“Once, people staked their youth on the sea. On the seven seas, the flames of romanticism, ambition, adventure, and aspiration burned and clashed. Now, young people of the year AD 2200 challenge the sea of stars. What awaits them is a world beyond our imagination.” – Armored Fleet Dairugger XV
“From days of long ago, from uncharted regions of the universe, comes a legend, the legend of Voltron, Defender of the Universe. A mighty robot, loved by good, feared by evil.”
Ever since the 2016 release of Soul of Chogokin GX-71 GoLion/Lion Force Voltron, Super Robot and Voltron fans have been asking the question “When are we getting Dairugger XV?” Three years later, we have the answer to that question.
Soul of Chogokin GX-88 Dairugger XV will be released in October 2019 for 38,500 yen. For many, the price tag is steep and this release is in fact one of the most expensive one in the entire Soul of Chogokin line. Yet, the price tag might be justified in how many accessories are included in this set.
Much like in the original Armored Fleet Dairugger XV and the second season of Voltron Defender of the Universe series, 15 vehicles combine to form the final robot. These 15 vehicles are also broken up into three separate teams.
Aki Team/Air Team
Combined Vehicle: KuRugger/ Strato Fighter
Aki/ Jeff’s Rugger #1/ Command Jet Explorer 1
Kai/ Rocky’s Rugger #2/ Strato Weapons Module 2
Shota/ Wolo’s Rugger #3/ Advanced Recon Helicopter 3
Mutsu/ Chip’s Rugger #4/ Advanced Recon Helicopter 4
Patty/ Ginger’s Rugger #5/ Falcon Jet Fighter 5
Keats Team/Sea Team
Combined Vehicle: KaiRugger/ Aqua Fighter
Keats/ Krik’s Rugger #6/ Communications Module 6
Haruka/ Lisa’s Rugger #7/ Space Prober 7
Katz/ Tagor’s Rugger #8/ Space Prober 8
Tatsuo/ Shannon’s Rugger #9/ Multi-Wheeled Explorer 9
Barros/ Zandee’s Rugger #10/ Multi-Wheeled Explorer 10
Walter Team/Land Team
Combined Vehicle: RikuRugger/ Turbo Terrain Fighter
Walter/ Cliff’s Rugger #11/ Jet Radar Station 11
Moya/ Cinda’s Rugger #12/ Rotating Personnel Carrier 12
Mack/ Modok’s Rugger #13/ Armored Equipment Carrier 13
Tasuku/ Marvin’s Rugger #14/ All-Terrain Space Vehicle 14
Kazuto/ Hutch’s Rugger #15/ All-Terrain Space Vehicle 15
Standing at 290mm (11.5 inches) tall, the final combined Dairugger XV/Vehicle Team Voltron is an impressive sight. This design has long been ignored in the modern era due to the complexities of its transformation. Tamashii Nations really pulled out all the stops here to include a surprising amount of articulation without losing the look of the overall robot. The original Popy Dairugger XV only ever included the rotor blades (which could not be held in the hands) and the main sword. However, GX-88 Dairugger XV will not follow this trend.
The full accessory list for GX-88 Dairugger XV is as follows:
- Replacement Hands x4
- Sword
- Javelin
- Lance A and B
- Spin Cutters x2
- Spin Cutters (Energized) x2
- Electromagnetic Whip
- Weapon Pedestal
- Pedestal Plaque – Dairugger XV
- Pedestal Plaque – Voltron
- Various Antennae
Pre-orders of Soul of Chogokin GX-88 Dairugger XV will open for pre-order in Japan on June 3rd, 2019. It is expected that Bluefin Brands will be bringing over this release and packaging it with a slipcover to have a different look to be more Voltron themed, much how GX-71 GoLion was released before.
Source: Tamashii
