Hiroyuki Hiiragi

Hiroyuki Hiiragi
Data
Type	Antihero (first) Ally (Current)
Gender	Male
Affiliation	GUARD
First Appearance	Ultraman Gaia episode 38 "Ground-Breaking Tusks"
Latest Appearance	Ultraman Gaia episode 50 "The Cry of the Earth"
Portrayed by	Takeshi Yamato

Hiroyuki Hiiragi is a character in Ultraman Gaia. He is the commander of the GUARD Pan Pacific Division. His rank is brigadier general.

Personality

Hiiragi portrays an outwardly friendly and composed personality and is recognized for his strong determination. He firmly believes that as leaders of the military, they reside in peaceful areas and cannot truly comprehend the suffering experienced by the people on the ground. He believes it is imperative to find a method that can liberate all humans from threats and ensure a peaceful existence, even if it requires employing any means necessary.

Due to the loss of important subordinates in the past, Hiiragi initially harbored a deep hatred towards monsters. However, his motivation in dealing with monsters was not solely driven by revenge, but primarily to prevent further similar tragedies from occurring. Nevertheless, due to his lack of comprehensive understanding of the situation from various perspectives, At one point, he was deeply entangled in a profound internal conflict.

History

Ultraman Gaia

GUARD's ground forces are destroyed by Zonnel II

Hiiragi participated in a battle against Zonnel II in Scottsdale, Arizona, United States. However, during this battle, he personally witnessed the utter devastation of the ground forces.^{The Determination of Agul}

After losing his cherished subordinates, Hiiragi made a firm decision to ensure that no one else would become a sacrificial pawn. With utmost secrecy, he devoted himself to the development of a highly lethal weapon known as the "Underground Penetrate Nuclear Missile," which is prohibited by international conventions. This weapon possesses the capability to cause significant damage to the Earth's surface and unleash radiation contamination as unintended consequences. From that point forward, he pledged to eradicate all monsters.

After discovering that a monster named Tigris lay dormant beneath Tsunamura Lake in Gunma Prefecture, Japan, Hiiragi, serving as the commander of the GUARD Pacific Rim Division, made his way to the Aerial Base to notify XIG. He relayed the plan to deploy Subterranean Penetrating Missiles within two days, with the intention of proactively neutralizing the monster that posed a potential threat to humanity.

Hiiragi firmly believed that the Underground Penetrate Nuclear Missile was the sole weapon capable of harming the monster. With the awakening of Tigris being uncertain, he was resolute in advocating for its use. Staff Officer Chiba appealed for a halt to the weapon's deployment, highlighting the potential environmental contamination it could bring. However, Hiiragi stood firm in his stance. He argued that even with environmental safeguards in place, the residents in the affected area could not ensure their own safety. Hence, he requested on-site support from XIG, citing this rationale.

As the scheduled launch time of the Underground Penetrate Nuclear Missile approached, Hiroya Fujimiya arrived at the control room where Hiiragi was stationed, urging him to cease the launch. However, Hiiragi remained resolute in his belief that "the monster must be eliminated" and proceeded to launch the Underground Penetrate Nuclear Missile, directing its attack towards the slumbering Tigris.

Seeing Tigris being seriously injured and dying, Hiiragi fell into deep thought

Despite sustaining severe injuries, Tigris did not immediately succumb. Furious, it emerged from beneath the ground, obliterating the launch site of the Underground Penetrate Nuclear Missile and relentlessly advancing towards the control command room where Hiiragi was stationed. In response, Hiiragi activated the secondary defense system, taking control of automated cannons to launch a fierce counterattack against the heavily wounded Tigris.

In the midst of Fujimiya's angry questioning and the anguished cries of Tigris, Hiiragi made persistent efforts to convince himself that this creature was a menace that needed to be eradicated for the sake of humanity's future. However, this internal struggle left him torn and conflicted. Ultimately, after emitting a final roar, Tigris collapsed to the ground, lifeless. This deepened Hiiragi's inner turmoil and plunged his heart into a state of internal conflict.^{Ground-Breaking Tusks}

Shortly after the incident, Hiiragi engaged in a discussion with Chiba at the GUARD International Forum regarding the Underground Penetrate Nuclear Missile. Despite the failed strategy of directly attacking the Radical Destruction Bringer, he maintained his belief that Earth is the sole habitat for humanity and emphasized the need for more powerful weapons to defend against all threats.

Conversation between Megumi and Hiiragi

During a stroll near the Yushima Seidō, Hiiragi unexpectedly encountered Megumi Kuroda. They exchanged brief introductions, and Hiiragi posed a hypothetical question to Megumi, asking how she would react if someone dear to her was injured in a monster attack. Megumi replied, "While I might harbor dislike towards the monster, hatred only perpetuates further animosity." During a later conversation with KCB, Megumi briefly commented on Hiiragi, expressing her belief that "Hiiragi is actually a good person who simply wants to protect what he holds dear, but his view of the world is too narrow."

Later on, the GUARD International Forum came under attack from Blitz-Blotz, and Hiiragi witnessed the defeat of Ultraman Agul in the battle. After the fight concluded, he discovered that Agul's true identity was Fujimiya. Hiiragi went to the scene and tended to Fujimiya, hoping that he could lend a hand in the fight against Blitz-Blotz. However, Fujimiya explained that Agul had depleted his powers during the earlier battle.

Subsequently, Hiiragi was taken aback by the sudden appearance of Tigris II, who bravely challenged Blitz-Blotz, and he witnessed its fierce battle to protect the Earth. As Fujimiya informed him about the inherent mission of all life on Earth, Hiiragi began contemplating what the monsters were truly striving to protect. After reflecting on his own mistakes and gaining a deeper understanding of the significance of Earth's monsters, Hiiragi made the decision to assist Tigris II. He joined forces with Team Hercules to support Ultraman Gaia and boarded the "MLRS-Bison" combat vehicle, contributing his efforts to the battle against Blitz-Blotz.

Hiiragi salutes Tigris II

Once the battle drew to a close, Hiiragi referred to the fallen Tigris II as a "valiant companion" and, together with the members of XIG, expressed his utmost respect.^{The Living Planet}

During the final battle, Hiiragi, along with Daniel McPhee, Catherine Ryan, and others, stationed themselves at the North American Headquarters. Amidst the standoff, Hiiragi expressed his belief that Earth's monsters were rebelling to protect their own birth planet. He issued instructions for the troops to fully support Zonnel II and directed the ground forces to concentrate their firepower on the destruction of Dobishi.^{The Cry of the Earth}

Gallery

Ultraman Gaia

Hiiragi's first appearance

Trivia

• According to director Masaki Harada's 2000 interview:
  • The reason for casting Takeshi Yamato as Hiiragi was explained by Sonoda. He described Hiiragi as a character who was originally conceived as "very strong," so they wanted to cast an unexpected "strong person" in the role. Yamato, who had little prior connection to the Ultraman series, brought a refreshing sense of novelty to the role, which Harada found interesting. Additionally, Harada had previously worked with Yamato on several V-Cinema projects, and they had a good working relationship.
  • When the character of Hiiragi was initially developed, Harada thought of inviting Yamato to play the role. After contacting him, Yamato quickly agreed to join the project after reading the first draft of the script. In fact, he even completed his costume fitting before the script was finalized, and his casting was quickly confirmed.
  • The production team designed a contrast between Hiiragi's "combat mode" and "peace mode." The peace mode was only shown in scenes where Hiiragi interacted with the outside world and did not extend to his military interactions. Ultimately, the character's transformation was driven by his encounter with Megumi.