Dan Kouzo is the main protagonist of the Bakugan reboot series, starting with Bakugan: Battle Planet. He leads the Awesome Ones (later Awesome Brawlers), a Los Volmos-based group creating content for ViewTube alongside friends Wynton Styles, Lia Venegas, and their dog Lightning. Twelve years after the Great Collision, a second Great Collision occurs on Dan's birthday during filming at Pinpoint Park, granting him and his friends the ability to see the Hide Matrix. Dan partners with a Pyrus Dragonoid named Drago, found in goo after this event.

Dan possesses an optimistic, intense, and impulsive personality, demonstrating natural leadership despite initial unawareness of this trait. He tackles challenges enthusiastically, guided by his motto "The sun doesn’t go down until we work it out," prioritizing loyalty and resolving conflicts among friends. Athletic with a daredevil flair, his modern urban style features a red t-shirt, open darker red jacket, dark blue jeans with knee patches, and brown hair bearing a natural red streak. Early experiences reveal his growth; after recklessly causing property damage during Bakugan training, he attempts to mentor the Rowdy Reds on responsible brawling, though initially unsuccessful. A confrontation with the abusive brawler Marco further highlights his developing understanding of leadership and accountability. During this battle, Dan's honorable conduct inspires Marco's Bakugan, Pyrus Cyndeous, to defect and become Dan's secondary Guardian Bakugan.

Dan's journey involves defending Bakugan from threats. He confronts AAAnimus Inc. agent Kravitz, posing as an anti-Bakugan activist who sows community distrust by forcibly activating Bakugan to cause destruction. After Kravitz confiscates the Awesome Ones' Bakugan, Dan and Drago reclaim them and work together to destroy a falling weather satellite, restoring public trust.

In Bakugan: Armored Alliance, Dan's brawling advances significantly with Baku-Gear, a power-up system unlocked via specialized Bakucores. He first accesses this ability unpredictably during a tournament battle against Ajit and his Golden Bakugan Pharol. He later masters activating Baku-Gear during a rematch with Trey, using it to win. Dan gains new Guardian Bakugan, including Gillator in Armored Alliance and the Geogan Arcleon in Geogan Rising.

His partnership with Drago evolves through multiple transformations. After Drago and other Awesome Brawlers' Bakugan enter hibernation post-battle against Haavik on Miracle Planet, they temporarily reawaken in Geogan Rising to counter Gregorius Reed's manipulation of the Healing Core Cell. Drago transforms further in Evolutions, becoming an Elemental Bakugan after absorbing excess energy from a Pyrus Elemental Storm, and later a Nova Bakugan in Legends due to fallout from the Nova Reflector device.

Non-canon stories occasionally depict Dan's Bakugan in comedic scenarios, such as Drago's conflicts with Hydorous over a game controller or coordinated pranks against Nillious.