In Ultraman New Generation Stars episode 17 “Time to Get Ready! Welcome to the Secret Base”, Ultraman Geed is faced with a jarring montage curated by the Dimensionizer depicting his father, Ultraman Belial, wreaking havoc on the Land of Light. Now Geed must revisit his origin, reconnect with his unwavering resolve to rectify his father’s mistakes, and channel that energy into activating his Dimensionizer card and restoring the Ultras’ legacy.
Riku Asakura, Ultraman Geed’s human form, began as a convenience store employee who lived an ordinary life, aside from secretly rooming with Alien Pegassa against all human conventions. However, things aren’t always as ordinary as they may seem. Despite Pegassa identifying Riku’s incredible physical strength and abilities, Riku is unaware of his real parents’ true nature and refuses to entertain the idea that he might be superhuman. Riku’s preconceived notions are challenged when Skull Gomora, the Belial Fusion Kaiju attacks Japan and he is called to action.
This episode, more than others in the series, magnifies the extent of collateral damage inflicted by Kaiju during their attacks. We are exposed to the evacuation process, the destruction of small businesses including Riku’s place of work, and the terror of the affected civilians up close. It quickly becomes clear that this threat is serious and unrelenting, and the damage can only be contained by a hero who is predetermined to match Belial’s power.
Riku remains oblivious to this prophecy in the aftermath of Skull Gomora’s immediate chaos as he and Alien Pegassa share warm milk and decompress under a blanket in the woods, but he soon learns he won’t be able to wait out the mayhem when he is transported to a Reporting and Management system that informs him of his true origin and destiny. The system identified Riku through a B factor detected in his blood, matching that of Ultraman Belial. It reveals the truth of his father’s history and subsequently bestows Riku full power over the control center as well as a Riser tool that allows him to tap into his superhuman abilities and transform into Ultraman Geed when necessary.
Although Riku is shocked, overwhelmed, and horrified, he rises to the occasion and commits to the role he’s been assigned. By facing the consequences of his lineage head-on, Riku grapples with a profound truth and stands at a crossroads that both tests his capabilities and emphasizes the importance of forging a new path untainted by the decisions of his father. Riku must follow the destiny that aligns with his values, not with his bloodline, a common obstacle for anyone striving to break generational curses.
This determination to right his predecessor’s wrongs enables him to battle Skull Gomora with resilience in a captivatingly choreographed battle sequence amidst the flooded city. Gomora verges on besting Geed, but Geed refuses to submit. Instead, he delves deep within himself and taps into the very relentlessness that he subconsciously inherited from his father. He matches his father’s hunger for destruction with an equally merciless hunger for justice and defeats Skull Gomora in a display of intense passion.
Alien Pegassa, while proud of Riku for living up to Geed’s role, is slightly unnerved by this incredible expression of power and determination. Although they stand on opposing sides, Pegassa identifies that Riku shares the same streak of untamed power that pushed his father towards the darkness. If unchecked, Riku might even be capable of the same level of mass destruction.
Upon reflecting on this, Geed admits to himself and to the Dimensionizer that his first step to being a true Ultra is to admit that he is Belial’s son, taking accountability for his predisposition towards falling into a dark spiral. It is this vulnerability that activates his Dimensionizer card and sets him on the path to restoring the virtue of his bloodline and fighting not out of spite or reactivity, but out of love for humanity.
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