Prototype Dragon's rider

Prototype Dragon's rider
Biographical information
Mount	Prototype Dragon
Physical description
Gender	Unknown
Other information
First appearance	Panzer Dragoon (1995)
Last appearance	Panzer Dragoon: Remake (2020)

The Prototype Dragon’s rider, or the Dark Dragon’s rider, was an unnamed humanoid drone who rode the black dragon that sought to return to the Tower near the Imperial Capital. The drone is a character in the 1995 video game Panzer Dragoon and its 2020 remake.

The rider's identity and gender has never been revealed, though Azel: Panzer Dragoon RPG Guide Book confirmed that the rider was a drone. Like Azel, the Prototype Dragon's rider appeared to be what Panzer Dragoon Orta's encyclopedia refers to as a higher-end drone, created by the Ancients to interface with biological weapons, possibly to perform tasks too dangerous for the Ancients themselves.

Biography

Main article: Panzer Dragoon (1995 video game)

The Prototype Dragon’s rider is first seen by players in the introduction to Panzer Dragoon. Kyle Fluge, about to meet his fate at the mercy of a guard robot, was saved as a rock fell from the ceiling and crushed the pure-type. However, Kyle’s safety was short lived as the Prototype Dragon and its rider flew into the tunnel, turning the whole area into flame.

When Kyle emerged from the cave he saw two dragons in combat, one of which was the Prototype Dragon, the other dragon he would soon ride. The Blue Dragon’s rider, referred to as the Sky Rider in the Panzer Dragoon manual, shared many similarities with the Prototype Dragon’s rider. Both wore similar armor and rode different classes of the Solo Wing dragon (the Sky Rider rode the normal class, the Prototype Dragon’s rider rode the spiritual class) as if Team Andromeda had designed them to be twins belonging to opposing sides. One feature that the Prototype Dragon’s rider had which the Sky Rider did not share was a pair of orange eyes that glowed like those of a biomonster.

The Prototype Dragon let loose a fireball which the Sky Rider dodged, however the Prototype Dragon and his rider managed to take the Sky Rider out with a laser blast. They then disappeared into the distance, while the dying Sky Rider landed his dragon so that he could pass his mission over to Kyle.

When Kyle next encountered the Prototype Dragon and its rider, it was in the desert. The Prototype Dragon’s rider attacked Kyle, but was defeated and so hurried away from Kyle and towards the Tower. Kyle encountered them again near some Ancient ruins and finally outside the Tower near the Imperial Capital. Using the Tower, the Prototype Dragon turned into a larger, serpentine version of itself, and when Kyle and his dragon defeated this form, the Prototype Dragon reverted back to its original form. Upon defeat, the Prototype Dragon appeared to have been killed, and fell into the sea. It is unknown what happened to the Prototype Dragon’s rider, but it is quite possible that they drowned in the nearby ocean. Azel became unconscious when Atolm died; it is possible that the same happened to the Prototype Dragon’s rider.

The Prototype Dragon’s rider never speaks in Panzer Dragoon and their personality remains a mystery to players. Panzer Dragoon Orta’s encyclopedia states that, “there have only been a few documented cases in which a drone actually shows human-like emotions or will”. It is possible that Prototype Dragon’s rider was one of the many drones who had no human-like emotions or personality, however this is never confirmed in the series.

External links

• Prototype Dragon's Rider on Panzer Dragoon Legacy