Jugglus Juggler

"Why Gai?! What is it with you?! Can't you just let me win just once?!"

- Juggler shouting in mad fury of Maga-Orochi's defeat.

Jugglus Juggler (ジャグラスジャグラー) is the former villain of Ultraman Orb, the main antagonist/deuteragonist of the Ultraman Orb Chronicle, and Ultraman Orb's partner turned archenemy turned rival. When in times of peace, he appears as a man in a dark suit, while his true form is a Majin dressed in copper armor.

While both Gai and Juggler appear to be human, the duo are in fact elite warriors from an unnamed planet. Juggler's rivalry with Gai stems from the fact that he was not chosen by the light on Planet O-50, and was denied the ability to become an Ultra. As such, Juggler's initial plans to revive the King Demon Beasts stems from his deep-rooted disapproval of what happened back then.

Subtitle: Illusion Demon (無幻魔人)

Personality
When in contact with other beings, Juggler has a smug behavior, but doesn't make much effort to hide his evil nature, by always showing looks of insanity and demonstrating odd behavior, such as casually reminding bystanders of human's mortality: how they will all die, like everything that is living.

In addition, Juggler enjoys fighting Gai in hand to hand combat rather than using his Serpent-Hearted Blade, preferring to beat Gai on his own. He also can't stand the melody Gai plays on the Orbnica, and receives long lasting migraines if he hears it playing.

His relationship with Gai is notable, in that he seems to have a long lasting grudge, and is always trying to get him to either fight him or taunting him in several ways. This is however one of the leading factors to his mental breakdown, as well as his defeat when fighting against the Ultra Warrior in their gigantic proportions.

However, despite his claims to have forsaken his own light, his actions of rescuing Natasha in the past proved that he still has what remains of his past self. Of any character he has killed in the series, he was never shown to have directly injured any human. For once, even if Naomi willingly offered her own life to him without any regrets, he wasn't able to carry out the deed and instead saved her from a crashed Z-VTOL. Naomi's persuasion allows him to fight alongside Gai/Orb for the first time in years and is willing enough to hold Magata no Orochi's attack for Orb to finish it.

Chapter 1: 'Tree of Life' Arc
Juggler and Gai was originally lived on an unknown planet and work on the same rescue force. While both are actually partners, when given the chance, both of them will compete with each other. On the day, both were sent to climb the Warrior's Summit, Juggler was rejected and his partner Gai transform into Ultraman Orb. Although refused to be acknowledged as a supporter, he accompanied Gai in a mission to O-50 as they learn of Psychi's plans to use the Bezelbs to rule the universe. They made their stop on Rurin when Gai detected a cry of help, coming from an alien boy whose parents being controlled by a Bezelb before said monster killed them. After Gai/Orb's first battle, they left the alien boy at a nearby village and chased an infected Bemstar to space, crossing paths with the Kanon Royal Guards Micott and Ricca, eventually joining forces to go to Planet Zain. Arriving on Psychi's base, Juggler held off several Bezelbs for the guardswoman to rescue their captain Shinra as he in turn saved Juggler from the effects of Kugutsu. Gai joined late with his senior Asuka and due to Psychi's sabotage on their ship, they can only get to Kanon at a slower rate.

"In my own eyes, that tree is a demon."

- Juggler

Orb, Dyna and Cosmos joined the Kanon Defense forces in against the Bezelb's invasion, followed by the rest as Juggler participate in the battle as well. When the War God was infected, Juggler provided Orb with the seed of Tree of Life and successfully cure her. His relief was short-lived when Micott died from a Bezelb and his wish for power was realised into a black demon form clad in copper armor. Seeing the tree as a devil and to protect Amate, Juggler destroyed it and his act not only questioned by the preceding Ultras, but also being branded as a threat by Kanon. This eventually forced him to leave and denounce his support for Gai. Desiring to surpass the Ultra Warriors, he arrived on an alternate Earth to fight against Bezelbs and saving Gai on multiple occasions. With Psyqueen being defeated by the Ultras, Juggler quietly left the scene and was last seen in Gai's vision on the Warrior Summit of O-50.

Chapter 2: 'I am the Galaxy's Migrating Bird' Arc
While Gai is given the mission to collect four elements for the Orbcalibur, Juggler traveled across the galaxy and slowly embraced the light's antithesis, darkness, through participating in various wars and battles across the galaxy, and became a meecenary. On Wind Planet Kirelmo (風の惑星キレルモ), Gai meets Juggler, who had been employed as the bodyguard of Alien Zartana. After killing his employer and claiming the Element of Wind (風のエレメント), Juggler challenges Gai to a battle to settle thing between the both of them, saying that he is tired of fighting and Gai was the one who started it. Juggler loses, and wants Gai to finish him off, but he instead throws the Orbcalibur aside. Juggler was then captured and sent to prison at Prison Planet 484 (監獄惑星484).

Chapter 3: 'The Man Who Stole The Black Hole' Arc
On Planet 484 where Juggler was captured, Juggler encountered space girl Biranki. Both escaped and then Juggler stole the Super Polymerized Gold Capsule (超重合金カプセル), which he used to make the Balloonga Bomb, that can make a black hole that will destroy the galaxy, while waiting for Gai to come. Gai and Juggler meet again but Biranki summoned Gango and several aliens and monsters to distract Gai while Jugglee was activating the bomb. In the end, Shorty sacrificed himself to defuse the bomb and later died in Gai's hands. After Juggler nearly got beat to death by Gai's bare hands, Juggler and Biranki were captured again to be imprisoned, also preventing both from meeting each other. However, Juggler managed to escape from his captors and cemented his separation by grabbing the Dark Ring while his rival grabbed the Orb Ring, chasing the rival to Earth.

Chapter 4: 'Fierce Battle! Ishtal Civilization' Arc
Juggler arrived on Earth in 1800 BC on the Ishtal Civilization (4000 prior to the series). Under the alias Nuru Ra Hotep (ヌル・ラ・ホテップ), dressing up as a mummy and acted as the leader of the religion Magacism (マガ教), a cult that praises Magatanothor and telling the people of Ishtal about their destruction. After acquiring Dodongo's card from its defeat by Orb, he freed Magatanothor using the card. After Orb defeated Magatanothor, he collected the monster's card while undisguising himself and left the place.

Chapter 5: 'From Rusalka With Love' Arc
Sometime in 1908, he had observed the relationship between Gai and Natasha from within the shadows. After collecting cards of Kingsaurus II, C.O.V. and Pris-Ma, he awakened Maga-Zetton through his Dark Ring. Watching the battle between Orb and Maga-Zetton, the explosion was about to kill Natasha, when Juggler rushed in and saved her from the explosion. He healed Natasha from her injuries and left before collecting Maga-Zetton's Kaiju Card. Sometime in the 1950s, Juggler met Biranki again, whom chased Juggler to Earth as well as calling down Hungler to seek out and battle Gai but Biranki loses. Juggler then saved her and later gave her some coffee at dawn, which drugged her. Juggler sends Biranki away to a distant planet with a note telling her to not follow him.

Episode 6-0: Overture
Soon, he also collected Peguila's card in North Arctic after Orb defeated the monster and awakened Maga-Basser.

Ultraman Orb
"All in creation comes from the Earth and returns there in time. Life is but a momentary flickering light. And this world, a momentary dream."

- Jugglus Juggler in episode 2.

1908 years later (2016) in Japan, Juggler started his campaign by releasing King Demon Beasts and harvest their cards upon destruction. After obtaining Ultraman Belial's card by backstabbing the Planet Invasion Union, Juggler revealed his grand scheme was to summon the most powerful Kaiju of all - Maga-Orochi. Utilising all six King Demon Beast cards in conjunction with Ultraman Belial's card, he was able to nullify Zoffy's protective seal and resurrect the ultimate King Demon Beast. Maga-Orochi was initially able to defeat Orb in their first skirmish and in return, robbed Gai of his cards. However, with the help of Princess Tamayura, Orb was able to access his Thunder Breastar form to defeat Maga-Orochi in the second battle. Conceding defeat, Juggler returned Gai his Ultra Fusion Card Holder and walked off, telling that the two of them are no longer different.

Having expecting Gai's arrival in Rusalka, they have a brief fight before he merged Maga-Orochi's severed tail with Zetton and Pandon's cards into Zeppandon. His current goal is to coerce his rival into darkness but failed miserably when he escaped. Failed to assassinate Naomi, he summoned Zeppandon the next day and almost win against Thunder Breastar while repeatedly taunts the Ultra, reminding that the loss of his public image cause him to have nothing left to protect. His final attempt to defeat his rival backfired when it not only restore the latter's reputation, but also his true form Orb Origin with the tides turned to the Ultra's favor. In aftermath of the fight, his Dark Ring vanished, further adding insult to his defeat.

His appearance changed from that event, now fully relying on his sword instead. For once he also killed Katarohi for no reason, taunting Naomi for her part in awakening Renki, and manipulated both her and Gai in eliminating Tarude while reclaiming his stolen Katana. With all of his rivals eliminated, Juggler trains by perfecting his new attack while noticing that the power of darkness was growing and the Earth shall be destroyed. In the process, he slashed a lot of buildings, leaving in crescent moon cracks that get bigger every time, with the SSP believing it to be the work of a monster named Kamaitadon. After absorbing darkness from beneath the Earth, he prepared for what it seemed to be the final fight with Gai/Orb and used his perfected attack against his rival. Before he can eliminate the SSP members and Shibukawa, Orb recovers and quickly defeating his rival. Juggler once again survive the battle and found himself apprehended by VTL.

While being held prisoner at VTL headquarters, Jugglus Juggler used this chance to reveal the arrival of Magata no Orochi. He also manipulated them into firing the missile to Tokyo Tower and inadvertently unleash the ultimate King Demon Beast on the Earth, dooming the human race. Later on, while Magata no Orochi was fighting Ultraman Orb, Jugglus Juggler broke free from his containment, defeated the guards off-screen and kidnapped Naomi. He told him that Earth would soon disappear, that the void of darkness was the only thing that was eternal in everyone in the universe, and laughed at Gai's rebuttal of eternal love. Hesitant to kill Naomi at her sudden courage, Juggler rescued her from a crashed Z-VTOL. This, along with the discovery that he rescued Natasha long ago, he was redeemed in his rival's--Gai's--eye and eventually joined Orb after being persuaded by Naomi. During the battle, Juggler would sacrifice himself to restrain the monster so that Orb could deliver the final blow. Juggler would survive the attack without a scratch and watched Gai for the last time from a distance.

Chapter 7: 'Space Witch Mulnau's Counterattack, Sadeath's Return'
In the film, taking place shortly after the final episode of Orb, Juggler has been emplaced as a tour guide Orb bodyguard of some sort to Mulnau though he seemingly plotted against her. Gai is invited to Mulnau's Castle after leaving behind Shibukawa and the SSP, Juggler greets him creepily, causing the chosen hero to question his rival's intentions, Juggler escorts him up the stairs before ambushing Gai, taking the X Devizer and deactivating it, sending Orb to some sort of alternate dimension where he goes on to combat Sadeath and company. After the SSP and Shibukawa arrive to find Gai, Juggler decides to help them out.

Chapter 10: 'Migrating Birds, Go To The Sky'
Not much is known about Juggler's last story in the Ultraman Orb Chronicle other than Gai, Juggler and Biranki going off on another adventure.

Ultraman Geed The Movie: Connect Them! The Wishes!!
TBA

Transformation
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Powers and Weapons
Prior to the development of his crescent scar, Juggler's Majin form was once known by the name Early Style (アーリースタイル).


 * Weapons


 * Serpent-Hearted Blade: Juggler's combat katana, which can also cast spells when in Juggler's hands.
 * Swordsmanship Proficiency : Since his days of fighting alongside Gai, Juggler is a practitioner of the Serpent-Hearted Way (蛇心流), which adds to his feats as an elite warrior from O-50.
 * Length Increase : Juggler can increase the length of his sword, and the blade glows purple.
 * Energy Slash : Juggler can fire a purple crescent shaped energy slash from his sword, whether in giant or human sized. In Ultraman Orb THE ORIGIN SAGA, when Juggler increased the length of his sword, he can fire an energy slash the same length as his sword. When arriving to assist Orb fight against Magata no Orochi, another variant is seen, which is yellow in colour with yellow sparkles.
 * Wormhole Creation : Through the Serpent-Hearted Sword, Juggler can summon a wormhole in the sky. This was used to bring Maga-Orochi's tail as one of the components of Zeppandon, then used again to seal the Dark Ring.
 * Serpent-Hearted Blade-Drawing Slash (蛇心剣抜刀斬): In Ultraman Fusion Fight!, Juggler can perform a slash attack via his katana.
 * Size Change : By raising his Katana, this cause the darkness to envelop his body and allowing him to turn giant.
 * Serpent-Hearted Blade Crescent Moon Shockwave (蛇心剣・新月斬波): Juggler's second finisher, he unleashes a dark red crescent-shaped energy slash from his sword to the opponent. The impact cause the opponent to receive electrocution.
 * Darkness Detection : Juggler's katana is capable of detecting huge amounts of darkness underneath the Earth's surface. The katana glows purple when doing this.
 * Dark Ring (ダークリング): A mysterious object similar to the Orb Ring, which, when used with the Kaiju Cards, allows Jugglus Juggler to awaken Kaiju.
 * Kaiju Card Launch : The original purpose of the Dark Ring is to launch scanned Kaiju Cards to negate the sealing properties of an Ultra Fusion Card by creating a sunspot-like essence that block their powers. Once the Fusion Card is fully blocked, the slumbered King Demon Beast will be awaken.
 * Card Harvesting : The Dark Ring is capable of harvesting Kaiju Cards upon an Ultra Kaiju's defeat by absorbing their remains. Jugglus used this to harvest the defeated King Demon Beasts as part of his plan to awaken Maga-Orochi.
 * Kaiju Summon : The Dark Ring is capable of summoning any Kaiju when a Kaiju Card is scanned.
 * Ultra Fusion Card Launch : The Dark Ring is also capable of scanning an Ultra Fusion card and uses its powers. Used in episode 12 to break Zoffy's seal on Maga-Orochi with Belial's card.
 * Kaiju Fusion : By combining two Kaiju Cards similar to Ultraman Orb's Fusion Up, he is able to create and control fusion Kaiju such as Zeppandon. Before the fusion is complete he says "Your power is now mine!" or "Lend me the power of darkness!", and raises up the Dark Ring.

Kaiju Cards in possession
Jugglus Juggler use Kaiju Cards to awaken the respective monsters to combat his nemesis, Ultraman Orb. However, it also seems that he is collecting the remains of King Demon Beasts for his own agenda by having Orb defeat them.
 * Dodongo - Obtained after Ultraman Orb defeated the monster, used to awaken Maga-Tanothor.
 * Maga-Tanothor - Obtained after Orb defeated the monster in 1800 BC in Ishtal Civilisation, 4000 years prior to the series.
 * Kingsaurus II - Obtained after Ultraman Orb defeated the monster in Lake Baikal, used to awaken Maga-Zetton.
 * Super C.O.V - Obtained after Ultraman Orb defeated the monster in Rusalka, used to awaken Maga-Zetton.
 * Pris-Ma - Obtained after Ultraman Orb defeated the monster in Rusalka, used to awaken Maga-Zetton.
 * Maga-Zetton - Obtained after Ultraman Orb defeated the monster, 108 years prior to the events of the series.
 * Peguila - Obtained after Ultraman Orb defeated the monster in North Arctic, used to awaken Maga-Basser
 * Maga-Basser: Obtained after Ultraman Orb defeated the monster.
 * Telesdon - Used to awaken Maga-Grand King.
 * Antlar - Used to awaken Maga-Grand King.
 * Gomora - Used to awaken Maga-Grand King.
 * Golza - Used to awaken Maga-Grand King.
 * Maga-Grand King - Obtained after Ultraman Orb defeated the monster.
 * Maga-Jappa - Obtained after Ultraman Orb defeated the monster.
 * Maga-Pandon - Obtained after Ultraman Orb defeated the monster.
 * Red King - Only used when Jugglus played poker with the Planet Invasion Union.
 * Eleking - Only used when Jugglus played poker with the Planet Invasion Union.
 * King Guesra - Only used when Jugglus played poker with the Planet Invasion Union.
 * King of Mons - Only used when Jugglus played poker with the Planet Invasion Union.
 * King Joe - Only used when Jugglus played poker with the Planet Invasion Union.
 * Aribunta - Used to summon the Choju against Ultraman Orb.
 * Cherubim - Used to summon the Kaiju against Babaryu after he betrayed the Union.
 * Enmargo - Only used when Jugglus made a Tarot reading with Alien Nackle Nagus.
 * Black King - Nagus' card given to him by Don Nostra as a set-up for him to be assassinated.
 * Bemstar - Used it's gorge to swallow the shots of Nagus' blaster during his assassination attempt.
 * Zetton - Used in unison with Pandon to form Zeppandon.
 * Pandon - Used in unison with Zetton to form Zeppandon.

Ultra Fusion Cards in possession

 * Ultraman Belial - Obtained from Don Nostra after killing him. Used to unseal Zoffy's Ultra Fusion Card by destroying it and release Maga-Orochi. It was later used by Gai Kurenai to transform into Ultraman Orb Thunder Breastar.

Trivia

 * In some respects, Juggler is similar to Dark Lugiel. Both are 'counterparts' of their respective archrivals, having both shunned the light before their initial appearances. The main difference lies in Juggler's decision to reform and fight alongside Orb in the fight against Magata no Orochi, whereas Lugiel remains an antagonist towards Ginga.
 * His actor, Takaya Aoyagi, was meant to audition for the role of Gai Kurenai but he lost to Hideo Ishiguro. However much to his delight, he was appointed as Jugglus Juggler, who is also one of the series' main cast members. He wishes to enjoy his time acting throughout the series, wanting his friends' children to watch his acting.
 * This situation in fact foreshadows the similar incident that leads to the infamous battle between Gai and Juggler, as the latter was not being appointed as the chosen one instead of the former.
 * Many of Juggler's sadistic traits are mostly an ad-lib by his own actor. He also mentioned that children would be fearful of him because of this.
 * In the series' opening, when Jugglus' true form was unveiled in the background, it was portrayed as a shadow with red eyes although the true coloration for these are blue.
 * During Z's debut, fans had mistaken him as the undisguised form of Jugglus Juggler due to the similarities he bears to Jugglus' silhouetted true form.
 * In an interview with Hideo Ishiguro, he was about to state the true goal of Jugglus Juggler, but before he could reveal anything, his words were censored by Ultraman's Specium Ray firing noise.
 * His appearance from episodes 18 to 23 was noted by many to resemble Jun Himeya on several aspects, particularly his hairstyle.
 * Ironically, although Juggler is a major villain, the only characters he's been seen to kill are other villains, the first two were because of an assassination plot, and the third was for an unknown motive. His inability to directly kill humans is a sign of him still having a portion of his light despite claimed to have shunned it several years prior after embracing the darkness.
 * Juggler's name is written as 'Juggrus-Juggler' in the opening sequence of Ultraman Orb THE ORIGIN SAGA and on the S.H.Figuarts.
 * When designing Juggler's majin form, Masayuki Goto originally intended him to have a full 'moon' motif and nature over the 'sun' motif and nature of the Ultramen. He also wanted the design to resemble that of a traditional ninja. Eventually, he combined the aspects of a 'Moon of Venice' motif with that of a western armor motif and leaving some slight resemblance to that of a ninja in the final product.
 * In THE ORIGIN SAGA, the red stripe along the front of Juggler's costume is intentionally used to foreshadow his eventual moon-shaped scar.
 * Despite an official pamphlet stating the Juggler is from Planet O-50, Takaya Aoyagi denied the claim via his Twitter.
 * Juggler's plan to use Balloonga as a bomb and threaten the entire universe is a reference to the plot in the Japanese film Taiyo o Nusunda Otoko.
 * His alias as Nuru Ra Hotep is a reference to Nyarlathotep from the Cthulhu mythos and the Egyptian architect Imhotep.
 * Coincidentally, the character Imhotep is portrayed in The Mummy film series as a mummified antagonist and the leader of a cult, which reflected Nuru Ra Hotep in the Ishtal Civilization.
 * Juggler was said by crew members to be a reinterpretation of Ultraman Agul, in terms of being a mysterious entity of similar origins to that of their series' title Ultra.
 * Juggler's actor, Takaya Aoyagi, cannot whistle. As such, the scene in episode 16 of Juggler whistling was dubbed over.
 * Juggler is the first major antagonist that have his own transformation scene whose neither a human host nor form of an evil Ultra. Although his position would be reduced to an anti-hero as of the series finale of the original television series, most of his characteristics would be reused by Kei Fukuide of Ultraman Geed.
 * Additionally, his actor Kunito Watanabe was once auditioned for Juggler's role before losing to Takaya Aoyagi.
 * Juggler copies many of Gai's actions while transforming into Zeppandon, from the way he scans the cards to even Gai's transformation quotes.