Great Mazinger - Modern Version

Modern Version

In the 2002 OVA Mazinkaiser: Tetsuya again fights alongside Kouji against Doctor Hell's forces. The OVA version of Great Mazinger is physically identical to the original, but with black coloring on the arms and legs instead of blue. Great is seriously damaged during the initial battle in the series, and later, when the captured Mazinger Z attacks the Photon Power Labs, Tetsuya does his best to defend the lab against Mazinger Z and later the rampaging Mazinkaiser, leaving him badly injured and Great Mazinger a complete wreck. Afterwards, he leaves together with Jun for treatment for his injuries.

Near the end of the OVA, Tetsuya returns with a new, much more powerful Great, discovered in Doctor Juzo Kabuto's laboratory; this is said to be the real Great Mazinger (or "Shin Great Mazinger"). The "true" Great is structurally the same as the earlier version, but the color scheme for the forearms and legs is blue, as in the original 70's version. It is explained that the Great Mazinger made by Doctor Kenzo Kabuto (Kouji's father) is the prototype version, seen in the early episodes, whereas Doctor Juzo Kabuto (Kouji's grandfather), secretly working in an underground laboratory, managed to finish the final version of Great Mazinger. It has tremendous power compared to the prototype version. Tetsuya asked Kouji to confront Dr. Hell in Bardos Island. Kouji, without knowing the true Shin Great Mazinger, was worried and asked Tetsuya if he can handle an entire army of super robots. Tetusya, having the confidence with Shin Great Mazinger, scolds Kouji of his cockiness. Kouji flies off to fight Dr. Hell leaving Tetsuya against an entire army of mechanical beasts. Shin Great Mazinger defeated the entire army of Doctor Hell including the possessed Venus Ace (although most of the battle was not shown). It suffered no damage and after the battle, Great Mazinger decided to find and help Kouji in the Floating Fortress of Dr. Hell. The concept of Shin Great Mazinger is to bring Great Mazinger to the ranks of modern and more powerful robots such as Mazinkaiser and Shin Getter Robo.

Great also returns in the 2003 movie Mazinkaiser: Deathmatch! Ankoku Daishogun, where Tetsuya once more fights the Mycenae Empire (using the prototype Great Mazinger for unknown reasons). Speculation is that both Mazinkaiser and Shin Great Mazinger were being upgraded in the Photon Labs, forcing Tetsuya to use the prototype Great Mazinger. This time, however, Great is incapacitated rather quickly, surviving battle but unable to continue fighting. However, the battle did display Tetsuya's skill, as he was the only member of the Mazinger Army (made up of Great, Venus A and three mass-produced and significantly weaker versions of Mazinger Z) to defeat his attackers and survive. In the end, the newly upgraded Mazinkaiser was launched in space to rendezvous with the Kaiser Pilder. Mazinkaiser defeated Ankoku Daishogun and in the ending credits, we can see Mazinkaiser carrying the damaged Great Mazinger and Venus Ace.

In 2009 Shin Mazinger Shougeki! Z Hen series Tetsuya is an ace pilot, noted for incredibly easy mastering control over Mazinger Z prototype, Energer Z. He has assisted Kabuto Kenzo and Juzo, Dr. Hell and Tsubasa Nishikiori in exploring Bardos Island. When Dr. Hell makes his first attempts for world domination, Tetsuya sacrifices his life, allowing Tsubasa to shoot Kenzo, who has been possessed by alien Kedora, killing them both. He is later revealed to be Tsubasa's lost brother and his ghost is summoned by Viscount Pygman to haunt her. In the first episode, a mysterious figure with a bearing striking resemblance to Tetsuya in his pilot costume, face unseen, referred to as "Blade", kills Pygman. A silhouette of Great Mazinger is seen behind Blade but before the narrator can introduce it, Detective Ankokuji interrupts him, saying it's "another story", with Blade and Great Mazinger disappearing meanwhile. Great General Of Darkness also appears in the first and last episodes of the series.