• In Hong Kong, Ultraman is known under a different name due to naming conflicts. "Ultraman" is used for Superman so Ultraman is called "Salty Egg Man" because his eyes look like egg yolks.
• Nearly everyone in the Ultra Garrison comes from the Planet of Light in galaxy M78.
• Like the Original Ultraman, most Ultramen have the trademark attack of a forearm energy blast. I believe Ultraman Great is the only one who doesn't have this well-known attack.
• Ultra King, Father of Ultra and Mother of Ultra could be considered a ruling hierarchy for the Ultra Garrison.
• Everyone in the Ultra Garrison wears their own Color Timer, which indicates how much energy he or she has left. Some Ultramen will never rise again if they completely deplete their energy. Due to Earth's polluted atmosphere, Ultramen lose their energy faster than normal on Earth.

Ultra Destinations:

ULTRA UPDATES

Go here to see what new stuff has been added to my Ultraman section. I also state what will be added to this section for future updates.

OTHER ULTRAMEN

Here is where you can find other Ultramen who have not appeared in a TV series or movie, or who are in a group picture.

Kamen Rider (renamed Masked Rider in the U.S.) is another Japanese super-hero. A TV special compared the two, and had them fight alongside one another.

ULTRASEVEN

UltraSeven has been shown on U.S. by TNT in a grossly edited version. In 1998, three new direct-to-video movies were made that continued Seven's adventures.

ULTRAMAN GREAT

Great (aka Ultraman: Towards the Future) was Australia's attempt at Ultraman, and was syndicated in the U.S.

ULTRAMAN POWERED

Powered (aka Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero) was the only U.S. attempt at Ultraman. Powered has yet to be shown on American TV.

ULTRAMAN ZEARTH

Zearth was the first to kick-off the 1990's "rebirth", and to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Ultraman with two theatrical releases.

ULTRAMAN NEOS

Neos, along with UltraSeven 21 (pronounced "UltraSeven Two-One"), was shelved as a new TV series in 1995. In the year 2000, both Ultra heroes are being brought back in a 12 episode series. 

ULTRAMAN TIGA

Tsuburaya, after licensing out Ultraman to two foreign TV attempts, decided to bring it back home to Japan by launching the Tiga TV series. Unlike previous Ultramen, Tiga is unique with the ability to change into different forms. 

ULTRAMAN DYNA

Tsuburaya launched Dyna as a sequel series to Tiga. Maintaining a much stronger continuity then ever before, Dyna also has the ability to change into different forms. 

ULTRAMAN NICE

Not really to be used in an Ultraman TV series, Tsuburaya created Nice as a way too keep TV viewers during the re-broadcast of Tiga.

Who's Kamen Rider?

Like Ultraman, Kamen Rider is another successful live-action, Japanese hero with numerous TV series, movies and merchandising. Unfortunately, Saban killed the first and only attempt to bring Kamen Rider to U.S.! Saban brought over Kamen Rider-Black RX as Masked Rider and hacked it to death!

Kamen Rider is an insect-like hero, who rides a futuristic motorcycle--the Cyclone, I think--and fights with martial arts and special weapons. His most powerful attack is a flying kick. Somewhat like Ultraman--actually closer to what UltraSeven does, Kamen Rider maintains a human form to live on Earth and uses a special, belt-like device to transform. However, he doesn't have any energy powers and never grows to gigantic, monster-like size.

The TV Special:

I think the TV special does a job about introducing one to the worlds of Ultraman and Kamen Rider. For the Ultra Garrison, it covers up through Ultraman Great (aka Ultraman: Towards the Future). For Kamen Rider, it covers up to Kamen Raider-Black RX.

After teasing you with cut scenes, like this one...

It's finally asked, who would win in a fight between the Original Ultraman and Kamen Rider? Since they're both heroes, they can't fight each other. Oh no, we couldn't have that! Argh, but that's what we wanted to see! However, what if they both fought together to defeat a common foe? Find out, by going to "The Battle Royale" on my Web Site Menu.

Background:

In the late 1980's, I believe, Tsuburaya licensed out Ultraman for an Australian 13 episode series. Great was poorly syndicated on American TV, and was a direct-to-video release in Japan.

I think the first half of Great started out strong, as Earth was invaded by Guidis who's cells could unnaturally mutate creatures into horrifying monsters. After Guidis was defeated by Great, I saw the series lose focus and direction until it ended with a fizz instead of a bang.

I believe this series' greatest drawback was that Great could only appear for a maximum of three minutes at a time! While this probably saved costs on SFX, this didn't give much time for great monster fight scenes.

Additional SFX were added to the direct-to-video release in Japan to help spice up the series.

The Cast:

A branch of UMA (Universal Multipurpose Agency), this science team dealt with any threats that came their way. I think I would have enjoyed Great a lot more if a particular cast member spoke better, more understandable English.

I show the characters below with the actor's name in parentheses.

Captain Arthur Grant
(Ralph Cotterill)

Lloyd Wilder
(Rick Adams)

Jack Shindo
(Dore Kraus)

Jean Echo
(Gia Carides)

Charles Morgan
(Lloyd Morris)

Kim Shaomin
(Grace Parr)

Background:

Ultraman Powered (aka Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero) was the only U.S. produced version of Ultraman. Consisting of only 13 half-hour episodes, it has never been shown in the U.S.!

This series tried to capture the flavor of the Original Ultraman TV series, while putting a modern and American spin on it. If you want to know what I think, please click on "Final Thoughts" on my Web Site Menu.

Please go to "WINR", "WINR Mecha", "Monsters" and "Episode Guide" for information on WINR, the monsters Powered has fought and the series' episodes. Go to "More Images" for additional images of Powered and WINR members.

The Baltan Threat:

The premise of this U.S. series is that the Baltans, an insect-like race, have set their sights on conquering Earth. Chasing them across the stars, Powered arrives on our planet to defend it against the would-be conquerors.

Fighting alongside Powered is WINR (pronounced "winner"), the science team of this Ultraman series.

Powers and Abilities:

Like most of the Ultra Garrison, Powered bonds with WINR member Kenichi Kai to survive on Earth. Kai is given a Beta Capsule that let's him transform to Ultraman Powered.

Powered fires an cross-like Specium Beam* as his main weapon. He can also deflect some energy blasts and throw energy razor discs.

He can only exist on Earth for a maximum of three minutes. Any longer, and terrible harm would come to him and Kai. Like all Ultramen, Powered's Color Timer indicates his available energy. Please go to "Powers" on my Web Site Menu for more about Powered's abilities.

Background:

While I first thought that Ultraman Neos was originally created for the Ultraman stage shows, I have learned that Neos was supposed to be a new TV series back in 1995 but put on the backburner to go in the bolder direction with Ultraman Tiga.

Neos and UltraSeven 21 (pronounced "UltraSeven Two-One") only appeared in a short film in the fall of 1995, fighting against their archenemy YY-Zamu.

Neos and Seven 21 even have their own theme song.

Both Ultra heroes are from the planet M-78, and are more closely related to the Original Ultraman and UltraSeven than to more recently Ultra heroes like Ultraman Gaia. Originally, Kagura transformed to Neos using the Esplender. However, as Gamu uses the Esplender to transform to Gaia, I guess something else will be used.

Please click on my Web Site Menu to take a look at the OVA series, monsters, Neos' powers, etc.

OVA Series :

As sales for both Neos and Seven 21 merchandise remain strong, Tsuburaya released in 2001 an OVA of 12 half-hour episodes. Most of the production crew that worked on the 1998 UltraSeven movies worked on this OVA series.

In the OVA series, Kagura learns along the way that he's bonded to Neos. He's also a member of HEART (High-tech Earth Alert and Rescue Team). UltraSeven 21 is also in the OVA series, and there are also cameo appearances by Zoffy as well.

The actor who played Shinjoh in Ultraman Tiga plays Uetmatsu in the OVA series. This makes me wonder if he was originally cast for Ultraman Neos, and was later recast for Ultraman Tiga.

Background:

As I see it, the 1990's Ultraman "rebirth" continued when Tsuburaya launched the Ultraman Tiga TV series in 1996.

This TV series, I think, greatly outdoes and puts to shame the Austrilian Ultraman Great TV series (aka Ultraman: Towards the Future), and adds a more original history to the Ultra Garrison instead of trying to create a more modern version of the original Ultraman like the U.S. Ultraman Powered TV series did.

Tiga is the first in a two-part saga, which is continued with the Ultraman Dyna TV series. The two team-up together in the Ultraman Tiga and Dyna movie. Tiga and Dyna appear together with Ultraman Gaia in the Ultraman Tiga, Dyna and Gaia movie.

In March 2000, Tsuburaya filled in part of the gap between the Tiga and Dyna series with the Ultraman Tiga: The Final Odyssey movie.

On my Web Site Menu, click on "GUTS" and "GUTS Mecha" for information about the memebers of GUTS, their weapons and vehicles. Click on "Episode Guide" for the Tiga episodes; "Monsters" for the monsters Tiga has fought; and "More Images" for additional pictures of Tiga, GUTS and monsters.

Plot developments:

The first episode lays down the major plots of this series.

• The Light. Especially its relation to Tiga and Daigo. Click on "The Light" on my Web Site Menu for more details.

• Tiga's powers and abilities in his three different forms.

• Rena's romantic interest in Daigo.

Other minor plots, such as character histories, are revealed later on.

Powers and Abilities:

Like others in the Ultra Garrison, Tiga has bonded with Daigo and has his own Color Timer. Before Tiga merges with Daigo, Tiga exists as a giant stone statue.

Tiga is unique among other Ultramen with the ability to have three different forms throughout the TV series.

Multi Type is Tiga's default form; Power Type has greater strength but less speed with heat-based powers; and Sky Type has great speed and less strength with cold and lightning powers.

Background:

The Return of Ultraman and up to the Ultraman Taro series maintained a loose continuity by having other members Ultra Garrison appear. One example is where UltraSeven becomes a minor character in the Ultraman Leo series.

Ultraman Dyna did this as a successor series to Ultraman Tiga, and maintained a much stronger continuity. Dyna takes place seven years after the end of the Tiga TV series, which would be five years after Tiga reappeared to defeat Dahram, Hyudora and Kamilla in the Ultraman Tiga: The Final Odyssey movie.

Mankind has advanced to the age of the Neo Frontier, where humans have a colony on Mars and journey through space.

GUTS has evolved into SuperGUTS to protect mankind on Earth and in space, with Zero as a secondary elite force.

Members of GUTS have either retired to pursue family life or have been promoted to positions in TPC. All new members are in SuperGUTS, with Asuka as their newest initiate who is also the host of Dyna.

Plot developments:

The first two episodes lay down the major plots of this series.

• Much more so than Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, baseball is a major underlying theme.

• The Light concept is maintained, and further explored.

• Dyna's powers and abilities in his three different forms, which are more distinctive than Tiga's forms.

• Mai's romantic interest in Asuka.

Other minor plots, such as character histories, are revealed later on.

Background:

Is Ultraman Nice the newest member of the Ultra Garrsion to follow after Ultraman Gaia?

Why did Nice appear in commercials during re-runs of Ultraman Tiga in Japan?

Nice was specifically created by Tsuburaya Productions as commercials to keep viewers during re-runs of Tiga. The one minute commercials tell a complete story of Nice, but even more humorous and cutier than the first Ultraman Zearth movie.

Nice comes from the planet, Planet T.O.Y. 1, and battles monsters that are cutier looking like Pigmon (from the original Ultraman and Ultraman Powered TV series) and Deban (from Ultraman Tiga).

Powers and Abilities:

The hero, Gina Yumeboshi, transforms to Ultraman Nice by eatting a pill from his wrist communicator.

I guess this adds to the silliness of the serialized commercials, or gave another Ultraman product to sell on the market where kids can pretend to become Ultraman Nice*.

I don't know about all of Nice's powers, but his main weapon is his Very Nice Beam.