Gai Yuki

"Black Condor!"

Gai Yuki (結城 凱, Yūki Gai) was the Black Condor in Chojin Sentai Jetman.

Biography
Gai (born December 6, 1965) was a confrontational and obnoxious loner who hated being ordered around and adored fighting. Like the others, he was a member because he had received the power. He was not happy about it, but he did come through for the team every time. His combat skills match Ryu's, though he was the dirty type, as sometimes grabs his foe in the crotch to perform an overhead lift and toss.

He initially clashed with Ryu, but that clash gave Ryu something solid to distract himself from the agony of Rie's death, while it gave Gai something to pretend he was there just to annoy and not because he wanted to be.

Gai fell in love with Kaori. She appealed to him in part for her gentleness and class, for her spirit and bravery which he recognized, and also because unlike almost every woman he met, she would not be his for the taking. He flirted with her but with no results and he ended up suffering from the frustration of his unanswered feelings. Slowly, he began to put himself at risk to protect her, and it quickly became an addiction.

One particular time he took a shot from a deadly Empress Juuza, and soon found crystals bursting from his flesh. Eventually he believed he was dying, and fled from his fellow Jetman. Kaori eventually found him. He was trying to be brave, but the agony got the better of him. Then when he thought he could feel himself changing, he swore his love to Kaori, then tried to flee beyond her sight. She had to watch him turn into a giant crystal. When Kaori managed to destroy Empress Juuza's source jewel, everyone it had turned to crystal returned to their human state, and Gai was able to come just in time to help his teammates completely defeat the Vyram.

A second time he nearly died for her, and Kaori admitted to herself as well as him that she loved him as well. They became an item, but not for long. For all his obsession with her, and all the good qualities both had, they were very unsuited from each other. Gai broke up with Kaori when she tried to make him over as a businessman for meeting her parents, rather than him getting to be presented as himself.

While he and Kaori were still together, Gai had learned about Ryu's fiancée, Rie, and had to watch a man he'd come to believe in fall to pieces. He finally accepted being depended on by his teammates, even though he resisted being what people forced in to be all his life. Eventually Gai met his rival Grey in one-on-one challenge, and after a severe battle, a lucky shot saved him. Honoring his opponent's request for a last smoke, he lit the cigar Grey carried. Then he came just when he was needed, and together with his teammates defeated the last of the Vyram, Radiguet.

Death
Three years later, Gai found out that Ryu and Kaori had fallen in love and were getting married. While buying flowers for his beloved friends' wedding, he stopped a mugger from taking a woman's purse. The mugger was humiliated and took out a switchblade, and stabbed Gai in the stomach; the mugger, mortified that he actually stabbed someone, ran away.

Knowing he was going to die this time, Gai did not hide from his friends, but made it to their wedding too late for the ceremony. He made it to the reception and sat on a bench, where he greeted Ryu. Ryu saw how weak Gai was, but Gai lied that it was just a hangover. He wished Ryu well and gave Kaori his blessings from a distance, as he was too weak to get up. Former teammate Ako took a picture of the two friends sitting on the bench before Ryu left to go greet more guests. Gai smoked a bit of cigarette before finally passing out. Ryu then noticed how still Gai was on the bench, the team rushing to their fallen comrade's side as the camera panned to the sky.

When the Jetmen were called to aid Earth again, Jeffrey Kensaki (Green Eagle) took Gai's place on the team. This however is considered non-canon as Kensaki never appeared outside of the manga to truly serve as Gai's replacement. His actual fate was for many years unknown, until it was finally confirmed in Gokaiger's 28th episode, almost 19 years after the Jetman finale aired, that he really had died.

Years later, Black Condor somehow appeared to fight 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. Kaijou 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. After the fighting ended, Gai returned to Heaven. The Black Condor powers are later used by Don Dogoier via the Ranger Keys.

In Gokaiger's 28th episode, Gai wins a card game against a goddess and has her return him to Earth for one day, amongst others because the drinks in Heaven was horrible. He first appears before Don, Joe and Luka and offers Luka to come with him, before easily defeating Joe, taking his Mobirate and telling them to leave the Jetman team alone. Gai then confronts Marvelous, Ahim and Gai, fighting Marvelous and also taking his Mobirate and at the same proving that he is a ghost that only the Gokaigers, with the exception of Gai, can see.

He later assists the Gokaigers in their battle with the Zangyack Bounty Hunter and even transforms into Black Condor before giving back the Mobirates and giving the Greater Powers of Jetman to the group.

In the end, Gai returns to his heaven which is similar to a bar he spent a lot of time in while he was alive. There he beats the goddess in a game of cards again and, upon her request, plays some music for her.

After the Gokaiger defeat Ackdos Gill, Marvelous returned the Ranger Keys to their original owners. Since Gai could still transform in his deceased state, it is assumed it's return was a symbolic measure as opposed to the actual return of his powers.

Mecha

 * Jet Condor
 * Bird Garuda / Jet Garuda (shared with Red, Yellow, White, and Blue)

Arsenal

 * Cross Changer
 * Corresponder
 * Jet Hand Cannon
 * Bird Blaster
 * Bringer Sword
 * Smash Bomber
 * Bird Blaster
 * Beak Smasher
 * Wing Gauntlet
 * Jet Speeder

Fate
Although he was only mentioned as "dead" in the manga epilogue, his ultimate fate in the Jetman or Sentai Universe was unknown, since the manga epilogue itself may be an alternate timeline in the Jetman or Sentai storylines

His appearance in Super Sentai World may be questionable, regardless of whether he died or not although it may be suggested that Super Sentai World may have taken place at least prior to the wedding of Ryū and Kaori, since the wedding itself took place 3 years after the final battle, and Kakuranger was aired 3 years after Jetman).

In Episode 28 of Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger, a gravestone is shown with "YUKI GAI" engraved on it. This confirms that he really did die in the Jetman epilogue. Gai speculates that each of his former teammates visit often, as his grave had items that can be traced back to the other four Jetmen.

Trivia

 * His interests included motorcycles, saxophone, gambling and womanizing.
 * He loved the Scotch whisky Macallan.
 * He hated men and natto (fermented soybeans), and still does.
 * Gai's fighting style is a street fighting and martial arts mix.
 * Gai is the last member of a core team to have died and the only one who had not been replaced (in actual continuity, not counting the manga). After him, all other Sentai deaths have either been of Sixth Rangers or Extra Heroes.
 * Reportedly, two of the head writers of Gokaiger nearly came to blows over Gai in the Great Legend War - one of them, an original writer for Jetman, didn't want him to return, but the other was insistent that he did. What happened is a morbid combination.
 * During the 11th episode, when every of the Jetman got their personality flaws overriding their current one, Gai becomes a more typical fighter of justice who values teamwork, in other words a straightforward good guy. While after being cured, Gai dismissed it as a 'sissy' form of him, it does serve as a foreshadowing that Gai was more than just a self-centered, womanizing jerk he was portrayed as thus far.
 * Like three previous cameos, Gai kept his power even deceased; the fact that he and the others were dead may explain how he and the others were able to fight in the Legend War and then keep their powers after the sacrifice.