Dryad

Heroic Vehicle
Full Name	Zero Dryad
Alias	Dryad
Origin	Final Soldier
Transportation	Starfighter
Creation	Various Academy collaborates
Location	Future Zone Desert Zone Ocean Zone Urban Zone Outer Zone Enemy Base Zone Forbidden Zone
Users	Shaw Cougar
Usage / Powers	Flight Space operation Dimensional travel Speed adjustment Spacecraft transfiguration Armaments Vulcan Shot Laser Short Laser Spear Laser Bubble Laser Energy V-Shot Wiper Shot Spin Shot Fire Flare Burner Sol Missile Front Missile Homing Missile Back Missile Options Option Bomb
Purposes	Destroy the Gader'el Forces
Status	Determinant
Type of Heroic Vehicle	Spatiotemporal Spacecraft

Zero Dryad (零式ドライアード in Japanese) or Dryad for short (ドライアード in Japanese), is the main protagonist of the 1991 shoot 'em up Final Soldier. It is a spatiotemporal starfighter that was built as part of a collaboration between various scientific academies in order to destroy the Gader'el Forces. As a result it is capable of wielding a plethora of unique weapon loadouts, the most of any starfighter in the Star Soldier series.

History

Cougar scrambling with Dryad

In the early 23rd century, a rift opens over the Atlantic Ocean, from it, a hostile force pours out and launches an invasion against the Earth. The invaders are revealed to be the Gader'el, and they have traveled back in time from the 25th century after they have successfully conquered Earth from their time. The biomechanical creatures are able to manipulate space and time, and uses this ability to their advantage to exert their influence on their power over Earth's forces in that century, before proceeding back in time to do the same afterwards. In an attempt to thwart the invasion, several scientific academies band together in order to develop of weapon capable of destroying the Gader'el forces; their result is a specially-made starfighter called Dryad, which is capable of wielding several different futuristic weapons, each with their strengths and weaknesses. Once completed, Dryad is to be piloted by Shaw Cougar, who not only survived a previous battle against Gader'el forces but managed to return to base unscathed much to everyone's shock. Dryad is sent into the Future Zone to reach the Gader'el's headquarters and destroy them.

Dryad travels through five zones, where it battles the Gader'el forces and crushes its commanders. Eventually the starfighter reaches the enemy base and infiltrates its defenses. Despite catching the them off-guard however, Gader'el pulls a trick up their sleeve and travels into an alternate dimension, with Dryad following close behind. In the alternate dimension, the starfighter battles the enemy leader in a long battle across numerous phases, before finally destroy them.

With its mission complete, Dryad returns back to its home dimension, having saved the Earth's fate past, present, and future.

Weapons

Item pod

Dryad possesses the largest arsenal of weapons of any starfighter in the Star Soldier series, however it can only use a limited number of them at a time. Unlike other starfighters however, its arsenal can be chosen from the start. Each weapon is categorized into one of four primary types and one secondary type, which are indicated by a letter on each corresponding power-up. Each weapon can be upgraded twice. Upon taking a hit, the active weapon decreases by one level.

• Vulcan Shot - the default weapon of the spacecraft; it fires a standard cannon straightforwards that can destroy most small enemies and environmental objects easily. When upgraded, the number of shots, as well as the spread increases, allowing it to fire up to five shots in a star-shaped pattern.

Laser

• Short Laser - fires a short laser straightforward that behaves similarly to the vulcan shot, except deals more damage. When upgraded, the number of lasers increases to a maximum of three shots in a small spread.

• Spear Laser - fires a powerful, penetrating laser straightforward. When upgraded, the laser's width increases.

• Bubble Laser - fires a spread of bubbles in multiple directions that move slowly for maximum coverage. When upgraded, the size of the bubbles increases.

Energy

• V-Shot - fires a pair of small crescent-shaped shots in 45 degree angles to each side of the craft, they can hit enemies that flank the sides of the craft, but leave it vulnerable to frontal attacks. When upgraded, the number of shots increases, allowing an additional two shots to be fired from the back of the craft in a similar V-shaped pattern.

• Wiper Shot - fires an energy crescent shot directly in front of the craft, whose direction of movement can be manipulated whenever the craft moves left or right. When upgraded, the size of the shot increases, allowing it to deal more damage; an additional small shot will be fired behind the craft, whose direction is also manipulatable.

• Spin Shot - fires a ring of crescent shots straightforward, it behaves similar to the Spear Laser except it has a wider coverage and a slower movement speed. When upgraded, the overall damage increases; an additional shot will be fired behind the craft for additional coverage.

Fire

• Flare - fires a flamethrower straightforward, which sweeps can penetrate small enemies but has limited range. When upgraded, an additional flamethrower will be fired, while the shot pattern will changed to a v-shape. All full power, the range of the two flamethrowers increases, while also causing them to sweep left and right for maximum coverage.

• Burner - fires a pair of fire blasts, two forwards, and two diagonally, the shots move slowly, but can penetrate small enemies. When upgraded, the size and power of the blasts increases; in addition, an additional two shots will be fired at 60 degree angles from each side of the craft, that deal less damage but move faster than the four main shots.

• Sol - fires a single small fireball forwards, which then explodes after traveling a short distance, destroying any small enemy and damaging larger enemies that touch the resulting explosion. When upgraded, the size of the explosion increases.

Missile

• Front Missile - fires a volley of missiles forwards from the side of the craft. When upgraded, the number of missiles fired increases.

• Homing Missile - fires a volley of missiles that proceed to track down nearby enemies. When upgraded, the number of missiles fired increases.

• Back Missile - fires a volley of missiles that proceed to arc and move behind the craft. When upgraded, the number of missiles fired increases.

Other Weapons

• Options - obtained when collecting a red power-up that is not marked with any letter, it adds an option that follows behind the craft, providing additional firepower in the form of a single vulcan shot. Up to two options can be equipped to Dryad at anytime.
  • Option Bomb - detonates one of the options, creating a large, swirling explosion that destroys all enemies and projectiles within the field of vision during its full duration. This ability cannot be used if there is no options equipped to Dryad.

Gallery