Sotaro Ushigome

"Iron Bison! GaoBlack!"

- GaoBlack's roll call

Sotaro Ushigome (牛込 草太郎) is GaoBlack (ガオブラック) of the Gaorangers.

Gaoranger
Sotaro Ushigome is a 22-year-old retired sumo wrestler who was chosen as the fourth Gaoranger about a month before Kakeru. He aspired to become a grand champion sumo wrestler, but a knee injury forced him to retire from his wrestling career. Afterwards, he worked as an assistant at Flower Garden Casablanca with his crush, Shi-chan. Though he is the strongest out of the Gaorangers, he is a very gentle soul with a fear of heights and a weakness for women. He is in charge of forming the lower body for the Gaorangers' mecha formations. After the final battle, he and Shi-chan worked together on a ranch although he and Kai initially planned to run a Chanko shop together to "dominate the world."

Gaoranger vs. Super Sentai
to be added

Gaoranger vs. Gorenger
to be added

Hurricaneger vs. Gaoranger
Sotaro, along with the core Gaorangers, got their powers stolen by Space Ninja Group Jakanja and were held as hostages. His team was saved by the Hurricanegers, and got their powers back when Tsukumaro arrives.

Legend War
Years later, Sotaro fought alongside not only his own team, but every single Sentai ranger in existence, against the Empire of Zangyack when it attacked the Earth in the Great Legend War. After fighting against hundreds of Gormin and their Zgormin commanders. Akarenger noticed the fleet moving towards them, he gathered all the Rangers together and gave them the order to sacrifice their powers to wipe out the first invasion's armada. The GaoBlack powers are later used by Don Dogoier via the Ranger Keys.

Farewell Space Pirates
After the Gokaigers defeated the Zangyack, Marvelous returned the Ranger Keys to their original owners. It is assumed Sotaro and his team have their powers back.

Super Hero Taisen
Sotaro, alongside his team (bar GaoSilver), among the majority of the Super Sentai heroes, was caught up in the "Super Hero Taisen" incident which eventually resulted in the Super Sentai teams and Kamen Riders joining forces to defeat both Dai-Zangyack and Dai-Shocker. During the final battle, he is seen fighting Doukoku Chimatsuri.

Super Sentai Versus Series Theater
Sotaro's appearances in the "Versus Series", Gaoranger vs. Super Sentai and Hurricaneger vs. Gaoranger, are featured in the Super Sentai Versus Series Theater, hosted by the heroes of Tensou Sentai Goseiger. Agri (Gosei Black) also dresses as Sotaro in the Gaoranger cosplay.

Akibaranger
Kozukozu Mita cosplays as Sotaro in the seventh episode of Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger: Season Two.

Gaoranger video game
GaoBlack appears with his team in the Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger video game.

Super Sentai Battle: Dice-O

 * Profile
 * Sotaro Ushigome/GaoBlack: to be added

Power Animals

 * GaoBison
 * GaoRhinos & GaoMajiro

Arsenal

 * G-Phone
 * Beast King Sword
 * Gao Jewels
 * Bison Axe

Ranger Key
The GaoBlack Ranger Key (ガオブラックレンジャーキー) is Sotaro Ushigome's personal Ranger Key and what became of his powers after he along with the rest of the 34 Super Sentai sacrificed their powers to end the Great Legend War.

This key along with the majority of the Ranger Keys were collected by the Red Pirates and later used by the Gokaigers. The GaoBlack Ranger Key was mainly used by Don Dogoier (Gokai Green), who used it to fight as GaoBlack.
 * When the Gokaigers became the Gaorangers while fighting against the Sneak Brothers' Gormin Sailors.
 * When the Gokaigers became the Gaorangers while fighting against Action Commander Bowser.
 * When the Gokaigers became the Gaorangers while fighting against Action Commander Zakyura.

The Gaoranger keys, along with all the Ranger Keys of the first 33 Super Sentai, were briefly taken by the Black Cross King and turned into Ranger puppets that were fought by the Gokaigers and the Goseigers. Splitting up, the puppet GaoBlack was defeated as part of a group of surviving Black and Green warrior keys by Gokai Green and Super Gosei Black.

After Zangyack were finally defeated, the Gokaigers gave the Ranger Keys back to their rightful owners. Sotaro received his key and became GaoBlack once more.

Imitations
A copy of GaoBlack was created by Copy Org as part of the Copy Sentai Copyranger. Org copies of the Gaorangers, Copy Org created these clones with horns, they were killed by the special attacks of the Gaorangers. A shadow-clone GaoBlack was created by Dorodoro's ninja powers as part of the Shade Rangers. The Gaorangers could not destroy these shadows without killing themselves in the process. After GaoRed used his Falcon Summoner to kill Dorodoro, the Shaderangers then disappeared.

Third Spear, Manmaruba disguised himself as Sotaro as well as using his G-Phone to become GaoBlack along with four other Seven Dark Spears to make the Hurricanegers and Gouraigers believe the Gaorangers were evil.

Portrayal
Sotaro Ushigome is portrayed by Kazuyoshi Sakai (酒井 一圭). As GaoBlack, his suit actor was Hideaki Kusaka (日下 秀昭).