Teronna/Grendizer U

Teronna Aqua Vega is a princess from the Vegan Empire, a Starker Knight, the pilot of Aquadizer and the older twin sister of Rubina.
==Background==
Teronna was a princess of the Vega Empire and, alongside her sister Rubina, sought to strengthen ties with the Fleedian royal family after a peace treaty between their nations. As their friendship grew, Teronna and Duke Fleed became training partners, engaging in spirited sword duels that fostered camaraderie and rivalry.
Unbeknownst to Duke, Teronna developed romantic feelings for him. However, recognizing the love that blossomed between Duke and Rubina, she chose to prioritize their friendship and set aside her own desires. Both Teronna and Duke eventually became Starker Knights.
A crisis erupted when Cassado attacked the Fleedian royal family, aiming to capture Grendizer. Amidst the chaos, Duke Fleed escaped with the robot, but his emotional state was affected. Grendizer went berserk, causing widespread destruction. To stop the chaos, Teronna piloted her machine, the Aquadizer, in an attempt to reason with Duke. During the battle, she rescued Rubina from an attack, but Duke believed he was responsible for her peril. This turmoil contributed to the eventual destruction of Planet Fleed as Grendizer rampaged.
==Personality==
Teronna is serious, determined, and possesses a strong sense of duty. She deeply values her younger sister, Rubina, and is committed to her protection. Teronna's desire to become a Starker Knight is partly motivated by her wish to ensure Rubina's safety.
Reserved and self-sacrificing, Teronna conceals her feelings for Duke, prioritizing their happiness above her own. However, when Duke is falsely accused of treachery, her loyalty shifts to vengeance, driving her to pursue him. Upon learning of his innocence, she grapples with her unresolved emotions, her duty to the Vegan Empire, and her sister's well-being.
== Relationships==
==== Duke Fleed ====
Teronna's relationship with Duke Fleed is complex. Despite her deep feelings for him, she suppresses her emotions for Rubina's happiness. When Duke is accused of treachery and nearly kills Rubina while piloting Grendizer, Teronna feels betrayed and seeks vengeance against him. After discovering the truth of his innocence, she struggles with her desire to trust Duke and reconcile her feelings.
=== Rubina ===
Teronna feels a strong responsibility to protect Rubina, motivating her to become a stronger Starker Knight. When Duke expresses a desire to marry Rubina, Teronna playfully teases him, stating she wouldn't allow it unless he defeated her in a duel. After Duke's victory, she feels relieved, knowing he is someone capable of keeping her sister safe.
However, Teronna's protective instincts lead to conflict, especially after the incident where Duke nearly harms Rubina. This tension is exacerbated by Rubina's willingness to forgive Duke, complicating their sisterly bond.
==Abilities and Skills ==
As a Starker Knight, Teronna is highly proficient in swordsmanship and robot piloting. She fights effectively using her machine, the Aquadizer, combining her agility and combat skills with the machine’s power to make herself a effective combatant. Teronna also has the physical conditioning of a soldier, allowing her to engage in demanding combat situations with precision and endurance.
Beyond her physical prowess, Teronna possesses psychic abilities, including telekinesis. She has demonstrated this power when her and Duke Fleed were stuck in cave to clear rocks obstructing their path. In addition to her combat and psychic abilities, she is also a capable military commander.
==History ==
=== Arrival on Earth ===
Upon learning Duke Fleed had taken refuge on Earth, Teronna set out for the planet with her sister Rubina, though she was initially reluctant to bring Rubina along. Together, they took command of Gandal's ship and launched an organized attack on Earth. Rubina, however, insisted on minimizing harm to the planet’s inhabitants, leading Teronna to land and personally challenge Duke rather than initiating a full-scale assault. This allowed civilians time to evacuate before the confrontation began.
In the ensuing battle, Teronna and Duke engaged in a closely matched fight. During the encounter, Teronna began to question Duke's alleged betrayal. Just as Duke was close to convincing her, Cassado intervened, attacking Teronna's Aquadizer with his Double Spazer, causing her to believe that Duke had deceived her. The battle abruptly ended when Princess Rubina personally intervened, ordering Teronna to retreat. Her unexpected appearance shocked Duke, who withdrew as well.
===Secret Meeting with Duke===
As time passed, Teronna grew suspicious of Rubina's intentions regarding Duke. When Rubina suggested a reconnaissance mission to Earth and volunteered to go herself, Teronna questioned her sister’s motives but ultimately allowed it. Unbeknownst to Rubina, Teronna secretly followed her.From a hidden vantage point, Teronna observed Rubina and Duke’s conversation about the destruction of Planet Fleed. Just as Rubina began to soften toward Duke, Teronna confronted him, dismissing his explanations as lies and once again branding him a traitor. She challenged Duke to a duel, ignoring Rubina's pleas to stop. Before the fight could escalate, Blaki arrived with several Vegan soldiers, opening fire on both Duke and the sisters. They were saved by Duke’s telekinesis and the timely arrival of Koji and Sayaka. Still convinced of Duke's guilt, Teronna accused Koji and Sayaka of being in league with him and their presence as evidence of Duke's intention to kill both sisters. She and Rubina escaped in a mini-UFO, taking Blaki with them.
(Despite Teronna and Rubina being declared traitors by Zuril, Gandal, and Blaki—who intended to eliminate them and claim credit for Grendizer’s retrieval—the narrative oddly glosses over these events. Teronna and Rubina not only bring Blaki with them during their escape but also resume their roles overseeing the Earth invasion without any acknowledgment of the overt assassination attempt.)
=== Enemy Mine ===
Frustrated by her unresolved feelings about Duke, Teronna takes out her anger by sparring with Vegan soldiers. Despite being outnumbered, she quickly overpowers them, leaving them unable to continue fighting. Her frustration is clear to all, and when Blaki teases her about the rumors that she’s in love with Duke, Teronna snaps and storms off the bridge after slashing Blaki's cape to shreds with her sword.
Determined to settle things herself, Teronna joins the next Vegan assault against Earth, focusing only on battling Duke. During the large-scale attack on the Photon Power Laboratory, Teronna breaks formation as soon as Grendizer appears, single-mindedly pursuing Duke. Their duel in the skies ends with both Grendizer and Aquadizer crash-landing on Okami Island, with Cassado tracking them closely.Upon impact, Teronna is thrown from her cockpit, prompting Duke to leave Grendizer and check on her. Cassado seizes this chance, appearing and attempting to kill them both with the Double Spazer’s weapons. Duke, however, manages to retreat with Teronna into the forest using his telekinesis, narrowly evading Cassado’s attack.
Cassado then abandons the Double Spazer and takes control of Grendizer. Hikaru arrives and tries to stop him, warning that stealing Grendizer would make him unworthy of piloting it in her eyes. Ignoring her, Cassado attacks Hikaru and hijacks Grendizer.
Meanwhile, Teronna regains consciousness in an underground cave, where Duke tends to her injuries. The moment stirs memories of their past, including Duke’s first confession of his feelings for her twin sister, Rubina, and a friendly duel over Duke’s right to marry her. After a brief exchange about the difference between a best friend and a fiancée, the two make their way back to the surface. Realizing Cassado is causing destruction with Grendizer, they devise a plan: Duke will act as bait while Teronna retrieves Aquadizer’s sword. Once armed, she fires a beam that manages to stagger Grendizer, creating an opening for them.
Guided by Hikaru’s telepathic message, Duke and Teronna head toward a pillar of light on the island, with Cassado in pursuit. Cassado attempts to kill them, but Hikaru intervenes, using her powers to protect them with a forcefield and ejecting Cassado from Grendizer’s cockpit. In a final attempt, Cassado tries to ambush Duke, but Hikaru defends him and ultimately kills Cassado.
Duke mourns Cassado’s death, but Rubina, arriving just in time in her mini UFO, consoles him. Teronna observes from the sidelines as the two of them reassert their love, clearly conflict over it. She and Rubina embark on the mini ufo and return to the Vega Star.
=== The Marriage ===
Back on Vega Star, Teronna confronted Rubina once again regarding Duke Fleed. While admitting she now believed in his innocence, Teronna insisted they maintain the facade of him being a traitor for the Empire’s interests. She argued that, despite the personal cost, their duty was to capture Grendizer for Vega. Rubina, however, vowed to do whatever it took to clear Duke’s name and declared her desire to be with him. In a moment of frustration, Teronna nearly slapped her sister but stopped herself just in time.
Later, Teronna caught Ainsu, Rubina’s maid, sneaking away from the ship with a letter intended for Duke. After reading the letter, Teronna discovered that it was a secret marriage proposal. Rubina planned to meet Duke in secret and fulfill their wedding vows. After some thought, Teronna returned the letter to Ainsu, asking her to keep Teronna’s permission a secret — even from Rubina.
When the time comes for Rubina to slip away from Vega Star to meet Duke for their wedding, Teronna is waiting for her. Teronna confronts her sister, accusing her of betraying Vega with this act and declaring she won’t allow Rubina to follow through. As Rubina insists, Teronna challenges her, asking if she’s truly ready to abandon her home, family, and duty for Duke. Rubina firmly replies that she will marry Duke, even if it means becoming an enemy of Vega. In response, Teronna knocks her unconscious.
Disguised as Rubina, Teronna goes to meet Duke. She goes through with the ceremony, and Duke unwittingly marries her, completing the ritual that marks their hands with a symbol of union. After the ceremony, Teronna drops her disguise, revealing her true identity with a mixture of laughter and bitter tears. She accuses Duke of being a traitor for failing to recognize the difference between herself and Rubina and warns him never to approach her sister again.
=== The Final Battle ===
As the conflict between Earth and the Vegan Empire intensifies, Gandal and the other Vega officers escalate their attacks, harnessing power from the sun to bombard Earth’s major cities. They issue an ultimatum: Grendizer and Duke Fleed must be surrendered, or the destruction will continue. This aggressive assault turns public opinion against Duke and his allies.
Meanwhile, on the Vega Star, Teronna keeps watch over Rubina, who finally regains consciousness. Upon learning that Teronna married Duke to drive them apart, Rubina, enraged, slaps her sister and storms off in anger.
Back on Earth, Duke and his friends launch a final offensive against the Vega forces, with Duke successfully infiltrating the Vega Star. There, he finds Rubina and attempts to explain the forced marriage, but Rubina reveals she already knows that Teronna deceived her, impersonating Rubina to trick Duke. At this moment, Teronna appears, still trying to separate them. Rubina, however, reaffirms her commitment to Duke, while he, sensing Teronna’s inner conflict, offers her sympathy.
Just as tensions seem to calm, Blacki arrives and betrays the princesses, attempting to kill them again. In a critical moment, he fires his weapon, and Rubina sacrifices herself, jumping in front of Duke. Duke and Teronna rush to escape, carrying the injured Rubina while under fire from traitorous Vegan soldiers. Outside, explosions erupt across the Vega Star as Duke's allies battle the Vegan forces.
They manage to reach the ship’s garden, but a sudden explosion separates Rubina from the others. As they reunite, Rubina, with her strength waning, turns to Teronna and asks if she loves Duke. For the first time, Teronna admits her feelings. Rubina expresses relief, saying they are now even, and asks Teronna to take care of Duke. With a final declaration of her love for Duke, Rubina succumbs to her injuries.
Overcome by rage and still holding onto Rubina, Duke uses his telekinetic powers to fly outside the ship, shielding himself from the vacuum of space. Likewise, Teronna uses her powers to protect herself as she returns to her own ship. Duke rampages through the battlefield and eventually reaches Earth, where the berserk Grendizer causes widespread destruction due to the pilot’s unstable emotional state.
Teronna follows in her Aquadizer, offering support as Koji and the others attempt to restrain Duke. Together, they manage to bring Duke back to his senses. Teronna then waits on Earth with Rubina while the others finish off the Vega Star in space.
In the end, Rubina’s body is absorbed into Grendizer. Duke offers Teronna a chance to stay and live with him on Earth, but she declines and departs.
==Gallery==
File:EP 08 - Starker Knight Teronna.png
File:GU EP 09 - Duel 2.png
File:GU EP 11 - Teronna Reveal.png
==Trivia== 
*Teronna is based on the character of the same name from The Great Battle of the Flying Saucers, where she is portrayed as a princess of the Vegan Empire who was in love with that film’s version of Duke Fleed . Her character design is inspired by that of Rubina in UFO Robo Grendizer who was the Vegan Heiress and Duke Fleed’s ex-fiancée in that version.
*In UFO Robot Grendizer, her role was reimagined through the character of Rubina, who replaces her as Duke Fleed's fiancée.
*In Grendizer U, both Teronna and Rubina appear together as twin sisters, instead of one replacing the other.
*An interesting distinction between their original designs and Grendizer U lies in their hair color: 
**Teronna was originally depicted as blonde, while Rubina had red hair.
**In Grendizer U, their hair colors are swapped.
*Both Teronna and Rubina are voiced by Haruka Tomatsu.
==References==
Category:Female characters
Category:Pilots
Category:Grendizer U Characters
Category:Vegan Empire
Category:Anime Characters