History Characters / TengenToppaGurrenLagannMainCharacters

* ImpossibleHourglassFigure: Possesses a large pair of breasts, as well as wide hips and a big butt, even as a teenager. Becomes even more apparent post-timeskip as her already voluptuous body continues to grow, giving her altogether an even more womanly look.

* Impossible Hourglass Figure: Possesses a large pair of breasts, as well as wide hips and a big butt, even as a teenager. Becomes even more apparent post-timeskip as her already voluptuous body continues to grow, giving her altogether an even more womanly look.

* StrongFamilyResemblance: We see in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOBG3CCew7Q the 8th Parallel Works video]] that her father used to basically be a male version of Nia. Seriously.

* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfazhyIe6mQ "Nikopol"]].

* {{Determinator}}: After getting '''killed''', he got back up, delivered an UpToEleven RousingSpeech and then avenged ''his own death'' before he finally went to rest. And even after that, his spirit/memory returned to knock the Anti-Spiral's plans out of kilter.

* NoIndoorVoice: [[WorldOfHam Like nearly everyone else in the series]], but he takes it UpToEleven. You know all those (many) catchphrases? He shouts ''all'' of them.

* StockShonenHero:
** Kamina is a borderline exaggeration of this trope in the first episodes. He's boisterous, HotBlooded, a [[FearlessFool fearless]] IdiotHero and a {{Determinator}} who never lets anything keep him down for long. He might be an idiot, but his fighting spirit and charisma are just so great that he's able to inspire even the timid Simon to accomplish great feats and almost single-handedly set the foundations for Team Dai-Gurren. He also has the typical spiky ShonenHair that goes with the trope and is a BigEater.
** Later episodes, however, show Kamina is actually a {{deconstruction}} of the trope. His bravado is just an act that he uses to inspire his TrueCompanions to greatness, as well as a coping mechanism to deal with his own fear during life-threatening situations. Also, his dumber moments have serious consequences - every time he pulls a HotBlooded stunt, someone (usually Simon or Yoko) tells him that he's risking his life and tries to talk him out of it. All of this leads to him dying in one of the series' most heart-wrenching moments.
** [[{{Reconstruction}} However,]] the positive effect he has on everyone around him is hard to overstate, since everything that happens in the series can be traced back to his goal of inspiring humanity to overthrow Lordgenome's oppression. Taken to extremes in the finale where, [[spoiler:on top of galaxies and in another universe]], Yoko calls him "far greater than any of [them]".

* AThreesomeIsHot: Thinks Simon is having one in the HighSchoolAU after storming into his room. He proceeds to congratulate him before running off.

* KnifeNut: When he's not piloting Gunmen, his WeaponOfChoice is a cleaver. And his original Gunmen, Enki, even had a weapon that fires a hail of proportionately large kunais.

* RapunzelHair: That's quite a big ponytail, don't you think? The ShowerOfAngst mentioned below showed that it reaches her rear when let down. It's big enough for her to hide a gun in.

* RapunzelHair: She's introduced with waist-length hair, but it gets cut short a few episodes later. After the timeskip, Nia has let her hair grow long again and now it's about as long as her body. She's a princess, after all.

* WhoWearsShortShorts: She wears shorts. Very short ones.

* SparedByTheAdaptation: In Super Robot Wars X, Nadia is able to use the Blue Water to turn her into a full human, allowing her to survive the Anti-Spiral's destruction.

* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: He has light blue hair.

* {{Meganekko}}: As Yomako.

* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Her hair is a bright, unnatural shade of red similar to [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda the Gerudo]].

* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Her hair color is a mix of pastel yellow and blue.

* MulticoloredHair: It's pastel blue and yellow in color, layered in such a way that one might think the blue parts were the shadows at first, and the long hair running down her back resembles cotton candy in consistency.

* MsFanservice: '''The''' poster girl for Anime and Manga as well as the page image for Anime and Manga. Look at her. Just. Look. At. Her. The sheer number of fanservice tropes here is astounding.

!![[center: [-[[Characters/TengenToppaGurrenLagann Main Character Index]] | '''Main Characters''' ([[Characters/TengenToppaGurrenLagannSimon Simon]]) ([[Characters/TengenToppaGurrenLagannKamina Kamina]]) | [[Characters/TengenToppaGurrenLagannMecha Mecha]] | [[Characters/TengenToppaGurrenLagannAntagonists Antagonists]] | [[Characters/TengenToppaGurrenLagannSecondaryCharacters Secondary Characters]]]]-]

!!!Voiced by: Creator/KatsuyukiKonishi (JP), Creator/KyleHebert (EN)

Simon's "big brother", a big-mouthed teen who refuses to acknowledge the words "quit" or "surrender" in any form. Through sheer bullheadedness, he manages to steal a mecha of his own (the Gurren) and use it and Simon's Lagann to challenge the rule of the oppressive Beastmen. Kamina is tragically killed early in the series, but not before kick-starting a revolution and inspiring Simon and all of those around him to realize their true potential.

->See [[Characters/TengenToppaGurrenLagannKamina Kamina]]

[[folder:Yoko Litner]]

[[folder:Simon]]

[[folder:Yoko]]

%%%* TheLancer: After his HeelFaceTurn.

->Voiced by: Creator/KatsuyukiKonishi (JP), Creator/KyleHebert (EN)

!![[center: [-[[Characters/TengenToppaGurrenLagann Main Character Index]] | '''Main Characters''' ([[Characters/TengenToppaGurrenLagannSimon Simon]]) ([[Characters/TengenToppaGurrenLagannKamina Kamina]])| [[Characters/TengenToppaGurrenLagannMecha Mecha]] | [[Characters/TengenToppaGurrenLagannAntagonists Antagonists]] | [[Characters/TengenToppaGurrenLagannSecondaryCharacters Secondary Characters]]]]-]

!![[center: [-[[Characters/TengenToppaGurrenLagann Main Character Index]] | '''Main Characters''' ([[Characters/TengenToppaGurrenLagannSimon Simon]]) | [[Characters/TengenToppaGurrenLagannMecha Mecha]] | [[Characters/TengenToppaGurrenLagannAntagonists Antagonists]] | [[Characters/TengenToppaGurrenLagannSecondaryCharacters Secondary Characters]]]]-]

* TheAce: He [[InvokedTrope invokes this trope]] and intentionally cultivates this sort of image when in public to inspire Simon and the rest of his allies, even though he's far more restrained in private and admits he's as dependent on Simon as Simon is on him. TheWorfEffect aside it works out fairly well for him, all things considered, until his untimely death.
* ActionDad: In the HighSchoolAU. Kamina is the closest thing to this for Simon in that verse, much to [[IJustWantToBeNormal Simon's]] and [[MamaBear Yoko's]] chagrin.
* AllLovingHero: A constant inspiration to others? Check. Never seems to express genuine rage even during combat? Check. [[spoiler:Group starts to fall apart when he's gone]]? Yep.
* AmazonChaser: He takes an interest in Yoko after seeing her shooting her high powered rifle at a Gunmen.
* BackFromTheDead:
** After being killed by Thymilph, he temporarily came back to life to save the day.
** In Episode 26, [[spoiler: he reappears to save Simon from the LotusEaterMachine and appears before Yoko as well.]]
* BadassBaritone: Creator/KatsuyukiKonishi and Creator/KyleHebert gives him a deep, authoritative voice.
* BadassBoast:
-->"I'm going to tell you something important now, so you better dig the wax out of those huge ears of yours, and listen close! The reputation of Team Gurren echoes far and wide... When they talk about its bad ass leader. The man of indomitable spirit and masculinity... They're talking about '''me!''' ''The Mighty Kamina!''"
* BadassCape: One taken from his father's skeleton. One part flies off from it, and Simon takes it, using it as a bandanna that he wears around his arm.
* BadassInCharge: The great tenacious demon leader of the Dai-Gurren Dan and man of raging billows, the mighty Kamina-sama reigns as the supreme badass of the show during the early episodes. Surpassed later by Simon, but it's Kamina's badassery that sets the show in motion.
* BadassNormal: Has no access to the signature Spiral Power of the series. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] by the fact that Spiral Power runs on being able to believe in one's self which is something Kamina was never able to do, despite his bravado. WordOfGod stated that, if it weren't for Yoko interfering, he would've won the fight against the Gunmen in episode 1.
* BashBrothers: With Simon. Kamina could never accomplish anything without Simon's hard work and Spiral Energy, but Simon needed Kamina's bravado and encouragement before he learned to believe in himself.
* BelligerentSexualTension: With Yoko.
* TheBerserker: His battle strategy is (almost) always AttackAttackAttack. ''Almost.''
* BeneathTheMask: It's later revealed that he uses the bravado to toughen up Simon, because he knows that Simon has much more potential than him.
* BigBrotherInstinct: He's very protective of his younger brother Simon.
->''"[[CallingYourAttacks HANDS OFF MY BELOVED LITTLE BROTHER PUNCH!!!]]"''
* BigBrotherMentor: To Simon. While Kamina is loud, boisterous, and arrogant, he's also extremely supportive of Simon. It's Kamina that encourages Simon to "believe in the me that believes in you" and finally find the courage to be a hero.
* BigEater: If there is ever a huge dinner to be had, expect him and Simon to be happily shoveling down fourth and fifth helpings. He even briefly sports a BalloonBelly in episode 6 thanks to this trope. "A man's stomach knows no limit!"
* BigGood: TheLeader of the forces of good and the one the enemies are afraid of and focus their plans on. Viral didn't know [[TheHero Simon]] ''existed'' until the attack on Teppelin. Even after his death, his presence is definitely felt and he remains a huge influence on Team Dai-Gurren, making him a GreaterScopeParagon.
* {{BFS}}: Casually snatches his village chief's ''nodachi'' katana as a weapon of his own. He likes to draw it from its sheath while delivering a speech; in some scenes, the sword will actually be longer as he draws it [[RuleOfCool for no better reason than to lend more dramatic emphasis to his words.]] It ends up being Kamina's grave marker alongside his cape after he dies.
* BloodBrothers: Imposes this kind of relationship on himself and Simon. It sticks. Even after Kamina's out of the picture, Simon still refers to Kamina as his bro.
* BoisterousBruiser: Large, loud and aggressive.
* BreakoutCharacter: Easily ''the'' most popular and iconic character from the series despite only serving as the DecoyProtagonist and spending most of the series as a PosthumousCharacter.
* BrokenAce: He may seem to be the best at everything, but it's the contributions of others around him, aka Simon and Kittan, that allows him to success. He sings Simon's praises but other people are blinded by his acts to think he's the one doing it. He later admits he's more troubled about what to do then he lets on, questions himself often, and he is shaken by what happens to his dad. All of these show themselves in his conversation's with Yoko where he reveals Simon moved him forward past these.
* CallingYourAttacks: Sets the standard for every other member of Team Dai-Gurren.
* CatchPhrase: For starters we have:
-->"Yours is the drill that will pierce the heavens!"
-->"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM?"
-->"Kick logic out the window and [[BeyondTheImpossible do the impossible]]. That's how Team Gurren rolls."
-->"Believe in the me that believes in you."
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: In the beginning of the series, Kamina was kind of a dick. Often insulting or manhandling his friends and other people he encountered. While his positive traits were there, they were in conflict with his jerky behavior. He mellows out as the show goes on and then after his death, those aspects of his personality were forgotten. From then on, Kamina was held up as a paragon of virtue, confidence and the team's can-do attitude.
* ChickMagnet: Kittan's sisters fall for him immediately. All three of them. [[spoiler: And then Yoko herself gives him a very affectionate kiss.]]
* TheChooserOfTheOne: He's well aware that Simon is TheHero of the story, and does everything he can to get his little brother to believe in himself.
* TheCloudcuckoolanderWasRight: His worldview would be... odd in any other show. However, this is a show that literally runs on pure awesome and manliness, so the universe works exactly how he thinks it does.
** And the ultimate expression of it: his absolute faith in Simon. Pretty much everyone they meet sees in Simon a ClassicalAntiHero: cowardly, full of self-doubt and a burden. Kamina, from the beginning, sees the person he most loves in the world and who will one day surpass him and touch greatness. It's almost like the universe itself bends to Kamina's will to prove HOW ABSOLUTELY RIGHT he is about Simon.
* CombatPragmatist: Using a (barely) live animal to distract Viral before attempting to shoot him, surprise attacking with a hidden arrowhead between his knuckles, setting Simon up to attack an enemy from behind, and raining boulders from high ground. The man wasn't shy about attacking from the front ''or'' the back.
* CoolBigBro:
** To Simon -- Acting as an encouraging figure who praises Simon for his actions.
** Also to Nia in the HighschoolAU. Complete with LargeHam quotes from their favorite manly magazine.
* CoolKidAndLoserFriendship: The cool to Simon's loser. At the start of the series, Kamina is a huge troublemaker and badass, while Simon is a submissive nobody. It's thanks to Kamina's influence that Simon slowly sheds his "loser" status.
* CoolShades: His most trademark item -- a pair of pointed, red shades.
* CrutchCharacter: In both the show and ''VideoGame/{{Super Robot Wars Z}}2: Hakai-Hen''. Kamina's massive stats are crucial to keeping Gurren Lagann alive early game.
* DeadpanSnarker: He is capable of making sarcastic and witty remarks without hamming up as well, like in the first episode:
-->"Simon, is this the humongous face you were talking about?"
* DeadPersonConversation: [[spoiler:Near the end of the series, Kamina appears to all the members of the Gurren Brigade and gives them the will to escape from the LotusEaterMachine.]]
* DeadStarWalking: Big name voice actor, and doesn't survive past the eighth episode.
* DecompositeCharacter: ''Gurren Lagann'''s SpiritualSuccessor, ''Anime/KillLaKill'', has two characters, Mako Mankanshoku and Aikuro Mikisugi, who took some of Kamina's character traits. Mako took the role of the loudmouthed best friend and moral support of the protagonist, and Mikisugi took the role of the blue-haired [[TheMentor mentor]] who introduces the protagonist to the real meat of the story.
* DecoyProtagonist: He seems like the protagonist (or at least the equal lead with Simon) until he dies in episode 8. The awesome part, though? Kamina '''''always knew''''' he was the decoy protagonist. He always put all his faith and hope in Simon. He was [[TheCloudcuckoolanderWasRight absolutely right to do so]].
* {{Delinquents}}: Was one in Giha. A punk who got beat on by the chief for breaking rules.
* {{Determinator}}: After getting '''killed''', he got back up, delivered an UpToEleven RousingSpeech and then avenged ''his own death'' before he finally went to rest. And even after that, his spirit/memory returned to knock the Anti-Spiral's plans out of kilter.
* {{Deuteragonist}}: Goes along with being the DecoyProtagonist. He gets as much or more screen time than Simon, and drives the early plot.
* DisappearedDad: His father once went into the surface and never came back. Kamina became a WellDoneSonGuy because of it. [[spoiler:And in the second episode, [[TearJerker he finds his old man's skeleton]].]]
* DyingMomentOfAwesome: Coming BackFromTheDead, giving one last RousingSpeech, and making the debut of the series' SignatureMove on the one who killed him before being KilledOffForReal definitely counts.
* DynamicEntry: Rather fond of these. And if his entry isn't dynamic enough, he invokes it. In the first episode, when the gunman shows up, Kamina promptly draws his sword and gives a BadassBoast just to make sure he gets it.
* {{Egopolis}}: Averted. Kamina City is named after his memory long after he dies.
* ExtremeOmnivore: [[spoiler: He can apparently stand Nia's cooking in the HighschoolAU.]]
* TheFace: While not the protagonist-in-chief, Kamina's the cast member that brings Dai-Gurren together as a team, inspires them to hijack their own mecha (after his example), and establishes the ideals that the group fights for all the way into the end of the series. After his death, [[LosingTheTeamSpirit the group becomes far more fractured and morose]]... at least until Simon recovers in Episode 11.
* FaceDeathWithDignity: He doesn't seem the slightest bit bothered whilst dying from blood loss during his final battle.
* FakeUltimateHero: Played straight and subverted. Whilst he ''is'' a passionate hero who wants to liberate humanity, he's never able to accomplish anything without help from Simon and in the end he died way before the final fight. He's good enough to hang a lampshade on it, as he constantly sings Simon's praises and at the same time, it was thanks to his courage and belief that the heroes prevailed at the end and he was courageous and inspirational to his dying breath.
* FamedInStory: He's constantly mentioned as a paragon of heroism, up to and including the final battle.
* FearlessFool: Subverted upon revealing his HiddenDepths, but this doesn't stop him from being too brave for his own good.
* FinalSpeech: Even after he's technically already dead, he gives Simon a speech to believe in himself. It's only after killing his opponent with the Giga Drill Break that he actually expires.
* ForegoneConclusion: In the ActionPrologue, the person leading has the same voice actor as Simon, so clearly Kamina wasn't going to be TheHero forever. He bites the dust at episode 8.
* FountainOfMemes: In RealLife ''and'' in-universe; Team (Dai-)Gurren's name(s), catchphrases, flag, and overall style - not to mention every set of ArcWords - all originated from him.
* FriendToAllChildren: It helps that he acts like one of them.
* GangstaStyle: Played for laughs during the first GrandTheftPrototype of the series: holds his pistol ''upside down'' AND ''whacks the same to open the Gunmen's hatch doors.''
* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: He delivers Simon a good punch in the face to make him concentrate in battle and forget about his recent heartbreak. Unfortunately, having to snap Simon out of it lead to Kamina being fatally wounded.
-->''LET'S SEE YOU GRIT THOSE TEETH!''
* AGoodWayToDie: The smile on his face is proof enough. Kamina left the Dai-Gurren brigade in the hands of his beloved brother. This was a good thing.
* GoOutWithASmile: He dies with a satisfied smile on his face.
* GratuitousEnglish: ORE-WO-DARE-DA-TO-OMOTTE-YAGARU-KI~CK!!
* GuileHero: In many ways, he doesn't outfight the enemy, but his confidence is the thing that inspires Simon to kick the enemy's ass.
* HandsomeLech: In the first episode he cannot stop hitting on Yoko...until he realizes she's a ''pit chick.'' Then he starts up again the moment Yoko covers up her gorgeous features... and ''then'' decides that he wants to gaze at her [[DoubleEntendre twin peaks]] in episode six.
* TheHeart: A really weird, boisterous example of it, but one nonetheless. Kamina is always being inspirational and supportive of his allies, ''especially'' Simon, he is the glue that holds the Dai-Gurren Brigade together. His death is the Dai-Gurren Brigade's first true tragedy and moment of lost hope... [[HesBack but then Simon picks up where his brother left off]].
* TheHero: Fits everything from HeroicSpirit to noble goal to wearing red to winning battles.
* TheHeroDies: Kamina never comes back, but Simon carries on his legacy. And even then, [[spoiler:he manages to show up from Heaven itself to coach Simon on to the FinalBattle!]]
* HeroesWantRedheads: The only girl he was really interested in was the FieryRedhead Yoko.
* HiddenDepths: At face value, it's easy to see Kamina as an arrogant, completely fearless [[TheBerserker Berserker]] ...until it's revealed that Kamina is always at LEAST ''as'' scared as anyone else during a fight, and his "invincible superhero" persona is basically a mask he puts on so that Simon won't be afraid. He's only ever able to act tough because of his deep faith in Simon, and his knowledge that his "blood brother" will always pull through in the end. He also mentions that he "wants kids to be able to look up at the sky without a care in the world" -- he's not interested in revolution for the sheer hot-blooded thrill of it, but genuinely wants to make the world a safe and happy place to live in, and will do whatever it takes to achieve that.
* HopeBringer: Kamina is the one who inspires humanity to fight against the Beastmen for their freedom and create the first real LaResistance.
* HotBlooded: Always doing ''something'' and often that something is outrageous.
* HumongousMecha: [[spoiler: When he's reincarnated as the Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. Humongous is an understatement, as this form dwarfs galaxies. Pure awesome indeed.]]
* {{Hunk}}: His well-built, constantly exposed body seems to be deliberately designed to contrast with Simon's childlike look.
* HypocriticalHumor: He stops hitting on Yoko when he learns she was born underground, even though he was as well.
* IdiotHero: Even despite the HiddenDepths, he's still a king-sized idiot. Of particular note is his "plan" to combine Gurren and Lagann (which worked, but not in the way he intended ''at all''), and the HotSpringsEpisode, where he spends the entire time trying to see the girls naked (without saving them first).
* ImageSong: "Break Through The Dream" (shared with Simon)
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: Thymilph rams his Alkai Blade through Guren's armor plating, goring Kamina ''extremely'' deep into the left side of his chest and even heart. This injury causes so much blood loss and internal damage, it turns '''''fatal.''''' By far the series' most divine {{Tearjerker}}. [[{{Determinator}} Not that it stops him]] [[DyingMomentOfAwesome from avenging his own death.]]
* IndyPloy: He makes up his battle plans on the fly, and ''never'' tells his allies what he's thinking. There's one notable exception; see UnspokenPlanGuarantee.
* InsistentTerminology: Insists that members of Team Gurren (especially Simon) call him [[UsefulNotes/JapaneseSiblingTerminology "Aniki"]], or "Bro" in the dub.
* InspirationalMartyr: Kamina dies as his team is attempting to capture the Dai-Gurran. Their morale is crushed, so he comes BackFromTheDead to inspire his team to continue fighting. His dream of all children being able to look up without fear is the dream that drives everyone to save humanity. After his death, flashbacks and {{Dead Person Conversation}}s allow him to remain an inspiration to his team.
* InTheNameOfTheMoon: VERY fond of giving speeches before, during, and after battle.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Rough and loudmouthed on the surface, but he loves his friends and his dream is to make life better for humans.
* JugglingLoadedGuns: He almost shoots his own genitals off while attempting to use a gun. Granted, the poor guy had never seen a handgun before in his life--and inadvertently learned how to pistol-whip a Gunmen's door open.
* JumpedAtTheCall: When a Gunmen dropped into Giha Village, he was the only person not running in terror.
* LargeAndInCharge: He's not ''actually'' the tallest member of the Great Gurren Brigade, but still tall for his age, as well as very muscular and generally quite physically imposing.
* LargeHam: ''Try'' not to crack up laughing at his singing in "Break Through The Dream".
* TheLeader: A type IV; he's so charismatic he builds a personality cult with minimum effort.
* LeeroyJenkins: {{Lampshaded}} by the man himself when he admits he'd be dead if it wasn't for Simon's calming influence. [[DecoyProtagonist He's right.]]
* LanternJawOfJustice: With all the charisma and heroism that comes with it.
* LikeAnOldMarriedCouple: Since Yoko's backstory in the HighSchoolAU manga was changed to being ChildhoodFriends with him and Simon, the two have clearly different ways on how Simon should be influenced as he grows up.
* LocationThemeNaming: "Kami" in this case means "up", "above" (contrasted with "Shimo", below). His very first line in the show is, "Keep your head up when you walk, Simon." He has a signature pose pointing in this direction, carries ambitions of reaching the heavens, and embodies the show's theme of endlessly upping the scales to insane heights.
* MagneticHero: A strange example. While it was Kittan that actually recruited everyone, it was Kamina who inspired him to do so and the others to join.
* ManicPixieDreamGuy: Acts like one for his shy bro Simon. He's zany, wacky, ballsy, and encourages Simon toward the CallToAdventure, setting the series into motion. Sadly, he ends up dying in order to move the plot along. Simon is left in a depressive state until he meets Nia.
* ManlyTears: When he finds his father's skeleton in the desert.
* TheMcCoy: Of the initial three, the one relying most on emotion and guts.
* MeaningfulName: "Kami" means "god". [[spoiler:And guess who the Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (the most powerful... machine? entity? in the show, short of the [[RealityWarper literally godlike]] Super Granzeboma) looks like?]]
* MentorOccupationalHazard: He serves as Simon's BigBrotherMentor until he dies.
* MessianicArchetype: With a foot firmly in the old meaning of Messiah, AProtagonistShallLeadThem, a human who would inspire, unite its people, teach them and after he dies, leaves an ever lasting legacy, not a [[InvincibleHero super badass]]. He does this to the T, to the point that its a fact that without him, the entire Team Gurren would have been [[spoiler: doomed to the same path of destruction and stagnation as countless others (Including [[FallenHero LordGenome]] and Kamina's own father)]]. Plus, [[spoiler:he returns from the dead to save them all from the LotusEaterMachine]]. Appropriately, the word "kami", from his name, means god.
* MrFanservice: Rippling muscles, shirtless at all times, outrageously handsome... he's the pinnacle of it! That sound you hear when ever he walks on screen? It's the horde of fangirls ([[EvenTheGuysWantHim and boys]]).
** Wears a pretty clingy speedo in the HighSchoolAU during the beach chapter.
* MutualKill: A delayed reaction with Thymilph, thanks to a fatal but not immediately fatal wound.
* NoIndoorVoice: [[WorldOfHam Like nearly everyone else in the series]], but he takes it UpToEleven. You know all those (many) catchphrases? He shouts ''all'' of them.
* NormallyIWouldBeDeadNow: He came back to life long enough to kill a general and give final words to Simon.
* NotTooDeadToSaveTheDay: He ''avenges his own death''.
* ObiWanMoment:
-->"Listen Simon, never forget. Just believe in yourself. Not in the Simon that I believe in... Not in the Kamina that you believe in... Have faith in the Simon, who believes in you..."
* OnlySaneMan: Inverted. He's the only member of Team Gurren obviously lacking in sanity, but also the only one who believes in Simon's abilities for a long time. And yet... Kamina's sane, alright; he just ''ignores'' fear.
* PaperTiger: A rare heroic example. He talks a big game, is incredibly imposing-looking and is revered as an InvincibleHero by everyone around him. In reality, while he ''is'' probably humanity's strongest fighter during the earliest parts of the series, he's barely an ant when compared to the beast men's top brass, and most of his biggest victories are the result of Simon's limitless spiral energy saving the day at the last minute. Despite this, the unbelievable amount of hype he surrounds himself with is critical to inspiring the rest of humanity to gain the courage to join his cause and rise up against the beast men.
* ParentalSubstitute: The HighSchoolAU manga shows that him and Yoko have clearly different ideas of how Simon should be influenced, with Kamina driving Simon to be manly and badass.
* PosthumousCharacter: He's mentioned in almost every episode after his death, and appears in several flashbacks and dream sequences.
* PostVictoryCollapse: The dying kind. He seems to be his usual self after he's ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice, but he can only last so long before he dies.
* PresentAbsence: Gets killed off only eight episodes in, but everything else accomplished in the rest of the series is largely accomplished thanks to the fighting spirit he inspired in the rest of the main characters.
* RatedMForManly: A tall, muscular and shirtless man who wields a sword in a revolution. ''And'' a full-throttle badass who faces off against gigantic Gunmen without batting an eyelash! ''And'' with the most extreme HotBlooded attitude to boot! Kamina is a true example for all manly men.
** In the HighSchoolAU manga, Kamina gets all his ideas for him and Simon from Soul Of A Man magazine which features a ripped sailor on its cover. Humorously, Nia turns out to be a huge fan of this magazine as well.
* RebuiltPedestal: Kamina acted as a LivingEmotionalCrutch of sorts towards Simon, but after he dies Simon realizes the meaning of his words and truly takes them to heart.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: A variation. He's ''far'' from evil, but he can definitely be dangerous -- furthermore, because of his hot-headed, reckless personality, fire is both a recurring motif in his characterization (see his flame-decorated BadassCape for one of many examples) and a [[StuffBlowingUp common result]] of [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill his actions]]; red is a colour traditionally associated with fire. His eye colour also serves to underline his RedOniBlueOni dynamic with Simon.
* RedOniBlueOni: The red to Simon's blue -- Kamina is red-clad, red-eyed and tan where Simon is blue-clad, blue-eyed and pale, and is a big dreamer who specializes in encouraging people and cheering them up, and is reckless, outgoing and not terribly bright, where Simon is a practical hard worker who is relatively sensible, fairly shy, and intelligent.
* RousingSpeech: He's a ''master'' of this trope. It's his role in the team to inspire others with manly words. All the heavy lifting is done by Simon.
* SacrificialLion: Part and parcel of his role as DecoyProtagonist is a plot critical death scene.
* {{Sarashi}}: [[WalkingShirtlessScene The most upper clothing the man ever wears.]] Except [[spoiler: that one time in the LotusEaterMachine, but that was a fake.]]
* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: Manly Man to Simon's Sensitive Guy.
* ShonenHair: He has the spiky hair of the typical StockShonenHero.
* SmarterThanYouLook: He's smarter than you might guess, despite being a HotBlooded IdiotHero. Almost every time he went into battle he had a plan (Well, unless you count his CombiningMecha idea. [[CrazyEnoughToWork It really shouldn't have worked, but it just did.)]] and it probably takes a certain amount of brainpower to come up with and remember all the {{Rousing Speech}}es.
* SorryToInterrupt: Catches Simon with his face in Yoko's breasts and Nia on his side in the beginning of the second chapter in the HighSchoolAU. Kamina thinks Simon is having a threesome and congratulates him on his manliness before storming off.
* SparedByTheAdaptation: In the HighSchoolAU manga he doesn't die.
* StealthMentor: A lot of his IdiotHero moments are really attempts to get Simon to man up.
* StepfordSmiler: It is eventually revealed after his death, in a flashback to a conversation he had with Yoko, that he's as scared as everyone else, but he can talk a big game because he can always count on Simon to back it up.
* StockShonenHero: Kamina is a borderline exaggeration of this trope in the first episodes. He's boisterous, HotBlooded, a [[FearlessFool fearless]] IdiotHero and a {{Determinator}} who never lets anything keep him down for long. He might be an idiot, but his fighting spirit and charisma are just so great that he's able to inspire even the timid Simon to accomplish great feats and almost single-handedly set the foundations for Team Dai-Gurren. He also has the typical spiky ShonenHair that goes with the trope and is a BigEater.
** Later episodes, however, show Kamina is actually a {{deconstruction}} of the trope. His bravado is just an act that he uses to inspire his TrueCompanions to greatness, as well as a coping mechanism to deal with his own fear during life-threatening situations. Also, his dumber moments have serious consequences - every time he pulls a HotBlooded stunt, someone (usually Simon or Yoko) tells him that he's risking his life and tries to talk him out of it. All of this leads to him dying in one of the series' most heart-wrenching moments.
** [[{{Reconstruction}} However,]] the positive effect he has on everyone around him is hard to overstate, since everything that happens in the series can be traced back to his goal of inspiring humanity to overthrow Lordgenome's oppression. Taken to extremes in the finale where, [[spoiler:on top of galaxies and in another universe]], Yoko calls him "far greater than any of [them]".
* TakeAMomentToCatchYourDeath: He breaks Simon out of a neurotic crisis. Breathes. Gets hit by an energy blast, being fatally wounded.
* TakeUpMySword: Kamina spends his last moments telling Simon how awesome he is, before the two combine one last time to finish the first of the Four Generals. Ironically, the figurative meaning of this trope goes into full effect, but the literal meaning is [[InvertedTrope Inverted]]: Kamina's actual sword is used to mark his grave.
* TestosteronePoisoning: He tries to take on a HumongousMecha with only a sword [[note]][[WordOfGod A fight that he would have won]][[/note]] and often needs to be saved from his own actions.
* ThereWasADoor: In the HighSchoolAU manga, Kamina just loves to burst into Simon's apartment through the window, floor and/or wall instead of simply using the door.
* AThreesomeIsHot: Thinks Simon is having one in the HighSchoolAU after storming into his room. He proceeds to congratulate him before running off.
* TookALevelInBadass: He may have already been awesome, but remember how he got his ass kicked the first time he tried to face Viral with just the Gurren? The second time they fight without Simon and the Lagann getting involved, though, he's able to easily hold his own.
-->'''Viral:''' "What the? How did he get so good so fast?"
* ToxicFriendInfluence: Yoko in the HighSchoolAU accuses Kamina of being this to Simon, with his antics sorta backing up such a conclusion.
* TragicHero: His dad dies and then so does he. Even worse, following his father's fearless, HotBlooded attitude towards life is what gets him killed.
* TragicKeepsake: After burying the skeleton of his dead father, Kamina holds onto the cape and wears it so that a part of his dad can travel the world with him and fufill his dream in spirit. Tragically, Kamina himself dies and the cape becomes part of a grave marker, tied around his ''nodachi'' stabbed into the ground.
* TransformationNameAnnouncement: VERY fond of announcing himself.
* TriangleShades: Practically the TropeCodifier in anime. They're also [[MemeticMutation photoshopped onto everyone]].
* {{Ubermensch}}: A charasmatic and passionate man who challenges conventional ways of thinking and gathers followers.
* TheUnchosenOne: Fully aware that while humanity needs a hero, he is ''not'' that man. He's fine with it, and devotes his time to making humanity's hero realize his worth.
* UndyingLoyalty: There is '''''no word in any language''''' to describe just how much [[BigBrotherInstinct Kamina loves his little brother Simon]]. Kamina loves Simon more than Simon loves himself. From the very first time they're on screen in the series, Kamina does absolutely nothing but praise, encourage and support Simon, constantly talking to everyone about Simon's bravery and infinite potential. More than his badassery, more than his [[HotBlood hot-bloodedness]], more than his [[IdiotHero his lack of foresight]], more than [[TheParagon his inspirational ability]], Kamina's love for Simon is his defining trait. Practically everyone in the series thinks Kamina's crazy to put so much fate in Simon, [[TheCloudcuckoolanderWasRight but time proves that Kamina was ABSOLUTELY RIGHT]].
* TheUnfettered: There really isn't anything he ''won't'' do, except give up or desert his friends--Leeron excluded.
* UnspokenPlanGuarantee: His secret plan to combine Gurren & Lagann worked better than anyone could have expected. His meticulously-detailed plan to steal Dai-Gunzan wound up getting him killed. This was his one time flying solo, without Simon watching his back. And he pulls a LeeroyJenkins to get to Simon and give him a fist-sized dose of encouragement. Seriously, you couldn't have given the inspirational speech via the radio? Sure, it lacks style points, but it helps keep you alive.
* WalkingShirtlessScene: About literally 100% of the time.
* WalkingSpoiler: Kamina is not the main character of the series. By the end of episode 8, he's dead.
* WeakButSkilled: While Kamina was not a bad fighter, he was far beneath the level of the generals and the strongest warriors of the series. Also, he possessed the lowest level of Spiral power of the entire Team but he supplied himself with sound strategy, his allies help and pure raw determination. However, Kamina still ranks above Viral, who has ''no'' Spiral Power at all.
* WeaponOfChoice: He has two favored weapons.
** The first is {{BFS}} [[KatanasAreJustBetter nodachi]]. Interestingly, it's not a weapon he gained out of virtue or strength, or heritage; he basically stole it from the leader's village in the middle of the confusion in episode 1.
** The second is a [[ThisIsADrill drill]]. Although this is usually Simon's territory, Kamina uses drills quite often when combined with Lagann. In fact, Kamina uses his last moments to invent Gurren Lagann's finishing move, the Giga Drill Break.
* WellDoneSonGuy: As a child, Kamina was too scared to go to the surface with his father, and the regret he felt over this led to him becoming a HotBlooded {{Determinator}}.
* WhatBeautifulEyes: His pretty ''eyelashes'', specifically, always feature prominently both in depictions of him and in the Black Siblings' gushing about him.
* TheWorfEffect: He's a strange use of this trope. His fighting skill is inversely proportional to his oratory skills; he gets on the losing end of a fight, and then inspires Simon to turn the tables. He's fully aware of this, and it is why he tries to inspire Simon. In other words, he's not a typical case where he losses a fight to prove the villain's danger level, but more like training wheels for real hero.
* WorthyOpponent: To Viral (and Thymilph, to a lesser extent). To the point that, when Viral hears that Kamina's dead, he actually gets [[VillainousBSOD briefly shell-shocked]].
* WrongGenreSavvy: He fails to recognize the GenreShift that came with Thymilph and the Dai-Gunzan's entrance. When the show's tone suddenly became DarkerAndEdgier, jumping out of the Gurren during the biggest battle to yet occur in the series was a situation that [[HotBlooded hot blood]] couldn't save him from.
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: He has light blue hair.

* FingerlessGloves: Black, by the way.

** Coincidentally and interestingly enough, in addition to coming from "near" as mentioned under LocationThemeNaming above, her name is also a Welsh variant of ''Niamh'', which means “bright” or “radiant”, two terms that could easily be used to describe [[HairOfGoldHeartOfGold her appearance]] and [[PluckyGirl her]] [[IncorruptiblePurePureness personality]]. It's also worth noting that the name ''Niamh'' comes from [[Myth/CelticMythology the Irish goddess Niamh Chinn Oir]]. [[note]]Whose name means "Niamh of the Golden Hair". The goddess in question was also known among the Welsh as Nia Ben Aur, which pretty much has the same meaning.[[/note]] Which may also make Nia's name a ShoutOut to said goddess.
** Her name is also a Swahili name that means “purpose”. Which is fitting considering [[ApocalypseMaiden her eventual fate as the Anti-Spirals' messenger]], i.e. her ultimate purpose in life. It could also refer to [[TheHeart the fact that she motivates Simon and the rest of Team Dai-Gurren to overcome impossible odds]], i.e. she helps give Team Dai-Gurren a purpose to fight and win against the Beastmen.

[[center: [-[[Characters/TengenToppaGurrenLagann Main Character Index]] | '''Main Characters''' ([[Characters/TengenToppaGurrenLagannSimon Simon]]) | [[Characters/TengenToppaGurrenLagannMecha Mecha]] | [[Characters/TengenToppaGurrenLagannAntagonists Antagonists]] | [[Characters/TengenToppaGurrenLagannSecondaryCharacters Secondary Characters]]]]-]

* AmazonianBeauty: Very muscular for a girl. Especially after the TimeSkip, as a gorgeous and strong young woman.

[[caption-width-right:270:[[labelnote:Click here to see her post-Time Skip.]][[quoteright:270:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yoko_adult.png]][[/labelnote]]]]

[[caption-width-right:240:[[labelnote:Click here to see her post-Time Skip.]][[quoteright:240:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nia_teppelin_9.png]][[/labelnote]]]]

[[caption-width-right:225:[[labelnote:Click here to see him post-Time Skip.]][[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/32812_0.jpg]][[/labelnote]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see him as an old man.]][[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bda5sgg.jpg]][[/labelnote]]]]