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Theories > Panzer Dragoon Zwei True Ending Theory
Written By Geoffrey Duke, February 2003
 
To view Panzer Dragoon Zwei's true ending, the player must kill every enemy in every level, and take the most difficult route at each switching point. In other words, Lagi must've morphed into the Type 01 dragon before we can see what really became of him and Lundi. The true cinematic ending is only 48 seconds long, and yet holds more significance than the game's lengthy primary endings (which are almost 3 minutes long). The true ending is epilogue D in case anyone wants to know.
The dragon rider who dies at the beginning of Panzer Dragoon was recently confirmed not to be Lundi; now I'm left wondering what the true ending truly means. I've decided to re-examine the ending in the small hopes of making sense of what is a moving tide of mixed images. First the camera zooms in on the sky where we then see numerous ships and flying bio-monsters escaping the huge skyship responsible for destroying Lundi's home as the ship itself comes into view, but what comes next holds the most meaning:
 
Lagi in his Type 01 form (seen from underneath) flies off into the distance; the two legs of a rider can be made out. The ending is telling us that Lagi ended the game as the Type 01 dragon -- the exact same form Lagi begins and remains as in Panzer Dragoon.
Here we see the ancient skyship that would later be named Shelcoof blowing up (the ship is seen from above in this shot). After Lagi and Lundi did sufficient damage to the menacing ship, it explodes in brilliant rays of white light.
Next we see the Tower present in Panzer Dragoon blowing up in a similar fashion. Images of the ship and the Tower are overlapped for a very brief moment. Thus parallels are drawn.
Following the dazzling explosions above, viewers peer into the future. Clouds rapidly pass over this leaning Tower as if time is passing quickly. It's actually blurred at first and comes into focus (which is nicely done, as it literally implies the focus of the next game). The fact that it is seen after the destruction of the ship and the earlier Tower conveys an important relationship: they are all linked somehow. The Tower here becomes known as the Tower of Uru, but at the end of Panzer Dragoon Zwei, it remains a mystery.
 
Everything seen thus far is what Lundi is seeing. Lagi, the Heresy dragon, is imparting knowledge to Lundi regarding the Tower network. Lundi and Lagi shared an implicit trust, which culminated in Lagi sharing important information with Lundi -- truthful knowledge about the ancients that even Edge didn't receive. Lagi's visions don't merely transfer data; they blend moving images together meaningfully. The vision here, documented by Lundi's later journals, is indistinct and disconcerting (in any of the primary endings, Lundi presses both his hands against the sides of his head as if in pain). Lundi himself describes this vision as dreamlike and confusing. In this shot, Lundi seems to be floating over a sea of pink colours, which perhaps best illustrates that confusion.
Lundi is overlapped with the Sky Rider soon after, yet that doesn't mean they are the same person (much to my chagrin). We are being shown the reins being passed onto another; the next rider. I assume Lundi's vision then ends when we see a neon-coloured tunnel.
The summarized events that follow are not necessarily a part of the information Lundi is receiving. These cinematic images could simply be showing players what happens next in the timeline; Panzer Dragoon Zwei was a prequel after all. In the shot below players behold the Sky Rider's tragic death. His distinctive silky black clothing and bony-white armour match the colours of Azel's thin suit. If the Sky Rider was indeed a drone, then his whole design would've been used as a drone template. Team Andromeda might've based Azel on his appearance. I don't find a drone theory appealing, because I feel it would detract a little from the human willingness to die for a noble cause. Where's the story in a drone fighting to save a race who will not fight to save themselves? I don't like to think that Lagi left Lundi because he didn't need the human anymore, then picked up a much more suitable drone, and only chose Kyle as a rider out of necessity. Human beings are not just replacements.
 
Here, Kyle (Keil Fluge in Japan) picks up the unknown rider's bulky gun, and bravely continues his mission. The Sky Rider drone couldn't get the job done but Kyle, a mere human, managed to prevail.
 Lagi leaves Kyle and enters the first Tower. The dragon's horn glows vibrant white while pulling in white energy orbs. Basically, we witness the first Tower's destruction again as seen in Panzer Dragoon. Yet one more reason to believe these images are just showing us what happens next.
Lastly, the [Type 01] dragon crest found inside Shelcoof is put on display (that is, the ruined Shelcoof in Panzer Dragoon Saga). The blue-white energy patch located on the dragon's lower neck is depicted in the crest. No doubt the belief that the greenish light is a bad omen stemmed from such a crest.
However, we don't see the throat of the dragon depicted in the crest glow green until the screen fades to black. Then the patch of green light becomes all we can see. The placement of the green light is the ending's way of conveying the true meaning of the "ominous light". The portrayal of the Bioluminary Oscillator on the engraved dragon's throat could even be more symbolic than anything else. The dragon crest may merely be an engraving which contains nothing at all. The crest itself proves the FMV ending's veracity; no one can pretend that Panzer Dragoon Zwei's true ending never existed. Still, this FMV sequence is hardly remembered for its lucidity.
You can read my inane yet relevant Sky Rider theory here.
Back to Page 1 of the Theories Section
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Destroy the mutant stealing habits; it is the village's code. The Will of the Ancients is an unofficial fansite that is in no way supported or associated with SEGA or Smilebit. Panzer Dragoon, Panzer Dragoon II Zwei, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Panzer Dragoon Orta and all other official Panzer Dragoon content is © SEGA, 1995-2003. Everything else on this website was made or written by Solo Wing Dragon unless otherwise noted. Please ask me first before using any content on this website for fan or commercial purposes.
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