Dr. Onda

is the main antagonist in Ultraman: Rising. He is the chief officer of the KDF, a paramilitary organization dedicated to eradicating the Kaiju threat.
==History==
===Pre-Ultraman: Rising===
Twenty years ago, Onda served as a scientist within the KDF. Aligned with the organization's founders, Emiko Sato and Hayao Sato, who advocated for studying kaiju and seeking peaceful resolutions through understanding their behavior, Onda joined their ranks.https://x.com/ShannonTindle_1/status/1804572891067097500
During that time, Onda lived a happy life with his wife and daughter, Akiko. However, tragedy struck during a kaiju attack, suspected to be caused by Gigantron, which claimed the lives of Onda's wife and daughter. This event changed everything; their deaths left him heartbroken and filled with sorrow. Alone and consumed by grief, he often found solace in watching recordings of their final moments. Driven by heartache and rage, he vowed to eradicate all kaiju to prevent more innocent lives from suffering the same fate, leading him to take drastic measures.
Motivated by this profound loss, Onda pursued his mission relentlessly, described by Hayao as "intelligent and cunning." Gradually assuming leadership within the KDF, Onda ascended to become the new captain and chief officer, demonstrating strong leadership and commanding respect among his subordinates.
===Ultraman: Rising===
Twenty years later, Onda had risen to become the chief officer of the KDF. Under his leadership, the KDF utilized advanced technology and capture nets, employing overwhelming force to defeat numerous Kaiju. As a scientist, Onda devised a strategy leveraging the kaiju baby's echolocation abilities to locate and completely eradicate "Kaiju Island."
In a speech following the destruction of Neronga, Onda addressed the KDF members in the command room. He acknowledged the profound losses suffered by KDF personnel and their families due to kaiju attacks. However, Onda emphasized that these sacrifices were not in vain. He declared that soon, their families and all citizens would be able to live in a world free from fear—a world made possible by their collective efforts.
Afterward, Onda arranged for the KDF flight unit to poach an egg believed to be Gigantron's from the Sea of Japan and transport it to Japan. This action was intended to lure Gigantron, but the plan was thwarted by Gigantron, causing the flight unit's jets to crash into the new Tokyo Dome, resulting in widespread chaos. Even though Ultraman intervened in the battle, Onda personally commanded the operation, stating that the flight unit was authorized to use lethal force if Ultraman interfered. When Ultraman and Gigantron entered missile range, Onda showed no concern for Ultraman and ordered his team to target and attack, leading to Ultraman being struck by missiles and crashing into Tokyo Bay.
Onda ordered the retrieval of Gigantron's egg, but only found the unconscious Gigantron and the broken eggshell at the scene. The KDF continued to search for Ultraman but to no avail. The missing egg soon hatched into a "baby" Kaiju, which was later taken in by Ultraman/Ken Sato. In the following months, Onda deployed multiple search drones across Japan to find the baby, but all efforts were unsuccessful.
When reports of disturbances came from Daikanyamacho, showing a large pink "Kaiju baby" frightening the locals, Onda received the report and, along with Captain Aoshima, boarded Airship No. 5 and urgently dispatched an attack squadron to the scene. As the baby began climbing Tokyo Tower, Onda ordered his subordinates to fire a powerful tranquilizer with the intention of capturing the baby alive. However, the mission ultimately failed due to Ultraman's intervention. Onda demanded that Ultraman hand over Emi, promising not to take any action against him, but Ultraman ignored his warning and immediately flew away from the scene.
Back at the base, Onda fell into a profound melancholy as he watched the final video of his wife and daughter before their passing. When Captain Aoshima reported on the mission, Onda noted that at least they confirmed Gigantron's baby could use echolocation to navigate. This meant that eventually, the baby would find her way back home. Once she did, the KDF planned to track her to Kaiju Island and eradicate all the kaiju residing there.
When confronted with Captain Aoshima’s ethical concerns, Onda responded with conviction, stating, "Family is everything. If I could have had just one more day with my wife and daughter, I would do anything to protect my loved ones. Even though I don't like the idea of exterminating kaiju, we must learn to make tough decisions to protect others." After ensuring Aoshima took a break, Onda addressed the public in a press conference. He emphasized that while the KDF could manage the losses, Ultraman's apparent defense of kaiju suggested he was taking an opposing stance. Therefore, the KDF would conduct a thorough investigation and eliminate any perceived threat accordingly.
Meanwhile, Gigantron, rendered unconscious, was brought to the secure confines of the KDF headquarters. Onda arrived at the facility and surveyed the dormant Gigantron, and began unethical modifications, transforming it into "Mecha Gigantron," designated under the codename "".
When KDF drones reached the private island and confirmed Emi's location, Onda immediately ordered an attack, resulting in severe injuries to Hayao. However, Ultraman intervened and successfully neutralized all the KDF drones. Despite this, one drone managed to attach a beacon to Emi’s cocoon, enabling the KDF to pinpoint her exact location.
Due to the activation of the frequency disruptor at the Ultrabase, KDF could pinpoint Ultraman's location within a five and a half mile radius. Onda decided to initiate the contingency plan, activating "Destroyer" with the intent to destroy Ultraman. Simultaneously, he dispatched Mecha Gigantron to launch an attack. After locating the Ultrabase, he released Mecha Gigantron to lure Emi out, while missiles were launched towards the base, causing extensive damage to the area. This resulted in Mina being destroyed.
Utilizing Mecha Gigantron's echolocation, Emi navigated her way back to Monster Island. As Mecha Gigantron moved southeast, Aoshima questioned Onda on how he knew to lure out the kaiju baby. Onda responded, "Family is everything, even for these creatures."
Seeing Onda's plan about to succeed, Ultraman intervened to thwart their plans. Onda then ordered an attack on Mecha Gigantron and immediately launched missiles at Ultraman, injuring Emi in the crossfire. However, with Ultradad's intervention, Gigantron managed to break free from KDF's control and regain its senses. The two Ultras and the two Kaiju cooperated to counter the KDF's conspiracy, resulting in Gigantron no longer being under KDF's control.
Onda ordered the evacuation of the crew to the escape pods, ensuring everyone's safety. Making the decision alone, he activated Destroyer in its robot mode, piloting it to confront the two Ultras and the two Kaiju, attacking them with anger and sadness. Especially in the face of Ultradad's resistance, Onda revealed his deep hatred towards Ultraman.
In the pivotal battle, Onda's rage erupted as he screamed "Die!" while wielding Destroyer's shield and blades in a desperate attempt to permanently defeat Ultraman. However, Ultraman and Ultradad countered with their combined Spacium Beam, aided by Mecha Gigantron and Emi, ultimately disabling Destroyer and thwarting Onda's scheme.
In despair, Onda recalled the final images of his family and initiated the self-destruct button of the robot, endangering the cities around Tokyo Bay with destruction. Tearfully watching his daughter's image, he hoped to reunite with them soon. Witnessing Ultraman intervene to prevent the robot's destruction, Onda, overwhelmed with relief, closed his eyes and accepted his fate with dignity. Whether he survived the ensuing explosion remained uncertain.
==Gallery==
===Ultraman: Rising===
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===Concept Art===
early sketch of Onda.jpg|Concept art by Shannon Tindlehttps://x.com/ShannonTindle_1/status/1811083884559487118/
Dr. Onda Concept Art 01.png|Concept art by Gabriel Gomezhttps://www.instagram.com/p/C8xuAwhSJFN/
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=== Miscellaneous===
Ultraman Rising Cast 05.jpg
==Trivia ==
*Director Shannon Tindle, in discussing the character design of Onda in the film, highlighted his intention to create an antagonist with a similar goal as Ultraman—protecting the Japanese people—but who, due to personal trauma, resorts to more extreme measures and ultimately becomes consumed by hatred. This character design diverges from traditional villains focused on conquering the world and instead brings forth greater directional depth in the story's development.https://x.com/ShannonTindle_1/status/1804544804984070380
*According to Tindle, the name "Onda" is derived from Masahiro Onda, the COO of Tsuburaya Productions. Masahiro Onda played a crucial role as a key Japanese figure assisting in the preparation of the film. As a gesture of respect towards him, Tindle directly asked for permission to use his name as a character name. To avoid any misunderstandings, Tindle clarified to Masahiro Onda that the character "Onda" is not based on him personally.https://news.mynavi.jp/article/20240709-ultramanrising/
*According to Shannon Tindle's early sketches, Onda's initial design was inspired by Bin Furuya.
==References==
Category:Ultraman: Rising
Category:Ultraman: Rising Characters 
Category:Human Characters
Category:Male Characters
Category:Anti-Heroes
Category:Leaders
Category:Human Villains
Category:Scientists