King Ghidorah
| King Ghidorah | |
|---|---|
| Godzilla film series character | |
| File:KingGhidorah.jpg | |
| First appearance | Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964) |
| Created by | Eiji Tsuburaya |
| In-universe information | |
| Alias | Ghidrah Monster Zero Mecha-King Ghidorah Keizer Ghidorah Monster X II Thousand-Year Old Dragon |
| Species | Dragon |
| Gender | Male |
| Title | King |
| Stats | |
| Abilities/Weapons | Flight Breath weapons Interplanetary Travel |
| Allies | Gigan (Shōwa era) Baragon/Mothra (Millennium series) |
| Major Enemies | Godzilla Rodan Mothra |
King Ghidorah (キングギドラ, Kingu Gidora) (also known as King Ghidrah, King Ghidora and Monster Zero) is a kaiju, a fictional Japanese monster featured in several of Toho Studios' Godzilla films. Ghidorah appears as an armless, three-headed dragon with large wings and two tails.
Appearances
Shōwa series
- Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964): The original version of the monster is an alien who travels to Earth in a magnetic meteorite, and devastates Japan until repelled by Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra.
- Invasion of the Astro-Monster (1965): Ghidorah is now the mind-controlled pawn of aliens from "Planet X", and refer to Ghidorah as "Monster Zero". The "Xians" covet Earth's water resources and also take control of Godzilla and Rodan in an attempt to conquer the planet. When Earth forces free Godzilla and Rodan, the pair drive Ghidorah off into space.
- Destroy All Monsters (1968): Set in the future, Ghidorah is controlled by the alien Kilaaks. The monster is eventually killed by Godzilla and several other monsters.
- Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972): Set in the present day, Ghidorah teams with fellow monster Gigan until both are driven away by Godzilla and Anguirus.
Heisei series
- Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991): Time-travelers from the 23rd century (called "Futurians") travel to the past to release three genetically-engineered bat-like creatures called "Dorats" at the location at which a Godzillasaurus was to be exposed to radiation and become Godzilla. The irradiated Dorats fuse into King Ghidorah, which the Futurians then use to devastate present-day Japan. Godzilla eventually battles and cripples Ghidorah, with the wounded monster falling into the ocean. The Futurians, however, locate Ghidorah in the future, and using advanced technology create the cyborg "Mecha-King Ghidorah". The monster battles Godzilla to a standstill, before both disappear into the ocean.
Millennium series
- Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001): Godzilla again attacks Japan and is repelled by the combined might of the world guardian monsters (Baragon, Mothra, and Ghidorah) and the Japan Self-Defense Forces.
- Godzilla: Final Wars (2004): Godzilla defeats every monster ever previously encountered before battling "Monster X": a disguise for King Ghidorah.
Other Appearances
The monster also featured in two films in the Mothra trilogy, both of which involved time-travel and different versions of Ghidorah:
- Rebirth of Mothra (1996): A version of Ghidorah, referred to as "Desghidorah" (or Death Ghidorah) appeared as a black, quadrupedal, three-headed extraterrestrial dragon. Freed from imprisonment in a prehistoric cave, the creature battles both an adult and larvae form of Mothra before being entombed once again.
- Rebirth of Mothra III (1998): Ghidorah appears in his classic design and battles Mothra Leo, who undergoes several transformations to match the monster.
In other media
Television
Ghidorah appeared in two episodes of the tokusatsu superhero TV series, Zone Fighter (1973).
Video games
Godzilla: Monster of Monsters (1989, Nintendo Entertainment System), Godzilla 2: War of the Monsters (1992, Nintendo Entertainment System), Super Godzilla (1993, Super Nintendo Entertainment System), Godzilla: Battle Legends (1993, Turbo Duo), Godzilla Trading Battle (1998, PlayStation), Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee (2002, Nintendo GameCube and Xbox. Released in Japan in 2002 as Godzilla: Domination! for the Game Boy Advance), Godzilla: Save the Earth (2004, PlayStation 2 and Xbox), Godzilla: Unleashed (2007, PlayStation 2 and Wii. Also released in 2007 as Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash for the Nintendo DS).
Abilities
The creature is capable of tremendous destruction due to its size, flight (with the creature's wings also generating hurricane strength winds) and possesses several breath weapons (e.g., heat and energy).
External links
- Toho Kingdom - fan site
