Shikabanen

**Shikabanen**(シカバネン *Shikabanen*) is an Action Commander who appeared in Episode 1 of Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger.

He is voiced by **Tetsuharu Ōta**.

## Personality

Shikabanen is a sadistic but loyal Action Commander of Zangyack who believes in his own power as well as his empire’s power, believing nobody should ever oppose them. He enjoys creating fear in his victims and tends to take his time to enjoy their misery before killing them.

## Appearance

Shikabanen has a black metal-colored body with almost an undead appearance. He has cannons sticking out of his shoulders and arms, blue orbs on his main body and arms, and has two big blue orbs right on top of his shoulders. He also has a tall head with no facial features other than two slits that act like the eyes and a mouth guard filled with slits.

## Biography

After years of the Zangyack invasion, a group of pirates from space, called the Gokaiger, arrive at earth in search for the greatest treasure in the universe. After the Gokaiger fought off Zangyack’s advance forces, the Zangyack’s flagship, Gigant Horse, arrives at earth and performs a full-scale attack on a city. As the forces attack, the ships release large numbers of Gormin Sailors and one of Zangyack’s Action Commanders, Shikabanen, lands in the city and starts attacking the buildings and the citizens with the Gormin Sailors and the Sugormin. As they attack, Shikabanen finds a group of kids, looked after by two women, trying to hide. Shikabanen grabs one of the women by the throat and stomps her head to the ground. Shikabanen then points his gun at the kids and decides to shoot the other woman. Fortunately, the Gokaigers, seeing all of this, decide to act where the leader, Captain Marvelous, shoots at Shikabanen with the Gokai Gun, interrupting his shot. Recognizing them as the pirates that attack the advance fleet from before, Shikabanen gives them a chance to walk away but they insist on staying to take him down. The Gokaigers then change into their suits with Captain Marvelous as Gokai Red, Joe as Gokai Blue, Luka as Gokai Yellow, Don as Gokai Green, and Ahim as Gokai Pink. After Marvelous shoots at Shikabane, the Gokaigers fight off the Gormin Sailors and the Sugormin with their weapons and finish them all off by using their Ranger Keys to change into the Gorangers, Shinkenger, and Magirangers. Shikabanen then confronts the Gokaigers and shoots his laser gun and his organic missiles at them. Fortunately, the Gokaigers jump out of the explosion from the attacks and all of them lay multiple blows on Shikabanen with their Gokai Sabers. Once Marvelous kicks Shikabanen down, the Gokaigers insert their own Ranger Keys into their Gokai Sabers to perform the finisher. As Shikabanen gets back up, the Gokaigers perform Final Wave and use Gokai Slash to send five energy slashes at the Action Commander, blowing him up.

## Powers/Abilities

**Biological Particle Cannon**: Shikabanen’s main weapon is a black gun that can shoot blue, destructive, laser projectiles that can blow up an entire building by just two shots.

**Internal Combustion Engine**: By using the energy he ingested, Shikabanen can shoot blue lasers from out of the cannons all over his body such as the ones on his shoulders, abdomen, and arms.

**Organic Missiles**: Shikabanen’s thighs can open up to launch out organic missiles at his enemies.

## Trivia

* Shinohara designed Shikabanen after Kyrgyzstan Alien from Silver Kamen, as he previously mentioned that was his favorite monster.
* Since the script mention that Shikabanen would attack with a gun, he was designed with an organic shape with living firearms and cannons attached to his body.
	+ However, Nirasawa was later told that Shikabanen would have a handheld gun, so he drew the gun to be held in Shikabanen’s left hand, but the episode had it being held in his right hand instead.
	+ He was also given a metal color of gun metal, giving him a bio-mechanical appearance.
* Shikabanen was initially going to be called **Cannon Damned**(キャノンダムド *Kyanondamudo*), with **Damned** originally going to be the common name for the Action Commanders.
	+ However, when Nirasawa was asked the meaning of **Damned**, he replied “Shikaban”(しかばね), meaning corpse. So the name was changed to Shikabanen without Nirasawa’s knowledge.