Gekisoumaru

Gekisoumaru is an Autobot Swordbot from the Go! portion of the Aligned continuity family.

Who's king of the jungle now?

Gekisoumaru (ゲキソウマル Gekisōmaru) is the leader of the Swordbot Shinobi Team. Despite the menacing persona he displays to the Predacons—the first his enemies are aware of him is frequently the sudden threat of a flashing kunai—his close friendship with the human Tobio Fūma betrays his compassionate nature.

He can combine with teammates Hishoumaru and Sensuimaru in various configurations. With Gekisoumaru as the top, the combined form is called GoGekisou (ゴウゲキソウ Gōgekisō). After the arrival of Optimus Exprime on Earth, he also gained the ability to combine with Optimus and the Samurai Team leader Kenzan. With Gekisoumaru forming the head, shoulders, and arms, the combined form is called DaiGekisou (ダイゲキソウ Daigekisō). As befits his bestial altmode, his Mini-Con partner is the mammoth-bot Geki.

Fiction

Go! cartoon

Voice actor: Toshihiko Seki (Japanese)

Ore sanjō!

The Shinobi team were wakened from their stasis in Nagoya Castle when Tobio Fūma activated the Legendisc which Judora and Bakudora were trying to steal. The team confronted the two Predacons, who summoned a team of Jaki to take them on. Though they were no match for Goradora on their own, Tobio activated the Legendisc's power and they were able to form GoGekisou, and eventually brought down the Jaki before striking at the Predacons. With a flash of light, the Autobots and Tobio found themselves in the past where they saw two armies carrying Legendiscs, and then returned to present day, where Gekisoumaru announced that Tobio was now their master. Triple Combination! Swordbot - Ninja! Triple Combination! Swordbot - Samurai!

Gekisoumaru soon revealed that the Shinobi Team had constructed an underground base near Tobio's home. They introduced Tobio to Optimus Prime via video link, and he explained about the Legendiscs. Tobio and the Shinobi Team were subsequently sent back in time to try to obtain the Legendisc held by Kotarō Fūma, however the ninja promptly caught them in chains. They broke free, and when Judora and Gaidora arrived, found themselves again fighting the Jaki. Once Tobio obtained the Legendisc, the Shinobi Team then merged into GoSensui and then GoHishou, before they and Tobio were returned to present day, though without the Legendisc. Discover! The Legendiscs! Pursue! The Legendiscs!

Climax Form!

The Shinobi Team's research indicated that their fights with the Predacons were causing the Legendiscs to time slip. On their next trip into the past, the Autobots helped Tobio chase off some bandits who were menacing an old man, who turned out to be Sasuke Sarutobi. Sarutobi handed the Legendisc he possessed over to Tobio, and the boy and his Autobot friends successfully returned to present day with it, only to be confronted by Budora, Bakudora, and Dragotron himself. The trio of Autobots were no match for the Predacon leader, however they were suddenly joined by Optimus Exprime. Enter! The New Warrior!

The Predacons abducted Tobio, and the Shinobi Team merged into GoHishou to give chase. They arrived at Mount Fuji to find the Swordbot Samurai Team was also there as Isami had also been kidnapped. Imbued with the power of all five Legendiscs, Dragotron proved impossible to beat, however Tobio and Isami managed to demerge from him. The two boys had duplicated the power of the Legendiscs, and used it to allow Optimus and the two teams to merge into DaiGekisou. This provided them with enough power to defeat Dragotron and seal the Predacons away once more. Final Battle! Link-Up Triple Combination DaiGekisou!

Toys

Go!

Go Go Power Rangers!

• Gekisoumaru (Swordbot, 2013)

• ID number: G05
• Release date: July 27, 2013
• Accessories: Two "Hundred Beast Shinobi Kunai" swords, "Vivit Bute" Whip, kabuto helmet/weapon
• Known designers: Junichi Akutsu (concept artist)

A roughly Voyager-sized toy, Gekisoumaru transforms from a lion into a ninja-styled robot. Two pieces of his beast mode mane detach to become kunai-style swords (with 5mm handles) that can be held, stored on 5 mm posts on his shoulders, or attached to his "Vivit Bute" whip weapon. He appears to have more of a lower torso than most Swordbots, thanks to the oversized lion head that forms his chest and hides the upper third of his legs.

He can also form the top, middle or bottom of the Swordbot Shinobi Team's three combined robot forms. His kabuto helmet is the smallest of any Swordbot, and is worn in GoGekisou form to form the super-robot's head. In GoSensui and GoHishou forms, it combines with either Hishoumaru's or Sensuimaru's kabuto to form something resembling either a cannon weapon or a shield. It can also transform into a small rocket-esque protrusion that can store on his robot mode back or attach to his head in beast mode. The fact that the kabuto is composed almost entirely of light-piping and the placement of the kabuto in beast mode makes it look like he's just fired a rocket!

Gekisoumaru features complex electronic lights and sounds. Flipping the on-off switch to the "On" position causes Gekisoumaru to yell a phrase in Japanese. In beast mode, pressing the Autobot-symbol button on his lion head activates flashing lights and a realistic roar. Transformation into robot mode triggers a shout of "Transform!" and the classic transformation sound. In robot mode, pressing the same button triggers a number of phrases. The button's functionality changes when held down: in lion mode, it now activates yet another phrase, while in robot mode, it triggers shouts by all three Swordbot Shinboi to combine, followed by a musical "combination sequence" tune that plays until a) his kabuto is snapped in place, b) the button is pressed again, or c) his batteries run out. This music is accompanied by a strobing three-color LED.

Once a combined form is completed, the kabuto attached determines what clips further presses of the button will play, but they are all dialogue delivered by the appropriate voice actor of the top third of the combination. In addition, GoGekisou's dialogue is punctuated with a blue LED, GoHishou's with orange, and GoSensui's with purplish-blue.

• More information on Gekisoumaru at TFU.info

• Gekisoumaru Kurojishi ver. (Swordbot, 2013)

• ID number: N/A
• Release date: November 9, 2013
• Accessories: Two kunai swords, "Vivit Bute" Whip, kabuto helmet/weapon

A black-deco'd version of Gekisoumaru was sold as and exclusive to AEON stores. His deco is very similar to Black Lio Convoy (and subsequently the various Nemesis Primes), with black instead of blue, medium-gray instead of dark gray, light gray instead of yellow, and metallic aqua highlights.

Kurojishi (黒獅子) means "Black Lion".

Let's see what you can see... This article is in need of images. Specifics: Black version, Optimus Exprime combo

Notes

• "Gekisou" may correspond with "dashing" or "rushing" (激走 gekisō), while maru (丸, "circle") is a common kanji in historical Japanese names that is still used in period dramas.