The heroic giant of light: Ultraman, also known as ウルトラマン (Uturaman) in Japanese, has captivated many generations of kids and adults since 1966, and remains one of my top favorite kids show to watch and merch to collect.
Created by Eiji Tsuburaya and designed by Tohl Narita, Ultraman has become a consistent popular icon with over 40 variations and still more to come. These latest editions into the Ultraman family, Ultraman Blazar, Arc and Omega (fan dubbed as B.A.O) are the next pop arc in the series.
Who or what is an Ultraman? TL:DR
Ultraman and his family of intergalactic defenders are giants of light living on Nebula M78 – a roving star far above us in space! In 1966, Ultraman who was pursuing the nefarious space Kaiju Bemular within earth’s atmosphere, accidentally crashed into an S.S.S.P aircraft investigating the phenomenon in the skies. The pilot, Shin Hayata, now in the suspension between life and death, was given a choice to live again if he allowed his supernatural perpetrator, Ultraman to co-habit his body to fight against the Kaiju terrors on earth.
From then on, Ultraman and his family of Ultra heroes have never stopped defending earth from destructive Kaijus!
Is there a correlation between Ultraman and the Bible?
YES! Ultraman greatly resembles what angels are in the Bible.
Who are the angels of God?
There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up.
– Exodus chapter 3 : verse 2 [New Living Translation]
Both Moses and Shin Hayata encountered angels!
What are some characteristics of Angels that are similar to Ultraman?
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Angels live in the heavenlies (A spiritual dimension far above us) [Job 1:6, Ephesians 6:12]
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Angels are God’s servants [Psalm 104:4]
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Angels serve to protect human beings [Matthew 18:10]
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A segment of Angels are warriors [Daniel 10:13, Revelation 12:7]
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Some Angels are giants [Revelation 10:1-2] and their offspring with human beings are giants too [Genesis 6:1-2]
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There are good angels who serve God and His righteous ways, and there are evil angels who defected from God to serve the Devil [Revelation 12:7-9]
How alike are Ultramen and Angels?
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Ultraman lives in space/the heavenlies
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Ultraman serve to protect human beings from other evil giants/Kaiju
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Ultramen are a breed of warriors
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Ultramen are giants with immense powers like Angels and they are giants with physical bodies on earth
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There are Ultramen who protect humanity and there are evil Ultraman who seek to wield ultimate power and destroy
I love it when pop-culture mirrors the Bible because it provides us a glimpse of God’s handiwork in pop-parable, and perhaps, allowed Ultraman to become a global sensation because it mirrored His Word.
Think about it: Ultraman is among the most popular pop heroes for children in Japan and God’s angels protect children! Therefore, we find a parallel between Ultraman, a pop culture icon and Angels in God’s Word.
Just as I have written in my post on Spider-Man and the Bible [link], God must have favored Eji Tsurubaya’s masterpiece and catapulted it into the hearts and minds of children and adults alike to bring to light the existence of Angels and God created them to serve Him, for our good.