This article is about a/an mentor in Power Rangers Samurai and Power Rangers Super Samurai.

Mentor Ji
Gender:	Male
Ally Type:	Mentor, Guardian
Season:	Samurai Super Samurai
Homeworld:	Earth
First Appearance:	The Team Unites
Last Appearance:	Samurai Forever
Number of Episode Appearances:	44 Full list of appearances
Actor:	Rene Naufahu

Mentor Ji is the Samurai Rangers' master and trainer. He also seems to be Jayden's legal guardian. He is very strict, but worries about the Rangers. He and the Red Ranger both have a secret that they keep from the others. He is the one who gives the rangers their morphers except for Antonio's, who built his own, and from whom he confiscated it, only to return it in the same episode.

Biography

Mentor Ji has been a part of the Shiba House since Jayden's father was the Red Ranger and is presumably Jayden's guardian. Ji has trained Jayden after Master Xandred's defeat at Jayden's father, which brings questions to light of what happened with Jayden's father after he sealed Xandred away and what his relationship with Jayden's family is. Years later, when Master Xandred returned, he gathered 5 teenagers to become the Samurai Power Rangers.

Seeing that the Samurai Rangers need a break from training and saving the world, Ji gave them a day, but Jayden chose to continue; he watched over Jayden's attempt to master the Bettle Disk and expressed concern on Jayden's condition after he trained himself to near exhaustion all night, remembering when Jayden would train the same way as a child but would let himself have fun.

Ji himself is a capable fighter and can take on opponents whenever necessary. He has his own ceremonial samurai battle armor clad in black as well as a golden Samuraizer for use of his minimal symbol power, as well as for communicating with the Rangers. Ji is also a capable motorcycle rider.

During one Nighlok attack, Antonio and Ji were captured by Eyescar and his army. Later during that episode, they were freed by the rangers and they defeated Eyescar and his army together.

When Jayden left the Shiba House due to Lauren (Jayden's sister) returning to the Shiba House, Ji goes after him to bring him back, but failed to do so because Jayden stated that he has to defeat Deker and the rangers would switch loyalties if he stayed (though Jayden rejoined the rangers and returned to the Shiba House after he defeated Deker).

In "The Sealing Symbol" after Lauren failed to seal Xandred away, she gave leadership back to Jayden and Ji told the rangers to battle Master Xandred the next day.

In "Samurai Forever" Ji tried to stop Lauren from creating another Shiba disc but Lauren stated that the rangers needed another disc. Lauren told Ji to deliver the disc to the rangers which he did, as well as a disc which belonged to Jayden's father. After the rangers defeated Master Xandred for good, Ji congratulated them and the rangers went their separate ways. Now that the world is saved, Ji gave Jayden a guitar in hopes of teaching him to have fun.

Notes

• His name is shared with the Shinkengers' mentor Hikoma Kusakabe, whose nickname was "Ji" (which means "uncle").
• Rene Naufahu is known for playing the voice of Emperor Gruumm, the main villain of Power Rangers: SPD.
• His original name, Takeru, is the same as two red Super Sentai Rangers, Takeru Shiba from 2009's Shinkenger, and Takeru from 1987's Maskman.
• Ji is the first Post Disney Era character who's actor came from the Disney Era.

See also

• Hikoma Kusakabe, his Super Sentai counterpart from Samurai Sentai Shinkenger.