This may not be the article you are looking for. For the Ultraman Ace character, see Seiji Hokuto.
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Seiji Hokuto is a character who appears in the 2011 manga, ULTRAMAN. Wearing the Ace Suit, he is the third Ultraman to appear. Initially an independent party who simply mimicked Ultraman to get his revenge on Ace Killer, Seiji eventually joined the SSSP as a full-fledged member.
History[]
ULTRAMAN[]
At some point in the past, Seiji became friends with an extraterrestrial girl named Yuko Minami. Shortly afterward he was in a plane crash that killed his parents and left him near death, although he was saved by Bemular. He was eventually taken in by Yapool and fitted with prosthetic limbs to replace his damaged organic ones.
Seiji attends the same school as Shinjiro, the biological son of Ultraman. However, the two had never interacted in any significant manner until some time after Shinjiro became aware of his heritage. Seiji asked to meet Shinjiro after a class, where he revealed that he knew that Shinjiro was Ultraman, much to the latter's shock.
Seiji beaten down a group of robbers
Later, Seiji ran into Shinjiro again, although Shinjiro received a call from Ide. Seiji used a device to trace the call, confirming his idea of Ultraman's identity. At some point after that, a man attempted to assault and rob him, but Seiji was capable of fighting and beating the man, who was left lying on the sidewalk.
Soon afterwards, Seiji tracked an emergency call, which he declared to be his first case before donning his own Ultraman suit. He quickly arrived at the scene, saving Shinjiro from a Biological Weapon, slicing the beast in half. Seiji's arms then exploded. Just as quickly as he appeared he left, but not before telling Shinjiro that he'd see him at school.
Returning to Yapool, Seiji was given heavy criticism for damaging his arms, but the alien agreed to repair them. He then beat Shinjiro and Moroboshi to defeating a second Biological Weapon in a subway system. After boasting, he tried to be allowed a job at the SSSP, although Moroboshi wanted to check his background. Seiji removed his helmet and explained himself.
The other two Ultramen took Seiji to the SSSP headquarters, where Moroboshi and Edo discussed his alien-designed prosthetics, which were untraceable. Seiji revealed that he had bought the identity of Ultraman from someone, but refused to say who. He was then released, making his way back to Yapool.
Yapool berated Seiji for revealing himself but admitted that they and the SSSP had the same goal in mind, but must keep their savior secret. Seiji agreed, stating that the reason he had been eliminating anyone who interfered with human-alien relations was due to their mysterious savior.
Shinjiro later caught Seiji extorting money from a man who ran a scamming business on the side. The two began to argue about Seiji's position as the "Hammer of Justice," whereupon he challenged Shinjiro to a duel. Using his modified simulation device, he summoned his suit and prepared to fight the suitless Shinjiro. Moroboshi interrupted the one-sided duel, beating Seiji's helmet off with his sword.
Seiji defeats Ace Killer for the first time
Later the young Ultraman arrived to help Shinjiro and Morobishi to defeat the Ace Killer Squad, who were in fact targeting Seiji himself. He challenged Ace Killer, where he managed to hold his own for a while. Eventually the assassin managed to sever one of his prosthetic arms, although Seiji exacted the same treatment on him afterwards.
Ace Killer then drew his hatchet and began to beat, batter and slash Hokuto in a flurry of blows. Seiji managed to recover and fight back, but was stabbed through the chest. He then tackled the mercenary and removed his left hand, revealing a powerful Spacium weapon. Ace Killer resigned himself to his face, and Seiji decapitated him with a blast to the face. Seiji then succumbed to his wounds and dropped into unconsciousness. Bemular then arrived, and carried the wounded young man to safety and to be healed.
Three months later, Seiji appeared with Bemular to save a group of people from an alien in a forest. They then went to New York to fight against the Star of Darkness. The two of them helped Shinjiro hold up a falling building, saving Rena and a group of citizens. Seiji then went to fight against the Star of Darkness' footsoldiers.
Sometime later, Seiji was faced by three alien impostors posing as Shinjiro, Dan, and Shin in their suits and was quickly overpowered by them. While Taro and the Leo Brothers were sent to help, they were unable to change the tide, and to make matters worse, their enemies took a woman hostage whom the former hitmen brothers refused to rescue.
Just when everything seems to be lost, the arrival of Bemular and Adad, as well as the real Ultraman trio, are rescued from Ambassador Mephisto by Edo and Windom, the tide is finally changed. With the imposters forced to reveal their true faces and being turned into giant rampaging monsters by Mephisto under Edo's command, the Ultras and their allies worked together to save the day.
During the subsequent battles against two aliens, as well as the conflict with the Zetton Core, Seiji witnessed a new member joining in. He was the very person who came up with the term "Ultrawoman" to suit her.
Devastated, after the encounter with the Zetton Core
At that moment, they were encountered by Bemular who's been looking for the Ultrawoman, and later warriors of the Zetton Core. This would result in Bemular being severely injured, who launched an attack on them with great rage once learned they were responsible for the disaster on the Land of Light. With the menacing warriors left the scene, the devastated four could only helplessly stand in front of the lifeless Bemular, and caught by a sudden downpour.
Second round between Ace and Ace Killer
After the second victorious battle against the Zetton Core as well as Valky being revealed as a double agent under Edo, Seiji was unable to accept her as his comrade. To his surprise, even Dan started to defend her, reasoning that the young boy had also taken extreme measures for the sake of "justice." Annoyed, he finally decided to pay a visit to Yuko, only to find himself facing a reborn old nemesis - Ace Killer.
Shocked and enraged by the undying foe, he quickly transformed and threw himself into the assassin. The second duel between the two did not go better than the last one - as this time, not only was he beaten, but also had the core of his Ultraman Suit pulled out. Seeing Seiji defeated, Ace Killer immediately turned his sight to the apartment the former just left and decided to continue where he started.
Hokuto defeats Ace Killer a second time
Unfortunately for the assassin, the SSSP had anticipated his arrival and had planted an agent who stroked him by surprise. Being rescued by the female assassin, Seiji was forced to accept her as his new comrade; at that moment, he was informed by Ide about transmitting him a suit with a new weapon. After a ferocious battle with more manpower, Ace Killer was once again destroyed by his new beam weapon attack. The real Yuko was revealed to be under the safeguard of Rena ahead of the battle, who promptly threw herself into Hokuto's arms.
Profile[]
Ace Suit
The Ace Suit was designed by Yapool to be used by Seiji Hokuto. It is made as an imitation of the authentic Ultraman Suit and as such, its main weapon is also a Spacium Blade, though Ace's is much larger and is used differently. Seiji's prosthetic arms must be switched out when using the Ace Suit, as its weapons are not stored in his civilian-use arms. Being an outsourced suit, the Ace Suit managed to introduce new functionalities, such as thruster-propelled flight and the teleporting mechanism, to the SSSP's suits once Seiji joined the team.
Stats[]
- Height: 165 cm, 175 with suit
- Weight: 52 kg, 97 with suit
- Age: 16 years old
Powers and Weapons[]
Own Powers[]
- Prosthetics: Seiji has mechanical limbs to give him greater combat ability. They use some of the same technology as the Ultraman Suits.
- Combat Prowess: Despite his thin build, Seiji is a skilled combatant, taking on several school bullies, by himself and winning.
- Detective Skills/Information Gathering: Seiji is skilled at information gathering, having researched Shinjiro and intercepted a police radio and communication between Ide and Shinjiro.
Via Ace Suit[]
- Color Timer: Like Shin's and Shinjiro's suits, Seiji's has a mechanical Color Timer that serves the same main purpose.
- Spacium Blade : Seiji's suits also sports arm mounted Spacium weapons, but unlike Shinjiro's, they connect with each other to create a blade similar to Ultraman Ace's Ultra Guillotine technique.
- Flight: Seiji's suit is somehow able to provide flight via thrusters on his back, but they are not designed for long range flight.
- Beam Gauntlet: The suit's arm somehow reconfigures itself to become a giant beam cannon.
- Teleportation: When Seiji puts his fists together, a modified Mimicry System teleports the suit onto him, when he expects to go into battle.
- Metalium Hammer : A large gauntlet developed to match Hokuto's combat style. The thrusters can unfold to make the lower arm function as gigantic bullets. This is a weapon exclusive to the Figure-Rise Standard line as well as ULTRAMAN SUIT ANOTHER UNIVERSE.
- Unnamed Energy Beam: During the second encounter with the reborn Ace Killer, Hokuto finished him off with an L-shaped energy beam, performed similarly to the main-verse counterpart's Metalium Beam.
Merchandise[]
ULTRA-ACT[]
- Ultraman Suit Type A (ULTRA ACT x S.H.Figuarts, 2016)
- Release Date: February 2017
- Price: 6,500 yen
- Materials: PVC, ABS
- Accessories: 2 additional pairs of hands, 1 pair of opening forearm panels, 1 pair of Spacium Blade-compatible wrist joints, Spacium Blade effect, 2 Seiji Hokuto heads (default, battle cry)
- The Tamashii Webshop-exclusive ULTRA-ACT x S.H.Figuarts of the Ultraman Suit comes with two additional Seiji Hokuto heads for a maskless display.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- This Seiji is clearly a reference to Seiji Hokuto and Ultraman Ace.
- While Shinjiro is heroic and Moroboshi is dark, Seiji is very playful and lighthearted.
- Seiji's suit was named by himself. The 'A' to represent that it was made by alien tech while the full 'Ace' is a result of his grandstanding.
- Seiji is not only the youngest of the manga's 'Ultramen', but also the shortest and the lightest.