Striker Eureka is a Mark-5 Australian Jaeger designed to defend the coastline of Australia from the Kaiju. It was the first and last Mark-5 Jaeger in service and the last Jaeger to be constructed before its destruction in 2025.
History[]
Early Combat History[]
Constructed five years before the closure of the Jaeger Program, Striker Eureka was launched on November 2, 2019. Piloted by the father and son duo Herc and Chuck Hansen, Striker Eureka is the strongest and fastest Jaeger currently in the field of combat against the Kaiju. It is also the first and last of the Mark-5 series, holding the best stats of all currently deployed Jaegers.
The Australian division of the Pan Pacific Defense Corps invested a reported $100 billion into the construction of Striker Eureka.[citation needed] Over the course of its career, Striker Eureka is accredited with over nine kills prior to 2025.
Following the deterioration of the Defense Corps' defense against the Kaiju, Striker Eureka is the last Jaeger active among the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.[note 2] In late 2024, the United Nations decides to cut funding to the Jaeger Program and pour all their finances into the Anti-Kaiju Wall instead. As a result, Striker Eureka and the Hansens are both decommissioned on December 31, 2024.[3]
Mutavore Incident[]
On January 1, 2025[4], Sydney is attacked by a Category IV Kaiju Mutavore. The Kaiju effortlessly breaks through the Anti-Kaiju Wall and invades the city within an hour of its arrival. Striker Eureka is immediately deployed and engages Mutavore in close combat as civilians rush to safety. Striker Eureka staggers Mutavore with a right and left uppercut and throws the Kaiju up against a nearby building. When Mutavore grapples with the Jaeger and attempts to bite at its Conn-Pod, Striker Eureka easily wrests its right arm free and knocks the Kaiju backwards with a right hook before finishing the creature off with a full salvo from its Anti-Kaiju Missile Launcher.[3]
Despite the Jaeger's apparent necessity in Australia, Striker Eureka is relocated to the Hong Kong Shatterdome alongside Crimson Typhoon, Cherno Alpha and Gipsy Danger. There, Marshal Stacker Pentecost intends to use the Mark-5 Jaeger as a vital part of his plan to destroy the Breach with a thermonuclear warhead. Striker Eureka would be entrusted with the task of carrying the bomb to the Breach and deploying the bomb into the portal itself, while the other three Jaegers would serve as backup against any incoming Kaiju attacks.[3]
Hong Kong Incident[]
Striker Eureka rushes to Cherno Alpha's aid.
As the Pan Pacific Defense Corps prepares for Operation Pitfall, the occurrence of a Double Event on January 8, 2025 changes circumstances for all four Jaegers. Crimson Typhoon, Cherno Alpha, and Striker Eureka are deployed into Victoria Harbour to intercept the two Kaiju, Otachi and Leatherback. While Crimson Typhoon and Cherno Alpha are ordered to defend the Miracle Mile, Striker Eureka is ordered to stay back and defend the coastline, as it is the only Jaeger out of the three that the Defense Corps cannot afford to lose.[3]
The battle goes badly for the Jaegers; Crimson Typhoon is easily destroyed by Otachi, who then proceeds to melt Cherno Alpha's armor with its acid spit. Unable to sit back back and watch their comrades die, the Hansens disobey Pentecost's orders and rush to Cherno Alpha's aid just as Leatherback leaps out of the water onto the Russian Jaeger's back. They attack Otachi just as the Kaiju springs out the water to ambush them, gaining the advantage with little trouble. However, before Striker Eureka can finish Otachi off with its missile launcher, Leatherback, having already destroyed Cherno Alpha, attacks from behind and disables the Australian Jaeger with an EMP burst.[3]
Trapped inside, the Hansens are forced to evacuate while Leatherback circles Striker Eureka. The Hansens escape the Conn-Pod, but not before Leatherback punches Striker Eureka in the face, flinging Herc into one of the Conn-Pod's walls and breaking his right arm. Upon climbing out on top of Striker Eureka's head, they fire flares into Leatherback's left eyes to divert its attention from the city. Provoked, Leatherback prepares to smash Striker Eureka with its massive fists. However, before it can, Gipsy Danger, piloted by Raleigh Becket and Mako Mori, arrives on the scene just in time to distract the Kaiju and save Striker Eureka from certain destruction.[5] The Mark-3 Jaeger is able to single-handedly kill both Leatherback and Otachi in separate engagements.
Operation Pitfall[]
Striker Eureka is thrown up against the ocean wall by Slattern.
On January 12, 2025, Striker Eureka is fully repaired and prepped for Operation Pitfall. With Herc injured, Pentecost takes his place as Chuck's co-pilot. Gipsy Danger and Striker Eureka are airlifted to the Breach's location and dropped down into the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean - the Challenger Deep. Striker Eureka then prepares to deliver the payload, but both Jaegers are confronted by Scunner, Raiju, and Slattern. With the arrival of the Category V Kaiju, the other two Kaiju attempt to separate the two Jaegers in an ambush.[3]
Slattern attacks Striker Eureka with its three crowned tails, severely damaging its Anti-Kaiju Missile Launcher and throwing the Jaeger up against the ocean wall. Raiju and Scunner cripple Gipsy Danger, preventing it from assisting its fellow Jaeger. As Striker Eureka recovers from Slattern's first attack, the Kaiju tackles the Jaeger and uses its surrounding environment to cause further damage. Despite being three times smaller than Slattern, Striker Eureka puts up a great deal of resistance; the Jaeger is able to cut Slattern's throat and nearly amputate both of the creature's front arms before the Kaiju finally backs off. On the other hand, Slattern is able to disable Striker Eureka's release mechanism, preventing its pilots from deploying the bomb manually.
When Scunner abandons its fight with Gipsy Danger and comes to Slattern's aid, Pentecost, seeing no other way to win, urges Raleigh and Mako to reach the portal and use Gipsy Danger's nuclear reactor to destroy it. He and Chuck then arm the nuclear payload in an attempt to kill the two remaining Kaiju and buy Gipsy Danger enough time to pass through the portal and finish the mission. Although the subsequent explosion instantly vaporizes both Striker Eureka and Scunner, Slattern somehow survives with critical wounds, prompting Gipsy Danger to tackle the Category V Kaiju into the Breach and finish it off by firing its nuclear vortex turbine into the creature's chest at point-blank range.[3]
Features[]
Striker Eureka in the Hong Kong Shatterdome.
The strongest and fastest of the Jaegers, Striker Eureka's fighting style is akin to that of a dirty boxer or a brutal brawler.[1] This fighting style stems primarily from its pilots, Chuck and Herc Hansen. Striker Eureka's speed and agility allow it to combat and kill Kaiju far quicker than any other previous Jaeger series ever produced[1] and its T-16 Angel Wings act as stabilizers to maintain aerodynamic balance during the turbulence of burst combat.
Striker Eureka's 4.211 "Brass Knuckles" are a temperature-resistant brass-steel compound cast around the joints of each of the Jaeger's fingers, adding greatly to the impact potential of each punch. In turn, they're backed by a pair of twin-retractable Assault Mount 3.25 "Sting-Blades" laced with carbon nanotubes that channel thermal energy at temperatures over 300°F, capable of wounding and cauterizing Kaiju in close combat.
Striker Eureka's chest-mounted WMB2x90 Anti-Kaiju Missile Launcher comes with six barrels and is equipped with eighteen individual K-Stunner warheads that can easily kill a Kaiju with a direct hit[6]. Striker Eureka also contains a TY escape pod in the back of its Conn-Pod, allowing its pilots to eject in the face of defeat, and an escape hatch at the top of its head akin to that of Coyote Tango's. Lastly, the Jaeger's 90ER11 amber platinum visor is equipped with advanced photochromic displays, allowing four planes of situational awareness.[1]
Kaiju Killed[]
- The following is the roster of named Kaiju defeated by Striker Eureka, assisted or on its own.
| Kaiju | Date | Location | Jaeger Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mutavore | 1/1/2025 | Sydney, Australia | Solo |
| Scunner | 1/12/2025 | Challenger Deep, Marianas Trench | Gipsy Danger |
Trivia[]
- Striker Eureka was initially chosen to be the "Hero Jaeger" of the film, but Guillermo del Toro thought its appearance was "too cold" and "arrogant."[1]
- Striker Eureka's body language is modeled after Oakland Raider's Cornerback, Lester Hayes.[1]
- According to Gullermo del Toro Strike Eureka was "re-colored and colored from gray to cameo green and earth tones" with the Australian outback in mind.[1]
- Striker Eureka's name is likely a reference to the Eureka Rebellion, an Australian miners' revolt against colonial authorities sometimes associated with the birth of democracy in Australia.
- By the end of the film, Striker Eureka has a total of eleven Kaiju kills, with Scunner being its last kill. [3]
- It is possible that Striker Eureka never fully activated its Sting Blades in the film, as the water around the blades didn't vaporize when they were used against Slattern.
- Striker Eureka is the only Jaeger that fought a Kaiju during a daytime sequence in the film.
- Striker Eureka is a downloadable playable character in Pacific Rim: The Video Game.[7]
- NECA's Pacific Rim Series Two includes a Striker Eureka action figure.
- NECA's tagline for Striker Eureka is "Scrapping Soldier."[8]
- NECA also made an 18 inch figure and an Ultimate Version.
Gallery[]
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An image gallery is available for Striker Eureka (Jaeger)
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Notes[]
- ↑ As mentioned by Chuck Hansen in Pacific Rim
- ↑ Screencap: "[...]arise immediately about the decommission of the Striker Eureka, the last active Jaeger in Anzac"
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 Info taken from Pacific Rim: Man, Machines & Monsters, page 65
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Striker Eureka Blueprints
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Pacific Rim
- ↑ See: Mutavore Talk page
- ↑ Gipsy Danger vs. Leatherback
- ↑ Jaeger Designer
- ↑ Pacific Rim: The Video Game US Trailer
- ↑ NECA: Striker Eureka tagline
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