Grapearl

Grapearls are the machines that replace the Gunmen once peace arrives, engineered by studying the Gurren Lagann and meant to be an improvement on it. Because they hold no Spiral Power, they end up markedly weaker, and against Anti-Spiral vessels they are effectively helpless until their weapons are upgraded.

Built from research into the Gurren Lagann, the Grapearls were intended to surpass both the older Gunmen and their own inspiration, yet without Spiral Power they fall well short. Standard units are pearl-grey and carry automatic handguns and blades, and they were adopted wholesale as the human military's frontline mecha. Against Anti-Spiral forces they make no impression at first, until two new weapons from Leeron's science team let them take on Mugann units without wrecking everything nearby. Even upgraded, they never come close to matching the Gurren Lagann.

Countless pilots crew the Grapearls, but only a few are named. Gimmy and Darry Adai each fly a custom model, colored blue and pink against the standard grey, marking them as leaders of the squadron. Naakim, once a student of Yoko's in his youth, turns up as another Grapearl pilot by the series epilogue. The name is generally read as a blend of Gurren-Lagann and pearl, though an official radio program joked that it came from a child's cry, 'Look at all the Gurren-Lagann!', at the end of the epilogue.