Akio Ishimuro

"Stand up, stand up. Gamu!"

―Ishimuro looked at the fallen Gaia, The Cry of the Earth.

Akio Ishimuro
Data
Type	Ally
Gender	Male
Age	45 years old
Family	Wife Son
Affiliation	XIG
First Appearance	Ultraman Gaia episode 1 "Seize the Light!"
Latest Appearance	Ultraman Gaia: Gaia Again
Portrayed by	Hiroyuki Watanabe

Akio Ishimuro is one of the main characters of Ultraman Gaia and is the commander of XIG.

Personality

Akio has a resolute character, outstanding insight, and first-class planning capabilities and provides accurate instructions to his subordinates and Gamu. In terms of dealing with high-level officials, he responds with an uncompromising attitude toward any issue of principle.

When carrying out missions, he often asks Tsutsumi to planning matters such as the combat operations of the commanding team. However, he sometimes went to the front line himself to command. Although he can make judgments based on various information, he does not seem to be very proficient in scientific topics.

In private, he has an interest in tea ceremonies and sometimes makes tea for Chiba or his team members to drink, and he is familiar with oriental culture.

History

Ultraman Gaia

Before joining XIG, Ishimuro was a member of the Defense Force Command Headquarters, in the past. Under the assignment of high-level officials, he served as the captain of XIG's aircraft carrier Aerial Base and the supreme commander who commanded the entire XIG team.

At first, he couldn't fully trust Gamu, who had just joined XIG, and took a harsher attitude towards him. However, with Gamu's active actions in the team making achievements, He started to have a strong trust in Gamu.

When Gamu was suspected by XIG of cooperating with Fujimiya, he temporarily deprived Gamu of his XIG status and expelled him from the team because Gamu did not trust the team. However, when he witnessed the scene of Gaia and Agul fighting together, he went to the front line, and based on the judgment of the situation, he concluded that the Radical Destruction Bringer wanted to use the huge power generated by the two Ultras during the battle to destroy the Earth. When he found the seriously injured Gamu, he also indirectly learned the truth that Gamu's other identity is Ultraman Gaia.

After the XIG team and Gaia, who gained new powers, successfully defeated Zoruim, he restored Gamu's XIG status. ^{The Final Resolution}

When Mokian destroyed the Aerial Base, he judged that the situation was not good for XIG. After arranging for all the members to evacuate from the base, he ordered the Aerial Base to be directly crashed into Mokian to sacrifice himself. However, at the last moment, he was saved in time by Gaia, transformed by Gamu, and returned to Earth safely. ^{The Revenge of the Death God}

In the final battle, he ordered Gaia missions to all XIG members to make Gamu and Fujimiya regain the power of the light of the Earth. ^{Earth is Ultraman's Star}

Ultraman Tiga, Ultraman Dyna, & Ultraman Gaia: The Decisive Battle in Hyperspace

When Gamu, who returned to the original world, intended to drive XIG Adventureto another world, he acquiesced in Gamu's decision and agreed to carry out the running test of XIG Adventure. ^{Ultraman Tiga, Ultraman Dyna, & Ultraman Gaia: The Decisive Battle in Hyperspace}

Ultraman Gaia: Gaia Again

In response to the Gakuzom incident, he assigned Yoneda to pick up Gamu, who was studying in college and asked him and Team Marlin to track the emergency signal from the bottom of the sea.

At the same time, he also asked Captain Tsutsumi to send Team Lightning to the front to fight Baiakuhe. He and the command room witnessed when Gaia returned, and he and Agul defeated Gakuzom. ^{Ultraman Gaia: Gaia Again}

Gallery

Ultraman Gaia

Akio's family

Ultraman Tiga, Ultraman Dyna, & Ultraman Gaia: The Decisive Battle in Hyperspace

Ultraman Gaia: Gaia Again

Miscellaneous

Ishimuro's original uniform

Trivia

• Ishimuro's original uniform was replaced in episode 20. Hiroyuki Watanabe, who played Ishimuro, said the new design was inspired by Colonel Edward Straker from the 1970 British sci-fi series UFO and the Starship Enterprise crew from Star Trek.
• According to a 2021 interview with Hiroyuki Watanabe:
  • He accepted the role after his agency got an offer from Tsuburaya Productions.
  • During early filming, he focused on keeping Ishimuro's humanity intact despite the show being a "children's program," refusing to dilute the character.
  • In his first talk with Sei Hiraizumi, Watanabe said, "I can't act in children's drama," and Hiraizumi replied, “It's okay if you don't,” which encouraged Watanabe to keep complex language, use native English, and stay true to his style. He shared similar thoughts with Takashi Ukaji.
  • Watanabe believed Ishimuro knew from the start that Gaia was Gamu Takayama, making him the only one who truly understood Gamu.
  • He also personally thought Ishimuro might have once been an Ultraman but lost the ability to transform, discussing this idea with Takeshi Yoshioka and director Hirochika Muraishi.