Here are Zyuranger's shout-outs to various other works in media and beyond.
Anime & Manga
- Voltes V: The Gou Brothers' familial relationship with Prince Heinel, their Boazanian half-brother, is reminiscent of Burai being the older stepbrother of Geki the TyrannoRanger.
- Robot Romance Trilogy: The Dino Tanker mode of Daizyujin is a three-way reference to the following:
- The GranDasher special move of Combattler V.
- The unused tank mode of Voltes Vnote .
- The pre-transformation wheeled Tranzer/Transer mode of Daimos.
- Beast King GoLion:
- Bandora can also be a shout-out to Honerva from GoLion. They're both capable of making monsters grow into Robeasts.
- Grifforzer can also be considered a mix between Commander Sadak and King Daibazaal.note
- Burai's role in the series is also reminiscent of Prince Sincline'.
- The retrieval sequence of the Guardian Beasts that make up Daizyuzin/Daizyujin is reminiscent of the thematic placement of the different robot lions that make up GoLion across Altea.note
- Dragon Caesar also emerges from the water like the Blue Lion from GoLion.
- Daizyuzin itself can be considered the sentai equivalent of GoLionnote .
- Dairugger XV: When the different Guardian Beasts combine to form the Daizyujin mech, the Pteranodon Beast transforms into its chest plate the same way Patty Ellington's plane turns into Dairugger's chest plate.
- Dancougar: Even more so than GoLion, the line-up of this 1985 show's mechanical beasts match those of Daizyujin's Guardian Beasts even betternote
Literature
- Bandora's malice towards children is reminiscent of how many a Fairy Tale involves witches cursing, harming, or eating children.
- Bandora herself and her witchy design is reminiscent of the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
- Keeping up with the Oz-like theme of the show, Grifforzer also serves as Bandora's gold-armored equivalent of the Wicked Witch's Flying Monkeys mixed with the (Not-so-)Cowardly Lion and the fully armored Tin Woodsman.
Movies & Television
- The Wizard of Oz: Bandora also particularly references the classic film with her ability to fly in the air while riding a bicycle[[note]](like how Miss Gulch rode a bicycle in the tornado during Dorothy Gale's dream sequence).
- Bellbara the Witch: In turn, the Bandora role is an Actor Allusion to Machiko Soga's previous work in Bellbara the Witchnote from 1971, where she was a good witch instead of a wicked witch.
- Godzilla:
- When summoned, Dragon Caesar emerges from the waters just like Godzilla.
- Dragon Caesar does not only look like Godzilla, but its very name is a reference to the King of Monsters.
- Dragon Caesar also has finger missiles much like the 1970s incarnation of Mechagodzilla.
- Rodan: Meanwhile, the Pteranodon Beast emerging from an active volcano is also reminiscent of the titular Rodan from the 1956 film of the same name.
- Giant Robo: Another one that Dragon Caesar is associated with, the iconic shot of it loading missiles to fire from its fingertips, is actually referencing another Toei Tokusatsu, Giant Robonote from the 1960s.
- Kamen Rider:
- The Zyurangers' Transformation Sequence draws inspiration from Kamen Rider Super-1.
- Super Sentai:
- Design-wise, the gold-armored, scorpion-themed Lamie is reminiscent of the gold-armored, spider-themed Doldora from Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman.
- Her role as Femme Fatale of the Bandora Gang, meanwhile, is more reminiscent of Princess Chimera from Kagaku Sentai Dynaman or Boma Princess Jarmin from Kousoku Sentai Turboranger.
- Two of the actors of Zyuranger previously worked in Choujin Sentai Jetman.
- Yuta Mochizuki's role as Prince Geki of the Yamato Tribe is an allusion to his previous role as J1, leader of the Neo-Jetman.
- In turn, Hideki Fujiwara's role as Sir Dan of the Etoffe Tribe is also an allusion to his role as Dan the Birdman and Love Interest to Ako Hayasaka or Blue Swallow.
- Amusingly, they're both arguably candidates for The Sixth Ranger in Jetman.
- Burai the DragonRanger is a shout-out to previous sixth rangers like him in J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai (Big One), Choudenshi Bioman (Magne Warrior), Hikari Sentai Maskman (X1 Mask), Choujuu Sentai Liveman (Black Bison and Green Sai), and Choujin Sentai Jetman (either J1 the Neo-Jetman or Dan the Birdman).
- Burai's role as a lone-wolf antagonist with an agenda separate from the main antagonists is also reminiscent of Dynaman's Dark Knight, Bioman's Bio Hunter Silva, Maskman's Thief Knight Kiros, Turboranger's Yamimaru, Fiveman's Chevalier, and Jetman's Emperor Tranza.
- As for Burai having a close connection with Geki the TyrannoRanger, it resembles:
- Maria's romantic involvement with Ryu Tendo or Red Hawk in Choujin Sentai Jetman.
- Prince, the Mecha Clone version of Dr. Man's human son Shuichi Kageyama in Choudenshi Bioman.
- Design-wise, the gold-armored, scorpion-themed Lamie is reminiscent of the gold-armored, spider-themed Doldora from Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman.
Mythology annd Follklore
- The Golem Soldiers of Bandora, meanwhile, are a collective direct reference to the Golem, a creature from Jewish folklore that's also made of clay but lacking a soul.
- Each member of the Zyurangers hails from an ancient tribe and is associated with a prehistoric animal, usually a dinosaur. The tribe names, in turn, are based on various words related to stone (as in referencing the Stone Age).
- Prince Geki of the Yamato Tribe.note
- Sir Goushi, Knight of the Sharma Tribe.note
- Sir Dan, Knight of the Etoffe Tribe.note
- Sir Boi, Knight of the Dime Tribe.note
- Princess Mei of the Lithia Tribe.note
- Sir Burai, Knight of the Yamato Tribe.note
Real-Life Inspirations
- In the first episode, Bandora Palace was compared to the Sagrada Familia building.