Johnny Burnette pilots the Nova Elephant, forming the Dancouga Nova's torso and arms. A former white-collar corporate salaryman, he was recruited by the secretive Dragon's Hive organization. He sports blonde hair, frequently wears glasses, and possesses blood type O, aligning with the team's composition under the Japanese blood type personality theory.

His hobbies include cooking and avidly reading men's interest magazines covering topics like fishing and lifestyle. This habit provides him a broad range of knowledge, sometimes trivial, which surfaces during missions or team interactions. Engineer Seimii nicknamed him "Clark Kent" during their first mission, a moniker he consistently dislikes.

He develops a romantic relationship with Eida Rossa, an idol singer who later defects from the enemy to pilot the R-Daigun unit for Dragon's Hive. Their connection evolves from admiration to mutual support. Within the team, he provides reliability and stability, experiencing less personal turmoil than other pilots and functioning as a grounding presence that aids group cohesion.

The character also appears in the *Super Robot Wars* video games (*L*, *Z2.1*, and *UX*), maintaining his anime portrayal without additional arcs or backstory.