Ryo of the Heavenly Fire Star

"RyuuRanger! Heavenly Fire Star, Ryo!"

- RyuuRanger's role call

Ryo of the Heavenly Fire Star ("天火星" 亮) is RyuuRanger (リュウレンジャー) and leader of the Dairangers. He is 23 years old (41 as of Gokaiger). Son of the previous RyuuRanger Zhang Liao and a human woman, he was not aware of his Dai heritage prior to the events of the series. His mother died prior to the events of the series and he has raised his younger sister, Youko, by himself.

Dairanger
Ryo was twenty-three years old when he became a Dairanger. In his daily life, he was an apprentice-cook at a Chinese restaurant in Yokohama's Chinatown. His dream was to be the number-one Gyoza cook in all of Japan. He was a direct descendant of the Dai tribe. Ryou had an eight year old sister, Youko, who apparently was born around the same time their father supposedly died. In the first episode, Ryo was innocently taking out the garbage at work one day when a crazy tentacle (which belonged to Baron String) took off with Youko and he pursued it, until it attacked him. In the end he was rescued by a fire-breathing dragon, who also chose him as the next RyuuRanger, if against his will initially.

Until episodes 7 and 8, he finally found out his father wasn't really dead but Zhang Liao, who was the original RyuuRanger and betrayed his people to become the servant of Gorma High Priest Saw. Zhang Liao captured Lin, Kazu and Daigo along with the High Priest Saw, leaving only a frightened Shouji to relay the message to Kaku. Kaku locked Ryo in a closet and had Shouji guard Ryo. Ryo tricked Shouji into opening the door and went after Zhang Liao. He was captured by him and almost killed until Kaku revealed Ryo was his son. Ryo couldn't understand how this traitor slaughtered his own team members and was his supposedly dead father. Although Ryo implored to know how the man who loved his mother could possibly be the same person, Zhang Liao made no attempt to explain himself and left him a photo of the loving family. Zhang Liao attempted to kill High Priest Saw but was killed himself.

In Episode 15 Youko was kidnapped and Ryo had to face the Three Stupid Gorma on his own, Until his friends caught up with him. In Episode 21 and 22, he was the kidnap victim, and very nearly ended up dead as a Gorma sacrifice. And then in episode 26, he met someone who was Jin, a gentleman assassin who had a penchant to kill martial art masters. He was a mix between everything Ryo wanted to be, and everything that he feared. But Master Kaku warned Ryo to stay away from Jin, who had no access to Ki-power, because he believed Ryo would be defeated if he challenged such a master.

Even with this warning, Ryo came fixated on Jin. In another duel in Ryo called out his Ki power in frustration of defeat and blasted Jin. This enraged Jin, and he beat Ryo into the ground, leaving him bleeding in the grass. But Ryo needed to learn the skills Jin had developed, to save his friends who had been captured by a deadly Gorma. He also felt as he needed to prove himself capable of defeating this man who used those extraordinary talents to murder. And so after forcing himself to a speed and strength he never before had, he faced Jin a third time. Jin warned Ryo that he would kill him this time, even though he felt pity and considerable respect for him. Ryo was wearing springs, and now he broke them off. And with the springs gone, he was blindingly fast.

With the battle won, Ryo took off to fight the Gorma monster and save his friends. Jin, on the other hand, washed off on the beach and Zaidosu, who witnessed the battle, gave him power to become the Demon Boxer. Jin's punch injected a special kind of curse-poison and was injected into Ryo. He nearly killed Ryo but Ryo defeated his fears, and the two men confronted each other again. Zaidosu who was watching the fight, told the Cannon-Gorma to kill the winner of the battle. And though the battle was not quite over, it looked like that would be Ryo and the Cannon fired. But Jin heard the shot coming and leaped between to protect his enemy. The shot took him down, and Ryo was stunned. Jin had only saved Ryo because he wanted to defeat him in fair combat. Jin wanted to be the only one to do in him.

Ryo later found Jin unconscious and took care of him. Ryo had begun to realize what Jin should have been, and thought something must have happened to warp him into what he had become. And he was determined to unwarp Jin. At night while Jin slept, he transformed into a blood-drinking monster Garouki which went out and killed people. One morning, Jin awoke to find some strange growth on his right arm. Ryo took Jin out into the daylight in a wheelchair and Jin asked him why he was being so kind.

Ryo fumbled with the explanation, but could only come out with the truth. That he could not bear to see him die that way. Jin was an extraordinary warrior, with honor and courage enough to break a heart. And that at last Jin understood. Jin made Ryou promise, if he became a monster, to please be the one who defeated him. Ryo was frightened and confused, but Jin told him where to strike, and made him promise. For shortly after that Jin did become the monster Garouki, under Zaidosu's control.

It broke Ryo's heart to fight him, knowing Jin was not responsible for what was happening and would never have chosen it. Ryo reluctantly struck at that weak point, and broke Jin free from Zaidosu's control. They fought side by side until Zaidosu regained control and turned Jin back into the Garouki, but the Dairangers used their cannon to break the power again, leaving only Jin. And Jin, though bleeding and weakened by the battle, challenged Ryo. While the others watched, the two men squared off a final time who perhaps weren't fighting wholeheartedly. Still, it was Ryo who broke through Jin's guard to punch him, but stopped a short distance from Jin's face.

Jin knew because Ryo particularly would never be able to strike the final blow, that there was no way the pair of them could ever test each other fully. Ryo tried desperately to do something in return for all that Jin had inadvertently given him. He did everything in his power to save the other man's soul. Ryo would rather he had stayed, but Jin could not and left. Jin's spirit later appeared to Ryo to beat sense into him to defeat the Gorma.

Ryo deeply trusts his teammates. Ryo specializes in Red Dragon Fist. His other attacks are the 'Inazuma Enjo Ha' which is in some sources translates to Lightning Blaze Destruction and in some others, Heaven Fire Star Lightning Flames Destruction. This is a straight fire attack. 'Ryusei Senko' is translated in some sources as Meteor Flash and in others as Shooting Star Lightning Flash.

Super Sentai World
Ryo later led his team in joining forces with the Fivemen, Jetmen, Zyurangers, and Kakurangers to defeat the evil Emperor Daidas and his forces.

Gaoranger vs Super Sentai
RyuuRanger is among the Sentai warriors seen in clips when Yusuke Amamiya (Red Falcon) lectured Gaku Washio (GaoYellow) about the past Sentai sword experts, showing him that the true sword wasn't the sharpest, but the one that feeds on courage.

Led by his Liveman predecessor Red Falcon, he appeared as one of 24 previous Red Rangers in Gaoranger vs. Super Sentai together with fellow Red Rangers from his predecessors AkaRenger to TyrannoRanger to his successors from NinjaRed to TimeRed.

Legend War
Years later, Ryo 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. He was seen behind Satoru Akashi and was seen with Jan Kandou as the fighting dragged on. 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 RyuuRanger powers are later used by Captain Marvelous via the Ranger Keys.

After the Great Legend War, Ryo has encountered the Gokaigers twice while maintaining his job working for a Chinese restaurant.

199 Hero Great Battle
In Gokaiger Goseiger Super Sentai 199 Hero Great Battle, Ryo encounters two fellow Sentai alumni Daigorou Oume and Koume "Umeko" Kodou as they encourage a salesman to not give up on life. right when the Black Cross King returned, Ryo clenched his fist. Ryo later assisted the Gokaigers and gives them the Dairanger greater power.

Iiiit's a Hero!!
Later, he became a mentor to Gai Ikari after Gai lost his Gokai Cellular to an Action Commander. At the restaurant, he tried to cheer Gai up with a serving of his specialty gyoza, but Gai told him he can no longer consider himself a hero without his Gokai Cellular.

Later on, Ryo saw Gai at a nearby bazaar, where he told Gai that throughout his frustrations, he has forgotten the most important thing about being a hero. But before he continued the conversation, Zakyura and his troops invade the bazaar. Gai and Ryo intervene, with Ryo telling Gai that despite losing his powers, he has never lost sight of being a hero. Ryo did his Dairanger roll call once more. As he did so, Gai then remembered that he became a hero to protect people, not to just don a shiny suit and does his Gokai Silver roll call as well.

The duo manage to dispatch most of the Gormin Sailors, but are no match for the three Zugormin officers and Zakyura. The five Gokaigers arrive at the scene, changing into the Gekirangers and using the Geki Infusion attack to force Zakyura to cough out everything he had consumed by hitting his stomach in the same way as the last time.

In effect, Gai recovered his Gokai Cellular and transformed into Gokai Silver. All six Gokaigers change into the Dairangers and finish off the Gormin Sailors before Gai destroys the Zugormin with the Gokai Legendream and the Gokaigers use the Rising Strike on Zakyura. When Zakyura and the Zugormin are revived and grown, GokaiOh and GoZyuJin are sortied to battle them. At the moment they are overwhelmed, Ryo yelled at the Gokaigers to use the Dairanger Greater Power, which the Gokaigers use to execute the Gokai GoZyu Ki-Power Bomber on the Zugormin before GokaiOh changes into Hurricane GokaiOh and destroy Zakyura with the Gokai Fūrai Attack. Back at the bazaar, Ryo gave the crew a hearty serving of his gyoza while he tells Gai never to forget the most important part of being a hero. The short lecture, however, causes Gai to nearly miss out on the gyoza meal.

Farewell Space Pirates
After the Zangyack Empire was defeated by the Gokaigers, Marvelous returned the Ranger Keys to their original owners. Since TenmaRanger and KirinRanger have their powers back, it is assumed Ryo and the rest of their teammates have their powers again until 50 years later he passed his power to his nerdy-like grandson. Ryo saw his grandson fight a New Gorma in Dairenou.

Super Hero Taisen
Ryo, alongside his team (bar KibaRanger), 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 Dai-Zangyack and Dai-Shocker.

Akibaranger Season 2
After being blasted by the Blu-Ray Chief Clerk, AkibaRed lands on RyuuRanger, who is now China Red, the Red of the rumored original name of Dairanger, Chukuu Sentai Chinaman. AkibaRed attempts to restore China Red to RyuuRanger be re-enacting scenes from Dairanger. It eventually works, and Ryo's memories are brought back as he becomes RyuuRanger once again.

The six Dairangers later appeared with the now five official Sentai, transforming into their Ludicrous Power which combined with the others to form the Ludicrous Cannon Bazooka, which the Akibarangers used to destroy Kameari Alpaca.

RyuuRanger is seen on a magazine in episode 12 Season Two, he appears with TyrannoRanger and HurricaneRed as AkaRed hands the Sunday 7:30AM time slot from Super Sentai to Hiroyo Hakase for her "older brother" Prism Ace.

Ranger Key
The RyuuRanger Ranger Key (リュウレンジャーレンジャーキー) is Ryo'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 RyuuRanger Ranger Key was mainly used by Captain Marvelous (Gokai Red), who used it to fight as RyuuRanger. It was also used by Gai Ikari on one occasion.
 * Among several changes as he, Luka, Don, and Ahim fought against Zangyack while Joe was absent.
 * When the Gokaigers became the Dairangers while fighting Action Commander Stargul.
 * When the Gokaigers became the Dairangers in their fight with Action Commander Zakyura.
 * Gai uses this key alongside all other Red keys after being merged with Captain Marvelous by Insarn.

After Zangyack were finally defeated, the Gokaigers gave the Ranger Keys back to their rightful owners. It is presumed that Ryo received his key and became RyuuRanger once more.

Red Spirit
As the seventeenth Red, RyuuRanger's Red Warrior Spirit was embodied by AkaRed.

Imitations
Multiple copies of RyuuRanger were created by Copy Empress using photos she took of the Dairangers. The first was a human clone created during a day at the pool; while a second was created alongside the first in order to double-team the respective Dairanger. A third was created in a team meant to face KirinRanger before he destroys all the clones with his RodArrow.

Portrayal
Ryo of the Heavenly Fire Star is portrayed by Keiichi Wada (和田 圭市). As RyuuRanger, his suit actor was Naoki Ōfuji.