Gosei Sentai Dairanger

"The Five Stars shining in the heavens!"

Gosei Sentai Dairanger (Five Stars Squadron Dairanger [1]) is the seventeenth installment in the Super Sentai franchise, airing from 1993 to 1994.

6000 years ago, the Gohma tribe and Dai tribe were at war, with five Dai warriors with extremely high Chi levels leading their efforts. Eventually both tribes disappeared, but the Gohma resurfaced in the modern day. Master Kaku, a former member of the Gohma who doesn't wish to see them destroy the world, gathers five youths with high Chi levels to become Dairangers and oppose their schemes.

Its relationship with the American Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series is interesting: the mecha battles were used for most of Season 2; the Kiba Ranger suit was worn by the White Ranger, Tommy's new alter-ego after he lost the Green Ranger powers; Daijinryū became "Serpentera", a warzord used by Lord Zedd; and the Super Chi-Power Bazooka became the Power Cannon. However, the five main Dairanger suits were never used, making them the only post-Zyuranger Sentai team whose suits were never used on Power Rangers (as far as each of the main team is concerned).

The Dairangers:

Gohma Tribe:

And the third party:

  • Daijinryū [14] A dragon god who shows up near the end and unleashes a reign of terror to get the Dairangers and Gohma to stop fighting. Literally a Humongous Mecha that is over 500 meters tall.[15]


Tropes used in Gosei Sentai Dairanger include:

Recurring Super Sentai tropes:

  • All Your Powers Combined: The Super Chi-Power Bazooka which is fueled by the six rangers' Lai Lai jewels, along with Kameo's.
  • By the Power of Greyskull: "Kiryoku Tenshin [16]! Aura Changer!"
    • Kō uses a variant phrase, replacing "Aura Changer" with "Kiba Changer," the name of his personal Transformation Trinket.
  • Calling Your Attacks: A variation - if someone has a special martial style, they'll announce that too.
  • Color Coded for Your Convenience: Subverted again. The codename system is similar to the Zyurangers (with mythical Chinese creatures instead of prehistoric beasts), only they used the Japanese names of their respective totem animal instead of English names (presumably so that Ryu Ranger wouldn't be confused with Dragon Ranger). Kiba Ranger, whose totem animal is a white tiger, doesn't fit this pattern, since his codename translates to the "Fang Ranger" (otherwise, he would've been "Byakko Ranger"). The Kiber Machines plays this straight though.
  • Combination Attack
  • Cool Bike: The Dairangers' bikes, the Kiber Machines, each matching their color with modified cowls relating to their mecha.
  • Evolving Credits: New mecha and characters (Kibaranger) show up in the opening.
  • Eyecatch: Dairanger started the tradition of having eyecatches featuring a single ranger rather than the whole team. In this case, they do a form with a Dairenrod (Byakko-shinken for Kibaranger).
  • Finishing Move: Dairen-oh has a nice variation where, after striking down a giant Gohma, it sheaths its sword.
  • Five-Man Band: There are two Kid Appeal Characters on the team. [17]
  • Home Base: A secret warehouse underneath Tokyo Station; it's nothing overly elaborate though. Basically just a meeting room.
  • Humongous Mecha: The second Super Sentai to feature Mechanical Lifeforms for mecha. In fact, one of them (Daimugen) actually transforms into a human.
    • Animal Mecha: Based on creatures from Chinese mythology this time.
    • A Mech by Any Other Name: The animal mecha were known as the Kidenjū[18], while the humanoid forms of the ones that can transform are referred as Kiden Bujin[19].
    • Transforming Mecha: The Ryūseioh[20] and the Wang Tiger[21] can switch between animal and humanoid forms. The series later introduces the Super Kidenjū Daimugen, a tortoise-based mecha that also has a "warrior" mode, which has the ability to heal the Ryūseioh or the Wang Tiger with an energy pool stored inside its body.
    • Motion Capture Mecha: Ryūseioh, being one of the lightest Sentai mecha ever, follows Ryū Ranger's movements (for the scenes where he's doing this, Ryū Ranger is played by the face actor rather than the stunt actor).
    • Combining Mecha: The animal mecha of the other four Dairangers could combine with themselves to form a flying chariot for Ryūseioh to ride on, or wrap themselves around Ryūseioh like an armor.
      • Sei Shishi + Sei Tenma + Sei Kirin + Sei Hōō[22] = Tenkū Kiden[23]
      • Ryūseioh + Sei Shishi + Sei Tenma + Sei Kirin + Sei Hōō = Dairen-oh[24]
    • Mecha Expansion Pack: Like the extra mechas from the previous series, the Wang Tiger can replace Ryūseioh in combining with the mecha of the other Dairangers, while Daimugen can combine with all six of the other mechas for an ultimate attack.
      • Wang Tiger + Sei Shishi + Sei Tenma + Sei Kirin + Sei Hōō = Kiba Daioh[25]
      • Ryūseioh + Tenkū Kiden + Wang Tiger + Daimugen = Jūkō Kiden[26]
  • In the Name of the Moon: The longest for some time.

Ryō: "Ryū Ranger! Heavenly Fire Star, Ryō!"
Daigo: "Shishi Ranger! Heavenly Illusion Star, Daigo!"
Shōji: "Tenma Ranger! Heavenly Gravity Star, Shōji!"
Kazu: "Kirin Ranger! Heavenly Time Star, Kazu!"
Rin: "Hōō Ranger! Heavenly Wind Star, Rin!"
Ryō: "The Five Stars shining in the heavens!"
All: "Gosei Sentai - Dairanger!"
Kō: "Kiba Ranger! Howling New Star, Kō!"

Tropes specific to Gosei Sentai Dairanger:

  • Abusive Parent & Domestic Abuse: Shadam, oh boy, Shadam. Whether it's his treatment to Akomaru or his lack of compassion to the mother of his children, he fits in spades.
  • Animal Motif
  • Applied Phlebotinum: Chi.
  • Arbitrary Skepticism: In episode 3 the entire team, except Daigo who is skeptical anyway, but doesn't dismiss the claim, is convinced that a puppet Shōji was attacked by was "radio-controlled or something" rather than the work of a Gohma. Later in the episode even Shōji convinces himself of it.
  • As Long as There Is Evil: As revealed in the final episode--The Dairanger's Chi power and the Gohma's You powers are two sides of the same coin. Eliminate one, the other goes with it. Thus to maintain the balance, the Gohma and the Dairangers are locked in a never-ending cycle of war. That is, if Daijinryū doesn't destroy them all first. The reveal makes for a Bittersweet Ending, driven home by the look of horror on older Ryo's face as he watches his grandson start the battle anew...
  • Badass Grandpa: Rin's grandpa Guhon. So badass that even 20 year old girls are all swooning over him.
  • Biological Mashup: In The Movie this is the assembled monsters' answer to the Rangers forming Dairen'oh.
  • Bolivian Army Ending: The fate of Jin.
  • Camp Gay: Saboten Shogun [34], the monster of the week in #34.
  • Camp Straight: Kazu - although he's more of a Dandy.
  • Captain Ersatz: Iron-Face Chōryu is a blatant clone of Darth Vader, and his story is directly taken from Star Wars. He was once a great hero who sold out his allies to the bad guys, worked for them for a very long time, has a Luke, I Am Your Father moment with The Hero (who also has a sister), reforms and subsequently dies, and is welcomed to death by the ghosts of his former allies who forgive him. Given that Dairanger also borrowed from the soundtrack of Star Wars, this can't be unintentional.
    • Not only that, but Chōryu's master, High Priest Saw (the Monster of the Week) had the human form of an old man in robes who shot lightning at Ryō. Who does that remind you of?
  • Chinese Girl: Rin. She's more prone to speaking Chinese due to this.
  • Couch Gag: Later episodes would begin with one of the three major Gorma generals throwing the Monster of the Week out of a large sack.
  • Crying Wolf: Used in Episode 32. Shōji, after failing to wake Ryō up using normal telephone, wakes him up using the Regular Caller telling that there's a Gorma Attack. Ryō got pissed when he realized he was suckered. And when an actual Gorma appeared, Ryō didn't bother to go thinking Shōji was lying again, until Master Kaku sets him straight immediately.
  • The Doll Episode: Featuring everyone's favorite King of the Large Hams, General Cactus! And an angry Daigo. With the dolls being played by paralyzed human girls.
  • Did Not Do the Research: Has anyone else heard a tiger howl?
  • Disproportionate Retribution: Episode 18. How to deal with an annoying Bratty Half-Pint who barges into your apartment? Fool him into thinking his long-lost mom has come back to see him again, of course! Ha ha... ha?
  • Eldritch Abomination: Daijinryū, who destroys the Gohma Palace and a huge chunk of Tokyo to force the good and bad guys to stop fighting. When that doesn't stop the action, he comes back to Earth, takes control over the minds a large number of innocent civilians, making them jump to their deaths against their will as the ultimate form of blackmail to the good guys.
  • Elemental Powers
  • Everybody Was Kung-Fu Fighting: The Dairangers and the Gorma Monsters have their own set of martial art skills.
  • Generation Xerox: The grandchildren of the original Dairangers in the finale.
  • Gratuitous Spanish: Frequently spouted by the Birdcage Vagabond.
  • Groin Attack: Given that they use Rods on a regular basis, this comes up from time to time.
  • Halfway Plot Switch: Episode 3, sort of. The first half focuses on Kazu and Shōji, while the second half follows Daigo.
  • Hell-Bent for Leather: Shadam, Gara and Zydos.
  • Identical Grandson: The grandchildren of the Dairangers in the final episode, although they clearly have different personalities than their grandparents.
  • Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain: Tombstone President, Telephone Teacher, and Kamikaze Boss (AKA the "Three Gohma Stooges"). Rather than fighting the Dairangers, they'd rather have a motorcycle race or play soccer (they're not very strong in a straight fight). They try this three times, failing each time, and in the end they give up fighting and survive the war.
  • Instant Expert: Despite not knowing jack about Chi power or fighting, Ryō instantly turns Badass after his very first Henshin.
  • The Jimmy Hart Version: One background music is the Imperial March theme from Star Wars with a few notes sharped.
  • Larynx Dissonance: The elderly Dairangers have their voices dubbed by the main actors, meaning they sound like their teenage selves.
  • Luke, I Am Your Father: Iron-Face Choryu, the Dai tribe defector who fights the Rangers in Episodes 7-8 is actually Ryō's father. Also, Shadam is secretly Kō and Akomaru's father.
  • Make My Monster Grow: By design, it's possible to interrupt the growing process by preventing the Gohma from using the bomb (one got fenced in with Dairenrods, and a few got blown up in human size). There's also a limit on how long they can stay giant (this allowed a few Gormas to survive). And the bombs don't revive corpses - the giant Media Magician was completely silent, as he was already killed by Gaara.
  • Making Use of the Twin: In Episode 25, the Copy Empress made evil duplicates of the Dairangers. Kazu's was played by Keisuke Tsuchiya's twin brother, Daisuke. The roles were later reversed when Daisuke went on to play Blue Beet two years later, while Keisuke played his Evil Counterpart Shadow Beet.
  • Martial Arts Uniform: The Dairanger suits have this as a motif.
  • May-December Romance
  • Mundane Utility: The Dairinkens apparently make pretty good cooking knives, as demonstrated by their inventor.
    • Pops up from time to time in the Gohmas. Telephone Teacher can use her ability to make free calls from anywhere to anywhere, for example.
  • Mythology Gag: A little girl in Episode 3 dresses like Kazumi from Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman.
    • Three of the rangers share the same colors and beast motifs with their counterparts from Dengeki Sentai Changeman: Change Dragon and Ryū Ranger (both are red) Change Pegasus and Tenma Ranger (blue), and Change Phoenix and Hōō Ranger (pink).
    • Dairanger also has a martial arts theme similar to Hikari Sentai Maskman. The power source used by the Maskmen was actually "aura power", which is what kiryoku means in Japanese (more or less).
  • One Name Only: Despite being regular civilians, none of the Dairangers have any known surnames. Instead, they precede their names by mentioning their Star of Destiny when they perform their roll call (Ryū Ranger, "Tenkasei" Ryō; Shishi Ranger, "Tengensei" Daigo; ect.) . Their zodiac titles are usually written in quotation marks to indicate that they're not actual surnames.
  • Palette Swap: The final monster in the show's epilogue is a recolor of String Baron.
  • Peacock Girl: Kujaku.
  • People in Rubber Suits: Played with - the heavier material on the majority of the Gohma costumes is torso-only (imagine a heavy vest with a built-in mask), with far lighter material (spandex or even loose clothing) on the arms and legs, likely to facilitate any martial fights.
  • Pun-Based Title: The title Dairanger, could be interpreted as a reference to the "Dai" tribe that the heroes are descended from, or as the "Great Rangers". It's also worth noting that Dairenja, the Japanese pronunciation of the title, shares a partial namesake with Dairen, the Japanese name of the Chinese city of Dalian. While Dalian is never directly referenced on the show, the name of the team's mecha, Dairen-oh, uses the same kanji used to write the city's name.
  • Sdrawkcab Name: The name "Wong Tiger" is derived from a backward reading of the kanji characters used to write Kiba Daioh's name. "Wong" comes from the Chinese reading of the kanji for "king"[35], while tai and ga are alternate pronunciations of the kanji for "great" or dai[36] and "fang" or kiba[37] respectively.
  • Shout-Out: The Three Gorma Stooges, a Harmless Villain trio who simply want to defeat our heroes in competitions, rather than kill them.
  • Spell My Name with an "S": Lin, or Rin? You'd think it's "Lin" since she's Chinese, but the Media Magician episode plasters "Rin" all over the place.
  • The Starscream: Shadam, who's overall motive throughout the series is to kill the Emperor and take over the Gohma Empire.
    • This proves to be wrong, in fact he is technically the Man Behind the Man due to the fact that he had already controlled the Gohma tribe. The Gohma leader is technically already dead, the man sitting at the top is a clay replica. In fact, they are all clay replicas, Shadam just happened to be the only one carrying on the will of the past self.
  • Theme Naming: Unique in Super Sentai, the vast majority of Gohma are members of a society, and usually have two-part names consisting of a noun (the theme they're based around, very rarely a personal name) and a title/job.
    • Some of the characters' names are taken from Romance of the Three Kingdoms, such as Zhang Liao, Jia Xu (Master Kaku) and Zǐlóng (Shiryu, Master Kaku's sympathizer within Gohma).
  • Title Scream: Some episode titles are rendered like this (including the premiere).
  • Unnamed Parent: Ko's mother. None of the other Dairangers even bother to figure out her name, simply calling her "kaasan".
  • What the Hell, Hero?: Daigo delivered one to everyone for coming too late to save a child of the week, first by socking Shōji and Kazu with a punch on the face. And when even Ryō and Rin didn't even seem to show determination to keep the team, he delivers this:

You all make me sick.

  • Where Are They Now? Epilogue: Sort of. We find out, at the 50th year anniversary of their final battle with over the Gohma, that they all did well in life and settled down with their families in peace. And then a new String Baron appears, which their grandchildren stand up to as the new Dairangers.
    • This has lead to the joke that the Super Sentai series of 2043 will be Dairanger.
  • Worthy Opponent: Ryō and Jin view each other as this.
  1. ↑ "Dai" has multiple meanings, but it's mainly a reference to the Chinese clan the main characters are descended from.
  2. ↑ Heavenly Fire Star
  3. ↑ Dragon Ranger
  4. ↑ Heavenly Illusion Star
  5. ↑ Lion Ranger
  6. ↑ Heavenly Gravity Star
  7. ↑ Pegasus Ranger
  8. ↑ Heavenly Time Star
  9. ↑ Qilin Ranger
  10. ↑ Heavenly Wind Star
  11. ↑ Phoenix Ranger
  12. ↑ New Howling Star
  13. ↑ Fang Ranger
  14. ↑ Great Divine Dragon
  15. ↑ That's roughly 1,640 feet.
  16. ↑ Chi-Power Change Form! - also a pun, as the 'Ten' here sounds like 'Heaven'
  17. ↑ Shōji the comic relief and Kō the Tagalong Kid.
  18. ↑ Legendary Spirit Beast
  19. ↑ Legendary Spirit Warrior
  20. ↑ Dragon Star King
  21. ↑ King Tiger
  22. ↑ Star Lion, Star Pegasus, Star Qilin and Star Phoenix in that order.
  23. ↑ Heavenly Chi Palace
  24. ↑ Great Union King
  25. ↑ Great King Fang
  26. ↑ Heavily Armored Chi Palace
  27. ↑ Great Ring Blades
  28. ↑ Double Dragon Swords
  29. ↑ Lion Staff
  30. ↑ Pegasus Nunchakus
  31. ↑ Qilin 9-Part Whip
  32. ↑ Phoenix Spear
  33. ↑ White Tiger Sword
  34. ↑ General Cactus
  35. ↑ 王
  36. ↑ 大
  37. ↑ 牙
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