On Jan. 17, Ultraman Omega closes its chapter on Episode 25, “Overlapping Futures.” Sorato Okida and Kosei Hoshimi face the synthetic kaiju, Zomera, and save the world from a mass kaiju awakening. Fans were shocked when Sorato’s actions gave Kosei a second chance at life.
“Overlapping Futures” has broken the mold of how an Ultra chooses a person to become the red giant. After 60 years, Ultraman Omega has shaped its alternate lore through its grounded backstory and the growing bond between humanity and extraterrestrials.
What Developed into Overlapping Futures?
Ultraman Omega’s grand finale captivated audiences through Sorato’s realization and admiration for Kosei’s kindness. Throughout the series, the red giant suffers from amnesia. With Kosei and Ayumu, they uncovered the remaining evidence of Ultraman’s existence, including being depicted as an oni in Episode 8, “The Legend of Mt. Kirifuri.” Sorato later learned about his origins and purpose in Episode 22, “He Who Looks to the Stars.”
He and Kosei follow a trail of holographic messages left behind a mysterious old man. According to the amnesiac hero, this old man rescued him from the forest where he woke up. He revealed that he is a Star Gazer, an intergalactic species that observes the inhabitants of a planet.
They became this way after losing their homes to kaiju and after their own creations were destroyed. Their goal is to develop ways to find everlasting peace. The discovery heavily affected Sorato’s mind, for he continued to encounter his old self, Omega. He forced Sorato to succumb to his Space Gazer’s will in Episode 23, “Space Gazers.”
Kosei eventually talks to Omega in Episode 24, “The Final Blow.” After discovering a KSCT facility experimented with Zovaras and Eldeghimera’s cells, the scientists accidentally create a world-level threat kaiju. He tries to convince him to bring Sorato back before the Earth’s remaining moments.
Omega refused and turned his back on him. Holding back his tears, he said, “Remember the first day we met? You said that I was kind. That made me really happy.” He reminisced about their precious moments together, from sharing meals to becoming KSCT members.
He added, “You lived for thousands of years, so it’s just a blip to you. But for me, our time meant a lot. I don’t want our time together to go to waste. I’m gonna do what needs to be done.” Kosei, Ayumu, and the KSCT members gathered Zomera’s samples to develop the Kaen-102 drone, while Omega took a walk and saw the young girl Sorato, rescued in the first episode, at an emergency shelter. This deeply touched his conscience, and he quickly fled the scene.
How Overlapping Futures Concluded Ultraman Omega
After Zomera destroyed the Kaen-102 drone, Kosei decided not to give in and risk his life to recharge its laser cannon. Ayumu tried to convince him to flee, but her mentor, Sayori Uta, refused to listen, for he was already at the crash site. She gives assembly instructions once he agrees to come back alive. Omega continues to observe the battle from afar while Zomera sends his psychic waves globally to awaken the kaiju on Earth.
At this moment, he tries one more time to reach Sorato. He shouts, “I know you’re watching! I bet you always wanted to talk to Earthlings. That’s why you protected us. Thanks to you, I found my path. I found people I cared about. That’s why I’ll protect them no matter what!” The Space Gazer heard his friend’s inspiring words, erasing Omega from his conscience for good. He battles Zomera at Kosei’s side, and soon, they both lose their lives to its Light Wave Beam.
The duo explores fragments of their memories, fueling Kosei’s determination not to accept their death. Sorato sacrifices his life energy to aid his friend in becoming the new Ultraman Omega. With the Meteokaiju (aka Ultra Beasts), they successfully defeat Zomera. Kosei receives a second life while Sorato’s consciousness resides in the Omega Meteo, his necklace.
A Testament of Kindness
Ultraman Omega’s predecessors had presented multiple ways for a person to become Ultraman over the past six decades. The original Ultraman, Shin Hayata, gained his powers after an Ultra landed on Earth and fused with him to continue protecting people against the kaiju threat. Some inherited their powers through genes, like Ultraman Taro, who is one of the biological sons of Father and Mother Ultra. Others will wear special accessories to maintain their signature light energy, such as Ultraman Great’s Delta Plasma.
Omega combines inspirations of the past Ultras, and Sorato’s spirit broke the cycle of how one could entrust their powers to the right person. The more he spent time with Kosei and other humans, the more he learned how humanity survived on Earth for generations. And with Ayumu, they learn to respect the importance of preserving and understanding kaiju in the alternate universe that knew nothing about them.
Kosei displayed many moments of kindness throughout Ultraman Omega. He stood by Sorato as Japan’s protector against the doubting public. He hid his alien identity from the government for safety and even assisted Uta in collecting Eldeghimera’s samples. Without him, Sorato’s story would have been cut short to a man searching for who he was.
Kosei’s kind acts have taught him not only to push through the doubts but also to embrace failures. There were times when he and Sorato argued about using their powers responsibly, and not for the adoration. Ayumu, Uta, and other acquaintances helped give him clarity whenever he wanted to continue aiding the red giant.
Kosei became one of the few humans in Ultraman history who earned his powers through his belief and perseverance against the impossible. Now, as the new Ultraman, we hope he will continue spreading it.
