Aribunta[1] [2][3] is a species of ant Terrible-Monsters that first appeared in episode 5 of Ultraman Ace. It was created by combining a carnivorous ant and a space monster. The servants of one of Yapool's agents, Giron Man, two Aribunta were tasked with constructing an underground fortress for their master beneath the city of Tokyo, attacking any humans unlucky enough to be caught in their path. After Ace defeated the first Aribunta, the second went with its master to attack the surface while Ace was imprisoned underground. Fortunately, Zoffy came to the rescue, then joined Ace in defeating the two subterranean menaces. Since Aribunta's debut, several other individuals of the species have appeared, almost always as servants of alien beings.
Subtitle: Giant Ant Terrible-Monster [2][3]
Conception
Etymology
Aribunta's name is a portmanteau of Ari (蟻), the Japanese word for ant, and Marabunta, a synonym for army ants.
History
Ultraman Ace
Aribunta was a monster brought by Giron Man to assist him in his plan to create an underground fortress underneath Tokyo. While assisting the subterranean monster, Aribunta fed on several women who possessed Type O Blood by sucking them underground, which TAC had been investigating lately. They eventually made themselves known when one attacked a subway train filled with passengers and killed them with its spray. Finally TAC tunneled underground to confront the threat, only to encounter an Aribunta. As Hokuto and Minami were prowling the upper earth to test and see a hypothesis, both of them are pulled underground by one of the Aribuntas. Luckily, the two transform into Ultraman Ace and thus he and the Aribunta fought. After the two traded punches and kicks, Aribunta tried to kill Ace with his misty spray but Ultraman Ace quickly used his Metalium Beam and killed the Aribunta.
It was then that Giron Man revealed himself, imprisoning Ace underground and taking the second and last Aribunta with him to the surface to lay waste to the surface world. However after sending a distress call to Zoffy who arrived on the scene to rescue him, Ace managed to free himself from his underground prison and returned to the surface to face off against both Aribunta and Giron Man. It seemed the match favored the combined efforts of Aribunta and Giron Man, but after Zoffy returned to the surface (after he had saved TAC) the two Ultra Brothers teamed up and the match became evened out. After a lengthy fight, Zoffy grabbed Aribunta around the neck and ran towards Ace whom had Giron Man around the neck as well, and the two Ultras rammed their heads together breaking their necks. Both Terrible-Monster and master fell to the ground, dead.
Trivia
- Designer: Kengo Kime
- Aribunta's roars are a mixture of different Ebirah and Ganimes screeches, only sped up.
- The Aribunta suit would later be modified to create the similar insect Terrible-Monster, Hotarunga.
- Aribunta is one of the monsters that makes up Belyudra's right arm in Mega Monster Battle Ultra Galaxy: The Movie.
Ultra Fight Victory
After luring in Sakuya and Sho (he jumped in to rescue her) with his antlion pit, Aribunta revealed himself while Sho immediately transformed into Ultraman Victory and immediately Ultlance his right hand into EX Red King Knuckle to shove Aribunta away from his sister. He then attacked Aribunta by Ultlancing Eleking and King Joe Custom and using their attacks against him, unbeknownst to him that Yapool is studying the new Ultra's power ups. Seeing they weren't enough, Sho switched to his Sadola Scissors and was doing pretty well until Yapool showed up and attacked Sakuya. After the Terrible-Monster attacked Victory (because he was distracted by Yapool), the Ultra switched Ultlance, this time to his Gudon Whip and whipped him a few times. Aribunta was weakened but still kept Victory at bay with his flames until Ultraman Hikari showed up from above, firing his Knight Shoot at him, and then slashed at him with his Knight Beam Blade.
After Hikari recharged Victory, Aribunta rose up from the ground to fight him again, This time, however, Victory used the Spark Doll Hikari gave him to summon the Knight Timbre and transformed into Victory Knight. The Ultra then slashed at Aribunta with the glowing sword four times then finished him off with a Knight Victorium Flash. Ultra Fight Victory
Trivia
- Unlike his original appearance, Aribunta's eye color was changed from green to yellow.
Ultraman Orb
When Alien Nackle Nagus of the Planet Invasion Union and his minions was losing in a fight against Gai Kurenai, Aribunta was summoned by Jugglus Juggler to provide the sinister beings with enough time to escape on their spaceship. After the Terrible-Monster dissolved a building, he was confronted by Ultraman Orb, transformed from Gai, in his Spacium Zeperion form. Orb had Aribunta on the ropes when it came to close quarters combat, even when he was pinned down by the latter. After he suffered the Terrible-Monster's acidic spray and dodged his stream of flames, Orb turned his Burnmite form and used his Stobium Counter to cancel out Aribunta's flames and then transformed into his Hurricane Slash form to finish him off. After he summoned his Orb Slugger Lance and used it to inflict some serious damage on Aribunta, he lifted and hoisted him up into the air and then finished him off with his Trident Slash. The Forbidden Forest
Trivia
- Suit actor: Kazunori Yokoo
- The Aribunta suit from Ultra Fight Victory was reused for Aribunta's appearance in this series.
- Aribunta is one of many monsters Juggler summons that isn't a Lord Monster.
- Aribunta is one of the monsters that try to copy an Ultra's move as he tried to imitate Orb Hurricane Slash's move. The other monster who did this was Silvergon.
Ultraman R/B
Aribunta emerged from its pit causing an enormous sinkhole to appear in Ayaka City. It used its flame attack to further decimate the city before Ultraman Rosso and Blu arrived to intervene. The beast proved to be a greater challenge for the two due to its increased strength from being a Terrible-Monster. Aribunta was soon dealt with and was defeated by a flaming tornado created from Rosso's Wind and Blu's Flame forms, much to the dismay of the creature's summoner Makoto Aizen. The World Is Waiting for Me
Trivia
- Director Takanori Tsujimoto requested that they would use either his favorite monster from Return of Ultraman or Ace with Aribunta being the monster of the latter series. It has been said by some people working on the series that this incarnation is meant to be the most powerful one yet.
Ultraman Taiga
Aribunta is owned by the Villain Guild, being used by Alien Zetton Zolin to target Eneclone facilities so that he could take advantage of fluctuating stock prices. It is first summoned to the surface during El-Ray's confrontation with Hiroyuki Kudo, which El-Ray escaped by getting Aribunta to burrow underground along with him. He summons Aribunta again during his fight against Homare Soya and Mystie. Hiroyki transforms into Ultraman Titas and was initially able to beat the Terrible-Monster down, until it employed a new tactic: repeatedly burrowing underground and coming up to attack at short intervals. After getting hit a few times, Titas listened to the Terrible-Monster's movements underground and was able to deduce where it would come up next, and suplexed it. He then changed to Ultraman Taiga Tri-Strium and slashed it numerous times with the Taiga Tri Blade before destroying it with the Tri-Strium Burst. Sand Castle
Trivia
- Originally, Takkong was meant to appear in episode 20 instead of Aribunta with practically the same role; however, episode 22's director, Takanori Tsujimoto, heard of its return and since he liked Takkong, he managed to convince Masayoshi Takesue, episode 20's director, to let him use it instead. Ultimately, Aribunta was put in place for Takkong as Masayoshi felt he could use the Terrible-Monster's burrowing ability to new effect unlike in its appearances since Ultra Fight Victory.
Ultraman Decker
Aribunta was summoned by a single Yapool Man individual who had made contact with Agams, agreeing to aid him in defeating Ultraman Decker because of their shared hatred for the light. Yapool let Aribunta loose and the creature proceeded to collapse a part of the city, which acted as a lure to get GUTS-Select to deploy. As expected, the team sent out Kanata Asumi, Soma Ryumon and Ichika Kirino to investigate high energy readings in the area, following the trail to an underground parking lot. There, Kanata was captured by Agams while Yapool impersonated Kanata, intending to lure the two others to their deaths by leading them towards Aribunta. Fortunately, Kanata was able to escape from Agams' pocket dimension, disrupting Yapool's plan. Aribunta was let loose to attack the city afterwards.
HANE2 deployed both the GUTS Falcon and GUTS Hawk against the Terrible-Monster, combining the two fighter jets into the GUTS Gryphon. Aribunta retaliated by spraying at it with its formic acid breath, melting the GUTS Gryphon's wing and putting it out of action before setting its sights on Ryumon and Ichika. Seeing this, Kanata transformed into Ultraman Decker to fight, but he was getting overwhelmed despite changing to Strong Type. To make matters worse, Agams summoned the Terraphaser to join the battle and the two monsters pummeled Decker in unison until he changes to Miracle Type to turn the tables, splitting into two copies to fight each of them before brandishing the Ultra Dual Sword and then unleashing the power of Dynamic Type. Aribunta was finished off after Decker reflected its formic acid attack and then cleaved it apart using the Decker Shield Calibur's Decker Flash Dynamic. As Aribunta was about to explode, Kanata saw Agams lying on the ground after Terraphaser's defeat, and used his own body as a shield to protect Agams from the explosion. Little did he know that the Agams he saw simply was a disguised Yapool, who took the opportunity to send Decker into space using his dimensional rift. Invitation from Another Dimension
Trivia
- During the fight against Decker's two copies of Miracle Type, Aribunta and Terraphaser are slammed into each other head-on from opposite directions. This is a callback to how Ultraman Ace and Zoffy originally defeated Aribunta and Giron Man.
Data
- Stats
- Height: 57 m
- Weight: 62,000 t
- Origin: Yapool's Alternate Dimension → Underground
- Powers and Weapons
- Formic Acid Spray : Aribunta can spew a spray from its mandibles that can dissolve human flesh and melt steel.
- Flames: Aribunta can fire a stream of flames from both of its claws.
- Burrowing: Aribunta can burrow at moderate speeds underground.
- Aribunta Pit: Aribunta can trap prey by creating a gigantic sinkhole that draws them in, in much the same way antlions hunt in real life.
- Ultraman Ace (manga)
- Illusions: In the Ace manga by Matsuhisa Akihito, Aribunta was able to cast powerful illusions such as making it appear like sunset or creating copies of itself.
Merchandise
Gallery
Ultraman Ace
Ultra Fight Victory
Ultraman Orb
Ultraman R/B
Ultraman Taiga
Ultraman Decker
Miscellaneous
References
Ultraman Ace Kaiju | |
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Verokron | Yapool | Chameleking | Vakishim | Garan | Aribunta | Giron Man | Brocken | Alien Metron Jr. | Doragory | Muruchi II | Gammas | Zaigon | Alien Antira | Unitang | Sabotendar | Baraba | Ace Killer | Ace Robot | King Crab | Cattle God | Cowra | She-Devil | Hotarunga | Black Pigeon | Android Couple | King Kappa | Zemistlar | Aprasar | Aprasar Fairy | Space Mask | Black Satan | Giant Yapool | Mazaronian | Yojo | Mazarius | Alien Orion | Sphinx | Alien Hipporit | Lunaticks | Undergroundmon | Gitagitanga | Red Jack | Baktari | Coakes | Bad Baalon | Kaiteigagan | Dreamgillas | Soundgillar | Machless | Snowgiran | Namahage | Alien Fire | Firemons | Alien Steal | Kaimanda | Shishigoran | Iceron | Woo II | Fubugirara | Onidevil | Gasgegon | Daidarahoshi | Hanzagiran | Verokron II | Yapool Woman | Univerlages | Aquarius | Alien Revole | Signalion | Geegon | Alien Simon | Jumbo King |
Ultraman R/B Kaiju | |
---|---|
Ultraman R/B | Grigio Bone | Cereza | Black King | Gargorgon | Red King | Guebasser | Mecha Gomora | Aribunta | Ultraman Orb Dark | Gomess (S) | Horoboros | Bezelb | Gubila | Grigio King | Neronga | Pigmon | Booska | Dada | Alien Zarab | Alien Mefilas | Alien Chibull | Alien Bado | Alien Pitt | Alien Nackle | King Joe | Grand King Megalos | Gomora | Kamisori Demaaga | Grigio Regina | Leugocyte |
Ultraman R/B The Movie: Select! The Crystal of Bond | Bemstar | Gan-Q | Alien Pegassa Pega | Mecha Gomora | Snake Darkness | Pigmon | Grigio Regina |
Ultraman R/B Novel: The Blue-Eyed Girl Whose Name is Gray | Bakubarba | Nero | Margodon | Grigio | Fearmonger | Alien Egon Ciel | Barrigator No. 1 and 2 | Leugocyte |