Hello and welcome, Ultraman Connection readers! This week we’re continuing our training with Ultraman Z as he learns more about the history of the New Generation Ultra heroes. Even though Z has fought alongside many of these heroes, each of them has faced their own trials and tribulations in their respective series already, and there’s always something new to learn from by studying their examples. There’s always more to people than what meets the eye, or what we may initially assume about them.
Many Ultra heroes exemplify similar ideals, and fight for similar goals to protect the peace of humanity and other lives in the universe. But before they were heroes, many of these characters come from very different backgrounds, and sometimes even from different planets in different universes! Ultraman Taiga hails from the “Land of Light”in the M78 Nebula, what we usually think of as the “main” setting for the majority of other Ultra heroes in the franchise. However, his two closest friends, Ultraman Titas and Ultraman Fuma, both have much different origins from other worlds. This week, let’s take a closer look at their respective worlds.
First up, Ultraman Titas. He certainly looks intimidating with his remarkable physique, but Titas is more of a “gentle giant” sort. He frequently describes his role as Ultraman as that of a “sage”. He doesn’t just pursue physical power, but also the wisdom to use it for the best good. This sort of philosophical approach is right in line with his homeworld of U40, from the 1979 anime The Ultraman.
In the context of the series itself, U40’s idyllic, pastoral setting is a bit of a shock. The characters – and the audience – had only seen glimpses of its dazzlingly advanced technology and only encountered one of its inhabitants, Ultraman Joneus. Rather than a futuristic tableau of chrome and computer banks, the first glimpse we have of the planet’s surface is of lush, green fields, blue skies and artistic Greek-columned buildings.
There’s a reason for the seeming disconnect. The Ultras from U40 are quick to point out that – despite their advanced technology – they’re still just living beings like us. They believe that relying too much on that technology comes at the cost of other aspects of their society which are more important than just scientific progress and the convenience it provides. So you have a planet of phenomenally powerful cosmic beings, with scientific achievements that would make Arthur C. Clarke blush, who happen to prefer simply walking around outside instead of teleporting instantaneously wherever they want.
Sounds pretty awesome, right? I’d certainly want to go visit, hopefully without dying first like Choichiro Hikari did in The Ultraman. Not everything was perfect in this seemingly-idyllic paradise however. A group of Ultras from U40 grew discontented with this relaxed lifestyle and instead wanted to use their science to make themselves immortal, and to go on to conquer other worlds throughout space! These individuals, under their leader named Hellar, formed their own dark empire and would go on to become the main antagonists in the latter part of the show.
This is where Titas’ story comes in. Before he gained the title of Ultraman, and before he even joined the Tri-Squad, he was in training on U40 during the events of the final few episodes of the series. It’s clear he looked up to heroes like Joneus and wanted to fight as an Ultraman along with them, but was hesitant during this battle. Why?
Because his parents were members of those defectors, who joined the Hellar Empire.
Titas himself is no traitor, he was adopted by the Ultras of U40 and raised like any other child on the planet. During this time of trial and training, Titas had to overcome his self-doubt to truly fight as an Ultra hero though. I think the fact that he was successful, and that the world of U-40 accepts him completely as a hero with no hesitation, speaks more eloquently to the wisdom they exemplify, more than their technology.
Ultraman Fuma also faced a long road of challenges before he became Ultraman. Of course they’re not the same challenges which were faced by Taiga or Titas. Each of them have their own personalities, strengths and weaknesses, so of course the trials which have shaped them are all unique as well. Fuma’s trials weren’t any easier though, especially because he hails from a much, much different world from either M78 or U40.
The world of O50 was first introduced in Ultraman Orb, as the planet where Gai Kurenai first gained the power of Ultraman to become the titular Orb. That event also marked the descent into darkness for his friend and then-comrade, Jugglus Juggler. On the planet, there happens to be a legendary mountain called the “Warrior’s Peak”, which is home to the legendary Ring of Light. No one knows where it came from, where it draws power from, or why it bestows that power on individuals to become Ultra heroes. Despite these mysteries, the hope of gaining that power drives many individuals to climb the peak.
Even though O50 has come up in a few series (it also was the origin of the powers used by Ultraman Rosson, Blu and Grigio in Ultraman R/B), we’ve never seen the planet directly like with U40. The few glimpses of Warrior’s Peak and its surroundings are much different from U40 – to put it mildly. Instead of a vibrant pastoral paradise, O50 seems more like a barren wilderness, ruled by corrupt tyrants who control access to the mountain. Fuma lived in this world as a petty thief – at first. He met another alien named Gerg who sought to climb Warrior’s Peak in the hope of becoming an Ultra hero.
Unlike other adventurers on the planet, Gerg was kind and courageous, and wanted the power of Ultraman so he could serve as an example for other aliens throughout the universe. Fuma was inspired by his example, and trained under Gerg, gaining many of the skills he shows off in Ultraman Taiga and other series. Eventually though, Gerg left to make the journey up Warrior’s Peak for himself.
And never came back.
Through a twist of fate, and whatever inscrutable moral calculus the Ring of Light obeys, Fuma’s friend and mentor was denied the chance to fight as an Ultraman. Fuma only found himself on the Warrior’s Peak after taking a job to hunt down Gerg, who seemed to be reduced to a berserk fury, attacking other would-be supplicants going up the mountain. In fact, even when betrayed by his employers and mortally wounded, Fuma vehemently refused the idea of becoming an Ultra hero, and wanted to live whatever life he could on his own terms.
Maybe that’s why the Ring of Light ultimately chose him instead. But that’s a mystery for another article.
Regardless of their origins, alongside Taiga, both Titas and Fuma have more than proved themselves as Ultra heroes, embodying the same ideals of compassion and courage which all Ultra heroes share. The sheer variety of different alien worlds, kaiju, and even the variety of Ultra heroes themselves always impresses me within this franchise, and the Tri Squad represents that beautifully. If you’ve never seen the show, now’s the perfect time to pick up Ultraman Taiga on streaming or blu-ray to watch it for yourself.
Or not. I can’t tell you what to do, I’m not the Ring of Light! But you should still stay tuned right here to Ultraman Connection in the meantime, for future news, stories, events and more.
