Gurren Lagann (Gunmen)

Gurren Lagann (グレンラガン, Guren Ragan) is the primary Gunman of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. The head, Lagann, has always been piloted by Simon, while the body, Gurren, was originally piloted by Kamina, who was then succeeded by Rossiu, and eventually Viral in the second arc.

Gurren Lagann
The Gurren Lagann, the titular mecha of the series, is piloted mainly by Simon. For the majority of the story however, the two cockpits are occupied by two pilots, with the Lagann portion always operated by the series' main protagonist Simon. The Gurren was initially piloted by Kamina, and later on by Rossiu and Viral, and presumbed finally, Darry.

The Gurren Lagann was first seen when the Lagann and Gurren tried to defeat the Enki. The Gurren Lagann was originally conjured as a hotblooded response from Kamina to the Enki's initial "superior" two-headed configuration. Later in the series the Gurren Lagann merges with another unnamed enemy Gunmen and gains a permanent set of wings. After the Battle of Teppelin, Gurren Lagann is seen as a symbol of humanity's triumph, and later, after the Anti-Spirals, preserved as one of the last true Gunmen and the personal mecha of Gimmy and Darry. Its powers and fighting capabilities are almost entirely based on its ability to generate drills of greatly varying size, shape and usage from multiple points on its body. Over the course of the series Gurren Lagann produced dozens of different uses for its drills, ranging from projectiles and missiles to shields, water screws and various melee applications. The most powerful attack seen used by Gurren Lagann is the Giga Drill Break and its variants, where the pilot forms a huge amount of spiral energy into an enormous drill or number of drills bigger than the mech itself.

This special trait and its status as a fused machine (with two exceptionally spirited pilots) makes it one of, if not, the most powerful entity of its size seen in the series. Its additional abilities shown in the series include a durable energy shield, which can deflect energy blasts even at short range, the ability to wield the sunglasses on the Gurren's chest as a melee weapon (a sword or boomerang usually), a short-term regenerative function which can restore accumulated damage for the duration of the Gurren and the Lagann's union and the power to rip open a worm hole in space to travel great distances.

Lagann


Lagann (ラガン, Ragan?) is Simon's personal Gunmen. It is, given evidence, a a prorotype of, or a model similar to the head section of Lordgenome's Lazengann. He finds in the first episode while digging tunnels in his village. It received its name, Lagann (羅顔), meaning "enveloping face", from Kamina and draws power from its pilot, via the Core Drill, a small golden drill-bit that Simon uses similar to an ignition key. Like the head of Lazengann, the Lagann sports a unique cockpit and stands just short of an average human adult as opposed to the others which are all mostly the sizes of small buildings or larger. This physical handicap would typically put the Lagann at a considerable disadvantage in combat against opponents. However, the Lagann's power is based entirely on Simon's guidence, therefore giving its capabilities the room to increase exponentially.

Lagann's most notable skill is a Spiral based technique, named by Simon, the "Lagann Impact". This earth-shattering maneuver features a drill forming from Lagann's limbs and slamming into a target. From this stems its trademark ability to combine with other machines by piercing them with said drill. It is through this ability that the titular Gurren Lagann is created, and through subsequant mechas that with the other large-scale Gunmen are formed in the series.

In Parallel Works episode 8, it's revealed that the first "Laganns" were found by Lordgenome as a child during the Anti-Spiral's initial assault on Earth long before the series' story begins and as such were used as a basis in the creation of all the Gunmen that appear in the show to use against their enemies. While most were cast into the Galactic Spiral Abyss by the Anti-Spiral, a maddened Lordgenome seemingly destroyed all the remaining Laganns except for the one that was crushed deep underground until Simon finds it. Currently it is unknown who created the first Laganns, but it is speculated to be the Anti-Spirals (when they were still a Spiral race).

Gurren
Gurren (グレン, Guren?), originally named the "Gunzar" as mentioned by other Beastmen in the manga, is initially an above-average sized Beastmen-piloted mecha, which attacked Littner Village the morning after Team Gurren's arrival early in the series. The mech is subsequently captured, rebuilt, stylized and named by its eventual pilot, Kamina, who had the Gurren's original swords converted into massive sunglasses similar to his own that could be used as a blade or boomerang in combat. Being of typical Gunmen proportions, the Gurren is able to fight without the Lagann's power. 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 enemies. After Kamina's death, the Gurren was mainly piloted by Rossiu and one-time pilots until the aftermath of the battle of Teppelin, pilotless until Viral becomes the Gurren's official pilot during the battle against the Anti-Spiral. Gurren (紅蓮) means "Crimson Lotus". As homage to it, a white Gunzar unit is seen during the battle of Teppelin, sporting a pair of pistols rather than blades.

Arc-Gurren Lagann
Arc-Gurren Lagann named Arc-Gurren (アークグレン,Aku-Guren?) by Rossiu, this is one of Lordgenome's Gunmen battleships, a Dai-Gun, which his armies used when he was a Spiral Warrior in events prior to the series. Enormous in size, it is initially used to gather as hundreds of thousands of animals and people onto it as possible to escape world-destroying events later in the series. It uses Spiral Energy to run and only recognizes Lordgenome as its operator. It is capable of going into space for at least a year, and contains an array of large-scale defensive systems and weaponry.

When Simon uses the Gurren Lagann to merge into the Arc-Gurren, he converts the Dai-Gun into a Dai-Gunman called Arch-Gurren Lagann (アークグレンラガン, Aku-Guren Ragan?), powered up by one of the Gurren Lagann's Giga Drills similar to how the Lagann is powered by Simon's Core Drill. The power of this Gunmen isn't fully displayed in the series, but it has the ability to rip the fabric of space-time itself through its sheer brute force on its debut. The Arch-Gurren Lagann is usually used exclusively by Simon and Viral in Gurren Lagann. It can form massive drills or fight with punches.

The Arc-Gurren Lagann resembles the Gunbuster, another giant mecha produced by GAINAX.

Super Galaxy Gurren Lagann
The Super Galaxy Dai-Gurren (超銀河ダイグレン, Choginga Daiguren?), christened by Simon, is another colossal battleship-type Gunmen akin to the Arc-Gurren and first appeared in the prologue of the first episode before being formally introduced near the end of the third part of the series. Originally, it was called the Cathedral Terra and it was Lordgenome's flag ship against the Anti-Spirals in the past and assumed the form of moon until the climatic battle during the Anti Spirals' attack on the Arc-Gurren reveals its true identity and becomes Team Dai-Gurren's flagship for the final part of the series on their crusade to defeat the Anti-Spirals and save Nia.

Because of its size, the people on board use teleportation technology to move around the ship. Its combat abilities are unparalleled by any other battleship-type mecha in the series, sporting an enormous array of missiles, beam weapons and shielding capabilities. It also has the capability to transverse to other dimensions and universes and has the manufacturing capabilities to create hundreds of Arc-Gurren Lagann-sized mecha in a small period of time.

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
By combining his own Spiral Energy with his comrades, Simon created the true titular entity, which he titles, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, in the final battle against the Anti-Spirals. Though being similar to the Gurren Lagann, its design is overall very different from other mecha in the series, its armor being made up of red skulls, illuminated by the storm of Spiral Energy that burns continuously from its core, giving it the appearance of Team Dai-Gurren's emblem. Of its many faces, the primary "cockpits" contain: Simon and Nia in the head, Viral the torso, Yoko in the right shin, and Leeron in what seems to be the left forearm. The rest of Team Dai-Gurren are positioned at various points in the limbs and appendeges, all operating in Lagann-style cockpits. Its abdominal jaw is clenched onto the head of the Lazengann, containing a fully resurrected Lordgenome.

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann draws jointly on abilities from its many pilots, including Simon's drills, Yoko's rifle, Viral's swords and so on. The actual limit of the mecha's abilities is immeasurable, as it gains an infinite amount of power depending on the pilots' will to win.



Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
While the Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is the most powerful and largest mecha in the show, in Gurren Lagann The Movie: The Lights in the Sky are Stars, a higher manifestation, Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, makes its appearance, which is regarded as anime's largest mecha and one of its most powerful.

Gurren Lagann
Gunman Integration: Due to Lagann's influence, Gurren Lagann can spontaneously integrate parts of other Gunmen into itself. This ability gives Gurren Lagann its signature helmet (originally taken from Viral's Enki), and is later used to acquire a set of wings for the Gunman (by impaling a flying Gunman with four drills and attaching it to Gurren Lagann's back). In both cases, the stolen parts immediately reconfigured into forms complimenting the main body of the mecha, mostly by changing colors

Giga Drill Break: Gurren Lagann pins the opponent, usually a powerful enemy mecha, by throwing its sunglasses as a boomerang. As the sunglasses fly, they split into two. Once they have pinned the mecha in the air, Gurren Lagann summons its Giga Drill while screaming the attack's name. Gurren Lagann then flies towards the pinned mecha, drilling straight through it. This is then quickly followed by an explosion of the pinned mecha. The sunglasses boomerangs emerge from the explosion, reunite into a single pair, then fly back onto Gurren Lagann's lower face.

Giga Drill Maximum: Gurren Lagann surrounds itself with Giga Drills to do damage to all mechas around it.

Double Boomerang: Gurren Lagann removes its wings and sunglasses, then throws them both as boomerangs at the target.

Arc-Gurren Lagann
Space-Time Shattering Burst Spinning Punch: A massive uppercut charged with Spiral Energy. The sheer brute force of the punch can shatter the fabric of space-time, sending its victim flying straight out of the universe.

Arc Giga Drill Break: Gurren Lagann's Giga Drill Break, but sized for Arc Gurren Lagann. Used only in the second movie adaptation of the show; The Lights in the Sky are Stars. Also used durring the downgrading of Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann against the Super Grand Zamboa.

Super Galaxy Gurren Lagann
Shoulder Drills: Instead of making drills out of spiral energy like other forms of Gurren Lagann, Super Galaxy Gurren Lagann detaches the drills on its shoulders and attaches them over its hands. These drills can be placed on top of each other for a stronger attack.

Super Galaxy Mega Cutter: It removes its massive sunglasses from its torso and throws them as a boomerang.

Super Galaxy Giga Drill Break: Although it is the same as the original Giga Drill Breaker, this form is the most powerful. The two drills on the mecha's shoulders combine on a single hand attack the enemy. Its sheer power destroyed an Ashtanga battleship in one hit.

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
"I've Got The Best Wife In The Universe" Swing: An attack named by Dayakka about his wife. Dayakka and Gabal release hooks from their respective parts of the Tengen Toppa, that tie around the opposing mecha. The Tengen Toppa then grabs the hooks' rope and swings the opposing the mecha in the air, then lets go and lets the opposing mecha fall.

Fist Barrage: An unnamed attacked performed by the surviving members of Team Dai Gurren in The Lights in the Sky are Stars. The Tengen Toppa shoots out a barrages of fists to attack the Granzeboma. It only appears in the movie.

Matter Creation: Gurren Lagann can, via command from a pilot, create and manipulate matter from Spiral energy that its user desires. This is especially helpful in combat.

Trivia

 * Gurren Lagann (and its components) faces are unusual in that they sometimes show emotion, such as shock or anguish.
 * Gurren Lagann's crescent shaped fin on its helmet is based on zambot-3. In-continuity, it was integrated into the Gunmen when it shattered Enki's upper head, taking its helmet for its own; the asymmetrical horns are the remnants of the focusing lens of the helmet's beam cannon.
 * Gurren Lagann contains a few one-off abilities, such as in a battle underwater where he sprouts a cork-screw-esque Drill and in a battle with Mugann where the Gurren Lagann surrounds itself in Giga-Drills.
 * Lagann is sometime hinted towards having its own persona during the series.
 * Gurren Lagann can detach its Sunglasses and Wings to use as dual boomerangs and swords, which bears a similarity with Mazinger's and Mazinkaiser's Jet and Kaiser Scrander and Great Mazinger's Great Boomerang.
 * All Grapearl units were based on Gurren Lagann.
 * Gurren Lagann is said to be able to adapt to any field of battle on its own, paralleling to, and possibly a direct result of its ability to integrate any mecha into itself. Miscellanious examples are depicted in Parallel Works 15: "Gunmen Symphony", where Lagann is shown in combination with a variety of mecha inspired by events and characters in the series.