Bagan
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Bagan (バガン Bagan) is an ancient super kaiju created by Toho that first appeared in the 1993 Godzilla game, Super Godzilla.
While Bagan has never made an onscreen appearance, he is particularly well-known for his numerous planned but ultimately scrapped film roles. The first proposed appearance of Bagan was Resurrection of Godzilla, a film proposed by Tomoyuki Tanaka in 1980 as a revival of the Godzilla franchise, which was replaced with The Return of Godzilla. This version of Bagan was an ancient shapeshifting god monster that took three different forms: the dragon-like Doragon Reijuu, the ape-like Enjin Reijuu, and the fish-like Mizu Reijuu. In the later 1983 revision of this proposal, Bagan eventually transformed into a huge totem-like amalgamation of all three forms, only to be defeated by Godzilla. A second version of Bagan was proposed for the film Mothra vs. Bagan, a film starring Mothra that would have been set in the same universe as the Heisei Godzilla films. This Bagan was an ancient demonic beast that was sealed away in the Himalayas in ancient times, only to be reawakened in the modern day by global warming. Bagan would have fought Mothra in a final confrontation in Bangkok, being defeated by the combined efforts of Mothra and her larva. This same version of Bagan was planned to go on to face Godzilla in the third entry of the Heisei series, Godzilla 3. When Mothra vs. Bagan was scrapped, this project was reworked into Godzilla vs. Bagan, which was itself replaced with Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah. Bagan was potentially considered for another film, also titled Godzilla vs. Bagan, which according to Takao Okawara was an early version of Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. Bagan's last proposed appearance was Yamato Takeru II, an unmade sequel to Toho's 1994 fantasy film Yamato Takeru. Though all of Bagan's film appearances were scrapped, he was featured as the final boss in the 1993 Super Nintendo game Super Godzilla, and also made an appearance in Godzilla Movie Studio Tour.
Name
According to some publications, the original version of Bagan featured in the 1980 and 1983 drafts for Resurrection of Godzilla is named Bakan (バカン). The majority of official publications make no distinction in name between "Bakan" and "Bagan," and refer to the original 1980-1983 incarnation of the monster as Bagan. The reason for this name change is unknown.
In the Mothra vs. Bagan storyboards, one of the characters introduces Bagan by referring to the monster by its name in kanji: 馬銜.
Design
The earliest version of Bagan from Resurrection of Godzilla had three separate forms: an ape-like Sacred Monkey Beast, a fish-like Sacred Water Beast, and a winged Sacred Dragon Beast. Each form could only be used on land, in the sea, and in the air, respectively. Also, each form was individually said to be a different color, with only the Sacred Water Beast's color being known through it's description of a "slimy green sea dragon." For the 1983 draft, an additional fourth, totem-like form was written in. No official, contemporary concept art exists of any of these forms.
Fanmade artwork of Sacred Monkey Beast, Sacred Water Beast and Sacred Dragon Beast Bagan for Resurrection of Godzilla (1980) from issue 7 of the fanzine Godzilla Resurrection Committee
Artwork of Demon Beast Bagan Resurrection of Godzila (1983) by Hurricane Ryu Hariken, from Encyclopedia of Godzilla (Mechagodzilla Edition)
The legendary shape-shifting monster was revived for Mothra vs. Bagan. In the first version of the movie, the monster would have had three forms, like in the original 1980 proposal. According to Shinji Nishikawa: Drawing Book of Godzilla, the only form which was specifically described was the Spirit God Beast (Sacred Monkey Beast equivalent)—which was mentioned as having "a figure like an elephant."[3] In addition, there were the Dragon God Beast and Demon God Beast forms (a mix of the Sacred Dragon Beast/Sacred Water Beast forms, and a replacement of the Water God Beast, respectively). Widely varying concepts were submitted by Shinji Nishikawa, Minoru Yoshida, Hiroto Aragaki, and Takashi Sonoyama, though little about these pieces seem to have been carried over to later designs. As development continued however, special effects man Koichi Kawakita decided that Bagan would have only a single form. For this second version, Nishikawa and Yoshida continued submitting art with the addition of Yasushi Nirasawa. Yoshida and Nirasawa steered the direction of the monster's look, with one of Yoshida's concepts ("Bagan Design B") being used in storyboards, while Nirasawa's demonic-looking concept was decided upon as being the final design.
"Design A" has a vaguely Godzilla-like shape. It has taupe- or black-colored and pinkish red armored skin, protruding structures from his shoulders and base of his tail with yellow orbs, yellow spikes on his jaw and elbows and running down his back, plus yellow nails, horns and tail fur. "Design B" is white and green in coloration, sharing
Ver. 1: Spirit God Beast concept by Shinji Nishikawa
Ver. 1: Dragon God Beast concept by Shinji Nishikawa
Ver. 1: Demon God Beast concept by Shinji Nishikawa
Ver. 2: Bagan Design A by Minoru Yoshida
Ver. 2: Bagan Design B by Minoru Yoshida
Ver. 2: Final design by Yasushi Nirasawa
The red-and-dark brown "Design A" artwork from Mothra vs. Bagan commonly placed alongside information regarding the Super Godzilla incarnation of the creature (and even recolored to more accurately match the video game's sprite in Super Godzilla Official Guide Book) is not actually the exact source of its design. Another piece of concept art by Minoru Yoshida was recycled for Bagan's final form in Super Godzilla, though with different colors: an umber and light brown body coloration with yellow horns and spikes. Differences between the Super Godzilla design and the "Design A" Bagan, aside from coloration, include the lack of bulbous orbs in Bagan's legs, back and shoulders, and the shoulder and tail protrusions being more akin to spikes. Bagan's Energy Body form is a brown tangled mass which bears resemblance to Biollante's nucleus.
Bagan's sprite
Mothra vs. Bagan concept art by Minoru Yoshida recycled for the game
"Design A" Bagan recolored to match the in-game sprite, from Super Godzilla Official Guide Book
Bagan's Energy Body form sprite
Development
Bagan was conceived for a new Godzilla film titled Resurrection of Godzilla, proposed by Tomoyuki Tanaka in 1980. Bagan would combat the JSDF in the early part of the film, shifting between his three forms before battling Godzilla once the latter arrived in Japan. Godzilla would defeat Bagan, then become the primary antagonist for the remainder of the film. Bagan was retained in Akira Murao and Shuichi Nagahara's 1983 proposal for the film, though with an added ability. After failing to defeat Godzilla with his three forms, Bagan would transform into the "Demon Beast" form, a totem-like amalgamation of his other forms. Despite this new ability, Bagan met the same fate in this draft. Eventually, Resurrection of Godzilla was reworked into The Return of Godzilla, which excised Bagan and focused almost entirely on Godzilla.
Bagan was brought back for a planned 1990 solo film starring Mothra, Mothra vs. Bagan. While at first Bagan was conceptualized as having three different forms for this movie as well (Spirit God Beast, Dragon God Beast and Demon God Beast), Koichi Kawakita axed the shape-shifting and Bagan's design and powers were ultimately overhauled. He remained an ancient evil creature, but had only a single form. Numerous different designs were created for Bagan by several artists, but this proposed film met the same fate as Resurrection of Godzilla. When Godzilla vs. Biollante didn't perform as well as Toho had hoped at the box office, it felt making another film introducing a new monster was too big of a risk, and scrapped the project.
History
Resurrection of Godzilla (1980)
The first version of Bagan was a shape-shifter. It started out as an ape-like creature but after being wounded it became a dragon-like creature. It later dove into the water and became a sea monster-like creature with a dragon-like creature attached to the top of its body. After Godzilla was awakened by nuclear dumping in the Pacific and drawn to Japan in search of more nuclear fuel, he fought and defeated Bagan.
Resurrection of Godzilla (1983)
The 1983 Bagan is nearly identical to the 1980 version, though with some major differences. Each time it changed form, it healed itself. Also when it ran into Godzilla, finding that it couldn't defeat him in any single form, it transformed into a towering combination of its three forms. Bagan managed to temporarily defeat Godzilla in this stage, though it soon found out that it could no longer change shape, meaning it could no longer heal itself. This allowed Godzilla to rise back up and destroy it.
Mothra vs. Bagan
thumb|200px|right|Bagan is covered in webbing by Mothra in a storyboard for the second version of Mothra vs. Bagan Bagan was an ancient creature that destroyed the world's forests. He was sealed away in the Himalayas long ago by a clan of Mothra, but due to global warming, the beast broke free of his frozen tomb. He began his savage attack against humanity, destroying some remote villages and the city of Calcutta, but was eventually confronted by Mothra. As the fight between the two monsters brought them to Bangkok, Mothra's egg hatched and the larva arrived to help its parent, and with their combined powers they were able to end Bagan's reign of terror. A mortally wounded Mothra then carries Bagan's unconscious body out to sea and sealed him away again before perishing.
Godzilla 3
To be added.
Godzilla vs. Bagan (1991)
To be added.
Godzilla vs. Bagan (1995)
To be added.
Rebirth of Mothra Trilogy and Yamato Takeru II
According to the book Heisei Godzilla Perfection, Bagan was to play a role in the unmade sequel to the 1994 fantasy film Yamato Takeru, alongside Orochi. He was also considered by Koichi Kawakita to make an appearance in the Rebirth of Mothra trilogy.
Abilities
In the storyboards for Mothra vs. Bagan, Bagan is shown to be blowing a hole in one of Mothra's wings with an energy beam from his mouth. He is also shown to be firing some sort of lightning bolt from his main nasal horn. He is also able to emit Wings of Light from his back, enabling him to fly.
Shape-Shifting
The only known powers for the version of Bagan in the 1980 version of Resurrection of Godzilla are shape-shifting into three separate forms. The Bagan from the 1983 version also had the added ability to heal himself when changing form, and an additional fourth form which lacked the ability to heal.
Flight
Many of Bagan's proposed forms possessed the ability of flight, while in Mothra vs. Bagan he could project wings of light from his back, which granted him the ability to fly.
Bagan spawns Wings of Light (Mothra vs. Bagan storyboard)
Physical Abilities
- Slasher Claw
- Tackles
- Extendable claws
- Movable head horns
- Whip-like tail
The version of Bagan that appeared in Super Godzilla possessed very high physical strength and durability. He could slash with his powerful Slasher Claw attack, perform a Diamond Storm in which he would shoot white, star-like objects from his horns, fire a white Plasma Beam from his mouth and generate a Force Field to block incoming attacks. Bagan's attacks were the strongest used by any enemy in the game.
Defensive Capabilities
In addition to having the strongest attacks in Super Godzilla, Bagan had the most health out of any enemy in the game. Normal Godzilla's attacks would only cause a very small amount of damage, making it necessary to transform into Super Godzilla to defeat Bagan and complete the game.
Energy Abilities
In Super Godzilla, Bagan could shoot white star-like objects from his horns, an attack called the Diamond Storm. He could also shoot a white plasma beam from his mouth.
Weaknesses
The 1983 Bagan could no longer change form (and thus heal) once it morphed into his final Demon Beast form, allowing Godzilla to defeat him.
In Mothra vs. Bagan, Bagan was weakened by Mothra's poisonous powder.
Filmography
- Resurrection of Godzilla (1980; scrapped)
- Resurrection of Godzilla (1983; scrapped)
- Mothra vs. Bagan/Mothra vs. Godzilla[4] (1990; scrapped)
- Godzilla 3[5]/Godzilla vs. Bagan[6] (1991; scrapped)
- Godzilla vs. Bagan (1995; scrapped)[7]
- Rebirth of Mothra trilogy (1996-1998; considered)[8]
- Yamato Takeru II (1997; scrapped)[8]
Video Games
Super Godzilla
Bagan received a starring role as the final boss in the video game Super Godzilla. Supercharged by cells from Godzilla and King Ghidorah that his alien commanders had spliced into him, Bagan is easily the most powerful foe in the game, generally seen as impossible to defeat as normal Godzilla, and still seen as a difficult opponent as Super Godzilla.
"This original super monster is making his first appearance in this game. The monster Bagan, born in a super-ancient China shrouded in legend and myth, rules over land, sea, and air. The aliens fused Godzilla cells and King Ghidorah cells with Bagan to create the strongest, most evil and ferocious monster. He has unimaginable destructive power. The Godzilla and King Ghidorah cells fused with him enable him to use the weapons of monsters past, such as fire breath attack and laser light from his horns and make those weapons even more powerful. The thick Bagan cells are even more indestructible than metal and his super-weight makes his body so sturdy that he does not even notice Godzilla's attacks." — Super Godzilla Manual (U.S.)[1]
The Diamond Storm Charging
Diamond Storm diamonds
Godzilla Movie Studio Tour
Bagan appears alongside Dogolas and Godzilla in the Publicity Dep., where players can create mock posters for their custom movie, and even print out the resulting creation. A variety of angles are supplied for use. He also appears in the Kid's Shop in the form of a printable "Sumo Wrestling" tabletop game, with his opponent being Godzilla.
Publicity Dep. Poster (US)
Publicity Dep. Poster (Japanese)
Sumo Wrestling fighters
Sumo Wrestling arena
Gallery
- Main article: Bagan/Gallery.
Trivia
- Bagan is one of only two monsters in the Godzilla franchise to be more greater in weight than the final form of Biollante, who weighs in at a lesser 200,000 metric tons. The other is SpaceGodzilla, whose flying form weighs a massive 720,000 metric tons.
- One of Bagan's designs was reused for the kaiju Kilazee from Ultraman: Towards the Future. Both creatures were designed by Shinji Nishikawa.
- Another Ultra kaiju, Rebuilt Buildgamera, who was featured in the 1992 PC game Ultra Special Tactics Squad Go!, bears a resemblance to some of Bagan's concept art.
- Several of Desghidorah's concept art pieces bear resemblance to some concept art of the 1990 Bagan as well.
- According to Takao Okawara, Bagan may have been planned for another film titled Godzilla vs. Bagan in 1995. Okawara stated that while Godzilla vs. Destoroyah was being planned, he had heard about a film titled Godzilla vs. Bagan, but did not know any details about the plot.[7]
- "Bagan" is Indonesian for blueprint or draft, a peculiar coincidence given that none of the proposed films involving him were made.
External Links
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 While the instruction manual for Super Godzilla and Godzilla 1954-1999 Super Complete Works list Bagan's height and weight as 150 meters and 280,000 metric tons respectively, the Super Godzilla Official Guide Book says Bagan is 130 meters in height and weighs 90,000 metric tons.
References
This is a list of references for Bagan. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]
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