Ultraman Season 2 - What We Know So Far
Ultraman, Japan's iconic alien hero, has been blinking his color tuner and battling kaiju villains since 1966, and in 2019, the story arrived on Netflix with a cool, updated take on the franchise's events. While the classic incarnation of Ultraman, Shin Hayata (voiced by Hideyuki Tanaka), is still around, he's getting pretty old. Fortunately, the Ultraman Factor has been passed on to his unwary son, series protagonist Shinjiro (Ryohei Kimura). Because of this, Shinjiro's in for a surprise — both because his father turns out to be the powerful protector of humanity, but because he, too, now has to join the ranks of Ultramen.
It's been over two years since the Netflix show's first season dropped, and fans are no doubt waiting to hear some news about the show's future. Will Netflix's "Ultraman" remain a one-season wonder, or are there new episodes on the way? Let's see what we know about the release date, characters, and plot of "Ultraman" season 2.
What is the release date of Ultraman season 2?
"Ultraman" season 2 is indeed coming to Netflix. In fact, the news about the show's renewal has been out there for quite some time. The announcement was made all the way back in June 2019 — just months after the streaming platform dropped season 1. "Get ready to armor up once again, Ultraman is coming back for Season 2," the Netflix Geeked Twitter account posted, complete with a short announcement video that confirmed season 2 is, indeed, very much on its way.
As for when, exactly, the season will premiere, that's still up in the air. However, Netflix Geeked provided at least some welcome news on that front on September 25, 2021, when it tweeted a brand new poster for the show's second season, complete with the message: "Armor up. Ultraman is coming. See Season 2 in 2022." On December 13, the ULTRAMAN Global Twitter account elaborated on the release date with another tweet, which confirmed that the season will drop in April.
Though neither of the posts elaborated on the exact release date, the knowledge that "Ultraman" season 2 will most certainly air on Netflix sometime in April 2022 should be more than enough to sate the inquiring minds ... at least, for now.
What's the plot of Ultraman season 2?
The first season of Netflix's "Ultraman" was essentially an origin story for Shinjiro Hayata's Ultraman, as well as a careful balancing act that straddled between the franchise's extremely heavy lore and the need to introduce the core concepts to more casual viewers. Now that the heavy lifting is mostly done, the show just might take the opportunity to go wild.
According to a teaser trailer available for viewing on the Netflix Asia YouTube channel, one major factor of "Ultraman" season 2 will be the so-called "Seven Suit," or version 7.0 of the Ultraman suit. The trailer and its accompanying description also reveal that the new season will feature a brand new alien threat, as well as a host of other Ultramen. Perhaps the most notable among them, incidentally, is none other than the powerful Ultraman Taro, so it certainly looks like Netflix's "Ultraman" season 2 will be nothing short of epic.
On the pre-show of Netflix's TUDUM virtual fan event on September 25, Shinjiro's voice actor Ryohei Kimura elaborated on the adventures to come (via IGN Nordic). "Shinjiro Hayata, the son of Hayata Shin, who was once Ultraman, is the new protagonist," Kimura stated. "After Ultraman leaves Earth, Shinjiro fights to become a hero for a new generation. A typical teenage hero in a metallic powered suit. Featuring his comrades like Seven and Ace, you can enjoy action scenes against enemies such as Ace Killer or Adad. In Season 2, Zoffy, Jack, and Taro join Ultraman, Seven, and Ace. The Ultra 6 Brothers finally reunite. The action and story are powered up in Season 2. Don't miss it!"
Which characters will appear in Ultraman season 2?
Since the "Ultraman" reveals at Netflix's Tudum pre-show specifically named several major players of the show's second season, we have a decent idea of the folks who are going to show up. Ryohei Kimura will definitely return as Shinjiro and his Ultraman incarnation. Other named returning characters include Dan "Ultraseven" Moroboshi (voiced by Takuya Eguchi), Seiji "Ultraman Ace" Hokuto (Megumi Han), both of whom were already deep into their Ultraman antics in the first season.
As the trailer and the poster tease, season 2 will double down on its Ultraman content, as Jack (Ryōta Takeuchi), Zoffy, and Taro have been announced to join the fight. The returning alien enemies include Ace Killer (Hiroaki Hirata) and Adad (Kenjirô Tsuda). The Tsuburaya Global Twitter account has also revealed that another villain called Alien Pedant (Junichi Suwabe) — presumably of the franchise's Alien Pedan race — will join the fray. Given the sheer amount of Ultramen holding the line against alien invaders, the villainous roster will presumably further expand in the final product.