Spiral Power

Lore & Background

Spiral Power is central to the conflict of Gurren Lagann. The Spiral King, Lordgenome, once part of an intergalactic army of warriors who failed to stop the Anti-Spirals, forced mankind underground to prevent them from evolving and attracting the Anti-Spirals' attention. The Anti-Spirals had been observing and acting through Lordgenome long before the human population reached one million; when that threshold was met, they sent the Moon on a collision course with Earth to prevent life from evolving to the extent it would risk destroying the universe in a cataclysmic event called the Spiral Nemesis. Nia was created by the Anti-Spirals and sent as a messenger specifically because the one-million population threshold had been met. Lordgenome was resurrected as a bio-computer and revealed this history. The Moon was not Lordgenome's flagship; it was the actual Moon, transformed into a weapon by the Anti-Spirals. Lordgenome's flagship was a separate vessel (the 'Cathedral Lazengann') used later. The Moon was already present, not retrieved from a pocket dimension; Team Dai-Gurren used it as a launch platform to travel to the Anti-Spiral homeworld. The final battle was not a one-on-one Gunmen battle; Simon piloted a giant Lagann (evolved into Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann) against the Anti-Spiral's giant mecha, and the fight involved multiple allies and transformations. The Anti-Spirals were ultimately defeated by a combined attack from Team Dai-Gurren, not solely by Simon and Lagann.

In Their Own Story

Simon, a meek young digger from Giha village, unearths a drill-shaped key called a Core Drill and finds a small Gunmen. When a giant Gunmen attacks the village, Simon uses his Core Drill to activate the smaller Gunmen — which Kamina names Lagann — and its drilling-based abilities. He destroys the larger Gunmen and breaks through the ceiling, reaching the surface. Kamina hijacks a Gunmen and names it Gurren, combining it with Lagann to form Gurren Lagann. Their actions inspire other humans to steal Gunmen and join Team Gurren, later renamed Team Dai-Gurren. After Kamina is killed by one of Lordgenome's four generals, Simon sinks into depression until he meets Nia, Lordgenome's daughter. Nia helps Simon come to terms with Kamina's death, and Simon becomes the team's leader. They fight Lordgenome at his palace, Teppelin, a gigantic Gunmen. In the final battle, Simon uses his Core Drill to defeat Lordgenome. Seven years later, when the human population reaches one million, the Anti-Spirals emerge. Simon and Team Dai-Gurren, joined by Viral and the resurrected Lordgenome, prevent the Moon's collision and go to the Anti-Spirals' homeworld. Simon and Lagann destroy the Anti-Spirals in a one-on-one Gunmen battle across the universe. Simon then hands his Core Drill to Gimmy and leaves his friends, stating his destiny was merely to "dig the tunnel to the future."

Reader's Guide

Spiral Power is generated by living beings with the potential for growth. It is channeled through Core Drills and Gunmen. Simon's Lagann produces drills from its body when reacting to Simon's Spiral energy. This energy allows Simon to combine Lagann with Kamina's Gurren to form Gurren Lagann, and to take control of other Gunmen. The Anti-Spirals suppress Spiral Power to prevent the Spiral Nemesis, a cataclysmic event that would destroy the universe. They created Nia as their messenger and used her to deliver their ultimatum. Lordgenome, once a warrior against the Anti-Spirals, forced mankind underground to protect them. After his defeat, he was resurrected as a bio-computer and joined Simon's team. The Moon was revealed to be Lordgenome's flagship, reprogrammed by the Anti-Spirals. Simon and his team used it to retrieve the real Moon from a pocket dimension and travel to the Anti-Spirals' homeworld. In the final battle, Simon and Lagann destroyed the Anti-Spirals, but Nia faded away because her existence was tied to theirs.

Did You Know?

• Simon's Core Drill is a drill-shaped key that activates the Gunmen Lagann and its drilling-based abilities.
• The Anti-Spirals sent the Moon on a collision course with Earth when the human population reached one million, but they had been observing and acting through Lordgenome earlier.
• Lordgenome was resurrected as a bio-computer to help Simon and Team Dai-Gurren fight the Anti-Spirals.
• The Moon was the actual Moon, transformed into a weapon by the Anti-Spirals; Lordgenome's flagship was a separate vessel called the Cathedral Lazengann.
• Nia faded away after the Anti-Spirals were destroyed because her existence was tied to theirs.