Hedorah

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Hedorah
Hedorah in Godzilla: Final Wars
Initial Stage Hedorah in Godzilla vs. Hedorah
Aquatic Stage Hedorah in Godzilla vs. Hedorah
Landing Stage Hedorah in Godzilla vs. Hedorah
Flying Stage Hedorah in Godzilla vs. Hedorah
Perfect Stage Hedorah in Godzilla vs. Hedorah
Alternate names Smog Monster, Hedoron, Hedrah,[1][2] Hedora, Hydrox, Gomi,[3] Hedoji,GZB Hedochi,GZB HedchiGZB
Subtitle(s) Smog Monster (公害怪獣,   Kōgai Kaijū)[4]
Ninja Monster (忍者怪獣,   Ninja Kaijū)[5]
Species Alien pollution creature,
Sludge-like chemical-eating microorganism colonyGPotM
Height Showa: 30 meters (Landing),[4]
60 meters (Perfect)[6][7]
Millennium: 120 meters[8]
Length Showa: 0.1mm-20m (Initial/Aquatic),[7][6]
40 meters (Flying)[4]
Weight Showa: 1 kilogram (Initial),[7]
48,000 metric tons (Perfect)[7][6]
Millennium: 70,000 metric tons[8]
Forms Initial Stage, Aquatic Stage,
Landing Stage, Flying Stage,
Perfect Stage
Controlled by XiliensGFW
Relations Hedochi (grandson)GDB
Allies EbirahGFW, Monster XG:O, GiganG:O, SpaceGodzillaG:O
Enemies Godzilla, Rodan,G:PotM Anguirus,G:PotM Mothra,GI Mothra Leo,GI
Mechagodzilla,G:L KiryuG:O
Conceived of by Yoshimitsu Banno
Designed by ShowaYasuyuki Inoue,
Yoshimitsu Banno
MillenniumShinji Nishikawa
Modeled by ShowaNobuyuki Yasumaru,
Yoshimitsu Banno
MillenniumShinichi Wakasa
Played by ShowaKenpachiro Satsuma, puppets
MillenniumKazuhiro Yoshida
First appearance Latest appearance
Godzilla vs. Hedorah Godziban
Roar(s)
Aquatic, Landing, and Flying:Perfect:2004:More roars
Ken Yano: “There are many Hedorahs. Big ones... isn't that right, Dad?
Interviewer: “Hedorah?
Toshie Yano: “That's the name the child gave it.
Ken Yano: “These monsters are born of sludge, so I call them Hedorahs.
Ken Yano explains how he named Hedorah (Godzilla vs. Hedorah)

Hedorah (ヘドラ,   Hedora) is an alien pollution kaiju who first appeared in the 1971 Toho Godzilla film, Godzilla vs. Hedorah.

A bizarre alien lifeform that arrived on Earth in a comet, Hedorah quickly grew to gigantic size by feeding on humanity's pollution. Beginning as a huge tadpole-like creature, Hedorah transformed into a terrestrial form and came ashore in Japan, where it battled Godzilla. Continuing to grow and evolve, Hedorah took on an airborne form capable of spreading clouds of toxic mist and finally a colossal bipedal form that dwarfed even Godzilla. Hedorah was finally destroyed by a combination of Godzilla's efforts and a device constructed by humanity, but the threat of rampant pollution giving rise to another Hedorah remained. Hedorah's next onscreen appearance came in Godzilla: Final Wars, where it was a pawn of the Xiliens in their invasion of Earth. Hedorah was unleashed along with Ebirah to battle Godzilla in Tokyo Bay, but Godzilla made short work of both monsters.

Name

Hedorah was named after hedoro (ヘドロ), a Japanese word for sludge, slime, or ooze. It is commonly referred to as the Smog Monster (公害怪獣,   Kōgai Kaijū), as it both consumes and produces numerous gaseous pollutants, and is referred to as such in the American dub for Godzilla vs. Hedorah. In the Japanese trailer for Godzilla vs. Hedorah, Hedorah was instead given the title Ninja Monster (忍者怪獣,   Ninja Kaijū).[5]

During pre-production, Hedorah was originally called Hedoron (ヘドロン).[9] Coincidentally, the first two episodes of P-Productions' Spectreman in January 1971 featured a pollution monster with the same name. Toho would later use the Hedoron name for a monster from their TV series Warrior of Love Rainbowman. Additionally, Haruo Nakajima revealed that he and the staff working on Godzilla vs. Hedorah referred to the monster as Gomi (ゴミ), meaning "garbage."

Hedorah's first four forms are denoted as Initial Stage (初期,   Sho-ki)[10] or Young Form (幼体,   Yō-tai), Aquatic Stage (水中棲息期,   Suichū Seisoku-ki), Landing Stage (上陸期,   Jōriku-ki), and Flying Stage (飛行期,   Hikō-ki). His final form is known as either the Perfect Stage (完全期,   Kanzen-ki),[11] Mature Stage (成長期,   Seichō-ki),[4] or the Giant Stage (巨大化期,   Kyodai-ka-ki). The Hedorah from Godzilla: Final Wars is known as Hedorah (2nd Generation) (ヘドラ(2代目),   Hedora Nidaime).[12]

In both English-dubbed versions of Godzilla vs. Hedorah, the "o" in Hedorah's name is not pronounced, and in the dubbing of the American version, the "He" is stressed with the long-e sound ("Hee-drah"), though the spelling in both onscreen text and promotional material remains the same.

In the ending credits of the Japanese version of Godzilla: Monster of Monsters! and in Godzilla for the Game Boy, Hedorah's name is spelled as Hedrah.[1][2]

In the 2019 puppet show Godziban, there are two individual Hedorahs: Hedoji (ヘドじい,   Hedojī) and his grandson Hedochi (ヘドち). In the English-subtitled episodes, Hedochi's name is mispelled as Hedchi.

Development

Aquatic Stage Hedorah metamorphosis concept art

All of Hedorah's forms were designed by Yasuyuki Inoue. Its Flying Stage specifically was modeled after flying saucers and rays.[13] Following the retirement of Teizo Toshimitsu and Yasuei Yagi, Nobuyuki Yasumaru took over modeling the monster. The Hedorah suit was constructed from latex-foamed urethane (foamed rubber), and with the addition of paint and an overcoat of rubber exceeded 150 kilograms in weight. Art staff member Akinori Takagi remarked that it was the heaviest suit Toho had created since the original Godzilla. Aside from the suit, 1/3 scale Initial and Flying Stage Hedorah props were also created. The sulfuric acid mist expelled by the creature's Flying Stagewas created using colorofluorocarbon gases.

Director Yoshimitsu Banno had a great deal of input into the design process of Hedorah, even writing into the film's script that the creature's eyes resembled female genitalia. He was also active in designing Hedorah's Flying Stage. On the first day of shooting for Godzilla vs. Hedorah, Banno decided to add a reflective material to Hedorah's skin, and spent a day applying it himself. Hedorah's tadpole-like Initial Stage was portrayed by a pond loach covered in balsa wood based material and wrapped in a condom with makeup applied over it. The water was electrified to make the prop move.[14] There was a large crack on the top of the head of Hedorah's Landing Stage, which Banno decided to explain as "When Hedorah gets angry, its brain pops out of its head." This was made evident in the monster's Perfect Form.

Hedorah's suit was worn by Kenpachiro Satsuma, then known as Kengo Nakayama and later famous as Godzilla's suit actor for the entire Heisei series. It was Satsuma's first role as a monster suit actor, and he found wearing the incredibly heavy suit challenging.[13] Because of Satsuma's limited mobility in the suit, Godzilla suit actor Haruo Nakajima had to take the lead in the fight choreography between the two. Satsuma later remarked that one of the most difficult aspects of playing Hedorah was standing around in the suit waiting for shooting to begin. Despite this, Satsuma put a great deal of effort into acting through the massive costume, and said in a 1993 interview: "Since Hedorah was supposed to be a monster created by pollution instead of an animal, I tried to avoid portraying him as an animal. I tried to make him seem spooky and grotesque."[15]

Director Yoshimitsu Banno immediately intended to follow Godzilla vs. Hedorah with a sequel, even including a tease of a second Hedorah at the end of the film. Producer Tomoyuki Tanaka initially chose to have Banno direct the 15th Godzilla film in 1975. Banno's initial idea, known only as Godzilla vs. the Mutant Starfish, was to pit Godzilla against another monster spawned by pollution, this time the titular Mutant Starfish. Banno eventually decided to simply pit Godzilla against the second Hedorah he hinted at in the previous film in a project titled Godzilla vs. Hedorah 2. However, Ishiro Honda replaced Banno as the director for the next film in the series, which ultimately was Terror of Mechagodzilla. Banno tried for the rest of his life to produce a sequel or successor to Godzilla vs. Hedorah, including a proposed IMAX short film titled Godzilla 3-D which would pit Godzilla against the red Hedorah-like Deathla. In his efforts to get the film made, Banno ultimately played a large role in the negotiations that led to Legendary Pictures acquiring the rights to Godzilla for its MonsterVerse franchise of films. Prior to his death in 2018, Banno stated he was working on a film entitled Hedorah vs. Midora, in which Hedorah would battle a green environmentally-protective counterpart, and asked for help from Godzilla fans around the world to get the film made. Since Banno's death, there has been no news about the project.

Hedorah concept art by Shinji Nishikawa

Hedorah was one of many monsters not seen since the Showa series brought back for Godzilla's 50th anniversary film, Godzilla: Final Wars in 2004. Shinji Nishikawa was responsible for redesigning Hedorah along with most of the other returning kaiju.[16] Since the Showa Hedorah's eyes were modeled after female genitalia, Nishikawa decided to incorporate the appearance of male genitalia into Hedorah's new design through an elongated tube-shaped arm. Hedorah's new suit was modeled under Shinichi Wakasa's company MONSTERS. Director Ryuhei Kitamura originally planned for Hedorah to attack the city of Odaiba in the film in a scene parodying the Japanese TV comedy-drama Bayside Shakedown. However, producer Shogo Tomiyama rejected this scene, much to Kitamura's frustration as it left the kaiju with only a single scene in the entire film and made it the only one of the Xiliens' monsters aside from Monster X and Gigan to not appear earlier in the film prior to its fight with Godzilla.[17] Other members of the filmmaking staff were similarly upset at Hedorah's incredibly small role in the film, and compensated by including footage of Hedorah attacking Tokyo over the end credits and also performing a photo shoot with Godzilla battling Hedorah.[16][18] The Hedorah suit was worn by actor Kazuhiro Yoshida, who also played Gigan in the film.[18]

Depite Hedorah's redesign for the film, Noriyoshi Ohrai's advance poster for Godzilla: Final Wars included the Showa Hedorah's Landing Stage.

Eita with the Hedorah suit on an episode of Sakurai Ariyoshi: THE Night Party in 2017

Japanese actor Eita, who has declared himself to be a big fan of Hedorah, made a surprise appearance with the Final Wars Hedorah suit on an episode of Sakurai Ariyoshi: THE Night Party broadcast on July 13, 2017. Eita took a commemorative photo with the suit and thanked Toho for allowing him to bring it with him on the show, while also requesting that Toho finally produce Godzilla vs. Hedorah 2 and allow him to star in it. The Final Wars Hedorah suit is still preserved in good condition to this day and has been put on display as recently as 2019.

Design

Hedorah's stages all share multiple common characteristics - all have gray, kelp-like surfaces and large, gold-and-black irises with red sclera. These eyes are positioned so that they blink sideways. In its Initial and Aquatic stages, Hedorah resembled a tadpole. In its Landing Stage, it took on a quadrupedal reptilian form. Its Flying Stage was like a flying saucer, and its Perfect Stage took on a humanoid shape.

The Hedorah from Godzilla: Final Wars has a dark gray body with reddish tubes protruding from it. It is considerably thinner than the original Hedorah, with more discernible legs and fewer kelp-like protrusions on its body. Hedorah's left arm also possesses a long, whip-like extension. The 2004 Hedorah only appears in a single form that resembles the original Hedorah's Perfect Stage, and it is unknown if it possesses any other forms.

According to an interview with Yoshimitsu Banno by the Japanese magazine Eiga Hi-Ho, Hedorah's eyes were modeled after vaginas.[19] In Godzilla: Final Wars, this allusion is significantly toned down, and its eyes are tilted and this don't bear the same resemblance.

In Godzilla vs. Hedorah, Godzilla tears out two white orbs from Hedorah's body. While in the film, the purpose of these orbs is never discussed, supplementary materials explain them to be Hedorah's eyeballs,[20][4] despite them being white instead of red.

Personality

Hedorah seems to be primarily driven by instinct and the will to survive, and the horrific death and destruction it causes are mostly derived from its bizarre biological properties rather than any true malice. However, it does demonstrate aggression and an ever-increasing amount of intelligence and awareness in its encounters with Godzilla. When first confronted by Godzilla, Hedorah answers Godzilla's taunts and seems to even mimic his gestures. During the final battle, Hedorah even laughs while brutally maiming Godzilla, and when it attempts to drown him in sludge.

In Godzilla: Final Wars, Hedorah was under Xilien mind control and did not act independently. Its only visible onscreen actions involve it being blasted out of Tokyo Bay, then visibly waving its arms and panicking before Ebirah's claw pierces its eye.

In the comic series Godzilla: Ongoing, Hedorah is aligned with the other space monsters, and seems to be intentionally causing destruction.

Origins

In Godzilla vs. Hedorah, Hedorah was an alien life form from the Dark Gaseous Nebula in the Orion constellation that landed on Earth after traveling on a comet for at least 243 light years. In Godzilla: Final Wars, Hedorah was one of many monsters under the control of the Xiliens, but its origin and how it came under the Xiliens' control are never explained. According to GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse, the official prequel novel to GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters, Hedorah was a colony of sludge-like microorganisms discovered in a waste mine in China that was subsequently converted into a biological weapon by the Chinese military.

In IDW Publishing's Godzilla: Ongoing comic series, Hedorah is an alien monster that came to Earth along with fellow aliens Gigan, Monster X, and SpaceGodzilla in order to wreak havoc.

History

Showa series

Godzilla vs. Hedorah

Hedorah, an alien from the Dark Gaseous Nebula of the Orion, landed on Earth during the arrival of a comet, and promptly began feeding on pollution. Hedorah's actions soon gained the attention of Godzilla, who attacked the Smog Monster as it was literally sucking on an active smokestack to consume the pollutants being given off by it. At the time, Hedorah was smaller than Godzilla and inexperienced at fighting, and was easily trounced by Godzilla. The two creatures had a series of battles across Japan, and Hedorah continued to grow bigger and stronger, and eventually evolved into a flying saucer-like stage, allowing him to fly and spread sulfuric acid mist across Japan while destroying many factories as it continued to feed. Hedorah and Godzilla had a final showdown at the summit of Mount Fuji, in which Hedorah achieved it Perfect Stage, a humanoid, walking pile of sludge. Thanks to its acidic, poisonous body, as well as its lethal eye bolts, Hedorah very nearly put an end to Godzilla in their struggle. However, the JSDF had built a pair of gigantic electrodes near the warring monsters. Since Hedorah was an amorphous being and thus was mostly fluid, it was hoped that the two electrodes would dry Hedorah out and defeat it. Unfortunately, during the battle the fuses to control the electrodes had blown and the pylons supplying electricity had been damaged by the two monsters, making the electrodes useless.

Despite receiving brutal injuries in the battle, Godzilla powered the electrons with a blast of his atomic breath as Hedorah was standing between them, dehydrating it. Just as it seemed Godzilla had triumphed, Hedorah's dried husk burst open and another Hedorah flew out of it. Godzilla used his atomic breath to propel himself into the air and chase after Hedorah. After knocking Hedorah down, Godzilla brought Hedorah back to the electrodes and had them near-completely dry Hedorah out. Realizing Hedorah might still have moisture within it that could bring it back to life, Godzilla tore into Hedorah's body and had the electrodes dry out the remaining husk of Hedorah, reducing it to a mass of dust and finally defeating the alien. However, the possibility remained that if rampant pollution continued, another Hedorah could emerge.

Godzilla Island

Hedorah in Godzilla Island

Called upon by the Xilien Zagres, Hedorah attacked a dying Mothra and her larval offspring, Mothra Leo. To protect Leo, Mothra flew Hedorah over to a volcano and dropped it inside. However, the volcano erupted, killing Mothra. Hedorah simply climbed back out of the volcano because of its heat resistance. Hedorah then went back to Godzilla Island, but was eventually dehydrated and destroyed by the combined efforts of Godzilla and the new imago Mothra Leo.

Another rainbow-colored Hedorah dubbed Neo Hedorah which possessed a symmbiotic relationship with the mushrooms on nearby Matango Island would later go on to menace the denizens of Godzilla Island.

Millennium series

Godzilla: Final Wars

Hedorah was the only Xilien-controlled monster, apart from the concealed Monster X and Gigan, not to participate in the initial attack on Earth's cities. The Controller of Planet X later dispatched it, along with Ebirah, to stop Godzilla in Tokyo Bay. Godzilla's atomic ray quickly sent it flying through the air and crashing into a building. Ebirah followed, and his claw pierced Hedorah's left eye. The two were then destroyed by an extended blast of Godzilla's atomic ray, much to the Controller's frustration


Reiwa series

GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters

The aftermath of Hedorah's battle with Anguirus and Rodan in GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters

Hedorah was a biological weapon that was unleashed by the Chinese military when the monsters Anguirus and Rodan attacked Beijing in November of 2005. "Operation Hedorah" was successful in killing both monsters, but the bioweapon subsequently went out of control and rampaged through the surrounding area, then disappeared after running out of pollutants on which to feed.[21]

Abilities

Hedorah is one of Godzilla's most difficult opponents in the Showa series. While it could not kill Godzilla, it seriously injured him and cost him a hand and one of his eyes, and it required the combined efforts of Godzilla and humanity to finally defeat Hedorah.

Acidic sludge

Godzilla struggles to escape from a pit full of Hedorah's acidic sludge.

Hedorah is composed almost entirely of a mineral called Hedrium, an acidic, sludge-like material, which it uses as its primary means of attack. Hedorah can launch pieces of its body at opponents, which will burn or smother them. Hedorah can also discharge large quantities of sludge without impacting its size in any way, shown in Godzilla vs. Hedorah when it attempts to drown Godzilla in a pit by dumping a continuous stream of sludge onto him.

Hedorah's moveset for Godzilla on PlayStation 4 refers to Hedorah's ability to launch sludge at enemies as Acid Spray, while the game's Kaiju Guide seems to refer to this ability as Hedrium Missiles.

Sulfuric Acid Mist

Hedorah's Flying Stage emits sulfuric acid mist to suffocate Godzilla.

Hedorah does not require oxygen to survive, but rather thrives on inhaling toxic pollutants. The byproduct of Hedorah consuming these pollutants is a highly concentrated Sulfuric Acid Mist (硫酸ミスト,   Ryūsan Misuto), also called Sulfate Mist in the Kaiju Guide for the PlayStation 3 and 4 Godzilla game, which is capable of corroding any metal and completely disintegrating organic life. In its Flying Stage, Hedorah was also able to fly by propelling itself through the air with this mist, spreading the mist across a large area in the process. Hedorah's sulfuric acid mist was even able to make Godzilla collapse and gasp for air.

In the ending credits of Godzilla: Final Wars, Hedorah is shown spraying Sulfuric Acid Mist from tubes on its body, while stomping through the ruins of Tokyo. Hedorah is not seen using this ability in the film itself.

Hedrium Ray

Hedorah's Perfect Stage fires the Hedrium Ray from his eye.

Hedorah is capable of firing a crimson laser beam from its eye known as the Hedrium Ray (ヘドリューム光線,   Hedoryūmu Kōsen), also called the Crimson Beam in Godzilla for the PlayStation 3 and 4, which is capable of setting objects on fire and burning Godzilla's flesh. Both Hedorah's Flying and Perfect Stages are capable of firing this beam. According to the Godzilla: Final Wars theater program and Godzilla: Final Wars Super Complete Works, the Millennium incarnation of Hedorah possesses a variation on this ability called the Red Melting Ray (赤色溶解熱線,   Sekishoku Yōkai Nessen), though it is never shown using it. These are translated to Red light diffusing heat rays by the Kaiju Guide.

Division and recombination

Hedorah is a hive organism, composed of multiple smaller Hedorahs having joined together. Hedorah can grow in size and power by merging with other Hedorahs, or split apart into multiple smaller ones and recombine at a later time. Hedorah first demonstrates this ability in its first battle with Godzilla, where a small chunk of its body flies off while Godzilla swings it through the air. This piece of Hedorah begins moving on its own and eventually grows into a Landing Stage, then combines with the larger Flying Hedorah as it flies through Tokyo. Hedorah also uses this ability to survive during its final battle with Godzilla. When Godzilla uses the Giant Electrode to dry Hedorah's Perfect Form into a husk, a smaller Flying Hedorah breaks free of the husk and attempts to flee.

Evolution

By feeding on pollutants and combining with other Hedorahs, Hedorah can grow substantially in size and evolve into new, more powerful forms. Hedorah started out as a completely aquatic, tadpole-like creature, but evolved to develop legs that allowed it to come on land and gain access to more pollutants. Hedorah's next evolution granted it the ability to fly through the air and cover large distances quickly. The creature's final, Perfect Stage was a giant bipedal form that towered over Godzilla and allowed it to stand up to Godzilla in a hand-to-hand fight. Hedorah has the ability to switch between these forms at will: its Perfect Stage can transform to its Flying Stage and back in a matter of moments. After a large portion of its body was dried out by the Giant Electrodes, the smaller Flying Hedorah that emerged from the monster's Perfect Stage was still able to transform into the Landing Stage.

Durability

Godzilla's punch is stopped by Hedorah's malleable body.

As a result of its acidic and amorphous body, Hedorah has extremely strong defenses. Conventional weapons are useless against it, as they simply pass through it, leaving Hedorah unharmed. Godzilla's atomic breath also failed to work on Hedorah before the Giant Electrodes were switched on, as his beam was incapable of drying Hedorah out, and only caused it to spark. Attacking Hedorah physically is a poor choice as well, as any contact with Hedorah's extremely corrosive blood results in horrific injuries, such as Godzilla's hand being burned down to the bone. Only Hedorah's eyes are known to be affected by its own blood, and it has to close its eye whenever it bleeds to prevent the eye from being damaged. While Hedorah is vulnerable to being dried out, it can survive this if any moist parts of its body are left behind. Godzilla was forced to tear Hedorah apart and expose every square inch of its body to the electrical current of the Giant Electrodes in order to successfully destroy it.

Weaknesses

Because Hedorah's body is composed of a moist, sludge-like substance, it is vulnerable to being dried out by strong electrical currents. Hedorah was finally destroyed by electrical currents of the Giant Electrodes constructed by Toru Yano and the JSDF, with Godzilla ensuring its demise by tearing it apart and exposing every square inch of its body to the current. After being dried by this electricity, Hedorah crumbled into dust.'

In Godzilla: Final Wars, Hedorah is substantially weaker than Godzilla, who easily defeats it along with Ebirah in Tokyo Bay before launching them into a skyscraper and obliterating them both with a blast of atomic breath.

Filmography

Video games

Hedorah appears as a villain in the 1988 Nintendo Entertainment System game Godzilla: Monster of Monsters!, as well as the sequel, Godzilla 2: War of the Monsters. Hedorah was an enemy in Gojira-kun and the Godzilla Game Boy game as well, and was unique because Godzilla's blows couldn't hurt it, but only push it back somewhat.

Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee

Hedorah also makes an appearance in Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee, where it randomly appears in its Flying Stage and slows the other monsters' energy recovery by spreading sulfuric mist. Hedorah can be destroyed by the player if hit by a beam attack, after which it will dissipate into a mist.

Hedorah was considered for both of the sequels to Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee, but was ultimately not included in either, although it did make an appearance in Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash for the Nintendo DS.

Godzilla (PlayStation 3 / PlayStation 4)

Hedorah in Godzilla

Hedorah appears for the first time as a playable character in the PS4 version of Godzilla, and as an enemy monster in the PS3 version. It is one of the lower tier characters, and can be fought on any difficulty path.

Moveset

  • Square
    • One tap: Triangle Stroke
    • Two taps: Headbutt
    • Three taps: Tail Attack
  • Triangle
    • Tap: Mount
  • X
    • Tap: Jump
    • Forward + Tap: Forward Jump
    • Back + Tap: Back Jup
    • Left/Right + Tap: Left Right Jump
  • Circle
    • Tap: Crimson Beam
    • Forward + Tap: Acid Spray (Front)
    • Back + Tap: Acid Spray (Area)
    • Left/Right + Tap: Acid Spray (Wide Area)
    • Roar + Tap: Crimson Beam Combo
  • R2
    • Tap: Acid Mist Body Press

Kaiju Guide

Main article: Godzilla (2014 video game)/Kaiju Guide#Hedorah.

Books

Godzilla vs. Gigan and the Smog Monster

A factory damaged by an earthquake lured Hedorah to Los Angeles. It terrorized the city with "sickening gases," "toxic skin," and "noxious breath," melting the Hollywood sign in the process.[22] Rodan arrived to battle it, as he had in the past, but was quickly overpowered by the Smog Monster's poisonous attacks. Godzilla came ashore at Santa Monica Beach and targeted Hedorah with his atomic breath, blasting a hole straight through it and saving Rodan. Close to death, Hedorah retreated into the upper atmosphere.

GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse

Hedorah originated as a colony of sludge-like microorganisms that consumed chemical substances in water. It was first discovered by the Chinese military inside a waste mine in Hebei, China, in 1999, and subsequently studied in order to be converted into a bioweapon. Hedorah was finally unleashed to combat Rodan and Anguirus when they attacked Beijing in 2005. The colony reconfigured into a giant black mist-like figure with red and yellow eyes, and killed both monsters. However after this point Hedorah went out of control and destroyed Beijing and Tianjin overnight. It then disappeared after consuming all pollutants in the area.[21]

Comics

Godzilla, King of the Monsters

While Hedorah doesn't appear in the main story of this manga series, it appears as Godzilla's opponent in the Street Fighter Godzilla story, placed at the end of Volume 2. In this short story, Hedorah is dressed up as Blanka from the Street Fighter series, while Godzilla is dressed up as Ryu. Hedorah fights Godzilla with its red beams, but gets sent flying by a Shoryuken from Godzilla.

Godzilla: Legends

Hedorah is featured in the fourth issue of the miniseries Godzilla: Legends. In this issue, Mechagodzilla is sent to China in pursuit of Godzilla. Once the mech and its crew arrive, they find that the entire area has been destroyed and that the air is full of toxic mist. The source of the devastation is revealed to be Hedorah, who attacks and overwhelms Mechagodzilla. Before Hedorah can destroy Mechagodzilla, Godzilla himself arrives and reluctantly joins forces with his mechanical double against Hedorah. Hedorah puts up a savage fight against the two monsters, but in the end is defeated by their combined might.


Godzilla: Ongoing

In Godzilla: Ongoing, Hedorah is one of the space monsters that attacks Earth, the others being Gigan, SpaceGodzilla, and Monster X. Hedorah does battle with Kiryu and almost destroys him, but Godzilla arrives and takes on the smog monster while Kiryu escapes to get backup. Hedorah badly wounds Godzilla with its deadly toxic body and knocks him into a canyon, where it attempts to drown Godzilla in toxic sludge. Godzilla uses his atomic breath to fly out of the canyon and resumes his battle with Hedorah. Godzilla tears Hedorah into pieces and burns it into dust with his atomic breath. Godzilla then leaves to battle the other space monsters, leaving Hedorah apparently destroyed.


Godzilla: The Half-Century War

Hedorah appears in issue #3 as one of the many monsters battling in Ghana in 1975.

Godzilla: Rulers of Earth

Hedorah is briefly seen in the first issue of Godzilla: Rulers of Earth, as part of Dr. Kenji Ando's conference about the reasons why kaiju have gained their own place in the natural order. In the presentation, it's learned that the "Smog Monster," as the news like to call Hedorah, attacked several oil rigs in the ocean. Though Hedorah is presumably still alive and present on Earth during the events of the series, no attempts have been made to locate or capture him, and his current whereabouts are unknown.


Godzilla: Oblivion

Hedorah appeared in the final issue of Godzilla: Oblivion, where it emerged from an interdimensional portal alongside Anguirus, Rodan, Zilla, King Caesar, Biollante, and Mothra and her larvae as they entered the battle between Mecha-King Ghidorah and Godzilla. After causing some destruction in the city, Hedorah challenged Godzilla following the latter's victory over Mecha-King Ghidorah, only to be dispatched by a blast of atomic breath. Later, all of the monsters were left behind as the humans left the Earth as it became covered by tiny robotic cells that served as interdimensional doorways.

Gallery

Main article: Hedorah/Gallery.

Roar

Hedorah's gurgling roar comes from Kemular, a poison gas monster from the original Ultraman series. When feeding on toxic fumes, Hedorah makes breathing noises that are recycled from Gezora. In addition, it utters several high-pitched laughter-like sounds, mostly in its Perfect Form. In Godzilla: Final Wars, Hedorah's roar mostly remains the same, but it also emits sounds that are similar to an elephant trumpeting that has been lowered in pitch, and its roar now echoes.

Hedorah's roars in Godzilla vs. Hedorah
Hedorah's roars in Godzilla: Final Wars

In Other Languages

  • German: Hydrox
  • Italian: Hydrax
  • Serbian and Russian: Хедора
  • Chinese: Hēi duō lā (黑多拉)

Trivia

  • The Codex for the 2019 mobile game Godzilla Defense Force states that the Hedorah from Godzilla: Final Wars has "a red extension on its left hand that only occurs in the males of the species," and specifies that the Showa incarnation of the character lacks it because it is a female. However, it refers to both incarnations simply as "it."
  • According to Haruo Nakajima, the Perfect Stage Hedorah suit weighed over 100 kilograms.[3]
  • At 48,000 metric tons in weight, Hedorah's Perfect Stage is the heaviest kaiju to appear in the Showa Godzilla series. However, it is not the heaviest kaiju in the entire Showa series, as several Terror-Beasts from Zone Fighter outweigh it.
  • Hedorah evolves into a new form after each of the first three reel changes in Godzilla vs. Hedorah, with reel three even ending on the line, "What sort of monster will it become in its next stage, the fourth?"[23]
  • The sound effect used for Hedorah's eye beams is the same as the one used for Showa King Ghidorah's flying, only played at a higher pitch.
  • After he was selected by Toho to helm the next Godzilla film in 1975, Godzilla vs. Hedorah director Yoshimitsu Banno came up with the idea of the two monsters facing off again in Africa.[24] Toho was uninterested and began developing a sequel to Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla instead.
  • In both of Hedorah's film appearances, its left eye is injured in some way.
  • Hedorah is one of the first Toho monsters to be depicted via hand-drawn animation, as seen in the animated segments of its debut film.
  • In Godzilla: Final Wars, Hedorah's tail resembles the Choju King Crab's from Ultraman Ace.
  • Hedorah was the last new monster in the Showa series to completely act on its own independence, as the rest were controlled by aliens or undersea civilizations.
  • Hedorah's debut in Godzilla vs. Hedorah coincided with the revival of the Ultra Series with The Return of Ultraman. Curiously, the first episode of the new series, which was directed by Ishiro Honda, featured a monster called Zazahn, a kelp monster bearing a remarkable likeness to Hedorah who was supposedly attracted to a city by pollution.
  • In the 1984 Godzilland merchandise line, Hedorah is depicted as a female monster and one of Godzilla's friends. The Godzilland Hedorah is generally depicted as purple in color with long eyelashes above its eyes. This is the only known instance of Hedorah being portrayed as an ally or friend of Godzilla.
  • Hedorah was likely an inspiration for the monster Destoroyah in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. Both monsters possess multiple forms, including microscopic, flying, and gigantic bipedal final forms, are composed of trillions of microorganisms that have merged together, are extremely difficult opponents for Godzilla, and are incredibly deadly to organic life. Both Hedorah and Destoroyah likely influenced the creation of the monster Shinomura from the comic Godzilla: Awakening, which also shares many of these similarities.

Video

Wikizilla: YouTube Kaiju Profile: Hedorah

External links

References

This is a list of references for Hedorah. 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]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Godzilla famicom hedrah jp.png
  2. 2.0 2.1 Hedrah godzilla gameboy.png
  3. 3.0 3.1 Godzilla actor Haruo Nakajima interview (second part) - Godzilla.jp [archive]
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Godzilla 1954-1999 Super Complete Works. Shogakukan. 1 January 2000. pp. 140–141. ISBN 978-4091014702. Check date values in: |date= (help) Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "1954-1999" defined multiple times with different content
  5. 5.0 5.1 Japanese Godzilla vs. Hedorah trailer.
    Ninja monster hedorah.jpeg
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Godzilla Giant Monsters Super Encyclopedia (4th Edition). Kodansha. 15 March 1994. p. 48. ISBN 978-4063042702.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 J.D. Lees, Marc Cerasini (24 March 1998). The Official Godzilla Compendium. Random House. p. 129. ISBN 0279888225 Check |isbn= value: checksum (help). Check date values in: |date= (help)
    Compendium13.png
  8. 8.0 8.1 Toho Special Effects All Monster Encyclopedia. Shogakukan. 23 July 2014. p. 118. ISBN 4-096-82090-3. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. 新品 ゴジラシリーズを支えた特撮美術監督 井上泰幸 展 図録 Pamphlet
    Hedoron.jpg
  10. Godzilla Giant Monster Diagram Encyclopedia. Kodansha. 20 March 1996. p. 89. ISBN 406259031X. Unknown parameter |ed= ignored (|edition= suggested) (help)
  11. Toho Special Effects Movie Complete Works. Village Books. 2012. pp. 148–151. ISBN 978-4864910132.
  12. Godzilla Dictionary [New Edition]. Kasakura Publishing. 7 August 2014. p. 396. ISBN 9784773087253.
  13. 13.0 13.1 Toho Special Effects Movie Complete Works. Village Books. 28 September 2012. pp. 148–151. ISBN 9784864910132.
  14. Banno, Yoshimitsu (2014). The Man Who Made Godzilla Fly: Revised Edition. "Chapter 4.7: Challenges of Special Effects Shooting". At Media. ISBN B00M5KDOKG Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help).
  15. David Milner (December 1993). "Kenpachiro Satsuma Interview I". Kaiju Conversations.
  16. 16.0 16.1 Godzilla: Final Wars Super Complete Works. Shogakukan. January 20, 2005. p. 95. ISBN 978-4091014986.
  17. Godzilla: Final Wars DVD audio commentary
  18. 18.0 18.1 Godzilla: Final Wars <Toho SFX Special Effects Movie SPECIAL EDITION>. Toho. 25 January 2005. p. 44. ISBN 4-924609-89-7.
  19. 5 best Godzilla movies of all time - CNN
  20. Godzilla Toho Giant Monster Pictorial Book. Shogakukan. 1 April 2005. pp. 138–139. ISBN 4-09-280052-5. Check date values in: |date= (help)
    "ゴジラとの戦いでその身を乾燥させられてしまったが、両目や細胞の一部は、まだ生き延びていた。"
  21. 21.0 21.1 Ōki, Renji (October 25, 2017). GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse. Kadokawa. pp. 19–111.
  22. Alice Alfonsi (1996). Godzilla vs. Gigan and the Smog Monster. Random House. p. 6. ISBN 0-679-88344-4.
  23. "What a beautiful house it is"
  24. Toho Kingdom - Lost Project: Godzilla vs. Hedorah II

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