In their ongoing battle against the forces of Zelda, the Terrahawks had at their command an army of lovable robotic spheres known as the Zeroids! Each had a different number and its own personality – much to the frustration of Doctor Tiger Ninestein!
While characters such as Sergeant Major Zero, Space Sergeant 101 and Dix-Huit had the most screen time out of all the Zeroids, many other Zeroids also made multiple appearances in the series, either in speaking roles or as background extras. These are the unsung heroes of the Terrahawks, and in the show’s 40th anniversary year it’s only appropriate that we celebrate the entire Zeroid platoon – who are, in the words of Sergeant Major Zero, “brave lads, every man jack of them!”
It’s time to go Zeroid spotting.
Sergeant Major Zero
Voice: Windsor Davies, Jeremy Hitchen (audio)
The fearless commander of the Zeroid regiment, Sergeant Major Zero strives to be the finest soldier any man – or machine – could be. Despite being the oldest of the Zeroids, age has not always brought much in the way of wisdom, which occasionally leads to him making the odd blunder here and there. However, he tempers this with a mischievous sense of humour – often at the expense of Tiger Ninestein’s sanity – that he feels brings him closer to being a man than a machine. Whether going into enemy territory alone or leading his troops into heavy fire, Zero’s courage and resourcefulness on the battlefield is unparalleled, and have saved the day on more than one occasion.
Space Sergeant 101
Voice: Robbie Stevens
Commander of the Zeroid contingent aboard Spacehawk, this fussy and temperamental Zeroid works closely with Lieutenant Hiro as they keep a look out for any incoming threats from Mars – and rather enjoys spending time in the Lieutenant’s company. Despite a rivalry with Sergeant Major Zero, 101 generally gets on well with humans and Zeroids alike, and is capable of running the station alone if needed – although sometimes he finds the work a little monotonous!
Zeroid 04
Appearances: Zero’s Finest Hour, Space Cyclops
Voice: Jeremy Hitchen
This German-accented Zeroid was part of the assault force that stormed the Overlander depot after it was taken over by Yungstar and an army of Cubes, although #04 was less than comfortable during the cramped journey to the depot aboard HUDSON (“Mein head down here is being squashed!”). He later formed part of another attack force when he was among the Zeroids dropped onto the lunar surface from Spacehawk to locate the space cyclops.
Zeroid 10
Appearances: The Ugliest Monster of All, A Christmas Miracle
This Zeroid assisted Space Sergeant 101 with bringing a passing capsule back to Spacehawk, discovering the sound frequency necessary to unlock the capsule and free its occupant – Yuri the space bear. He later returned with the bear to Hawknest and assisted Sergeant Major Zero in a search for the “dangerous little rascal” when he escaped from his cell. Unfortunately he was among those Zeroids to fall victim to Yuri’s telekinetic abilities as the bear bent #10’s gun just as the Zeroid opened fire on him, causing the shot to go wide – almost hitting Zero in the process. “Galloping pit ponies! He very nearly shot his own Sergeant Major!”
#10 was also among the Zeroids seen in battle on the lunar surface during Tiger Ninestein’s Christmas dream.
Zeroid 13
Appearances: Expect the Unexpected 1
Voice: Jeremy Hitchen
The first Zeroid to meet his maker in the television series, Zeroid 13 was among the Zeroids dropped in Thailand to investigate the mysterious energy source that later turned out to be Zelda’s spaceship. The Queen of Guk made her first contact with the Terrahawks by noticing #13 and observing his number is considered unlucky on Earth – before shooting him dead to prove the point.
Zeroid 13 (replacement)
Appearances: The Gun, Operation Zero
Voice: Jeremy Hitchen
A replacement for the original #13, this Irish-accented Zeroid was first seen discussing the new duty rota with Dix-Huit. Unfortunately, this new #13 also seemed to have inherited his predecessor’s bad luck, as he was later seen in the Zeroid sickbay in the episode Operation Zero with the top of his head missing.
Zeroid 17
Appearances: Mind Monster, To Catch a Tiger, A Christmas Miracle, Space Cyclops
Voice: Jeremy Hitchen
Zeroid 17 assisted Sergeant Major Zero in searching Hawknest for the mind monster, with his quick reflexes saving the life of Lieutenant Hawkeye when the latter fell under the creature’s influence and attempted to shoot himself in the head – forcing #17 to stun the unfortunate human before he could manage it! He later accompanied Zero and Dix-Huit to Mars to assist in rescuing Tiger Ninestein from Zelda’s complex, and was part of the Zeroid squad dropped onto the lunar surface to search for the space cyclops. He was also seen in battle on the lunar surface during Tiger Ninestein’s Christmas dream, where he got his only speaking role in the series when he relayed Zero’s cease fire order to his fellow Zeroids!
Zeroid 18
Voice: Robbie Stevens
First appearing in the episode The Gun (the only episode he appears in where he is not sporting his customary moustache) the french-accented Zeroid 18 was rapidly elevated to main character status. Preferring to be known as Dix-Huit (although Zero is more prone to calling him Dicks-Hewitt) 18 is brave and loyal, only occasionally complaining about falling from great heights! A model Zeroid (despite the rumour that he puts garlic in his lubrication oil) Dix-Huit is usually right by Zero’s side as they face the enemy together.
Zeroid 21
Appearances: Gold, Gunfight at Oaky’s Corral, The Gun, Zero’s Finest Hour
Voice: Robbie Stevens
Zeroid 21 was first introduced when he discovered the golden meteorite sent to Earth by Zelda, and was occasionally seen around Hawknest chatting to Sergeant Major Zero. A defective voice circuit gave #21’s speech a slight stutter, but he wasn’t keen on the idea of having it fixed; “it makes me more hu-hu-human!”
Zeroid 22
Appearances: The Ugliest Monster of All, Unseen Menace, Midnight Blue
Zeroid 22 was one of several Zeroids deployed to track down and stop Yuri the space bear when he went on a rampage in Hawknest, but he was disabled in the attempt. He later formed part of Zero’s “ring of steel” to trap a mysterious force that had infiltrated the base, but the invisible MOID managed to slip past 22 unseen. This Zeroid finally did have some luck when he accompanied Zero, 18 and 55 into space to defend the Earth-orbiting Hawkwing from a Zeaf attack commanded by Yungstar, helping to create the illusion of “an enormous star cruiser!” that scared the android into retreating.
Zeroid 23
Appearances: The Ugliest Monster of All, A Christmas Miracle
Zeroid 23 was also among those unfortunate Zeroids who attempted to contain Yuri when the space bear was unleashed in Hawknest, but he too was disabled in the attempt. He was also among the Zeroids seen in battle on the lunar surface during Tiger Ninestein’s Christmas dream.
Zeroid 24
Appearances: A Christmas Miracle, Space Cyclops
This Zeroid was dropped onto the moon to locate the space cyclops, and was also among the Zeroids seen in battle on the lunar surface during Tiger Ninestein’s Christmas dream.
Zeroid 25
Appearances: The Ugliest Monster of All
This Zeroid was one of four used as wheels used to transport the lead skip which was dropped onto Yuri the space bear in the episode The Ugliest Monster of All.
Zeroid 27
Appearances: Expect the Unexpected parts 1 and 2, Gold, Operation Zero
Voice: Robbie Stevens
Participating in the Terrahawks’ first battle against Zelda (and later attending the funeral of Zeroid 13), #27 also assisted Zero with bringing Zelda’s golden meteorite back to Hawknest, and some time afterwards kept the Sergeant Major company during his visit to the Zeroid sickbay. 27 had sustained light scratches, but said he expected to be released “in a couple of days.”
Zeroid 34
Appearances; Mind Monster, A Christmas Miracle
This Zeroid assisted with the removal of the mind monster from Tiger Ninestein, and transported the extracted entity from Battlehawk to a launch pad to be fired into space. He was also among the Zeroids seen in battle on the lunar surface during Tiger Ninestein’s Christmas dream.
Zeroid 35 (male)
Appearances: Expect the Unexpected parts 1 and 2
Voice: Jeremy Hitchen
Zeroid 35 was among the Zeroid squad dropped in Thailand who participated in the Terrahawks’ first battle against Zelda, and later attended the memorial for the fallen #13 – although #35 didn’t get the point of the service, asking Sergeant Major Zero “when we get back, they’ll make another #13 won’t they?” Zero could only observe that #35 had no heart.
Zeroid 35 (female)
Appearances: Return to Sender, Renta-hawks, My Enemy’s Enemy, No Second Chances, Living Legend, The Prisoner of Zelda
Voice: Beth Chalmers (audio)
A replacement for the previous male #35, this young English-accented female Zeroid only appeared in the Terrahawks audio dramas. Although initially overexcitable and nursing a crush on Sergeant Major Zero that saw him temporarily transfer her to Spacehawk, the fiercely loyal #35 proved herself during several battles against Zelda and was reassigned to Hawknest on a permanent basis.
Zeroid 36
Appearances: A Christmas Miracle
This Zeroid was among those seen in battle on the lunar surface during Tiger Ninestein’s Christmas dream.
Zeroid 41
Appearances: A Christmas Miracle, Zero’s Finest Hour, Cry UFO
Zeroid 41 participated in several on-screen battles, including the raid on the Overlander depot and the attack on the mysterious UFO that had landed in Bad Water County. He was also among the Zeroids seen in battle on the lunar surface during Tiger Ninestein’s Christmas dream.
Zeroid 45
Appearances: Expect the Unexpected part 2
Zeroid 45 was among the Zeroids who attended the funeral of the fallen #13.
Zeroid 48
Appearances: The Gun
Voice: Windsor Davies
This Zeroid was seen working in Battlehawk shortly after Tiger Ninestein issued an order to have all Zeroids reprogrammed to speak with a standardised voice – and as a result was one of the many who now spoke with the voice of Sergeant Major Zero!
Zeroid 50 (aka Doctor Killjoy)
Appearances: The Ugliest Monster of All, Zero’s Finest Hour, Space Cyclops, Operation Zero, Living Legend
Voice: Windsor Davies, Jeremy Hitchen (audio)
Better known as Doctor Killjoy, this Indian-accented Zeroid served as Hawknest’s resident doctor, and was seen treating both Zeroid and human patients over the course of the series. He also helped repair HUDSON following the Rolls Royce’s encounter with Yuri the Space Bear, diagnosed the rare space pollen Zelda used to disable the human occupants of Hawknest, and even went into the field on one occasion when he was among the Zeroids dropped onto the lunar surface to hunt for the space cyclops.
For his final screen appearance his number (50) had been replaced by a ‘doctor’ label that had previously only been seen on his surgical smock, and he now sported a large pair of spectacles.
Zeroid 55
Appearances: The Sporilla, The Ugliest Monster of All, The Gun, Thunder Path, Mind Monster, To Catch a Tiger, Ten Top Pop, Unseen Menace, Midnight Blue, My Kingdom for a Zeaf, Ma’s Monsters
Voice: Jeremy Hitchen
Zeroid 55 was Kate Kestrel’s personal Zeroid, assisting her with everything from writing and performing her songs to providing security at her mountain home. He rarely saw direct battle action, although notable exceptions include the Terrahawks’ mission to repair their outpost on Callisto and the Zeroid defence of the earth-orbiting Hawkwing. Usually speaking only in rhyme, 55 was also “pretty quick at arithmetic”, and his mathematical skill helped save the day on more than one occasion.
Zeroid 64
Appearances: Operation Zero
Heavily bandaged, this unfortunate Zeroid was seen in the Zeroid sickbay when Zero visited for a checkup.
Zeroid 66
Appearances: The Gun
Voice: Jeremy Hitchen
This Zeroid was seen discussing problems regarding the maintenance schedule with Zero and 21, and his thick Scottish accent was instrumental in Ninestein’s short-lived order to have all Zeroid voices standardised.
Zeroid 74
Appearances: Expect the Unexpected part 2
This Zeroid served as the bugler at the memorial service for #13.
Zeroid 80
Appearances: The Gun
Voice: Windsor Davies
This Zeroid was seen on duty in the cockpit of Terrahawk shortly after Tiger Ninestein issued an order to have all Zeroids reprogrammed to speak with a standardised voice – and as a result was one of the many who now spoke with the voice of Sergeant Major Zero!
Zeroid 81
Appearances: A Christmas Miracle, Space Cyclops
This Zeroid was one of several dropped onto the moon to help locate the space cyclops, and was also among the Zeroids seen in battle on the lunar surface during Tiger Ninestein’s Christmas dream.
Zeroid 89
Appearances: The Ugliest Monster of All, Mind Monster
This Zeroid was twice seen serving as a wheel to help transport a heavy object; the lead skip that trapped Yuri the space bear, and the stretcher used to carry Tiger Ninestein to the data dump following his encounter with the mind monster.
Zeroid 98
Appearances: Thunder Path, A Christmas Miracle, Zero’s Finest Hour, Ma’s Monsters
This Zeroid was among those who helped prevent Sram from driving the hi-jacked Overlander across the Verona bridge, by increasing his mass and firing himself out of a cannon directly into the bridge’s support structure. He also assisted in the retaking of the Overlander depot, and was among the Zeroids seen in battle on the lunar surface during Tiger Ninestein’s Christmas dream.
Zeroid 99
Appearances: Thunder Path, Ma’s Monsters
This Zeroid also assisted Sergeant Major Zero in destroying the Verona bridge before the Overlander could cross it.
Zeroid Nurse
Appearances: The Ugliest Monster of All, Operation Zero
Voice: Denise Bryer
This soft-spoken Scottish-accented female Zeroid served as nurse alongside Doctor Killjoy, assisting him with surgery on HUDSON and taking care of injured Zeroids in the Zeroid sick bay. Her number was never visible on screen but in the original scripts for both of the episodes she appeared in writer Tony Barwick gave her a number 09 designation, although given that he numbered Dr. Killjoy 08 when the character was seen on-screen as 50 there’s no way to know what her actual in-universe number was.
As you can see, a lot of Zeroids turned up over the course of the series, but there are many more we haven’t been able to include here! Some were left off this list due to not carrying a number (such as the cell guard in Close Call) while several others that did sport numbers were only seen briefly in battle scenes – with the frantic action making it difficult to identify them! If you’ve spotted any numbered Zeroids in the series that we’ve missed off this list, please let us know in the comments below!
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