Taiji Murahoshi

is the captain of the newly-reorganized GUTS-Select. A junior to former captain Seiya Tatsumi, he was once a flying ace before he left the front lines to work as the principal of the Terrestrial Peaceable Union training school to raise new recruits, but after the Sphere invasion he returned to the field as a new captain. He has a calm personality, always bright and smiling, but he is strong to the core. He takes off his glasses when angry, but never loses his smile. His wish is to protect the countless "precious things of the people" of Earth.https://en.tsuburaya-prod.co.jp/news/4476https://m-78.jp/news/post-6345
==History==
===Pre-Ultraman Decker===
At the time of Metsu-Orochi's attack, Murahoshi was assigned to a special unit in charge of capturing Hudram. During the mission, he had deserted his post to protect and evacuate a child who had been separated from his parents, encouraging him to have the bravery to go on, even giving him his TPU badge. However, his actions were seen as an act of desertion as the TPU never managed to locate that child he had protected, and so Murahoshi was suspended from duty for a month for his actions. 
===Ultraman Decker===
Murahoshi was the principal in charge of training the TPU's new recruits, being stationed at the spaceport at Sorafune City. He joined the other students and security staff in attempting to repel the Spheres, but were unsuccessful until Ultraman Decker appeared. After seeing Kanata Asumi's performance in the face of crisis, helping others and fighting against the enemy without hesitation, Murahoshi invited him to join the TPU and participate in the battle against the Spheres. 
While continuing to oversee the training of the new recruits over the course of a year, Murahoshi was appointed as the captain of the newly-reformed GUTS-Select. When Deathdrago appeared, Murahoshi ordered all the students to evacuate from their then-ongoing final patrol exercise, and sortied in the GUTS Falcon to attack Deathdrago. However, Kanata, Ichika Kirino and Soma Ryumon had ignored their orders to return and instead stayed behind to help nearby people. To protect them from Deathdrago's attack, he was shot down in the GUTS Falcon. After the monster had been defeated by Decker, Murahoshi approached the three students and recruited the into GUTS-Select, although their disobeying of orders would not go unpunished. As the new team as formed, GUTS-Select took on many threats alongside Ultraman Decker while building up their arsenal with the addition of the GUTS Hawk and eventually the Terraphaser. 
After Agams' betrayal, the TPU's Internal Affairs sent their director, Alien Metron Nigel, to investigate Murahoshi for suspicions of having worked with Agams, based on precedent ten years ago when he deserted his special team at the time of Metsu-Orochi's attack to supposedly save a child, though such a child was never found. Despite the pleas of the other teammates, Nigel put Murahoshi under detention while the investigation was to be conducted, even when a Gomess appeared and was making its way to Komie City but with Murahoshi under lockdown, GUTS-Select was not authorized to deploy. Fortunately, Soma Ryumon was able to find evidence of Murahoshi's innocence by digging up the past, leading him to learn that Murahoshi was the TPU member who saved him from the monster attack while he was a child, bringing out the old TPU badge that Murahoshi once gave him. With that, Nigel was convinced enough to let Murahoshi go, allowing GUTS-Select to sortie and defeat Gomess with Ultrmaan Decker's assistance. Before leaving, Nigel decided to apologize while praising the team for being good subordinates to the captain. 
===Ultraman Decker Finale: Journey to Beyond===
Six months after the Spheres were defeated, Murahoshi decided to name a successor captain to GUTS-Select. He chose Soma Ryumon.
GUTS-Select was deployed to investigate when Gibellus used his invasion device to render people in the city unconscious. When the team encountered a squad of alien villains, they struggled until Dinas came to help, using her Mons Dimension Cards to drive them off before Alien Pedan summoned King Joe, which forced Dinas to transform into Ultraman Dinas to fight it while GUTS-Select destroyed the device making people fall unconscious. They then regrouped on the Nursedessei where Dinas explained the situation to the team, telling them of Gibellus' motives. Kanata, Ichika and Ryumon were then sent out to investigate, during the course of which Dinas discovered Kanata's former ability to transform into Decker. Gibellus then unleashed another one of his invasion devices, this time a much larger one that affected the whole of Japan as he took the life essence of humans, intending to combine them with monsters to make his personal army.
Dinas gave each of the GUTS-Select members a copy of her Gagi card to protect them from the effects of Gibellus' device before they were sent out to deal with an Alien Icarus, who lured them into an area to trap them within a subspace field controlled by two of Gibellus' devices, and grew giant. With the four of them gone, Gibellus and his henchmen took over the TPU headquarters, capturing both Kaizaki and Murahoshi while hacking into HANE2's systems to disable the security, completely crippling GUTS-Select's forces. Fortunately, they were helped by both Nigel and Grace, who formulated a plan with them to retake their base, which they put into action when Kanata and Dinas were caught by Gibellus' lackeys, fighting off the aliens together before Gibelus amd ehis escape and transformed into Gigalogaiser.
Kanata then used the Terraphaser in the battle against Gigalogaiser while Ichika and Ryumon piloted the GUTS Falcon and GUTS Hawk with Murahoshi and Kaizaki in the Nursedessei, but they were eventually overwhelmed when the monster combined with Gibellus' ship, Zorgaus, to form Zor-Gigalogaiser. Kanata took the brunt of a powerful beam meant for Dinas, and died inside the Terrapahser. However, Dinas and his fellow teammates' strong desire for him to live caused the Dinas Ultra Dimension Card to combine with the other Dimension Cards that the others had, reforming the Ultraman Decker Ultra Dimension card, whose light somehow brought Kanata to life. He then transformed into Ultraman Decker to fight Zor-Gigalogaiser, forcing Gibellus to retreat after the Zorgaus was successfully destroyed by the Nursedessei and GUTS Gryphon. Still baffled at Kanata's strength and determination, Gibellus tried to attack Decker once again but was overwhelmed by his Selgend Beam, destroying him and ending his treat forever.
Later on, Murahoshi left GUTS-Select and returned to his position as the Headmaster at the TPU training school. 
==Merchandise==
*Ultraman Decker Deformed Pattern Acrylic Charm (2022)
**Release Date(s): October 2022 (Premium Bandai)
**Price: 550 yen for each piece
**Materials: Acrylic, metal (chain)
:Released as part of the Decker-themed Deformed Pattern Acrylic Charm series, Murahoshi (which is drawn in an Anime-fied style) is one the items to be produced as hanging acrylic keychain.
:Murahoshi (and the rest of the characters) is available as a made-for-order item (where the customers can choose one during purchase) for Premium Bandai in October 2022.
==Gallery==
===Ultraman Decker===
Taiji Murahoshi OP.png
Taiji Murahoshi OP 2.png
Taiji_Murahoshi_1.png|Murahoshi's first appearance
Taiji_Murahoshi_2.png
Taiji_Murahoshi_3.png
Taiji_Murahoshi_4.png
Taiji_Murahoshi_5.png
Yuichiro_Asakage_5.png
Taiji_Murahoshi_6.png
Taiji_Murahoshi_7.png
Taiji Murahoshi TV 012.png
Taiji Murahoshi TV 010.png
Taiji Murahoshi TV 011.png
Taiji Murahoshi TV 013.png
Taiji Murahoshi TV 014.png
Taiji Murahoshi TV 015.png
Taiji Murahoshi tv 016.png
Taiji Murahoshi TV 026.png
Taiji Murahoshi TV 017.png
Taiji Murahoshi TV 018.png
Taiji_Murahoshi_TV_019.png
Taiji Murahoshi TV 020.png
Taiji Murahoshi TV 021.png
GUTS_Select_Decker_024.png
Taiji Murahoshi TV 022.png
Taiji Murahoshi TV 023.png
Taiji Murahoshi TV 025.png
===Ultraman Decker Finale: Journey to Beyond===
Decker Movie 5.png
===Miscellaneous===
GUTS-Select new 9.png
NEW GUTS Select 11.png
Taiji Murahoshi Miscellaneous 1.png
Taiji Murahoshi Miscellaneous 2.png
Taiji Murahoshi 40.png
Taiji Murahoshi 70.png
Taiji Murahoshi 72.png
Taiji_Murahoshi_11.png
Taiji_Murahoshi_12.png
==Trivia==
*According to GUTS-SELECT Meeting Records ～Return of Special Section 3～, conversations with members of Special Section 3, Murahoshi is currently married.https://twitter.com/m78_imagination/status/1626854067116052482/photo/1
==References==
Category:Ultraman Decker
Category:Ultraman Decker Characters
Category:GUTS-Select (Decker)
Category:GUTS-Select Members (Decker)
Category:Male Characters
Category:Allies
Category:Leaders