Ultraman Taro (character)

Ultraman Taro
Ultra Series character
Ultraman Taro as seen in episode 11 of Ultraman Ginga.
First appearanceUltraman Taro (1973)
Created byTsuburaya Productions
Designed byAkihiko Iguchi[1]
Portrayed byHiroshi Nagasawa[2]
Voiced by
Japanese
English
In-universe information
SpeciesUltra
GenderMale
TitleUltraman No.6 (ウルトラマンNo.6, Urutoraman Nanbā Shikkusu)[a]
OccupationLead instructor of the Inter-Galactic Defense Force
Affiliation
  • Inter-Galactic Defense Force
  • Ultra Brothers
Weapon
  • Taro Bracelet
  • King Bracelet
Family
  • Father of Ultra (father)
  • Mother of Ultra (mother)
  • Ultraseven (cousin)
  • Ultraman Jack (uncle)
  • Ultraman Ace (adopted brother)
ChildrenUltraman Taiga (son)
OriginNebula M78, the Land of Light

Ultraman Taro (ウルトラマンタロウ, Urutoraman Tarō) is the title character of the 1973 Ultra Series, Ultraman Taro.[3] In the series, Ultraman Taro merged with Kotaro Higashi the latter loses his life during Astromons' rampage. After that, Kotaro joined the battle as a ZAT member and utilized Taro's power to fight against giant monsters while receiving assistance from either his fellow brothers-in-arms (Ultra Brothers) or his parents. In the final episode, Kotaro severed his connection to Taro and returned the Ultra Badge, as he wanted to continue living his life as a normal human. He is last seen traveling around the world.[2]

Ultraman Taro is the third entry in the Ultra Series' second phase during the Showa Era. Alongside Fireman and Jumborg Ace, the three celebrated the 10th anniversary of Tsuburaya Productions despite airing on different television channels. The presence of his parents (Father and Mother of Ultra) and the Ultra Brothers emphasizes the theme of family in the series as a whole.[4] Despite Taro's current popularity, many long time fans in the Showa era did not acknowledge this work.[1]

In the original series, Ultraman Taro is voiced by Saburō Shinoda, who is also Kotaro Higashi's actor. In subsequent media, Taro is frequently voiced by Hiroya Ishimaru (石丸 博也, Ishimaru Hiroya).[5] Meanwhile, his original suit actor is Hiroshi Nagasawa (長沢 寛, Nagasawa Hiroshi).[2][6][7]

  1. ^ a b 白書 1982, pp. 90–91
  2. ^ a b c "ウルトラマンタロウ Blu-ray Box （特装限定版）" (in Japanese). Bandai Visual. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  3. ^ "ウルトラマンタロウ - 円谷ステーション - ウルトラマン、円谷プロ公式サイト" (in Japanese). m-78.jp. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  4. ^ "【1973年のウルトラマンといえば？】円谷プロ創立10周年に『ウルトラマンタロウ』がスタート 「ウルトラマン」50年の歴史を振り返る・その8" (in Japanese). Ultra-J. 2016-11-10. Retrieved 2019-05-07.
  5. ^ "石丸博也" (in Japanese). Production Baobab. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  6. ^ "『ウルトラマンレオ』真夏竜が明かす、『メビウス』出演に込めた最終回のその後" (in Japanese). MyNavi. 2018-10-20. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  7. ^ "豪華ゲスト登場！「TSUBURAYAワンダーフェスティバル」ステージイベントが12月15日(日)に開催決定！" (in Japanese). m-78.jp. 2019-12-10. Retrieved 8 April 2020.


Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).