This is the character list for the 2005–06 Ultra Series, Ultraman Max. The series took place in the 21st century, featuring a different world where older elements of the Shōwa era Ultra Series appear in addition to new elements in the Heisei era.
UDF
DASH
The Japanese branch of UDF operated in Base Titan (ベース・タイタン, Bēsu Taitan) and is located in the Tokyo Bay. The anti-monster team DASH (ダッシュ, Dasshu, Defense Action Squad Heroes) was formed from the elite members of UDF that were trained in both physical strength and mental intelligence.[1] Although facing monsters within the range of 24 hours a day, their normal operating hours started on 10:00 am. In battle, they deploy the use of DASH Mother (ダッシュマザー, Dasshu Mazā) mobile carrier and DASH Bird (ダッシュバード, Dasshu Bādo) aircraft, the latter with three existing models per combat situations.[1] For road patrol purposes, members can ride on either DASH Alfa (ダッシュアルファ, Dasshu Arufa) car or DASH-Ducati (ダッシュドゥカ, Dasshu Duka) motorcycle.[1]
- Members
- Shigeru Hijikata (ヒジカタ・シゲル, Hijikata Shigeru): The 39 year old captain of DASH, who commands the operation from Base Titan.[1] Although usually strict and disciplined, he also has a surprising side, such as affinity for rock music and prone to accept challenges from Alien Shamer and Moetaranga. He is portrayed by Kai Shishido (宍戸 開, Shishido Kai).[2][3][4] Although not mentioned in the story, Shishido believed that Hijikata is a divorced father with a daughter, due to holding his family picture in episode 7.[5]
- Kenjiro Koba (コバ・ケンジロウ, Koba Kenjirō): The team's marksman with dual wielding DASH Rizer pistols and is a foil to the stoic android Elly.[1] He is portrayed by Nobuyuki Ogawa (小川 信行, Ogawa Nobuyuki).[2][3][4]
- Mizuki Koishikawa (コイシカワ・ミズキ, Koishikawa Mizuki): The ace pilot and token female member. Despite her brash attitude, she is an expert in rescue missions and is capable of cooking.[1] As revealed in episode 37, Mizuki is a descendant of the Alien Saton race, but choose to acknowledge herself as a human, having raised on Earth and devoted to its culture. In the penultimate episode, Mizuki's body reached her life expectancy due to constant injuries she suffered from her service as a DASH member. The stresses she suffered reach its limits and died in the Delos civilization, but Kaito was able resuscitate her to life, an act that eventually changed the underground-dwelling race's opinion on mankind. After the final battle, she married Kaito and was last seen in year 2076 observing her descendants leaving for outer space. She is portrayed by Hitomi Hasebe (長谷部 瞳, Hasebe Hitomi),[2][3][6][4] and was planned to be named Akane, after the character from Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla.[5]
- Sean White (ショーン・ホワイト, Shōn Howaito): The team inventor/scientist/joker. He was transported from the DASH North American branch. He is portrayed by Sean Nichols (ショーン・ニコルス, Shōn Nikorusu), who is also the basis of his character's first name.[2][3][4]
- Elly (エリー, Erī): The gynoid operator and analyzer, who is always seen alongside the mascot robot Coco (ココ, Koko).[1] She develops interest in human emotions and occasionally displayed one as such, which includes a growing interest in Kenjiro Koba. Elly remains functional even 70 years after Max's departure, witnessing future cadets of UDF leaving for outer space. She is portrayed by Hikari Mitsushima (満島 ひかり, Mitsushima Hikari)[2][3][7][4] and is modeled after the android Komachi from episode 17 of Ultra Q: Dark Fantasy.[5]
- Kaito Touma (トウマ・カイト, Tōma Kaito): The team's latest recruit and the main protagonist of the series.[1] Born on August 30, he is aged 23 years old and later 24 as of episode 8. After losing his parents from an earthquake while he was traveling abroad, Kaito resolved to do his best to protect others and participated as a private emergency volunteer so that no one would experience the loss he did. In order to do this he tried joining DASH, but failed the test the first time. He was saved by Ultraman Max from a certain death and was given the Max Spark to transform whenever needs arose. Ever since then, he was approved of his membership in DASH and learned not to be prideful in the Ultra's power. After the final battle against Giga Berserke, the two separated as Kaito promised to Max that humans would hold onto the future by their own hands. Years later, Kaito married Mizuki and the elderly couple bare witness of their grandchildren departing to Nebula M78. He is portrayed by Sōta Aoyama (青山 草太, Aoyama Sōta)[2][3][4] and was originally planned to be named as Hayate (ハヤテ).
Other UDF members
The United Defense Federation (地球防衛連合, Chikyū Bōei Rengō, UDF) is an international organization established by the United Nations to deal with monsters and alien invaders that appeared due to frequent natural disasters in various parts of the world in the 21st century.[1] As the main headquarters is in Paris, France, there are other 11 branches across the world, with Japan being one of them.
- Kenzo Tomioka (トミオカ・ケンゾウ, Tomioka Kenzō): UDF chief and the supervisor of DASH.[1] He was previously the deputy commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force and chief of staff of the Strategic Self Defense Force. In his younger days, Tomioka was once a talented pilot and even had an old colleague in Dr. Date and archaeologist Ozaki. He is portrayed by Susumu Kurobe (黒部 進, Kurobe Susumu),[2] whose previously known for his role as Shin Hayata in Ultraman.[3][9][4] This is also referenced once in episode 31 when Kenzo raised his pruning shears in the same manner as Hayata's Beta Capsule.
- Yukari Yoshinaga (ヨシナガ・ユカリ, Yoshinaga Yukari): A monster ecologist who investigates their target's (monster and alien) behavior.[1] Before enrolling into the defense force, a young Yoshinaga was a cast member of the popular horror series Unbalance, under the pseudonym Hiroko Sakuragi (桜木 弘子, Sakuragi Hiroko). She is portrayed by Hiroko Sakurai (桜井 浩子, Sakurai Hiroko),[2] who was previously the actress for Yuriko Edogawa in Ultra Q and Akiko Fuji in Ultraman.[3][9][4] As the young actor Hiroko Sakuragi in episode 29, she is portrayed by Hiromi Eguchi (江口 ヒロミ, Eguchi Hiromi).
- Dr. Date (ダテ博士, Date hakase): An old veteran and colleague of Tomioka and Yoshinaga. He managed the Base Poseidon and participated in the creation of DASH Bird 3. Initially a one-shot character, Date made several appearances throughout the series to assist DASH and UDF officers of Base Titan. When Delos issued a war on humanity and unleash their Berserke System towers, Dr. Date was able to get the entire faculty of Base Poseidon evacuated before it was destroyed. He is portrayed by Masanari Nihei (二瓶 正也, Nihei Masanari), previously the actor of Mitsuhiro Ide in Ultraman and Hiroaki Tobe's voice actor in The Ultraman.[9][4]
Ultramen
The only Ultramen that appear in this series were Max and Xenon.[10] In the semi-canon episode 24, Ultraseven is all but hinted to have been active in the past in against Alien Metron.[11] According to the Ultraman Max official website, both of them were said to be hailed from "somewhere in Nebula M78" without hinting the actual planet,[10] but the official website of Tsuburaya Productions directly listed their birthplace as the Land of Light (光の国, Hikari no Kuni), which is also shared with the past Showa Era Ultra Series.[12][13]
Ultraman Max
Ultraman Max (ウルトラマンマックス, Urutoraman Makkusu) is the titular Ultra Warrior of the series.[12] Hailing from Nebula M78, Max was sent to observe civilizations as his recent planet is Earth itself.[10] Despite his initial policy to not interfere with Earth affairs, Max bonded with Kaito after sensing the youth's bravery in against Lagoras and Grangon, where the two had since joined forces to protect humanity against monsters and invaders.[10] His activity on Earth is limited to 3 minutes as his Power Timer (パワータイマー, Pawā Taimā) on the chest blinked to notify this.[10] His mind does not integrate with Kaito, but the two would communicate with each other on certain occasions.[14] When Delos issued their war on humanity, Max was forced to back down due to his race's policy to stay away from civil wars, but after Kaito's actions changed the Delos' viewpoint for humanity, the Ultra went into action and was killed by the Giga Berserke. He was revived through the efforts from DASH members and defeated said machine before leaving Earth.
Max is transformed by Kaito through the Max Spark (マックススパーク, Makkusu Supāku), an item that later merged with his left hand and allows him to execute Maxium Cannon (マクシウムカノン, Makushiumu Kanon) as his finishing move.[10][12] True to the show's main slogan, Max does not access form changes like most of the past Heisei Ultras, but can exert brute strength and super speed. Max can also grow into gargantuan size, which cause his time limit to be reduced to 1 minute. In the final battle against Giga Berserke, the massive amount of solar energy he absorbed through Max Galaxy was enough to enlarge him into 900 meters without much problem.
His other weapons include:
- Maxium Sword (マクシウムソード, Makushiumu Sōdo): A space boomerang that stored on his head crest, which he can launch as a boomerang appendage or wield as a dagger-like weapon.[10]
- Max Galaxy (マックスギャラクシー, Makkusu Gyarakushī): An item obtained from Xenon during his fight with Zetton. Max wears it on his right hand to execute various enhanced finishers such as Galaxy Cannon (ギャラクシーカノン, Gyarakushī Kanon).[10]
Ultraman Max is voiced by Kazuya Nakai (中井 和哉, Nakai Kazuya).[15] In episode 34, Ultraman Max's clones are voiced by Isao Teramoto (寺本 勲, Teramoto Isao).[16]
Ultraman Xenon
Ultraman Xenon (ウルトラマンゼノン, Urutoraman Zenon, 13, 39) is a fellow Ultra that arrived to deliver Max Galaxy against a Zetton, giving his partner an advantage in against the monster.[10][13] He would return to escort the latter back to their home after their mission on Earth had ended. Although he has no other forms of side attacks, Xenon can perform Xenonium Cannon (ゼノニウムカノン, Zenoniumu Kanon) in the same hand maneuver as Max's Maxium Cannon and is able to summon the Max Galaxy, despite not being its main user.[10][13]
Ultraman Xenon is voiced by Osamu Ryutani (龍谷 修武, Ryūtani Osamu), who is previously the voice actor of Ultraman Justice in Ultraman Cosmos sequel movies.