Quest 31: The Hyakujuu Sentai, Defeated!! (Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger)

The Hyakujuu Sentai, Defeated!! (百獣戦隊、全滅!! Hyakujū Sentai, Zenmetsu!!) is the thirty-first episode of Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger. It is the conclusion of Gaoranger's second arc, the second part of the two-part final battle against Highness Duke Org Ura and the Thousand-Year Evil, and introduces the last featured Power Animal, GaoFalcon, and a new mecha formation: GaoIcarus. It also introduces new elements that will lead to Gaoranger's third arc, including a mystery boy and the awakening of the next Highness. This episode was released on September 23rd, 2001 (one day after the Gaoranger's movie "Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger: The Fire Mountain Roars" was released on theaters).

Plot
With the power of the Thousand-Year Evil within him, Highness Duke Org Ura slaughters most of the Gaorangers, putting GaoRed and GaoSilver in a near-hopeless position.

Why It Should Remain Dead

 * 1) Like It's a Dog's Life and the infamous Arnold Betrays Iggy, this episode is extremely mean-spirited and unpleasant compared to the show's otherwise light-hearted tone.
 * 2) This was an incredibly harsh torture episode for Kakeru/GaoRed and Tsukumaro/GaoSliver.
 * 3) Kakeru/GaoRed behaves completely out of character, as he instantaneously felt like giving up after he knew there was no way to defeat Highness Duke Org Ura.
 * 4) Highness Duke Org Ura kills the other four core rangers and they actually die on-screen (GaoBlue's case being in Quest 30: The Full Moon Kills the Wolf!, the previous episode.).
 * 5) The Four Gaorangers tried to get the puzzle pieces and put them together while they were falling to their death by splashing into the lava!
 * 6) Highness Duke Org Ura arrives at the city and sees that a group of children are scared. At the same time, Kakeru/GaoRed hears the children' cries and Tsukumaro/GaoSilver asks if he is going to ignore them, only for Kakeru/GaoRed to say that he won't... even he said he was ready to give up only a few minutes prior.
 * 7) Highness Duke Org Ura destroys every building with explosions for no good reason.
 * 8) Kakeru/GaoRed and Tsukumaro/GaoSliver almost lost the battle merely because of jumping past huge explosions.
 * 9) The ending was very stupid, as Yabaiba and Tsuetsue find a jar containing what will become the third Highness Duke Org.

Redeeming Qualities

 * 1) At least the Four Core Gaorangers came back while helping GaoRed by grabbing the animal jewels, even if their revival felt a bit flat.
 * 2) This episode included some Awesome Mecha scenes.
 * 3) "The Wings Of Animaria" fixed all of the problems that this episode had.

Trivia

 * The death scenes in this episode were so violent that, in the Power Rangers Wild Force adaptation ("The Wings Of Animaria"), this was changed to having the rangers merely being knocked out cold.