Ep. 46: Hero Eligibility

Hero Eligibility is the forty-sixth episode of Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger. It is also the second part of a two-part tribute to Ninja Sentai Kakuranger, which began with The Confused Ninja.

Sypnosis
The evil in the hearts of Don and Gai is magnified by the powers of the new Action Commander, Evil Spirit Faith Healer Jyujyu. With Ninjaman observing the Gokaiger, what is about to happen?!

Plot
After watching the Gokai Galleon crew for over a week, Ninjaman decides to train the pirates in the basics of being a Super Sentai team. With only Doc, Ahim, and Gai going through with it, Ninjaman deems only them worthy of the Kakurangers' greater power before sensing a strange presence. He and the others discover Action Commander Juju as he summons two Zugormin to fight them before Gokai Red, Gokai Blue, and Gokai Yellow arrive. After firing darts into Gokai Green and Gokai Silver, Juju is forced to retreat after failing to hit Gokai Red. Soon after, while having lunch, Doc and Gai suddenly start acting crazy and they go out to fight. Ahim follows them as Ninjaman follows in a huff after seeing Captain Marvelous and the others show no concern. Ahim and Ninjaman find many other people acting crazy before finding Doc and Gai fighting each other before assuming their Gokaiger forms as they attempt to stop them. But in a gambit, Ahim ends up taking the two's blows as she manages to snap Gokai Green and Gokai Silver out of their madness. By that time, having Navi analyze his Gokai Saber for Juju's mind-altering dart, Gokai Red and the others find the Action Commander's base and they attempt to destroy the crystal ball he is using to control people. However, Juju swallows the crystal ball to ensure that his spell over the humans continues. Contacted by Navi, the others arrive to their shipmates' aid against Juju as they use the Sun Vulcan Keys to defeat some of the Gormin. After apologizing for underestimating them, Ninjaman joins the Gokaigers as they use the Kakuranger Keys to fight Juju and the Gormin while Gokai Silver assumes Gold Mode to defeat the Zugormin. After being hit by the Gokai Galleon Buster, ensuring his spell is broken, Insarn enlarges Juju as Gokaioh and Goujyujin are formed to fight him. However, Juju overpowers them before the Kakuranger Keys emerge as Ninjaman tells them to use his team's greater power: which turns out to be himself. Ninjaman battles Juju before Kanzen Gokaioh is formed to deliver the final blow. Later, after deciding to find the Three God Generals, Ninjaman summons his cloud to take his leave until the Gokaigers need him once more. Knowing that they need the five greater powers in his possession, the Gokai Galleon crew know that they must fight Basco to achieve their goal to get the Greatest Treasure in the Universe.

Cast

 * Ryota Ozawa as Captain Marvelous (Gokai Red)
 * Yuuki Yamada as Joe Gibken (Gokai Blue)
 * Mao Ichimichi as Luka Millfy (Gokai Yellow)
 * Kazuki Shimizu as Don Dogoier (Gokai Green)
 * Yui Koike as Ahim de Famille (Gokai Pink)
 * Jun Ikeda as Gai Ikari (Gokai Silver)
 * Yukari Tamura as Navi (voice)
 * Kazuki Yao as Ninjaman (voice)
 * Kei Hosogai as Basco ta Jolokia
 * Toru Omura as Sally (voice)

Gokai Changes

 * Gokai Changes in Hero Eligibility:
 * Gokai Red - VulEagle, NinjaRed
 * Gokai Blue - VulShark, NinjaBlue
 * Gokai Yellow - VulPanther, NinjaYellow
 * Gokai Green - NinjaBlack
 * Gokai Pink - NinjaWhite
 * Gokai Silver - Gold Mode

Elements/Homages to Kakuranger

 * Like the previous episode, this episode title resembles the title of a Kakuranger episode. In this case, "Hero Eligibility" is similar in title to episode 51, "Hero Elimination", in Japanese, with the only difference being a single kanji that changes the title from one to the other. (from ヒーロー失格/Hīrō Shikkaku in the Kakuranger title to ヒーロー合格/Hīrō Gōkaku in the Gokaiger title) Likewise, the Kakuranger title referred is the first episode of the climax of the series, whereas the Gokaiger episode is the climax both for the Kakuranger tribute and for the acquisition of the final Greater Power.
 * The power of the Action Commander of this episode is similar to Youkai Yama-uba, who creates and causes dischord between allies forcing them to fight one another. Ahim's defeat of this power is similar to the method used by Tsuruhime to overwhelm the power of Yama-uba.

Trivia

 * With this episode, all 35 of the Super Sentai teams have had their Greater Power unlocked. However, the Gokaiger won't obtain the last five (the ones stolen by Basco) until The Fated Showdown.
 * This is the last power the Gokaiger obtain that is of a team that were of a Super Sentai series that was adapted into a Power Rangers season.
 * This is the second episode where the Gokaigers team up with a member from a past team, the first being the Hurricanegers who were coincidentally also ninjas.
 * However, if one counts the 199 Hero film (which featured the Gokaigers teaming up with the Goseigers), then this would be the third time.
 * The fact that Don, the Green Ranger, and Gai, the Sixth Ranger, were the ones turned bad in this episode could be a reference to Burai (DragonRanger), who was both the first official Sixth Ranger and the first ranger to be originally evil before becoming good, he was also a Green Ranger.