Dayu

Dayu is one of Master Xandred's two followers, a female who plays a shamisen.

Story of Dayu

Prior to her service to Xandred, Dayu was once a woman named Dalia, recently married to the man known as Deker. On the night of their wedding the two presented each other with gifts; a Katana for Deker and a decorated guitar for Dalia. Sometime in the night a fire broke out in their home while Dalia (and presumably Deker) were asleep, when Dalia woke to find their bedroom burning, Deker was nowhere to be found. The couple managed to escape the house, but Deker was severely injured.

In a moment of desperation she called out for help and summoned the "King of the Nighlok's". The shadowed Nighlok agreed to save Deker, but at the expense of Dalia's soul. She agreed to his terms and was tricked soon thereafter, the Nighlok turned them both into Nighloks and wiped Deker of his memory. Upon Deker's revival and immediate transformation into his Nighlok half, he vanished, leaving Dalia behind. Its assumed that Dalia joined Xandred shortly afterward and became known as Dayu.[1]

As a half-Nighlok, Dayu serves as one of the two generals working at Xandred's side to fight against the Samurai Rangers, yet she is embittered by her time in the Netherworld. Dayu still clings to the memory of her mortal life and her relationship with Deker, despite that he has no memory of their life together. She primarily regrets "cursing" him as a Nighlok with the unquenchable desire for the "ultimate duel"[2]. On one occasion, she attempted to use the tears of newlywed brides to flood the Sanzu River and recreate her wedding dress, only to be foiled by the Samurai Rangers (Mia and Emily in particular).

She is skilled in battle, lasting long enough against the Rangers until Jayden prepared to attack her with the Fire Smasher. It was there that she was rescued and forced to retreat by Deker, who intervened in the battle upon finding the opponent Uramasa (his Katana) was seeking.[3] She thanks him for saving her life and inquires why he wishes to fight the Red Ranger, to which he answers he is "cursed to satisfy this urge" for the ultimate duel and nothing else was important, not even his past life.[4]

When visiting The Tengen Gate, Mia and Kevin were told of the old folktale about a woman who made a deal with the King of the Nihloks to save her beloved and was tricked, foreshadowing the fate of Dayu and Deker.[5] When Xandred damaged her Harmonium, Dayu fled the ship, intending not to return. She attacked a guitarist performing for the public, intending to use him to repair her weapon. This incites a battle between her and Mia, who happened to be passing by when she attacked. Xandred sends Rhinosnorus after Dayu, the monster blasts them with a sleeping spell and the two are sent into the dream world where Dayu's past life is revealed to the Pink Samurai Ranger[6].

Self-confident and arrogant, Dayu keeps mostly to herself, interacting with Octoroo and Xandred only when necessary or spoken to. Her guitar, the "Harmonium" (transfigured into a shamisen) serves as her primary weapon, the headstock of the instrument conceals a short sword, with the headstock acting as its hilt. Trivia

Dayu shares the same first name as her Sentai counterpart, Dayuu Usukawa.