Ultraman Rising found a new hero in Kenji Sato, an incredibly talented baseball star who returns to Japan to take on the mantle of the iconic hero.
Aside from fighting kaijus and exposing the schemes of the Kaiju Defense Force (KDF), he also bears the responsibility of raising his nemesis’ incredibly cute child in the film.
Spoiler Warning: This article includes spoilers for Ultraman Rising, so proceed with caution.
How Did Kenji Sato Become Ultraman in Ultraman Rising?
In the beginning of Ultraman Rising, a young Kenji Sato channeled his inner Ultraman while playing with his parents. He is well-versed in Ultraman's abilities, including his force shield, the Ultra Slash, and the color timer on his chest.
However, Kenji also enjoys baseball, so his father asks him to choose between baseball and Ultraman. Ken hesitated to make a decision at first because of his mother, but he eventually decided to live a double life.
Kenji was on the verge of winning his first baseball title in the US when he decided to walk away and return to Japan to take over his father's responsibilities.
He took on the role of Ultraman to defend humans, but he struggled to connect with both the people he protects and his father.
Instead of carrying out his duties, Kenji enjoys showboating, even abandoning his responsibilities—until he meets Gigantron's baby and raises it as his own.
What Are Kenji Sato's Powers in Ultraman Rising?
Kenji Sato bears Ultraman's mantle, so he essentially possesses the same abilities as the previous heroes.
He can transform into a massive hero to fight kaijus using molecular structure control, and he can also use the hero's other iconic attacks.
Kenji can use Ultraman's signature Specium Ray by crossing his wrists to fire a particle or light beam that can hurt or kill his opponents through a deadly burn or an explosion.
He also has no trouble using the Ultra Slash, as shown in his fight against the KDF's phony Gigantron. This ultra-slash utilizes a saw-shaped Specium-energy ring that resembles a halo and can cut anything in half.
Similar to previous Ultraman heroes, Kenji also has superhuman strength, speed, endurance, and flight power.
Kenji also has Mina, a state-of-the-art supercomputer, by his side to guide his actions and scan his body for emergency analysis.
When he gets stressed, though, the color timer on his chest in Ultraman form changes, and he loses his powers.
It's unclear whether Kenji is entirely human or half-human and half-ultra, but he's most likely half-ultra due to his father.
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