Isamu Kaijo (Spirit Tracks)

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"Engine of Courage! Spirit Red!"

―Isamu's rollcall^[src]

"I can see it in here...we're gonna win this!"

―Isamu's pre-battle catchphrase^[src]

"End of the line!"

―Isamu's post-victory catchphrase^[src]

Isamu Kaijo is a seventeen year old Japanese-American boy living in Trevithick, California. The oldest of three children, he is a Senior at Trevithick Senior High School. He fights as Spirit Red, the Red Ranger of the Spirit Track Power Rangers.

Biography[]

The oldest child of the Kaijo family, Isamu was born in Japan, but immigrated to America with his father and two younger sisters after his mother died when he was six. On his first day of school at Trevithick Elementary School, he met and befriended Steven Carver, who quickly became his best friend. They were inseparable throughout all of elementary and middle school, but drifted apart as they entered their teen years.

In his senior year, Isamu accompanied his class on a field trip to Trevithick's train museum. Upon arriving, the teachers placed Isamu in a small group alongside Steven, Emile, Ana, and Raon. Wandering off out of boredom, the five teens were spontaneously teleported out of the museum and whisked away to a forest in an unknown location. There, they were attacked by the Shadow Line, but were saved by the timely intervention of the Power Trains, which appeared and bonded to the teens. They were then approached by Halupiens, the eccentric conductor of the engimatic Spirit Express. Halupiens recruited them to become the next generation of Spirit Track Rangers, with Isamu inheriting the mantle of Spirit Red.

Personality[]

Raised by a single father as the oldest of three children, Isamu learned to be independent from an early age. Hard-working, responsible, and adaptable, Isamu is a gifted martial artist and keen academic who maintains a high GPA and strives for excellence in every aspect of his academic career. However, beneath his confident and self-assured exterior beats the heart of a boy who struggles with his self confidence and constantly battles anxiety, worrying that he won't live up to others' expectations of him. Isamu's courage is only limited by his crippling fear of failure - a fear he must learn to overcome after Halupiens names him team leader.

As a child, he was best friends with Steven; however, their relationship has been estranged for some time, and Isamu often finds himself at wit's end attempting to repair it. He cares deeply for his former friend and longs to rekindle the bond they once shared, but Steven's resentment coupled with his own self-doubt make this a difficult enterprise.

A focused student and athlete, Isamu claims to view romance as trivial and silly, but harbors an extremely obvious crush on Raon, much to their teammates' amusement.

Spirit Red[]

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"Spirits: Awaken!"

―Morphing phrase^[src]

Isamu's default form as Spirit Red, it is a form granted to him via the bond he shares with his Victoran Weapon Spirit, Hezron. It is themed after a steam locomotive.

Arsenal

Victoran Weapon Spirit

Hezron

Appearances: CPU Episode 22, Spirit Tracks Episodes 1-

Etymology[]

Isamu is a Japanese given name made up of the singular character 勇/Isamu (bravery). Kaijo is a Japanese surname made up of the characters 海/Kai (Sea) and 城/Jo (Castle). His first name is a nod to his courageous and brave personality inspired by the lead characters of most early 2000s shounen manga and anime (most nostably Ichigo Kurosaki, the lead hero of Bleach), while his last name is a reference to Tsuyoshi Kaijo, the Red Senshi of Himitsu Sentai Gorenger and the first Red Ranger in all of Super Sentai.

Trivia[]

He was born on January 1st, 200X, making him a Capricorn.
- He is the oldest of the Spirit Track Rangers.

Isamu is the first Red Power Ranger to be Japanese, a fitting tribute to Super Sentai, the Japanese tokusatsu series Power Rangers borrows its fight scenes and suit designs from.

Isamu's personality and backstory are a loving nod to Ichigo Kurosaki, the lead hero of the hit manga and anime franchise Bleach. Like Ichigo, he has two younger sisters, was raised by a single dad, and wields a sword imbued with the powers of an ancient spirit. (Similarly to Ichigo, he has gifted his mentor Halupiens the moniker of "Mr. Hat n' Clogs")

Appearances[]

Power Rangers: CPU
- Episode 22: When Earths Collide, Part II
Power Rangers: Spirit Tracks
- Episode 1: The Train to Nowhere
- Episode 2: A Leader's Courage
- Episode 3: Big Iron
- Episode 4: The Price is Wrong
- Episode 5: No Strings on Me
- Episode 6: The Power of Love
- Episode 7: Stranger Than Fiction
- Episode 8: End of the Line