Rio and Mele are the deuteragonists of Juken Sentai Gekiranger, first appearing as an antagonists before defecting and becoming protagonists.
They can transform into Black Lion Rio and Confrontation Beast Chamaleon-Fist Mele respectively, and together form the Rinjuken Warriors.
They are portrayed by Hirofumi Araki and Yuka Hirata respectively.
Synopsis[]
A young Akugata expert and Confrontation Beast-Lion Fist artist. He was just a child when his entire family was murdered by a monster during a thunderstorm. Since that event, Rio sought to be stronger. He was discovered by Master ShaFu and was raised by him. Now he is his rival. He defected to the Rinjuken Akugata's allure of great power. Setting up a dojo on a towering isolated mountain as his base of operations, he brought many warriors back from the dead along with the ancient Akugata history, forming the Confrontation Beast Hall. He causes despair and sadness in humanity. When Rio mediates, he falls asleep and relives the horrible traumtic childhood event. At the beginning of the series, Rio sought to revive the Kenma (Three Fist Demons), creators of the Rinjuken. Makirika stole the Fist Demon Bracelets for Rio. He called forth the Five Venom Fists to obtain Braco's hidden Rinki, the True Poison, to revive the Fist Demons. With the "Rinki Triumphant Armor" Ringi, Rio first debuted this black and gold armor in episode 4. His ultimate attack is 'Brave Roaring Waves,' projecting his Rinki as a lion fiercely attack the opponent with its strength. This lion later becomes a RinBeast, first seen in the Movie and then in Episode 33. His other attacks include the Splitting Kick, Splitting Fist, Thunder Hard Bullet, Brave Strike and Lion's Roar Wave, a stronger form of the Brave Roaring Waves.
He finally got hold of three of the remaining True Poisons from his loyal servant Mele, a Rinrinshi he half-resurrected. He chose her because he saw she sought strength much like him. She loves him. and when Rio obtained True Poison, Kata the Sky Fist Demon told him where to find his corpse to revive it. He tested Kata to see if he is worth to be his master. Once he is Kata's pupil, Kata pushes him to the test by reliving his dark past and almost dies in the process. Rio eats his own fear, which surprises Kata. As he continues on his dark journey, Mele worries about him. When Mele brings Rageku, Rio wants to learn from her but she isn't impressed and wants to train Mele. She infects Rio with a venom, that when he uses his Rinki, the venom will spread faster. Mele is forced to fight ShaFu and fights him to the point of exhaustion. Rio broked the venom curse and stopped Mele from using her third attack towards ShaFu. He then proved himself in battle to Rageku, who believes Rio was jealous of Mele becoming stronger than him. Rio and Mele both became her students.
Rageku believes in letting whoever angers you burn your body and using that passion as your power. Rio thought it was a waste because he no longer envied ShaFu and didn't believe anyone could supass him. Rageku made him dig deep and think about who really angered him. He mentioned Byakko, a white tiger, one that with whatever he did, he could not defeat him. Rio underwent a RinMei Ceremony to prove his commitment in Episode 19. He beat up the Gekiranger twice and was then severely injured by the Super Gekiranger. He tried to revive the last Kenma and successfully did with the Ikigimo Mele retrieved. Rio wanted to obtain Maku's Dorinki (Fury Confrontation Ki) but it was easier said than done. Maku took Rio's place as the leader of the Confrontation Beast Hall, because he is the originator of Rinjuken. Rio managed to obtain the DoRinki and sought to overthrow Maku. Mele stole the Sojuto from Ken and with that, she and Rio went to Sacred Ground for more power. When they reached SaiDain, that contained the soul of the creator of JyuKen, Rageku sent Rio, Mele and the Gekiranger into the Edo Period. Because of the pressures of time travel, Rio lost his memory and the Sojuto was stolen by a disciple of Rageku. Mele played house with Rio until Ron came and restored his memory. He worked alongside the Gekiranger to form GekiRinTouja to retrieve the Sojuto. When they returned to their rightful time period, Ken released SaiDain and it conducted the Blooming Beast Power, which powered up Rio and Mele. Rio, with a new surge of power, told Jan to kill Maku, so the old GekiRin Rebellion would end and they could continue their own rivalry.
When the Gekiranger indeed killed Maku, Ron revealed himself to Rio and intrigued him with the lessons of GenJyuKen, promising more power. But he was not so easily persuaded until Ron awoke Suugu, whom Rio recognized as Dan. Soon after, Rio undergoes the Blood-Oath Ceremony, embracing his destiny and gaining a new fighting form, Phantom Beast King Rio, that gives him mastery over the Phantom-Beast Gryphon-Fist style. Rio then revealed to everyone that he killed Dan, using his Rinki for the first time and his GekiSoul was used to make Suugu. Back then, Rio was insulted that Dan went into battle even though he was wounded eariler. It was later revealed that Ron was the one who soften him up for Rio. After discovering he was merely a pawn and the GenJyuOu form was mearly to control him, Rio shed off his GenJyuKen form and became the Black Lion once again. Rio couldn't believe Ron was the mastermind, as he saw him more as an underling. Ron, the one responsible for murdering his family and was using him, couldn't figure what was still tying Rio to his humanity because, he wanted to strip Rio of it all. But once Rio took a blow meant for Mele, Ron realized it was Mele who was still teathered him down.
After Ron was defeated by the SaiDaiGekiRinTouja, Rio and Mele then went to SCRTC. Gou, Miki and Jan very happy to have Rio back. But, not Ran and Retsu, who can't forgive them for their sins. So Rio decides to undergo the Fist Judgement to cleanse himself of his sins, knowing full well that his life may be sacrificed in the process. To symbolize the end of the Rinjuken, Rio burns the Confrontation Beast Hall to the ground. He takes on Retsu in the Fist Judgement, fully intending to sacrifice himself. Ron interrupt the proceedings and assumes his true form, bent on destroying everything. After Mele's selfless sacrifice, Rio takes a small remnant of her remains into himself and decides to eliminate Ron, despite Jan's protests. As a final act, he gives the Gekirangers the last remaining Rinki that was given to him by the Kenma as penance for his deeds, and sacrifices himself in order to stop Ron's rampage. Upon arriving in the afterlife, he is met by Mele and the two walk off, hand in hand. In Episode 49, both Rio and Mele guide the three Gekirangers into the RinJyuDen and reveal the Fist Demons, in human form, before them, showing the path to unifying the two JyuKen schools.
History[]
Mele was among of the Rinjuken Users who died during the GekiRin Rebellion. Years later, Mele was among the first of the Rinrinsi brought back from the dead by Rio and fell in love with him at first sight. Since then, she pledged her heart to him and no other.
She is cruel, sinister, and malevolent, so she finds satisfaction in intimidating the weak. Mele is the one who carries out the plans and has many other kyonshi Rio brought back at her command, making a few exceptions to perfect herself while arrogantly stating her opponents' fortune of facing her. She possesses a more powerful Beast-Man Form, armed with two sais and able to use her tongue as a weapon. Unfortunately for her, Rio labels this technique as "lacking in both efficiency and force." However, Mele proves her loyalty to Rio when Braco offered her a second chance at life, only to kill him after snapping the three remaining True Poison off him, saying "being by Rio" is life.
After this, it seems that Rio might respect her somewhat, as he places her in charge during his absence to revive Kata. Mele eventually began to distrust Kata and his methods, especially when seeing Rio in a madden state of mind, deciding to revive the other Fist Demons to save Rio. But in an unexpected turn, Mele is recognized by Rageku as being stronger than Rio, eventually becoming a student under Rageku after proving herself by fighting Sha-Fu. After Rio's defeat, Mele attempts to restrain him from getting himself killed, realizing that Sha-Fu's words about Rio have some truth.
Though saddened to see Rio reduced to serving Maku, she is assured by Long that Rio would be back on top, having her follow Hihi to understand the meaning behind it. When Mele lost face with Rio when she suggested an easy road to gaining the Fury Confrontation Ki, Mele is convinced by Long to take out Gou Fukami to win back Rio. However, it resulted with her being the first to face and be defeated by GekiViolet, a humiliation that she managed to survive. She is told to obtain the Virtuous Beast Sword so Rio can enter the Beast Origin Village. But she lacked the dishonesty to obtain the weapon until Long used her love for Rio to break her personal taboo to get the artifact, gaining her own Fury Confrontation Ki as a result. Once she frees Rio, she accompanies him to the Beast Origin Village, where her potential is unlocked due to Beast-Fist God SaiDain's Beast Power Blooming, despite being undead.
She joins Rio in learning how to harness the Mythical Beast-Fist's power, undergoing the Blood-Oath Ceremony which during her time in the Gen Jūken, Mere is reborn as a Genshou, mastering the Genjū Phoenix-Ken style. Eventually, growing suspicious of Long's motives conflicting with Rio's, Mele investigates him to uncover his true agenda. Once learning the truth from interrogating Sanyo, Mele manages to save Rio from Long's scheme and carry him away. Despite her valiant efforts to protect Rio, though, Long manages to knock Mele unconscious, and she is taken hostage to be tortured by Long himself. However, she is rescued by both the Gekirangers and a motivated Rio, who finally reciprocates her feelings towards him. Seeing Rio purging the Mythical Ki from his body, she renounces her position as a Phantom General as an act of love before joining the Gekirangers in fighting Long to return the favor for saving her. After Long was supposedly defeated, Mele was invited to live at SCRTC along with Rio.
However, both Ran Uzaki and Retsu Fukami still had reservations about the two of them being there because of their actions in the Confrontation Beast Hall. To rectify this, she decides to undergo the Fist Judgment to cleanse herself of her sins, knowing full well that her life may be sacrificed in the process. After reminiscing about the time she spent in the Confrontation Beast Hall before it was burned to the ground by Rio, she takes on Ran in the Fist Judgment, intending to end her life. However, Long's interference changed the scenario as she pushes the Gekirangers out of the way to receive a fatal injury from Long's jaws. After some parting words to Rio, she dies in his arms; her body turning to dust as her soul awaited him at the other side. During the finale, Mele, alongside Rio, guides the three Gekirangers inside an astral Confrontation Beast Hall, revealing the Fist Demons before them and showing the path to unifying the two Beast Fist schools. Mele is later revived during the events of Go-onger vs. Gekiranger.
Somehow, Mele came back for Legend War against the Zangyack Empire, her power made into a Ranger Key that ended up with Basco ta Jolokia before the Gokaigers took it and later relinquish it and the other Ranger Keys.Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Through TOEI has seeing them as not Rangers, they classified them as Extra Hero.
External Links[]
- Rinjuken Warriors on the Power Rangers Wiki
- Rinjuken Warriors on the Villains Wiki (Originally/Formerly)
![]() | ||
Showa Era Heroes J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai Battle Fever J Denshi Sentai Denziman Taiyo Sentai Sun Vulcan Dai Sentai Goggle-V Kagaku Sentai Dynaman Choudenshi Bioman Dengeki Sentai Changeman Choushinsei Flashman Hikari Sentai Maskman Choju Sentai Liveman Heisei Era Heroes Chikyu Sentai Fiveman Chojin Sentai Jetman Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger Gosei Sentai Dairanger Ninja Sentai Kakuranger Choriki Sentai Ohranger Gekiso Sentai Carranger Denji Sentai Megaranger Seiju Sentai Gingaman Kyukyu Sentai GoGoFive Mirai Sentai Timeranger Hyakuju Sentai Gaoranger Ninpu Sentai Hurricaneger Bakuryu Sentai Abaranger Tokuso Sentai Dekaranger Mahou Sentai Magiranger GoGo Sentai Boukenger Juken Sentai Gekiranger Engine Sentai Go-Onger Samurai Sentai Shinkenger Tensou Sentai Goseiger Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger Ressha Sentai ToQger Shuriken Sentai Ninninger Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger Uchu Sentai Kyuranger Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger VS Keisatsu Sentai Patranger Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger Reiwa Era Heroes Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger Avataro Sentai Donbrothers Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger No.1 Sentai Gozyuger Secondary Sentai Team Neo-Jetman Gouraigers Go-On Wings Spirit Kyoryugers BN Team World Pirates Noto Trio Other Heroes Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger Future Kyoryugers Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger Brave The High School Heroes |