The Zentraedi had at least 5 billion ships. The Masters, by what we see on screen around 20 or 30 motherships. Which was the way the Masters used to control the Zentraedi?

Good question, the only thing I can think of is that the Robotech Masters incorporated some kind of believe system. Maybe that the Zentraedi, being warriors, had the sole duty to defend their home worlds. Which has always been a strong motivation.

But also, no Zentraedi were trained in the repair and maintenance of their equipment, making them dependent on easily controlled supply stations. The Zentraedi were also segregated so that males and females could not mix, which might lead to love and or natural procreation. Finally, the Zentraedi were forbidden culture, and instilled with orders to never interfere with culture-bearing planets and civilizations, again apparently to suppress independent thought and keep an iron loyalty in the Zentraedi force.

This is the main reason why they eventually 'lost' to the humans in the first war. Humans were materially inferior but spiritually superior and so were able to reach the buried emotions of the Zentraedi through their actions, especially music and acts of love and kindness.

How does the government control the Army or the Marines or any other armed forces? Have you ever been to basic training? I am not saying that our U.S. Armed Forces are anywhere near the heartless killing machine that the Zentradi were created by the writer to be but the methods in basic training would give you a good idea of how.

They break you down, teach you to separate you civilian self from your warrior self so you can get your job done, and then they drill you until the response is automatic.

Except with the Zentradi they had no families or culture so nix the civilian part and whala! The perfect obedient fighting machine. Plus keeping them dependent for repairs and supplies via the factories helped as well.

The Marduk took it even further by using mind control and keeping the soldier in suspended animation until they were needed.

I know what the army does to break a man down into a disciplined soldier and how these methods would most likely be much worse in an "real-life" Zentraedi military training.

But when you get older and have seen as many battles as Breetai or Exodore, one eventually gets to think about the reason of his existence. Therefor I think one needs to have some kind of reason, maybe even a belief to be able to continue following orders. As far as I can see from the Robotech series is that their minds work the same way as a human does. The civilian part may have been taken out but a warrior still needs to function in a team in order to get the job done. Therefor he or she would still feel something for his/her fellow soldier.

Or in time, they would perhaps all become as rootless as Khyron is (they didn't gave him the nickname BackStabber for nothing). It's unlikely that the Robotech Masters would want to spill any resources (soldier or weaponry) unnecessarily.

The option left could indeed be mind-control but I doubt it as the Zentraedi military leaders, still seem to recall old battles and other information. They don't act like some kind of drone but just like us seem to use their experience, learning from mistakes in order to get better. Also Miryia could have never defected if she was under some kind mind-control, as well as for the other Zentraedi who joined the humans later on in the battle.

Well one theory could go like this. They were genetically engineered correct? Well what if the Masters had devised away to alter the chemicals in the brain of the clone/Zentradi to obey? But like in all things in nature, things evolve or adapt to their environment under certain conditions and/or stresses. I won't go any further than that as it gets to personal with me.

Or quite simply most of them did not live long enough to learn any different.

Or if you keep their mentality on a child like level they will always be dependent upon leadership to guide them and make decisions for them. Given the observations of most of the common soldiers behavior in the episodes I would believe this to be the rule and the types like Breetai, Exadore, and Dolza the exception to that fact. They were just lucky enough to survive the many fights and battles. Perhaps that is how the leaders and commanders of the Zentradi were "Naturally" selected?

But I believe that their genes would not be used for recloning as they would produce a "TOO" intelligent soldier. The Masters were just that Masters of cloning humans via Protoculture with the traits they desired to serve them i.e. bioroid pilots, musicians etc...

So I believe it was short life span with a child like mentality and an overall fear of their master because of the secrecy behind the power of protoculture the masters held over their minions heads.

I don't think it would get any clearer than that. No mind control here, maybe psychology, but not mind control.

Shadowdemon wrote:
So I believe it was short life span with a child like mentality and an overall fear of their master because of the secrecy behind the power of Protoculture the masters held over their minions heads.
Interesting.. you could have a good point here! Fear, basic ignorance and especially a sort life-span could indeed hold the answer. And anyway if one of the leaders gets too "smart" they could always get rid of him, enforcing the fear again and again.

I like this idea, it solves many issues.


Anyone else have an idea or view about it?

Another factor could be the Invid, lets think about it logically. Humans (and possibly other sentient life) need three basic things to function properly Food (From the Masters) shelter (again from the Masters) and protection. This leads me to belive that they had other problems to worry about than "hmm... why are they our masters in the first place" and would simply have been " A shock troop" ( The Reagult's partacle cannons strobe and blast the shock troop) then "Another shock troop" they are ,considering the size of the Invid's race, pretty busy.

Who ever controls the Protoculture is the one in control.

Or that. Heh, mine makes about as much sense.

Why is the good anwsers in life always the simpleset