When the Aegis Shines

When the Aegis Shines
Ultraman X, episode 5
Information
Airdate	August 11, 2015
Directed by	Koichi Sakamoto
Written by	Takao Nakano
Continuity
Previous	All for One
Next	The Man With the Memories of a Planet

When the Aegis Shines is the fifth episode of Ultraman X. This episode not only feature the debut of Ultraman X's Ultraman Zero Armor, but also the return of Ultraman Zero after his appearance in the last movie.

Synopsis

While Xio members performing experiments to turn monsters into Spark Dolls, Black King appears and attacks the test site while Alien Nackle Bandello takes this opportunity to steal the Spark Dolls. Ultraman Zero appears and battles Black King but realizes that the plan failed, Nackle escapes with Black King and brings Rui as a hostage in another dimension. To save Rui, X and Zero join forces.

Plot

At the Operation Base X, Rui takes a test run on her cotton candy gun while Gourman teaches Daichi of the super-dimensional theory. Soon, the lab team tries to enact an experiment to turn monsters into Spark Dolls based on Ultraman X's Xanadium Beam. While on a journey to the test site, a black monster attacks the convoy. While Xio members attack the monster, it seemed that it tries to target Xio Aramis for bringing the Spark Dolls.

Daichi runs away from Aramis, unknowingly spotted by Gourman and hides to transform into Ultraman X. While X fights the monster, a poncho-wearing alien named Alien Nackle Bandello approaches and defeats Wataru, trying to steal the Spark Dolls but stops when his monster, Black King, is in a pinch. He grows up and assist it in fighting X, overpowering him but once he tried to take the Spark Dolls, a giant appears from the wormhole, having hunting Bandello in various dimensions. Gourman knows him as the "infamous" Ultraman Zero. Zero attacks Black King and manages to torn off his horn. But Bandello nonetheless goes to another dimension by picking the Aramis, with Rui inside and leaves with Black King. Zero wants to kill them but X warns that a hostage is inside, angering him and goes to the same dimension Nackle escape to.

Rui finds himself in an alien world, where Black King receives a new cybernetic horn while Bandello contact his client. Spotting the Ultlaser, she grabs it and tries to attack but loses control. Despite that, it gives her time to run with the Spark Dolls in Aramis. Rui's communication though manages to reach Earth and Xio base, but the source of the broadcast is Area T-9C, which turns out to be the "resting place" for his parents in the Ultra Flare. As Daichi talks to X, Zero intrudes the X Devizer and wants to meet them at the space. Zero reveals to X of his background and reveals Rui's location on Planet Guillermo but insists to go himself. Returning to base, Daichi sees everyone trying to create an Ultimate Zero card that allows the user to go on any dimensions.

At Planet Guillermo, Bandello finds Rui and offer her a place by making him weapons to sell but she refuses and runs away. Bandello turns huge but Ultraman Zero enters and attacks him, with Black King Drill Custom enters to join his master. As the Ultimate Zero card completed, Gourman silently delivers it to Daichi as he transforms and use the card to assume Ultraman Zero Armor to go to Planet Guillermo. As he arrives, X takes on Black King Drill Custom, using Ultimate Zero, Gomora and Eleking Armor while Zero attack Bandello with Strong-Corona and Luna-Miracle forms before finishing him off with the Zero Twin Shoot while X finishes off Black King Drill Custom with his Xanadium Beam

As the battle ended, Rui picks Black King's Spark Doll and takes a picture with Zero, having infatuated to him, with X joining them in the picture. Zero bids farewell and wishes to meet again sometime later while X returns to Earth with Rui.

Daichi's Monster Lab

• Daichi: Daichi's Monster Lab! This time, we met this monster.
• X Devizer: Analyzing, Eleking!
• Daichi: Space Monster Eleking, Rui's favourite monster. She likes him so much and wants to go on a date with it.
• X: And today's Cyber Card is Ultraman Zero. Zero is the Ultraman the Inter Galactic Defense Force knows they can count on. When we wear this armor, it lets us travel in between dimensions.
• Daichi and X: Well, see you next time!

Cast

• Daichi Oozora : Kensuke Takahashi
• Asuna Yamase : Akane Sakanoue
• Wataru Kazama : Yoshihiko Hosoda
• Hayato Kijima : Ukyo Matsumoto
• Mamoru Mikazuki : Hayato Harada
• Rui Takada : Haruka Momokawa
• Takeru Yamagishi : TAKERU
• Chiaki Matsudo : Chiaki Seshimo
• Sayuri Tachibana : Sarara Tsukifune
• Shotaro Kamiki : Yuu Kamio

Voice Actors

• Ultraman X : Yuichi Nakamura
• Ultraman Zero : Mamoru Miyano
• Alien Fanton Gourman : Yasunori Matsumoto
• Alien Nackle Bandello : Tetsuo Kishi
• Navigation Voice/Announcer : Hibiku Yamamura

Suit Actors

• Ultraman X , Ultraman Zero : Hideyoshi Iwata
• Ultraman Zero : Satoru Okabe
• Alien Fanton Gourman : Hiroyuki Fukushima
• Black King / Black King Drill Custom : Kazunori Yokoo
• Alien Nackle Bandello : Keita Rikimaru

Appearances

Ultras

• Ultraman X
  • Normal
  • Ultraman Zero Armor
  • Gomora Armor
  • Eleking Armor
• Ultraman Zero
  • Ultimate Zero
  • Normal
  • Strong-Corona Zero
  • Luna-Miracle Zero

Kaiju

• Alien Fanton Gourman
• Alien Nackle Bandello
• Black King
  • Normal
  • Black King Drill Custom

Trivia

• According to Takao Nakano, this episode features a special appearance by Ultraman Zero. Zero was envisioned as a figure who travels between universes, akin to Akira Kobayashi in classic films. This inspired the inclusion of the line, "Falling for me will only bring you trouble."
  • Zero showing up to save X is most likely a reference to how Ultraseven and Ultraman saved Ultraman Jack from the first Alien Nackle and Black King.
• According to the assistant director, Tomonobu Koshi, the Ultimate Aegis used by X was not a prop from Ultraman Zero series, but something specially made for X. The evidence of this is found in the different details on the back and the belt on the side, which is the same as the one used for MonsArmor.
• Alien Nackle Bandello was designed as a boastful yet cowardly character who often speaks in a pretentious manner. His archetype was based on minor characters from Western films, while his name, Bandello, was chosen simply because it sounded villainous. Coincidentally, the protagonist of the 1931 film Little Caesar also bears the name Bandello.
• The planet that Bandello hides away on is named Planet Guillermo, after director Guillermo del Toro, who is the director of the Pacific Rim and Hell Boy movies.
  • When fans tweeted about the planet's name after Ultraman X episode 5 aired, Guillermo was honored.
• Koichi Sakamoto noted that the biggest challenge was depicting the contrast between Daichi and X, who have personalities entirely opposite to Zero. Initially, there were no plans to introduce Ultimate Zero, but since X had already equipped his armor, leaving Zero without a transformation felt unbalanced. As a result, Zero was given a form change during the battle.
  • Regarding Alien Nackle's design, Sakamoto insisted on faithfully recreating the look of the original Return of Ultraman version. This decision was influenced by the reception of Alien Nackle Gray in Ultraman Ginga S. The action sequences also paid homage to Return of Ultraman, modernizing its signature moves.
  • Additionally, a reversal of homage was included—Alien Nackle being hit by a car serves as a symbolic act of revenge for the series' heroine, Aki Sakata, who was killed by Alien Nackle in Return of Ultraman.
• After the airing of episode 14 of Ultraman X, producer Sei Okazaki revealed that Bandello's mysterious customer was in fact Alien Markind. Markind appeared in said episode where he sold Mecha Gomora's Spark Doll to Gina Spectre and was ultimately shot down by Alien Shaplay in refusal to pay for his service.