In the Ultraman Series, the giant of light has generally had one love — his mission to protect and guide the people of Earth. There have been a few times, however, where the Ultras have found epic romances — and in one case, a romance that nearly destroyed the Land of Light!
Let’s travel back in time, to the final days of the Ultimate Wars. A trio of skilled and powerful Ultras distinguished themselves during this time- Ken, Marie, and Belial. A devoted fan would definitely remember the name of the latter, but the former two are better known in the current day by other names — Father of Ultra, and Mother of Ultra.
It was during the final battle against Alien Empera, the leader of the dark forces assailing the Land of Light, and Ken and Belial were angling to be the one to take out the Emperor — Ken, for the sake of ending the war, and Belial, for the sake of glory. Accompanying them was Marie, the scion of a noble Land of Light family who held a sacred sword capable of wounding the Emperor. It was up to her to decide who would wield the blade.
Both men, frankly, also desired the attention of Marie herself. Ken, a kindhearted, almost bashful man, found her willpower and skill enchanting and impressive. Belial, on the other hand, was aware of her status and craved that influence for himself. Marie, herself an excellent judge of character, was aware of both men’s attitudes, and it influenced her selection process for the sword, handing it to Ken. With the blade, Ken was able to mutually wound the Emperor, forcing him to retreat and the Ultimate Wars to come to an end.
In the aftermath of the final battle, Ken and Marie were honored as the two heroes who had brought a new age to the Land of Light — figuratively making them the “Father and Mother” of modern Ultra society. Meanwhile, Belial, who was spurned by Marie and denied the glory he craved, was pushed further into the darkness himself — until, one day, he decided to TAKE that glory he believed he deserved, and attempted to steal the Plasma Spark — a failure that wounded him and marked the end of his time as a citizen of the Land of Light.
Ken and Marie, who considered Belial a friend despite everything, were heartbroken at Belial’s treasonous act, but had no choice but to exile their friend — and if you’ve ever watched the Ultra Galaxy Legends movie, you know what happened to Ultraman Belial after that.
Belial is gone now, eliminated by his own son Ultraman Geed, but his bond with Ken and Marie remains one of the most, if not the most influential relationship in the history of the Land of Light. All the same, we at Ultraman Connection hope your romantic celebrations end more positively than that. Happy Valentine’s Day!
