Team Dai-Gurren

"Even if trapped by karma's cycle, the dreams we left behind will open the door! Even if the universe stands against us, our seething blood will determine what shall be! We'll break through time and space and devour all who would hold us down!"

- Team Dai-Gurren

Team Dai-Gurren is the team of human warriors founded by Kamina that makes up the entire hero cast of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. It was changed from its original name of Team Gurren after many new members joined in Episode 7. It is also called the Dai-Gurren Brigade.

History
Co-founded in Jeeha Village by Kamina, an unwilling Simon and by extension, Boota, Team Gurren was initially composed of delinquents from their home village's youth who engaged in multiple futile attempts to reach the surface. During their time in their pit dwelling, Simon, the village's top digger discovered what seemed to be a drill bit and later a mysterious relic that he dubbed "a large face". Of the team, only Simon, Kamina and Boota, with the addition of a girl named Yoko who hailed from their neighboring village of Littner, were able to reach the surface through Simon's power. Afterwards, the team followed Yoko and her village-mates their surface home of Littner Village where the were attacked the next morning. Perhaps inspired by Simon's own find, Kamina teamed up with Simon in order to steal a Ganmen for himself and with Simon's help subsequently used it to obliterate the beastman forces. Afterwards, Kamina, Simon and Boota left to find the Gunmen base, with Yoko and Leeron tagging for the ride as the newest members of Team Gurren. Along the way, Team Gurren met the Black siblings who refused to partnership, preferring to hunt Beastmen on their own terms.

Not long after, Team Gurren picked up three members from the youth of Adai Village named Rossiu, Gimmy and Darry and made their way to a local hot springs resort where they ran into the female members of the Black Siblings. Unfortunately, the resort turned out to be nothing more than a massive Gunmen, the staff and owner all revealing themselves to be shape-shifting female beastman. Despite their exasperation and a lack of adequate clothing, the Black Siblings and Team Gurren worked together to defeat them, acquiring the mysterious Old Coco as a new member during the chaos.

Immediately thereafter, the team was ambushed by Viral and the titanic ganmen called Dai-Gunzan. Kamina and Simon headed out in Gurren Lagann to confront the behemoth, but due to Kamina's reckless behavior, were almost killed. Fortunately, the brothers were saved by a group of men using Dayakka's personalized Gunmen. Of the new arrivals, Kittan, now piloting his own personalized custom Gunmen protected both his sisters and the disposed members of Team Gurren from an ambush of enemy Gunmen. With the new relief, Gurren Lagann was able to face Viral and Dai-Ganzan under less heat. At Simon's behest, Kamina relinquished all parts of his control and sat back as Simon hashed and executed a plan to send Dai-Gunzan into the bottom of a large gorge, thus successfully putting the team out of harm's way. The two brothers returned to meet the men who claimed that they'd heard of Kamina stealing a Gunmen and decided to do the same thing.

Nearly immediately afterwards, Kamina announced that they'd be ambushing and stealing the Dai-Ganzan. They succeeded (albeit at the cost of Kamina's life) and after renaming it the "Dai-Gurren", it became the new base of operations for the team. With the loss of Kamina and the spiral of Simon into a slump of depression, the team fell in to a disjointed rut both psychologically and performance-wise. With Rossiu taking charge of the Gurren, the team tried to continue on their mission but with Simon in his condition, it proved to be nigh-impossible to function at the rate they had been.

On one fateful day, the team rescued and recruited a young girl named Nia who obliviously revealed herself to be the direct offspring of the Spiral King himself. Despite all odds and without any effort, she turned virtually the entire crew head over heels for her and gained a special place in their hearts. It was through Nia that Simon lifted himself out of the storm that he was in and awoke uninhibited as the man that none of the team had seen before.

Led by Simon, they grew at a rates never reached before, gaining Gurren Lagann flight capabilities, defeating several Divine Beastman Generals and recruiting a brigade consisting of multitudes of followers inspired by Simon's spirit.

In the climax of the team's ambitions, their leader confronted and defeated the Spiral King, officially toppling his thousand year reign.

In the seven year period of peace following the fall of Teppelin, the Dai-Gurren Brigade setup on its ashed a surface civilization which served as the central hub for mankind. In honor of their leader's dead brother, it was named Kamina City.

Over the years, mankind flourished, reaching a cumulative population of 1,000,000. It was this point of growth that triggered the retaliation of the Anti-Spirals who attacked the Earth in order to stop the growth of the Spiral population.

In the years following, multitudes of others joined Team Dai-Gurren, including Beastmen.

Insignia
The symbol of Team Dai-Gurren is a flaming red skull with shades in the shape of Kamina's signature glasses.

Ranking
To determine rank in the government, stemming from the ridiculously large new Dai-Gurren Brigade, stars are emblazoned on the uniforms. Most members wear a simple 5-pointed star, as they have over time become key members of the Earth's new government. Higher ranked members wear two stars on their chest and Simon, being the commander-in-chief, wears three.