Sweed

Sweed (スイード, Suīdo)^[5] is the secondary antagonist of Ultraman Arc. She is an alien from the same galaxy as Ultraman Arc/Rution.^[6]

Subtitles:

• Normal: Devotee of Ze Su (ゼ・ズーの腹心, Ze Zū no Fukushin)^[7]
• Alien Form: Dark Galactic Warrior (暗黒宇宙戦士, Ankoku Uchū Senshi)^[8][5]

Conception

Design

Sweed's Alien Form was designed by Tomo Hyakutake,^[9] who previously designed all of the Gelos' forms and Guilebaku.

According to the explanations by Takanori Tsujimoto and Hyakutake, during the early stages of designing Sweed's Alien Form, they were unaware that the character would be portrayed by a female actor. Eriko Sato's casting was decided only after the design was completed. Therefore, the design did not specifically consider a female body type, but instead aimed to create a character transcending gender. The goal was to eliminate gender markers and present an image that contrasted with appearance-based ideals.^[10]

Tsujimoto pointed out that Sweed, as the final powerful enemy, was conceived as the opposite of Ultraman Arc, a core concept in the series. In response to this, Hyakutake had the idea of creating a design that would "go against Ultraman," resulting in a design that flipped the concept of Ultraman.^[10]

Regarding the Alien Form design, the upper arms were made thinner, while the forearms were designed to be thicker, incorporating three circular shapes. Although these shapes might be viewed negatively from a human perspective, they are seen as "hero" and "warrior" from the perspective of an alien species. The core idea behind this design is that the aesthetic standards of Earth creatures differ from those of extraterrestrial beings. As such, the design also referenced features found in the shapes of fibulae, turtle shells, and ribs.^[10]

In the early conceptual stages of Sweed's facial design, the character was initially envisioned with recessed, oval-shaped "eyes" reminiscent of those seen on Ultraman. These eyes were designed to be lit from behind, giving the illusion of a three-dimensional form, even though they were actually indented. The intention was to create a visual effect in which the face, when viewed head-on, appeared similar to a conventional protruding eye design, yet was in fact the inverse—like a mirror reflecting a reversed relief.^[10] However, this approach was later reconsidered. Some questioned the appropriateness of such a design, especially given the character’s facial resemblance to the "Warriors of Light." Since there was no clear narrative basis to support this implication at the time, the concept was ultimately redrawn.^[10]

Subsequently, Tsujimoto proposed a new direction, shifting toward the more stylized, graphic "drawn" appearance now seen in the final design. In the story, Sweed suffers a defeat and later reappears with a single eye—an event that directly influenced the updated transformation form. The initial concept of two recessed eyes was modified so that one side appeared damaged, emitting light from within. Several design sketches were produced based on this idea, which eventually led to the finalized look of the character.^[10]

The area around Sweed's neck was designed with a slightly inflated surface treatment, blending the atmosphere of certain Ultraman characters with the feel of magnetic fluid. For this part, a matte black and glossy black paint scheme was used to enhance the three-dimensional effect. When light shines on the surface, if all parts were painted the same black, the three-dimensional effect would be lost, so two of the four sides were painted matte black, while the other two sides were painted glossy black. ^[10]

Sweed's suit was designed by Rainbow Modeling Project, a company renowned for its long-standing work on suits and character designs for Toei's tokusatsu productions.^[10]

History

Pre-Ultraman Arc

Sweed is an alien from the same galaxy as Rution and is a trusted subordinate of Ze Su, one of the leaders of her star system. She possesses the ability to control Zadime and has psychic powers that allow her to manipulate others and probe their minds.

Years ago, the star known as Sonia, located near Rution's home, faced a catastrophic threat due to an abnormal release of energy, which put the surrounding planets at risk of destruction. In response, Ze Su created a spatial passage known as the "Ze Su Gate," an artificial wormhole designed to channel energy from Sonia to other star systems. However, one of the exits of this passage was located on Earth, and the released energy posed a significant threat to the planet, potentially leading to its destruction. The leaders of Rution's home planet decided to send Rution to Earth to close the passage. However, Ze Su and his followers learned of this plan and dispatched Monogelos to pursue Rution. After successfully sealing the passage, Rution was attacked by Monogelos, and both ultimately fell to Earth.

Although the Ze Su Gate had been sealed, the issue of energy release from Sonia remained unresolved. The residents of Rution's home planet considered alternative solutions, but those aligned with Ze Su believed all efforts were futile, insisting that only the Ze Su Gate could save all living beings in the galaxy. Ultimately, Ze Su dispatched Sweed to Earth with the intention of retrieving and reactivating the sealed Ze Su Gate. Sweed also harbored hostility toward Rution, labeling him a "traitor."

Ultraman Arc

When she first appeared, Sweed arrived in Hoshimoto City on Earth and entered the Monohorn. When SKIP received reports of a disturbance at the Monohorn, they quickly mobilized. However, Yuma Hize and Shu Ishido, who were sent to investigate the scene, were attacked by Sweed. They were rescued by Ultraman Arc and subsequently transported to an old cinema.

Later, Sweed followed them to the cinema. After forcibly reading Shu's memories and finding nothing she needed, she treated him coldly. However, she learned the approximate location where Rution had sealed something years ago. To obtain the exact location, she entered the mirror world and interrupted Rution, who was explaining past information to Yuma. A brief argument ensued between them. As Sweed attempted to break the seal, Rution took Yuma and escaped. Nevertheless, Sweed intercepted them, trying to secure the correct location. Yuma embraced Rution, successfully gaining the opportunity to transform and enter the battle.

Sweed also fought within Zadime's body. However, before either side could determine a winner, Zadime tore through space and escaped, while Arc was unable to maintain his form and dissipated in place. ^{Flash of the Past}

After Yuma was taken to the hospital for treatment, Sweed appeared before him once again. She transported Yuma's consciousness to SKIP hoshimoto city branch, where he learned from Shu about the events that occurred 16 years ago, as well as the truth behind Ze Su Gate, which humans referred to by the codename "Onyx." According to Shu, Onyx contained an incredible amount of energy. The gravitational waves and high-energy particles generated during Earth's collision had disrupted the planet's magnetic field, awakening kaiju that had been dormant for centuries.

In reality, the original seal placed by Rution only blocked the passage, but the energy continued to flow toward Earth. When the seal eventually breaks, the resulting explosion could still destroy the planet. Rution, out of regret and fear that Yuma might lose hope, was too afraid to reveal the full truth to him.

Sweed also revealed to Yuma that she had harnessed Zadime's power in an attempt to release the seal on Onyx, hoping to restore the natural flow of energy. She claimed that this was done to protect her own planet, even at the cost of sacrificing herself. However, she showed indifference toward humanity. Yuma was torn about whether to transform and stop Sweed, but after a moment of mutual understanding with Rution through a mirror, Yuma regained his resolve. Together, they vowed to protect the world, even as Sweed continued to interfere. As the seal neared its breaking point, Yuma and Rution transformed into Ultraman Arc and headed to Onyx's location to prevent Zadime's actions.

During the battle, Arc attempted to approach Onyx, but the surrounding space had become increasingly distorted as Onyx neared collapse, preventing him from getting closer. Simultaneously, Sweed prevented Arc from moving by using her telekinetic powers. However, YouPi and SKIP noticed her actions, and when Shu attempted to attack her using the Elemagun, Sweed teleported away to evade the strike. This provided Arc with a moment to recover from his disadvantage.

As Arc finally reached Onyx, cracks in the object began to glow, and he was suddenly pulled inside. With a thunderous sound, Onyx shattered, engulfing Arc in an intense light. When the light subsided, he had attained a new form: the Galaxy Armor. In his final display of power, Arc unleashed a new finishing move aimed at Zadime. However, Sweed shielded Zadime with a protective barrier. Despite her immense strength, neither side could gain the upper hand. Ultimately, both Sweed and Zadime disappeared in the explosion after Sweed cursed Rution. ^{The Wandering Future}

However, it was later revealed that Sweed somehow survived but lost her left eye. Using Guilebaku to put Yuma into a dream, she tried to convince him to break his bond with Ultraman Arc so that she could retrieve and reactivate the Ze Su Gate, which was inside Rution's body and transformed into the Galaxy Armor itself. Fortunately, Yuma was able to wake up thanks to the efforts of the rest of SKIP, escaping Sweed for the time being.

Ze Su, frustrated, told Sweed that her 'key' would have to be unlocked if she could not retrieve the Onyx, and thus Sweed continued to use Guilebaku to hunt down Yuma. The monster successfully trapped him in yet another dream sequence.^{The Descending Dream}

Sweed tempted him to give up his reality to live in the world of dreams with his still-living parents, and use his imagination to turn the dream into reality to replace the old one he came from. Yuma almost fell prey to the plan but managed to overcome it and defeat Guilebaku with Arc and his parents' encouragement and help.

Having run out of options, Ze Su allowed Sweed to transform her into her alien form which was also a second Ze Su Gate, endangering the Earth with her mere presence threatening to release Sonia's excess energy. Ultraman Arc fought against her and struggled until he used his imagination, sealing the gate using the Monohorn thrown at Sweed's chest before cutting it off with a chop, preventing it from being pulled out. Arc then fired his Arc Finalize Overload Sensation on Sweed, going around the circumference of the Earth until he reached her back, waving the beam around so that it would go through her face while she was too busy defending herself to react. As Ze Su cursed at Rution, Sweed fell over in defeat and exploded. ^{Time to Run, Yuma!}

Data

Gallery

Ultraman Arc

Alien Form

Miscellaneous

Trivia

• Sweed's role is similar to that of Black Directive in Ultraman Leo, both being "pioneers executing destructive actions under the orders of the event's mastermind" and "having the authority to command monsters."
• Sweed is also the first "female final boss" character since Carmeara/Megalothor in Ultraman Trigger: New Generation Tiga.
• Eriko Sato, who portrayed Sweed, shared that her son loved Ultraman Z, and they attended many events together during the pandemic, where everyone wore masks. At one event, the MC asked the audience to silently cheer for Ultraman, and the children’s eyes sparkled with excitement. Sato also silently wished to work with Ultraman one day. When she received the offer to appear in Ultraman Arc, she felt it was the realization of her dream.^[15]

References

1. ↑ https://animageplus.jp/articles/detail/60317
2. ↑ https://tsuburaya-prod.com/news/7763
3. ↑ https://tsuburaya-prod.com/news/7825
4. ↑ https://www.ultramanconnection.com/news/popular-voice-actress-sam-slade-joins-the-cast-of-ultraman-arc/
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} https://tsuburaya-prod.com/encyclopedia/sweed
6. ↑ https://cocreco.kodansha.co.jp/telemaga/news/feature/arc/Om4eJ
7. ↑ Ultraman Arc First Half Digest
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3} https://m-78.jp/character/arc-25/
9. ↑ https://x.com/zhomo11/status/1880446945547939987
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7} Figure King No.325, pg 62-63
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2} https://cocreco.kodansha.co.jp/telemaga/news/feature/arc/RgXvs
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4} https://cocreco.kodansha.co.jp/telemaga%2Fnews%2Ffeature/arc/FoJFI
13. ↑ https://www.ultramanconnection.com/news/shu-ishidos-diary-special-entry/
14. ↑ https://www.ultramanconnection.com/news/shu-ishidos-diary-special-entry-3/
15. ↑ https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2346638/full/