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Zatch Bell!, known in Japan as Konjiki no Gash!!/Konjiki no Gash Bell!! (金色のガッシュ!!) is a manga and anime series by Makoto Raiku. Zatch and Kiyo are two characters in this series.

Kiyo Takamine

Kiyo Takamine, known in the original version as Kiyomaro Takamine (高嶺清麿, Takamine Kiyomaro) is one of the main characters of Zatch Bell.

At the series' start, Kiyo is an ordinary 14-year old junior high school student who happens to have an IQ over 190. His intelligence makes him a target for teasing and harassment. Due to this bullying, and to his own arrogance, Kiyo develops an introverted and apathetic demeanor, to the point where he skips school on a regular basis. However, his entire lifestyle changes when he receives a rather unusual birthday present given by his father - a mamodo kid named Zatch Bell. Together, they fight in the battle to decide the mamodo king and are the main characters throughout most of the storyline.

Kiyo is easily irritated and often takes it out on Zatch, but he also uses his genius to devise strategies to win his battles.

In the most recent Gash Bell popularity contest in Japan, Kiyomaro ranked third.

Zatch Bell

Zatch Bell (known in the original version as Gash Bell (ガッシュ・ベル, Gasshu Beru)) is the main character and namesake of the series. He is the mamodo of the red spell book, and his powers involve lightning and electricity. He appears in the first episode.

Kiyo's father, a professor named Seitaro Takamine, finds Zatch unconscious and near death in a forest in England. Seitaro also discovers that the child has no memories of his past. When Zatch promises to return the favor for saving his life, Seitaro asks Zatch to meet with his son, Kiyo. In doing so he hopes that Zatch can help Kiyo break certain bad habits, such as skipping school. In turn, Seitaro also asks Kiyo to help Zatch rediscover his lost memories.

Template:Spoilers Later on, Zatch remembers that after he was transported to Earth, he was lost in the forest until he was found by a mamodo who looked just like him - Zeno. Zeno attacked Zatch out of sheer, unexplained hatred and then, instead of burning his book, decided to erase his memories of the mamodo world, so that he would be constantly attacked without knowing why. Later in the series, it is discovered that Zeno is Zatch's evil twin brother, who was angry at Zatch for being able to use the powerful Bao spells, which Zeno wanted. Template:Endspoiler

Zatch is overly cheerful, possessing a strong sense of justice, but is clueless about most the world around him and often gets in trouble when not being supervised by someone. He is also initially unaware of the fact that he can shoot lighting out of his mouth through use of his spells. The revelation of that fact, along with finding out that he is a mamodo, upsets Zatch quite deeply.

Zatch Bell and Kiyo Takamine also have a close relationship, which helps them to unlock immense power, and despite initially being judged as one of the weakest mamodo in the contest, Zatch has defeated many opponents with Kiyo's help. They are determined to win the battle to decide the mamodo king, so that Zatch can end the reoccurring war between mamodo.

Template:Spoilers During Zatch's battle with Zeno, elements of his past are revealed. Zatch and Zeno are twin brothers, born to the king and queen of the Makai. Because Zatch had been born with the powers of "Baou", the most powerful and yet destructive of his abilities, the king was forced to send away Zatch to a caretaker far away where he would not be corrupted and use this power. The caretaker that Zatch ended up with was a cruel one, making him do all of the household chores for her and consistently told that he had no family. He was also sent to an academy for Mamodo children, where he would be the consistent target for bullies (including Tia) due to his kind and generous nature. One day, he overheard his caretaker speaking with someone from the royal family as she received a stipend for caring for Zatch, learning about his parents, his brother Zeno and his royal heritage. It was this knowledge that finally gave Zatch happiness and hope that someday he would reunite with his real family. It was this that would also lead to his first encounter with Zeno, when all of his knowledge of the Mamodo world and his heritage was taken away so that he would be alone in the human world.

When Zatch defeated Zeno with Baou Zakeruga, the Baou dragon revealed Zatch's harsh past to Zeno, who regretted his actions. He left Zatch a letter as his book burned. When Zatch and Kiyo returned to Japan, they read the letter, which stated that when the number of mamodo remaining on earth fell to ten, a "new hell" awaited them. (which would eventually be revealed as the King Festival and the threat of the Mamodo known as "Clear Note") It also revealed that Zatch's cloak had shapeshifting abilities much like Zeno's.

Template:Endspoiler

Based on the results of a Japanese popularity contest, Gash is currently the most popular character in the series.

Stats

Japanese names: Gash Bell (ガッシュ・ベル, Gasshu Beru) and Kiyomaro Takamine (高嶺清麿, Takamine Kiyomaro)

Country of origin: Japan

Zatch's age: 6 years

Spell book color: Red (Gold in episode 149-150)

Spell power: Lightning

• Zaker: Zatch shoots powerful lightning from his mouth. (Attack).
• Rashield: Creates a giant wall that protects Zatch and Kiyo. It can reflect attacks back at the enemy (with some lightning added to it). (Defense/Attack). Gained in episode 2.
• Jikerdor: Creates a slow moving sphere that magnetizes the opponent to any metallic object(s). (Immobilization). Gained in episode 9.
• Bao Zakeruga: Zatch's lightning takes the form of a huge dragon. Further along in the series this spell increases in strength in conjunction with the Zaguruzemu spell. The dragon's appearance changes as well. The true power is revealed after Kiyo dies and is resurrected during the battle in Faudo tower. It is here that the electric dragon is revealed to be an immense, powerful, uncontrollable attack that absorbs anything, including the summoner, due to the sadness held within their heart. This form of Bao Zakeruga is only stopped by a combined powers of Gash's willpower and Zeno's "Jigadirasu Uruzakeruga" attack, but is later controlled with the will of Zatch, Kiyo, his friends and their bookkeepers and even the power of Zeno's bookkeeper Dufort, who's sadness held back the dragon's ability. After defeating Zeno, the silver-hair twin gives Zatch his electrical power, upgrading Baou Zakeruga once again to its final form and making it large and powerful enough to take out the immense Makai tower Faudo. (Attack). Gained in episode 22.
• Zakeruga: A more concentrated form of the Zaker spell fired in a fast, straight beam. (Attack). Gained in episode 38.
• Rauzaruk: A rainbow-colored bolt amplifies Zatch's strength and speed for a short time. (Assist). *note* Other spells cannot be used during this spell. Gained in episode 49.
• Zaguruzemu: Spell that charges anything it strikes with electricity. When an offensive spell is cast, the stored electricity explodes. It also increases the power of any electrical attacks. Gained in episode 84. (Assist)
• Barudo Forusu: Zatch's friends (Tia, Kanchomé and Ponygon) lend him their power, which manifests itself into a huge phoenix made of lightning. Very similar to the Bao Zakeruga spell. (Attack, Movie Only).
• Ganreizu Zakeru: A multi-turret gun is summoned, allowing for several small blasts of lightning to be thrown out at the same time. Manga-only attack, revealed in chapter 255. (Attack)
• Teozakeru: A more powerful version of Zaker. Manga-only attack, revealed in chapter 255. (Attack)
• Baou Kurou Disugurugu: Zatch summons an immense clawed hand similar to that of the Bao Zakeruga dragon, and attacks his enemy with it. Zatch uses his hand to control the clawed hand and does not lose consciousness. Manga-only attack, gained in chapter 254. (Attack)
• Maazu Jikerudon: Similar to Jikerdor, but has the ability to deflect enemy attacks. When it comes into contact with the enemy, it pulls them inside and electrocutes them. (Defense/Attack)

First appearance in anime: 1

Episode appearances: 1-150

Japanese Voice actors: Gash — Ikue Otani (episodes 1-140) / Konami Yoshida (episodes 141-150), Kiyomaro — Takahiro Sakurai

English Voice actors: Zatch — Debi Derryberry, Kiyo — Jason Spisak

Spell books they burned

• Reycom (episode 3)
• Sugino (episode 7)
• Kolulu (at her request) (episode 8)
• Fein (episode 9)
• Maruss (episode 15)
• Robnos (episode 16)
• Danny (indirectly) (episode 27)
• Zoboron (episode 30)
• Cut 'N' Paste (episode 31)
• Grisor (episode 35)
• Zabas (episode 38)
• Bahking (Zofis moved bookkeeper in front of Zakeruga) (episode 51)
• unnamed child Mamodo (episode 51)
• Dogmos (episode 56)
• Laila (at her request) (episode 88)
• Maestro (with help from Brago) (episode 98)
• Rein (at his request) (episode 116)
• Zeno (episode 150)
• Faudo (episode 150, destroyed in the anime, but restrained to the point of sending it back in the manga)
• Jedun (manga chapter 255)
• Akatsuki (movie 1)
• Wiseman (movie 1)

Trivia

• In an effort to keep Zatch busy, Kiyo gave him a "friend" named Volcan 300 (Vulcan 300 in the original version). It's in reality a snack box with chopsticks attached, and there's been several different versions of Vulcan 300 (and a burial site for all the previous versions). Volcan may be a homage to the box that the Win98 OS-tan wears in most of art that she is seen in.
• Zatch's favorite food is yellowtail, which he prefers to eat whole; his favorite TV show is "Praying Mantis Joe" (Kamakiri Joe).
• In the original version, Gash Bell frequently appears naked, and in fact is nude when he first meets Kiyomaro. The English anime and manga edit boxers over Zatch in these scenes. (This creates a slightly paradoxical situation in volume five of the manga, where Zatch can be seen in one panel handing his clothes, including boxers, to Kiyo while wearing a pair that was edited in.)
• Also in the original version, Gash Bell often ends his sentences with "(na)no da", an expression of emphasis. He also uses the phrase "Unu" often. In the English version, Zatch Bell has a notable cadence in his laugh.
• In episode 1, Kiyo discovers that Zatch has small horns hidden in his hair; however, they have never been seen nor mentioned again after episode 2, when Zatch falls on Kiyo, his horns hurt Kiyo.
• The name "Kiyomaro" translates to pure or purity.
• Some sources incorrectly list Kiyo's name in the English-dubbed version of Zatch Bell as "Kory" (see: 1, 2). An article about the series published in Anime Insider magazine prior to the American premiere of Zatch Bell also called Kiyo "Kory," suggesting that perhaps Kiyo was originally to be renamed Kory in the English version. In the final English dub, "Kory" is the name of a boy Kiyo and Zatch meet in London.

Navigational System

• Zatch Bell! characters
• Fictional characters with the power to manipulate electricity