The Ultraman Series is famous for its wide and diverse variety of alien species from worlds well beyond the Solar System. While the majority of individuals from these species wish harm on or to exploit Earth’s bounty, the Ultras are an obvious example that kindness still exists in the stars. However, they are not the only alien ally that humanity has made in the over 55 years since the Ultraman Series has begun. Other than the Ultras, the most enduring friends of the human race are the Alien Fanton, who aaaaare…
…Yeah! Isn’t he handsome, folks? Let’s learn more about these fascinatingly friendly fellows, and why humanity is far better off with them than without them.
To be clear, friends, no alien or monster species in the Ultraman Series is inherently evil — with the exception of Yapool… Wait, I’m getting off track. Aliens are just like people, in that there are good and bad ones, whose moralities are individual, based off of their societal upbringing, their needs, and other factors. No matter how many times Earth has been attacked by aliens of a given species, this does not mean that any given member of that species is sure to view Earth antagonistically. However, the Fanton are a rare and wonderful situation in which there has never been a Fanton invasion, or a villainous Fanton that we’ve met.
A highly advanced, and equally eccentric, people, the Fanton way of life revolves around a single, unifying philosophy — to eat is to live, and to eat well is to live well. Their pursuit of gastronomic nirvana would seem to be at odds with their technologically advanced state, and yet the Fanton are noticeably advanced, even among the many peoples of the universe. We have a few theories why, personally; The Fanton have 13 meals and at least 3 naps in a day. In order to have enough time for that, there would need to be significant automation to take the workload off the “poor” Fanton!
The Fanton came to Earth in peace to begin with, but the first time Ultraman Series viewers got to meet one was in Ultraman Mebius episode 7, “Fanton’s Lost Item,” where a Fanton ambassador came to Earth for further talks of cooperation, only to lose his vital “C-Pin 929” ration culture. A minor diplomatic incident on its own, this turned into a crisis when the realities of a C-Pin’s nature — an unlimited source of food for the ever-hungry Fanton — meant that it would never stop growing upon exposure to the atmosphere! It took Ultraman Mebius himself to fight this food, and despite the danger, the way Earth helped handle the mess put the Fanton and humanity on positive terms.
The next time we’d see a Fanton on screen, it would be as a main character, in Ultraman X with the eminent scientist Dr. Gourman. As the Head of Technology for XIO (Xeno Invasion Outcutters), Gourman was responsible for the vast majority of, if not all of the team’s technology, including the Cyber Card system that empowered not only the team’s weapons, but also Ultraman X himself. Intelligent and wise, but still a glutton, the only thing that Gourman loved more than creating and helping his valued teammates was his second afternoon nap and getting drunk off his favorite yogurt (Because Fantons can get drunk on yogurt.)
We’ve seen a few Fantons since then, and all of them have fallen into this same category of “strange, but wise,” as such being popular, and even beloved characters. The next time a Fanton shows up, expect him to be similarly well-liked! And when one does show up, you’ll find about it from us at Ultraman Connection!
