Yoko Nakashima

Yoko Nakashima (中島（ナカシマ） 洋子（ヨウコ）, Nakashima Yōko)^[2][3] is the ace pilot of the team STORAGE.^[4][5]

Personality

Although she has a cheerful and determined personality, she also has a girly side and likes older men. Yoko is well aware of Yoko possesses a bold, straightforward, and fiercely competitive personality. She often exudes a masculine demeanor, but deep down, she retains a very girlish and innocent side. She also has a special fondness for older men. If someone confesses their feelings to her, she always insists on a arm-wrestling match, yet to this day, she has never lost a single time.^[4][5]

As the primary pilot of STORAGE, she is an expert with exceptional driving skills. She also possesses a strong sense of duty and alternates with her junior, Haruki Natsukawa, in operating the SC Units and handling ground missions. Compared to Haruki, she is more skilled and experienced in combat maneuvering. In her personal life and during non-combat times, she is a very understanding, caring, and compassionate individual, and many, including Haruki, admire her. She often takes on the role of a senior and shows genuine concern for her teammates.

Ever since Ultraman Z rescued her from Neronga, she has been deeply infatuated with this giant, regardless of his age, which exceeds 5,000 years.

Furthermore, she also possesses a thoughtful side. While she still adheres to the creed of "defending justice," she has admitted that even though monsters have no place in the world, the root cause of the problem lies within humanity itself. Although she understands the necessity of defeating them, she has a profound understanding of the importance of bearing the responsibility of taking lives.

Furthermore, she believes that even though GAF receives assistance from Z, humans should rely on their own strength to ensure peace. She holds concerns and reservations about the overwhelming power of King Joe SC and D4, and questions whether humans have the ethical right to harness the power derived from various advanced technologies.

History

Pre-Ultraman Z

Yoko was born on August 31, 1996, in Makurazaki City, Kagoshima Prefecture^[6]. She comes from a prominent military family, with her father Michihiro being an active-duty officer in the GAFJ and her mother Itsuki serving as the Iemoto of the Nihon-buyō Matsuda School. From a young age, she received a diverse education in various talents, including judo, aikido, ikebana, artistic gymnastics, and more, all at her mother's insistence.

Because her father taught her from a young age that she could only marry a man stronger than herself, she became obsessed with arm wrestling. If someone could defeat Yoko in arm wrestling, they would earn the right to marry her. This experience also explains why she later became so passionate about arm wrestling. However, despite being pursued by several male admirers during her student days due to her popular personality, she always emerged as the victor, so her own romantic feelings never blossomed.

In June 2015, SC1 Sevenger was officially introduced into service and was first deployed to combat the two-week Namegon attack in Japan. The live broadcast of this inaugural battle reached a global audience and had a significant impact on Yoko, who was watching the fight in real-time.^{Life-Threatening Decision Height ―The Story of STORAGE's Founding―}

In 2017, after graduating at the top of her class from the Earth Defense University, Yoko obtained the qualifications to operate SC Units and became a member of STORAGE in 2018. Before the events of the series began, she had already served as the pilot of Sevenger and defeated eight monsters.

Her father's catchphrase was "Chesto! (チェストー！)", and she unconsciously repeated this phrase from a young age under his influence. However, after Haruki imitated it, she began to dislike the catchphrase and stopped using it altogether.

Ultraman Z

Yoko was first seen piloting Sevenger against Gomess, where she accidentally caused the robot to topple against a building to avoid stepping on Haruki. When an extraterrestrial monster attacked, she was instructed to evacuate civilians from the evacuation center, Shinkoyo Elementary, aiding Haruki in Sevenger and Ultraman Z. After the monster was defeated, she chanced upon the Ultra Medals, and soon met up with Haruki. ^{Chant My Name!}

After the Genegarg attack incident, Yoko engaged in an arm wrestling challenge initiated by Watahiki from the Mechanics Team, and she easily defeated her opponent. During the competition, members of the Mechanics Team discussed the type of men that Yoko is attracted to and noted her preference for mature and stable individuals, much like Inaba. After the match, when Inaba appeared, Yoko discussed modifications to the SC Units' components and stability configurations with him enthusiastically.

During the Neronga attack mission, Haruki's frustration over his inability to defeat Neronga weighed heavily on him. Yoko provided comfort and solace to him during his moment of disappointment. Shortly after, Yuka reported another Neronga sighting in Atsugi City, Shizuoka Prefecture, with the creature targeting the Clean Infinity Power Plant in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture. Acting on Captain Hebikura's orders, Yoko piloted Sevenger to engage in the battle. However, she found herself in a perilous situation due to Neronga's relentless attacks. In her moment of crisis, she received assistance from Z, which deepened her admiration for him. Upon learning from Haruki that Z's age is approximately 5000 years, she immediately began addressing him as "Lord Z."^{A Warrior's Principle}

To propose the development budget for SC2 Windom, Yoko in her capacity as the Sevenger pilot, attended the budget meeting hosted by Chief Kuriyama. This meeting was organized for the North American headquarters members to assess STORAGE's capabilities. However, an unexpected event occurred during the Gomora transportation operation. When Gomora suddenly awakened and attacked personnel inside the building, Yoko quickly appeared on the rooftop to engage Gomora in combat. Upon Z's arrival, she handed over the Ultra Medals she had previously retrieved to Z, allowing him to further evolve into a new form called "Beta Smash."^{Live Coverage! The Monster Transport Operation}

With the approval of GAF North American headquarters for the recognition of STORAGE's strategic capabilities and additional financial support, the development of Windom continued. However, during this period, Yoko remained actively involved in combat as the pilot of Sevenger. When she faced off against Telesdon, she had to witness its escape as she was unable to defeat it. After Yuka found a way to quickly recharge Windom, Yoko piloted Windom for the first time to assist Z in defeating their enemy. However, when Telesdon obtained Jirahs' medal and resurrected, its formidable destructive power caused Windom to temporarily stop functioning. Nevertheless, her unwavering determination led her to decide to fight alongside Z once more, resulting in the reactivation of Windom and their successful takedown of Telesdon. After the battle, she expressed her gratitude to Z.^{Robot-2 Activation Plan}

During the operation against Peguila, she once again piloted Windom for combat. However, Windom fell victim to Peguila's Freezing Beam, resulting in her being trapped inside the cockpit and facing a life-threatening situation. To rescue Yoko, Haruki piloted Sevenger and successfully extracted her from the cockpit of Windom. Subsequently, she was transported to the hospital for medical treatment.^{First Juggling}

To find an effective method for suppressing monsters, Yoko and Haruki participated in a simulation exercise. However, during the exercise, Gillvalis, resurrected through Devil Splinters, unexpectedly intruded on the scene. Ultraman Geed quickly arrived and defeated Gillvalis's duplicating armor. This event left her deeply shocked. However, due to damage to the core integrated circuit, Gillvalis's artificial intelligence infiltrated the network, searching for location information of all silicon-element-containing storage in the city for self-repair. STORAGE set up an induced operation that led him to a warehouse spreading false information. Afterward, she engaged in a battle alongside Z and Geed. Following Yuka's completion of the computer program, Yoko seized the opportunity to temporarily immobilize Gillvalis by injecting the program into its body.^{The Man Returns!}

Later, she and Haruki tracked the signal of Valis Raider in an attempt to rescue Riku Asakura, who had been kidnapped. At Valis Raider's base, she once again encountered the human-sized Z and collaborated with Z to defeat multiple Valis Raider. Before leaving, she expressed her admiration for Z once again.^{His Majesty's Medal}

When the city was under attack by Tri-King, Yoko unexpectedly encountered Yuka who had found the Z Riser. However, this event led to them being mistaken as "Ultraman Z" by the Alien Pitt sisters and subsequently kidnapped. When Haruki arrived and helped them break free, she and Yuka joined forces to confront the alien Pitt sisters. Yoko showcased her excellent combat skills by directly engaging the enemies. In the end, she and Yuka captured the Alien Pitt sisters together and witnessed the moment when Z transformed into "Gamma Future." She immediately expressed that this was her current favorite form.^{The Mystic Power}

After STORAGE defeated King Joe and modified it into a defensive robot, there was a sound of an invasion alarm at the base. Yoko and Haruki went to the scene to stand by, but when they saw the security personnel unconscious, Yoko was ambushed and controlled by Alien Barossa, becoming a hostage. Alien Barossa threatened Yoko's life and demanded that Yuka immediately activate King Joe. Although Yuka initially refused his request, when Alien Barossa claimed he would end Yoko's life, she was forced to activate King Joe. Just when they were about to be killed, Jugglus Juggler unexpectedly intervened and saved them. Later, after regaining consciousness, she recovered the dropped Ultra Medals from Alien Barossa and tossed them to Z.^{Here Comes the Space Pirate!}

With the appearance of Red King, she served as the pilot of King Joe SC for the first time and went to the scene with Z to confront Red King. However, when another Red King appeared elsewhere, she went to engage in combat alone. However, just as she was about to kill the other Red King, her actions were thwarted by Z, and subsequently, King Joe SC experienced a malfunction and couldn't fight. This also left her deeply puzzled about Z's intentions.^{What Must Be Defended}

After this incident, Yoko noticed that Haruki seemed to be carrying some concerns. Upon hearing Haruki's question, Yoko responded by saying, "In this world there is no place for monsters, It's not their fault. That's why we can't push it on someone else. I want to bear it. The responsibility of taking a life.

Upon learning of Grigio Raiden's reappearance, Yoko once again piloted King Joe SC for battle. However, due to Grigio Raiden's counterattack, King Joe SC temporarily malfunctioned and became unable to move. But in a critical moment, the functions of King Joe STORAGE Custom suddenly returned to normal. In the end, Yoko, relying on her exceptional piloting skills, successfully defeated Grigio Raiden.^{The Cry of Life}

To celebrate the achievements made with the activation of King Joe SC, Yoko and the other members of STORAGE held a celebratory banquet. However, Celebro released Bullton to attack the base. Inside the fourth-dimensional space, due to unconscious thoughts, Yoko found herself unable to pilot King Joe continuously in the same space after learning of the crisis. Upon realizing the key, she also informed Haruki, who was trapped in the same space, about the connection between the fourth-dimensional spacetime and the brain. Finally, she succeeded in piloting King Joe for battle with the assistance of Z and together they defeated Bullton.^{Four-Dimensional Capriccio}

During a mission, Yoko and Haruki were dispatched to Kirimoto City to confront Pagos with SAA Units, which led to the mission being forcibly terminated. Later, upon learning of four recent disappearance cases, she and Haruki went to the destination to investigate and search for a woman named Kaori who was suspected to be related to the incidents. However, while tracking Kaori, Yoko was unexpectedly ambushed by Kemur and disappeared. She was later restored after Z eliminated Kemur.^{Rechallenge from the Year 2020}

When GAFJ ordered the installation of the dimensional destruction weapon "D4" on King Joe SC, Yoko immediately recognized the dangerous nature of this weapon through experimental imagery and strongly opposed its use. However, simultaneously, Kelbim began appearing in large numbers in the city, and Kuriyama ordered Yoko to pilot King Joe SC equipped with D4 to confront them. Due to the overwhelming number of Kelbim, it was a challenging battle, and even when Haruki piloting Windom to provide support, the situation remained grim.

During this time, Yuka noticed Mother Kelbim in Earth's orbit, continuously releasing eggs towards the planet. When Z appeared, Yoko realized that it was impossible for King Joe SC to reach space with its current capabilities. She informed Z of this situation and hoped he could go to space to destroy Mother Kelbim, while she remained on Earth to deal with the hatched offspring.

Despite Z successfully eliminating Mother Kelbim in space, King Joe SC on Earth had depleted its ammunition. Mai Yuki and Kuriyama both insisted on requesting Hebikura to order Yoko to launch the D4 ray, as using it now could minimize casualties, considering that the surrounding city residents had been evacuated. However, Hebikura still refused to issue the command to use the weapon. Under the mounting psychological pressure, Yoko eventually fired the D4. Although it successfully annihilated the remaining Kelbim, it also resulted in King Joe SC being unable to withstand the power of the D4, leading to a dimensional collapse disaster.

In the critical moment, Z successfully returned to Earth and fired the Zestium Beam to suppress the dimensional collapse caused by the D4, rescuing Yoko who was trapped within it just in time. However, as the battle concluded, due to the team's refusal to execute the "D4 ray deployment" command and a change in leadership, STORAGE was forced to disband. Nevertheless, Yoko, given her role as an SC pilot, was retained as a pilot for SAAG.^D4

During their break between shifts, she and Haruki went on an outing and happened to meet Yuka and Inaba, who were assisting the promotions department at the museum. They also reunited with Sevenger, who had retired from active duty but still radiated its former glory. However, while the four of them were having lunch together, they were unexpectedly attacked by Alien Barossa. Haruki temporarily defeated the Alien Barossa, forcing it to grow giant-sized. Yoko once again piloted Sevenger and joined the battle. During the fight, she successfully convinced Beliarok to eliminate Alien Barossa.^{Individual Tomorrows}

As Yoko was chosen to be the pilot of Ultroid Zero, GAF also equipped Ultroid Zero with the D4. However, the deployment of the D4 led to a large-scale appearance of monsters on Earth, and Yoko was sent to use the D4 to battle these monsters. Despite Z's assistance, it was still challenging to cope with the multitude of monsters. She once again felt the pressure of superior orders and was forced to activate the D4, successfully eliminating all the monsters. However, this caused Ultroid Zero to be unable to withstand the power of the D4, resulting in a shutdown, but Haruki managed to rescue her in the end.^{Prelude to a Nightmare}

However, after the battle, Celebro/Kuriyama revealed his true plan. When Yoko was discharged from the hospital and returned to headquarters, Celebro transferred himself into Yoko, forcibly activating Ultroid Zero to siphon the life force of Earth's monsters. When Z appeared, Ultroid Zero mutated into Destrudos, gaining immense power. After an intense battle, Z couldn't withstand Destrudos and was severely damaged by Destrudos' D4 beam. In the following hours, Destrudos, under the control of Celebro/Yoko, annihilated GAF forces worldwide.^{The Game to Extinction}

In order to rescue Yoko, all members of STORAGE regrouped and devised a plan to retake the base and rescue her. They returned to their original base, with Haruki piloting King Joe SC, Hebikura piloting Windom, and together they confronted Destrudos. Yuka analyzed Yoko's location, and Inaba piloted Sevenger to provide support.

Finally, Yuka successfully located the whereabouts of Yoko, while Haruki forcibly grabbed hold of the cockpit where Yoko was located. At this moment, within Yoko's consciousness, Haruki's presence emerged before her. Although devoid of any memories at that point, under Haruki's initiative, both engaged in a profound mental showdown akin to an "arm wrestling match." During the course of this unique contest, her subconscious gradually recollected the time she had spent with Haruki, progressively awakening her consciousness. Ultimately, Haruki prevailed over Yoko, granting her control over her own body once again.

When Yoko's consciousness returned to the real world, she finally broke free from Celebro's control and successfully ejected it. However, due to Destrudos going berserk, King Joe SC accidentally let her fall from the sky while holding onto the cockpit. Witnessing this, Haruki disregarded his own safety and jumped down from King Joe SC to rescue her. When the two reunited in mid-air, Haruki decided to transform into Z to save Yoko. Yoko, through the Ultraman Belial Atrocious Rise Medal she had acquired while under Celebro's control, realized that Haruki was, in fact, the true identity of Ultraman Z. With Z's assistance, Yoko was safely brought back to the ground.

After reuniting with everyone, when Yoko witnessed Haruki/Z being severely injured by Destrudos' D4 Ray, she and all members of STORAGE encouraged them. In the end, they successfully awakened Haruki/Z and witnessed the moment when Z defeated Destrudos. After the battle, Yoko and her teammates rushed to Haruki's side and embraced him with excitement.

Three months later, she and the other members of STORAGE bid farewell to Haruki as he left Earth, seeing him off on his journey.^{Warriors Shining Beyond}

Ultraman Trigger: New Generation Tiga

In the following period, Alien Barossa successfully stole King Joe SC. Yoko urgently piloted Space Sevenger in an attempt to chase after Alien Barossa. However, Alien Barossa suddenly released the Bullton monster, and in order to protect her, Z/Haruki immobilized her in place. After Z was sucked into the monster's body by Bullton, Yoko could only helplessly remain in her position, witnessing the moment they crossed over to another universe.^{Inter Universe}

Profile

Stats

• Height: 163 cm
• Weight: 55 kg
• Age: 24
• Blood Type: O

Powers and Weapons

• Strength: Although the exact limit of this is unknown, she is the undefeated winner of arm wrestling matches against men, some of which being her admirers in STORAGE. The first and only person who has defeated her so far is Haruki.
• Piloting: She is the ace pilot of SAA units, with Haruki being her partner on missions.
• Beam Rifle: Whenever she is out of piloting in ground missions, Yoko carries STORAGE's beam rifle as her main weapon.
• Kaiju Medals (怪獣メダル, Kaijū Medaru): A set of medals created by Celebro from reverse-engineering the Ultra Medals.

Ultra Medals in Possession

• Ultraman Medal: Found after Genegarg's destruction. Given to Ultraman Z.

Merchandise

• Ultraman Z Deformed Pattern Acrylic Charm (2021)
  • Release Date(s): November 2021 (Premium Bandai)
  • Price: 550 yen for each piece
  • Materials: Acrylic, metal (chain)

Released as part of the Z themed Deformed Pattern Acrylic Charm series, Yoko (which is drawn in an Anime-fied style) is one the items to be produced as hanging acrylic keychain.

Yoko (and the rest of the characters) is available as a made-for-order item (where the customers can choose one during purchase) for Premium Bandai in November 2021.

Gallery

Ultraman Z

Miscellaneous

Trivia

• She has little tolerance for the cold.
• In episode 22, Yoko's casual outfit was inspired by the American leisure style, featuring a motorcycle jacket similar to what Megan Fox wore as Mikaela Banes in the movie Transformers. However, the idea of wearing over-the-knee stockings was suggested by Matsuda.^[7]

References

1. ↑ http://tsuburaya-prod.com/news/5963
2. ↑ File:EY9HIdUXsAAmKDd.jpg
3. ↑ https://twitter.com/rima_matsuda/status/1307250351330832384/photo/2
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} https://m-78.jp/news/post-5498/
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} https://en.tsuburaya-prod.co.jp/news/1972
6. ↑ 『ウルトラマンZ完全超全集』構成・間宮尚彦 執筆・大石真司、小学館〈てれびくんデラックス 愛蔵版〉ISBN 978-4-09-105171-4
7. ↑ Ultraman Z Complete Collection pg 121