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. 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).

Fiction

Go! cartoon

Voice actor: Toshihiko Seki (Japanese)

Toys

Go!

• Gekisoumaru (7-27-13)
  • Japanese ID number: G05
  • Accessories: Two "Hundred Beast Shinobi Kunai" swords, "Vivit Bute" Whip, kabuto helmet/weapon

A roughly Voyager-sized toy, Gekisoumaru transforms from a lion into a ninja-styled robot. He can also form the top, middle or bottom of the Swordbot Shinobi Team's three combined robot forms. Two pieces of his beast mode mane detach to become kunai-style swords (with 5mm handles) that can be held, stored on 5mm 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. His robot mode head is a little small for a toy his size...

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 comprised 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.

• Gekisoumaru Kurojishi ver. (11-9-13)
  • Japanese ID number: N/A
  • Accessories: Two kunai swords, "Vivit Bute" Whip, kabuto helmet/weapon

Black version of Gekisoumaru exclusive to AEON. "Kurojishi" ("黒獅子") means "Black Lion".

Notes

• Gekisou may correspond with 激走, meaning "fast running", while Maru probably corresponds with 丸 ("circle"), a common kanji in historical Japanese names that is still used in period dramas.