Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero, known as Ultraman Powered in Japan, is a tokusatsu show co-produced by Major Havoc Entertainment (later renamed Steppin Stone Entertainment) and Tsuburaya Productions in the United States in 1993, running for 13 episodes. Following in the footsteps of the Australian-produced Ultraman: Towards the Future, this was the second live-action Ultraman Series produced outside Japan and the eleventh entry in the franchise overall.
Despite being produced in America, the show was never broadcast there. In Japan, the series released on home video from December 16, 1993, and later aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System from April 8 to July 1, 1995. After this series, Tsuburaya has since focused on domestic productions.
Production[]
Development[]
Japanese poster by Noriyoshi Ohrai.
In the 1990s, the Australian-produced Ultraman: Towards the Future received positive reviews in Japan. The production committee model worked well to get funding. Tsuburaya Productions had initially planned a second season with the same characters, and Kiyoshi Suzuki was set to direct it.[1]
Due to the strong response to Ultraman: Towards the Future, Tsuburaya Productions launched a new project in 1991 to develop a Hollywood-produced Ultraman. The aim was to expand the franchise globally by enhancing production quality. Kazuo Tsuburaya partnered with Bandai to develop the concept. Unlike the reboot approach of Towards the Future, this project focused on a renewal—a modern take on the original 1966 series. It incorporated Hollywood techniques and introduced new monsters to appeal to a broader audience.[1]
Ultraman: Towards the Future was shown on TV in the United States in 1992 and got ratings. The series' success helped Bandai America sell more merchandise. This made it possible for a new Ultraman series in the U.S. In the summer of 1992, Japan's Gonzo production team and Bandai collaborated on a project called Ultraman. The Ultimate Hero. The script and designs were finished in Japan by January 1993.[1]
Concept[]
The defense team WINR is a modern reinterpretation of the original SSSP from the 1966 series.
As a series developed for the global market, the new series promoted its Hollywood connection as a key selling point. The reimagining of the classic element was achieved by Hollywood visual effects. While drawing inspiration from specific episodes of the original Ultraman, the program introduced modern social themes, thereby creating a version of Ultraman that reflected the contemporary era.[2]
Though often called "Hollywood-style," the monsters and machines were designed by Japanese creators like Gonzo team members Shinji Higuchi, Mahiro Maeda, and Toshio Miike.[2] Maeda explained the project began when Bandai Visual asked them to develop a concept and story for a Hollywood-made Ultraman series. The plan was to update the 1966 series with new technology but keep the original stories and designs. To prepare, Maeda studied the original monsters, collected reference photos, analyzed proportions, and made detailed model sheets.[3] In an interview, Higuchi recalled being invited by Bandai producer Shigeru Watanabe to join the project while working on The Man Who Wanted to Be Ultraman.[4]
The Ultraman design proposed by Mahiro Maeda (left)[5] and Katsushi Murakami from Bandai (right)[6].
During development, the team decided to create new stories instead of just remaking the original series. They wanted to capture the spirit of the original series by completely redesigning it instead of just making small updates.[3]The Japanese team introduced a new concept: Ultraman represents order, while monsters represent chaos. This idea was inspired by Miroku Buddha statues. To appeal to the audience, they changed their traditional painted wetsuit look, choosing a more sculpted, natural design. They kept Ultraman's original shape but took away features like the chest timer and eye seams.[3] Initially, they planned to show internal details beneath translucent skin so Ultraman's glow would resemble a circulatory system. However, they dropped this idea, feeling it was excessive. Instead, the design was changed to appeal more to the audience, adopting a muscular, heroic build that replaced the slim, Japanese-style body.[3]
Teaser of an American-produced Ultraman in a 1993 issue of Terebi Magazine.
For the role design, the team was inspired by Tim Burton's Batman, especially the latex suits that showed off the characters' muscles. This influenced both the body and the more rugged facial design. Tomoo Haraguchi was brought in to create clay models for a presentation in the U.S.[3]
For the monsters, the team pursued a more realistic, biological look. Maeda described the aesthetic as "biomechanical alien," aiming to make the creatures feel like plausible lifeforms. One idea from Ito was to distinguish monsters by origin: space monsters would be insect-like, especially beetle-based, while Earth monsters would resemble reptiles and other animals.[3]
Kazunori Ito, the series' original scriptwriter, was disappointed with the final result. On his personal website, he described the project as a failure. He said that American writers made major changes that cut or misinterpreted key elements. He had been part of planning meetings in the U.S., but he felt that the final version was not the same as his original idea.[7]
In a 2019 interview, Ito explained that he had to finish the script quickly because of a tight deadline in the U.S. He wanted to include classic elements like Alien Baltan and was inspired by other series he liked. However, there were cultural differences. Japanese creators saw kaiju as symbolic, while the American team viewed them as generic monsters. Ito found the meetings unproductive and left the project disheartened.[8]
Filming[]
Major Havoc Entertainment filmed the series together in the United States. The American side, led by director King Wilder, translated the script into English and changed it to fit the budget.[9][10][11]
The production happened from the summer to the fall of 1993. They filmed special effects scenes on outdoor sets built in northern Los Angeles, and they filmed the fight scenes on these sets and other locations. At first, they planned to use the original Ultraman and monster designs. But they eventually changed the characters to make them more unique and to make it easier to create products like toys and T-shirts. These updates used more advanced effects than those used in Japan at the time.[12]
This photo shows the monster suits from Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero, part of Wes Caefer's special effects collection.
This series was filmed entirely on 35mm film, following Western TV film standards. This is different from earlier Ultraman series, which were filmed on videotape. The footage was edited as a film negative, which allowed for high-quality scanning of each frame. 35mm film is designed for showing in movie theaters, so the image quality is better than other series.[13] This was Tsuburaya' return to 35mm since Ultra Q, moving away from the usual 16mm format. The series had about five times more detail than previous works, making it the highest-quality Ultraman production at the time. However, some composite shots were made on videotape and later added to the film. In some cases, the final film versions were not fully integrated.
Although the costume designs are vastly considered impressive, the action was quite downplayed compared to other installments of the Ultraman Series and consisted mostly of the actors nudging each other and using attacks involving special effects with minimal physical contact, due to the costumes being fragile and fear by the production staff of damaging them after the hard work put into crafting them.[14][15][16] Maeda pointed out that the Hollywood team had little experience with full-body suits. Although they were skilled at making individual suit parts, the completed suits often looked off.[12]
The original model by the American team (left) and the revised version after Japanese team supervision (right).
In a later interview, Higuchi said that they had not been able to achieve their original vision. The miniatures made in America were not very good, so the Japanese team joined in, but they could only give suggestions because of limits on their visas. With help from sponsors, the models were improved. Higuchi went back to Japan before filming continued. He still gave advice on miniature setups and took some photos.[17]
Release[]
Since Hollywood funded most of the production, they held creative control and ownership of the series. Tsuburaya mainly retained merchandising rights within Japan.[12]
Although Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero was never officially released overseas, it aired in Japan on TBS from April 8 to July 1, 1995. This marked the first Ultraman Series broadcast on TBS since Ultraman 80 in 1981. According to Tsuburaya Productions, the series played a key role in ending the long hiatus in Ultraman television content and helped set the stage for the franchise's Heisei-era revival.[2]
After its home video release in 1993, the series went nearly 25 years without a new physical media edition. Tsuburaya cited prolonged negotiations with overseas partners as the main reason for the delay, the journey from concept to commercial release can take years. In 2017, Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero was finally reissued in Japan as part of a Blu-ray BOX set.[2][18]
Impact[]
After returning to Japan, Ito invited Higuchi to join the Heisei Gamera Trilogy. The project incorporated many unused ideas from Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero.
After Mahiro Maeda, Shinji Higuchi, and others joined Khara, some of the concepts and elements from the series that had been canceled reintroduced in the 2022 film Shin Ultraman.
Synopsis[]
Kenichi Kai, a member of the special investigation agency WINR (pronounced "Winner"), is on a mission to investigate a mysterious object from outer space when he merges with Ultraman Powered, a Giant of Light who has come to Earth in pursuit of Alien Baltan. Learning of the various invaders and fiendish monsters that are targeting Earth, Kenichi vows to fight and protect Earth and preserve the peace. A battle of epic proportions begins all across America!
Characters[]
Protagonist[]
WINR[]
Others[]
- Officer Sam
- Officer Callahan
- Herlicki
- Roger Schecter
- Bamara
- Pete
- Katanga
- Kyle Morrison
- Keynes
- Windler
- Fenton
- Dr. Yusna
- Sean Malloy
- Mark Mitchell
- Dr. Whitaker
- Jesse
- Dennis
- Jamra Miller
- Karen Miller
- Patty Miller
- Colonel Essex
- Dan
- Potter
- Arturo Mendez
- Gurnaaz
- Dr. Hasegawa
- Sylvia Jackson
- General Garcia
Ultras[]
- Ultraman Powered: Simply called "Ultraman" in the original English version.
Kaiju[]
- Powered Alien Baltan
- Powered Kemular
- Powered Red King (male and female)
- Powered Chandlar
- Powered Pigmon
- Powered Telesdon
- Sun People
- Powered Gabora
- Powered Dada (A, B & C)
- Powered Aboras
- Powered Banila
- Powered Jamila
- Powered Zumbolar
- Powered Pestar
- Powered Gomora
- Powered Dorako
- Psycho Baltan
- Powered Zetton
Cast[]
| Character | English | Japanese Dub |
|---|---|---|
| Kenichi Kai | Kane Kosugi | Toshiyuki Morikawa |
| Russel Edlund | Harrison Page | Kenji Utsumi |
| Julie Young | Robyn Bliley | Aya Hisakawa |
| Theresa Beck | Sandra Guibord | Keiko Toda |
| Rick Sanders | Rob Roy Fitzgerald | Masashi Ebara |
| Voice of Ultraman Powered | Unknown | Sho Kosugi (episode 1) Akio Otsuka (episode 13) |
Guest Cast[]
| Character | English | Japanese Dub |
|---|---|---|
| Officer Callahan | Mari Weiss[19] | Mami Horikoshi |
| Officer Sam | Steven R. Barnett[19] | Shigeru Ushiyama |
| Herlicki | Conrad Bachmann[20] | Eken Mine |
| Rancher | Ed Morgan[20] | Yu Shimaka |
| Reporter | Patti Pelican[20] | Yuko Sasaki |
| Roger Schecter | Jeffrey Combs[21] | Takayuki Sugo |
| Bamara | Julie Uribe[21] | Yuko Sasaki |
| Pete | Philip Tanzini[21] | Masaki Aizawa |
| Katanga | Elias Gallegos[21] | Masayuki Omoro |
| Kyle Morrison | Alex Nevil[22] | Ken Narita |
| Seismologist | Judy Jean Berns[22] | Tamie Kubota |
| Army Officer | John Towey[22] | Toshihiko Kojima |
| Sun People's Leader | Bruce Spaulding Fuller[22] | |
| Sun People | Jim Eustermann[22] Kevin Hudson[22] |
Masaaki Tsukada Others |
| Mr. Keynes | Danny Hicks[23] | Toshihiko Kojima |
| Windler | Kevin Page[23] | Nobuaki Fukuda |
| Nuclear Power Plant Staff | Brenda Klemme[23] Ray Raglin[23] |
Atsuko Tanaka Ken Narita |
| Mining Company Employee | Art Bonilla[23] | Masaaki Tsukada |
| Fenton | Bill Mumy[23] | Naoki Bando |
| Dr. Yusna | Jack Ong[24] | Takehiro Koyama |
| Neuro Net Executive | Wendy Robie[24] | Kikuko Inoue |
| Mark Mitchell | Wolf Muser[24] | Hiroaki Hirata |
| Detective | Steve Eastin[24] | Takao Ohyama |
| Sean Malloy | Jeffery Thomas Johnson[24] | |
| Mark Mitchell's Neighbor | Rose Marie[24] | Ai Sato |
| Voice of Dada | Aruno Tahara | |
| Dr. Whitaker | Jason Todd Majik[25] | Takao Ohyama |
| Jesse | Catherine Nagan[25] | Kikuko Inoue |
| Dennis | John G. Hertzler[25] | Hiroaki Hirata |
| Waterworks Employee | Steve Monarque[25] | Takehiro Koyama |
| Whitaker's Assistant | Shano Palovich[25] | Ai Sato |
| Jamra Miller | Phillip Stewart[26] | Shinpachi Tsuji |
| Karen Miller | Marisa Theodore[26] | Akemi Okamura |
| Colonel Essex | John McCann[26] | Kinryuu Arimoto |
| Patty Miller | Kimberly Beck[26] | Keiko Aizawa |
| Potter | Jesse Goins[26] | Taro Arakawa |
| Dan | Steven Kramer[26] | Ryuji Mizuno |
| Firefighters | Michael Hungerford[27] Greg Callahan[27] Will Jeffries[27] Michael R. Long[27] |
Ryuji Mizuno |
| Arturo Mendez | Jaime P. Gomez[28] | Shigeki Kagemaru |
| Inspector | Tom Finnegan[28] | Yuzuru Fujimoto |
| Gurnaaz | Millie Novak[28] | Rica Fukami |
| Oil Company Employees | E.E. Bell[28] Martin Brinton[28] |
Yuichi Nagashima |
| Reporter | Judy Louise Johnson[28] | Kyoko Hikami |
| Dr. Hasegawa | Danny Kamekona[29] | Yuzuru Fujimoto |
| Sylvia Jackson | Sandra Spriggs[29] | Rica Fukami |
| Newscaster | Warren Stanhope[29] | Shinpachi Tsuji |
| Weather Forecaster | Dan Lorgé[29] | Yuichi Nagashima |
| Security Guard | Tracey Walter[29] | Masaaki Tsukada |
| Helicopter Pilots | Ted Prior[30] Karl A. Lucht[30] |
Nobuyuki Furuta Akio Otsuka |
| General Garcia | Harold Cannon-Lopez | Tamio Ohki |
Suit Actors[]
- Ultraman Powered: Scott Rogers
- Monsters:
- Monty L. Simons
- Michael R. Long
- Terrance James
- Gary Paul
- Anthony Kramme
- Jennie Kaplan
Staff[]
- Director: King Wilder
- Screenwriters: King Wilder, John Douglas, Stephen Karandy, Bud Robertson, Todd Gilbert, Tim Lennane, Walter A. Doty III
- Original script writers: Kazunori Ito, Hiroshi Yamaguchi, John Douglas, Bud Robertson
- Executive producer: Noboru Tsuburaya
- Supervising producers: Makoto Yamashina, Noboru Tsuburaya
- Producers: Kazuo Tsuburaya, Shigeru Watanabe
- Assistant producers: Masato Oida, Tomoaki Imanishi
- Coordinators: Hirohiko Sueyoshi, Kiyotaka Ukawa, Kenichi Yatomi
- Production producer: Julie Avola[31]
- Special effects supervisor: Joseph Viskocil
- Music: Toshihiko Sahashi
- Monster and mechanical designers: Shinji Higuchi, Mahiro Maeda, Toshio Miike
- Ultraman and monster costume modeling: Kevin Hudson
- Casting director: Aaron Griffith
- Costume designer: Elizabeth Jett
- Production designer: Aron Osborne
- Directors of photography: Don E. Fauntleroy, Carlos Gonzalez Barreto
- Editors: Nina M. Gilberti, Vanick Moradian, King Wilder, Stephen R. Eckelberry
- 2nd unit director and 2nd unit director of photography: R. Michael Stringer
- Stunt coordinator: Gary Paul
- Japanese version director: Tsuyoshi Takahashi
- Translation: Keiko Sato
- Coordination: Toru Kumakura
- Japanese version production: Tohokushinsha
- Production company: Major Havoc Entertainment (later renamed Steppin Stone Entertainment)
- Production: Tsuburaya Productions, Ultraman Powered Production Committee (Bandai Visual, Kodansha, Suntory, Marubeni, Yomiko Advertising)
Veteran makeup artist and Ultraman Series fan Steve Wang was briefly involved with the production of the show. He and his team created a miniature suit model of Ultraman which Tsuburaya Productions approved.
Music[]
- Opening Theme
- Ultraman Powered : The opening theme. The US version uses an instrumental version.
- Lyrics: Goro Matsui
- Composition: Suzuki Kisaburo
- Arrangement: Tatsumi Yano
- Artist: Tatsuya Maeda
- Ending Themes
- Kono Uchu no Doko ka ni
- Lyrics: Goro Matsui
- Composition: Suzuki Kisaburo
- Arrangement: Tatsumi Yano
- Artist: Tatsuya Maeda
- STARLIGHT FANTASY
- Lyrics: MoriYuki KoreSusumu C
- Composition: YoMinoru Akihiro
- Arrangement: Y2
- Artist: Hitomi Sudo
Gallery[]
Behind the Scenes[]
Videos[]
Trivia[]
- When broadcast in Japan in 1995, episodes 6 to 9 were aired in a different order: 8, 9, 6, 7.
- As seen in the Blu-ray release, Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero is the only Heisei Ultra Series to be shot in high definition.
- Like Ultraman: Towards the Future, Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero is one of the few Ultraman Series not to have an official DVD release.
- The show spawned a video game, called Ultraman Powered, released for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer.
- Sho Kosugi, who provides Ultraman Powered's voice in the first episode of the Japanese dub, is the father of Kane Kosugi, who plays Kenichi Kai.
- This series marks the first time a Red King that is actually red appeared (as opposed to gold and blue).
- Alongside its broadcast in Japan, the series would air in a few other countries too: Thailand would air it on Channel 3 in 1995, and Spain would have it air on TVE-1 in 1994 (referred to as just Ultraman).
- Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero was one of the shows that had not yet been released on TSUBURAYA IMAGINATION's streaming list. On September 13, 2025, Tsuburaya Productions announced that the series had officially gone online on the platform.[32][33][34]
External Links[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Ultra Tokusatsu PERFECT MOOK vol. 18: Ultraman Great / Ultraman Powered, pg 20
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 https://www.sankei.com/article/20170318-VPKATRX2CFIWNMW77AR54TV6HI/
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 https://v-storage.jp/talk/interview/60855/
- ↑ https://moviewalker.jp/news/article/1065789/p2/
- ↑ https://spice.eplus.jp/articles/275765/images/882415
- ↑ https://hobby.dengeki.com/news/330845/
- ↑ https://www.kyo-kan.net/k-ito/works/etc_001.html
- ↑ https://moviewalker.jp/news/article/210812/
- ↑ https://vantagepointinterviews.com/2018/08/07/the-ultimate-director-king-wilder-on-directing-americas-take-on-ultraman/
- ↑ https://vantagepointinterviews.com/2020/07/25/bringing-the-easts-greatest-hero-to-the-west-todd-gilbert-on-scripting-ultraman-the-ultimate-hero/
- ↑ https://vantagepointinterviews.com/2018/09/01/ultraman-gets-a-rewrite-john-douglas-on-scripting-ultraman-the-ultimate-hero/
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Ultra Tokusatsu PERFECT MOOK vol. 18: Ultraman Great / Ultraman Powered, pg 21
- ↑ https://v-storage.jp/anime/etc-anime/57340/
- ↑ https://vantagepointinterviews.com/2022/08/01/ultraman-flies-into-hollywood-eric-brown-on-his-design-and-modelmaking-work-on-ultraman-the-ultimate-hero/
- ↑ https://vantagepointinterviews.com/2018/07/01/how-to-make-ultraman-kevin-hudson-on-his-experience-creating-ultraman-the-ultimate-hero/
- ↑ https://vantagepointinterviews.com/2018/07/01/living-the-dream-wes-caefers-journey-into-japanese-monster-sfx/
- ↑ https://www.crank-in.net/feature/2016_ultraman_50th/
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/ultraman-bd/ultraman_powered/
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Episode 1 credits
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Episode 2 credits
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 Episode 3 credits
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 22.5 Episode 4 credits
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 23.4 23.5 Episode 5 credits
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 24.4 24.5 Episode 6 credits
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 Episode 7 credits
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 26.4 26.5 Episode 8 credits
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 Episode 9 credits
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 28.4 28.5 Episode 10 credits
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 29.4 Episode 11 credits
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 Episode 12 credits
- ↑ https://vantagepointinterviews.com/2018/08/03/remembering-ultraman-the-ultimate-hero-producer-julie-avola-on-bringing-japans-greatest-hero-stateside/
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/news/post-7577
- ↑ https://eiga.com/news/20250912/29/
- ↑ https://hobby.dengeki.com/news/2739243/