Special REVIEW: Ultraman Zero Cosmo Rise: Rise! Heroes of Light!
When Ultrawoman Grigio and Ultraman Boy are attacked attacked by the Kingdom, their distress call is answered by Ultraman Zero! During their battle, Absolute Diavolo destroys Zero's Ultimate Aegis - finally giving the villain the edge. Just as it begins to look hopeless, a bright light consumes Zero and a mysterious figure presents him with a brand new power.
With his new Cosmo Rise form, Zero wields the powers of the other Ultra Heroes in addition to his own. Once again turning the tide of the battle, Zero vows to use his new abilities to put an end to Diavolo's schemes.
In some ways it's hard to approach Ultraman Zero Cosmo Rise without some degree of cynicism given that one of its main objectives is to advertise a brand new Ultraman Zero toy. Along with the form itself comes the Ultrise Eye - a brand new bracelet/mask combo with all manner of voice clips, form/summoning sound effects via barcode scanning as well as plenty of flashing lights. The special does a great job of showing off all of its features in a typically flashy fashion, with the story built around the showcase rather than vice versa. But even though it does veer more towards style rather than substance, there's still some attempt here to make it both a cohesive story and have it fit in with previous Ultraman specials.
With both the writer and director of the Ultra Galaxy Fight specials returning it shouldn't have been that much of a surprise that this acts as a continuation of sorts, but with that plotline having fizzled out following Ultraman Regulos back in 2023 it's nice to know that they haven't been completely forgotten. Ultraman Zero Cosmo Rise sadly doesn't tie into the story elements of Ultra Galaxy Fight, but Absolute Diavolo and the Absolute Soldiers (now using their second design from Ultraman Decker stage shows rather than the previous version) make for good villains that can just pop up every now and again to be a thorn in the Ultras' side. Diavolo's scheme of using Gavadon's creation abilities to bolster the Absolutians' ranks doesn't have much depth to it, but it cleverly uses the kaiju's powers to bring back favourites like Golba, Pandon and Darklops (because what's an Ultraman Zero special without more Ultraman Zero?). Whilst supposedly Tsuburaya's continued legal battles in China surrounding rights to the original Showa era Ultras are why production on further Ultra Galaxy Fight instalments has stalled, getting to see elements of it come back in a more limited capacity like this are certainly better than nothing.
Alongside the Absolutians it's also lovely to see Grigio and Boy as well, both of whom also have felt more established in the wider Ultraman universe since Ultra Galaxy Fight. Although they very much play the role of "weaker characters in need of saving" here, the special still has them both fighting and vowing to continue getting stronger. Meanwhile Zero himself is the tour de force he always is - thoroughly entertaining even if there isn't much in the way of development here. For a brief second the destruction of the Ultimate Bracelet feels like it might add some jeopardy, but of course that doesn't last very long. And though the special does try to inject some mystery into where these new powers have come from and why Zero instantly knows how to use them, they don't really feel like something that's going to be followed up on either.
So the main event is the showcase of Cosmo Rise itself, being just about the most perfectly distilled version of an anniversary form Tsuburaya and Bandai could come up with. As well as acting as a brand new upgrade for Zero it also provides him with a far more convenient way to cycle through them - making it both the perfect trinket both for Zero himself and any child/collector looking for an all-inclusive toy. It's a bit of a shame that the Ultimate Bracelet had to be sacrificed in order to get it, but presumably it's stored in the Ultrise Eye the same way Zero Beyond, Wild Burst and Shining are (all of which appear in the special). The design of the Cosmo Rise form itself is also very good, building upon Zero's previous looks with more unique/exaggerated torso armour as well as that iconic red and silver Ultraman colour scheme - the most obvious choice for the 60th anniversary. At this point its easy to lose track of just how many different forms Zero has, but given how he's gone on to become one of the most popular and most powerful Ultras it isn't that surprising that they just keep on coming. It's how they could ever top this that's the bigger question.
The more significant aspect to Cosmo Rise however is its ability to summon other Ultra Heroes, with Zero able to gain and mimic their abilities in a manner very similar to Kamen Rider Decade's Complete Form. After teasing just what it's capable of with the likes of Mebius and Blazar, the special later pulls out some fun combination ideas - with Zero wielding his own slugger alongside Seven and Omega as well as a Tiga, Dyna, Trigger and Decker team up. The possibilities are endless, with the in-universe logic of lumping all these Ultras together despite some having unique origins (particularly the most recent quartet of Blazar, Arc, Omega and Teo) ultimately unimportant. Though a longer special or Ultra Galaxy Fight continuation with proper crossover elements would have been more substantial, the sight of seeing these characters standing next to one another is to drum up that similar kind of anniversary hype. At the same time however, it does feel that if this aspect of Cosmo Rise were to become a regular thing it would slightly detract from Zero's own abilities. As a one-time anniversary thing though? It might not be all that original at this point but it definitely works.
Ultraman Zero Cosmo Rise: Rise! Heroes of Light! may feel like a glorified toy advertisement, but there's no denying that it's at the very least an entertaining one. Whether Zero truly needed another form is up for debate but consolidating all his previous ones alongside the powers of every other Ultra is a fun way to celebrate the 60th anniversary, as well as a testament to the character's overwhelming popularity. It's also great to see that the Absolution plot threads from Ultra Galaxy Fight haven't been completely forgotten and/or abandoned either, giving hope that one day that storyline might get the conclusion it deserves. With a proper Ultraman Zero movie set to release in 2027, this is just a warm-up to the main event.
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