- For the character in the Battle Planet series, see Dan Kouzo.
“ |
We're in it to win it! |
” |
—Dan Kuso, Various episodes
Daniel "Dan" Kuso (Japanese: Danma "Dan" Kūsō (空操 弾馬 (ダン), Kūsō Danma (Dan)?)) is the main protagonist of the anime series Bakugan Battle Brawlers and its three following seasons: New Vestroia, Gundalian Invaders, and Mechtanium Surge.
He is partnered with a Pyrus Dragonoid named Drago (who eventually evolved into Fusion Dragonoid). After his actions in the first season, he has become a legend among brawlers from Earth, Vestal, Neathia, and Gundalia.
For the first two seasons, he lived in Wardington with his parents, Miyoko Kuso and Shinjiro Kuso, near his friends Runo Misaki, Marucho Marukura and Shun Kazami. He moved to Bayview in Gundalian Invaders, as did Julie, who became his neighbor.
He was the #1 Brawler in Bakugan Interspace until he was disqualified in a brawl against Anubias. He moved to Bakugan City in Arc 2 of Mechtanium Surge, and now lives in the Battle Brawlers Headquarters.
Appearance
In the first season, he is seen wearing a short red overcoat with black pockets over a bright yellow sleeveless. He has brown hair in which he wears hexagonal shaped goggles. He wears long red trousers with black stripes just below his knees, the ends of which are neatly tucked into his blue-tongued black sneakers. He keeps his Bakugan Gear on his belt. Lastly, he wore blue fingerless gloves. The left glove was longer and he wore an orange BakuPod on his left wrist.
In New Vestroia, he wears a gold-trimmed long sleeved overcoat and darker colored 'shoulder pads' on his shoulders. His sleeves go past his wrist forming a slight upward V-shape. He wears this over a light blue sleeveless shirt. He wears white pants with grey pinstriped patches on his hips that are outlined in blue. The bottoms of his pants are neatly tucked into his black boots and are supported by a white and blue belt with a square belt buckle and wears suspender-like straps on his waist with gold buckles. He wore black fingerless gloves nearly identical to the ones he wore in the first season.
In Gundalian Invaders, he wears a white-collared red jacket with the sleeves rolled slightly up his forearms. His goggles have become elliptical. His gold buckled belt is replaced by a normal buckle (silver or aluminum). He wears dark trousers with side pockets that are outlined in red and tucked into his blue and black sneakers with gray tongues. When he became a castle knight, he wore a high-collared form-fitting outfit similar to a stormtrooper's armor. It was trimmed in red and gold and had blue markings down the sides. However, he reverted to his former outfit at the end of the series.
In the First Arc of Mechtanium Surge, he wears his trademark red jacket with a black high collar and black pads on the sides of each of his shoulders over a white and blue T-shirt. He wears normal jeans which are held by a brown belt. He also wears red-soled black sneakers that have red tongues. His goggles became rectangular again
In the second arc, he wears a red jacket which has white-colored shoulders, black fingerless gloves, and dark red jeans. Under jacket Dan has a slim T-shirt in color black. On the foot he wears black and red sneakers which almost identical to the First Arc, except the white trim.
Occasionally, in the few episodes during his morning jog Dan wears a sporting outfit which mostly black with red-colored trims on the sides from the collar and down to shoes.
Personality
Dan is a boy who really loves Bakugan and aspires to be the best brawler to ever live, which he achieves in the last episode of Bakugan Battle Brawlers. However, he tends to be impulsive and rash, which often leads him to trouble when his overconfidence gets the better of him. He is easily frustrated, which combined with his eagerness to brawl, causes him to complain a lot when he has to wait around in hiding, as shown in the first and second season. By the third season, however, Dan has outgrown that habit, as shown in the episode Curtain Call when he was telling Jake to help rebuild the second shield generator after they had a successful victory over the Gundalians.
In the beginning, Dan played using raw power without any kind of strategy, only caring about winning and not the consequences that would follow. Because of this, he and Drago got into an argument that ended with Dan throwing Drago in the river. After losing a battle to Ryo and reuniting with Drago, Dan learned that there's more to Bakugan than just power. After that experience, Dan started using a little more strategy in his battles, allowing him to take on world-ranked Bakugan champions like Chan Lee.
Bakugan
Bakugan Battle Brawlers
Bakugan Battle Brawlers: New Vestroia
Bakugan: Gundalian Invaders
Bakugan: Mechtanium Surge
Arc 1
Arc 2
- Former Bakugan
Trading Card Game
Battles
Dan is a skilled brawler between Seasons 1-3, but takes a dip in his record in Season 4. He lost three brawls in Battle Brawlers, three in New Vestroia, three in Gundalian Invaders, and eight in Mechtanium Surge.
Bakugan Battle Brawlers
|
Opponent(s) |
Episode(s) |
Outcome
|
Shuji |
1 |
Win
|
Shuji |
1 |
Win
|
Shuji |
2 |
Win
|
Masquerade |
2 |
Draw
|
Shuji |
3 |
Win
|
Rikimaru |
3 |
Win
|
Ryo |
4 |
Lose
|
Ryo |
4 |
Win
|
Kenta and Kenji (Tag with Runo) |
6 |
Win
|
JJ Dolls (Tag with Marucho) |
7-8 |
Win
|
Unknown Ventus Brawler |
11 |
Win
|
Shun Kazami (Flashback) |
12 |
Win
|
Shun Kazami/Masquerade |
13 |
Win (vs. Masquerade) Lose (vs. Shun)
|
Chan Lee |
16 |
Win
|
Julio Santana (Tag with Runo) |
18 |
Win
|
Klaus von Hertzon, Chan Lee, and Julio Santana (Tag with Runo and Marucho) |
21-22 |
Win
|
Joe Brown |
23 |
No Outcome (Joe faints)
|
Akira, Shuji, and Nene (Tag with Runo) |
25 |
Win
|
Masquerade |
27 |
Lose
|
Illusionary Runo |
33 |
Win
|
Julie Makimoto |
35 |
Win
|
Marucho Marukura |
35 |
Win
|
Runo Misaki |
36 |
Win
|
Shun Kazami |
37 |
Win
|
Masquerade |
38 |
Win
|
Tayghen and Hairadee (Tag with Shun, Marucho, Runo, and Julie) |
41 |
Win
|
Tricloid and Rabeeder (Tag with Runo and Julie) |
42 |
Win
|
Centorrior and Druman (Tag with Nova Lion, later Masquerade) |
43-44 |
Win
|
Centorrior and Druman (Tag with Runo, Marucho, Julie, Klaus, Julio, Billy, and Komba) |
50-51 |
Win
|
Hal-G (Tag with the Battle Brawlers) |
51-52 |
Win
|
Bakugan: Mechtanium Surge
|
Opponent(s) |
Episode |
Outcome
|
Unknown Brawlers |
1 |
Win
|
Ben |
1 |
Win
|
Zenthon |
2 |
No Outcome
|
Anubias
|
3
|
Lose (Due to Mag Mel)
|
Zenthon (Tag with Marucho and Shun)
|
4
|
No Outcome
|
Sellon and Chris (Tag with Shun)
|
4
|
Win
|
Anubias
|
6
|
Win
|
Amazon
|
8
|
Lose (Due to Mag Mel)
|
Anubias (Tag with Preyas and Amazon)
|
9
|
Win
|
Zenthon
|
11
|
No Outcome
|
Sellon
|
14
|
Win
|
Anubias and Sellon
|
16
|
Lose (Due to Mag Mel)
|
Chaos Bakugan (Tag with the Battle Brawlers)
|
17
|
No Outcome
|
Mag Mel (Tag with the Battle Brawlers)
|
17
|
Lose
|
Anubias and Sellon (Tag with Marucho and Shun)
|
18
|
Win
|
Cyclone Percival (Tag with Rafe)
|
19
|
Win
|
Mag Mel, Anubias, and Sellon (Tag with the Battle Brawlers)
|
19
|
Win
|
Cyclone Percival
|
20
|
Win
|
Chaos Bakugan (Tag with the Battle Brawlers)
|
20
|
No Outcome
|
Anubias and Sellon (Tag with the Battle Brawlers)
|
20
|
Win
|
Flash Ingram, Braxion, Miserak, and Rockfist (Tag with Paige and Rafe)
|
21
|
No Outcome
|
Iron Dragonoid (Tag with Shun)
|
22
|
Win
|
Cyclone Percival
|
22
|
Win
|
Anubias
|
22
|
No Outcome
|
Chaos Bakugan
|
23
|
Win
|
Mag Mel
|
23
|
No Outcome
|
Chaos Army (Tag with the Battle Brawlers, Team Anubias, and Team Sellon)
|
24
|
Win
|
Chaos Army (Tag with the Battle Brawlers, Team Anubias, and Team Sellon)
|
25
|
Win
|
Mag Mel
|
26
|
Win
|
Unknown Brawler
|
27
|
Win
|
Shun Kazami
|
27
|
Win
|
Gunz Lazar
|
27
|
No Outcome
|
Coredegon, Slycerak, Exostriker, and Mandibor (Tag with Marucho and Shun)
|
27
|
Win
|
Wiseman (Tag with Marucho and Shun)
|
28
|
Win
|
Wiseman
|
29
|
Win
|
Wiseman (Tag with Marucho and Shun)
|
32
|
Win
|
Wiseman
|
33
|
Win
|
Wiseman
|
34
|
Win
|
Wiseman (Tag with Marucho and Shun)
|
35
|
No Outcome
|
Wiseman (Tag with Marucho and Shun)
|
36
|
Lose
|
Wiseman (Tag with Marucho and Shun)
|
37
|
Win
|
Wiseman (Tag with Runo)
|
38
|
Win
|
Slycerak, Exostriker, and Mandibor (Tag with Marucho and Shun)
|
39
|
Lose
|
Gunz Lazar (Flashback)
|
40
|
Win
|
Wiseman (Tag with Marucho and Shun)
|
40
|
Lose
|
Coredegon, Slycerak, Exostriker, and Mandibor (Tag with Marucho and Shun)
|
41
|
Lose
|
Gunz Lazar
|
43
|
Win
|
Mechtavius Destroyer (Tag with Marucho, Shun, and Gunz)
|
45-46
|
Win
|
Gunz Lazar
|
46
|
Win
|
Trivia
- Dan is the first and only one to use a Double Ability in Gundalian Invaders.
- Dan, Runo, and Julie are the second youngest out of the original Battle Brawlers.
- Dan's age differs on older TV Tokyo sites, being listed as one year younger than his canonical age of 12.[3]
- He is the second person to use a Triple Ability, after Spectra.
- His goggles are similar to those worn by the main protagonists of Digimon seasons 1-4 and 6-9.
- With a total of seven Bakugan Traps, he has the most Bakugan Traps.
- In his Japanese name, 空操弾馬 (Kūsō Danma), his last name, Kūsō, consists of the kanji for "sky" (空) and "honor" (操). The first kanji in his given name, 弾 (dan), has a number of meanings: bullet, ball, pellet, and shell. The next one, 馬 (ma), is much simpler: it just means "horse."
- There is a misconception with some English fans that "Kūsō" is pronounced the same way as the Japanese swear "kuso" (which is an equivalent of "damn"). However, in Japanese, the two words are quite distinct, as the hiragana for Kūsō would be spelled くうそう (the vowels are drawn out), while the swear word is くそっ (all vowels are short).
References
Bakugan Battle Brawlers main characters
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Battle Brawlers
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Brawlers' Allies
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Antagonists
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Leaders
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Bakugan
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Hybrid Gatekeepers
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Other
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Bakugan: Gundalian Invaders main characters
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Battle Brawlers
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Brawlers
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Bakugan
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Battle Gear
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Mobile Assault
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Neathians
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Brawlers
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Bakugan
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Battle Gear
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The Twelve Orders
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Brawlers
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Bakugan
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Battle Gear
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Minor Characters
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