Today, fans were introduced to Rin Natsume, the skilled and friendly senior investigator for SKIP (Scientific Kaiju Investigation and Prevention center), heroine of the upcoming Ultraman Arc! We at Ultraman Connection cannot wait to see her in action — but we also want to highlight that, as the heroine of Arc, she is joining a long and impressive line of incredible female characters — Let’s go back in time so we can celebrate them properly!
The sorority of Ultraman heroines begins where the show itself began, in 1966’s Ultra Q and Ultraman! There’s Yuriko Edogawa, a curious and intelligent journalist with a habit of getting into strange situations, and clever communications specialist Akiko Fuji of the SSSP. These helped define and codify a number of the heroic traits that have been part of Ultraman series heroines for over five decades! It’s curious how similar they look, however… Perhaps they’re sisters? Doppelgangers? (In fact, both are played by the legendary Hiroko Sakurai!)
Similarly historically important, and beloved by the fans for 57 years, Anne Yuri of 1967’s Ultraseven is considered an outright formative heroine for tons of media that has come since. Played by Yuriko Hishimi, Anne’s dynamic with Dan Moroboshi, AKA Ultraseven, influenced countless characters even beyond the confides of the Ultraman Series.
Yuko Minami from Ultraman Ace was a similarly huge deal, being the first female character to become an Ultra (or at least, half of one) in the entire series! Though Yuko did not stay in the series for the entire run of the show, her performance by Mitsuko Hoshi is remembered decades later as an integral character to the development of the series in the modern era.
Moving into the Second Generation of the Ultraman Series, 1996’s Ultraman Tiga gave us a wonderful legacy character in an unexpected way with Rena Yanase of GUTS, co-pilot for Daigo Madoka, AKA Ultraman Tiga. Rena was played by Takami Yoshimoto, who, beyond being simply an incredible talent, is the eldest daughter of Susumu Kurobe, who played Shin Hayata, host of the original Ultraman! Rena herself is fascinating beyond her actress — a deeply skilled pilot, Rena can be trusted to have Daigo’s — and Tiga’s — back when super’s just not enough.
Ryo Yumimura is a worth successor to Rena, a member of Super GUTS seven years later in Ultraman Dyna. Ryo is a tomboy, her strong personality matched by her incredible skill as a pilot and combatant — a necessary skillset when the Sphere are invading! Ryo and rookie pilot Shin Asuka often butt heads, but the two are very close — a good thing, considering Asuka’s secret identity as Ultraman Dyna!
Continuing forward into the New Generation, an excellent heroine who rarely gets her due is Asuna Yamase, of Ultraman X’s Xio (Xeno invasion outcutters). A martial arts champion and crack shot, Asuna is the primary on-the-ground combatant for XIO’s various operations against aliens and Kaiju. Supported by technician and scientist Daichi Oozora, AKA Ultraman X, Asuna is one of our favorite heroines at UC!
The last heroine we want to look at is Yuna Shizuma from Ultraman Trigger: New Generation Tiga. The daughter of magnate Mizukuni Shizuma, Yuna was in a position to never have to work in her life. However, her sense of personal responsibility — and her nature as the reincarnation of ancient hero Yuzare — drove her to join GUTS-Select to protect humanity from threats of all sorts. When the Dark Giants return, and the world is placed into jeopardy, Yuna battles alongside Kengo Manaka, helping him as he unlocks the secrets of his own past life as the mighty Ultraman Trigger.
We could have spent pages and pages talking about more of the amazing heroines of the Ultraman series — we see you, Laiha and Yoko fans — we’d rather you check out the shows yourself and get to know them! Almost every entry in the series is available through the Ultraman Official Youtube Channel and box sets by Mill Creek Entertainment. To find out more about Rin, and other characters from Ultraman Arc, stay close to Ultraman Connection!
