I did find it interesting that Z was specifically asked about his human host Haruki, once again showing that their relationship is different compared to other Ultras and their hosts.
Somewhat, but X and Daiji had a similar partner dynamic. And there were occasional earlier cases of Ultras and their hosts having distinct personalities and conversing with each other from time to time -- mainly
The*Ultraman and the Australian
Towards the Future (aka
Ultraman Great), but also
Ultraman Max to an extent. Plus there was Zero and Leito's odd-couple relationship in
Geed, jockeying for control of the same body. And you've got
Taiga, where Hiroyuki has three Ultras inhabiting him at once. (Those last two both remind me of
Kamen Rider Den-O in different ways.)
Granted, though, I don't think any of those felt as much like a friendship as X/Daiji or Z/Haruki. Joneus was sort of a wise mentor voice occasionally speaking to Hikari. Great's relationship with Jack Shindo reminded me of KITT and Michael Knight, a wry observer kibitzing over the hero's shoulder. Kaito and Max had occasional conversations getting to know each other and comparing points of view, but not often. Leito and Zero developed a friendship of a sort, but it was more of a bickering, competitive relationship. And Taiga, Titas, and Fuma were usually bantering with one another inside Hiroyuki's head, so it didn't leave much room for friendship with any particular one of them.
You know, I was just thinking the other day about how the first half-dozen New Generation series eschewed the usual "Ultra within human host" arrangement. In
Ginga and
X, the Ultras inhabited items carried by their hosts -- Ginga's Spark Doll form and the X Devizer that X inhabited as data -- rather than actually being merged with their hosts. Then you had Orb, who was just a guy with Ultra powers. Geed was an Ultra/human hybrid with innate powers (although you had the usual possession dynamic, sort of, with Zero and Leito). And Rosso, Blu, and Grigio inherited their powers from deceased holders and thus had no other personalities sharing their bodies.
But then
Taiga brought the "possession" dynamic back with a vengeance, and then you had the partner relationship between Z and Haruki. Although that was followed up with Kengo/Trigger being a single personality. And then Decker, where there is a separate Ultra being, but a nonverbal one that doesn't exhibit any distinct personality from Kanata's.
