The Shadow Banbara is a Mutant Robot of the Neo-Human Empire Phantom Army and an antagonist in episode 15 of the 1973 Tokusatsu series Inazuman.
He is voiced by Masaki Iwana, who also voiced Rainbow Mask, Shot Mask, Door Mask and Iron Tube Mask in Himitsu Sentai Gorenger.
Biography[]
The Shadow Banbara was sent to kidnap Takashi, a young boy who displayed promising psionic abilities. Shadow Banbara stalked Takashi inside his home and used his powers to torment Takashi with bad dreams in order to get him display his mutant powers. Takashi told his mother that a monster was coming after him but his mother did not believe him. Shadow Banbara then attempted to kidnap Takashi, causing him to flee. As his mother still didn't believe him, Takashi went to his neighbor Kikumura for help. Shadow Banbara soon appeared to attack both of them, leading Kikumura to stay and buy time for Takashi to run away. However, this allowed Shadow Banbara to possess him.
Takashi soon came across Goro Watari and Gosaku Marume and asked them for help. Shadow Banbara made another attempt to kidnap Takashi, but was fended off by Goro as Inazuman. Changing strategies, Shadow Banbara targeted Goro's mother and ate her shadow, giving him the power to kill her at any moment. Using this threat, Shadow Banbara said he would kill Takashi's mother unless Takashi joined the Neo-Human Empire. Goro would then go out to confront the Neo-Humans again, becoming Sanagiman and then Inazuman to fight Shadow Banbara.
Shadow Banbara attempted to gain the advantage by trapping Inazuman inside his world of shadows, but Inazuman was able to resist Shadow Banbara's powers and defeat him with a "Lightning Shadow Strike", causing his body to completely disappear after it hit the ground.
