Armored Fleet Dairugger XV

Armored Fleet Dairugger XV (機甲艦隊ダイラガーXV) was an anime series aired in Japan from 1982. It is also referred to as "Dairugger 15", "Dairugger XV", "Armored Armada Dairugger XV", "Armored Squadron Dairugger XV", or "Machine Platoon Dairugger".

In the United States, it was heavily edited to become part of the Voltron series.

Story
Dairugger XV is an exploration robot, as well as an intended peace-keeping force. The Earth is in a time of prosperity. The president of the Terran League launches a mission to explore beyond the galaxy. After commencing its mission of exploration, the starship Rugger-Guard is attacked by a ship of the Galbeston Empire. Dairugger, the super robot, is deployed in order to defend the Earth. It is somewhat by fate that they must help the people of Galbeston find a new planet before it explodes, and liberate it from its despotic Emperor.

Concept
There are three assault team units: Land, Air, and Sea. There are a total of 15 parts referred to as "Rugger", which can combine together to form the super-robot Dairugger. The design of the 15 separate Rugger units came from the sport of rugby, since 15 players are required to form a rugby union.

Staff

 * Planning Susumu Yoshikawa Yasuo Nobe Yu Saito
 * Original concept Saburo Yatsude
 * Chief Director Kozo Morishita
 * Series Composition Keisuke Fujikawa
 * Script Keisuke Fujikawa
 * Character Design Shigetaka Aoyama
 * Music Seiji Yokoyama
 * Production Toei Toei Agency

Dairugger Characters
Air Team uniforms were red and silver.

Sea Team uniforms were blue and gold.

Land Team uniforms were yellow and bronze.

{|class="wikitable" ! Function ! Pilot Name ! Seiyū ! Team ! Vehicle ! Dairugger Body
 * Rugger #1 Pilot|| Manabu Aki (安芸 マナブ) || Toshio Furukawa || Air Team || Command Jet Explorer || head
 * Rugger #2 Pilot|| Shinobu Kai (甲斐 シノブ) || Ryōma Yamamoto || Air Team || Strato Weapons Module || upper torso
 * Rugger #3 Pilot|| Shota Kreuz (ショーター・クロイツ) || Kōzō Shioya || Air Team || Advanced Recon Helicopter || right upper arm
 * Rugger #4 Pilot|| Yasuo Mutsu (陸奥 ヤスオ) || Satomi Majima || Air Team || Advanced Recon Helicopter || left upper arm
 * Rugger #5 Pilot|| Patty Ellington (パティ・エリントン) || Keiko Han || Air Team || Falcon VT Fighter || chest plate
 * Rugger #6 Pilot|| Miranda Keets (ミランダ・キーツ) || Hideyuki Hori || Sea Team || Communications Module || torso mid-rif
 * Rugger #7 Pilot|| Haruka Kaga (加賀ハルカ) || Harumi Iizuka || Sea Team || Space Prober || right thigh
 * Rugger #8 Pilot|| Saruta Katz (サルタ・カッツ) || Masaharu Satō || Sea Team || Space Prober || left thigh
 * Rugger #9 Pilot|| Tatsuo Izumo (出雲タツオ) || Shō Hayami || Sea Team || Multi-Wheeled Explorer || right lower leg
 * Rugger #10 Pilot|| Baros Karateya (バーロス・カラテヤ) || Ken Yamaguchi || Sea Team || Multi-Wheeled Explorer || left lower leg
 * Rugger #11 Pilot|| Walter Jack (ワルター・ジャック) || Katsuji Mori || Land Team || Jet Radar Station || | hips
 * Rugger #12 Pilot|| Moya Kirigas (モーヤ・キリガッス) || Nana Yamaguchi || Land Team || Rotating Personnel Carrier || right forearm
 * Rugger #13 Pilot|| Mack Chakker (マック・チャッカー) || Banjō Ginga || Land Team || Armored Equipment Carrier || left forearm
 * Rugger #14 Pilot|| Tasuku Izu (伊豆 タスク) || Shingo Hiromori || Land Team || All-Terrain Space Vehicle || right foot
 * Rugger #15 Pilot|| Kazuto Nagato (長門 カズト) || Hiroshi Ōtake || Land Team || All-Terrain Space Vehicle || left foot
 * Rugger #8 Pilot|| Saruta Katz (サルタ・カッツ) || Masaharu Satō || Sea Team || Space Prober || left thigh
 * Rugger #9 Pilot|| Tatsuo Izumo (出雲タツオ) || Shō Hayami || Sea Team || Multi-Wheeled Explorer || right lower leg
 * Rugger #10 Pilot|| Baros Karateya (バーロス・カラテヤ) || Ken Yamaguchi || Sea Team || Multi-Wheeled Explorer || left lower leg
 * Rugger #11 Pilot|| Walter Jack (ワルター・ジャック) || Katsuji Mori || Land Team || Jet Radar Station || | hips
 * Rugger #12 Pilot|| Moya Kirigas (モーヤ・キリガッス) || Nana Yamaguchi || Land Team || Rotating Personnel Carrier || right forearm
 * Rugger #13 Pilot|| Mack Chakker (マック・チャッカー) || Banjō Ginga || Land Team || Armored Equipment Carrier || left forearm
 * Rugger #14 Pilot|| Tasuku Izu (伊豆 タスク) || Shingo Hiromori || Land Team || All-Terrain Space Vehicle || right foot
 * Rugger #15 Pilot|| Kazuto Nagato (長門 カズト) || Hiroshi Ōtake || Land Team || All-Terrain Space Vehicle || left foot
 * Rugger #12 Pilot|| Moya Kirigas (モーヤ・キリガッス) || Nana Yamaguchi || Land Team || Rotating Personnel Carrier || right forearm
 * Rugger #13 Pilot|| Mack Chakker (マック・チャッカー) || Banjō Ginga || Land Team || Armored Equipment Carrier || left forearm
 * Rugger #14 Pilot|| Tasuku Izu (伊豆 タスク) || Shingo Hiromori || Land Team || All-Terrain Space Vehicle || right foot
 * Rugger #15 Pilot|| Kazuto Nagato (長門 カズト) || Hiroshi Ōtake || Land Team || All-Terrain Space Vehicle || left foot
 * Rugger #14 Pilot|| Tasuku Izu (伊豆 タスク) || Shingo Hiromori || Land Team || All-Terrain Space Vehicle || right foot
 * Rugger #15 Pilot|| Kazuto Nagato (長門 カズト) || Hiroshi Ōtake || Land Team || All-Terrain Space Vehicle || left foot
 * Rugger #15 Pilot|| Kazuto Nagato (長門 カズト) || Hiroshi Ōtake || Land Team || All-Terrain Space Vehicle || left foot

Other Characters
{|class="wikitable" ! Japanese Name ! Seiyū
 * Shinji Ise (伊勢 シンジ) || Hideyuki Tanaka
 * High Commander Wakasa ||
 * Dick Asimov || Kōji Yada
 * Doctor Search ||
 * Socrat Teles (テレス司令)	|| Kōji Totani
 * Drake	||
 * Internal Commissioner Socrat Tes ||
 * Sirk ||
 * Luciano ||
 * Commander Caponello || Banjō Ginga
 * Emperor Corsair ||
 * Drake	||
 * Internal Commissioner Socrat Tes ||
 * Sirk ||
 * Luciano ||
 * Commander Caponello || Banjō Ginga
 * Emperor Corsair ||
 * Luciano ||
 * Commander Caponello || Banjō Ginga
 * Emperor Corsair ||
 * Emperor Corsair ||
 * Emperor Corsair ||

Dairugger Specifications
Dairugger is made up of 15 vehicle parts. Dairugger is 60 meters tall.


 * Weapons Laser Sword Spinning Laser Blades Electromagnetic Whip Electromagnetic Beam Laser Blasts Laser Lance Electromagnetic Cross

Episodes
1. Galactic Clash

2. The Isolated Regiment

3. Farewell, Achilles

4. Rescue Mission To Hell

5. Battle of the Experiment Planet

6. Fall to the Meteor Shower

7. Annihilation of the Reinforcement Fleet

8. Specters of the Binary System

9. The Glorious Suicide Corps

10. Sneak Attack on the Space Fortress

11. A Momentary Truce

12. Legend of the Space Forest

13. The Enemy Within the Mind

14. The Earth Fleet's Counterattack

15. Breakdown of the Space Talks

16. The Two Rebellions

17. Orders For Asimov's Return

18. A Touch and Go Situation

19. Red Moon Rising

20. Desperate Struggle for Planet K

21. Arise Galaxy Garrison

22. Ex-Commander Teles

23. The Mission to Recapture Planet K

24. Riot on Galveston

25. Bitter Struggle on the Planet of Light

26. The Snare of the Hell Planet

27. Storming the Space Fortress

28. Eldora's Plea

29. Uprising of the Space Fort

30. Earth's State of Emergency

31. Locate Enemy Headquarters

32. Destruction of the Front Line Base

33. The New Allied Fleet to the Rescue

34. Planet of the Burning Cave

35. Get Yourself Together, Mutsu

36. A Desperate Undersea Combining

Episodes 37-52 List coming soon.

Merchandise
In the early 1980s, the original ST Dairugger toys were released by Popy Pleasure under the toy release number of GB-72, as part of the Chogokin label, and constructed of high-quality die-cast materials. A GB-73 would follow, with a transforming DX Dairugger, which could separate only into the three larger combined vehicles. A larger version of Dairugger XV was also released, which did not contain die-cast materials, as the metal content was too heavy for the design and for the Friction motors installed in many of the vehicles. The smallest non-transforming ST Dairugger and the fully-transforming plastic Dairugger XV would be resold in the US as part of the Voltron series by Matchbox, entirely under the Voltron name. However, the Popy version came with a sword, missiles, and stickers that the Matchbox version did not.

Because Dairugger had 15 pieces, and was a highly playable figure compared to many of the other fixed-state super robots of the early '80s, there were countless imitations and bootlegs of Dairugger. Some are cheap plastics, some do not assemble well, some have neon-glowing colors that are completely misaligned with the show. Even approved brands such as "Big Bear" were spawned to rejuvenate the toyline. No version, however, is identical in quality, packaging, and comes with all the pieces like the Japanese original.

DVDs
Dairugger XV Collection 1 was released on February 23, 2010.

Dairugger XV Collection 2 was released on May 25, 2010.

Dairugger XV Collection 3 will be released on September 28, 2010.

Plot changes within Voltron

 * Dairugger XV and GoLion are not related in any way, in contrast to the U.S. version. (The coincidental similarities in design, most notably in the face, are due to having the same mechanical designer and a significant portion of the same animation staff.)
 * The Galaxy Alliance only exists in Dairugger XV in the Japanese, since Earth in GoLion is destroyed in a thermonuclear war.
 * Many of the allied and enemy force members died in Dairugger, as opposed to disappearing without any explanation in the U.S. Voltron series. The finale of Dairugger XV was different in its Voltron form &mdash; the U.S. footage had no depiction of Emperor Zeppo's true fate, which left a lot of questions for U.S. viewers (although one shot of Zeppo dead on the throne remained intact). The scene of Emperor Zeppo's death was cut out due to violence, perishing in an assassination attempt by Hazar and the Drules, who want freedom for their people. His death was similar to the bloody nature of Emperor Zanbazir's in Voltes V.
 * In the Japanese version, Telesu (Hazar) dies a martyr, and there is a sad scene where his body is left to die on Galveston at his request. He does not become the new leader of the new Drule people after all, but rather, his sister Dorma; the series ending where the Drules are finally at peace. This is highly referential to the ending in Daimos, where Erika, not Richter, becomes the new leader. The flames that engulf him are similar to Prince Heinel's redeemed death in Voltes V.
 * Aki (Jeff) and Haruka (Lisa) have a serious relationship in the show. The lucky charm that Haruka gives to Aki dies with Telesu (Hazar).
 * Dick Asimov (Captain Newley) was Shinji Ise's (Commander Hawkins) superior officer in the original series. The dialogue was rewritten in Voltron to suggest that Hawkins was Newley's superior. There were inconsistencies, however that reveal the original ranks of the two officers.

Korean version
There is a South Korean knockoff anime of Dairugger XV called Super Titan 15 (슈퍼타이탄15). It also cribs characters and vehicles from Galaxy Express 999.