"To defend peace and justice for humanity, Ultraman came all the way from Nebula M78. He deteated violent monsters and fought invaders from space. Now the day has finally come for our Ultraman to return to the Land of Light. Surely Ultraman is praying that this Earth will be filled with peace and light. Ultraman, thank you. Ultraman, farewell."
―Narrator
Farewell, Ultraman(さらばウルトラマン, Saraba Urutoraman) is the thirty-ninth and final episode of Ultraman. It also features the first appearance of another Ultra, Zoffy.
On what seems to be a normal day for the Earth, a massive invasion fleet of alien ships mass near the moon. The SSSP's Paris base radios in at the SSSP base in Japan that the coming fleet may very well be the largest invasion fleet ever deployed against the Earth.
Taking matters into their own hands, the SSSP, sans Fuji and the visiting Dr. Iwamoto, take to the skies in their VTOLs and easily wipe out many of them. Unfortunately, back at the base, Iwamoto attacks Fuji and proceeds to destroy the base's supercomputer. Soon, Hayata, Captain Muramatsu, Ide, and Arashi return to find the base in chaos. Ide assists Fuji while his comrades chase down Iwamoto. Arashi catches up with the latter, and punches him, revealing the face of an Alien Zetton, who'd incapacitated the real Iwamoto beforehand. Hayata quickly shoots the alien, who simply says 'Zetton' before evaporating. Suddenly, a final alien ship, much bigger than the ones that had been destroyed earlier appears and unleashes a monster called Zetton.
While Arashi runs back to the base to rescue Fuji and the real Iwamoto, Hayata transforms into Ultraman and soon, the silver giant and Zetton clash. In the ensuing battle, Zetton damages Ultraman's Color Timer, leaving him unable to fight. But Ide and Arashi then shoot Zetton with Dr. Iwamoto's creation, a special anti-gravity missile that kills the monster.
Zoffy tells Ultraman he can't stay on the Earth after his defeat by Zetton
Soon after, Zoffy, an Ultra Warrior of higher rank than Ultraman, arrives in a Travel Sphere to revive his comrade. The two engage in conversation. (In the Japanese original, Zoffy debates with Ultraman about Hayata. In the English version, Zoffy, who is not mentioned by name in this version, inquires about why his subordinate has lost to Zetton, and is told about Zetton's use of the unexpected weapon that damages Ultraman's warning light.) Ultraman requests that Zoffy split his and Hayata's life forces that Hayata may live a normal life, and also that he may regain his own powers and return to Earth. Zoffy complies with both requests, and Hayata ends up where Ultraman had fallen. The SSSP wave Ultraman goodbye, and a clearly amnesiac Hayata is left with the Beta Capsule. (In the English version, Hayata keeps his memory and joins his friends in seeing Ultraman and Zoffy off.)
As the narrator promises that Ultraman will return to the Earth someday, the last shot of the series is Zoffy and Ultraman flying home together back to Nebula M78.
"Ultraman, open your eyes. I am Space Patrolman Zoffy, from Nebula M78. Now, come back to the Land of Light with me, Ultraman." "Zoffy, my body does not only belong to me. If I go home an Earthling will die." "Ultraman... you've done enough for Earth. The Earthlings will forgive you." "Hayata is truly a great person. I will stay on Earth so he does not have to die." "It's best to let humans take peace into their own hands. Ultraman, you can not stay on Earth forever." "Zoffy, I would like to leave Earth by giving my life, to Hayata then." "You don't care if you die?" "No, I don't. I have already lived for 20,000 years. Earthling's lives are very short. And Hayata is still very young. I do not want him to be a victim." "Ultraman, do you love Earthlings that much? Alright, I have brought two lives with me. I'll give one to Hayata." "Thank you, Zoffy."
Ultraman The Complete Series features all episodes.
1999 version
2009 version
Ultraman The Complete Series (Chaiyo US DVD release)
Trivia[]
The central theme of this episode is encapsulated in the message: "The protection of Earth must ultimately be undertaken by humanity itself."
At the time of its production, many Japanese media outlets, such as Sankei Shimbun, invited the public to submit story ideas, receiving numerous suggestions, including calls for the series' continuation. According to a February 22, 1967, report in the Tokyo Shimbun, the end of Ultraman was becoming increasingly clear. The report stated: "Ultraman will ultimately be defeated on Earth by a powerful monster, sacrificing himself in the process." Although the script was not yet finalized, the article revealed that after Ultraman's defeat, he would send out a signal to summon his comrades from the "Land of Light" for assistance.[1][2]
Tetsuo Kinjo, the screenwriter, commented in the report: "I don't want to destroy the dreams of children, but ultimately, Ultraman must be defeated and killed on Earth by an exceptionally strong monster." Kinjo elaborated on the sequence of events leading to Ultraman's demise. The monster delivers a devastating blow to Ultraman's heart, forcing him to emit a distress signal to the Land of Light. In response, one of Ultraman's comrades arrives on Earth, carrying a new life force to defeat the powerful monster. However, when this life force is offered to Ultraman, he refuses. Accepting it would mean the death of Hayata, the human host with whom Ultraman. In the end, Ultraman resolutely chooses to sacrifice himself, emphasizing that "Earthlings should rely on their own strength to protect their planet."[1]
It is said that children from all over Japan sent letters of encouragement to Tsuburaya Productions and Tetsuo Kinjo. Many of these letters included heartfelt pleas, such as, "Ultraman must not die." Kinjo later remarked that he was deeply moved by the children's expectations, which led him to develop a finale where both Hayata and Ultraman would survive.[3]
In an earlier draft of the script, it was Zoffy, not the SSSP, who defeated Zetton. This version depicted Ultraman's Color Timer being destroyed, leaving him to fall to the ground in agony after Zetton's attack. Zoffy then descended rapidly from the sky, unleashing an energy attack akin to the Spacium Beam, which successfully vanquished Zetton. Additionally, this version included Zoffy destroying a massive UFO during the confrontation.[1][6]
There are subtle differences between the first and second drafts of this episode, but the overall content closely resembles the final version. However, the special effects sequences and fight scenes noticeably deviate from the script.
In the second draft, Ultraman still loses to Zetton, but an additional line of dialogue from Fuji was introduced: "If you die, what will happen to Earth?" This is followed by a scene consistent with the final footage, where Dr. Iwamoto retrieves a new weapon—the pencil bomb—used by Arashi and Ide to ultimately defeat Zetton.[1]
In the initial preparatory draft, after the SSSP members witness the arrival of Zoffy, they have the following exchange: the team remarks, "Ultraman is already dead, and his companion has come to take him back," and, "So… Ultraman will never return?" Captain Muramatsu then states, "This is fine. We, the Science Patrol, will defend Earth's peace with our own strength!"[1]
In the script, Hayata, now separated from Ultraman, is described as having “a mysterious expression,” whereas in the final version, Susumu Kurobe's performance conveys both deep emotion and satisfaction.[1]
This episode mentions that the "Mysterious Alien" began monitoring Earth in 1930 and has continued for 40 years, placing the story's timeline in 1970. While episode 23 shows Jamila's gravestone with the year of death listed as 1992, leading some to believe the events occur in a distant future, Eiji Tsuburaya and the core production team, as supervisors, leaned toward setting the series' timeline closer to the contemporary reality of the era.
Additionally, in the script, Alien Zetton is not explicitly named and is simply referred to as the "Mysterious Alien." In Volume 3 of The Complete Kaiju Encyclopedia, titled "Kaiju Picture Tales: Ultraman", published by Tetsuo Kinjo after the episode aired, the term "Mysterious Alien" is consistently used. According to this book, the alien mentions during a Martian intergalactic meeting that they aim to "help Zetton grow quickly." It can be inferred from these additional details that Zetton was created specifically to combat Ultraman. This explains why the alien's attacks were concentrated on Japan, as their ultimate target was Ultraman.[2]
In a 2020 interview, Bin Furuya reflected on Ultraman's final battle with Zetton and admitted he once wondered why Ultraman was defeated. He now understands it as a battle "destined for defeat." Unlike previous monsters, Zetton launched an attack directly targeting Ultraman's psychological defenses. Zetton showed no weaknesses, maintaining a cold and relentless assault, particularly with precise energy beam attacks. These strikes left Ultraman unable to recover mentally, trapping him in a cycle of continuous attacks.[3]
The battle itself lacked intense close combat. Zetton maintained control throughout, forcing Ultraman into a defensive position. Ultraman attempted counterattacks with various energy beams, but each effort failed. Despite this, Furuya recalled that many viewers, including himself as a child, could fully accept Ultraman's loss. Audiences at the time didn't question, “Why did Ultraman lose?” Instead, they naturally embraced the outcome.[3]
Before filming the episode, screenwriter Tetsuo Kinjo told Furuya, "Ultraman will use all his ultimate techniques, but he will still lose." Despite this, Furuya believed that Ultraman's eventual defeat still showcased his courage. He fought with everything he had to protect Earth, battling the enemy with unwavering determination. No matter the outcome, Ultraman's resilience and refusal to back down embodied the spirit of a true hero.[3]
In a 2005 retrospective, producer Takashi Kakoi revealed that the decision to conclude the series with episode 39 was not solely due to Tsuburaya Productions' financial issues. Instead, it was heavily influenced by production challenges and on-site pressures. During the latter half of the show, the production schedule became tightly aligned with the broadcast schedule, leaving no room to build up a sufficient backlog of episodes. The staff was also becoming increasingly fatigued. Despite Ultraman maintaining an impressive viewership rating of over 30%, TBS was eager to continue the series. However, due to the mounting production pressures and safety concerns, the team ultimately decided to end the show.[6]
Kakoi further explained: "Around that time, Toei proposed the project Captain Ultra, which TBS decided to air starting in April 1967. This gave Tsuburaya Productions an opportunity to regroup and plan a new installment of the 'Ultraman Series' for the fall. I immediately asked Tetsuo Kinjo to draft ideas for the next 'Ultra' project, suggesting that the setting expand to a space scale." Reflecting on this, Kakoi admitted: "At the time, my main focus was ensuring a smooth transition to the next production, Ultraseven, so I didn't feel particularly regretful or sentimental about ending Ultraman. In fact, it's only now that I look back and think that concluding the series with episode 39 might have been a bit of a missed opportunity."
Given that TBS's film division decided to conclude Ultraman under unavoidable circumstances, it appears this decision was made shortly before the scripts for episodes 36 and 37 were drafted. As a result, Zoffy's first appearance in the series is believed to have been a last-minute addition, created within the very limited timeframe of producing the final episode.[7]
From a narrative standpoint, Ultraman's return to space required humanity to demonstrate its independence. To align with this theme, a character was needed to escort Ultraman back to the universe, which also led to the introduction of the concept of the "Inter Galactic Defense Force."
The Zoffy costume used in this episode was a modified version of Ultraman's Type A suit. This suggests that the production team did not have the time or budget to design a completely new character or create an entirely new costume. Instead, they repurposed an existing suit, while the headpiece was newly crafted based on the prototype of Ultraman's Type C mask.
Zoffy sporting a black head fin.
A notable detail in this episode reveals that Zoffy's head crest is black, a feature that went largely unnoticed until the DVD release. This black design does not appear to be the work of Tohl Narita but is believed to have been inspired by Akira Sasaki. However, Sasaki himself may no longer recall creating this design.
According to the "Kaiju Ultra Zukan" released in May 1968, a monster profile for Zetton mistakenly stated that it was "summoned to Earth under Zoffy's control." This detail was later incorporated into the portrayal of Zōffy in Shin Ultraman.[8][9][10]
In a 2020 interview, Bin Furuya revealed that he personally portrayed Zoffy and only learned of this role upon arriving at the filming site. There, he noticed a suit resembling Ultraman's, though he was unsure if it was explicitly labeled as Zoffy. Given its similarity to Ultraman's costume, he assumed that only he could wear it. Filming began with a shot of him putting on the Zoffy suit and standing up.[3]
Furuya explained that Zoffy's mask differed from Ultraman's, as it lacked eye holes. Despite being unable to see, he performed to the best of his ability by following the staff's guidance.[3]
The Ultraman interacting with Zoffy in the scene was not played by a suit actor. Instead, the production team stuffed foam rubber into the Ultraman costume, resulting in a noticeably bent and sunken appearance, particularly in the left arm. Furuya speculated that such a shape should have been unacceptable to the director. However, since the scene was not reshot, he believed the director may have intended to convey the hero's anguish in the climactic moment. Ultraman, after battling to protect Earth and its people, could no longer maintain a flawless appearance, and the “defect” added emotional depth to the scene.[3]
In the original Japanese airing of this episode, Ultraman asks Zoffy to identify himself "Who are you?" But for unknown reasons, this line of dialogue was cut, making Zoffy introduce himself without being asked first.
However, in the first Mill Creek release, this is retained.
While Ultraman was dead, flashbacks of when Ultraman fought Gabora from episode 9 and Jirass from episode 10.
As for the motion of Ultraman collapsing and placing his hand on his chest, Furuya revealed that this was his own creative decision, not directed by the director. He thoughtfully crafted the gesture, believing it would more authentically portray the character's death.[3]
The English version explained that Ultraman's defeat was due to Zetton having employed a weapon that Ultraman had not expected; it had damaged his Color Timer, and he had lost his ability to gauge his remaining strength.
In the American release, Ultraman's conversation with Zoffy is changed from discussing Ultraman's willingness to sacrifice himself so that Hayata can live to Zoffy asking Ultraman why Ultraman had lost to Zetton, who he claims was less powerful. (This was despite Zetton easily withstanding all of Ultraman's attacks.)
This episode was later featured in New Ultraman Retsuden episode 142 "Zetton Invasion! Farewell, Ultraman."[11]
The dialogue between Ultraman and Zoffy at the end of this episode was recreated in Shin Ultraman. Additionally, this episode was part of the film's "Special Screening Project" and was specially re-released in theaters from July 22 to August 4, 2022.[12][13][14]
