Ronin Warriors, known in Japan by its original title Legendary Armor Samurai Troopers (鎧伝サムライトルーパー, Yoroiden Samurai Torūpā), is a Japanese anime series created by Hajime Yatate and animated by Sunrise. The television series, co-produced by Nagoya TV, aired across Japan on the All-Nippon News Network from April 30, 1988, to March 4, 1989 for a total of 39 episodes. A manga adaptation was serialized on Kodansha’s Comic BomBom from November 17, 1988 to April 5, 1990 and the chapters collected into 2 tankōbon volumes.
| Ronin Warriors | |
North American cover of the first DVD volume
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| 鎧伝サムライトルーパー (Yoroiden Samurai Torūpā) | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Hajime Yatate |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by |
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| Chief screenwriter | |
| Screenplay by |
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| Produced by |
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| Music by | Osamu Totsuka |
| Studio | Sunrise |
| Licensed by |
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| Original network | ANN (Nagoya TV) |
| English network | |
| Original run | April 30, 1988 – March 4, 1989 |
| Episodes | 39(List of episodes) |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Ryūichi Hoshino |
| Published by | Kodansha |
| Magazine | Comic BomBom |
| Demographic | Kodomo |
| Original run | November 17, 1988 – April 5, 1990 |
| Volumes | 2 |
| Original video animation | |
| Gaiden | |
| Directed by | Kazuki Akane |
| Produced by |
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| Written by | Fuyunori Gobu |
| Music by | Osamu Totsuka |
| Studio | Sunrise |
| Licensed by |
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| Released | April 30, 1989 – June 1, 1989 |
| Runtime | 25 minutes |
| Episodes | 2(List of episodes) |
| Original video animation | |
| Legend of the Inferno Armor | |
| Directed by | Mamoru Hamatsu |
| Produced by |
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| Written by | Masashi Ikeda Fuyunori Gobu |
| Music by | Osamu Totsuka |
| Studio | Sunrise |
| Licensed by |
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| Released | October 8, 1989 – January 11, 1990 |
| Runtime | 30 minutes |
| Episodes | 4(List of episodes) |
| Original video animation | |
| Message | |
| Directed by | Masashi Ikeda |
| Produced by |
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| Written by | Masashi Ikeda Fuyunori Gobu |
| Music by | Osamu Totsuka |
| Studio | Sunrise |
| Licensed by |
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| Released | March 21, 1991 – August 23, 1991 |
| Runtime | 30 minutes |
| Episodes | 5(List of episodes) |
| Manga | |
| Shin Yoroiden Samurai Troopers | |
| Written by | Izumi Nikaidō |
| Illustrated by | Yūji Hosoi |
| Published by | Kodansha |
| Magazine | Monthly Shōnen Magazine |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Published | 1992 |
| Volumes | 1 |
Talpa, the demon lord of the Netherworld and ruler of The Dynasty, is bent on conquering the mortal world. Standing against Talpa and his four Dark Warlords are the five Ronin Warriors, each in possession of mystical armor and weapons. They are assisted by Mia Koji, a young student-teacher, and a mysterious warrior-monk known only as The Ancient.
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Ronin Warriors was originally licensed in the United States by Graz Entertainment and distributed by Cinar (now WildBrain), and it was recorded by the Vancouver-based Ocean Productions cast. Ronin Warriors first aired on American television during the summer of 1995 and subsequently appeared through syndication, as well as the USA Network (1995), Sci-Fi Channel (1996) and later on Cartoon Network (1999).[1]
The series was released on DVD in 2002, including the original Japanese version with English subtitles on the reverse side of the disc.[2] On September 4, 2014, North American anime licensor Discotek Media announced their license of the original Japanese anime (Yoroiden Samurai Troopers), and planned to release the series on DVD in 2015.[3] Discotek has said that on their Facebook page that they have no plans to release Ronin Warriors until they clear issues with the dub.[4] Discotek has also licensed the OVAs and includes both Japanese and English audio as well as English subtitles. By 2021, the issues were resolved and the series' English dub had a Blu-ray release on December 28, 2021.[5]
Crunchyroll later added the anime series for its streaming.[6] The English dub was legally available on streaming services such Amazon Prime Video, RetroCrush, and Tubi.
The opening and ending sequences and the eyecatches were replaced with new ones, and the Japanese title cards were removed; there were no substantial cuts to the bodies of the episodes and the episodes retained most of the original music.
A line of action figures based on the anime was released by Playmates Toys in 1999, with a limited rerelease by Re:Play in 2001.[7]
Three OVA sequels were produced: Gaiden (Side Story), The Legend of the Inferno Armor, and Message. There are numerous novels and audio dramas based on the anime. While all the sequels have been released on DVD, the manga and audio dramas have not been made available in English.
In July 2020, a crossover with Ragnarok Mobile was launched.[16]
