destroying multiple UFE units. Despite their overwhelming power and immunity to most conventional attacks, their over-specialization often led to critical weaknesses or specific blind spots that clever UFE pilots could exploit to defeat them.

It was shown that Earth-based Kataphrakts were far weaker when compared to the Martian versions. Martian Kataphrakts had unique characteristics that allowed them to overpower their Earth's counterparts though they operated in small numbers. Within the Vers Empire, the mecha tended to be used by the lords that made up the ranks of the Orbital Knights. Kataphrakts designed by the Martians, especially the ones used by the Orbital Knights, all have unique characteristics that make them woefully overpowered against Earth's Kataphrakts to make up for their lack of numbers. The majority of Martian Kataphrakts take little to no damage from bullets and possess Aldnoah Drives. The Martian Kataphrakts have abilities that are thought to be out of science-fiction. In a usual battle, one Martian Kataphrakt can take on at least a dozen of Earth's Kataphrakts and emerge victorious with ease.

Models

Earth

• KG-6 Sleipnir : the first Kataphrakt produced by the United Earth, but the series has been phased out and is mainly used as a training unit.
• KG-7 Areion : mainstay Kataphrakt combat unit, which replaced the previous generation Sleipnir.

Vers

• Argyre : piloted by Sir Vlad, the Argyre utilized two Beam Katana where it specialized in close-quarters-combat using a blade field as both an offensive and defensive weapon. The weapon can be used to easily slice through the heavy armor of any object with little to no effort, however, the armor of the Argyre itself is vulnerable to standard weapons. To combat this, the weapon is used to parry and deflect bullets through using the Leidenfrost effect causing high-explosive rounds to detonate and armor-piercing rounds to deflect off the field.
• Deucalion : piloted by Viscountess Orlane, the Deucalion possessed the ability to manipulate gravity. It used that characteristic to generate a defensive field that was capable of bending gravity around the unit. It could seemingly float by using its gravity manipulators to keep itself in the air. By manipulating gravity around itself, the Deucalion could deflect any solid projectile.
• Dioscuria : piloted by Count Saazbaum, it can transform and combine from different attachments. It possesses the inherent abilities of the Nilokeras, Argyre, and Hellas. Each attachment has the ability to act independently, similar to the Hellas, but is far more advanced by combining each ability. As with the other Martian Kataphrakts, it also has the weaknesses they had as well.
• Electris : piloted by Count Zebrin, it utilizes a barrier made of electricity that doubles as a weapon that can be used to surge toward targets, electrocuting them.
• Geryon : piloted by Count Keteratesse, it utilizes electrical beams that grasp and constrict enemy Kataphrakts.
• Hellas : piloted by Countess Femieanne, it possessed six arms named after the Goetian demons (Botis, Morax, Ronove, Halphas, Raum, Vine), which can be launched as rocket-propelled projectiles. They can become single molecules capable of piercing the armor of naval ships and other Kataphrakt's. Despite being heavily armored, they can easily be destroyed by targeting their rocket. Due in part because they use rockets and gain speed through distance, armor-piercing rounds can deflect them off course.
• Nilokeras :
• Solis :
• Tharsis :
• Elysium :
• Herschel :
• Octantis :
• Ortygia :
• Scandia :
• Sirenum :
• Acidalia :

Notes

• Kataphrakhts were created by Olympus Knights and Gen Urobuchi where they featured in the setting of Aldnoah.Zero.
• Their name was seemingly based on the word 'cataphract' that was a type of armored heavy cavalry used in ancient warfare.

Appearances

• Aldnoah.Zero:

External Links

• Aldnoah.Zero Wiki Entry

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