Ultraman the Next

"What will you call me? "The"...? "Next", maybe"

- Shunichi Maki and Mizuhara Sara, ULTRAMAN

Ultraman the Next (ウルトラマン・ザ・ネクスト), or simply called 'Ultraman' in his world, is the devolved form of Ultraman Noa that he reverted into while he was chasing Beast the One upon entering Earth's atmosphere. In this form many of his powers were locked, which he later regained as time passed. The Next was also made as a remake of the original Ultraman, as a result he also known simply as "Ultraman" in his universe, with "The Next" being his code name from the military.

Becoming the Next
Arriving on Earth and merging its life with F-15 pilot Shunichi Maki, the being slowly grew within him. After the Japanese self-defense force lost the One, they brought the man under custody, believing he could be the one to lure the beast back. The plan worked, but The One had increased in power and size by absorbing a swarm of lizards right before their eyes. However, trapped in a cell beneath the floor, Maki began to change. Blowing the door off with a burst of light and emerging, the human was swatted like an insect and sent flying into the wall where his change began to go full force.

Facing the One
Maki transformed into the Next, a humanoid warrior from the stars. The two titans battle raged within the warehouse, but when the creature threatened Sara’s life, Next dove in front of the tail, taking several whips before forcing the creature into retreat where it broke through the wall and vanished into the wilderness.

When Sara and Maki met up with the creature, it lashed out again after tricking Sara. The fight between the two was once again raging, but when it became evident that he could not defeat the hero, the beast absorbed a swarm of rats and grew into an even bigger form. Once the monster escaped, it began to attack the city. By the time Next came out of the hole, buildings were burning and falling. One building was about to fall on a young girl and her mother.

Advent to Junis Mode
Rushing toward the falling building that was going to crush the young girl and her mother, Next evolved into his next form. The super being propped himself under the structure and held it up long enough for the pair to escape, but The One saw this and attacked. The battle for the city, and possibly the world, started yet again. When the creature began unleashing balls of energy from its jaws, the Next took to the skies.

After absorbing a flock of crows, The One followed vigorously. The two warriors began to dog fight, dodging and attacking one another until the monster used its tail to hold the giant still and pull him in. It began to bash the hero and feed on his energy until the air force arrived, attacking the monster and allowing Ultraman to escape and hit the fiend with two energy cutters, severing its wings and sending the beast falling to the ground.

Once landed, the red and silver giant had little trouble, using his most powerful attack, the Evol-Ray-Schtrom, the space beast was vaporized. After this Ultraman honored Maki's request to fly with his son and revived his life force. However as a result Ultraman was forced to go to sleep to regain his energy back.

Ultraman Nexus- Later Years
Many years after the Next finished his battle with the One, Ultraman awoke from his slumber bearing his fully developed form, Nexus. In this form he merged with other humans, and recovering some of his powers. After he merged with Kazuki Komon, he obtained all of his powers, and became Ultraman Noa, his true form, and defeated his sworn enemy, Dark Zagi, and then stayed on Earth to defeat the remaining Space Beast, with Kazuki Komon as his host.

Ultraman Zero The Movie: The Revenge of Belial
Ultraman Noa, who appears in this film is the same one who was once the Next. Noa gives the Shield of Baraji, a gathering of spiritual light from all the combatants fighting Ultraman Belial and his army, to Ultraman Zero, granting him Ultimate Mode.

Ultraman Ginga
During the Dark Spark War, the Next is one of the Ultras seen fighting the deluge of monsters. He too was transformed into a Spark Doll by the Darkness Spark. Unlike his prior appearance, he was fighting in Anphans mode as a giant like the other Ultras.

Profile and Features

 * Age: Over 350,000 years or older

Body Features

 * Eyes: The Next appeared to have no difficulty fighting the One in a dimly lit environment.
 * Energy Core: The Next's equivalent to a Color Timer, unlike the normal one it is located with in the body not outside. It goes of when the Deunamist is reaching their physical limits. Unlike a normal color timer, it does not change color but flashes yellow and makes a noise similar to a heartbeat.
 * Stratos Edge (ストラトスエッジ): The blades on the Next's arms, with concentration they can charge energy either for the Elbow Cutter or Lambda Slasher. In Junis mode, they are enhanced and fully developed allowing for the use of the Evol-Ray-Schtrom. They are the precursors of Nexus' Armed Nexus.
 * Ultra Armor: Unlike most Ultras the Next's Ultra armor does not cover his entire body leaving his sinew like flesh exposed. In Junis mode where the armor was fully developed, while not immune to the momentum, took the One's fireballs without visible damage, whereas entire buildings were being destroyed by them.

Transformation
Unlike most Ultras and his succeeding form, The Next doesn't use any manner of device to transform. Maki transformed by pure will although the first time may have been due to the blow he received and the light was trying to save his life. Afterwards he transformed by his own volition. The process begins with his eyes glowing red and The Next's energy lines appearing all over his body as it glows, the light turns blue and he transforms. The blue also appears when he changes back.

Trivia

 * The Next's name is meant to symbolize that this Ultra is the start of the Next Generation of the Ultra franchise.
 * Eiji Tsuburaya's original intention for Ultraman's appearance was used for The Next. It was where the red parts of Ultraman were to represent organic tissue while the silver parts were space metal. This also makes The Next the first Ultra to have visible organic tissue. This idea was also stated to be a representation of hardened lava in Anphans and running burning lava in Junis mode.
 * When Next was still in the production stage it was being produced under the name Project Yellow Eyes, which may or may not have been done in the spirit of Ultraseven which started out under the name Ultra Eyes.
 * The Next's Anphans form was deliberately designed to appear 'incomplete' or underdeveloped which runs in the name anphans which ultimately means childhood. It is also because of Maki's and The Next's unfinished Merger.
 * This may mean that Anphans mode is not a true alternate form or default mode but the result of The Next's weakened state.
 * Anphans Mode's mask has a rough rocky texture to simulate Ultraman's Type A suit, where Junis simulates the Type C suit used later in the series, showing both of the character's developments.
 * Another allusion to the Original Ultraman is The Next's beam, called the Evol-Ray-Schtrom, it is fired in the classic position.
 * Of all the Ultras, The Next has the most confusion surrounding the name of his Signature Beam. It is often called the Final Light, or the Stratos Edge Beam, erroneously mistaking the name of his elbow blades for the ray.
 * The Next is the first Ultra to have noticeable abs on his stomach.
 * NextRise.gif Next is the first Ultra to have a rise scene after his transformation. It appeared during a mental conversation between Maki and Ultraman, during which they finished their merger. The rise scene showed to signify this and their renewed strength.
 * Unlike his succeeding forms, The Next experienced the three minute rule, but for a different reason than expected. Because his merger with Maki Shunichi was incomplete, he could be active only for a short time before the two were onset by great pain and fatigue. During his second fight, he lasted for much longer and when the two completely merged this limit disappeared.
 * Unlike most Ultra hosts, save a few, Maki was in control of both forms, because of their incomplete merger, the minds of Maki and The Next only met in short dream-like intervals. Until the end when the two fully merged, Maki had discovered all of his abilities by accident. His situation is thus different from all the following Deunamists and all other Ultra hosts.
 * Of his three forms Noa's voice is only heard by Shunichi during their final dream state.
 * The Next is not the only Ultra whose Rise Scene involved their alternate form. Ultraman Agul and Gaia had similar Rise Scenes, but their forms were upgraded and Gaia's third scene was because he immediately went into Supreme Version.
 * The Next is the second Ultra to have black and grey on his Ultra Armor. The first was Tiga Dark.

Also See

 * ULTRAMAN
 * Ultraman Nexus
 * Ultraman Noa

Ultraman the Next ウルトラマン・ザ・ネクスト