King Ghidorah
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Toho character | |
|---|---|
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| King Ghidorah | |
| Species | Three-Headed Dragon |
| Height | 49-140 metres |
| Weight | 25,000-100,000 tons |
| Wingspan | 93-175 metres |
| Air speed | Mach 3-4 |
| Allies | Gigan Baragon (in GMK: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack) Mothra (in GMK: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack) |
| Major enemies | Godzilla Rodan Mothra Anguirus Gorosaurus Kumonga Zone Fighter Leo |
| First appearance | Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster |
| Created by | Eiji Tsuburaya |
| Portrayed by: | Shōwa series Shoichi Hirose Susumu Utsumi Kanta Ina Heisei series 'Hurricane Ryu' Hariken Millenium series Akira Ohashi |
King Ghidorah (キングギドラ Kingu Gidora?), sometimes spelled Ghidrah or Ghidora, is a daikaiju featured in several of Toho Studios' Godzilla films and (in derivative forms) in their Mothra Trilogy. It is commonly referred to as the New Years Monster known for appearing at the American New Year. Ghidorah is among the most powerful creatures in daikaiju eiga with a reputation that has earned it the title "The King of Terror". It is often considered Godzilla's archenemy. King Ghidorah is also one of the daikaiju most often mind controlled; it acts completely autonomously in three movies, in other appearances being controlled for most of its screen time by aliens.
Created as an opponent for Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra in 1964's Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, Ghidorah is a golden dragon-like space monster with two legs, three heads on long necks, bat-like wings, and two tails. It was said to be 100 meters tall with a 150-meter wingspan and to weigh 30,000 metric tons. King Ghidorah was brought to life on the movie screen by a stunt actor inside an elaborate three-piece costume, with a team of puppeteers to control the beast's many appendages. Its alarming shrieks — a different ringing pitch for each of its heads — are among the genre's most recognizable sound effects. Its design is due to special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya based on a minimal description in the script: "It has three heads, two tails, and a voice like a bell."
In recent films Ghidorah has undergone several revisions to its origin and appearance — for instance, a 150-meter tall irradiated triplet of genetically-engineered pets with a Rodan-like cackle, called Dorats in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, and a 49-meter-tall guardian monster in Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack — and has been realized via CGI as well as suitmation.
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[edit] Shōwa era
Initially, Ghidorah was said to have come from outer space, an ancient evil responsible for destroying civilizations on many planets, including Venus (Mars in the English dub). Arriving on Earth in a magnetic meteorite, Ghidorah devastated much of the Japanese countryside before being repelled by the monstrous team of Godzilla, Mothra, and Rodan. In the follow-up movie, Invasion of Astro-Monster, it was revealed to be a mind-controlled pawn of beings from Planet X, a newly discovered planet in Jupiter's umbra, who called it Monster Zero. These "Xilians" coveted Earth's water resources and took control of Godzilla and Rodan in an attempt to conquer Earth. Earth intervened by freeing the monsters, and after a fight with Godzilla and Rodan, King Ghidorah flew back into space. While generally accepted as a victory for Godzilla and Rodan, some have argued that Ghidorah actually won the encounter and left of his own accord, possibly because he was too injured to continue attacking Earth. Some have speculated that when Godzilla is found sleeping on an island in Ebirah, Horror of the Deep, he was recovering from his battle with Ghidorah.
King Ghidorah made two more appearances in the Shōwa Series, both times as an agent of alien invaders. In Destroy All Monsters, controlled by the Kilaaks, it fought and was apparently killed by the combined might of ten of Earth's daikaiju. There's some confusion around this event because in Godzilla vs. Gigan, King Ghidorah returns. It should be noted, though, that Destroy All Monsters was set in the year 1999, while Godzilla vs. Gigan is set in the 1970s.
Ghidorah also appeared in two episodes of the tokusatsu superhero TV series, Meteor Man Zone. He appeared in two back-to-back episodes, and was one of the few monsters to survive defeat at the hands of Zone Fighter.
[edit] Heisei era
The daikaiju was revamped for 1991's Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, third in the VS Series. Time-travelers from the 23rd century (called "Futurians") released three genetically-engineered creatures called Dorats onto Lagos Island, the location at which a Godzillasaurus was to be exposed to radiation and become Godzilla. Instead, the irradiated Dorats fused into Ghidorah, which the Futurians then used to devastate present-day (1992) Japan. The marauder was defeated by a reincarnated Godzilla; this newer Godzilla was larger and more powerful than ever because of long term exposure to nuclear waste and an encounter with a modern nuclear submarine. Even so, Ghidorah appeared to be winning the battle until its controlling computer was sabotaged. Godzilla managed to blow off Ghidorah's center head and burn a hole through its left wing. Ghidorah fell into the ocean, where it remained comatose for hundreds of years.
[edit] Mecha-King Ghidorah
The Futurian Emi Kano recovered the beast in 2204 and, from its body and futuristic technology, created the cyborg Mecha-King Ghidorah (メカキングギドラ Meka Kingu Gidora?), equipped with solar-paneled wings, an entirely mechanical middle head, and several devices specifically designed for combat with Godzilla. This incarnation managed to stun Godzilla with its Capture Cables, grasp it with the giant Machine Hand, and carry it out to sea. Godzilla finally blasted the monster at point-blank range, and both plummeted into the water. Godzilla would return the following year (Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth), but Ghidorah would not appear again in the Versus series. The cybernetic remains of Mecha-King Ghidorah, however, would later be studied by the United Nations Godzilla Countermeasures Center (U.N.G.C.C.) and the technology used to design and construct Mechagodzilla (Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II).
[edit] Mothra Trilogy
In 1996's Rebirth of Mothra, a similar monster called Desghidorah or Death Ghidorah (デスギドラ Desugidora?) appears as a black, quadrapedal (four-legged), three-headed dragon who could breathe fire and lava bolts and open fissures into the Earth as well as absorb energy from the planet it was destroying. Mothra's son Leo defeated it and sealed it away, making the world safe from its evil.
King Ghidorah reappeared in 1998's Rebirth of Mothra III, resuming his world-destroying roots from the Showa Era. Having come from outer space and responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs, he returns in the present day as an older and more powerful Grand King Ghidorah (グランドギドラ Gurando Gidora?, Grand Ghidorah). Leo battled the younger Cretaceous King Ghidorah in prehistoric times as well to negate the existence of the current-age Ghidrah. At first it worked, but the tail of Cretaceous King Ghidorah which is lost in a battle against Leo regenerated over time and began a 2nd Grand King Ghidorah, which Leo destroyed.
[edit] Millennium era
[edit] Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack
King Ghidorah appeared in the third of the Shinsei Series of Godzilla films, 2001's Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack. Ghidorah adopted yet another origin for this film, as one of three legendary guardians of the Japanese isles, similar to the eight-headed dragon Yamata no Orochi of Japanese mythology. (In fact, the three-headed Ghidorah in this film is said to be underdeveloped, awakened from hibernation before it could grow all eight of its heads.) Godzilla again attacks Japan and is repelled by the combined might of the guardian monsters (Baragon, Mothra, and Ghidorah) and the Japan Self-Defense Forces. This film was the first time that King Ghidorah was depicted as a hero, rather than a villain. It was also the first time that King Ghidorah was physically portrayed as being smaller than Godzilla.
When Ghidorah first appears, his wings are folded and he attacks Godzilla by biting him and administering electric shocks through his teeth. Godzilla renders him unconscious with relative ease. After Mothra is destroyed, her energy flows into Ghidorah. Ghidorah awakens, re-energized, and spreads his wings to take to the air. Godzilla fires his heat ray at King Ghidorah, but the dragon blocks the attack with a force-field. King Ghidorah then gathers the energy of his force field and fires it back at the King of the Monsters in the form of a massive fireball. The fireball has sufficient power to knock Godzilla into the ocean and open a wound on his neck.
King Ghidorah then fires bolts of energy at Godzilla from each of his mouths, but the energy seems to only strengthen Godzilla, rather than harm him. Godzilla again fires his heat ray (this time augmented with Ghidorah's own energy) and completely obliterates the three-headed dragon.
[edit] Kaiser Ghidorah
Kaiser Ghidorah (alternately Keizer Ghidorah. Officially, Toho refers to him as Monster X II) is the most recent, and most powerful, incarnation of Godzilla’s longtime nemesis. Unlike Ghidorah’s previous incarnations (save for Death Ghidorah of the Mothra Trilogy) Keizer Ghidorah is quadrapedal. Much like his older forms, Keizer Ghidorah stands significantly taller then Godzilla when they battle. Keizer Ghidorah’s skin is the traditional golden colour, with the occasional tinge of blue and his eyes are sunken deep into his heads, red and pupilless. In a change from the older incarnations of Ghidorah, Keizer Ghidorah has rather small wings, as opposed to the intimidating and incredibly large wings of his older incarnations. Keizer Ghidorah, however, returns to his evil roots, changing back from his benevolent portrayal in Godzilla Mothra King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack.
Keizer Ghidorah evolved from of the skeletal Monster X, leading to some speculation that Monster X may be a type of chrysalis stage for Ghidorah. After Godzilla and Monster X battled to a stand still, Monster X transformed into Ghidorah. Godzilla, seemingly undaunted at the titanic beast that appeared before him, fired his atomic ray immediately after Ghidorah rose. Keizer Ghidorah fired his gravity rays, locking his beam with Godzilla’s. Unlike when Godzilla and Monster X’s beams collided, Ghidorah and Godzilla began to push against the others beam, Ghidorah proving too powerful for Godzilla. Godzilla is thrown to the ground, left at the mercy of Keizer Ghidorah and his devastating rays. Ghidorah smashes Godzilla across the destroyed landscape, sending him crashing into crumbling buildings and slamming him to the ground. Eventually, Ghidorah uses his immense weight to crush Godzilla, weakening him so he can no longer fight back. Ghidorah then reaches out and seizes Godzilla in his mouths, lifting him high off the ground. The mighty dragon then leeches the life from Godzilla’s body, rendering him unconscious, or possibly dead.
It is at this point when the mutant soldier Ozaki, realizing Godzilla is their only hope at destroying Keizer Ghidorah, leaps into the main firing chair of the warship Gotengo and transfers his “Keizer” energy to Godzilla. The energy awakens Godzilla once more, endowing him with immense power. Godzilla proceeds to turn the tables on Keizer Ghidorah, decapitating his middle head with his atomic breath and cutting his right head off by redirecting one of Ghidorah’s own rays. He then pummels Ghidorah and hurls him to the sky, firing a ultra-powerful spiral ray that sends Keizer Ghidorah flying high into the sky, where he explodes and is destroyed forever.
The Keizer Ghidorah incarnation marks the first time in his history that his gravity beams were actually used to disrupt gravity. Keizer Ghidorah’s rays act as a form of “tractor beam”, allowing Ghidorah to lift his opponent and move them around at will.
[edit] Popularity
King Ghidorah consistently ranks as one of the most popular daikaiju in the Godzilla films, (after Godzilla and Mothra). This fame, coupled with the unimpressive box office run of Godzilla vs Biollante (1989), inspired Kazuki Omori to revive Ghidorah for the 1991 sequel.
Ghidorah (often also as Mecha-King Ghidorah) has appeared in several Godzilla video games:
- Godzilla: Monster of Monsters
- Super Godzilla (also "Mecha")
- Godzilla: Battle Legends (also "Mecha")
- Godzilla Giant Monster March (also "Mecha")
- Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee (also "Mecha")
- Godzilla: Domination (also "Mecha")
- Godzilla: Save the Earth (also "Mecha")
Ghidorah also appears often in pop culture, for instance as Godzilla's adversary in a special effects shoot depicted in Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. It is also the namesake of both Daniel Dumile's alter-ego "King Gheedorah" and (presumably) the Japanese rap group King Gidora. "Monster Zero" is referenced in Rob Zombie's "The Great American Nightmare". In an Episode of The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, an obvious spoof, named Kittyra, fights with Cragera, a spoof of Gamera. In Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest, there is a 3-headed Chimera-like boss monster named 'Ghidrah', apparently a nod to the famous monster. Stock footage of Ghidorah was frequently employed in the cartoon Courage the Cowardly Dog. In The Emperor's New School episode, Kronk Moves In, Yzma's alligator turns into the shape of Ghidorah because of her "Ghidorah potion" she threw by accident. In Nicktoons: Battle for Volcano Island, the villian the Mawgu transforms into a monster that resembles Ghidorah.
[edit] Abilities
King Ghidorah has had a number of changes made to himself over the years, but most of his traditional battle characteristics have remained the same.
[edit] Breath Weapons
King Ghidorah is able to fire off powerful beams of what looks like electrical bolts of energy from each mouth, sometimes referred to as "gravity beams." The gravity beams have lived up to their name in Zone Fighter and Godzilla: Final Wars, where they were able to lift opponents and objects off the ground and throw them around or bring them closer. In other appearances, the beams were simply bolts of concussive thermal energy. Different incarnations have different looking beams, but they all function similarly. Death Ghidorah was able to breathe a stream of flames from its middle head, known as Hell's Flame. In Rebirth of Mothra 3, Cretaceous Ghidorah had fire breath instead of the regular energy bolts but this is likely because he was in his younger undeveloped form.
[edit] Wing lightning
In Rebirth of Mothra 3, Grand King Ghidorah was able to project six bolts of lightning from each of his wings.
[edit] Golden armor
Ghidorah has armored scales that provide him with some degree of protection. However, it does not guarantee total invulnerabilty.
The Showa era Ghidorah's scales made him almost immune to energy attacks, but seemed to do little else. In Invasion of Astro-Monster, Ghidorah withstood several blasts of Godzilla's heat ray with no ill effects. In Destroy All Monsters, Anguirus used his tusks and fangs to lacerate one of the monster's necks.
In Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, Godzilla was able to sever one of Ghidorah's necks and burn a hole through his left wing.
Death Ghidorah's black scales appeared to be a tough armor that could shrug off all but the strongest attacks, not just energy attacks but physical attacks as well.
In Rebirth of Mothra 3, Grand King Ghidorah had scales that were reflective and repelled even the strongest of Mothra Leo's attacks. However, when Leo reached his final armored form he was able to cut off one of Grand Ghidorah's wings and finally completely destroy him with an energy tackle through the monster.
In Godzilla Mothra King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, Godzilla drew blood as he bit down on one of Ghidorah's necks. At the end of the movie, Ghidorah is incinerated by a point-blank blast of Godzilla's nuclear breath.
[edit] Hurricane winds
Ghidorah is able to create hurricane-strength winds by standing and flapping his wings, or by gliding over an area at a low altitude. Ghidorah can reach interplanetary velocities, although his atmospheric speed was said to be approximately Mach 4 in Godzilla vs. Gigan (this may represent a comfortable maneuvering speed for the monster).
[edit] Assorted other abilities
The Showa-era King Ghidorah had the ability to generate magnetic fields. While it was never stated directly what purpose they served, it was stated that they were somehow connected to its powers. It seems possible that it used them as a form of levitation. In Rebirth of Mothra, Death Ghidorah had an explosive ability that allowed it to open fissures in the Earth's crust. In Rebirth of Mothra 3, Grand King Ghidorah appeared to have a range of Psionic abilities, allowing it to teleport small objects, control minds, and giving telekinetic capabilities strong enough for King Ghidorah to levitate.
[edit] External links
- Barry's Temple of Godzilla
- Toho Kingdom
- Kaijuphile: Monster Site. Monster Obsession.
- Monster Zero News
- Sci-Fi Japan
- Godzilla Stomp
- The Godzilla Shrine
| Toho Tokusatsu | |
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| Technology: | Oxygen Destroyer · Markalite · Gotengo · Super X |
| Other: | Fictional locations · Alien races · Monsterland and Monster Island |
