Rio and Mele are the deuteragonists of Juken Sentai Gekiranger, first appearing as major 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.
History[]
When Rio was young, he suffered tragedy when a monster murdered his family. That night Sha-Fu found him and took him as a student in Genjuken. From that point, Rio making it his sole purpose in life to become stronger so he wouldn't suffer such pain again.
While a student of Gekijuken, Rio saw his senior Dan to be an ideal opponent, but felt that learning Gekijūken was a dead end and resolve to master Rinjūken to defeat Dan. Gou Fukami, whom Rio came to consider his closest friend, attempted to stop him, only for their friendship to end that day. Surviving Gou's attack, Rio mastered the Akugata and later battled Dan. However, upon defeating him, Rio learned that Dan was mortally wounded prior and thus was denied a true victory. But Dan's dying words give Rio a sense to hope await the coming of his "destined" rival: his only son.
Setting up base on Rinjū Hall and reviving the Akugata's ancient warriors, Rio uses the warriors of Rinjūken to cause despair and sadness in humanity for power after receiving the Kenmas' Bracelet. In the process, Rio encounters Gekijūken's newest fighter Jan Kandou whom he feel was a worthy opponent.
To speed up his goal, Rio took the Madoku fangs from Braco to revive the two of the Kenma, Kata and Rageku. In the process, Rio learned from Kata to acquire Rinki from his own fear and hatred, as well augment it with his jealousy for Dan while under Rageku's guidance. However, Rio is soon told by the two Kenma that the existence of Gekijūken and remnants of its training in himself, represent the limit of his power. Rio goes through with the Rin Command Ceremony to swearing absolute loyalty to the Rinjūken style and the destruction of the Gekijūken style. Though able to defeat the Gekirangers, he spared after witnessing Jan manifesting Kageki, the same chi possessed by Dan. Taking Sha-Fu as a hostage in turn to give Gekirangers incentive to achieve Kageki, Rio loses his cool when Sha-Fu pointed out to him that the fear from his past still haunts in spite of becoming stronger. Rio, refusing to accept the truth, attempted to kill Retsu Fukami and Ran Uzaki until Jan defeats him as Super GekiRed.
With their fight leaving him wounded in both body and pride, Rio realized Jan is Dan's son and refuses to accept this "humiliating defeat". This lead Rio to revive the final Kenma Maku to master Kageki's polar opposite Dorinki. However, not intending to help Rio, Maku reasserted his place as Rinjūken's leader with Rio managing to manifest Dorinki on his own. But as his Dorinki is a spark compared to Maku's, Rio interrogated Gorie to the hidden village of Jūgenkyō but needs the Sozyuto to enter it without harm. Once Mele obtained the weapon while incarcerated after fighting Maku, Rio makes his way to Jūgenkyō with Sha Fu and the other Kensei attempting to stop him before the Kenma arrive. Though Maku attempted to punish him, Rio is defiant, combative, and obstreperous, by saying that he doesn't care about the Kenma or their desires as long as they stay out of his way. After the awakening of his potential due to Jūken God SaiDain's Beast Power Blooming, Rio realizes that now he and the others exposed to it are all now stronger than even Maku himself. Confirming it after challenging GekiRed to test his theory that the Gekirangers' potential is also unleashed, Rio tells GekiRed to defeat Maku and end to the war between their mentors so that their own war may commence.
Upon Maku's defeat, Rio resumes his place as sole leader of Rinjū Hall as Long, the mysterious youth who told him of Souzyuyo, finally reveals himself and offers Rio greater power under Genjūken's guidance. At first, Rio didn't believe Long's words that he is destined to become the Genjūoh. However, after facing Suugu and revealing his ties to Jan, Rio undergoes the Blood-Oath Ceremony to be infused with Genki, gaining a new fighting form that gives him mastery over the Genjū Gryphon-Fist style. Though the stronger one, Rio spares Jan and the Gekirangers so the former may train for their final confrontation.
Though Rio was later defeated in that battle, it actually allowed him to fully awaken as the Destroyer, his mind corroded into a more animalistic mentally bent on killing everything. In this state he turned into a giant and not even Saidaioh could stop him, but his feelings for Mele restore him as she tells him that Long used them. Eventually returning to the site where he lost his family, Rio learns that Long was the monster who murdered his family and guided him on path he set up for him. Devastated to learn everything he lived for was a lie, Rio was powerless to stop Long from taking Mele, the reason he was able to return to his normal self. But thanks to Jan's words, Rio gains a new purpose in life and joins the Gekirangers in rescuing Mele and fighting Long as an act of his own will while removing the Genki from his body.
After Long's defeat, Rio is invited to SCRTC along with Mele. However, only Ran and Retsu are reluctant to have them live with them, and so Rio decides to undergo the Fist Judgment with full knowledge that it may kill him in the process. After burning down Rinjū Hall to symbolize the end of Rinjūken branch, Rio takes on Retsu in the Fist Judgment, with the intention to sacrifice himself. However, Sanyo and a revived Long interrupt the proceedings as Long assumes his true form. After Mele's selfless sacrifice, Rio takes a small remnant of her Ki into himself and decides to sacrifice himself to destroy Long, despite Jan's protests. As a final act, he gives the Gekirangers the last remaining Rinki that was given to him by Kenma as penance for their deeds, and sacrifices himself in order to stop Long's rampage, promising Jan a rematch in the future.
Upon arriving in the afterlife, he is met by Mele and the two walk off, hand in hand. During the finale, both Rio and Mele guide the three Gekirangers into Rinjū Hall and reveal the Kenma before them, showing the path to unifying the two Jūken schools. Rio is later revived during the events of Go-Onger vs. Gekiranger and later the Great Legend War where his power converted into the Black Lion Rio Ranger Key before the Gokaigers returned the Ranger Keys to their rightful owners.
History[]
Mele was among the Rinjūken 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.Mele in her Beastman form.
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.

Mele as a follower of Genjuuken.
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.
Powers and Weapons[]
- Sai
- Infinite Violent Waves A rarely-used move that uses acupuncture with the tongue to allows one, another or the user him/herself, to enhance one's fighting power at the cost of burning up ones own cells. Because of this, use of this Ringi is a rarely performed as it drastically shortens the target's lifespan, with death assured should the target overexert him or herself.
- Super Infinite Violent Waves
- Snaring Strike Fist Counterattack Ringi that fires a mass of energy.
- Tongue-Slip Profusion
- Null-Exitinguish Wave
- Lovely Penetration
- Mythical Ki Filling Mele uses it to transform into her Mythical General form, bypassing her Beastman form.
- Flame General Fearful Desire
- Mystic Release
- Invisibility
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 Hero Wiki
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