Magatano-Orochi is finally defeated with the power of light, darkness, and friendship. Gai takes his leave as he goes off on another adventure.
Plot[]
Continuing where the previous episode left, Gai yells out after believing that Naomi was killed. Jetta and Shin found themselves trapped inside the SSP while under the possible danger of being burned alive. Even with Orb defeated, VTL still continue their assault. While Gai wandered around in the ruins, he discovers a message left by Juggler, who revealed that he had Naomi held captive and waited for his arrival in pier 3 for her own sake.
Finding inspiration from Jetta's future diary filming, Shin deduced that the Pacific Record is a prophecy written by a clairvoyant person and finds an interesting riddle on the next page. Naomi awakens later on but found herself within Juggler's captive, believing her as both Gai's source of strength and weakness. Shin found that the sacred tree in the SSP's residential park, which was trampled by Maga-Orochi when it sent its life force beneath the ground and posted its relation to the Pacific Record's riddle on the website, with Shibukawa receiving it as well.
In pier 3, Gai met Juggler, who was on a mental breakdown with his twisted ideals and try to kill Naomi in front of Gai's own eyes. When she decided to take her death as her own responsibility, Juggler hesitated to carry out the deed and instead rescue her from a crashed Z-VTOL. This event led to the revelation that he had rescued Natasha in the past, an action which he deemed as a weakness while he ironically also did it. Gai embraced and thanked him before leaving Naomi under Juggler's own care. As it seemed that this would be their final moment, Jetta and Shin were quickly rescued by Shibukawa.
Gai/Ultraman Orb charged towards Magatano-Orochi, using Spacium Zeperion and Burnmite before shifting to Orb Origin. Finding himself in full of doubts, Juggler was provoked by Naomi into joining the battle, fighting alongside his rival for the first time in years. Jetta and Shin revealed that when Maga-Orochi delivered its life force underground, the trampled sacred tree blocked some of its essence and this lead to its weak-spot on the right part of the lower jaw. Using his authority as the Captain of Special Intelligence Unit, Shibukawa ordered every available Z-VTOL fleet to open fire on the same spot, with SSP relay this to Orb and Juggler. Juggler charged forward and held the monster off while Orb summon the apparition of the Ultra Fusion Cards to launch the final attack on Magatano-Orochi, causing it to be engulfed with explosions. VTL and SSP celebrate their success while Orb flew towards the sunset, leaving Juggler's gigantic Jashin Blade on the scene.
Naomi approached Gai for the last time, revealing that she had knew his true nature from the very start but played along with his charade in fear of losing him. Gai left to parts unknown but promises Naomi that he shall return when the time needed while playing his Orbnica under her request. Shibukawa and SSP reunite with Naomi to deliver her the news of their website receiving 240 million worldwide views. Juggler, who was thought to be killed in the explosion, appeared unharmed and watch his rival from safe distance. Although downhearted with Gai's departure, Shibukawa managed to send his farewell to the traveller.
The title was taken from the theme song of an anime of the same name, which Nakano has long admired.[3]
Screenwriter Takao Nakano noted that the finale needed to tie together every plot thread introduced earlier in the series. He recalled that director Kiyotaka Taguchi was especially insistent on filming one key image: Juggler holding Naomi hostage while facing Gai, with Maga-Orochi rampaging in the background. The script was built around this climactic scene.[3]
How to handle Juggler in the final episode remained a major challenge. At one stage, the team considered shifting his persona from a "gentleman in a suit" to a more feral style, with even shades of Hannibal Lecter. However, the character's inner turmoil was ultimately left for Takaya Aoyagi to convey through performance.[3]
Nakano also emphasized that he did not want the SSP reduced to mere bystanders. He suggested that Jetta and Shin be trapped beneath rubble in Episode 24. The lines spoken by the three members in the finale were crafted to echo their words from the first episode, and the closing scene deliberately mirrors the series' opening.[3]
Taguchi stated that the shape of the final episode was mostly decided while episodes 1–3 were still in development. With both the beginning and ending planned from the start, the final episode was built to lead toward that conclusion. A key goal was to bring closure to Gai and Juggler's story. While the previous episode used Magatano-Orochi's appearance as a major turning point, the finale focused more deeply on the relationship between the two.[3]
Various ideas were considered for the final scene, but the team ultimately drew inspiration from Dan Moroboshi and Anne Yuri's farewell in Ultraseven episode 49, "The Biggest Invasion in History: Part 2." That iconic shot has been referenced in many anime and dramas since. While they didn't aim to copy it exactly.
Regarding the final scene, Taguchi, uncertain about the original production process, attempted his own interpretation of how it "should have been." After filming, he interviewed Yuriko Hishimi, who portrayed Anna, and later asked director Kazuho Mitsuta about the behind-the-scenes process during a year-end party.[4][5].
Hurricane Slash was originally planned to make its final appearance in this episode, with storyboards already done. But due to time and production limits—and since the form had only appeared once before—it was ultimately cut.[6]
Taguchi said that, since it was the final episode, they thought about showing all of Orb's forms. But the story didn't call for victory through every form—using them too much would just mean many weak attacks. So, they decided Orb would appear once in each part of the two-part finale.[7]
This episode was temporarily made available on the official Ultraman YouTube channel two days after Ultraman Z episode 25 "Warriors Shining Beyond" aired, due to both being finales and prominently featuring Juggler.[9]
References[]
↑ 1.01.11.21.31.4Character Land SPECIAL: Ultraman Orb THE ORIGIN SAGA, pg 55
