List of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann mecha

 

Gunmen (ガンメン, Ganmen^?) are the main type of mecha used in the anime Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.

The name itself means "face/facade"(顔面 ガンメン Face Surface) and can be broken down into "gun" and "man" — unsurprisingly, the mecha themselves are centered around faces. Gunmen sport a variety of weaponry — the more primitive models only use large clubs or bare hands, while more advanced ones use solid or beam weaponry. Gunmen are apparently powered by its pilots' "fighting spirit", and prior to the events in the anime, almost none were piloted by human beings.

Gurren Brigade

With an exception of the Lagann, most of the gunmen in the Gurren Brigade have been acquired by capturing them from the Helix Empire. However, the humans have customized them to be more unique and personal to the pilot, rather than the generic looking gunmen that most lower-ranked Beastmen use.

After the timeskip, it is discovered that most of the gunmen belonging to the Gurren Brigade have been destroyed, since they represent the Spiral King's creations, and are inferior to the mass-produced Grapals, which are the most advanced type of gunmen produced. Later, it's revealed that Reite and Makken collected the parts of the destroyed gunmen and re-built them, having all been upgraded with Spiral energy-based weapons that can destroy and contain the Muganns. Ironically, they are just as effective as the Gulaparls in fighting the Anti-Spirals, which Lord Genome comments on, saying gunmen can obviously defeat the Anti-Spirals, because it was the reason they were invented.

Reite also stated that originally the gunmen were also designed for space combat, so no further modifications were necessary when the Gurren Brigade was launched with their gunmen into the Earth's orbit to fight the Anti-Spirals.

Later on, when the Gurren Brigade leaves Earth to rescue Nia, the battles are fought on a much larger scale. Because of this, Reite uses the Cho Ginga Dai Gurren to produce larger versions of the Dai-Gurren's personal Gunmen, which are piloted by the personal Gunmen themselves (similar to the way Gurren-Lagann pilots Arc-Gurren). These new gunmen keep the same name as their smaller forms, but with the prefix "Space" (e.g. Space King Kittan). They are also much more powerful and heavily armed than before.

Personal and fortress-type units seen thus far include the following^[1]:

Gurren-Lagann

Pilot(s): Simon (Lagann), Nia (Lagann co-pilot, episode 11, 15, 27); Kamina, Yoko, Rossiu, Viral (Gurren); Gimmy, Darry (Gurren-Lagann, Epilogue)

Gurren-Lagann (グレンラガン, Guren-Ragan^?) is originally formed as a response to the Enki's initial two-headed configuration. Its status as a fused machine (with two exceptionally spirited pilots) makes it the one of, if not the most powerful entity of its size seen thus far in the series. Born from the Lagann's union with the Gurren, Simon and Kamina together have been able to manifest a variety of powers and use a number of high-powered techniques to put the beat down on even the toughest of Beastman pilots and their gunmen:

• "Who Do You Think I Am!" Kick
• "How Dare You Do That To My Precious Underling!" Punch
• "This Is The Real Spirit Of Men!" Cannonball Attack
• Manly Ignition: Hinokuruma Kick
  (portrayed as a nod to the infamous Inazuma Kick from Gainax's Gunbuster and Diebuster series)
• "Circle Spun Driller"
• "Double Boomerang"
  Using the Gurren's sunglasses and the Gurren-Lagann's wings, Simon and Viral threw both at once to destroy the energy cannons on the moon.
• Certain Death: Giga Drill Breaker
  The Gurren-Lagann throws its sunglasses as a boomerang at the enemy, splitting in two and impaling it to prevent them from moving. The Gurren-Lagann then creates a massive drill and charges into the immobilized enemy, obliterating it.

Of further note are its additional abilities to deploy a durable energy shield which can deflect energy blasts even at short range, wield the glasses on the Gurren's chest as a melee weapon (used as a sword or boomerang), and have a short-term regenerative function which can restore accumulated damage for the duration of the Gurren and the Lagann's union. In addition, the Gurren-Lagann seems to be able to utilize the drills of the Lagann in many unique ways. Although not seen as techniques (since they are not named), the manipulation of its drills have been useful in many battles:

• Episode 7
  The drills that protrude from the Gurren-Lagann's arms are used and fired from its arms as drill-like "bullets".
• Episode 8 and Episode 11
  Multiple drills appear all over the Gurren-Lagann's body and are used as a porcupine-like defensive mechanism. These same drills are also used in Episode 14, as an offensive weapon, fired from the body like missiles.
• Episode 12
  The drill located on the Gurren-Lagann's head is used as a water screw, allowing it to surface from deep, underwater environments at high velocities.
• Episode 13
  The drills located on the Gurren-Lagann's hands are used as a way to "web-swing" from gunmen to gunmen, allowing it to stay in the air.
• Episode 14
  During their second encounter with Cytomander's fleet, Simon uses each of the holes used for the drills to spawn several smaller drills, which were then launched and used like missiles.
• Episode 15
  While breaking through Teppelin's hammer, the Gurren-Lagann stands on the bow of the Dai-Gurren and uses a Giga Drill to help plow through the hammer.
• Episode 17
  The Gurren-Lagann's Giga Drill is used to absorb the energy of a laser fired by a Mugann. This energy was then converted into power for the Gurren-Lagann.
• Episode 19
  When surrounded by Muganns at all sides, Simon used the multiple drills once more, upgraded to Giga Drills (Giga Drill Maximum), absorbing their lasers and delivering all the energy back to them at once, provoking a thermonuclear explosion that defeated all nearby enemies, but left the Gurren Lagann exhausted and damaged from its use.
• Episode 22
  The Gurren-Lagann uses a drill to drain the combined energy of the beam cannons installed on the moon (Cathedral Terra). It then throws it back to them at once, destroying the cannons and opening the way to the giant Core Drill slot inside the moon (the shape of the drill, and the way it is wielded could be a subtle nod to The King of Braves GaoGaiGar).
• Episode 23
  Simon uses the Gurren-Lagann to open a portal and reach Rossiu's location in time, to stop him from committing suicide.

During its first encounter with Cytomander's air fleet, the Gurren-Lagann assimilated a flight-capable enemy gunmen and gained the ability to fly. Like other gunmen related powers, these are all subject to the will to persevere, inherent in the pilots.

Lagann

Lagann (ラガン, Ragan^?) is Simon's personal Gunmen, which was excavated from deep beneath Jiiha Village. Unlike all other gunmen depicted thus far, the Lagann sports a unique cockpit and stands just short of an average adult human height. This physical handicap, in tandem with the usually average level of fighting spirit supplied to it by Simon, puts the Lagann at a considerable disadvantage in single combat against enemy gunmen. However, when Simon is driven to give his best during combat, the Lagann's power increases tremendously, activating several unique powers:

• The ability to transfigure portions of its frame into drills to inflict damage. So far in the series, this peculiar ability has been used to make the Lagann into an auxiliary projectile weapon by Kamina's Gurren and forms the basis for a number of the Gurren-Lagann's drill-based techniques.
• The ability to bond with other gunmen and allow the Lagann's computer interface to override their operating systems. Dubbed by Simon as the Lagann Impact. With this particular power, Simon can have his Lagann unite with the Gurren to form the powerful Gurren-Lagann and pool both pilots' fighting spirit for their combined machine to consume. So far, there is no limit for the size or power of the gunmen the Lagann can control yet, as it could even assimilate the gigantic Arc-Gurren battleship. It should be noted that the Lagann seems to be a true Gunmen of old, as it displays the ability to move on its own in episode 11.
• Lagann Impact
  Lagann's solo attack, using a large drill created by it.

Lagann (羅顔) means "Enveloping Face", referring to its ability to capture other gunmen.

Gurren

Gurren (グレン, Guren^?) is initially an above-average sized Beastman-piloted mecha, which attacked Ritona Village the morning after the Gurren Brigade's arrival. The Gurren is captured, then named by its eventual pilot, Kamina. Differing in appearance from its Beastman-piloted form, due to Kamina nearly destroying the limbs in battle, it was repaired using spare parts from the other defeated Gunmen. Unlike its partner Gunmen, the Lagann, the Gurren is of typical Gunmen proportions and serves as the primary attacker when the pair is not united. While its individual power was initially not on the same level as advanced gunmen/pilot pairs, such as Viral and his Enki, Kamina eventually became experienced enough to hold his own against multiple gunmen. Kamina had the Gurren's original swords made into massive sunglasses that were not unlike his own personal pair, which could be used as a blade or boomerang in combat.

Besides Kamina, other characters have also piloted the Gurren during the series, namely Rossiu, Yoko, Kinon and Viral.

Gurren (紅蓮) means "Crimson Lotus".

King Kittan

King Kittan (キングキタン, Kingu Kitan^?) is the gunmen piloted by Kittan. Inspired by Kamina's hijack of an enemy gunmen, Kittan and some others seized gunmen for their own use to fight against the Beastmen. The King Kittan's signature attack is the Kittan Stinger, where it rushes the enemy and impales them upon its pointed headpiece. It can combine with Kittan's sisters' ganmen, and use them as weapons. When combined, he renames his gunmen the King Kittan Deluxe.

Believed to be destroyed after the adoption of the Gulaparls by the human military, the King Kittan, among other gunmen from the Gurren Brigade, were in fact retrieved and maintained by Makken and Reite, who also equipped them with Spiral energy-based weaponry. Kittan retrieved his old machine in episode 20, but it was destroyed along with its pilot in episode 25, when Kittan ended up fusing it with one of the Gurren-Lagann's discarded drills by his own spiral power, to destroy the Death-Spiral Machine using a King Kittan Giga Drill Breaker Attack.

Dayakkaiser

Dayakkaiser (ダヤッカイザー, Dayakkaizā^?) is the gunmen piloted by Dayakka earlier in the series and by Yoko in later episodes. Along with the other human-piloted gunmen, this was also seized from the Beastmen. It has a cannon mounted on top of its head, which fires explosive solid rounds.

Believed to be destroyed after the adoption of the Gulaparls by the human military, the Dayakkaiser, among other gunmen from the Gurren Brigade, were in fact retrieved and maintained by Makken and Reite, who also equipped them with Spiral energy-based weaponry. Since then, it is piloted by Yoko.

Sozoshin

Sozoshin is Zoushi's ganmen, which he pilots as part of the main group of gunmen which the Gurren Brigade deploys.

Believed to be destroyed after the adoption of the Gulaparls by the human military, the Sozoshin, among other gunmen from the Gurren Brigade, were in fact retrieved and maintained by Makken and Reite, who also equipped them with Spiral energy-based weaponry. However, it is later destroyed by the Anti-Spirals in episode 24, along with the pilot.

Ainzer

Ainzer (アインザー, Ainzā^?) is the gunmen that Ailak pilots. It serves as a mobile rifle platform for Yoko to use in battle, during the earlier episodes.

This gunmen is destroyed in episode 24, along with its pilot.

Kidd Knuckle

Kidd Knuckle (キッドナックル, Kiddo Nakkuru^?) is the gunmen piloted by Gurren Brigade member, Kidd. This gunmen resembles a monkey armed with a pair of guns.

Anti-Spirals destroyed this gunmen, along with its pilot in episode 24.

Twin Boukun

Twin Boukun (ツインボークン, Tsuin Bōkun^?) is a gunmen jointly piloted by the twins, Jogan and Barinbo. It resembles two faces, each with a fist coming out of its mouth and a leg coming out of its neck. It is later destroyed by the Anti-Spirals, along with its pilots.

Moshogun

Moshogun (モーショーグン, Mōshōgun^?), piloted by Makken, is part of the Gurren Brigade's main gunmen squad. One of its weapons is a large katana, and its physical appearance is that of an ancient Japanese samurai.

Believed to be destroyed after the adoption of the Gulaparls by the human military, the Moshogun, among other gunmen from the Gurren Brigade, were in fact retrieved and maintained by Makken and Reite, who also equipped them with Spiral energy-based weaponry. In episode 20, Makken is the first to appear to face the Mugann threat in his gunman.

The Moshogun pilots a larger gunman, produced within the Chouginga Dai-Gurren, but was destroyed in episode 24, when Makken took a suicide dive into a Mugann missile, to protect the Cathedral Terra.

Kiyalunga

Kiyalunga (キヤルンガ, Kiyarunga^?), named for and piloted by Kiyal, is part of the main gunmen force of the Gurren Brigade. Its main strength is its ability to transform into a lance and shield, which is wielded by the King Kittan. A homage to this gunmen is seen in episode 24, as Kittan piloted his starship-sized gunmen, he wielded weapons that resembles the Kiyalunga's lance and shield transformation.

Dai-Gunzan/Dai-Gurren

The Dai-Gunzan (ダイガンザン, Daiganzan^?) is one of the largest Beastmen-made units seen in the series. It is little more than a walking battleship, with countless heavy artillery gun turrets and incredible armor. The arms attached to the control tower serves as the hangar bay launchers for its housed gunmen. After its capture by the Dai-Gurren Brigade, it is renamed the "Dai-Gurren" (ダイグレン, Daiguren^?) (although still referred to by its original name by the Beastmen) by Yoko and remodeled to accommodate the Brigade members.

In episode 13, the Gurren Brigade managed to capture one of the Dai-Gunten's engines, and installed it into the Dai-Gurren, allowing it to fly. In episode 15, it was almost completely destroyed, as the Gurren Brigade used most of its deck as a way of launching the Gurren-Lagann into Teppelin, and then used the rest to destroy one of Teppelin's arms. The humanoid shape of the Dai-Gurren still remains, however.

Gulaparl

After the seven-year timeskip, mass-produced mecha were developed through research of Simon's Gurren-Lagann. Considered to be more powerful than the original gunmen, the Gulaparls have an arsenal consisting of automatic handguns and blades. The only 2 known pilots of the Gulaparls (although there are many) are Gimmy and Darry, both commanding their own Gulaparl squadrons. After the adoption of the Gulaparls by the human army, all of the previous gunmen used by the Great Gurren Brigade were dismantled, except the Gurren-Lagann itself, until they are reassembled by Reite and Makken.

Two new weapons developed by Leeron's science team allows the Gulaparls to successfully destroy Mugann units, without causing collateral damage. One is the Spiral Bomber, fired to destroy the enemy, and the other is the Tornado Shield, fired by four other Gulaparls at once, which creates an energy shield around the Mugann's scattering bombs, exploding them safely within the protective shield. These innovations have since been adapted to all fire from a single weapon, and when the old gunmen were rebuilt, they also employed similar equipment.

The name Gulaparl^[2] (グラパール) probably comes from the "Gurren Lagann", in reference to the fact they were developed using research on the Gurren-Lagann, and pearl (written in Japanese as パール), in reference to the pearl-grey color of the standard Gulaparls (though Gimmy's and Darry's Gulaparls are custom models, colored in blue and pink, respectively). As of episode 24, Reite also gives Gulaparl-type space gunmen to Gimmy and Darry's platoon.

Arc-Gurren

Named "Arc-Gurren" by Rossiu, this is Lord Genome's personal battleship, which he used when he was a Spiral Knight. It is used to gather as many animals and people onto it, so that humans can repopulate the Earth when it has cooled down from the moon's impact. It, like the Lazengann, uses Spiral energy to run, and only recognises Lord Genome as its owner. It is capable of going into space for at least a year, and contains an automatic defensive system, in the form of an energy, that surrounds the ship. However, this system only has a duration of 30 minutes. The Arc-Gurren took off and escaped the Earth with the few people and animals it could accumulate before it departed, since the Anti-Spiral attack threatened to jeopordize the survivors. However, after it entered space, it was attacked with an awaiting Anti-Spiral space force, and the newly introduced behemoth Muganns, until the sudden arrival of Simon and the Gurren Brigade fended them off.

Arc-Gurren-Lagann

Combining with Simon's Spiral energy, the Arc-Gurren morphed into this behemoth gunmen. The Arc-Gurren-Lagann is so massive that it requires another gunmen to pilot and is powered up by one of the Gurren-Lagann's Giga Drills. The power of this Gunmen is unknown, but it has the ability to rip the fabric of space-time itself. At first, it was piloted by the Gurren-Lagann, but after there was a need for Simon to go inside the moon, Gimmy and Darry's Gulaparls took over the piloting. Since then, the Arc-Gurren-Lagann has been used exclusively by Simon and Viral, in the Gurren-Lagann.

• Space-Time Break: Burst Spinning Punch
  Dealing an immensely powerful uppercut, the Arc-Gurren-Lagann can knock an enemy out of the space-time.

Cathedral Terra/Chouginga Dai-Gurren

The Cathedral Terra is a battleship-type gunmen, originally made for Lord Genome's use, during the previous war with the Anti-Spirals. It was discovered when Simon and Viral, piloting the Gurren-Lagann, used the Giga Core Drill to gain control over the plummeting moon. The moon stopped its descent, crumbled, and the Cathedral Terra was unveiled within.

In episode 23, Simon renamed this ship the Chouginga Dai-Gurren (Super Galactic Great Gurren). It now serves as the official flagship of the Gurren Brigade. It also possesses wide industrial capabilities inside the ship, as shown in episode 24, when Reite used the facilities to mass-produce an army of starship-sized gunmen, aptly named, Space Gunmen. Just like the Arc-Gurren-Lagann, each one of the space gunmen is not piloted directly, but from a standard-size gunmen located inside it.

Chouginga Gurren-Lagann

In episode 24 Simon retreated to inside of Chouginga Dai-Gurren and started to harness enough Spiral energy to transform it into the Chouginga Gurren-Lagann and use its gigantic drills to pierce an Anti-Spiral battleship. Some members of the Gurren Brigade fought to their deaths, in order to protect their flagship and buy time for him, but it was all in vain because of the ocean-like compressed space created by the Death-Spiral Machine, which engulfed the ship, draining all of the power that cost so much for him to gather.

In episode 25, the Chouginga Gurren-Lagann was finally obtained after Kittan sacrificed himself to destroy the Death-Spiral Machine, allowing Simon and Boota to infuse enough Spiral energy to complete the transformation. Like other starship-sized gunmen, it is not piloted directly, due to its massive size, but through a cascade interface with its pilots formed by the Gurren-Lagann and the Arc-Gurren-Lagann.

• Gurren Boomerang: Chouginga Great Cutter
  The Chouginga Gurren-Lagann detaches the sunglasses on its chest, which changes into a boomerang, and throws it at the enemy.
• Maelstrom Cannon & Megavortex Cannon
  For attacking enemies who hide themselves by shifting their positions not in space, but also in time, the Chouginga Gurren-Lagann fires in all directions, hitting threats located in the near future and the past.
• Chouginga Giga Drill Breaker
  By combining the huge drills on its sholders and placing them on its hand, Simon executes a much more destructive version of the Gurren-Lagann's original signature attack.

Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann

By combining his own Spiral energy with his comrades', Simon created this galaxy-sized mecha in the last episode for the final battle against the Anti-Spirals. Its design slightly differs from the previous forms, in that skull-like faces make up a lot of its armour. Spiral energy burns continuously from its core, giving the mecha the appearance of the Gurren Brigade's emblem.

Named after the title of the show itself, this machine is arguably the largest mecha ever seen in any animated series. It also possesses a number of techniques based on the combat style of some of its multiple pilots:

• Yoko:
  Creates a sniper rifle to attack from long distances.
• Viral:
  Creates two katanas for close-quarters combat.
• Gabal and Dayakka:
  Launches two anchor-like modules to capture and immobilize its opponent.
• Attenborough:
  Launches a barrage of probability-altering missiles.
• Lord Genome:
  Launches a reconstructed Lazengann which in turn deploys the Lazengann Overload.
• Simon and Nia:
  Creates Giga Drills that regenerate instantly after they are destroyed.

Tengen Toppa can also launch Chouginga Gurren-Lagann from its mouth, which in turn launches Arc-Gurren-Lagann, and so on until Lagann finally reaches the target. After destroying the Anti-Spiral mecha, the machine reverts back to its original components; the Gurren, Simon's Lagann, several Laganns from the Death-Spiral Machine containing the rest of the pilots, the Arc-Gurren, and the Chouginga Dai-Gurren.

Beastmen

The Helix Empire is made up of Lord Genome, his Four Generals and countless number of Beastmen. The Four Generals command a personal gunmen and a fortress-type gunmen, each with an army of gunmen that are based on the characteristics of the general (e.g. flight-type, aquatic-type, etc.) Gunmen used by the Beastmen run on solar-powered batteries, making them useless at night, because the Beastmen lack Spiral energy, which is used to pilot gunmen.

The personal gunmen in the Helix Empire, piloted by the Four Generals, all have two faces, usually one on the chest and one on the head.

Enki

Enki (エンキ, Enki^?) is Viral's personal gunmen, modeled after a armored samurai. The Enki is the product of significant innovation in gunmen technology, and sports a number of advances that eclipse lesser models in performance, and is the first model seen to support ammunition. Unlike stout gunmen, such as the Gurren, that have bulky limbs that can only be used in wide swings, the Enki is more segmented and has multiple joints that allow it to perform complex actions, such as throws, kicks, and various martial arts techniques. The Enki's arm and thigh plates conceal rows of hidden gun turrets that fire large steel projectiles (kunai). There are pop-up compartments in the shoulders that can fire a single volley of rockets, and the entire chest plate can open to reveal a number of launchers that deliver an explosive payload of missiles. The Enki possesses a wrist mounted concave blast-shield, and a helmet with a large black ring atop of it, that is actually the charging focus for a medium-range particle beam cannon. Its helmet becomes the possession of Simon and Kamina, as they stole it when they first combined to make the Gurren-Lagann.

Later, the helmet-less Enki has been redeployed as the "Enkidu" (エンキドゥ, "Enkidu"^?) and sports a new sickle-like weapon, which is affixed to its head (a homage to Ultraseven's Eye Slugger weapon). When wielded, it provides an alternative to the dual swords the Enki usually resorts to in melee combat. Furthermore, it is also capable of shelling from afar by physically launching munitions from the same point on its head, once the sickle has been removed. When it is aided Cytomander's air raid on the Dai-Gurren, it was also equipped with jets, allowing it to fly.

The third form of Viral's gunmen is called the "Enkidudu" (エンキドゥドゥ, "Enkidudu"^?). This form has replaced the sickle for an extra pair of arms, meaning the gunmen can now fight with four blades. When the new form fights the Gurren-Lagann, however, it is swiftly defeated, despite its upgrade.

After the timeskip, the Enkidudu is shown fighting the Gulaparl unit, in order to protect a group of humans who decided to continue living underground. However, the damaged Enkidudu is unable to hold its own against the advanced Gulaparls and is ultimately destroyed.

All forms are based on figures in Sumerian myth: Enki was a god of wisdom. Enkidu, meanwhile, was the wild man who fought and befriended King Gilgamesh during the Sumerian epic. The latter seems to bear significance to Viral's role in later episodes.

It is possible that the mecha's name is a reference to french comic author Enki Bilal as Viral can also be read "Bilal" in Japanese.This is further evidenced by the name of Viral's theme "Nikopol" which is the name of one of Enki Bilal's most famous work, the Nikopol Trilogy. It is also a possible literary reference to Gilgamesh's rival, Enkidu.

Byakou

Byakou (ビャコウ, Byakou^?) is Divine Helix General Thymilph's personal gunmen. It is originally stored within the Dai-Gunzan's hangar bays and first saw deployment during the Great Gurren Brigade's second attack on the mobile gunmen fortress. Equipped with a polearm capable of emitting powerful energy attacks, the Byakou was especially deadly in single combat and proved to be even more lethal, when paired with the Enki in pummeling the lone Gurren. Unlike personal gunmen units fielded by the other Generals, the Byakou was never shown to have a distinct alternate configuration.

The Byakou was the first victim of the Gurren-Lagann's multi-stage Giga Drill Breaker attack, which completely obliterated both the Gunmen and its pilot. It was also the last enemy defeated by Kamina, who was heavily wounded and died shortly after.

The Byakou's name is based on Byakko, the White Tiger of the West, one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations

Sayrune

Sayrune (セイルーン, Seiruun^?) is currently commissioned as Divine Helix General Adiane's personal gunmen and was first seen deployed from the flagship, Dai-Gunkai, while pursuing the stolen Dai-Gunzan. It is one of the few gunmen seen thus far in the series to feature two unique configurations: its default winged humanoid appearance, as well as an alternate scorpion-shaped layout. While in its winged state, the Sayrune seems to rely mostly on a range of energy whips and tendrils to mount any sort of attack, whereas its scorpion form is endowed with massive pincer claws and a stinger.

Sayrune was destroyed, along with its pilot, when it was shot by the Dai-Gurren's cannons at point blank range, after Adiane's failed attempt to take Nia as a hostage.

The Sayrune's name is based on Seiryuu, the Azure Dragon of the East, one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations

Dai-Gunkai

Dai-Gunkai (ダイガンカイ, Daigankai^?), rivaling the Dai-Gunzan in terms of sheer bulk and apparently much lengthier, is an aquatic serpentine gunmen fortress, which served as Adiane's flagship. Little is known about its abilities, other than its obvious aptitude for sea travel. While it seems to only be able to travel in a body of water, the Dai-Gunkai's single appearance thus far was marked by a sudden deluge over the battlefield (suggesting that it may have the ability to either divert or even create large volumes of water). The only appearance of the Dai-Gunkai in combat was in episode 12, when it ambushed the Dai-Gurren, while it was crossing the ocean on its march to the capital. Its main weaponry consisted of torpedoes guided by dolphin beastmen and two massive claws, which it used on its attempt to drag the Dai-Gurren to the bottom of the ocean. After bringing the Dai-Gurren back to the surface, the Gurren-Lagann obliterated the Dai-Gunkai completely, but Viral, who was commanding the ship at that time, managed to survive.

Gember

The custom gunmen Gember (ゲンバー, Genbaa^?) first appeared in action on the deck of the Dai-Gurren as its owner, Divine Helix General Guame, had retreated to it, to perform his public warning execution of the captured Gurren Brigade members. It is the second gunmen to feature a transformation. It has the appearance of being rather broad and bulky in its regular mech state and is somewhat insect like with its antennae, which can ensare enemies. Its second form is a large face-like apparition and is also insect-like with sharp needles that resemble legs. The controls of the Gember differ from normal gunmen to accommodate its user, aas Guame is placed into a sphere-like crevice with a pair of mechanical hands aiding him. The only known attack of the Gember was its Gember Press, wherein the foe is caught in a hold and crushed by the needles that are released from its arms.

The time of the Gember was short lived, as it was destroyed by the Gurren-Lagann’s Giga Drill Break in episode 11. However, its pilot ejected himself before being obliterated.

The Gember's name is based on Genbu, the Black Tortoise of the North, one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations

Dai-Gundo

This fortress-type gunmen is Divine Helix General Guame's flagship. It has incredibly tough armour, being able to withstand the Dai-Gunten attempting to crash into it, and emerging from the wreckage almost completely unharmed. However, its underside is less protected, which turned out to be its weakness that eventually lead to its destruction. The Dai-Gundo is able to combine with Tepellin and use its structure and power to create a gigantic tornado that destroys everything it touches.

Shuzack

The Shuzack (シュザック, Shuzakku^?) currently serves as the personal gunmen of Divine Helix General, Cytomander. Whereas Adiane's Sayrune was best-suited for underwater action, the Shuzack aims for aerial superiority, sporting a compact flight engine and a massive winged design. Additionally, its multi-jointed frame allows for both arms to both extend and retract in close-quarter situations. The Shuzack is destroyed, along with its pilot, when the Dai-Gurren rammed into it, causing it to impact into the Dai-Gunten, which in turn crashed into the Dai-Gundo.

The Shuzack's name corresponds to Suzaku, the Vermillion Bird of the South, one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations.

Dai-Gunten

A fortress-type gunmen, the flying Dai-Gunten (ダイガンテン, Daiganten^?) is Divine Helix General Cytomander's flagship. The Dai-Gunten made its debut during Cytomander's campaign against the Dai-Gurren, acting primarily as a carrier to launch multiple waves of small aerial gunmen bombers. As the battle wore on, both Simon and Yoko's Gurren-Lagann and Viral's Enkidu found their way deep below its decks and ended up dealing severe internal damage to the ship. Having lost altitude in the process, the Dai-Gunten was eventually damaged by a series of powerful kicks delivered by the Dai-Gurren, which had launched itself into the air using a cliff face. In the process, the Great Gurren Brigade managed to snatch one of the enemy airship's two flight engines to themselves, and used it to safely float back to the ground, while the Dai-Gunten managed to retreat using the other one.

The Dai-Gunten returns in the following episode along Guame's flagship, the Dai-Gundo, as Teppelin's last line of defence against the Gurren Brigade's invasion. Its forces managed to trap the Gurren-Lagann, after the rest of the Dai-Gurren's gunman forces were forced to retreat and protect it against Guame's offensive, and when Cytomander's Shuzack was about to finish it, Simon and Rossiu were saved by some unexpected allies who entered the battlefield to aid them. In the end, the Shuzack and the ship were rammed by the flying Dai-Gurren and destroyed. It fell on the Dai-Gundo, provoking a massive explosion, but was unable to damage the heavily armored flagship.

Lazengann

Meaning "Spiral Face", the Lazengann (ラゼンガン, Razengan^?) is Lord Genome's personal gunmen. It is very similar to the Gurren-Lagann and has the same abilities that the Lagann can use. However, it is much stronger and can use more powerful drill techniques, as well as defend against the Gurren-Lagann's attacks with ease. It also possesses the desperation move Lazengann Overload, used when it is reconstructed as part of Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann to convert the energy of two galaxies wielded by the Anti-Spiral into Spiral Energy, taking the form of a gigantic drill with Lord Genome's head on the tip that is eaten by Tengen Toppa's abdominal mouth.

Its spiral theme is different to the Lagann's, as it is more jagged and square-like, compared to the smooth, more circular theme of the Lagann. Its spiral colour is red, unlike the green of the Lagann's. The Lazengann is black, with a tail used for attack, and a horned helmet. It can also transform into a giant drill. From an out of series perspective, its silhouette from the side bears a strong likeness to the EVA-01 unit from Neon Genesis Evangelion, another Gainax production.

Dekabutsu

After the defeat of Guame and Cytomander, the capital city, Teppelin, shed the towers surrounding it to reveal it was in fact a giant fortress-type gunmen - Dekabatsu. It is extremely bulky, and has a very uncomplicated humanoid shape. Extremely powerful, it was able to stop the Gurren-Lagann's drilling power. On one arm it has a hand, whilst the other has a giant hammer, and it can deploy a vast amount of gunmen. It was stopped upon the defeat of the Spiral King, automatically shutting down and collapsed.

Hanrasen Tribe

The Hanrasen Tribe (反螺旋族, Hanrasen Zoku^?), also known as the Anti-Spirals (アンチスパイラル, Anchi-Supairaru^?), are a mysterious group that suddenly attacked Kamina City, as soon its human population reached 1 million. They use Nia to send a message to Kamina City that they have reached a dangerous level of Spiral energy, and will begin the "Human Extermination System". The first mecha they send to attack Kamina City seems to materialize out of thin air, and is unlike any of the gunmen seen, since it doesn't have a face.

These mecha are the evidence of the Anti-Spirals superior technology - they are also the only 3D-animated mechas used in the series. Their designs ars similar to Tron, and their actions are similar to the Angels of Neon Genesis Evangelion that suddenly appear from out of nowhere and begin destroying resistance.

Mugann (Standard)

As the human population on Earth reached one million, this unknown mecha suddenly appeared from nowhere in the center of Kamina City, and started destroying the city with high-tech weaponry, such as a massive laser that obliterates the area around it. Codenamed "Mugann" (from 無顔, meaning "faceless") by the human forces, because it does not have a face.

It has an almost impenetrable energy shield, which can deflect bullets and other solid weaponry. However, its defenses and attacks are not enough to match the Gurren-Lagann, which managed to defend against its attacks and drill through the mecha with the Giga Drill Breaker. However, unlike the normal gunmen that simply explode or break-down when dealt a fatal blow, this mecha turns into small explosives that devastate anything nearby, causing almost as much damage as the gunmen itself can cause. This is a result of the mecha's unstable molecular structure, which also enables it to easily teleport itself through long distances.

A technique created by Simon to effectively defeat the Mugann without causing damage is by harnessing their lasers' power using the Gurren-Lagann and delivering it back to them all at once, destroying their body, and then shooting down every single explosive they left with the Gulaparl force's handguns before they fall into the ground. However, it's also known that this measure could be troublesome against larger numbers of Mugann.

Later, Leeron creates a technique where Gulaparls can both penetrate the Mugann defenses and create a shield around it, meaning the Mugann can both be destroyed and have its small bombs rendered harmless.

Mugann (Carrier)

Similar to the standard Mugann but green in color, these act mainly as ways of deploying and coordinating the attacks of multiple Mugann units. The first carrier Mugann was destroyed by Gimmy and Darry's Gulaparl squad, using their new weapons designed to effectively combat against the Anti-Spiral mecha.

Giant Cage Mugann

These Mugann are immensely larger than the standard ones, and reside in space like behemoths. One purple and hoop-like, the other blue and more bell-like, they attack the Arc-Gurren with an overwhelming number of Muganns. These Mugann attack by separating into smaller pieces and reforming around the target, enveloping it and attacking from all sides. They are able to combine into a larger Mugann unit that mostly attacks using its body as projectiles. They seem to be controlled by a single smaller Mugann unit.

Unknown Mass-Produced Anti-Spiral Mecha

These machines come in three shapes: foot shape, hand shape and a rocket with a foresection that resembles a set of teeth. At first glance, they appear to be weaker than the original Mugann, whose only advantage is their sheer numbers, but are shown to be much stronger than the Gurren Brigade initially thought. After revealing their true power, they were able to destroy a number of Brigade gunmen and their pilots. They have only been seen operating in outer space.

Death-Spiral Machine

This device created by the Anti-Spirals produces an ocean-like high density space by absorbing Spiral energy and converting it into raw energy. Within its range of influence lies the remains of countless gunmen and Spiral Beings defeated by the Anti-Spirals in the past. It made its debut in episode 24, engulfing the Chouginga Dai-Gurren, when it was about to transform itself into the Chouginga Gurren-Lagann.

The Gurren Brigade tried to escape first by emerging from its waters, but were pushed back by the enemy, until Simon decided that the only way left was by destroying the Death-Spiral Machine itself. However, the gravitational power in the proximity of the machine was too great that the flagship would not be able to handle it for long. After failing to take it down from a distance with a customized missile, Kittan volunteered on a suicide sortie to attack it directly using his gunmen. By using one of the Gurren-Lagann's broken drills and his newfound Spiral energy, he managed to destroy the Death-Spiral Machine with a Giga Drill Breaker Attack.

After Kittan's last act of heroism, the Spiral energy nullified by the machine started to react once more, powering up the Chouginga Dai-Gurren and allowing Simon, Viral and Boota to finally create the Chouginga Gurren-Lagann.

Kantai

These ships are encountered by the Gurren Brigade in space. The gigantic warships resemble a large, rocky, roughly, spherical shape covered with multiple stone faces, designed by famous manga artist, Hirohiko Araki. ^{[citation needed]} They can form a powerful energy barrier that not even the Arc-Gurren Lagann could pierce with its drill. Though there has yet to be any indication of their actual size, they are clearly shown to be many times larger than the planets around them, even throwing the planets as projectiles against the Chouginga Gurren-Lagann.

Grand Zamboa

After the Gurren Brigade formed the Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann, the Anti-Spiral created a similar machine to battle it, containing the Anti-Spiral homeworld. It possesses an extra pair of arms, located on its shoulders, which it used to catch the galaxies seen in the Super-Spiral space and throw at the Gurren Brigade. It was ultimately destroyed when Simon and Nia managed to pierce its pilot's body with the Lagann's drill.

• Infinity Big-Bang Storm
  By combining the energy of two of the galaxies in the Super-Spiral space, The Anti-Spiral created a blast said to be strong enough to create an entire universe, in order to annihilate the Gurren Brigade. However, this maneuver backfired when Lord Genome used his Lazengann Overload to absorb the blast, converting it into spiral energy for the Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann.

References

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

Main characters • Secondary characters • Antagonists • Mecha • List of episodes

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