List of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann secondary characters
This article contains a list of secondary characters from the Japanese anime series Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.
Many of the human characters' names are puns based on Japanese common words.
It's also worth of noting that the whole plotline of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is divided in two main story arcs, separated by a seven-year timeskip. After the timeskip, most characters pass through important changes in their appearances and/or personalities, and some of them have their own roles in the story changed as well.
Gurren Brigade
The Great Gurren Brigade was first created by Kamina in Jiiha village. However, at that time, it was made up of a few boys from the village, as well as Simon and Kamina, who tried various attempts at getting to the surface.
Simon and Kamina (accompanied by Yoko) later reached the surface, and traveled to Ritona village. There, Kamina stole a gunmen from the beastmen, and left to find the Gunmen base, along with Yoko and Leeron as the newest members of the Gurren Brigade. Along the way, the Gurren-Brigade met the Black Siblings, but they refused to join.
Later on, Rossiu, Gimmy and Darry joined the Gurren Brigade, and it made its way to the Hot Springs. There, the Gurren-brigade met the female members of the Black Siblings once again. The Hot Springs turned out to be a beastmen-run Ganmen, and so the Black Siblings and Gurren-dan worked together to defeat them, acquiring Old Coco as a new member during the chaos.
After the incident, Viral and the Dai-Gunzan met the Gurren-brigade, and Gurren-Lagann fought the fortress gunmen. Simon and Kamina were almost defeated by the Dai-Gunzan, but were rescued by Dayakka, in a gunmen. The rest of the Gurren-dan were rescued from a group of gunmen by Kittan, a black sibling piloting a gunmen. Simon was able to trick the Dai-Gunzan and collapse it into the bottom of a gorge, and returned to find that people had heard of Kamina stealing a gunmen, had copied Kamina, and assembled to join the Gurren-dan.
So, the Gurren-dan became a much more powerful force. They later managed to steal the Dai-Gunzan, and it became the new base for the Gurren-dan. The Gurren-dan, now lead by Simon, decided to go to Tepellin and defeat the Spiral King.
From that point, many people have joined the Gurren-dan, including Nia, and a large force of humans who saw Simon's success in defeating Guame joined their offensive against Teppelin.
The symbol of the Gurren-dan is a flaming red skull with Kamina's glasses, however, after the timeskip, most members wear a simple 5-pointed star, as they have become key members of the Earth's Government, the high-ranked ones wear two stars in their chest, and Simon, being the commander-in-chief, wear three.
Leeron
- Voiced by: Masaya Onosaka
Leeron (リーロン, Riiron), or "Ron", is the village mechanic of Ritona who is able to repair and scavenge the various Gunmen he and his group encounter. Quite knowledgeable, and very flamboyant, Leeron was the first one to join Kamina, Simon, and Yoko on their quest to defeat the "Beastmen". He has become the main technician for the Gurren Brigade as well as being in charge of coordination and communication between the Gunmen during battle from the Dai-Gurren.
After the war Leeron became the Chief of the Science Bureau of Kamina City, and his team even succeeded in launching a rocket to the moon in order to investigate it and confirm the veracity of Lord Genome's ominous prophecy.
He bears a strong resemblance to Levin from Tekkaman Blade in the way that both are gifted mechanics and cross dressers. He also quotes him, "Much like how I could be a man or a woman."
Leeron's name comes from the word riron (理論), meaning "theory".
Dayakka
Personal Gunmen: Dayakkaiser
Dayakka (ダヤッカ, Dayakka) is the former leader of Ritona Village, abandoning his post when most of Ritona joined the Great Gurren Brigade in episode 7. His Gunmen is the Dayakkaiser, but after the seizure of the Dai-Ganzan, he acted as the captain of the Dai-Gurren during battles while Kiyoh piloted the Dayakkaiser in his stead. After the timeskip we discover that Dayakka and Kiyoh have married, and have had a child. Dayakka is appointed the Minister of Food Affairs for Kamina City, although he has resigned that post as of episode 20.
Dayakka's name comes from the word odayaka (穏やか), meaning "gentle".
Kittan
- Voiced by: Kishô Taniyama
Personal Gunmen: King Kittan
Kittan (キタン, Kitan) is the oldest member of the Black Siblings. On his first encounter with the Gurren brigade, he mistakenly confuses Kamina for a Beastman. This is reconciled, when it is discovered that Kamina is piloting the Gunmen, Gurren. Shortly after, the two teams (Black Siblings and the Gurren Brigade) come into contact with the sixteen-headed Gunmen (An enemy Gunmen, who the Black Siblings had crossed paths with earlier). After the eventual defeat of the enemy Gunmen, the two teams part ways.
Kittan returns in episode seven, in order to aid the Gurren Brigade against the Divine Helix General Thymilph. Apparently inspired by Kamina, Kittan and a few others join the fight with Gunmen of their own. This event consequently leads to the formation of the Great Gurren Brigade. As a result of the death of Kamina, Kittan temporarily takes over as the leader (though self-proclaimed) of the Brigade until Simon recovers from Kamina's death, and transfers the control to him.
After the war Kittan became the Chief of the Legal Affairs Bureau of Kamina City. But he resigned after discovering about Rossiu's plan to evacuate Earth using the Ark-Gurren along a small fraction of the human population, and abandoning the rest to die when the moon falls. Before leaving, he demanded Rossiu to return the Core Drill he took from Simon and rushed on his Gunmen to deliver it back to him.
The name of Kittan’s Gunmen is the King Kittan.
Kittan's name comes from the word tanki (短気), meaning "quick temper".
Gimmy
- Voiced by: Takako Honda
Personal Gunmen: Gulaparl (Blue)
Gimmy (ギミー, Gimii) is a boy from Adai village who used to be cared for by Rossiu. When new children were born into Adai village, the population exceeded its limit of 50, which mandated that two people be removed and sent to the surface. Since Gimmy and Darry had no parents, the village leader chose them to leave the village, however Rossiu decided to go with them. The pair have a very good bond with each other, and were often left to their own devices around the Dai-Gurren, except when they were with older girls such as Yoko or Nia. After the timeskip, Gimmy and Darry become important Gulaparl pilots, often fighting together. Gimmy tends to be more impulsive and reckless, which sometimes put the duo in trouble.
Gimmy's name comes from the word migi (右) , meaning "right".
Darry
- Voiced by: Shizuka Itō
Personal Gunmen: Gulaparl (Pink)
Darry (ダリー, Darii) is a girl from Adai village who used to be cared for by Rossiu. She has a fairly good bond with Gimmy. As a young girl, she was fairly shy and quiet and used to cling to a plush doll which she carried with her at all times. After the timeskip however, she is much more confident and has left her old personality behind. As a Gulaparl pilot she is fairly careful, calm and perceptive, and puts more thought and planning into her actions than Gimmy.
Darry's name comes from the word hidari (左), meaning "left"
Kiyoh
- Voiced by: Rina Satou
Personal Gunmen: Dayakkaiser
Kiyoh (キヨウ, Kiyou) is the oldest of Kittan’s three sisters. In episode six, when fighting her way out of an enemy Gunmen, she is shown to possess good fighting ability. She was helping out in the Dai Gurren's control room until episode 13, when she starts aiding in the front lines piloting Dayaka's Dayakkaiser gunmen. Which she begins to use when Dayakka begins to command the Dai Gurren.
After the timeskip we discover that Kiyoh and Dayakka have married, and Kiyoh gives birth to their child, named Anne. Anne happens to be the the newborn that lets the human population reach one million, and as soon as her birth happens, the Human Extermination Program begins.
Kiyoh's name comes from the word youki (陽気), meaning "cheerfulness".
Kinon
- Voiced by: Kana Ueda
Kinon (キノン, Kinon) is the second oldest of the three sisters. After the Brigade’s capture of the Dai Gurren, she takes up position within its control tower monitoring the radar. She seems to be the calmest and smartest member of the Black Siblings.
After the time-skip she becomes one of Rossiu's main supporters. After Simon offered himself to protect the city using the Gurren-Lagann, even after being sentenced to death, Kinon volunteered to pilot the Gurren and rig herself with bombs inside its cockpit, claiming that she would detonate them, exploding her and Simon in the process, in case of him making an attempt to escape.
Later is revealed that Kinon's resolve to follow Rossiu, despite betraying Simon and ordering his execution, was not only fruit of her feelings for him, but because she was also witnessing how it was difficult for him to do it, and the fact that he didn't do it for personal gains, but because the circumstances forced him to it.
After stopping Rossiu from commiting suicide with Simon's help, she stays on Earth to aid him on the administration of Kamina City.
Kinon's name comes from the word nonki (呑気), meaning "optimism".
Kiyal
- Voiced by: Kana Asumi
Personal Gunmen: Kiyalunga
Kiyal (キヤル, Kiyaru) is the youngest member of the Black Siblings. Just like Kiyoh, she was helping out in the Dai Gurren's control room until episode 13, when she starts aiding in the front lines piloting her own Gunmen, Kiyalunga (named after herself), which can transform into a shield and lance which are wielded by Kittan's King Kittan
Kiyal's name comes from the word yaruki (やる気), meaning "willingness".
Old Coco
- Voiced by: Nobuyuki Hiyama
Old Coco (ココ爺, Koko-jii) is a mysterious, silent old man who leads the Gurren Brigade to the hot springs in episode six. Although he tricks the group into entering the Beastmen's trap, he helps Kamina later on by letting him onto the Beastmen Gunmen. He then gets caught up with the Gurren Brigade, and now follows it around, although nobody seems to notice him. He seems to be incredibly hard to notice, to the point of saving Nia in episode eleven, and disappearing again before anyone realises he is gone. Later is revealed that he is in fact a beastmen who was in charge of taking care of her, and continued to do so after she was no longer the princess of Teppelin.
Zoushi
- Voiced by: Takafumi Kawakami
Personal Gunmen: Sozoshin
Zoushi (ソーシィ, Zooshii) appears at the end of episode seven as a new addition to the Gurren Brigade. The name of his Gunmen is Sozoshin. Zoushi is killed during the first deep space battle versus the Anti-Spirals.
Ailac
- Voiced by: Daisuke Kirii
Personal Gunmen: Ainzer
Ailac (アイラック, Airakku) is a member of the Dai-Gurren-Brigade. He pilots a Gunmen that serves Yoko as a mobile rifle platform. Together they assaulted the Dai-Gunzan with the rest of the brigade in episode eight. The name of his Gunmen is Ainzer. Ailac is killed during the first deep space battle versus the Anti-Spirals, after him and Kidd attempted to avenge Zoushi.
Kidd
- Voiced by: Takashi Kondo
Personal Gunmen: Kidd Knuckle
Kidd (キッド, Kiddo) is another new member of the Gurren Brigade. His Gunmen utilizes two pistols to attack enemies. His Gunmen is named Kidd Knuckle. Kidd is killed during the first deep space battle versus the Anti-Spirals, when him and Ailac attempt to avenge Zoushi's death.
Kidd's post-timeskip design bears a striking resemblance to Lupin III.
Jougan and Barinbou
- Voiced by: Kouzou Douzaka
Personal Gunmen: Twin Boukun
Jougan (ジョーガン, Joogan) and Barinbou (バリンボー, Barinboo) are the twin towers of the Dai-Gurren, piloting the two-faced gunmen Twin Boukun. The two are always hyped and normally speak in manly grunts and monosyllabic phrases. They sport differently coloured sunglasses which can be used to tell one brother from the other. Jougan wears red shades and Barinbou sports blue ones. After the timeskip the two were appointed directors of the public affairs department in which they were responsible for the human population count. Jougan and Barinbou are killed in the first deep space battle versus the Anti-Spirals, after saving Gimmy and Darry's lives.
Makken
- Voiced by: Katsuyuki Konishi
Personal Gunmen: Moshogun
Makken (マッケン, Makken) is a fairly silent man who is an important part of the Gurren-dan, but has rarely spoken or gotten much screen time whatsoever. He has his own Gunmen, Moshogun, which is based obviously on a shogun, it sports a katana and can fire missiles from its shoulders.
After the timeskip Makken is married to Reite with three children. Makken is killed in the first deep space battle versus the Anti-Spirals. He sacrificed himself to stop a large Anti-Spiral missile from destroying the Hyper Galactic Dai-Gurren.
Makken has the same voice actor as Kamina, though he is credited as "Leo Kaminaga." Leo Kaminaga, when written in hiragana, is an anagram for "ore ga Kamina," or "I am Kamina."
Attenborough
- Voiced by: Daisuke Kirii
Attenborough (アーテンボロー, Aatenboroo) is an irrational, impulsive, trigger-happy man who is a gunner of the Dai-Gurren's control team. He tends to fire at enemies or move the Dai-Gurren without warning. After the timeskip he joins Leeron's science team and appears to still have his hyperactive nature.
Tetsukan
- Voiced by: Takahiro Mizushima
Tetsukan (テツカン, Tetsukan) is a member of the Control team for Dai-Gurren, he is in charge of monitoring the condition of the ship. After the timeskip, he becomes a part of Leeron's science team. Also due to being attracted to the fast-food restaurants that were built in the new city he became obese.
Gabal
Gabal (ガバル, Gabaru) is Team Dai-Gurren's helmsman, being in charge of Dai-Gurren's steering and maneuvering.
Reite
Reite (レイテ, Reite) Reite is in charge of running and maintaining Dai-Gurren's engine.
After the timeskip Reite is married to Makken with three children. In episode 20, she repairs Kittan and Makken's formerly disassembled Ganmen, and other Ganmen as well, and outfits them with special Barrier Bullets capable of defeating Mugans. As of episode 24 shes become a widow after her husband died destroying a missile heading straight to the Chougai dai gurren.
Government
Most of the Gurren Brigade have become part of the government, mostly as heads of departments managing the city, or parts of the military. However, there are some new characters not seen before the timeskip, which are mainly found in Rossiu's Intelligence team.
Gimbley
Gimbley (ギンブレー, Ginburee), along with Kinon, seems to be one of the more important members of Rossiu's intelligence team. He and Kinon often accompany Rossiu, and stayed with him on Earth to watch out for the city while the rest of the Gurren Brigade set up to the space for their final battle againt the Anti-Spirals.
His name probably comes from the Japanese inginburei (慇懃無礼, lit. "Hypocritical Politeness").
Cybela
Cybela (シベラ, Shibera) is mainly seen at a computer, where she can communicate with Gulaparls or do analyzation tasks. Later she joins the Gurren Brigade assuming a position at the Chouginga Dai-Gurren's bridge.
Her name probably comes from the Japanese shirabe (調べ, lit. "inspection"), though the ra and be have been switched.