Ponygon and Kafk Sunbeam

Ponygon and Kafk Sunbeam are two fictional characters in the manga and anime series "Zatch Bell!", and two of the main protagonists in the series, although Kafk does not appear until midway through the second season.

Ponygon

Ponygon (Umagon in the original) is a mamodo who resembles a small horse or donkey or a sheep according to Suzy Mizuno. Ponygon's real name is "Schneider," as it is revealed some time into the series. Ponygon is seen many times throughout the series following Zatch Bell around, but he was not officially introduced until the episode, "Go for it, Ponygon". Originally Ponygon discovers Zatch at the end of his trip in England, but the anime introduced Ponygon in Japan earlier to show him off while following him and Kiyo to England to follow with manga continuity.

Ponygon makes fast friends with Zatch Bell and Tia, but not with Kiyo Takamine. Ponygon bites Kiyo's hand when Kiyo and Ponygon first meet. The frayed relationship is further strained when Kiyo sees that Ponygon is having difficulty trying to untie his spellbook from a rope net, and decides to help him by cutting the ropes. Ponygon becomes angry because his mother had made the rope herself, and now Kiyo had ruined it. Since Ponygon can't say anything except "Meru meru me", Kiyo had no idea what he was saying or what he was so upset for. Ponygon subsequently beats Kiyo up.

Kiyo later bans Ponygon from his house, then went to look for him after his classmates forced him to. After talking with Tia, Kiyo came to realize that Ponygon, being on Earth without a book owner, must feel extremely lonely, and the reason he bonded so well with Zatch and the others was because he thought of them as companions and fellow mamodo, and he gets along with Kiyo's classmates because he hoped that maybe one of them would end up being his book owner. Kiyo also comes to see that Ponygon only felt hostile towards him because he already had a mamodo, so he found no reason to try and get along with him. When Kiyo finally finds Ponygon, he tells Ponygon that he could stay with him and Zatch until he finds his book owner.

Ponygon only speaks the phrase "Meru meru me" or a variant thereof; it is Japanese sheep onomatopoeia. Since Ponygon cannot not speak in a language the others could understand, Kiyo couldn't figure out Ponygon's real name, which is Schneider. Kiyo decided to call him Ponygon because he's a pony, and when he first met him, he wanted him gone. In the original version, he is called Umagon; umagon meaning horse-monster. When Ponygon hears the new name, Ponygon went ballistic and beat Kiyo up again, although in later episodes, he seemed to be more used to the name. Recently, Zatch seems to almost remember Ponygon's real name after getting his memories back from Zeno, but not enough to stop calling him "Ponygon".

In the current manga, Ponygon goes to Africa, as recommended by Dufort, the former bookkepper of Zatch's brother Zeno, to build up his animal instincts, together with Kafk, who is there expanding his company. This experience changes both Ponygon and Kafk physical appearance, giving both of them longer, wilder hair as well as a more muscular body and a new spell "Shin Shudoruk". After defeating "Bado Rerudo" (one of Clear Note's ultimate spells) and flying Zatch's group halfway around the world, he appears too tired and beat up to keep going on. Casting "Go Shudoruk" one final time, Sunbeam asks Umagon to take Zatch and Kiyo to the final battleground while he tearfully burns his own Mamodo's book, respecting his partner and knowing that he is too tired to fight any longer.

He is voiced by Satomi Koorogi in the original Japanese version and by Dave Wittenberg in the VIZ Media dub.

Ponygon ranked second in the most recent "Shonen Sunday" popularity contest in Japan.

Kafk Sunbeam

Ponygon's reader is later revealed to be Kafk Sunbeam (Kafka Sunbeam in the original), He is a quiet, smart and easy-going man in his early thirties with blond hair, green eyes, and wears a green vest, a white shirt under his vest. He also wears light brown pants and dark brown shoes. Unlike Zatch's other friends, Tia and Kanchomé, whose bookkeepers are celebrities, he is a German engineer who has come to work from Germany to Japan, similar to Ponygon's roaming from England to Japan. Kafk first meets Ponygon when a dog runs off with his book. He calms the dog and takes the book and holds on to it until they meet again at the Deboro Ruins and battle Dalmos. It is later revealed that he came to meet Ponygon at the request of Dr. Riddles, which explains the note left by him telling Kiyo the location of Zofis' ruin-base. Although he seems to understand Ponygon in his own strange way, he too calls the horse by the name Kiyo had given to him. Ponygon then subsequently tries to use body language to prove his name is "Schneider" (physically forming the katakana of his name), but, yet again, no one understands the horse mamodo. During the Faudo arc he gains a crush on Elle (to Tia and Megumi's embarrassment)

He is voiced by Hozumi Gouda in the original Japanese version and by Henry Dittman in the VIZ Media dub.

List of spells

*Shudoruk/Shudoruku: Ponygon gains an armored body and super speed. (Assist) (Gained in episode 65)
*Go Shudoruk/Gou Shudoruku: Ponygon's powered-up form in which he becomes bigger, stronger, and receives new armor. (Assist) (Gained in episode 65.)

*Dioemur Shudoruk/Dioemuru Shudoruku: Ponygon receives flame-based armor, which allows him to manipulate fire for offensive and defensive purposes. (Assist) (Gained in episode 110.)

*Shin Shudoruku: Ponygon receives a massive new armor with flight capabilities and a massive horn.

pellbooks they burned

*Dalmos, at the Devolo Ruins (episode 65)
*Fango, inside Faudo (with help from Karudio) (episode 141, anime-only)
*Jedun, inside Faudo (with help from Karudio) (episode 141, anime-only)
*Zaruchimu, inside Faudo (manga only)
*Bari, inside Faudo (at Gustav's request, manga only)

Trivia

*Ponygon's toy resembles the famous Godzilla monster Gigan.

*Sunbeam likes to use the word "groovy" and uses lingo like "dude", "Rock n Roll" and "cool" frequently but says "groovy" more often. He calls Dr. Riddles "Doktor Nazonazo" instead of "Nazonazo Hakase" in the Japanese version.

*Ponygon hates carrots. This is because he had a bad experience with rotten carrots at the Mochinoki Shopping Center in one storyline.

*During the Ancient Mamodo Arc, it reveals that Ponygon is afraid of fighting. But after burning the evil Dalmos's book, he no longer fears fighting.

*Ponygon was the last of Zatch's friends to be sent back in the manga (Not including Brago).

*Zatch once saved Ponygon's father's life in the Mamodo World prior to the recent Mamodo Battle

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