On August 11, 2026, an article was published on the Chinese portal site Sohu, stating that there was a controversy over Ultraman Zero's ranking in the Ultraman 60th Anniversary Popularity Poll.

The article introduced, 'The Ultraman 60th Anniversary Popularity Poll was held on the Chinese streaming platform bilibili, causing a major stir. As the conflict between Ultraman Tiga and Zero fans intensified, the poll ultimately saw Tiga's fans overwhelmingly dominate Zero in the rankings, and Zero, a popular character representing the new generation and a long-time fixture in the top ranks of popularity polls, was temporarily pushed out of the top 10.'

It also explained, 'As the poll neared its end, the vote counts for Ultraman characters positioned before and after Zero became unnaturally close, and there were even instances where the vote counts were exactly the same. From there, Zero's ranking began a dramatic comeback. There are also views that there might have been manipulation by the operating side.' It stated, 'In the final results, Tiga won an undeniable victory, securing an overwhelming 8.76 million votes. Second place went to Mebius with 1.79 million votes, third to Leo with 1.46 million votes, and from fourth to seventh place, Geed, Orb, Ginga, and Gaia were lined up.'

Meanwhile, 'Zero, who had attracted attention, finished in 8th place with 1.13 million votes, despite being sarcastically dubbed as having received support from the administration. Following this result, the nickname 'Zero Laoba (Laoba = a Chinese internet slang term used to mock someone who finished 8th)' even emerged on the Chinese internet. Nexus and Zett took 9th and 10th places, respectively, and Dyna was 11th. Dyna was the only one of the Heisei Trilogy who failed to make it into the top 10,' it mentioned.

The article stated, 'While the 8th place result is a somewhat unsatisfying ranking considering Zero's inherent popularity, at least he made it into the top 10. However, if there had been no unnatural vote count movements, Zero would likely have fallen out of the top 10. In that case, it would have been an embarrassment for the production company, Tsuburaya Productions. Tsuburaya Productions regards 'Zero as a popular Ultraman in China,' and if Zero couldn't even make it into the top 10, they would completely lose face.'

It then argued, 'Although numerous controversies arose during this poll, thanks to these controversies, the buzz and attention significantly surpassed past popularity polls. It is unlikely that such a highly talked-about popularity poll will appear again in the coming decades.' (Translation/Editing by Iwata)