While the ending of Ultraman: Rising was the generic thrilling battle you’d expect from a movie with Kaiju, a genuine emotional factor was riding over it. Plus, the post-credits scene provides an answer about Ken’s mother, Emiko, providing extra insight into what we may expect from a sequel.
I’ve broken down the key questions and moments to provide a holistic view of that finale.
16th June 2024 Update: After a recent comment, I’ve updated this article to reflect Nebla M78, which was given a location in the post-credits scene.
Gigantron Is Alive
I have to admit, I didn’t see this coming. I genuinely thought Emi’s mother was dead after the KDF brought her down at the start of the movie. But it turns out that the KDF kept her alive and put her inside a machine, renaming the Kaiju Mecha Gigantron, that they could control. The plan was to get the Mecha Gigantron to follow Emi so they could find the Kaiju island.
Eventually, motherly instinct prevails, and Gigantron takes control of their mind and body and helps out in the fight against KDF and Dr. Onda.
Professor Sato Is Alive, Forming ULTRAMEN
During the final battle, it’s revealed that Professor Sato is alive, and he returns as Ultradad, helping his son Ken (Ultraman) in a battle against the KDF. As the subtitles suggest, they become Ultramen — and with Emi and Gigantron by their side, they are a formidable team.
Unfortunately, the supercomputer AI, Mina, is dead, but I’m sure they can find a way to restore it.
Dr. Onda’s Self-Destruct Mode Inspires Bravery From Ken
Baby Kaiju Emi and Ken in Ultraman: Rising (Credit – Netflix)
When Dr. Onda decides to deal with the Ultramen and the Kaiju rather than rely on the KDF, he puts himself into his own mecha, which is impressive machinery. However, it’s apparent quickly that trying to take down four powerful beings would never work.
He is motivated to destroy the Kaiju because he has lost his family to them. He also wants revenge for Ultradad, as he blames him for not intervening strongly enough to save his family.
I understand why Dr. Onda feels like this, making him less of a villain.
But when defeated, he decides to put his mecha into self-destruct mode, which will destroy the city and kill many people. The story goes full circle as Ken, as Ultraman, uses himself as a protective shield to stop Dr. Onda’s Self Destruct Mode from killing many people. The irony is that this is a complete intervention.
Somehow, Ultraman survives, which did not feel believable, but maybe the next film will provide context.
Is Ami Wakita a love interest for Ken Sato?
While Ami Wakita is meant to be a baseball journalist, she has made a connection with Ken Sato. She has no idea he is Ultraman, so it’s almost the story of Superman and Lois. She could find out he’s Ultraman and a super-skilled baseball player simultaneously.
But is there romance between these two? So far, there’s not much to suggest, but they have had “off-the-record” conversations that have felt intimate and started a connection.
Emi and Gigantron find Kaiju Island
Baby Kaiju, Emi, in Ultraman: Rising (Credit – Netflix)
It’s fitting that Emi and Gigantron locate their home, but what does that mean for the world’s future? It could open the world up to far more Kaiju and disrupt peace. Also, if the KDF finds out about the island, this could threaten the existence of the creatures. Knowing the source can make things worse as we’ve seen in the Monsterverse and other materials.
The Post-Credits Scene Gives Us An Idea Of What Ultraman: Rising 2 Would Be About
There are plans for a sequel to Ultraman: Rising. In the post-credit scenes, Ken gets an alert on his watch. He has a message from his mother, Emiko. She tells him she is alive and wants his help getting home.
But where is she? I have three theories: She is either a prisoner with the KDF who needs her for information due to connections with her husband, Professor Sato, she’s on Kaiju Island and doesn’t know how to leave, or she’s on Nebula M78.
The second theory feels feasible, mainly because it would give Ken a reason to visit the island and connect the ending of Ultraman: Rising to the second movie. The third feels even more feasible as the location of Nebla M78 was given away in the post-credits scene, which is the home of the other Ultra. I don’t think the first theory adds up – I highly doubt she’s a prisoner of some sort with the KDF – I feel if that was the case, the new villain would have been more prominent.
Either way, the twist of Ken’s mother being alive was unexpected. There was no real hint that her death was strange or suspicious, but then they did say her death was “Presumed,” not proven.
The movie left little else out, so it’ll be interesting to see what villain arrives in a sequel.
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