The Night Raiders are TLT-J's special group in charge of Space Beast eradication. The group's true name is TLT-J Special Strategy Mission Group as members consist of elite cadets in TLT.[1]
Overview[]
NR is a special attack force established by the upper management of TLT-J to combat Space Beasts, composed of elite individuals from fields such as police, medicine, and scientific research. Since its establishment, they have carried out a total of approximately 424 missions. The squad led by Captain Wakura is known as Night Raider A Unit while there are other groups of Night Raiders, as implied in episode 18.
Thanks to the technology cooperation provided by TLT and the Visitors, NR has countless super technologies to attack unknown creatures. Since Space Beasts feed on human fears and to prevent their and Ultraman's existence from spreading to the world, NR's existence is not disclosed, and members are not even allowed to reveal their affiliation to their families. Members who violate organizational policies will have their memories erased and be exiled. Meanwhile, due to the constant occurrence of emergencies, the atmosphere within the team is full of tension.
The main stance and policy of the team is that the goal of eliminating Space Beasts takes precedence over ensuring the safety of citizens. In certain situations where Space Beasts need to be eliminated, this may include hostages as attack targets, and they may even use the entire city as bait to lure in the creatures. Although some members may value human life, in practice, they cannot disobey the orders of the upper management.
After completing their mission, the White Sweepers and MP are responsible for follow-up operations.
History[]
Pre-Ultraman Nexus[]
In 2004, one month after the Shinjuku Battle caused by Ultraman the Next and Beast the One, the sighting of Space Beasts spread fear among the public and increased the risk of further encounters with these creatures. With the help of the Visitors' technology, the worldwide Lethe operation was launched, sealing the memories of nearly all humans worldwide about the New Shinjuku Battle. People's memories were altered to believe that the disaster was caused by a meteorite impact known as the "Shinjuku Disaster." At the same time, TLT established NR and appointed Eisuke Wakura as the captain of NR, while Shinya Mizorogi became the vice-captain.
Nagi's first meeting with the NR team after just joining the team.
In 2008, some time after Nagi Saijyo joined the team, Nagi responded to Mizorogi's rigorous training and developed into a top soldier. However, Wakura felt uneasy about their aggressive stances and believed there was a deeper, more fundamental connection between the two beyond facts and experience.
During an assault mission on a warehouse where Space Beasts were hiding, the NR team defeated the beastmen surrounding them, but Mizorogi and Nagi heard mysterious groans. They discovered that the enemy could turn deceased humans into Beast Human. To prevent himself and Nagi from being controlled simultaneously, Mizorogi left Nagi and went alone to the back of the warehouse. There, he encountered Dark Mephisto, and after merging with his inner darkness, he vanished. Nagi managed to escape the warehouse fire alone and then replaced Mizorogi as NR's vice-captain.Apocalypse
After Mizorogi left, NR continued operating with a three-person team.
Six months earlier, during a mission to eliminate Arakunia, NR rescued police officer Shiori Hiraki. Since Shiori's physical examination met the qualifications to become an NR member, she was subsequently recruited into the NR.Shiori - Lost Memories -
Ultraman Nexus[]
Komon received a transfer order and will become a new member of NR starting today.
Six months later, Kazuki Komon, a member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's Mountain Rescue Team, received a notification from TLT about a medical examination and was informed that he would be transferred to "a certain team." After receiving NR's wrist-worn communication device Pulse Breigar, he headed to the designated meeting point to join the team. However, on his way there, he was attacked by Pedoleon and was promptly saved by Ultraman. At the same time, under the command of TLT's operations officer Yu Kirasawa, NR went to the location where the "space beasts vibration wave" from Pedoleon's appearance was detected to conduct investigation and elimination missions, allowing them to meet Komon at the scene for the first time.Night Assault - Night Raid -
NR usually stays on standby in the command room, where they investigate and analyze information about Space Beasts themselves and conduct tactical planning.
Komon was then protected by NR, learned the truth about the world, and began fighting as a member of NR. Meanwhile, battles with Space Beasts gradually intensified. Upon learning about the existence of Ultraman, some members viewed Ultraman as a threat similar to Space Beasts. Due to Komon's disagreements with the group's approach to treating Dunamist Jun Himeya and the frequent occurrence of unexpected events, the atmosphere within the team became increasingly tense.
In the later part of the series, as Komon adapted to life in NR, the team's atmosphere improved. However, within TLT, a traitor known as the "Unknown Hand" was discovered, causing suspicion among each member. During this time, they also learned the truth about the Shinjuku Disaster that occurred five years earlier.Oblivion - A.D. 2004 -
When Ren Senjyu Senki used his last bit of strength to defeat the strongest Space Beast, Izmael, and entrusted his light to the next suitable person to end the battle, Ishihori believed the time had come and revealed his true identity to the team members as the "Unknown Hand", who was actually Dark Zagi. He had manipulated all NR members to carry out his resurrection plan.
When Nagi transformed into Ultraman and had all his light stolen by Dark Zagi, Komon rushed into Lethe in an attempt to save Nagi and ultimately inherited Ultraman's power. Wakura went alone to Shinjuku to confront Dark Zagi and was rescued by Komon, who had transformed into Ultraman, at the critical moment. Ultraman then began his battle against Dark Zagi. With encouragement from previous Dunamists and citizens who had regained their memories of the Shinjuku Disaster five years earlier, Ultraman Noa finally appeared and was able to defeat Dark Zagi.
A year later, as the existence of Space Beasts was made public, more NR teams joined the missions.
A year later, the world continued its battle against Space Beasts, but it was no longer an individual's fight. The existence of Space Beasts had been made public, and while people felt their terror, NR was not intimidated and instead resolved to move forward toward a brighter future.Bond - Nexus -
Members[]
Eisuke Wakura
- Main article: Eisuke Wakura
Eisuke Wakura is the captain of the NR. He is known for his loyalty in carrying out missions and while his personality can be strict, he also knows how to take care of his subordinates in a kind and enthusiastic way, earning their trust and admiration.
Although his motto is to follow orders, he will take necessary action if it means to protect others.
Nagi Saijyo
- Main article: Nagi Saijyo
Nagi Saijyo is the vice-captain of the NR, an experienced warrior who often completes missions with a rational and merciless attitude, as well as a radical stance. However, she still has a lonely side in private. Due to the fact that her parents were killed by Space Beasts when she was a child, she has a deep hatred for Space Beasts.
Mitsuhiko Ishibori
- Main article: Mitsuhiko Ishibori
Mitsuhiko Ishibori is a technical expert and analyst in NR, possessing extensive knowledge of biological weapons data. Additionally, he has top-notch abilities in manipulating base systems and guiding NR to achieve perfect combat operations.
Shiori Hiraki
- Main article: Shiori Hiraki
Shiori Hiraki is a member of NR and also serves as a combat training instructor. In the past, she was a policewoman, so she has outstanding shooting skills. She is also the most lively and straightforward member of the team in terms of personality.
Kazuki Komon
- Main article: Kazuki Komon
Kazuki Komon is a new member of NR and was previously a member of a mountain rescue team.
Unlike other members, he holds the belief that Ultraman is not a threat to humanity. Because of this, he has had some conflicts with other members.Former Members[]
Shinya Mizorogi
- Main article: Shinya Mizorogi
Shinya Mizorogi is the former vice-captain of NR. One year ago, he was consumed by the darkness inside him and merged with Dark Mephisto. As a result, he left the team.
Arsenal[]
Attire[]
- NR Special Suits : The suit worn by the Night Raiders, it provides hot and cold life support. When going on mission armor is attached along with a survival belt.
- NR Met : The helmets the Night Raiders use, they are equipped with night vision, function displays, and targeting assistance when they are in the chesters.
Equipment[]
Thanks to the technology from the Visitors, TLT arms their Night Raider unit with advanced equipment to combat Space Beasts when on the ground. All Night Raider weapons fire energy bullets.[2]
- Divait Launcher : Night Raider's standard issue rifle, they are only ever used when on a mission due to their firepower. They can be switched between two modes, cannon mode which can easily kill a small space beast in a few shots or a well aimed one, and rapid fire mode where it acts like a machine gun.
- Divait Shooter: Night Raider's standard issue small firearm, while not enough to kill a space beast it is more effective than a normal gun of the same size. The hand gun has isomorphics on its grip, which means no one but members of TLT can use it.
- Pulse Breigar : The wrist worn communication device all Night Raider members wear, it acts like a video phone, a map, a Beast Wave detector and a scanner. It can also be mounted with weapons such as a stun gun, napalm bomb, a beam weapon and a freeze shot. It is also said to be the world's most powerful stunner.
- Memoraser : The tools used by the M.P. division of TLT, these flip phone-like devices shine a bright light that erases all memories connected to specific keywords. Particularly keywords relating to Ultraman and Space Beasts. It later learned that all the memories taken by the M.P. are stored within Lethe.
Mecha[]
Thanks to the technology granted to them by the Visitors, TLT arms their Night Raider unit with advanced machines to combat Space Beasts in the air and when they reach giant size. As more giant space beasts started to become more and more in place of the more human-sized variants, as well as their continued evolution, TLT was forced to upgrade their arsenal creating new Chrome Chesters and Chester configurations.[3]
Chrome Chesters[]
- Main article: Chrome Chester
- Chrome Chester α: A small machine which boasts great speed.
- Chrome Chester β: A small commander-use machine with greater communication and search purposes.
- Chrome Chester γ: This model is equipped with a large metal generator, high mobility and can perform high speed flight.
- Chrome Chester δ: The last of the Chester models, first appeared in episode 20 as means of independently entering Nexus' Meta Field.
Chrome Chester Configurations[]
- Strike Chester: It is the combination of Chrome Chesters Alpha, Beta, and Gamma into a fighter jet capable of entering the Meta Field.
- Mega Cannon Chester: A tank formation for land-based combat.
- Hyper Strike Chester: A variation of the Strike Chester, with Chrome Chester Delta included.
- Dig Chester: A subterrene combination from Alpha, Beta and Gamma.
Gallery[]
Ultraman Nexus[]
Miscellaneous[]
![[4]](/wiki/File:NR_2004.jpeg "NR 2004.jpeg (178 KB)")
Trivia[]
- During Ultraman Nexus' planning phase, the series and titular character were called Ultraman Cross; the defense team was envisioned to be a third-rate team of dropouts that, over time, grew to be a first-rate team. This was meant to showcase the series' theme of bonds and people overcoming adversity.
- Another idea from this stage was that no one knew who would become Ultraman, to emphasize the bond between all of them.
- Of all the defense teams, the Night Raiders are perhaps the most competent. They have rarely been shot down save by Izmael and a few other incidents (only one Chester). They were also shown taking down Space Beasts before Ultraman Nexus appeared, and his presence was only required because of the Beast's evolving tactics and the appearance of dark Ultras. Even then, the Night Raiders are generally more successful against their monster enemies than most defense teams.
- According to Hiroyasu Shibuya, the design and color scheme of the NR members were carefully developed through research and consideration.[5]
- The choice of air force blue for the uniforms, rather than military green MA-1 jackets, was made to avoid a highly militaristic appearance while still maintaining a strong sci-fi aesthetic. Additionally, blue was selected as it is a color favored by boys, and thus, the overall color scheme for the NR uniforms was set to blue.
- For the design of Chrome Chester, the production team discussed using a color scheme similar to that of the Yokosuka Line. This approach would create a striking contrast with a white monochrome design for the NR unit's emblem, enhancing its visual appeal. The decision to use a simple, monochrome emblem aligns with the world view's preference for understated designs and facilitates easier screen printing on toys compared to stickers. These considerations were beneficial for both the series' presentation and the toy line.
References[]
| Defense Teams | |
|---|---|
| Showa Defense Teams | SSSP | TDF (UG, MAT, TAC, ZAT, MAC, UGM) | Science Guard Party |
| Heisei Defense Teams | UMA | WINR | HEART | Mydo | TPC (GUTS, Super GUTS, Black Buster Corps, Neo Super GUTS) | GUARD (XIG) | GOKAZOKU | SRC (EYES, Team SEA), JADF | BCST | TLT (NR) | UDF (DASH) | GUYS | DEUS | ZAP SPACY | Team U | UPG | UNVER (Xio) | VTL | AIB |
| Reiwa Defense Teams | EGIS | GAF (STORAGE) | TPU (GUTS-Select) | SSSP | GGF (SKaRD) | KDF | GDF (SKIP) |
| Other Defense Teams | Inter Galactic Defense Force | Space Patrol | MIGHTY JACK | SRI | SGM | Team Mouri | SAT | SAF | PAT | Koseidon Corps | MAT | SWORD | SSSP | USP | GIRLS |