Ryo Sanada
Ryo Sanada, known in Japan as Ryō Sanada (真田遼 Sanada Ryō), is the unofficial leader of the Ronin Warriors. He is often called "hot-headed" by fans and does tend to charge ahead without putting too much thought into the situation beforehand (like Kento). Nevertheless, he has a big heart and cares for his friends. He is voiced by Takeshi Kusao (Matt Hill in the English dub).
Ryo's family is descended from a Shinobi ninja clan, but very little is known about them. Ryo's mother died when he was still a baby and his wild-life photographer father, Sanada-san, makes his first official appearance in an audiocassette drama (Cassette Collection #3), in which he is possessed by a demon. Despite such traumatic events, Mr. Sanada is often on photography assignments, much to his son's dismay. Ryo has relatives on his father's side of the family, but has never met them: their personal convictions are disliked by Sanada-san, who had to abandon them to live a life of his own.
Ryo wears the Wildfire armor (a straightfoward translation of its original Japanese name, Rekka). His Virtue is Jin (Righteousness; rendered simply as Virtue within the series). He has an elemental affinity for fire. His weapons are a twin pair of katanas, and his surekill is Wildfire Flare (Flare Up Now!) (called Sou En Zan or Twin Flame Cut, in YST). For this attack, he attaches his two katanas together to form a staff-like weapon and performs a greatly empowered strike with it.
When Ryo gathers energy and the guiding Virtues from the four Ronin or Warlord armors, the armor of Inferno (called Shiroi Kikoutei or White Sun Emperor, in YST) (sometimes simply called the White Armor in the dub) forms around him. He gained the armor during the first battle against Talpa. During the battle Ryo is overpowered and absorbed into Talpa's armor along with the rest of the Ronin warriors and Dark Warlords. He nearly gives up, but refusing to let his friends down he breaks free, and gains the Inferno from the other Ronin's virtues and defeats Talpa. A draw for Ryo when using the Inferno armor was that its power was so great that it damaged his swords from the wildfire armor when he used it, but Ryo later gained the Swords of Fervor, (called Gou Retsu Ken or Strong Violent Swords) and uses a different surekill: Rage of Inferno. The attack is essentially the same as his Wildfire's surekill, except that he shoots a massive stream of fire instead of attacking with a his swords. The armor's power itself is legendary; at the peak of its power, it is said to be able to destroy an entire planet. When Ryo gained the armor, Talpa desired it to the point where he lost any interest in the other armors. With no guiding virtue of its own, the Inferno Armor must rely on 5 guiding virtues to keep it pure. Ryo's tiger, White Blaze, also has an armored form. White Blaze is entrusted with the soul of Black Blaze, who accompanies Ryo into battle and carries the Soul Swords of Fervor. However, the Inferno Armor was eradicated in a fever-pitched battle with Mukara.
By the end of the 3rd OVA, Message, Ryo gained a new armor and more powerful abilities.
The name "Sanada" likely came from Sanada Yukimura, a real samurai who died in 1615. He is frequently depicted as wearing red armor, and was widely considered a hero.
The crest on Ryo's armor is actually a slightly stylized version the family symbol of the Takeda clan.
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