Main Character Index | Main Characters (Simon) | Mecha | Antagonists | Secondary Characters
Unmarked spoilers ahead, read at your own risk!
Simon
Click here to see him post-Time Skip.
Click here to see him as an old man.
Voiced by: Tetsuya Kakihara (JP), Yuri Lowenthal (EN) Foreign VAs
Old Simon: Takayuki Sugo (JP), Tony Oliver (EN) Foreign VAs
"My drill is the drill that creates the HEAVENS!"
The main character of the series. Simon starts out as a humble miner, digging out tunnels to expand his underground village. Among the many treasures he digs up along the way, he discovers a small mecha (later dubbed the "Lagann"), setting into motion a chain of events that would catapult Simon into the role as the savior of the universe. No kidding.
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A — G
- The Ace: Eventually becomes this. The head of Team Gurren, and the biggest source of Spiral Power in the universe. He had to make sure that he Took a Level in Badass more than once to do it, though.
- Adaptational Badass: Not that he wasn't already, but, in Lagann-hen, not only does he have another mech in Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, he takes down the Anti Spiral without any mech, simply with his bare fists, akin to how Lordgenome was stronger without Lazengann when he was fighting Simon.
- Afraid of Their Own Strength: More pronounced in Lagann-Hen. Simon's conversations with Viral and Nia in prison imply part of the reason he accepted being locked up was the immense spiral energy that he felt welling up inside of himself when he watched in anger as Kamina's statue was torn down. He remarks the power reminded him of Lordgenome, and he feared what might happen if it was fully unleashed.
- All-Loving Hero: Takes over the role after Kamina dies. He wants to protect every living creature, and the only people he actively fights against are those who would seek to control humanity.
- All of the Other Reindeer: Despite his talent in digging (which was essential in his village), he was ridiculed by the others (sans Kamina).
- Always Save the Girl: He fights literally impossible odds because the Anti-Spiral stole his fiancée. Then it's subverted when he and Nia agree that's it's best to let her die instead of keeping her alive via Spiral Power.
- Animal Motifs: The mole; he was renowned for his digging skills, has a pet pigmole, and is strongly associated with drills. Additionally, his personality pre-Character Development can draw parallels to the mole's solitary lifestyle and preference of staying underground.
- Asskicking Leads to Leadership: He's the best pilot on Team Dai-Gurren, so of course he would be its leader and later Supreme Commander.
- Ax-Crazy: After Kamina's death, he pushes himself to be this as a coping mechanism. In a rare moment of realism, he collapses from physical and mental exhaustion of fighting this way. Thankfully, he recovers from this.
- Badass Adorable: Is overall a sweet-natured, shy, live-and-let-live, utterly endearing person... who can kick your ass up and down the metaphorical street if he feels he needs to. As an adult, he loses most of his adorable traits, though he's still the manliest example one can get.
- Badass Longcoat: Prologue and last arc (doubles as Walking Shirtless Scene).
- Bash Brothers: With Kamina. While Kamina encourages Simon and helps him gain the confidence to do what's necessary, Simon's the one with the power and the brains to pull it off. Together, Simon and Kamina's strengths compliment each other nicely, and the two of them make a magnificent team.
- Battle Couple: With Nia. She's in the cockpit with him for most of Simon's important battles.
- Beady-Eyed Loser: Introduced as one. As he takes level after level in badass, his eyes slowly get de-beadified, until they become complete Tsurime Eyes during the Final Battle.
- Because You Were Nice to Me:
- A large part of his Undying Loyalty to Kamina comes from the fact that Kamina was one of the few - if not the only - person in the village who didn't look down on him.
- For a majority of his lifetime, Kamina was the only one who believed in Simon and saw what he could become. After Kamina's death, he was lost in grief, but it was Nia who helped him because she also wholeheartedly believed in him and was trying to help him.
- Bedmate Reveal: Wakes up next to Nia in the High School AU manga in the beginning of the second chapter, much to his shock.
- Being Good Sucks: Defeating the despot of the world and saving the rest of the universe doesn't exactly feel good when it comes at the cost of your brother, your friends, and your lover.
- Berserker Tears: If you see Simon crying, get out fast. If you see him crying blood, it's too late.
- Beware the Nice Ones: His normally-gentle personality makes his behaviour after Kamina is killed in the fight to capture the Dai-Gunzan — launching into a vicious verbal attack on Rossiu out of nowhere, and changing drastically into a blood-crazed, thoroughly Ax-Crazy pilot in battle, for instance — all the more startling. Thankfully, his psychotic tendencies don't last... but he does come out of it as an official Badass Adorable, and making him angry is still always a bad idea.
- Be Yourself: Once he learns, with Nia's help, to accept himself as he is and recognize that it's okay for him to be a very different person from Kamina, his Character Development takes a massive turn for the better.
- Big Brother Worship: Very much so towards Kamina. So much so, that most of his insecurities stem from the belief that he can't measure up to him.
- Big Eater: Witness the plates that quickly pile up around him every time he eats. Even if it's Nia's cooking; especially if it's Nia's cooking.
- Big Good: From his He's Back! moment onward. The new leader and the recognition as a threat from enemies. It's a rare case where the The Hero is also the Big Good.
- Break the Cutie: Lots of terrible stuff happens to this cute little guy. In order, banished from home, his first crush loves someone else, his big brother/role model is killed in battle etc.
- Broken Ace: Despite this, he does not have the best time becoming one or being one. He loses his brother and wife, the majority of his friends, and ends up having the weight of the universe thrusted on him.
- Brooding Boy, Gentle Girl: With Nia. After Kamina's death, Simon goes into a deep depression. Not speaking or cooperating with anyone and pushing himself too much. When Nia joined, she helped calm his anger which helped further his emotional growth.
- But Now I Must Go: At the end of the series, he gives the Core Drill and Lagann to Gimmy, then sets off Walking the Earth.
- Calling Your Attacks: His attacks tend to be more technical and less silly than Kamina's.
- The Chains of Commanding: One of the most marked changes as he matures, apart from his increasing levels of badass, is the realization of the responsibilities he has as a leader of both the Dai-Gurren Brigade and humanity as a whole. In the second movie, he even shows some regret over unnecessarily putting people in danger because of his rash decisions.
- Character Development: Simon starts out as a wimpy Shrinking Violet and ends up becoming a complete and utter badass.
- Classical Anti-Hero: During the first act, he was something of a Heroic Neutral character who only got involved because of Kamina's encouragement. He sheds this throughout the series.
- Cool Kid-and-Loser Friendship: The Loser to Kamina's Cool: they are Bash Brothers who'd die for each other, but Kamina is the acknowledged awesomeness incarnate, while Simon is seen by most in Team Dai-Gurren as somewhat unimportant... least until Kamina's death and he overcomes his Heroic BSoD.
- Cool Old Guy: From what we see of him in the epilogue, helping a kid open a coconut with a drill and telling him that he'll be able to go up to the stars with the Gurren Lagann.
- Cool Shades: His goggles transform into star shaped sunglasses late in the series as a tribute to Kamina and Kittan.
- Cope by Creating: His reaction to Kamina's death includes using his drill to carve out several statues of him.
- Cowardly Lion: For the first few episodes, he would love to keep his head down and stay out of trouble, and he only goes into fights because his big brother is leading the charge.
- Cursed with Awesome: Early on, he certainly doesn't seem happy about piloting Lagann, but he grows to enjoy it after a while.
- Curtains Match the Windows: Simon has blue hair and blue eyes.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Like everyone else, he grew up in an underground village. However, seeing his parents crushed in front of his eyes by an earthquake at the age of 7 scarred him and gave him a fear of earthquakes (at least until he discovers said earthquakes were because of the Gunmen and took it upon himself to exact payback by fighting them upfront). On a more subtle note, he was also not accepted among his peers and only valued because he was a good digger, the only person who cared for him being Kamina. Played for laughs in the Highschool AU.
- Dead Person Conversation: He is visited by Kamina's ghost in the penultimate episode, who frees him from the Lotus-Eater Machine and then remarks that Simon has grown taller than him.
- Determinator: Most people miss it because he's not boastful or showy like Kamina, but he's rock solid. His steady determination achieves more than Kamina ever could, and he has Kamina's absolute respect for it.
- Did Not Get the Girl: Simon and Nia do get married in the end, but she Disappears into Light right after the wedding ceremony. There's also the whole matter of his unrequited First Love with Yoko.
- Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: Twice. Uses his core drill to kill the immortal Lordgenome after the latter had beaten the crap out of Lagann - he blasted a hole through him by turning his car keys. Later drills a hole right through the nigh-omnipotent Anti-Spiral avatar, a being capable of altering probability and weaponizing a big bang. The movie version has him killing the Anti-Spiral using a drill created out of his own blood.
- The Dulcinea Effect: Just moments after meeting Nia, Simon is ready to risk his life for her.
- Dull Eyes of Unhappiness: Throughout Episode 9 to three-quarters of the way through Episode 11, coupled with Exhausted Eye Bags, Simon's eyes look totally crestfallen and mournful save for a few brief moments where Nia cheers him up. His whole world has been torn apart now that the last person whom he considered family is gone, and he feels totally alone, broken, and dead inside.
- Face–Heel Turn: It's implied from the beginning scene that he would become Drunk with Power and wage a war with the rest of the universe. This didn't turn out to be the case, and the scene was retconned into a Gainax Beginning. However, in Lagann-hen, he remains in Licarne in part because he was afraid of that happening, as he felt an intense rage towards those that smashed Kamina's statue and feared he could lash out at innocent people.
- Famed In-Story: Witness the collective Spiral races screaming his name in celebration at the end of the series after his feat of Cthulhu-punchery.
- First Love: He quickly develops a crush on Yoko, but ultimately nothing comes out of it and he learns she's actually into Kamina.
- Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: Simon does this to a suicidal Rossiu with a flying punch to the face just like Kamina did once for him.Simon: ROOOOSSIUUUUU!! LET'S SEE YOU GRIT! THOSE! TEEEEEETH!!
- Glasses Pull: When he means business.
- A God I Am Not: When Nia dies, Simon is asked whether Spiral Energy can re-spawn the dead. It may or may not be able to, but the whole purpose of what Team Gurren did is to move forward and let the new generation take over. Also, if Simon were to dip his fingers in the afterlife, he would be starting to take the road where the Anti-Spiral already went. What Simon the Digger does and has always done is to clear the path. So, while Simon might be able to bring Nia back to life with Spiral Power, he's not going to try it.
- Goggles Do Nothing: Has no reason to wear his goggles in the High School AU manga, but does it anyway.
- Goggles Do Something Unusual: A mild example, but they have a headlamp installed... whose light shines directly out of the lenses...?
- Good Is Not Soft: If you're his friend, he'll travel to the ends of the universe for you. If you're his enemy, he'll rip it up to get back at you.
- Grew a Spine: Simon eventually learns to believe in himself and stand up on his own without having to rely on others such as Kamina.
H — R
- Heartbroken Badass: After he sees Kamina kiss Yoko. He attempts not to let it bother him, but it shakes him up to where it distracts him during the battle. Much later, he is left heartbroken again with Nia dying on the day of their wedding. He deals with the pain, much better during the second time.
- The Hero: He starts out more of a kid-sidekick to Kamina but then ultimately grows into the brave and noble force that protects humanity. Although, Kamina would have you believe that Simon was always the hero.
- Hero with Bad Publicity: Once the Mugann start showing up, Simon's poor leadership is blamed for the destruction they cause. Rossiu is forced to give him the death sentence to calm down the furious people.
- Heroic BSoD: Kamina's death downright nearly destroyed Simon and was clearly lost in what to do. It took Nia's encouragement and realizing what Kamina's last words meant leading to his triumphant rebirth.
- Heroic RRoD: After Kamina's death, he attempts to plow through his grief and becomes somewhat Ax-Crazy, but its evident that he is pushing himself in an unhealthy manner in trying to emulate Kamina. During this time, it's implied that in his rage, he has been neglecting eating and sleeping. Combined with the above and it's no wonder why he looks close to breaking down.
- He's Back!: In Episode 11, in what may be one of the best examples in anime. When all hope seems lost, Simon's determination to dig himself to freedom reactivates Lagann (who previously stopped working for him), who comes to his aid. As Rossiu is getting crushed by Genbu while piloting Gurren, Simon arrives to save the day and forms Gurren Lagann for the first time in a couple episodes. He gives his I Am What I Am speech reaffirming himself and after a final rush of tears, he overcomes all his sadness and comes to terms with his loss, then turns his pain into his power and completely loses all the timidity and apprehension inside him.
- Hope Bringer: And he doesn't fail to deliver, as seen when the rest of the universe is cheering his name.
- Hopeless Suitor: Mild example with Yoko. He falls for her much like his brother, but seeing them kiss does cause Simon to experience heartbreak for the first time. He later moves on to Nia.
- Hot-Blooded: Not even remotely so at first, but then he grows in confidence and its all uphill from there. He radiates hot-bloodedness during his epic He's Back! moment and by the end of the Lagann-Hen movie, he is hot-bloodedness personified.
- It is hinted since episode 1 when the drills appear in Lagann. While drilling the Gunman, he gains his first determined smile, the first sign to the audience about the true potential Simon has.
- Humble Hero: Even after saving everyone in the universe from a Humanoid Abomination, he sees himself as nothing more than "Simon the Digger".
- Hunk: Post-timeskip, he's both this and a Bishōnen, getting a taller and more muscular build similar to Kamina's.
- I Am What I Am: In episode 11, he realizes that he'll never be Kamina, but he doesn't have to be.Simon: My bro is dead. He's gone. But he's right there on my back, and here in my heart. He lives on as a part of me. If you're gonna dig, dig to the heavens. No matter what's in my way, I won't stop. Once I've dug through, it means that I've won! Just who the hell do you think I am? I'm Simon. I'm not my bro. I'M ME! SIMON THE DIGGER!
- I Got Bigger: He ends up taller than Kamina after the time-skip.
- I Just Want to Be Normal: But Kamina just. Won't. Let him.
- His wish in the beginning of the High School AU manga is to just have an extremely normal life. Hard to do with Kamina's reckless behavior, Yoko acting like an overly concerned mom and then crashing into Nia (the Principal's daughter).
- "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: Simon repeatedly tries to get Nia, as the Anti-Spiral messenger, to snap out of it. At the critical moment of episode 22, he realized that the reason she kept appearing to him—and the reason she's still wearing their engagement ring—is that on some level she wanted him to save her. He then proceeds to drive straight for the core drill slot she's standing in front of, without bothering to ask her if she'll get out of the way. She does, and starts behaving like her normal self, just before she's summoned back to the Anti-Spiral homeworld.
- I Let Gwen Stacy Die: Simon blames himself for Kamina's death and spends the next three episodes attempting to cope with the grief.
- Image Song: "Break Through The Dream" (shared with Kamina).
- Indy Ploy: Becomes increasingly fond of these as the series goes on.
- Inexplicably Awesome: It's never explained why he has such massive reserves of Spiral Power.
- Innocent Blue Eyes: Of the innocent, hopeful variety.
- In the Name of the Moon: Takes over this from Kamina. Used against both Big Bads.
- Just a Kid: Somewhat deconstructed. Most of Team Dai-Gurren see him as this, despite it being blatantly obvious that he was the main reason they were able to go so far. Kamina was the only adult who believed in Simon from the start (arguably Leeron as well) and thus when Kamina died, this attitude led to just intensify the pain from the grief Simon was feeling and hampered his growth and development until he overcame his grief with Nia's help. The team stops looking at him like this once he overcomes his grief.
- Kid Hero: Pre-timeskip. Matures afterward.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: Overlaps with Refusal of the Call in the beginning, but even after his Character Development into a badass Determinator, he's still rational enough to know when to walk away from a fight.
- The Lancer: To Kamina. He wasn't half as hot-blooded as him, but is certainly smarter. Although just as often, Simon is The Hero and Kamina is The Lancer.
- Living Emotional Crutch: In a private conversation with Yoko, Kamina reveals that Simon is this to him. It's Simon's reliability and own strength that kept Kamina from never giving up.
- Love Hurts: Simon's first love was Yoko (large part due to being the first female to believe in him). Seeing Yoko and Kamina's kiss led to his first feelings of heartbreak, which he didn't know how to cope with and not knowing how to deal with it, hampered him in battle.
- The Magnificent: Simon the Digger.
- Marshmallow Hell: As a kid, he is the perfect height to be subjected to this over and over. Both the manga retelling of the series and Guren Gakuenhen, the High School AU manga, take this gag and run with it. "I'm so sorry, time and time again..."
- The McCoy: Post Time Skip, after finding himself opposing Rossiu's ideals.
- Meaningful Name: "Shimon" means fingerprint, which are stereotypically spiral-shaped.
- Messianic Archetype: His name resembles Simon Peter, who led the Apostles when Jesus died. Simon did the same thing when Kamina died.
- Mirror Character: Simon and Lordgenome are both legendary Spiral warriors brimming with Spiral Power willing to fight the Anti-spirals for humanity's freedom. While Lordgenome is an opponent at first hoping to crush humanity to keep them safe, Simon fights for their freedom even in the face of certain doom and his indomitable will brings them victory. This driven home further in Laggan-Hen when post-timeskip Simon inherits some of Lordgenome's quirks, such as creating miniature energy drills in his hand out of boredom.Lordgenome: There was once a man who fought as you do, unaware that his actions would lead to the universe's destruction.
- The Mourning After: In Lagann-hen, he dedicates his life to fulfilling his deceased wife's wish: to make the entire world bloom with flowers.
- Moving Beyond Bereavement: Simon has a much more difficult time moving on after Kamina's death than the others, to the point where his leadership of the team is taken from him by Kittan. After multiple episodes of near-catatonia, however, he begins to come to terms with his grief and saves everyone from danger when the chips are really down.
- Mr. Fanservice: He goes from being an adorably-goofy boy to being an incredibly gorgeous and sexy Bishounen.
- My Sibling Will Live Through Me: Shortly after Kamina's death, he attempts a Dead Person Impersonation before he realizes the significance of Kamina's "believe in yourself" last words and becoming more self-confident. Once he grew up through he heavily adopted Kamina's manner of thinking, tempered with more sanity and intelligence. In the final arc his outfit even looks like Kamina's, with the two of them both going shirtless and Simon wearing a Badass Longcoat to Kamina's Badass Cape.
- Narrator All Along: The final episode reveals Old Simon was the narrator of the story all along.
- Never Tell Me the Odds!: They don't matter, even if they're 0.
- Nice Guy: Simon is polite, humble, compassionate, brave, and thinks of the welfare of others before himself. Contrast his successors, who are Jerkasses and a Jerk with a Heart of Gold respectively.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: An unintentional side-effect of defeating Lordgenome, helping humanity reclaim the surface, and sending the Anti-Spiral to Earth.
- No Shirt, Long Jacket: Pre-timeskip and late post-timeskip.
- Of Corsets Sexy: His outfit in the final arc is a male example of the trope.
- Official Couple: With Nia, which was quite obvious even before the time-skip when it's official. They get married in the final episode, but Nia dies immediately afterwards.
- Older Than He Looks:
Word of God states that as a kid, Simon is stunted in growth (assuming Kamina to be about six feet tall, Simon can only be about four feet in height). He's fourteen prior to the Time Skip, but hardly looks like it. Then he grows into a fine young adult and surpasses Kamina in height! It does justify why he is such a Big Eater. He's still growing and thus catching up in nutrients once he leaves the village. - One-Man Army: Due to the combination of Gurren Lagann being a Super Prototype and his own immense reserves of Spiral power, he mows down enemies in his path.
- Only One Who Likes Spam: Not only is Simon the only person who can eat Nia's horrendous cooking without getting food poisoning, but he finds it really delicious.
- Passing the Torch: Before leaving at the end of the series, he gives the Core Drill to Gimmy.
- Pen-Pushing President: His life after the Time Skip.
- Person of Mass Destruction: Hell, he can create objects of galactic proportions! And then there is the second movie...
- The Peter Principle: He's an extremely skilled pilot and very good resistance leader, but struggles when it comes to politics.
- Physical God: By the end of the series, Simon has become a massive source of Spiral Energy. It's implied that he started Walking the Earth because he's suffering from Power Incontinence.
- In The Movie, he's able to trade blows with the Anti-Spiral.
- Precocious Crush: He had one on Cool Big Sis Yoko for the first few episodes. This actually caused a lot of drama when he saw her kissing Kamina, which gave him a shock that had very tragic consequences. He completely gets over his crush after he meets Nia and he and Yoko become Like Brother and Sister instead.
- Primary-Color Champion: His hair is blue, his clothes are blue with red highlights, and his goggles are red with yellow lenses. And he's the hero of the story who becomes the savior of the universe.
- Red Armband of Leadership: A piece of a cloak belonging to Kamina's dead father comes as Kamina puts it on, which Simon grabs and ties around his left arm. For a while, it's just a Tragic Keepsake memento of the departed and even more so after Kamina dies as well, but when Simon becomes a leader in his own sorts, this Trope is instantly invoked.
- Red Baron: Simon the Digger.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni:
- The blue to Kamina's red — Simon is blue-clad, blue-eyed, and pale where Kamina is red-clad, fairly red-eyed, and tan, and is a practical hard worker who is relatively sensible, fairly shy, and intelligent, where Kamina is a big dreamer who specializes in encouraging people and cheering them up, and is reckless, outgoing, and not too terribly bright.
- He later becomes the red to Rossiu's blue.
- Refusal of the Call:
- Attempts this in early episodes, but Kamina's not having any of it.
- Does this again in the High School AU manga, only this time Nia isn't having any of it.
- The Reliable One: To Kamina initially. What Kamina does is formulate a crazy plan, scamper Simon out of his funk and Simon makes the plan a reality. Eventually, the whole team realizes what Simon can do if they let him do it.
- Religious and Mythological Theme Naming: Simon was the birth name of Saint Peter, a common worker who was handpicked by Jesus to be among his first followers. Simon Peter went on to become what most consider Jesus' foremost disciple, the first Pope, and, in Christian lore, the holder of the key to heaven's gates. Substitute Kamina for Jesus, world leader for Pope, and drill for key, and there you have it. (However, Word of God confirms that the Japanese origin of the name is the true origin).
- Retired Badass: In the Distant Finale, we're shown Simon, of all possible people, Walking the Earth, poor and unrecognized but apparently content.
- Rousing Speech: Just like Kamina, especially once he overcomes Kamina's death. His speech and his Theme Music Power-Up together are extremely rousing. Essentially every line Simon has in the last three episodes is one of these.
S — Y
- Sarashi: Part of his pre-timeskip outfit, wearing it around his lower torso.
- Save the Day, Turn Away: After defeating the Anti-Spirals he goes into hiding while his friends do the work of building a better world, because his spiral energy is too strong.
- Say My Name: "BRO!!" "NIA!!" " YOKO!!" "KITTAN!!" etc.
- Screw Destiny: Of the entire cast, he's the best at it. Which is what makes the Bittersweet Ending so controversial. Most likely, he's worried he may inadvertently trigger the Spiral Nemesis, the one thing he cannot figure out how to stop on his own. He's also learned he's no Invincible Hero, either: he could slip up and cause one hell of a disaster.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Sensitive Guy to Kamina's Manly Man, and later the Manly Guy to Rossiu's Sensitive Guy.
- Showy Invincible Hero: The only people to put dust on him are Kamina and Lordgenome, and both of them die shortly afterwards. This is pushed to more of its limits in the movie Lagann-han where not only does Simon get a hell of a lot more dust on him, but he nearly loses when the Anti-Spiral collective mercilessly shreds the Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. Simon comes back, but it's by far not the invincible victory he had before.
- Shrinking Violet: He is a male example for most of the pre-timeskip episodes; he spends most of his time keeping quiet and trying not to be noticed, and has a huge lack of confidence. He gets better, of course.
- Shut Up, Hannibal!: His response to Spiral Nemesis.
- Shy Blue-Haired Girl: A male example pre-Character Development.
- The So-Called Coward: Saves the day several times, with no one but Kamina to sing his praises. This changes when he snaps out of his Heroic BSoD.
- Spanner in the Works:
- Viral didn't know he existed until near the timeskip. His relationship with Nia also counts.
- One to both Lordgenome and the Anti-Spiral as they didn't expect anyone with his willpower to beat them.
- Spiritual Antithesis: Of Shinji Ikari. Both of them have names that begin with the syllable "shi" in Japanese, are loners who get thrown into action as the pilot of a mecha, and undergo a Sanity Slippage when they experience the death of one of the first people who cared about them. But Simon gets better, while Shinji... didn't. In the end, both of them conquer a world-ending threat in different ways: while Shinji starts out as that threat but eventually decides to embrace humanity and let it return, Simon defeats it outright with sheer manliness and badassery, all while citing the power of humanity. Simon was in fact envisioned as an alternate take on Shinji if he were "raised in different circumstances".
- The Spock: Of the initial three. Does grow out of the role steadily after Kamina dies, and has practically become the opposite at the time skip, serving as a counterpart to Rossiu instead.
- Star-Crossed Lovers: With Nia in the ending, as she dissolves into nothingness right after they get married, and she should've died after the destruction of the Anti-Spiral but held on for days solely out of determination. Lampshaded in-series by the Big Bad.
- Straight Man: To Kamina. Kamina even calls him ( in a Dream Sequence after the Time Skip) "the method to my madness".
- Supporting Protagonist: Subverted. Based on the first arc alone, one might think Kamina is the true hero of the anime and Simon is just watching his journey, but then Kamina dies and Simon becomes the full-time protagonist.
- Sweet and Sour Grapes: By finally realizing that he didn't have to emulate Kamina to be a badass, Simon becomes more like his bro. And then some.
- Tareme Eyes: His eyes droop at the end, fitting with Simon's kind, humble nature especially in the beginning of the story.
- Tears of Blood: In episode 25, after Kittan dies. Simon has strained himself so severely from mustering Spiral Energy, the blood vessels in his tear ducts rupture.
- Tempting Fate: Saying he just wants a normal life and nothing extraordinary to happen in the High School AU manga is how he meets Nia.
- Theme Music Power-Up: Plenty. Especially "Happily Ever After", the Insert Song which is used in Episode 11 when Simon has his famous He's Back! moment.
- A Threesome Is Hot: Averted in the High School AU. Being knocked into a raunchy position in Yoko's cleavage by Kamina with Nia at his side only makes Simon groan.
- This Is a Drill: As well as being a choice weapon for the most power mechs, drills are an expanding spiral - a recurring motif in the series which emphasizes advancement in spite of recurrence, thus making them a symbol of the Spiral Power, and the series' theme in general: (Refer also to introductory quote)Simon: "Mark my words! This drill will open a hole in the universe! And that hole will be a path for those behind us! The dreams of those who've fallen! The hopes of those who'll follow! Those two sets of dreams weave together in a double helix! Drilling a path towards tomorrow! And that's Tengen Toppa! That's Gurren Lagann!! My drill is the drill... that CREATES THE HEAVENS!"
- Took a Level in Badass:
- Clearly became the greatest badass in a show that goes beyond the impossible in badassery, surpassing even the mighty Kamina. Made all the more badass by how he rises from a cowardly, undersized kid overshadowed by Kamina to his position by the end of the show. He literally becomes the most important human in history.
- The alternate timeline version of him as seen in the prologue, while definitely not originally intended to be so, has been retconned into something along the lines of Chaotic Evil, since he is a lot more arrogant in that depiction and possibly unintentionally willing to let the Spiral Nemesis occur. Of course, this doesn't happen in the main continuity, and this happened solely because the producers thought it was a pretty good theory by the fandom.
- Tragic Keepsake:
- In episode 3, as Kamina dons the cape of his departed father, a tattered piece of it rips off in the wind. Simon snatches it before it flies away and ties it around his left shoulder so he'll also have something to wear in his memory. However, it takes on a much sadder meaning later on: Kamina himself ends up getting killed, and now that armband is a permanent memento of his fallen blood brother.
- In Lagann-Hen, Nia's wedding ring serves as one, too, though this one is more of a solemn memento.
- Tsurime Eyes: After the Time Skip, his eyes have become narrower to give him a more mature look.
- Tunnel King: Even in the first episode he was renowned as the best digger in Giha village.
- "Uh-Oh" Eyes: When he's experiencing intensely negative emotions, like rage or grief, his pupils lose their color and become completely white and round. It also happens to other humans and Beastmen, but he's the one who has this happen the most:
- In the very first episode, when the Gozu-type Gunmen attacks Giha and hits Lagann when he closes its hatch for the first time.
- When he realizes the Beastmen attacks on Littner caused the earthquake that killed his parents.
- When Kamina throws Lagann at the two Gunmen that attack Littner (Simon is so terrified he has Ocular Gushers flow from his eyes)
- When he realizes Magin and Agodego are behind him, at Adai.
- Episode 6 has a lot of this moments: When Kamina tries to drill into the hot spring's wall with Simon's drill, when Gimmy accidentally Ass Shoves him, when he and Kamina are forced to run for their lives and when the thermal-powered Gunmen nearly stomps him and Leeron.
- When Viral and Kamina clash, his eyes remain that way until they get separated.
- When he sees Yoko and Kamina kissing, when he was about to confess his feelings for her.
- Especially when Thymilph brutally kills Kamina. He broke so completely his eyes remained like that for more than a week, until he met Nia, and they returned to being white until Guame captures Team Dai-Gurren (Anime)/Cytomander captures Nia (Gurren-Hen).
- When Adiane attacks Dai-Gurren for the second time and tries to kill Nia.
- When he destroys a Mugann for the first time and its remains obliterate a city block.
- When he sees one of the Super Spiral Missiles explode before it can reach the Death Spiral Machine.
- And finally in Lagann-Hen, when he's about to deal the deathblow to the Anti-Spiral King.
- The Unfettered: Not as much as Kamina, but could still be considered this.
- Unknown Rival: To Viral and Guame, at least at first. Both of them are aware of his existence, but only in terms of his Gunmen. Viral more considers Kamina his rival, with Simon as a hanger-on and is unaware Kamina has been dead since the battle with Dai Gunzan. Guame is concerned about the mini Gunmen of the resistance but has no idea who Simon is. When he grows frantic to find Lagann, Nia accuses him of being afraid of Simon. Guame responds in the vein of, "So that's the name of the pilot." This leads to a humorous moment when Simon gives the above I Am What I Am speech about being himself and not Kamina, with Guame thoroughly confused as to what he's going on about.
- Unlucky Everydude: In the High School AU, Simon just wishes for a normal life, but he has such a bad luck that every kind of weird thing just seems to happen to him.
- Unstoppable Rage: He becomes this when he's truly angry and when he ends up crying Tears of Blood you know that he will go apocalyptic.
- Walking the Earth: After all is said and done, Simon decides it's best if he's just "Simon the Digger" and lives the humble life of a digger and gardener, traveling the world at leisure while drifting from place to place.
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: He became a more benign example for Kamina, who always strove to be worth of his brother's praise and admiration. The difference is that Kamina gives it gladly down to his very death and beyond but it takes time for Simon to accept it.
- Widowed at the Wedding: He and Nia get married, but immediately afterward, she Disappears into Light right at the altar after their Last Kiss. Moreover, Nia should've been dead several days before the wedding, but she was such a Plucky Girl that she kept herself alive outta sheer willpower to go through it.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are:
- Simon has zero self-confidence. Kamina supplements Simon's lack of confidence by telling him to "believe in the me who believes in you" over and over through the first third of the series.
- After Kamina dies, Nia does this for Simon. Simon thinks he's nothing without Kamina, but Nia tells him she believes in him and gives Simon the strength to fight again.
- You Killed My Father: He charges into the fight in fury in episode 2 when he realizes that the earthquake that killed his mother and father seven years ago was directly caused by the havoc that the Beastmen wreak in their Gunmen on the surface world.
