Kaos

He is a mysterious wandering monk that helps out the Samurai Troopers. He shows them the path that they should walk and watches out for the future of the Earth.

Kaos was voiced by Wakamoto Norio.

## Appearance and Personality

Kaos's trademark appearance is that of a mysterious wandering monk-like person that hides his true face behind a cone shaped hat made from wicker. Fans at the time who were watching this show expected that his body was well-trained, as well as him having a neat face and a visible mouth. A thousand years earlier, he wore armor when he defeated Arago. The handle of his sword is the same as that of the shakujo he would later carry, suggesting it may have been transformed from one into the other.

## History

### Early Life

His name is 'Kaos' but he's also the leader of the 'Kaos clan'. This is a family that guides people in the right direction to help keep the world a good place for everyone to live in. Every member of this group is born with the special power to sense the good in people, but only in times of dire trouble is one person born who is more powerful than the others to become the leader and take charge. To defend the good, take out the bad, and restore the status of the human world.

### Battling Arago

About 1,000 years ago Arago tried to take Heian-kyo (Kyoto) by using evil forces and brute strength. Kaos was able to defeat him, but not destroy him. The monk took the armor and split it apart into nine smaller, separate armors. In an attempt to let those who would wear these armors have control and not be possessed by Arago's evil intentions, Kaos instilled a virtue into each armor. Placing each warrior in their best state of mind to help purify Arago's evil and, hopefully, finally, destroy him once and for all.

### Creating the Nine Armors

Kaos took Arago's armor to an underground residence said to rest beneath Heian-kyo. When he determined he could not destroy the armor, he developed a new plan. He performed mystic rituals and reforged Arago's armor into nine separate sets of armor, each with a human virtue intended to control the evil that lingered in the armor.

## Modern Era

### Arago's Second Invasion

Kaosu was able to sense Arago's resurrection. Byakuen was able to lead him to the Samurai Troopers. The warriors who would be instrumental in defeating the armored spirit, once and for all.

## Historical Inspirations

### Kaosu: Fact or Fiction?

Trying to figure out where Kaos -- and later Shuten, after he takes Kaos' place -- fits in was an interesting problem, but we think we've discovered just who and what he was. The problem is that Kaos displays elements of both Shinto and Buddhist symbolism. He has long hair, while Buddhist monks and priests usually shave themselves bald. The shakujo is more representative of Buddhist and Zen Buddhist monks. He uses Buddhist-style chants, yet the "medicine bag" he wears around his neck is Shinto in origin. He knows how to use a sword, unusual for most priests or monks of either sect. Research into Japanese folklore and history revealed that there was a group of mystics known as the Shugendo who combined both Shinto and Buddhist concepts and precepts.

They were known as "Yamabushi" or "Mountain Ascetics", and were of a militant order -- they were also some times called "Mountain Warriors" and they played a major role in several of Japan's internal conflicts. They were also said to be very powerful magic- users, as much feared for their mystic abilities -- including healing -- as respected. They dressed "plainly", in the manner of internet monks, and did not shave their heads. They were also said to specialize in fighting evil spirits. Not much is known about them, as their sect was wiped out during the Meji Restoration. Part of the Restoration was a decision by those who came into power to completely separate Shinto and Buddhist practices (these were the militaristic, nationalistic fanatics who would later be responsible for bringing a hellish lot of grief to both Japan and the rest of the world.) As Buddhism was a foreign influence it had to be separate from the native religion of Shintoism, and Shintoism itself had to be "purified" -- and was remade into the very militaristic sect of Shrine or State Shinto that became the official religion of Japan in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Because Shugendo's basis was the blending of the two religions (along with healthy portions of straight mysticism) it had to be destroyed. (I'm sure the fact the mystics also tended to support the Shogun rather than the new government probably had something to do with it too!) The suppression of the sect was so thorough that there is very little known about the practice of Shugendo, although of course their public exploits and especially those by their warriors, are a part of Japanese history.

## Gallery

Yoroiden Samurai Troopers, 30th Anniversary Memorial Book, Tatsumi Publication. Fan translation by The URWWS.Kaos meditates on Arago's armorKaos in armor
1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Yoroiden Samurai Troopers, 30th Anniversary Book, Tatsumi Publication. Fan translation by The URWWS.
2. ↑ The Nether Realm, Mythology & Symbolism https://web.archive.org/web/20081231141926/http://nether-realm.net/tv/myth.html. Archives December 31, 2008, Accessed May 30, 2022.