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Ronin Warriors

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Ronin Warriors, known in Japan as Yoroiden Samurai Troopers (鎧伝サムライトルーパー, Yoroiden Samurai Torūpā; "Legendary Armored Samurai Troopers"), is a Japanese media franchise created by Hajime Yatate and animated by Sunrise. The television series, co-produced by Nagoya TV, aired across Japan on the All-Nippon News Network from April 30, 1988, to March 4, 1989, for a total of 39 episodes. A manga adaptation was serialized on Kodansha’s Comic BomBom from November 17, 1988, to April 5, 1990, and the chapters collected into 2 tankōbon volumes. The franchise focuses on a group of five teenage boys, most prominently Ryo Sanada, Sage Date, Cyrus Mouri, Kento Rei Fang, and Rowen Hashiba. Ronin Warriors also features many recurring characters. The series will become infamous for the supernatural martial arts that satirizes a large range of subject matter. It is also a masculine counterpart of Sailor Moon.

Synopsis[]

Original Series[]

Talpa, ruler of the Dynasty, is bent on conquering the Earth. Standing against Talpa and his four Dark Warlords are the five Ronin Warriors, each in possession of mystical armor and weapons. They are assisted by Mia Koji, a young student-researcher, Yuli, a child, and a mysterious warrior-mystic known only as the Ancient One.

Extreme[]

The story initially follows Elemental Ninjas, an established group of five teenage boys themed after the classical elements. The team is led by Ryo Sanada a.k.a. Ryo of the Wildfire (Rekka no Ryo), the most powerful member of the group; the former members of the team include Akira Hikari a.k.a. Akira of the Light, Yasumi Mizumo a.k.a. Seisui of the Ocean, Daichi Dobashi a.k.a. Daichi of the Stone, and Hayate Kazami a.k.a. Hayate of the Wind. During a night patrol while Akira is absent, the former team is ambushed by a powerful monster, resulting in the deaths of Yasumi, Daichi, and Hayate. Akira sacrifices his powers in order to save Ryo's life, leaving Ryo as the sole surviving member of the team. Following the tragedy, Ryo is left to cope with the loss of his old friends. At Akira's urging, he begins to looks for a new team, Ronin Warriors (Samurai Troopers) include Sage (Seiji Date) a.k.a. Sage of the Halo (Korin no Seiji), Cyrus (Shin Mouri) a.k.a. Cyrus of the Torrent (Suiko no Shin), Kento Rei Fang (Xiu Lihuang) a.k.a. Kento of the Hardrock (Kongo no Xiu), and Rowen (Touma Hashiba) a.k.a. Rowen of the Strata (Tenku no Touma) to join, initially to no avail. At the same time, Ryo attempts to investigate the circumstances of the attack that killed his old friends.

2016 Series[]

A millennium ago, a demon named Talpa conquered The Mortal World. His reign of terror went unopposed until the appearance of a warrior mage and his loyal white tiger. This warrior defeated Talpa and saved The Mortal World from doom. But the mage knew that an evil power like Talpa's could not truly be destroyed, thus he split the remains of Talpa's evil armor into nine separate armors. Imbuing each with a special virtue, the mage gave them to nine families for safekeeping. Six hundred years later, the defeated and exiled Talpa returned and began to search for the armors. He tracked down four with their current owners, weak men with weak hearts and a lust for power that made them perfect for Talpa to manipulate. He recruited these young men into his army, transforming them into his Dark Warlords of the Netherworld. In the 20th century, Talpa gains more and more power and enters The Mortal World to conquer it once more. But all is not lost. The owners of the five remaining armors have returned with their powers and are ready to unite against Talpa and his minions. The only problem is they can't remember how to use all of their powers. A young lady named Mia Koji gains superpowers after five teenage boys (Ryo, Sage, Cyrus, Kento, and Rowen) are trained by the Ancient One. Together they battle Emperor Talpa and the Dark Warlords threatening humanity while they become famous superheroes.

Characters[]

Main[]

  • Ryo Sanada - The main protagonist of the series and the leader of the Ronin Warriors. He is known as Ryo of the Wildfire (Rekka no Ryo in the Japanese version). Ryo is the Warrior of Fire. He is also the holder of the legendary White Armor of Inferno (the Kikoutei in the Japanese version). His favorite color is red and he can control fire power after being trained by the Ancient One. His ability to breathe fire and shoot fireballs from his hands. Ryo is short-tempered and aggressive due to his firepower using energy to let out his rage. His mind is a mishap involving predatory mammals like tigers and wolves.
  • Sage (Seiji Date) - One of the main characters of the series. He is known as Sage of the Halo (Korin no Seiji). Sage is the Warrior of Light. His favorite color is green and he can control lightning power after being trained by the Ancient One. Sage is the fastest member of a team due to his lightning power using energy and his speed at about 100mph. He is also an aloof and mature member of the team. His mind is a mishap involving eastern dragons. His poker card motif is Spades ♠️.
  • Cyrus "Cye" (Shin Mouri) - One of the main characters of the series. He is also known as Cyrus of the Torrent (Suiko no Shin). Cye is the Ronin Warrior of Water. He is the bearer of The Armor of Torrent. His favorite color is cyan (light blue) and he can control water power after being trained by the Ancient One. Cye has a very polite and gentle personality, and he is very considerate of others. His ability to swim and never drown to breathe underwater. His mind is a mishap involving killer whales and other marine creatures. His poker card motif is Hearts ♥️.
    • Voice Actors:
      • Japanese: Nozomu Sasaki
      • English: Michael Dovovan (Original TV series, OVA, Extreme S 1), Sam Vincent (Extreme S 2-5, 2016 revival)
  • Kento (Shu Rei Fang) - One of the main characters of the series and arguably the strongest member of the Ronin Warriors. He is also known as Kento of Hardrock (Kongo no Shu). Kento is the Warrior of Earth. His favorite color is orange and he can control earth power after being trained by the Ancient One. His ability to break stones and dig through dirt with his claws to burrow into the ground. His mind is a mishap involving gorillas, bulls, or bears. His poker card motif is Clubs ♣️.
    • Voice Actors:
      • Japanese: Tomohiro Nishimura (Original TV series, OVA), Tomokazu Seki (Extreme, 2016 revival)
      • English: Jason Gray-Stanford (Original TV series, Extreme S 1-4), Andrew Francis (Extreme S 5, OVA, 2016 revival)
  • Rowen (Touma Hashiba) - One of the main characters of the series and a the intellectual one of the five Ronin Warriors. He is also known as Rowen of the Strata (Tenku no Toma). Rowen is the Warrior of Wind. His favorite color is blue and he can control wind power after being trained by the Ancient One. His ability to fly and use sonic blast due to his wind using energy. His mind is a mishap involving birds of prey like eagles, hawks, and falcons. His poker card motif is Diamonds ♦️.
    • Voice Actors:
      • Japanese: Hiroshi Takemura (Original TV series, OVA), Hikaru Midorikawa (Extreme, 2016 TV series)
      • English: Ward Perry (Original TV series, OVA), Mark Hildreth (Extreme, 2016 revival)

Supporting[]

  • Anna (Akane Sanada) - Ryo's younger sister by two years and a love interest. She has a nice and kind-hearted personality.
  • The Ancient One (Chaos) - A powerful mystic and warrior who defeated Talpa during the Warring States period and banished him to the Nether Realm. He created the nine mythical armors from Talpa's discarded armor. He acts as the Ronin Warriors' mentor during their battle with Talpa. He also helped Anubis defect from Talpa by showing him how Talpa regarded him as a tool.
    • Voice Actors: Norio Wakamoto (Japanese), David Kaye (English)
  • Mia Koji (Násti Yagyu) - A major in ancient legends at Shinsha University. She uses her knowledge of the legends to help the Ronin Warriors defeat the dynasty. Her grandfather was possessed by a nether spirit and died.
    • Voice Actors:
      • Japanese: Kaori Kusakabe (Original TV series, OVA), Hōko Kuwashima (Extreme, 2016 revival)
      • English: Lalainia Lindbjerg (Original TV series, Extreme), Maggie Blue O'Hara (OVA), Kelly Sheridan (Extreme, 2016 revival)
  • Yuli (Jun Yamano) - A young child who helps the Ronin Warriors fight the dynasty. He uses the Jewel of Life to defeat Talpa, and photographs Sekmet to see how many arms he really has. He has two, he just moves them really fast to make it look like he has six. He is also used for comic relief sometimes.
    • Voice Actors:
      • Japanese: Kumiko Watanabe
      • English: Christopher Turner (Original TV series, Extreme), Danny McKinnon (OVA), Cathy Weseluck (Extreme, 2016 revival)
  • White Blaze (Byakuen) - A large white tiger as Ryo's pet. He's really cool, and more powerful than you would think. He saves Yuli in a lot of situations, and likes to kill lots of Dynasty soldiers at once. He is usually the first one to attack.

Antagonists[]

  • Oda Nobunaga / Emperor Talpa (Arago) - The main antagonist of the series. He was defeated by the Ancient One during his first attempt to conquer Earth a thousand years earlier. Talpa's spirit was banished to the Nether Realm while his armor remained on Earth. Since the armor could not be destroyed, the Ancient One split it apart into nine separate armors with their own powers and virtues. Talpa re-acquired four of them, Cruelty, Corruption, Illusion, and Venom, and gave them to four humans who became his Dark Warlords.
    • Voice Actors:
      • Japanese: Shigezō Sasaoka (Original TV series), Shigeru Chiba (Extreme), Hidekatsu Shibata (2016 TV series)
      • English: Mina E. Mina (Original TV series), Richard Newman (Extreme, 2016 revival)
  • Anubis (Shuten Douji) - Previously the leader of the five Dark Warlords at the beginning of the series. Four hundred years ago, he was a warrior named Toshitada Koma (狛 俊忠, Koma Toshitada), whose ambition and blood-lust made him susceptible to Talpa's influence. Anubis wears the Armor of Cruelty, also known as the Armor of the Ogre - Bear (貴力, Riki, lit. '"Noble Power"), which represents Transition. Its guiding virtue is Chū (忠, Loyalty). In his curse, he becomes an ogre (oni) in his true form. Unfortunately, he lost his powers due to his members being defeated by the Ronin Warriors. Now he has to figure out what to do without his abilities. Anubis is an evil counterpart of Ryo Sanada.
    • Voice Actors:
      • Japanese: Kiyoyuki Yanada (Original TV series, Extreme), Toshihiko Seki (2016 revival)
      • English: Paul Dobson
  • Sekhemt (Naaza) - The second Warlord to fight the Warriors. He has pale skin, purple eyelids, and beady black eyes. He is the main opponent of Cyrus Mouri. His armor is the Armor of the Venom/the Snake (薬師, Yakushi, lit. Doctor in archaic Japanese), which represents Autumn and the guiding virtue Tei (梯, Obedience). In his curse, he becomes a giant naga in his true form. In his animal form, he becomes a snake. He died at the end of Season 1 due to an enemy attack.
    • Voice Actors:
      • Japanese: Issei Futamata (Original TV series, Extreme), Shigeru Chiba (2016 revival)
      • English: Ward Perry (Original TV series), Brian Drummond (Extreme, 2016 revival)
  • Cale (Anubis) - The third Warlord to fight the Warriors. He has powers over darkness. He primarily fights Sage of the Halo, who controls light. His armor of Darkness-Corruption/the Jackal (漆黒, Shikoku, lit. "Jet-Black") represents Winter and the guiding virtue Kou (考, filial piety). In his curse, he becomes a werejackal in his true form. In his animal form, he becomes a jackal. He died at the end of Season 1 due to an enemy attack.
  • Dais (Rajura) - The oldest of the Five Dark Warlords and the fourth Warlord to confront the Warriors. His main opponent is Kento Rei Faun. Dais was the first of the Warlords to confront Anubis when he re-emerged. Anubis tried to sway Dais from evil, but Dais stayed with the Dynasty until Talpa was destroyed for good. His Armor of Illusion/the Spider (夢幻, Mugen, lit. Infinity) represents Summer and the guiding virtue Nin (忍, lit. "to endure"). In his curse, he becomes a drider in his true form. In his animal form, he becomes a tarantula. He died at the end of Season 1 due to an enemy attack.
    • Voice Actors:
  • Horus (Tengu) - The youngest of the Five Dark Warlords and the fifth Warlord to confront the Warriors. He is an evil counterpart of Rowen Hashiba. His Armor of Storm/the Vulture (台風, Taifū, lit. Hurricane) represents Spring and the guiding virtue Inochi (命, lit. "life"). In his curse, he becomes a harpy in his true form. In his animal form, he becomes a vulture. He died at the end of Season 1 due to an enemy attack.
    • Voice Actors: Kazuhiko Inoue (Japanese), Ted Cole (English)
  • Lady Kayura - The last known member of the Ancient One's clan. For this reason, she was abducted from her home by the Dynasty at a young age. Talpa kept Kayura under his control with a magical amulet worn around her neck and raised her to be his ultimate weapon against the Ronin Warriors. In her first appearance, she battled Ryo and Rowen while the others were captured by the Dynasty. The Warriors were no match for her until Anubis appeared and summoned the Inferno Armor. Ryo and Rowen faced her several times during their quest through the Nether Realm, and were always at a disadvantage unless they could use the other Warlords' armors to summon the Inferno.

Anime[]

Television[]

TV specials[]

  • Ronin Warriors Special (1991)
  • Spring Break (1992)
  • Ronin Warriors: 5th Anniversary (1993)
  • Summer Vacation (1994)
  • Ryo Sanada's Howl-o-ween Special (1995)
  • Winter Break (1996)
  • Ronin Warriors: 10th Anniversary (1998)

OVA[]

  • Ronin Warriors: Gaiden (1989)
  • Ronin Warriors: Legend of the Inferno Armor (1989 - 90)
  • Ronin Warriors: Message (1991)

Films[]

Theatrical[]

  • Ronin Warriors: The Motion Picture (1990)
  • Ronin Warriors II: The Electric Boogaloo (1992)
  • Ronin Warriors III: Judgement Day (1994)
  • Ronin Warriors IV: Monster Unleashed (1996)
  • Ronin Warriors (2018)

Direct-to-video[]

  • Ronin Warriors: The Burning of Atlanta (1997)
  • Ronin Warriors: Ryo's Revenge (1998)
  • Ronin Warriors: The New Samurai (1999)
  • Ronin Warriors: Dragon Warriors (2000)
  • Ronin Warriors: Rise of the Demon King (2001)
  • Ronin Warriors: Samurai in Los Angeles (2002)
  • Ronin Warriors: The Last Stand (2003)

Short films[]

  • Zombie Apocalypse (1991)
  • Ryo's Day Out (1992)
  • Bad Day on the Midway (1993)
  • Youkai Massacre (1994)
  • Garou: The Werewolf of Tokyo (1995) - One of the short films about werewolves where the main protagonist Ryo Sanada becomes a werewolf after he gets bitten by the Werewolf Kale.
  • Samurai Rhapsody (1996) - One of the short films has a musical genre which is a cover of a song "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen, where Ryo is a lead singer.
  • Attack of the Martians (1997)
  • Lost in Time (1998)
  • After Dark (1999)
  • Millennium (2000)

Crossovers[]

Media[]

Manga / Comic book[]

  • Ronin Warriors (1988 - 90)
  • Shin Yoroiden Samurai Troopers (1992)
  • Ronin Warriors Extreme (1993 - 98)
  • Ronin Warriors: Legendary Armor Samurai Troopers (2016 - present)
  • Ronin Warriors: Backstories (2023)
  • Yoroi Shinden Samurai Troopers (2026)

Video games[]

Main[]

  • Legendary Samurai Armor Troopers (1989, only in Japan and Europe) - for the NES and Game Boy
    • Ronin Warriors (1991, only in North America) - for the NES and Game Boy
  • Ronin Warriors: The Motion Picture (1990) - for the NES and Game Boy
  • Super Ronin Warriors (1991) - for the SNES
  • Super Ronin Warriors 2: The Next Level (1993) - for the SNES
  • Ronin Warriors Extreme (1994) - for the SNES, Game Boy, Sega Saturn, and PS1
  • Ronin Warriors (1995) - An arcade game
  • Virtual Ronin Warriors (1996, only in North America) - for the Virtual Boy
  • Ronin Warriors 3D (1996) - for the Sega Saturn and PlayStation
  • Ronin Warriors 64 (1997) - for the Nintendo 64
  • Ronin Warriors: Director's Cut (1998) - for the PlayStation and Nintendo 64
  • Ronin Warriors: Monster Unleashed (1999) - for the PlayStation and Nintendo 64
  • Ronin Warriors: The Burning of Atlanta (2000) - for the PlayStation, Nintendo 64, and Dreamcast
  • Mini Ronin Warriors (2000) - for the Game Boy Color
  • Ronin Warriors: Lost in Time (2001) - for the PS1, Dreamcast, and Game Boy Color
  • Ronin Warriors: Ryo's Revenge (2002) - for the PS1, PS2, and Game Boy Color
  • Ronin Warriors Advance (2002) - for the Game Boy Advance
  • Ronin Warriors: Dragon Warriors (2003) - for the PS2
  • Ronin Warriors: Rise of the Demon King (2004) - for the PS2
  • Ronin Warriors Advance 2 (2004) - for the Game Boy Advance
  • Ronin Warriors: Samurai in Los Angeles (2005) - for the PS2
  • Ronin Warriors DS (2006) - for the Nintendo DS
  • Ronin Warriors (2008) - for the PS3
  • Ronin Warriors: The Next Action (2013) - for the PS4
  • Ronin Warriors: The Legendary Armor Samurai Troopers (2016) - for the PS4

Spin-offs[]

  • New Ronin Warriors (Shin Yoroiden Samurai Troopers in Japan) (1992) - for the Game Boy, and later Game Boy Color in 2001
  • Star Forces: Featuring Ryo Sanada (1994) - for the SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Color in 1999, and Game Boy Advance in 2003
  • Star Forces 2: The Team of Galaxy (1996) - for the Sega Saturn and PlayStation, Game Boy Color in 2000, and Game Boy Advance in 2004
  • Ronin Warriors Mythologies Vol 1: The Legend of Strata (1997) - for the PlayStation and later Game Boy Advance in 2005
  • Ronin Warriors Mythologies Vol 2: The Legend of Torrent (1997) - for the PlayStation and later Game Boy Advance in 2005
  • Ronin Warriors Mythologies Vol 3: The Legend of Halo (1998) - for the PlayStation and later Game Boy Advance in 2005
  • Ronin Warriors Mythologies Vol 4: The Legend of Hardrock (1998) - for the PlayStation and later Game Boy Advance in 2005
  • Saint Seiya X Ronin Warriors (2003) - PlayStation 2 and Game Boy Advance
  • New Ronin Warriors (Yoroi Shinden Samurai Troopers in Japan) (2003) - PlayStation 2 and Game Boy Advance
Spin-off series[]
  • Ronin Warriors: Speed Demons (1994) - for SNES, a racing genre
  • Ronin Warriors RPG (1995) - for the Game Boy
  • Ronin Warriors: Maze Madness (1995) - for the SNES and Game Boy
  • Ronin Warriors: Armored Fighters (1996) - for the Sega Saturn and PlayStation
  • Ronin Warriors: Speed Demons 2 (1997) - for the Sega Saturn and PlayStation
  • Ronin Warriors Puzzle Attack (1997) - for the Sega Saturn and PlayStation
  • Ronin Warriors Pinball (1998) - for the Game Boy
  • Ronin Warriors Puzzle Challenge (1999) - for the Game Boy Color
  • Ronin Warriors Pinball 2 (2001) - for the Game Boy Color
  • Ronin Warriors: Armored Fighters 2 (2003) - for the PS2
  • Ronin Warriors Pinball Advance (2004) - for the Game Boy Advance
  • Ronin Warriors 20th Anniversary Collection (2008) - for the PS3
  • Ronin Warriors 25th Anniversary Collection (2013) - for the PS3
  • Ronin Warriors 30th Anniversary Collection (2018) - for the PS4
  • Toonami: Ultimate Battle Royale (2020) - for the PS4, PS5, and PC
  • Toonami: All-Star Kart Racing (2021) - for the PS4, PS5, and PC

Merchandise[]

See Ronin Warriors/Merchandise

Reception[]

Critical response[]

The franchise received very positive reviews from critics and fans alike, with fans praising it for its action, writing, and animation.

Tropes[]

See Ronin Warriors/Tropes.

Trivia[]

Gallery[]

Characters[]

Locations[]

Animations[]

Other Media[]

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