Titanosaurus

Titanosaurus Alternate names Chitanosaurus, Titannosaurus, Titano Kong Subtitle(s) Dinosaur Monster (恐竜怪獣,   Kyōryū Kaijū) Species Aquatic Dinosaur Height 60 meters Weight 30,000 metric tons Controlled by Black Hole Planet 3 AliensToMG, DevoniansGRoE Allies Mechagodzilla 2, Battra, GezoraGRoE, MandaGRoE, DestoroyahGRoE, GodzillaGRoE, King CaesarGRoE, KamacurasGRoE, RodanGRoE, AnguirusGRoE, KamoebasGRoE, GorosaurusGRoE, KumongaGRoE, VaranGRoE, BaragonGRoE, ZillaGRoE, SandaGRoE, GairaGRoE, Jet JaguarGRoE Enemies Godzilla, Rodan, Kumonga, SpaceGodzilla, Trilopod, Magita Created by Yukiko Takayama, Ishiro Honda, Tomoyuki Tanaka Played by Tatsumi Nikamoto First appearance Terror of Mechagodzilla Roar(s) More roars

Titanosaurus (チタノザウルス,   Chitanozaurusu) is a giant, aquatic dinosaur kaiju created by Toho who first appeared in the 1975 Godzilla film, Terror of Mechagodzilla.

Originally a peaceful, sea-dwelling dinosaur, Titanosaurus was discovered by Japanese marine biologist Shinzo Mafune, who was undertaking experiments involving controlling sea life. When Mafune claimed to his colleagues that he had discovered Titanosaurus and had complete control over him, he was laughed out of the scientific community and began a fifteen year-long quest for vengeance upon the civilization that had mocked and shunned him. When approached by the Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens, Mafune offered Titanosaurus' services to them for their invasion of Earth, being promised a place in their new utopian world order along with his daughter. Titanosaurus was unleashed alongside the aliens' Mechagodzilla 2, and the two beasts began obliterating Tokyo before they were confronted by Godzilla. Titanosaurus and Mechagodzilla's combination proved formidable, but the intervention of INTERPOL allowed Godzilla to destroy Mechagodzilla and easily defeat Titanosaurus in single combat after he was weakened by a sonic wave oscillator. Though he hasn't been featured in any films since his debut, Titanosaurus has appeared in some licensed video games and comic books based on the Godzilla franchise.

Name

Titanosaurus' name comes from the word "Titan," referring to a member of the first divine pantheon in Greek mythology, and "-saurus," a common suffix for reptiles, derived from the Greek word for lizard, sauros.

Titanosaurus also shares a name with a dubious genus of sauropod dinosaur, though he bears little resemblance to actual Titanosaurs.

Design

Titanosaurus is a deep-sea dwelling creature who sports a fin on his tail and along his back up to the top of his head. He also has a pair of smaller fins on the sides of his head. Titanosaurus' neck is very long, and he has a set of four horns on top of his head. Titanosaurus's skin is bright red with black and yellow flecks, and he has a beige underbelly, most likely for countershading purposes. Titanosaurus's eyes are relatively large and are bright yellow-orange in color. The monster also has a forked tongue.

Personality

Titanosaurus is said to have been "a very quiet, friendly dinosaur" by screenwriter Yukiko Takayama. The monster is shown to have a gentle disposition, retreating from his first battle against Godzilla as soon as he was free of the Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens' and Dr. Shinzo Mafune's control. Under their influence, however, he fights as fiercely as any kaiju, and displayed a knack for coordinating attacks with Mechagodzilla.

History

Showa Series

Terror of Mechagodzilla

Esteemed marine biologist Shinzo Mafune had begun studying the brain patterns of marine life in an attempt to gain control over sea creatures and establish vast undersea ranches, when he discovered Titanosaurus living under the sea. Mafune began developing a means of controlling Titanosaurus, but when he reported this to his academic peers, he was mocked and cast out of the scientific community. Quickly descending into madness, Mafune retreated into seclusion with his daughter Katsura at his home in Manazuru, where he began work on a plan to use Titanosaurus to take revenge on the society which had shunned him. Fifteen years after his dismissal from the oceanographic institute, Mafune was approached by Tsuda, a representative of the Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens. With their assistance, Mafune was able to complete the device that gave him complete mental control over Titanosaurus, and unleashed the monster to destroy the Akatsuki, a submarine attempting to recover the remains of Mechagodzilla. The normally peaceful Titanosaurus became a frightening, intense monster, and crushed the Akatsuki with his hands.

With Mafune's plan to control Titanosaurus a success, the Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens brought him to their base near Mount Amagi, where they were busy rebuilding Mechagodzilla. The aliens' commander, Mugal, promised Mafune and his daughter a place in their new utopian civilization on Earth if he would lend his scientific expertise, as well as the use of Titanosaurus, to their cause. When INTERPOL dispatched a second Akatsuki to search for Titanosaurus, Katsura sent the dinosaur to destroy it, only for the sub's sonar to interfere with the device controlling Titanosaurus and cause him to writhe in pain. Mafune meanwhile helped the aliens repair and perfect Mechagodzilla, but became frustrated while waiting for their word to begin their assault on Tokyo. Mafune took matters into his own hands and unleashed Titanosaurus into the city while Katsura left to sabotage a sonic wave oscillator INTERPOL was constructing to use against Titanosaurus. Godzilla arrived to fight Titanosaurus, who fled back to the sea after Katsura was shot and Mafune deactivated his control device. The aliens' surgeons were able to revive Katsura and installed Mechagodzilla's control device inside of her, all while Mugal warned Mafune to never act against his orders again. Mafune agreed, and the aliens moved their base of operations to his lab in Manazuru.

Finally, Titanosaurus and the newly-completed Mechagodzilla 2 were unleashed in Tokyo, savagely annihilating the city. As Mechagodzilla bombarded the city streets with his vast array of weaponry, Titanosaurus swept away the ruined buildings by generating gusts of wind with his tail fin. Godzilla arrived once again to fight off the aliens' monsters, but found himself outmatched by the duo. Titanosaurus grappled with Godzilla up close, while Mechagodzilla blasted Godzilla with lasers and missiles. Finally, the onslaught was too much and Godzilla was knocked unconscious. Titanosaurus kicked Godzilla into a ditch, and Mechagodzilla used its missiles to bury him alive under the Earth. Titanosaurus began stomping on Godzilla's earthen grave, while INTERPOL mounted their completed sonic wave oscillator onto a helicopter. The chopper flew overhead and began bombarding Titanosaurus with supersonic waves, placing the creature in agonizing pain. Mechagodzilla prepared to shoot down the helicopter, but Godzilla emerged from the ground and blasted the machine with his atomic breath. With Titanosaurus incapacitated by the sonic wave oscillator, Godzilla fought and destroyed Mechagodzilla for good. Meanwhile, INTERPOL assaulted Mafune's lab, killing Mafune and forcing the Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens to flee. Katsura had killed herself to disable Mechagodzilla, leaving no one to control Titanosaurus any longer. Unaware that Titanosaurus was no longer under the aliens' control, Godzilla blasted him repeatedly with his atomic breath, causing Titanosaurus to fall off a cliff into the water below, his fate unknown.

Millennium Series

Godzilla: Final Wars

During the film's opening narration, a brief shot of Titanosaurus from Terror of Mechagodzilla is included in a montage of monsters who have threatened the Earth. A Titanosaurus toy is among the figures the Canadian child plays with before noticing Anguirus rampaging in Shanghai on TV.

Abilities

Titanosaurus lifting Godzilla with his jaw in Terror of Mechagodzilla

Tail Fan

Titanosaurus can generate gale-force winds (or a whirlpool, if underwater) by swinging his tail fan. In the Kaiju Guide from the PlayStation 3 and 4 Godzilla game, it is said these winds can reach speeds of up to 320 meters per second. These winds were strong enough to blow away buildings and vehicles, and even knocked Godzilla off his feet.

Jumping

Titanosaurus is capable of jumping extremely high. He used this ability to knock two fighter jets out of the air.

Amphibiousness

A primarily aquatic creature, Titanosaurus can breathe underwater and swim very efficiently in addition to walking on land.

Physical Strength

Titanosaurus possesses enormous physical strength, sufficient to lift the 20,000-ton Godzilla off the ground with a bite and send him flying with a kick. Titanosaurus was more than a match for Godzilla in close combat, pummeling him with punches and kicks.

Sonic Waves

In Godzilla: Unleashed, Titanosaurus can expel a sonic wave from his mouth that damages other monsters. This ability is somewhat ironic given that sonic waves were Titanosaurus' greatest weakness in his film appearance.

Weaknesses

Supersonic waves interfere with the control mechanism Dr. Mafune fitted onto Titanosaurus' head, and cause him tremendous pain. The sonar on the Akatsuki II and INTERPOL's sonic wave oscillator were sufficient to render Titanosaurus completely incapacitated.

Filmography

• Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)
• Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) [stock footage]

Video Games

• Battle Soccer: Champion of the Field
• Godzilla, King of the Monsters
• Godzilla Movie Studio Tour
• Godzilla: Trading Battle
• Godzilla: Unleashed
• Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash
• Godzilla: Kaiju Collection
• Godzilla (PlayStation 3 / PlayStation 4) [Kaiju Guide]

Titanosaurus was cut from Godzilla: Save the Earth due to a "licensing issue," with Megaguirus taking his place in the roster. He can still be seen in the concept art, wading in the water of an icy level. Titanosaurus appears as a playable character in Godzilla: Unleashed, as a member of the Mutant faction.

Godzilla: Unleashed

Titanosaurus in Godzilla: Unleashed

Height: 115 meters
Weight: 61,000 tons

"Titanosaurus is a prehistoric throwback-a primitive monster from an ancient age who has managed somehow to persist in contemporary times. Titanosaurus lives deep in the ocean, hibernating for hundreds of years in a stretch. In recent years, humans have disturbed Titanosaurus, increasingly incurring his wrath. Though not specifically evil, Titanosaurus holds no allegiance to any particular ideology, and would not hesitate to secure additional power for himself should the opportunity arise. This frequently places himself in opposition to Earth Defenders and the Global Defense Force. Titanosaurus employs his towering height, powerful tail, and sonic waves to intimidate or subjugate any beings who dare to disrupt his ancient lifecycle."

Godzilla (PlayStation 3 / PlayStation 4)

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

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  Titanosaurus in Godzilla: Unleashed

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  Titanosaurus in Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash

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  Titanosaurus in Godzilla: Kaiju Collection

Comics

Godzilla: Gangsters and Goliaths

Titanosaurus appears in issue #4 of the miniseries Godzilla: Gangsters and Goliaths as one of the monsters that attacks Tokyo when the Elias are captured. In issue #5, once the Elias are retrieved, Titanosaurus leaves peacefully along with the other monsters.

Godzilla: Legends

Titanosaurus is the focus of issue #3 of IDW's miniseries Godzilla: Legends. In this issue, a psychic boy named Travis is enrolled in an academy for psychics run by Miki Saegusa and the mysterious Mugal. Travis unwittingly forms a psychic link with Titanosaurus and draws the monster to civilization, where he causes major destruction. It is later revealed that Mugal is a member of the Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens, an alien race whose homeworld is dying. Mugal had intentionally manipulated Tristan to form a link with Titanosaurus so that the Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens would be able to use Titanosaurus along with their fleet of Mechagodzillas to conquer Earth.

Godzilla: Ongoing

Titanosaurus first appears in Godzilla: Ongoing #4 attacking Tokyo, where he is attacked by Boxer and his "Kaiju Kill Crew." Rodan soon appears in the city and does battle with Titanosaurus. Boxer's team manages to detonate a building and topple it onto the two monsters. Rodan flies away, but Titanosaurus is captured and taken to Monster Island.

Later in issue #10, the now-free Titanosaurus joins forces with Battra and battles SpaceGodzilla in London. Despite the two Earth monsters' efforts, they are defeated and SpaceGodzilla escapes.

Godzilla: Rulers of Earth

Titanosaurus in Godzilla: Rulers of Earth #3

Titanosaurus, along with fellow monsters, Gezora and Manda attacked a fleet of aircraft carriers in the ocean. The attack was halted by Godzilla, who sent the three into retreat. Godzilla gave chase but couldn't catch up with them. It was revealed by Mothra's fairies that Titanosaurus and his two allies, were not actual alien kaiju, but were three water monsters that upheld the natural balance.

Titanosaurus was later seen being transported to new Monster Islands, but joined the brawl between Godzilla, Gezora, Manda and the newly revived Destoroyah. The military intervened and sent the three aquatic monsters into retreat with a blast from their new sonar guns, only with Godzilla grabbing onto Titanosaurus' foot, dragging him down. Titanosaurus suffered a broken arm in the fight, but he went on to destroy the Cryogs' spaceship, before retreating to heal his injuries. Titanosaurus is later seen in the oceans of the Monster Islands.

It was revealed later that the Trilopods captured Titanosaurus and took on his characteristics, then imprisoned him in their hive. When King Caesar went on a rampage in the Trilopod hive, Titanosaurus was among the monsters set free. Titanosaurus and the other monsters then joined with Godzilla to battle the Trilopods in Los Angeles. Titanosaurus briefly battled his Trilopod clone before Zilla stepped in and mauled it. He later took part in the battle against Magita, but did little but annoy the massive Trilopod. After the defeat of Magita, Titanosaurus and the other monsters followed Godzilla back the ocean.

Gallery

Main article: Titanosaurus/Gallery.

Roar

Titanosaurus's roars are modified from the roars of Brocken, a kaiju from the sixth episode of Ultraman Ace. Brocken's roars themselves were modified from elephant trumpeting. According to special effects director Teruyoshi Nakano, the roars of Titanosaurus and Mechagodzilla were created "with a mixture of sounds from music instruments and electronic sounds," including violins.

Titanosaurus's Roars

In Other Languages

• Spanish: Titanosaurio
• Russian: Титанозавр
• Serbian: Титаносаурус

Trivia

• In Terror of Mechagodzilla screenwriter Yukiko Takayama's original scenario, the role of Titanosaurus was filled by two dinosaurs called Titans, who became violent only when their necks were entangled. The Titans were of the same species, one male and the other female. Eventually, the Titans would fuse together into a creature simply called "Titan." Titan was referred to primarily as a female creature.
• Takayama deliberately had characters refer to Titanosaurus as a dinosaur instead of a kaiju to emphasize that the acts of destruction he committed were not in his nature, but a result of Mafune's control.
• Titanosaurus' roars were reused for the Crocomire and Phantoon bosses of the Metroid series.
• Titanosaurus is the last kaiju to be defeated by Godzilla in the Showa series. He is also one of the few kaiju to be defeated by the combined efforts of Godzilla and humans.

Videos

Kaiju Profile: Titanosaurus

References

This is a list of references for Titanosaurus. 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]