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{{Ktab}}
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{{Kaiju Infobox  
{{Kaiju Infobox  
|type1            =Rock
|type1            =Water
|type2            =Flying
|type2            =Rock
|copyrighticon    =Monster Icons - Varan.png
|copyrighticon    =Monster Icons - Varan.png
|altimage        =<tabs style="color:black; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">
|altimage        =<tabs style="color:black; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">
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<tab name="1st Generation">[[File:Varan, the beleivable.jpg|330px|Varan in Varan]]</tab>
<tab name="1st Generation">[[File:Varan, the beleivable.jpg|330px|Varan in Varan]]</tab>
</tabs>
</tabs>
|name            =Varan{{tt|™|Varan is a Trademark of Toho Company Ltd.}}
|name            =Varan{{tt|™|Varan is an unregistered trademark of Toho Company, Ltd. バラン is also a registered trademark.}}


|nicknames        =Baradagi Mountain God, Baradagi, Baradagi-Sama, Obake,<ref name="GodzillaCompendium"/><br>Varan the Unbelievable
|nicknames        =Baradagi Mountain God, Baradagi, Baradagi-sama, Obake,<ref name="GodzillaCompendium"/><br>Varan the Unbelievable
|subtitle        =Giant Monster {{Nihongo|大怪獣|Daikaijū}}<ref name="1954-1999">{{cite book|title=[[Godzilla 1954-1999 Super Complete Works]]|date=1 January [[2000]]|publisher=[[Shogakukan]]|page=125|isbn=978-4091014702}}</ref><br>Monster from the East<br>{{Nihongo|東洋の怪物|Tōyō no Kaibutsu}}<ref name="TSEAMEncyclopedia">{{cite book|title=[[Toho Special Effects All Monster Encyclopedia]]|date=23 July [[2014]]|publisher=[[Shogakukan]]|page=20|isbn=4-096-82090-3}}</ref><ref name="TSEMCW">{{cite book|title=[[Toho Special Effects Movie Complete Works]]|date=28 September 2012|publisher=Village Books|page=34-35, 124|isbn=9784864910132}}</ref><br>Giant Monster from the East<br>{{Nihongo|東洋の大怪獣|Tōyō no Daikaijū}}<ref name="TSEMCW"/><ref name="EoGMGE"/><br>Giant Flying Squirrel Monster<br>{{Nihongo|{{tt|むささび|Alternatively ムササビ}}怪獣|Musasabi Kaijū}}<ref name="KHBGVKG">{{cite book|title=[[Kodansha Hit Books: Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah Monster Great Complete Works]]|date=5 December 1991|publisher=[[Kodansha]]|pages=68, 75|isbn=4061777203}}</ref><br>Winged Membrane Dragon<br>{{Nihongo|有翼膜竜|Yūyoku Maku Ryū}}<ref>{{cite book|title=[[Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla]] [[Theater programs|theater program]]|date=14 December 2002|publisher=[[Toho]]}}</ref><br>Baradagi Mountain God<br>{{Nihongo|婆羅陀巍山神|Baradagi-Sanjin}}{{sup|[[Godzilla: Trading Battle|G:TB]]}}
|subtitle        =Giant Monster {{Nihongo|大怪獣|Daikaijū}}<ref name="1954-1999">{{cite book|title=[[Godzilla 1954-1999 Super Complete Works]]|date=1 January 2000|publisher=[[Shogakukan]]|page=125|isbn=978-4091014702}}</ref><br>Monster from the East<br>{{Nihongo|東洋の怪物|Tōyō no Kaibutsu}}<ref name="TSEAMEncyclopedia">{{cite book|title=[[Toho Special Effects All Monster Encyclopedia]]|date=23 July 2014|publisher=[[Shogakukan]]|page=20|isbn=4-096-82090-3}}</ref><ref name="TSEMCW">{{cite book|title=[[Toho Special Effects Movie Complete Works]]|date=28 September 2012|publisher=[[villagebooks]]|page=34-35, 124|isbn=9784864910132}}</ref><br>Giant Monster from the East<br>{{Nihongo|東洋の大怪獣|Tōyō no Daikaijū}}<ref name="TSEMCW"/><ref name="EoGMGE"/><br>Giant Flying Squirrel Monster<br>{{Nihongo|{{tt|むささび|Alternatively ムササビ}}怪獣|Musasabi Kaijū}}<ref name="KHBGVKG">{{cite book|title=[[Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah Monster Complete Works]]|date=5 December 1991|publisher=[[Kodansha]]|pages=68, 75|isbn=4061777203}}</ref><br>Winged Membrane Dragon<br>{{Nihongo|有翼膜竜|Yūyoku Maku Ryū}}<ref>{{cite book|title=[[Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla]] [[theater program]]|date=14 December 2002|publisher=[[Toho]]}}</ref><br>Baradagi Mountain God<br>{{Nihongo|婆羅陀巍山神|Baradagi Sanjin}}{{sup|[[Godzilla: Trading Battle|GTB]]}}


|species          =Varanopode<ref name="KHBGVKG"/>
|species          =Giant prehistoric reptile (Varanopode)<ref name="KHBGVKG"/>
|height          =50 meters{{sup|[[Varan (film)|VAR]]}}<ref name="GodzillaCompendium">{{cite book|title=[[The Official Godzilla Compendium]]|author=J.D. Lees, Marc Cerasini|date=24 March [[1998]]|publisher= [[Random House]]|page=140|isbn=0279888225}}<br>[[File:Compendium31.png|150px]]</ref><ref name="GGMSE">{{cite book|title=[[Godzilla Giant Monsters Super Encyclopedia]]|ed=4th edition|date=15 March 1994|publisher=[[Kodansha]]|page=61|isbn=978-4063042702}}</ref><ref name="GCompletelyDeciphered">{{cite book|title=[[Godzilla Completely Deciphered]]|date=26 June 2014|publisher=Takarajimasha|page=104|isbn=4800228964}}</ref><br>10 meters{{sup|[[Destroy All Monsters|DAM]]}}<ref name="EoGMGE">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Godzilla (Mechagodzilla Edition)]]|date=10 December [[1993]]|publisher=Gakken|pages=100, 135|isbn=405600174X}}</ref><ref name="Ultra Books">{{cite book|title=[[Ultra Books: Destroy All Monsters]]|date=[[1968]]|publisher=Asahi Sonorama}}<br>[[File:Ultra_Books_Kaiju_Soshingeki_Varan.jpg|150px]]</ref><ref name="AGCSE">{{cite book|title=[[All Godzilla Complete Super Encyclopedia]] (2nd printing)|date=28 January 2005|publisher=Kodansha|page=43|isbn=4063045579}}</ref><ref name="DAM Inconsistent" group="note">The vast majority of sources erroneously give the ''[[Destroy All Monsters]]'' incarnation of Varan the same stats as the original, 1958 Varan. At the same time, ''[[Godzilla 1954-1999 Super Complete Works]]'' lists the ''Destroy All Monsters'' Varan's height as being 30 meters (p. 125).</ref>


|weight           =15,000 metric tons{{sup|[[Varan (film)|VAR]]}}<ref name="GodzillaCompendium"/><ref name="GCompletelyDeciphered"/><br>60 metric tons{{sup|[[Destroy All Monsters|DAM]]}}<ref name="EoGMGE"/><ref name="Ultra Books"/><ref name="AGCSE"/><ref name="DAM Inconsistent" group="note"/>
|height           =50 meters{{sup|[[Varan (film)|VAR]]}},<ref name="GodzillaCompendium">{{cite book|title=[[The Official Godzilla Compendium]]|author=J.D. Lees, Marc Cerasini|date=24 March 1998|publisher= [[Random House]]|page=140|isbn=0279888225}}<br>[[File:Compendium31.png|150px]]</ref><ref name="GGMSE">{{cite book|title=[[Godzilla Giant Monsters Super Encyclopedia]]|edition=4th|date=15 March 1994|publisher=[[Kodansha]]|page=61|isbn=978-4063042702}}</ref><ref name="GCompletelyDeciphered">{{cite book|title=[[Godzilla Completely Deciphered]]|date=26 June 2014|publisher=Takarajimasha|page=104|isbn=4800228964}}</ref><br><!--


|controlled      =[[Kilaaks]]{{sup|[[Destroy All Monsters|DAM]]}}
Second Generation:-->10 meters{{sup|[[Destroy All Monsters|DAM]]}}<ref name="EoGMGE">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Godzilla (Mechagodzilla Edition)]]|date=10 December 1993|publisher=Gakken|pages=100, 135|isbn=405600174X}}</ref><ref name="Ultra Books">{{cite book|title=[[Ultra Books: Destroy All Monsters]]|date=1968|publisher=Asahi Sonorama}}<br>[[File:Ultra_Books_Kaiju_Soshingeki_Varan.jpg|150px]]</ref><ref name="AGCSE">{{cite book|title=[[All Godzilla Complete Super Encyclopedia]] (2nd printing)|date=28 January 2005|publisher=Kodansha|page=43|isbn=4063045579}}</ref><ref name="DAM Inconsistent" group="note">The vast majority of sources erroneously give the ''[[Destroy All Monsters]]'' incarnation of Varan the same stats as the original 1958 Varan. At the same time, ''[[Godzilla 1954-1999 Super Complete Works]]'' lists the ''Destroy All Monsters'' Varan's height as being 30 meters (p. 125).</ref>
 
|weight          =15,000 metric tons{{sup|[[Varan (film)|VAR]]}},<ref name="GodzillaCompendium"/><ref name="GCompletelyDeciphered"/><br>60 metric tons{{sup|[[Destroy All Monsters|DAM]]}}<ref name="EoGMGE"/><ref name="Ultra Books"/><ref name="AGCSE"/><ref name="DAM Inconsistent" group="note"/>
 
|controlled      =[[Kilaak]]s{{sup|[[Destroy All Monsters|DAM]]}}
|allies          =[[Godzilla]], [[Mothra]], [[Rodan]], [[Baragon]], [[Minilla]], [[Anguirus]], [[Gorosaurus]], [[Kumonga]], [[Manda]], [[King Caesar]]{{Sup|[[Godzilla: Rulers of Earth|GRoE]]}}, [[Zilla]]{{Sup|[[Godzilla: Rulers of Earth|GRoE]]}},<br>[[Jet Jaguar]]{{Sup|[[Godzilla: Rulers of Earth|GRoE]]}}, [[Kamoebas]]{{Sup|[[Godzilla: Rulers of Earth|GRoE]]}}, [[Titanosaurus]]{{Sup|[[Godzilla: Rulers of Earth|GRoE]]}}, [[Sanda]]{{Sup|[[Godzilla: Rulers of Earth|GRoE]]}}, [[Gaira]]{{Sup|[[Godzilla: Rulers of Earth|GRoE]]}}, [[Kamacuras]]{{Sup|[[Godzilla: Rulers of Earth|GRoE]]}}
|allies          =[[Godzilla]], [[Mothra]], [[Rodan]], [[Baragon]], [[Minilla]], [[Anguirus]], [[Gorosaurus]], [[Kumonga]], [[Manda]], [[King Caesar]]{{Sup|[[Godzilla: Rulers of Earth|GRoE]]}}, [[Zilla]]{{Sup|[[Godzilla: Rulers of Earth|GRoE]]}},<br>[[Jet Jaguar]]{{Sup|[[Godzilla: Rulers of Earth|GRoE]]}}, [[Kamoebas]]{{Sup|[[Godzilla: Rulers of Earth|GRoE]]}}, [[Titanosaurus]]{{Sup|[[Godzilla: Rulers of Earth|GRoE]]}}, [[Sanda]]{{Sup|[[Godzilla: Rulers of Earth|GRoE]]}}, [[Gaira]]{{Sup|[[Godzilla: Rulers of Earth|GRoE]]}}, [[Kamacuras]]{{Sup|[[Godzilla: Rulers of Earth|GRoE]]}}
|enemies          =[[King Ghidorah]], [[Gaira]]{{sup|[[Godzilla: Rulers of Earth|GRoE]]}} {{small|(At first)}}, [[Rodan]]{{sup|[[Godzilla: Rulers of Earth|GRoE]]}}, [[Trilopod]], [[Magita]], [[Anguirus]]{{sup|[[Godzilla: Rage Across Time|GRAT]]}}
|enemies          =[[King Ghidorah]]{{Sup|[[Destroy All Monsters|DAM]], [[Godziban|GZB]]}}, [[Gaira]]{{Sup|[[Godzilla: Rulers of Earth|GRoE]]}} (initially), [[Rodan]]{{Sup|[[Godzilla: Rulers of Earth|GRoE]]}}, [[Trilopod]]s, [[Magita]], [[Anguirus]]{{Sup|[[Godzilla: Rage Across Time|GRAT]]}}
|written          =[[Ken Kuronuma]], [[Shinichi Sekizawa]]
|written          =[[Ken Kuronuma]], [[Shinichi Sekizawa]]
|modeled          =[[Teizo Toshimitsu]], [[Kanju Yagi and Yasuei Yagi|Kanju Yagi,<br>Yasuei Yagi]], [[Keizo Murase]]
|modeled          =[[Teizo Toshimitsu]], [[Kanju Yagi and Yasuei Yagi|Kanju Yagi,<br>Yasuei Yagi]], [[Keizo Murase]]
|portrayed        =[[Haruo Nakajima]], [[Katsumi Tezuka]]
|portrayed        =[[Haruo Nakajima]], [[Katsumi Tezuka]]
|debut            =''[[Varan (film)|Varan]]''
|debut            =''[[Varan (film)|Varan]]''
|last            =''[[Godziban]]'' episode 21, "[[Fly! Toward the Future]]"
|last            =''[[Godziban]]''
|roar            =[[File:Varan,_Gorosaurus_and_Baragon_Roar_Showa.ogg|180px|center|noicon]]{{More Roars}}
|roar            ='''[[Japan]]ese'''[[File:Varan,_Gorosaurus_and_Baragon_Roar_Showa.ogg|180px|center|noicon]]'''[[United States|U.S.]]'''[[File:Varan_roar_1958_American.mp3|180px|center|noicon]]{{More Roars}}
}}
|forms=Giant flying squirrel {{sup|[[Godziban|GZB]]}}}}
{{Dialogue|Horiguchi|It's an oversized lizard! What is it?|[[Kenji Uozaki]]|It could be a '''Varan'''.|more1=Horiguchi|more2=Varan?|more3=Kenji Uozaki|more4=But it's unbelievable that Varan can still be alive after millions of years.|Horiguchi and [[Kenji Uozaki]] discuss the emergence of Varan (''[[Varan (film)|Varan]]'')}}
{{Dialogue|Horiguchi|It's an oversized lizard! What is it?|[[Kenji Uozaki]]|It could be a '''Varan'''.|more1=Horiguchi|more2=Varan?|more3=Kenji Uozaki|more4=But it's unbelievable that Varan can still be alive after millions of years.|Horiguchi and [[Kenji Uozaki]] discuss the emergence of Varan (''[[Varan (film)|Varan]]'')}}
'''Varan''' {{Nihongo|バラン|Baran}} is a tri-phibian [[kaiju]] that first appeared in the [[1958]] [[Toho]] [[:Category:Films|film]], ''[[Varan (film)|Varan]]'', and later debuted in the [[Godzilla (franchise)|Godzilla series]] in the [[1968]] film ''[[Destroy All Monsters]]''.
'''Varan''' {{Nihongo|バラン|Baran}} is a triphibian [[kaiju]] who first appeared in the [[1958]] [[Toho]] [[:Category:Films|film]] ''[[Varan (film)|Varan]]'', and later debuted in the [[Godzilla (franchise)|''Godzilla'' series]] in the [[1968]] film ''[[Destroy All Monsters]]''.


In his debut film, Varan was a huge prehistoric reptile that lived beneath a lake near a [[Japan]]ese mountain village, whose inhabitants came to fear him as the "Baradagi" mountain god. Varan eventually emerged from the lake, destroying the village and making his way to [[Tokyo]], where he was finally defeated by the [[JSDF]] at [[Haneda Airport]]. A second incarnation of Varan was introduced in ''Destroy All Monsters'' ten years later, in which the creature was now a small juvenile living in peace with the other monsters of Earth on [[Monsterland]].<ref name="EoGMGE"/> Varan was present during the Earth monsters' battle against [[King Ghidorah/Showa|King Ghidorah]], but did not take part and only observed. While relatively obscure compared to most of Toho's kaiju library due to only having a major role in a single film, Varan has nonetheless retained some degree of popularity over the years, being considered for many unrealized film projects and making appearances in non-film media such as comic books and video games.
In his debut film, Varan was a huge prehistoric reptile that lived beneath a lake near a [[Japan]]ese mountain village, whose inhabitants came to fear him as the "Baradagi Mountain God". Varan eventually emerged from the lake, destroying the village and making his way to [[Tokyo]], where he was finally defeated by the [[JSDF]] at [[Haneda Airport]]. A second incarnation of Varan was introduced in ''Destroy All Monsters'' ten years later, in which the creature was now a small juvenile living in peace with the other monsters of Earth on [[Monsterland]].<ref name="EoGMGE"/> Varan was present during the Earth monsters' battle against [[King Ghidorah (Showa)|King Ghidorah]], but did not take part and only observed. While relatively obscure compared to most of Toho's kaiju library due to only having a major role in a single film, Varan has nonetheless retained some degree of popularity over the years, being considered for many unrealized film projects and making appearances in non-film media such as comic books and video games.
{{TOC}}
{{TOC}}
==Name==
==Name==
Varan's name is most likely derived from either the genus name for [[wikipedia:Monitor lizard|monitor lizards]], ''Varanus'', or from the name of an extinct family of synapsids, [[wikipedia:Varanopidae|Varanopidae]]. In-universe, Varan's name is an abbreviation of his species name, '''Varanopode''' {{Nihongo|バラノポーダ|Baranopōda}}.<ref name="Marusan"/> The villagers that worship Varan refer to him as '''Baradagi Mountain God''' {{Nihongo|{{tt|婆羅陀魏山神|バラダギサンジン}}|Baradagi-Sanjin}}, or alternatively '''Baradagi-Sama''' {{Nihongo|バラダギサマ}}. In the [[Varan (film)#U.S. Release|American version of Varan's debut film]], he is only called '''Obake''' onscreen. Varan is often given the title '''Giant Flying Squirrel Monster''' {{Nihongo|むささび怪獣|Musasabi Kaijū}} in various publications due to the gliding membranes underneath his arms, despite not actually being a flying squirrel.<ref name="KHBGVKG"/> The Varan featured in ''[[Destroy All Monsters]]'' is sometimes denoted as '''Varan (Second Generation)''' {{Nihongo|バラン(二代目)|Baran Nidaime}}.<ref name="KHBGVKG"/>
Varan's name is most likely derived from either the genus name for [[wikipedia:Monitor lizard|monitor lizard]]s, ''Varanus'', or from the name of an extinct family of synapsids, the [[wikipedia:Varanopidae|Varanopidae]]. In-universe, Varan's name is an abbreviation of his species name, '''Varanopode''' {{Nihongo|バラノポーダ|Baranopōda}}, which was given to him by Professor Sugimoto. The villagers that worship Varan refer to him as the '''Baradagi Mountain God''' {{Nihongo|{{ruby|婆|バ}}{{ruby|羅|ラ}}{{ruby|陀|ダ}}{{ruby|魏|ギ}}{{ruby|山|サン}}{{ruby||ジン}}|Baradagi Sanjin}}, or simply '''Baradagi-sama''' {{Nihongo|バラダギサマ}}. In the [[Varan (film)#U.S. release|American version of Varan's debut film]], he is only called '''Obake''' onscreen, which comes from the Japanese word for "ghost" {{Nihongo|おばけ|obake}}.
 
Varan is often given the title '''Giant Flying Squirrel Monster''' {{Nihongo|むささび怪獣|Musasabi Kaijū}} in various publications due to the gliding membranes underneath his arms, despite not actually being a flying squirrel.<ref name="KHBGVKG"/> In the Japanese title of his debut film, he is simply referred to as a '''Giant Monster''' {{Nihongo|大怪{{tt|獣|Written 獸 on the film's preparatory draft}}|Daikaijū}}, while the film's original title addressed him as an '''Oriental Monster''', or more literally '''Monster from the East''' {{Nihongo|東洋の怪物}}, due to the project originating as an American co-production. This subtitle is notable in that it uses the word ''kaibutsu'' to mean "monster" rather than ''kaijū''.
 
The Varan featured in ''[[Destroy All Monsters]]'' is sometimes denoted as '''Varan (Second Generation)''' {{Nihongo|バラン(二代目)|Baran Nidaime}}.<ref name="KHBGVKG"/>


According to a booklet included with [[Toho]]'s 2002 three-disc DVD release of ''[[Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack]]'', Varan's name was originally '''Baradaki''' {{Nihongo|波羅蛇麒}} in the original unrealized version of the film, ''[[Godzilla X Varan, Baragon and Anguirus: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack]]'', with him being given the name "Varan" by the [[JSDF]] late in the story.  
According to a booklet included with [[Toho]]'s 2002 3-disc DVD release of ''[[Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack]]'', Varan's name was originally '''Baradaki''' {{Nihongo|波羅蛇麒}} in the original unrealized version of the film, ''[[Godzilla X Varan, Baragon and Anguirus: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack]]'', with him being given the name "Varan" by the [[JSDF]] late in the story.<ref name="GAV TK">{{cite web|url=https://www.tohokingdom.com/cutting_room/godzilla_anguirus_baragon.htm|title=Lost Project: Godzilla X Varan, Baragon and Anguirus: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack|work=Toho Kingdom}}</ref>
==Development==
==Development==
[[File:Concept_Art_-_Varan_-_Varan_1.png|thumb|right|200px|Concept art of Varan, illustrated by [[Akira Watanabe]]]]
The initial ''[[Varan (film)|Varan]]'' story was penned by [[Ken Kuronuma]], who also wrote the story for ''[[Rodan (film)|Rodan]]''. Coming off of ''[[Godzilla (1954 film)|Godzilla]]'' and ''Rodan'', the Toho team thought the next monster should have traits of both a water monster and a flying monster. Varan was initially conceived by [[Eiji Tsuburaya]] as being a [[Godzilla]]-''[[kappa]]'' hybrid, while [[Akira Watanabe]] completed his concept art, incorporating the membranes of a gliding lizard.<ref name="ETMoM">{{cite book|title=[[Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters]]|edition=paperback|date=6 May 2014|publisher=Chronicle Books|page=|isbn=978-1-4521-3539-7}}</ref>
[[File:Varan03.JPG|thumb|left|200px|Varan's suit under construction for his [[Varan (film)|debut film]]]]
[[File:Varan03.JPG|thumb|left|200px|Varan's suit under construction for his [[Varan (film)|debut film]]]]
Varan's head was modeled by [[Teizo Toshimitsu]], his body by [[Kanju Yagi and Yasuei Yagi|Kanju and Yasuei Yagi]], and his skin, back, and claws by [[Keizo Murase]]. In order to make Varan's back spikes appear transparent, Murase cut them from a rubber hose and covered them in vinyl tape.<ref name="TSEMCW"/> The suit's eyes possessed built-in lights which made them able to glow, while the scales on its back were actually made from pressed peanut shells.<ref name="Murase">{{cite book|title=[[Monster Maker: Keizo Murase - Treasured KAIJU Photobook]]|author=[[Keizo Murase|Murase, Keizo]]|publisher=Yosensha|date=24 September 2015|page=259|isbn=978-4-8003-0756-9}}</ref> The few color stills of the suit show that it was brown in color, and Murase himself described the Varan suit as being a "chocolate sepia color."<ref name="TSEMCW"/> Despite this, many stills artificially colorized the suit green. The suit was worn onscreen by both [[Katsumi Tezuka]] and [[Haruo Nakajima]]. Nakajima was injured while wearing the suit during Varan's climactic attack on [[Haneda Airport]]. When the explosives-filled truck underneath Varan detonated, the explosion badly burned Nakajima's stomach, marking the only instance where he had ever been injured during filming.<ref name="Nakajima">{{cite web|url=http://www.davmil.org/www.kaijuconversations.com/nakajima.htm|title=Haruo Nakajima Interview|work=Kaiju Conversations|author=Milner, David, and Guy Tucker|date=March 1995}}</ref>
Varan's head was modeled by [[Teizo Toshimitsu]], his body by [[Kanju Yagi and Yasuei Yagi|Kanju and Yasuei Yagi]],{{Citation needed}} and his skin, back, and claws by [[Keizo Murase]]. In order to make Varan's back spikes appear transparent, Murase cut them from variously sized vinyl hoses which he purchased from a general store.<ref name="Murase">{{cite book|title=[[Monster Maker: Keizo Murase - Treasured KAIJU Photobook]]|author=[[Keizo Murase|Murase, Keizo]]|publisher=Yosensha|date=24 September 2015|page=258-259|isbn=978-4-8003-0756-9}}</ref> He then wrapped them in pieces from a semitransparent vinyl sheet to make them less see-through at the request of Tsuburaya.<ref name="Murase"/> The suit's eyes were similarly translucent, allowing built-in lights to shine through,<ref name="TPBOG2">{{cite book|title=[[The Pictorial Book of Godzilla 2]]|date=1 December 1995|publisher=Hobby Japan Co., Ltd.|pages=34-35|isbn=978-4894251175}}</ref>{{rp|34}} while the pupils were drawn on with a magic marker.<ref name="AllTMPB">{{cite book|title=[[All Toho Monsters Pictorial Book]] (4th Edition)|date=4 September 2016|publisher=Yosensha|pages=52, 144|isbn=978-4-8003-0362-2}}</ref>{{rp|52}}
 
The scales on Varan's back were molded from pressed peanut shells, which were in abundance due to one of the Yagi brothers being sent peanuts by his relatives.<ref name="Murase"/> Murase elaborated in an interview with Brett Homenick in 2018: "When I was talking to Mr. Tsuburaya, we were eating peanuts. Of course, we had to crush the shell in order to eat the peanuts and throw the shells away. So I said to Mr. Tsuburaya, "What do you think about this shell? I think it would look good on Varan's back." Mr. Tsuburaya asked me, "How would you make it with peanut shells?" I replied, "Let me make a sample." So I made a sample, and Mr. Tsuburaya thought it was very interesting. So that's how we made the back of the Varan suit."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://vantagepointinterviews.com/2018/05/23/memories-of-japans-master-monster-maker-keizo-murase-shares-the-secrets-of-the-worlds-greatest-kaiju/|title=MEMORIES OF JAPAN’S MASTER MONSTER MAKER! Keizo Murase Shares the Secrets of the World’s Greatest Kaiju!|author=Homenick, Brett|date=23 May 2018|work=Vantage Point Interviews}}</ref>
 
Ultimately, Tsuburaya felt disappointed in the final product, due to it appearing excessively muscular. Murase made numerous adjustments to the suit, applying sawdust to the surface and blending the muscles with paint to obscure or define them, but was unable to achieve a favorable product due to being unable to alter the suit's internal structure.<ref name="Murase"/>
 
The few color stills of the suit show that it was brown in color, and Murase himself described the Varan suit as being a "chocolate sepia color." Despite this, many stills artificially colorized the suit green. The suit was worn onscreen primarily by [[Haruo Nakajima]], though [[Katsumi Tezuka]] stepped in for the water scenes.<ref name="TSEMCW"/>{{rp|35}} Nakajima was injured while wearing the suit during Varan's climactic attack on [[Haneda Airport]]; when the explosives-filled truck underneath Varan detonated, the explosion badly burned Nakajima's stomach, marking the only instance where he had ever been injured during filming.<ref name="Nakajima">{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170420183702/http://www.davmil.org/www.kaijuconversations.com/nakajima.htm|title=Haruo Nakajima Interview|work=Kaiju Conversations|author=Milner, David; Tucker, Guy|date=March 1995}}</ref>
 
In addition to the suit, a full body flying prop and hand-operated puppet (or guignol) of Varan's upper half, both 1/2-size, were created to portray the monster.<ref name="TPBOG2"/>{{rp|35}}
<gallery widths="120" position="center" captionalign="center" spacing="small">
<gallery widths="120" position="center" captionalign="center" spacing="small">
Varan02.JPG|Front and back views of the completed Varan suit
Varan02.JPG|Front and back views of the completed Varan suit
Varan01.JPG|Side view of the suit
Varan01.JPG|Side view of the suit
VaranMakingOf_February2018.jpeg|The 1/2 scale Varan prop used for his gliding scene
Vareeennn.jpg|A guignol of Varan's upper half in use to depict him eating flares
</gallery>
</gallery>


In addition to the suit, a small doll and a Guignol (hand-operated puppet) were created to portray Varan.<ref>{{cite book|title=Godzilla Toho Special Effects Movie History|publisher=[[Kodansha]]|date=2014|page=95|isbn=9784062190046}}</ref> A miniature model one-third the size of the suit was created to depict Varan gliding through the air.<ref name="40th">{{cite book|title=40th Anniversary Godzilla Complete Works|publisher=[[Kodansha]]|date=1994|isbn=406178417X}}</ref>
[[File:DAM_-_Varan_Prop.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The 1/2 scale Varan gliding prop, brought out of storage and refurbished for the monster's brief role in ''[[Destroy All Monsters]]'']]
<gallery widths="120" position="center" captionalign="center" spacing="small">
Varan's next film appearance would come 10 years later, for what was originally planned to be the final ''[[Godzilla (franchise)|Godzilla]]'' film: ''[[Destroy All Monsters]]''. In the film's original script, ''[[All Monsters Attack Directive]]'', Varan was supposed to battle [[King Ghidorah (Showa)|King Ghidorah]] alongside [[Rodan (Showa)|Rodan]].<ref name="AllTMPB"/>{{rp|144}}<ref name="Cyberkids">{{cite web|url=http://www.cyberkids1954.com/toho_script.html|title=電脳小僧の特撮映画資料室|work=Cyberkids1954|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20180716054216/www.cyberkids1954.com/toho_script.html|archivedate=16 July 2018}}</ref> Possibly due to his suit becoming unusable, Varan's role was greatly reduced in the final film, with him only appearing on a small monitor on [[Monsterland]], and in brief scenes touching down in [[Aokigahara]] along with [[Baragon]] and [[Manda]] and taking off from [[Monsterland]]. The original 1/2-scale gliding Varan puppet is believed to have been reused,<ref name="TSEMCW"/>{{rp|35}}<ref name="TPBOG2"/>{{rp|35}} though some sources claim it was created from scratch.<ref name="AllTMPB"/>{{rp|144}}
VaranMakingOf_February2018.jpeg|The 1/3 scale Varan prop used for his gliding scene
Vareeennn.jpg|A Guignol of Varan's head in use to depict him eating flares
</gallery>


[[File:DAM_-_Varan_Prop.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The 1/3 scale Varan gliding prop, brought out of storage and refurbished for the monster's brief role in ''[[Destroy All Monsters]]'']]
Despite his minimal role, Varan's prop was prominently displayed in promotional stills for the film alongside the other monsters' suits and props. Because of the prop's much smaller size compared to the other monsters, some contemporary sources explained that this Varan was a 10-meter juvenile, although this distinction was largely overlooked in later years, with him simply being given the same 50-meter height as his original incarnation.<ref name="DAM Inconsistent" group="note"/>
Varan's next film appearance would come 10 years later, for what was originally planned to be the final [[Godzilla (franchise)|Godzilla]] film, ''[[Destroy All Monsters]]''. In the film's original script, ''[[All Monsters Attack Directive]]'', Varan was supposed to battle [[King Ghidorah/Showa|King Ghidorah]] with [[Rodan/Showa|Rodan]]. However, Varan's suit was in such poor condition by this point due to water exposure and deterioration that it could not be used. The 1/3 scale gliding Varan puppet from his [[Varan (film)|debut film]] was reused for the film,<ref name="40th"/> and Varan was relegated to a small monitor on [[Monsterland]], a brief appearance touching down in [[Aokigahara]] along with [[Baragon]] and [[Manda]], the two other monsters who did not take part at all in the final battle, and a single shot of him gliding above [[Monsterland]] in the film's epilogue. Despite his minimal role, Varan's prop was prominently displayed in promotional stills for the film alongside the other monsters' suits and props. Because of the prop's much smaller size compared to the other monster suits and props used in the film, some contemporary sources explained that this Varan was a 10-meter juvenile, although many sources in later years overlooked this distinction and simply gave this Varan the same 50 meter height as his original incarnation.
<gallery widths="120" position="center" captionalign="center" spacing="small">
<gallery widths="120" position="center" captionalign="center" spacing="small">
DAM_-_Varan_On_a_Rock.jpg|A publicity still of the refurbished Varan prop
DAM_-_Varan_On_a_Rock.jpg|The refurbished Varan prop
Tumblr_ljpuuobyyv1qf2my8o1_640.jpg|[[Teizo Toshimitsu]] with the Varan prop and [[Rodan/Showa|Rodan]], [[Minilla]], and [[Baragon]] suits used in ''[[Destroy All Monsters]]''
Tumblr_ljpuuobyyv1qf2my8o1_640.jpg|[[Teizo Toshimitsu]] with the Varan prop and [[Rodan (Showa)|Rodan]], [[Minilla]], and [[Baragon]] suits used in ''[[Destroy All Monsters]]''
DAM_-_All_Monsters.jpg|The Varan prop (top right) in a publicity still alongside all of the other monster suits and props used in the film
DAM_-_All_Monsters.jpg|The Varan prop (top right) in a publicity still alongside all of the other monster suits and props used in the film
DAM_Puppets.jpg|A miniature Varan doll alongside dolls of Baragon and [[Manda]] assembled in [[Aokigahara]] to observe the final battle against [[King Ghidorah/Showa|King Ghidorah]]
DAM_Puppets.jpg|The Varan prop alongside miniatures of Baragon and [[Manda]] assembled in [[Aokigahara]] to observe the final battle against [[King Ghidorah (Showa)|King Ghidorah]]
Behind_Kaiju_Soshingeki_Varan.jpg|The Varan prop in use for the single shot of the monster gliding over [[Monsterland]] in the film's epilogue
Behind_Kaiju_Soshingeki_Varan.jpg|The Varan prop in use for the single shot of the monster gliding over [[Monsterland]] in the film's epilogue
</gallery>
</gallery>


[[File:The_return_of_king_ghidorah72_art_01.jpg|thumb|left|200px|''[[The Return of King Ghidorah (Showa)|The Return of King Ghidorah]]'' artwork by [[Hurricane Ryu Hariken|"Hurricane" Ryu Hariken]]]]
[[File:The_return_of_king_ghidorah72_art_01.jpg|thumb|left|200px|''[[The Return of King Ghidorah!]]'' artwork by [[Ryu Hariken|"Hurricane" Ryu Hariken]]]]
In [[Shinichi Sekizawa]]'s story treatment for the twelfth Godzilla film, titled ''[[The Return of King Ghidorah (Showa)|The Return of King Ghidorah]]'', Varan was to appear alongside Rodan as [[Godzilla/Showa|Godzilla's]] allies against the space monsters King Ghidorah, [[Gigan]], and [[Mogu]], all of whom were under the control of the evil alien brain Miko. Sekizawa refined his story further into ''[[Godzilla vs. Gigan: The Return of King Ghidorah]]'', dropping Varan and Rodan in favor of [[Anguirus]] and a larval Mothra with [[Megalon]] replacing Mogu. Ultimately, the concept was trimmed down to ''[[Godzilla vs. Gigan]]'', which pitted Godzilla and Anguirus against Gigan and King Ghidorah.<ref name="EoGMGE"/>
In [[Shinichi Sekizawa]]'s story treatment for the twelfth Godzilla film, titled ''[[The Return of King Ghidorah!]]'', Varan was to appear alongside Rodan as [[Godzilla (Second Generation)|Godzilla]]'s allies against the space monsters King Ghidorah, [[Gigan]], and [[Mogu]], all of whom were under the control of the evil alien brain Miko. Sekizawa refined his story further into ''[[Godzilla vs. Gigan: The Return of King Ghidorah!]]'', dropping Varan and Rodan in favor of [[Anguirus (Second Generation)|Anguirus]] and a larval [[Mothra]], with [[Megalon]] replacing Mogu. Ultimately, the concept was trimmed down to ''[[Godzilla vs. Gigan]]'', which pitted Godzilla and Anguirus against Gigan and King Ghidorah.<ref name="EoGMGE"/>


Varan's next considered appearance was as the antagonist in the final film of the [[Heisei era|Heisei series]]. In this story proposal, ''Godzilla vs. Giant Monster Varan'', Varan was to be an evil creature which is the harbinger of the apocalypse that arises in the year [[1999]] to destroy the world. [[Godzilla/Heisei|Godzilla]] and his [[Godzilla Junior|adopted son]] would team up to defeat Varan, with the film ending at the start of the new millennium. This concept was short-lived, as many other story proposals featuring new monsters such as [[Ghost Godzilla]] and [[Barubaroi]] were submitted in its place, with [[Destoroyah]] ultimately serving as Godzilla's final foe in ''[[Godzilla vs. Destoroyah]]''.
Varan's next considered appearance was as the antagonist in the final film of the [[Heisei era|Heisei series]]. In this story proposal, ''Godzilla vs. Giant Monster Varan'', Varan was to be an evil creature which was the harbinger of the Apocalypse that would arise in the year [[1999]] to destroy the world. [[Godzilla (Heisei)|Godzilla]] and his [[Godzilla Junior|adopted son]] would team up to defeat Varan, with the film ending at the start of the new millennium. This concept was short-lived, as many other story proposals featuring new monsters such as [[Ghost Godzilla]] and [[Barubaroi]] were submitted in its place, with [[Destoroyah]] ultimately serving as Godzilla's final foe in ''[[Godzilla vs. Destoroyah]]''.<ref name="BigBookLostFilms">{{cite book|title=[[The Big Book of Japanese Giant Monster Movies: The Lost Films]]|author=LeMay, John|date=15 June 2017|publisher=Bicep Books|pages=171-172|isbn=9781548145255}}</ref>


[[File:SokogekiVaran.png|thumb|right|200px|A concept maquette of Varan for ''[[Godzilla X Varan, Baragon and Anguirus: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack]]'']]
[[File:SokogekiVaran.png|thumb|right|200px|A concept maquette of Varan for ''[[Godzilla X Varan, Baragon and Anguirus: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack]]'']]
When [[Shusuke Kaneko]] was hired to direct the third entry in the [[Millennium era|Millennium series]], he eventually settled on the concept of [[Godzilla/GMK|Godzilla]] battling against three smaller and weaker [[Guardian Monsters]]. For this role, he selected Varan, Baragon, and Anguirus. In the story, Varan was the White Wind Monster known originally as Baradaki, who joined forces with the Golden Freezing Monster Angira to battle Godzilla in [[Yokohama]]. When the Red Hot Monster Baragora is revived by a lightning bolt, he joins his comrades in the battle. While all three are slain by Godzilla, they do enough damage to allow the [[JSDF]]'s advanced warship [[Gotengo]] to arrive and ultimately defeat him. Kaneko's story proposal, ''[[Godzilla X Varan, Baragon and Anguirus: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack]]'', was approved by producer [[Shogo Tomiyama]] and submitted to [[Toho]]'s executives. To Kaneko's surprise, they requested that he find a way to work in the more marketable monsters Mothra and King Ghidorah to increase the film's marquee value following the disappointing box office returns of ''[[Godzilla vs. Megaguirus]]''. After learning that many people were unfamiliar with the three monsters he chose, Kaneko went with Toho's wishes and replaced Varan and Anguirus with [[Mothra/GMK|Mothra]] and [[King Ghidorah/GMK|King Ghidorah]], compromising by retaining Baragon in the final product. Monster designer and modeler [[Fuyuki Shinada]] was disappointed in Varan's exclusion, and compromised by sculpting the monster's facial fins onto the heads of the King Ghidorah suit.
When [[Shusuke Kaneko]] was hired to direct the third entry in the [[Millennium era|Millennium series]], he eventually settled on the concept of [[Godzilla (GMK)|Godzilla]] battling against three smaller and weaker [[Guardian Monsters]]. For this role, he selected Varan, Baragon, and Anguirus. In the story, Varan was the White Wind Monster known originally as Baradaki, who joined forces with the Golden Freezing Monster Angira to battle Godzilla in [[Yokohama]]. When the Red Hot Monster Baragora is revived by a lightning bolt, he joins his comrades in the battle. While all three are slain by Godzilla, they do enough damage to allow the [[JSDF]]'s advanced warship ''[[Gotengo]]'' to arrive and ultimately defeat him. Kaneko's story proposal, ''[[Godzilla X Varan, Baragon and Anguirus: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack]]'', was approved by producer [[Shogo Tomiyama]] and submitted to [[Toho]]'s executives. To Kaneko's surprise, they requested that he find a way to work in the more marketable monsters Mothra and King Ghidorah to increase the film's marquee value following the disappointing box office returns of ''[[Godzilla vs. Megaguirus]]''.<ref name="JG">"Shusuke Kaneko on Directing ''GMK''" by Ed Godziszewski and Norman England in ''Japanese Giants'' #9 (June 2002), page 21.</ref> After learning that many people were unfamiliar with the three monsters he chose, Kaneko went with Toho's wishes and replaced Varan and Anguirus with [[Mothra (GMK)|Mothra]] and [[King Ghidorah (Millennium)|King Ghidorah]], compromising by retaining Baragon in the final product. Monster designer and modeler [[Fuyuki Shinada]] was disappointed in Varan's exclusion, and compromised by sculpting the monster's facial fins onto the heads of the King Ghidorah suit.{{Citation needed}}
<gallery widths="120" position="center" captionalign="center" spacing="small">
<gallery widths="120" position="center" captionalign="center" spacing="small">
Behind_GMK_39.jpg|Unpainted concept maquettes of Varan, [[Anguirus]], and [[Baragon]] for ''[[Godzilla X Varan, Baragon and Anguirus: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack]]''
Behind_GMK_39.jpg|Unpainted concept maquettes of Varan, [[Anguirus]], and [[Baragon]] for ''[[Godzilla X Varan, Baragon and Anguirus: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack]]''
GMKGhido_2.JPG|The heads of the [[King Ghidorah/GMK|King Ghidorah]] suit from ''[[Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack]]'', possessing Varan's facial fins
GMKGhido_2.JPG|The heads of the [[King Ghidorah (Millennium)|King Ghidorah]] suit from ''[[Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack]]'', possessing Varan's facial fins
</gallery>
</gallery>
==Design==
==Design==
Varan is a primarily quadrupedal reptilian creature with thin membranes between his arms and legs, which he uses for gliding in a manner akin to that of a [[Wikipedia:flying_squirrel|flying squirrel]] or [[Wikipedia:sugar glider|sugar glider]]. Varan's eyes are small with large pupils, his head is round, and he has a short-muzzled face with a lumpy nose and a prominent upper lip. His teeth vary in size, but all of them are more or less conical in shape. He has a barrel-shaped torso with a large sternum. His neck is fairly long and thick and his limbs are relatively long and thin. Varan also has a pair of spiky, fin-like structures on the sides of his face and a single row of large spines that run down from the top of his head to the end of his long, prehensile tail. His hands and feet have five digits each and they have a slender, bony look to them. His spines are clear and translucent, having little to no real color to them, and his hide can be divided into two notable sections: the lowermost sides of his skin are smooth with a slightly baggy or wrinkled feel to them and are a light cream or tan-like sandy brown while the uppermost parts of his skin are covered with a multitude of bumpy, wart-like structures and are a much darker shade of brown. These two sections are separated by a series of wavy membranes on the sides of his torso, limbs, and tail that straighten to form Varan's gliding membranes.
Varan is a primarily quadrupedal reptilian creature with thin membranes between his arms and legs, which he uses for gliding in a manner akin to that of a [[Wikipedia:Flying_squirrel|flying squirrel]] or [[Wikipedia:Sugar glider|sugar glider]]. Varan's eyes are small with large pupils, his head is round, and he has a short-muzzled face with a lumpy nose and a prominent upper lip. His teeth vary in size, but all of them are more or less conical in shape. He has a barrel-shaped torso with a large sternum. His neck is fairly long and thick and his limbs are relatively long and thin. Varan also has a pair of spiky, fin-like structures on the sides of his face and a single row of large spines that run down from the top of his head to the end of his long, prehensile tail. His hands and feet have five digits each and they have a slender, bony look to them. His spines are clear and translucent, having little to no real color to them, and his hide can be divided into two notable sections: the lowermost sides of his skin are smooth with a slightly baggy or wrinkled feel to them and are a light cream or tan-like sandy brown, while the uppermost parts of his skin are covered with a multitude of bumpy, wart-like structures and are a much darker shade of brown. These two sections are separated by a series of wavy membranes on the sides of his torso, limbs, and tail that straighten to form Varan's gliding membranes.
==Origins==
==Origins==
Varan is an ancient reptilian creature known as a Varanopode, which lived from the Triassic through Cretaceous Periods.<ref name="KHBGVKG"/> Varan escaped extinction and lived for millions of years at the bottom of a lake in the Japanese countryside. Villagers living near the lake saw Varan as a god, giving him the title of the "Baradagi Mountain God." In ''[[Destroy All Monsters]]'', Varan is one of the several [[kaiju]] living on [[Monsterland]] at the end of the 20th century. No details regarding him are ever discussed within the film, but external sources say that this Varan is a juvenile.<ref name="EoGMGE"/>
Varan is an ancient reptilian creature known as a Varanopode, which lived from the Triassic through the Cretaceous Periods.<ref name="KHBGVKG"/> Varan escaped extinction and lived for millions of years at the bottom of a lake in the Japanese countryside. Villagers living near the lake saw Varan as a god, giving him the title of the "Baradagi Mountain God."  
 
In ''[[Destroy All Monsters]]'', Varan is one of the several [[kaiju]] living on [[Monsterland]] at the end of the 20th century. No details regarding him are ever discussed within the film, but external sources say that this Varan is a juvenile.<ref name="EoGMGE" /> According to ''[[Godzilla Movie Studio Tour]]'', this Varan was raised by humanity.
 
A toy of Varan released by Marusan in 2016 taxonomically classifies Varan as '''Reptilia Class, [[Rodan]] Family, [[Godzilla]] Genus, Varanopode''' {{Nihongo|爬虫類ゴジラ属ラドン科バラノポーダ|Hachūrui Gojira-zoku Radon-ka Baranopōda}}, reaffirming his species as a Varanopode, but also suggesting a close evolutionary relationship to both Godzilla and Rodan.<ref name="Marusan">[http://hobby.dengeki.com/news/227635/ バランが立った!マルサンのソフビ人形で直立ポーズのバランが漆黒成形で発売! - Dengeki Hobby Web]</ref>


A toy of Varan released by Marusan in 2016 taxonomically classifies Varan as '''Reptilia Class, [[Rodan]] Family, [[Godzilla]] Genus, Varanopode''' {{Nihongo|爬虫類ゴジラ属ラドン科バラノポーダ|Hachūrui Gojira-zoku Radon-ka Baranopōda}}, reaffirming his species as Varanopode but also suggesting a close evolutionary relationship to both Godzilla and Rodan.<ref name="Marusan">[http://hobby.dengeki.com/news/227635/ バランが立った!マルサンのソフビ人形で直立ポーズのバランが漆黒成形で発売! - Dengeki Hobby Web]</ref>
==History==
==History==
===[[Showa era|Showa series]]===
*''[[Varan (film)|Varan]]'' (1958)
*''Cheers, Mr. Awamori!'' (1961) [prop]
*''[[Destroy All Monsters]]'' (1968)
*''[[Godzilla Final Wars]]'' (2004) [stock footage; toy]
*''[[Godziban]]'' (web 2019-) [episodes 21 and 54-55; special episodes 10-11]
===[[Showa era]]===
====''[[Varan (film)|Varan]]''====
====''[[Varan (film)|Varan]]''====
[[File:Varan.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Varan in ''[[Varan (film)|Varan]]'']]After a pair of rare Siberian butterflies were found in Japan by a young boy, two scientists were sent to investigate the area where they were found, near a secluded mountain village. The scientists were killed by an unknown force, and another team was sent to investigate. There, they encountered the local villagers, who worshiped a mountain god called "Baradagi." The team went out to find a boy who was lost in the forest, but the villagers warned that they would anger Baradagi. One of the scientists persuaded the villagers to go out to find the boy, but Varan, the "Baradagi" the villagers worshiped, emerged from the nearby lake and attacked them. Varan killed the village priest and destroyed the village before returning to the lake he had come from. The [[JSDF]] arrived and surrounded the lake, and opened fire on Varan after luring him out with chemicals. The attack had no effect, and Varan chased two people into a cave. The JSDF fired flares to distract Varan, prompting him to climb to the top of a cliff. Varan opened large membranes under his arms and dove off the cliff, gliding across the sky and towards the ocean. The JSDF deployed countless destroyers and bombers to try and stop Varan before he could reach the Japanese mainland, but their attacks did little to slow the beast's advance. Eventually, Varan surfaced from [[Tokyo Bay]] and attacked [[Haneda Airport]]. The JSDF attacked Varan with all of their available artillery and jets, but still were unable to harm him. When Varan destroyed a truck containing experimental explosives, it triggered an explosion that seemed to visibly harm him. The JSDF quickly tied two of these explosives to flares and then dropped them from helicopters, knowing Varan would eat the flares. After Varan swallowed the flares, the first bomb exploded inside Varan, causing him to become weak. Varan limped back into the ocean and disappeared beneath the waves before the second bomb exploded, producing a small mushroom cloud over the water. The [[JSDF]] then finally declared the creature dead.
[[File:Varan.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Varan in ''[[Varan (film)|Varan]]'']]
After a pair of rare Siberian butterflies were found in Japan by a young boy, two scientists were sent to investigate the area where they were found, near a secluded mountain village. The scientists were killed by an unknown force, and another team was sent to investigate. There, they encountered the local villagers, who worshiped a mountain god called "Baradagi." The team went out to find a boy who was lost in the forest, but the villagers warned that they would anger Baradagi. One of the scientists persuaded the villagers to go out to find the boy, but Varan, the "Baradagi" the villagers worshiped, emerged from the nearby lake and attacked them. Varan killed the village priest and destroyed the village before returning to the lake he had come from. The [[JSDF]] arrived and surrounded the lake, and opened fire on Varan after luring him out with chemicals. The attack had no effect, and Varan chased two people into a cave. The JSDF fired flares to distract Varan, prompting him to climb to the top of a cliff. Varan opened large membranes under his arms and dove off the cliff, gliding across the sky and towards the ocean. The JSDF deployed countless destroyers and bombers to try and stop Varan before he could reach the Japanese mainland, but their attacks did little to slow the beast's advance. Eventually, Varan surfaced from [[Tokyo Bay]] and attacked [[Haneda Airport]]. The JSDF attacked Varan with all of their available artillery and jets, but still were unable to harm him. When Varan destroyed a truck containing experimental explosives, it triggered an explosion that seemed to visibly harm him. The JSDF quickly tied two of these explosives to flares and then dropped them from helicopters, knowing Varan would eat the flares. After Varan swallowed the flares, the first bomb exploded inside Varan, causing him to become weak. Varan limped back into the ocean and disappeared beneath the waves before the second bomb exploded, producing a small mushroom cloud over the water. The [[JSDF]] then finally declared the creature dead.
{{Clear}}
{{Clear}}
====''[[Destroy All Monsters]]''====
====''[[Destroy All Monsters]]''====
[[File:Godzilla.jp - 9 - SoshingekiVaran Varan 1968.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Varan in ''[[Destroy All Monsters]]'']]At the end of the 20th century, a juvenile Varan was living among Earth's other monsters on the human-monitored [[Monsterland]]. When the [[Kilaaks]] took control of the island and its inhabitants, Varan disappeared as the alien invaders' global assault was initiated. Whether Varan was ever used by the aliens to fight humanity is unclear, as he wasn't seen again until well after the humans used the [[Moonlight SY-3]] to destroy the Kilaaks' [[Moon]] base. After the Kilaaks' control was broken, Varan spectated alongside [[Baragon]] and [[Manda]] during the Earth monsters' fight against [[King Ghidorah/Showa|King Ghidorah]] at [[Mount Fuji]]. Once King Ghidorah and the Kilaaks were defeated, Varan and all the others monsters returned to Monsterland in peace.
[[File:Godzilla.jp - 9 - SoshingekiVaran Varan 1968.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Varan in ''[[Destroy All Monsters]]'']]
At the end of the 20th century, a juvenile Varan was living among Earth's other monsters on the human-monitored [[Monsterland]]. When the [[Kilaak]]s took control of the island and its inhabitants, Varan disappeared as the alien invaders' global assault was initiated. Whether Varan was ever used by the aliens to fight humanity is unclear, as he wasn't seen again until well after the humans used the ''[[Moonlight SY-3]]'' to destroy the Kilaaks' [[Moon]] base. After the Kilaaks' control was broken, Varan spectated the Earth monsters' fight against [[King Ghidorah (Showa)|King Ghidorah]] at [[Mount Fuji]] alongside [[Baragon]] and [[Manda]]. Once King Ghidorah and the Kilaaks were defeated, Varan and the other Earth monsters returned to Monsterland in peace.
{{Clear}}
{{Clear}}
===[[Millennium era]]===
====''[[Godzilla Final Wars]]''====
Varan was one of countless monsters that threatened [[Humans|humanity]] during the 20th century. In the year [[20XX]], a Canadian child was playing with numerous toys of monsters, including one of Varan, before he noticed a news report showing [[Anguirus (Millennium)|Anguirus]] attacking [[Shanghai]] on TV.
===[[Reiwa era]]===
====''[[Godziban]]''====
Varan briefly appeared as one of the monsters called to fight [[King Ghidorah (Godziban)|King Ghidorah]] in "[[Fly! Toward the Future]]". Varan is set to appear in a larger capacity in Season 4. {{Clear}}
==Abilities==
==Abilities==
===Durability===
===Durability===
Varan's hide is extremely durable, and is unable to be penetrated by any known conventional weapon. Dr. Sugimoto and Kenji Uozaki propose that Varan's durability comes not from the thickness of his skin, but rather its flexibility, which allows it to withstand impacts from projectiles and explosives.
Varan's hide is extremely durable, and is unable to be penetrated by any known conventional weapon. Dr. Sugimoto and Kenji Uozaki propose that Varan's durability comes not from the thickness of his skin, but rather its flexibility, which allows it to withstand impacts from projectiles and explosives.
===Tri-phibiousness===
===Triphibiousness===
[[File:Varan2014April02.JPG|thumb|right|200px|Varan gliding across the sky in ''[[Varan (film)|Varan]]'']]
[[File:Varan takes flight 1b.gif|thumb|right|200px|Varan gliding across the sky in ''[[Varan (film)|Varan]]'']]
Varan is a tri-phibian creature, meaning that he is capable of movement on land, underwater, or in the air. Varan walks across solid land with ease, and can effectively crush structures using his arms, legs, and tail. Varan remains submerged underwater for long periods of time, initially spending his time sleeping under a lake. Varan later makes his way to [[Tokyo]] by swimming through the ocean, evading the [[JSDF]]s naval assault as he quickly covers a great distance. Most unusually, Varan is capable of gliding flight. Varan unfolds membranes between his arms and legs and leaps into the air, with the membranes allowing him to glide across the sky like a flying squirrel. Varan glides at Mach 1.5,<ref name="GGMSE"/> the same flight speed as [[Rodan/Showa|Rodan]].
Varan is a triphibian creature, meaning that he is capable of movement on land, underwater, or in the air. Varan walks across solid land with ease, and can effectively crush structures using his arms, legs, and tail. Varan remains submerged underwater for long periods of time, initially spending his time sleeping under a lake. Varan later makes his way to [[Tokyo]] by swimming through the ocean, evading the [[JSDF]]s naval assault as he quickly covers a great distance. Most unusually, Varan is capable of gliding flight. Varan unfolds skin membranes between his arms and legs and leaps into the air, with the membranes allowing him to glide across the sky like a flying squirrel. Varan glides at Mach 1.5,<ref name="GGMSE"/> the same flight speed as [[Rodan (Showa)|Rodan]]. In ''[[Destroy All Monsters]]'', Varan used gliding to join the other monsters assembling at the foot of Mt. Fuji, later using it after returning to Monsterland as well.
 
In the novel ''[[Godzilla 2000 (Book)|Godzilla 2000]]'' by Marc Cerasini, Dr. Birchwood theorizes that Varan can glide by "somehow separat[ing] the oxygen and hydrogen in water. The creature then expels the oxygen and pumps the hydrogen molecules into sacs along its torso."<ref name="Cerasini">{{cite book|title=Godzilla 2000|author=Cerasini, Mark|date=11 November 1997|publisher=Random House|page=81|isbn=0679887512}}</ref>


In the novel ''[[Godzilla 2000 (Book)|Godzilla 2000]]'' by Marc Cerasini, the bumps on Varan's skin are explained to be filled with helium, allowing him to rise into the air and glide.
===Sonic Beam===
===Sonic beam===
[[File:Sonic.png|thumb|right|200px|Varan using his Sonic Beam against [[Destoroyah]]]]
In the video game ''[[Godzilla: Unleashed]]'', Varan can spit a pink sonic beam from his mouth. Varan is stated in the game to use sonic waves to communicate over great distances, but has the capability to weaponize these same sonic waves as a beam that knocks other monsters off-balance.
In the video game ''[[Godzilla: Unleashed]]'', Varan can spit a pink sonic beam from his mouth. Varan is stated in the game to use sonic waves to communicate over great distances, but has the capability to weaponize these same sonic waves into a proper beam which can damage opponents and buildings alike.
===Concentrated Blast===
[[File:SonicBlast.png|thumb|right|200px|Varan firing a Concentrated Blast at [[Godzilla]]]]
Also seen in ''[[Godzilla: Unleashed]]'', this ability allows for Varan to shoot small concentrated balls of sonic energy at targets that explode on impact.
===Physical capabilities===
===Physical capabilities===
Varan is very strong, easily crushing buildings under his weight using his limbs and tail. While he has never been depicted in combat with another monster in a film, in his appearances in other media Varan is shown to be a capable hand-to-hand combatant, making use of his claws and agility to carry out martial arts-style moves while also being able to leap into the air and glide.
Varan is very strong, easily crushing buildings under his weight using his limbs and tail. While he has never been depicted in combat with another monster in a film, in his appearances in other media Varan is shown to be a capable hand-to-hand combatant, making use of his claws and agility to carry out martial arts-style moves while also being able to leap into the air and glide.  
===Shapeshifting===
[[File:tumblr_98b1adf38a19eef049f4b8442ce4208f_f0c643cb_540.gif|thumb|left|180px|Varan shapeshifting from a flying squirrel to his real form in ''[[Godziban]]'']]
In the web series ''[[Godziban]]'', Varan is able to disguise himself in the shape of an oversized flying squirrel.
{{Clear}}
 
=== Poison spines ===
According to the ''[[Definitive Edition Godzilla Introduction]]'', the Second Generation Varan possesses poisonous spines in his back.<ref name="Poison">{{cite web|url=https://www.tohokingdom.com/kaiju/varan.htm#58|title=Varan|work=Toho Kingdom|accessdate=5 January 2024}}</ref> However, his avoidance of conflict in ''Destroy All Monsters'' prevented their effects from being demonstrated.
 
===Fireballs===
In the [[Godzilla, King of the Monsters (video game)|''Godzilla, King of the Monsters'']] Game Boy game, Varan is able to spit fireballs.
 
===Weaknesses===
===Weaknesses===
Varan only has one known exploitable weakness, that being the fact that his durable hide does not protect the inside of his body. The First Generation Varan was successfully killed when the [[JSDF]] tricked him into swallowing flares carrying powerful bombs designed for excavating rock. These bombs then exploded inside of Varan's body, destroying him from within. Varan was shown to be visibly stunned after a truck filled with these bombs exploded underneath him earlier, but he quickly got back to his feet showing no ill effects.
Varan only has one known exploitable weakness, that being the fact that his durable hide does not protect the inside of his body. The First Generation Varan was successfully killed when the [[JSDF]] tricked him into swallowing flares carrying powerful bombs designed for excavating rock. These bombs then exploded inside of Varan's body, destroying him from within. Varan was shown to be visibly stunned after a truck filled with these bombs exploded underneath him earlier, but he quickly got back to his feet showing no ill effects.
==Filmography==
 
*''[[Varan (film)|Varan]]'' (1958)
*''Cheers, Mr. Awamori!'' (1961) [prop]
*''[[Destroy All Monsters]]'' (1968)
*''[[Godzilla: Final Wars]]'' (2004) [stock footage; toy]
*''[[Godziban]]'' (TV 2019-) [episode 21]
==Video games==
==Video games==
*''[[Godzilla: Monster of Monsters!]]'' (1988) - Nintendo Entertainment System / Famicom
*''[[Godzilla: Monster of Monsters!]]'' (1988) - Nintendo Entertainment System / Famicom
*''[[Godzilla, King of the Monsters (Game Boy)|Godzilla, King of the Monsters]]'' (1993) - Nintendo Game Boy
*''[[Godzilla, King of the Monsters (video game)|Godzilla, King of the Monsters]]'' (1993) - Nintendo Game Boy
*''[[Godzilla (SystemSoft video game)|Godzilla]]'' (1993) - NEC PC-9801
*''[[Godzilla: Heart-Pounding Monster Island!!]]'' (1995) - Sega Pico
*''[[Godzilla: Heart-Pounding Monster Island!!]]'' (1995) - Sega Pico
*''[[Godzilla Movie Studio Tour]]'' (1998) - PC and Mac
*''[[Godzilla Movie Studio Tour]]'' (1996) - PC and Mac
*''[[Godzilla Generations]]'' (1998) - Sega Dreamcast
*''[[Godzilla: Trading Battle]]'' (1998) - Sony PlayStation
*''[[Godzilla: Trading Battle]]'' (1998) - Sony PlayStation
*''[[Godzilla Generations]]'' (1998) - Sega Dreamcast
*''[[Collect Godzilla: Giant Monster Assembly]]'' (1998) - Sega Dreamcast VMU
*''Collect Godzilla: Giant Monster Assembly'' (1998) - Sega Dreamcast VMU
*''[[Godzilla: Unleashed]]'' (2007) - Nintendo Wii
*''[[Godzilla: Unleashed]]'' (2007) - Nintendo Wii
*''[[Godzilla (2014 video game)|Godzilla]]'' (2014) - PlayStation 3 and 4 [Kaiju Guide]
*''[[Godzilla (2014 video game)|Godzilla]]'' (2014) - PlayStation 3 and 4 [Kaiju Guide]
*''[[Godzilla Defense Force]]'' (2019) - Android and iOS [game files only; never implemented]<ref name="Defense Force Scrapped">{{cite web|url=https://www.tohokingdom.com/vg/godzilla_defense_force/unreleased_content.html|title=Godzilla Defense Force - Unreleased Content [Android/iOS]|work=Toho Kingdom|accessdate=9 October 2022}}</ref>
Despite his limited number of film appearances, Varan has been featured in a fair number of video games. Most notably, Varan appears as a boss character in ''[[Godzilla: Monster of Monsters!]]'' for the NES, and as a completely playable character in the Wii version of ''[[Godzilla: Unleashed]]''.
Despite his limited number of film appearances, Varan has been featured in a fair number of video games. Most notably, Varan appears as a boss character in ''[[Godzilla: Monster of Monsters!]]'' for the NES, and as a completely playable character in the Wii version of ''[[Godzilla: Unleashed]]''.
===''[[Godzilla: Monster of Monsters!]]''===
===''[[Godzilla: Monster of Monsters!]]''===
Appearing on the second world, Varan will assault [[Godzilla]] or [[Mothra]] with a variety of melee attacks, the most devastating attack of which is his punch, a move that has excellent range and does noticeable damage. Varan can also attack with his claws in rapid succession, which can score several hits against Godzilla or Mothra if in range. Varan may also attack his foes with a kick, or attempt to head butt them while advancing forward. Varan also has the ability to jump high into the air to avoid attacks. Despite a healthy amount of moves, Varan shouldn't cause much trouble for Godzilla or Mothra because of his lack of a projectile and his habit of reeling back in pain after sustaining heavy damage; furthermore, unlike other bosses, Varan will not trap the player in the corner but will stay just in arms reach if Godzilla or Mothra is backed into the corner.
Appearing on the second world, Varan will assault [[Godzilla]] or [[Mothra]] with a variety of melee attacks, the most devastating attack of which is his punch, a move that has excellent range and does noticeable damage. Varan can also attack with his claws in rapid succession, which can score several hits against Godzilla or Mothra if in range. Varan may also attack his foes with a kick, or attempt to head butt them while advancing forward. Varan also has the ability to jump high into the air to avoid attacks. Despite a healthy amount of moves, Varan shouldn't cause much trouble for Godzilla or Mothra because of his lack of a projectile and his habit of reeling back in pain after sustaining heavy damage; furthermore, unlike other bosses, Varan will not trap the player in the corner but will stay just at arms reach if Godzilla or Mothra is backed into the corner.
===''[[Godzilla: Unleashed]]''===
===''[[Godzilla: Unleashed]]''===
[[File:Godzilla_Unleashed_-_Monster_-_Varan_1.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Varan in ''[[Godzilla: Unleashed]]'']]Height: 50 meters<br>Weight: 15,000 tons
[[File:Godzilla_Unleashed_-_Monster_-_Varan_1.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Varan in ''[[Godzilla: Unleashed]]'']]Height: 50 meters<ref name="Official Godzilla Unleashed Animation Cards">{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyGE4cJBHKw|author=Blackheart_Goji|title=Godzilla unleashed card animations w/sfx final|date=26 May 2023|work=YouTube}}</ref><br>Weight: 15,000 tons<ref name="Official Godzilla Unleashed Animation Cards">{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyGE4cJBHKw|author=Blackheart_Goji|title=Godzilla unleashed card animations w/sfx final|date=26 May 2023|work=YouTube}}</ref><br>


"Varan is an Earth Defender with special affinity for forested and hilly areas. Although not capable of true flight, Varan's extraordinary leaping capabilities and gliding capacity mean that he rarely, if ever, touches the ground for more than an instant. Although he naturally lives in solitude, Varan has developed very finely-honed sonic projection capabilities which can be used to communicate over vast distances. These same pinpoint sonic waves can be used in battle to disrupt an opponent's sense of balance. Varan is quite possibly the most mysterious of Earth's native monsters—first-hand sightings of him by humans remain relatively rare."
"Varan is an Earth Defender with special affinity for forested and hilly areas. Although not capable of true flight, Varan's extraordinary leaping capabilities and gliding capacity mean that he rarely, if ever, touches the ground for more than an instant. Although he naturally lives in solitude, Varan has developed very finely-honed sonic projection capabilities which can be used to communicate over vast distances. These same pinpoint sonic waves can be used in battle to disrupt an opponent's sense of balance. Varan is quite possibly the most mysterious of Earth's native monsters—first-hand sightings of him by humans remain relatively rare."
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File:28b_varan.png|Varan's sprite in ''Collect Godzilla: Giant Monster Assembly''
File:28b_varan.png|Varan's sprite in ''Collect Godzilla: Giant Monster Assembly''
</gallery>
</gallery>
==Books==
==Books==
*''[[Godzilla on Monster Island]]'' (1996)
*''[[Godzilla on Monster Island]]'' (1996)
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*''[[Godzilla vs. the Space Monster]]'' (1998)
*''[[Godzilla vs. the Space Monster]]'' (1998)
*''[[Who's Afraid of Godzilla?]]'' (1998)
*''[[Who's Afraid of Godzilla?]]'' (1998)
*''[[Godzilla: Monster Apocalypse|GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse]]'' (2017)
*''[[GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse]]'' (2017)
=== ''[[Godzilla on Monster Island (book)|Godzilla on Monster Island]]'' ===
Varan and [[Anguirus]] discovered [[Mothra]]'s cocoon washed up on the beach of [[Monster Island]] while going for a walk together, prompting Anguirus to seek [[Godzilla]]'s help in protecting it. Varan later witnessed Mothra's emergence and welcomed her to the island's monster community.
 
=== ''[[Godzilla 2000 (Book)|Godzilla 2000]]'' ===
When the Operation EarthFirst mission destroyed several asteroids heading towards the planet, meteorites broken off from the asteroids fell into the Gulf of Mexico, awakening Varan. The monster proceeded to leave a trail of destruction along the Mexican coast, with military strikes from the Mexican Armed Forces being ineffective. Varan eventually made his way to Galveston, Texas, where [[G-Force]] was able to seriously injure him with the super aircraft [[Raptor-One]], resulting in him retreating into the gulf.
===''[[Who's Afraid of Godzilla?]]''===
===''[[Who's Afraid of Godzilla?]]''===
Varan was one of the many monsters afraid of [[Godzilla]] living on [[Monster Island]], but he would later see the error of his ways and befriend the King of the Monsters.
Varan was one of the many monsters afraid of [[Godzilla]] living on [[Monster Island]], but he would later see the error of his ways and befriend the King of the Monsters.
===''[[Godzilla: Monster Apocalypse|GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse]]''===
===''[[GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse]]''===
Multiple individual Varans appeared, but the second individual denoted "Varan II" came ashore in Los Angeles in [[2030]] along with [[Baragon]] II and [[Anguirus]] IV after they were attacked by [[Godzilla Earth|Godzilla]] in the [[Pacific Ocean]]. All three kaiju were then killed by a single blast of Godzilla's atomic breath.<ref name="Apocalypse">{{cite book|title=[[Godzilla: Monster Apocalypse|GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse]]|author=Ōki, Renji|publisher=[[Kadokawa]]|date=October 25, 2017|pages=112-150}}</ref>
Multiple Varan individuals were known to exist; the second, denoted "Varan II", came ashore in Los Angeles in [[2030]] along with [[Baragon]] II and [[Anguirus]] IV after they were attacked by [[Godzilla Earth|Godzilla]] in the [[Pacific Ocean]]. All three kaiju were then killed by a single blast of Godzilla's atomic breath.<ref name="Apocalypse">{{cite book|title=[[GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse]]|author=Ōki, Renji|publisher=[[Kadokawa]]|date=October 25, 2017|pages=112-150}}</ref>
==Comics==
==Comics==
*''[[Giant Monster Varan (manga)|Giant Monster Varan]]'' (19??)
*''[[The Godzilla Comic]]'' (1990)
*''[[Godzilla: Rulers of Earth]]'' #4-5, 25 (2013-2015)
*''[[Godzilla: Rulers of Earth]]'' #4-5, 25 (2013-2015)
*''[[Godzilla in Hell]]'' #2 (2015)
*''[[Godzilla in Hell]]'' #2 (2015)
*''[[Godzilla: Rage Across Time]]'' #5 (2016)
*''[[Godzilla: Rage Across Time]]'' #5 (2016)
*''[[Godzilla: Skate or Die]]'' #1 (2024)
===''[[The Godzilla Comic]]''===
Varan appeared in the ''Monster Warrior Godzilla'' segment as one of the kaiju living on their own planet.
===''[[Godzilla: Rulers of Earth]]''===
===''[[Godzilla: Rulers of Earth]]''===
[[File:RoE_Varan.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Varan in ''[[Godzilla: Rulers of Earth]]'']]Varan first appeared from a lake in [[China]] and traveled to a military bunker where he fought [[Rodan]] and [[Gaira]] before vanishing into the ocean. He was also seen in a flash back when [[King Caesar]] and [[Megalon]] fought, appearing in the ocean with [[Ebirah]] to attack the escaping islanders. He was also seen on the mural in the [[Infant Island]] cave, where he was one of the Water Monsters. It is unknown where Varan went after the battle with Gaira, as he was never present on the [[Monster Island]]s, but a Trilopod with Varan's traits later appeared to fight Godzilla. Varan was being held in the Trilopod hive, but was freed by [[King Caesar]] along with the other [[kaiju]]. Varan then took part in the final battle against the Trilopods, helping [[Zilla]] kill the [[Titanosaurus]]-Trilopod, and against the massive [[Magita]]. After the threat was vanquished, Varan and the other monsters followed [[Godzilla]] out to sea.
[[File:RoE_Varan.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Varan in ''[[Godzilla: Rulers of Earth]]'']]
In the distant past, Varan emerged alongside [[Ebirah]] during [[King Caesar]]'s battle with [[Megalon]], but eventually fell dormant once more. Varan was classified as a "water" monster in a cave mural on [[Infant Island]].
 
Varan first emerged out of a lake in [[China]] while Lucy Casprell and her team were there to investigate [[Sanda|another monster]]. As Varan attacked, the military engaged him, though he was able to destroy their vehicles with ease. Varan then chased Lucy's group until [[Rodan]] suddenly arrived. Varan was quick to turn his attention on Rodan and battled the winged monsters outside of a military base hidden in the mountain. Varan was able to capture Rodan and pin him to the ground, but Rodan soon escaped and smashed Varan into the side of the mountain. Military forces briefly broke the two apart, though they resumed their duel soon after, which began destroying the base. Eventually, Varan used the spikes on his back to tear into Rodan's wings and shred them, forcing him into retreat. Just as Varan continued his rampage on the military base, [[Gaira]] was freed from the facility under the mountain and engaged Varan by smashing a satellite dish over his head and punching him. Gaira's superior strength eventually got the better of Varan, who decided to retreat - but not before Gaira grabbed onto his tail. Gaira continued to hang on as Varan flew out into the ocean, though what happened next was unknown, as Varan would not be seen again in the following years. Eventually, after the [[Trilopod]]s invaded Earth, Varan was abducted alongside the rest of Earth's kaiju, with one Trilopod copying Varan's characteristics. [[King Caesar]] later freed Varan from the Trilopod hive along with the other captive Earth monsters, at which point Varan took part in the final battle against the Trilopods, helping [[Zilla]] kill the [[Titanosaurus]]-Trilopod. He also assisted [[Godzilla]] and the other monsters against the massive [[Magita]]. After the threat was vanquished, Varan and the other monsters followed Godzilla out to sea.
{{Clear}}
{{Clear}}
===''[[Godzilla in Hell]]''===
===''[[Godzilla in Hell]]''===
[[File:Demon Varan.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Demon Varan rising from the Eternal Ocean in ''[[Godzilla in Hell]]'']]
A demonic version of Varan emerged from the Eternal Ocean as [[Godzilla]] arrived there after falling from the ice following his fight with the demon [[Anguirus]]. The demon Varan and Godzilla immediately fought each other, but Godzilla dispensed of the demon with his atomic breath.
A demonic version of Varan emerged from the Eternal Ocean as [[Godzilla]] arrived there after falling from the ice following his fight with the demon [[Anguirus]]. The demon Varan and Godzilla immediately fought each other, but Godzilla dispensed of the demon with his atomic breath.
{{Clear}}
===''[[Godzilla: Rage Across Time]]''===
[[File:Varan, Baragon, Anguirus, and Godzilla in Godzilla Rage Across Time 5.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Varan battles [[Godzilla]], [[Anguirus]], and [[Baragon]] in ''[[Godzilla: Rage Across Time]]'']]
During the Cretaceous Period, Varan engaged in a great battle with [[Godzilla]], [[Anguirus]], and [[Baragon]]. Varan flew into Godzilla, but Godzilla caught him and tossed him aside. As a meteor shower fell to Earth, Varan reengaged Godzilla and knocked him down. Anguirus came to Godzilla's aid by attacking Varan, using his spiked carapace to stab Varan in the stomach, incapacitating him as the meteors continued to fall around them.
{{Clear}}
===''[[Godzilla: Skate or Die]]''===
Varan appears in Australia, threatening a skate park for unknown reasons. Both [[Godzilla]] and a group of skaters will face off against him.
{{Clear}}
==Gallery==
==Gallery==
{{Main|Varan/Gallery}}
{{Main|Varan/Gallery}}
==Roar==
==Roar==
Varan's roar is notable in that it was reused and edited for monsters such as [[Gorosaurus]], the Showa [[Baragon]], [[Megalon]], and various creatures from the [[wikia:w:c:ultra:Ultra Series|Ultra Series]]. The roars actually originated from [[Godzilla/1954|Godzilla]] in his [[Godzilla (1954 film)|debut film]], and were previously modified and used for [[Rodan/Showa|Rodan]] in [[Rodan (film)|1956]]. Varan's roars were also recycled for the [[wikia:w:c:powerrangers:Maryu Gattai MagiDragon|MagiDragon]] in ''[[wikia:w:c:powerrangers:Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger|Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger]]''.
Varan's roars are a mixture of different [[Rodan (Showa)|Rodan]] screeches from his [[Rodan (film)|debut film]] with several [[Godzilla (First Generation)|Godzilla]] roars from the [[Godzilla (1954 film)|1954 film]], most notably his death roar. In some parts of the film, his roars have heavily sped-up Rodan screeches mixed into the beginning. Varan's roars were also recycled or altered for the original [[Baragon]], [[Gorosaurus]], the [[Bat Men]] and [[Megalon]]; numerous monsters from the ''[[wikia:w:c:ultra:Ultraman Series|Ultra Series]]'', including [[wikia:w:c:ultra:Pagos|Pagos]], [[wikia:w:c:ultra:Peguila|Peguila]], [[Neronga]], [[wikia:w:c:ultra:Magular|Magular]], [[wikia:w:c:ultra:Chandlar|Chandlar]], and [[wikia:w:c:ultra:Namegon|Namegon]]; [[Tsunozillas]] in the [[Go! Godman (film)|''Go! Godman'' film]]; the [[wikia:w:c:powerrangers:Maryu Gattai MagiDragon|MagiDragon]] in ''[[wikia:w:c:powerrangers:Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger|Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger]]''; and [[Godzilla (Godzilla Singular Point)|Godzilla Amphibia and Godzilla Terrestris]] in ''[[Godzilla Singular Point]]''. Varan's roars were used for both [[Sanda]] and [[Gaira]], in combination with the [[King Kong (King Kong vs. Godzilla)|Toho King Kong]]'s roar and a sped-up Rodan roar, in the Japanese and West German trailers for ''[[The War of the Gargantuas]]''.
{{Videos|
{{Videos|
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">IV-I_jCxEFI</youtube>|Varan's roars}}
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">Htpp2v1nUqA</youtube>|Varan's roars}}
}}
}}
==In Other Languages==
==In other languages==
*Russian: Варан
{{Other languages|ru=Варан|rumeaning=Translation of English name}}
 
==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*Varan is a "tri-phibian" creature in that he can swim, walk on land, and soar through the air.<ref name="GodzillaCompendium"/> Numerous other [[kaiju]] have been described using this term, such as [[Gappa]].
*Varan is a "triphibian" creature in that he can walk on land, swim in water, and glide through the air.<ref name="GodzillaCompendium"/> Numerous other [[kaiju]] have been described using this term, such as [[Gappa]].
*Despite his small role in ''[[Destroy All Monsters]]'', Varan's name is briefly mentioned in the Italian version of the film.<ref name="Excerpt from Italian dub of ''Destroy All Monsters''">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm42pZo5DYQ]</ref>
*Despite his small role in ''[[Destroy All Monsters]]'', Varan's name is briefly mentioned in the Italian version of the film.<ref name="Excerpt from Italian dub of ''Destroy All Monsters''">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm42pZo5DYQ]</ref>
*Varan is the only non-humanoid [[Toho]] [[kaiju]] to possess five digits on his hands and feet.
*Varan is the only non-humanoid [[Toho]] [[kaiju]] to possess five digits on his hands and feet.
*Varan's skull makes a brief appearance in ''[[Pacific Rim Uprising]]'', during the scene where Hermann Gottlieb examines PPDC records in search of a match for the image Mako Mori transmitted.
*Varan's head makes a brief appearance in ''[[wikipedia:Pacific Rim Uprising|Pacific Rim Uprising]]'', during the scene where Hermann Gottlieb examines PPDC records in search of a match for the image Mako Mori transmitted.
*Sprite assets for Varan can be found in the game files for ''[[Godzilla Defense Force]]'', although he cannot currently be encountered in the game itself.<ref name="TK">[https://www.tohokingdom.com/vg/godzilla_defense_force/unreleased_content.html Godzilla: Defense Force - Unreleased Content]</ref>
*Sprite assets for Varan can be found in the game files for ''[[Godzilla Defense Force]]'', although he cannot currently be encountered in the game itself.<ref name="TK">[https://www.tohokingdom.com/vg/godzilla_defense_force/unreleased_content.html Godzilla: Defense Force - Unreleased Content]</ref>
*A "what-if" illustrated scenario in the 2004 book ''[[Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. Super Complete Works]]'' showed the JXSDF creating an army of mecha-kaiju with the help of DNA extracted from their organic counterparts, including Varan.
*A "what-if" illustrated scenario in the 2004 book ''[[Godzilla: Tokyo SOS Super Complete Works]]'' showed the JXSDF creating an army of mecha-kaiju with the help of DNA extracted from their organic counterparts, including Varan.
*Varan influenced the design for [[Godzilla (Godzilla Singular Point)|Godzilla Amphibia]] in ''[[Godzilla Singular Point]]'', even using his classic roar.
*Varan made a brief cameo in the [[1986]] OVA, ''[[wikipedia:Prefectural_Earth_Defense_Force|Prefectural Earth Defense Force]]''.
==Video==
{{Videos|
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">https://youtu.be/WiUjjp-SQtc</youtube>|{{WZYT|Kaiju Profile: Varan}}}}
}}
==Notes==
==Notes==
{{notelist}}
{{notelist}}
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{{Toho Monsters}}
{{Toho Monsters}}
{{Comments|scroll=yes}}
{{Comments|scroll=yes}}
{{Era|TOH|SHO|KAI|VAR}}
{{Era|TOH|SHO|REI|KAI|VAR}}
[[es:Varan]]
<seo metakeywords="Varan, Wikizilla, Wiki, Godzilla, The Unbelievable, Destroy All Monsters, 1958, 1968, Kaiju, Monster"/>
[[Category:Monsters]]
[[Category:Monsters]]
[[Category:Toho Kaiju]]
[[Category:Toho Kaiju]]
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[[Category:Kaiju living on Monsterland]]
[[Category:Kaiju living on Monsterland]]
[[Category:Flying Creatures]]
[[Category:Flying Creatures]]
[[Category:Aquatic Creatures]]
[[Category:Godzilla Film Kaiju]]
[[Category:Godzilla Film Kaiju]]
[[Category:Showa Godzilla Kaiju]]
[[Category:Showa Godzilla Kaiju]]
[[Category:Reptiles]]
[[Category:Reptiles]]

Latest revision as of 09:50, 22 March 2024

Article

Varan™ trademark icon
Varan
Varan in Destroy All Monsters
Varan in Varan
Alternate names Baradagi Mountain God, Baradagi, Baradagi-sama, Obake,[1]
Varan the Unbelievable
Subtitle(s) Giant Monster (大怪獣,   Daikaijū)[2]
Monster from the East
(東洋の怪物,   Tōyō no Kaibutsu)[3][4]
Giant Monster from the East
(東洋の大怪獣,   Tōyō no Daikaijū)[4][5]
Giant Flying Squirrel Monster
(むささび怪獣,   Musasabi Kaijū)[6]
Winged Membrane Dragon
(有翼膜竜,   Yūyoku Maku Ryū)[7]
Baradagi Mountain God
(婆羅陀巍山神,   Baradagi Sanjin)GTB
Species Giant prehistoric reptile (Varanopode)[6]
Height 50 metersVAR,[1][8][9]
10 metersDAM[5][10][11][note 1]
Weight 15,000 metric tonsVAR,[1][9]
60 metric tonsDAM[5][10][11][note 1]
Forms Giant flying squirrel GZB
Controlled by KilaaksDAM
Allies Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, Baragon, Minilla, Anguirus, Gorosaurus, Kumonga, Manda, King CaesarGRoE, ZillaGRoE,
Jet JaguarGRoE, KamoebasGRoE, TitanosaurusGRoE, SandaGRoE, GairaGRoE, KamacurasGRoE
Enemies King GhidorahDAM, GZB, GairaGRoE (initially), RodanGRoE, Trilopods, Magita, AnguirusGRAT
Written by Ken Kuronuma, Shinichi Sekizawa
Modeled by Teizo Toshimitsu, Kanju Yagi,
Yasuei Yagi
, Keizo Murase
Played by Haruo Nakajima, Katsumi Tezuka
First appearance Latest appearance
Varan Godziban
Roar(s)
JapaneseU.S.More roars
Horiguchi: “It's an oversized lizard! What is it?
Kenji Uozaki: “It could be a Varan.
Horiguchi: “Varan?
Kenji Uozaki: “But it's unbelievable that Varan can still be alive after millions of years.
― Horiguchi and Kenji Uozaki discuss the emergence of Varan (Varan)

Varan (バラン,   Baran) is a triphibian kaiju who first appeared in the 1958 Toho film Varan, and later debuted in the Godzilla series in the 1968 film Destroy All Monsters.

In his debut film, Varan was a huge prehistoric reptile that lived beneath a lake near a Japanese mountain village, whose inhabitants came to fear him as the "Baradagi Mountain God". Varan eventually emerged from the lake, destroying the village and making his way to Tokyo, where he was finally defeated by the JSDF at Haneda Airport. A second incarnation of Varan was introduced in Destroy All Monsters ten years later, in which the creature was now a small juvenile living in peace with the other monsters of Earth on Monsterland.[5] Varan was present during the Earth monsters' battle against King Ghidorah, but did not take part and only observed. While relatively obscure compared to most of Toho's kaiju library due to only having a major role in a single film, Varan has nonetheless retained some degree of popularity over the years, being considered for many unrealized film projects and making appearances in non-film media such as comic books and video games.

Name

Varan's name is most likely derived from either the genus name for monitor lizards, Varanus, or from the name of an extinct family of synapsids, the Varanopidae. In-universe, Varan's name is an abbreviation of his species name, Varanopode (バラノポーダ,   Baranopōda), which was given to him by Professor Sugimoto. The villagers that worship Varan refer to him as the Baradagi Mountain God ( () () () () (サン) (ジン),   Baradagi Sanjin), or simply Baradagi-sama (バラダギサマ). In the American version of Varan's debut film, he is only called Obake onscreen, which comes from the Japanese word for "ghost" (おばけ,   obake).

Varan is often given the title Giant Flying Squirrel Monster (むささび怪獣,   Musasabi Kaijū) in various publications due to the gliding membranes underneath his arms, despite not actually being a flying squirrel.[6] In the Japanese title of his debut film, he is simply referred to as a Giant Monster (大怪,   Daikaijū), while the film's original title addressed him as an Oriental Monster, or more literally Monster from the East (東洋の怪物), due to the project originating as an American co-production. This subtitle is notable in that it uses the word kaibutsu to mean "monster" rather than kaijū.

The Varan featured in Destroy All Monsters is sometimes denoted as Varan (Second Generation) (バラン(二代目),   Baran Nidaime).[6]

According to a booklet included with Toho's 2002 3-disc DVD release of Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, Varan's name was originally Baradaki (波羅蛇麒) in the original unrealized version of the film, Godzilla X Varan, Baragon and Anguirus: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, with him being given the name "Varan" by the JSDF late in the story.[12]

Development

Concept art of Varan, illustrated by Akira Watanabe

The initial Varan story was penned by Ken Kuronuma, who also wrote the story for Rodan. Coming off of Godzilla and Rodan, the Toho team thought the next monster should have traits of both a water monster and a flying monster. Varan was initially conceived by Eiji Tsuburaya as being a Godzilla-kappa hybrid, while Akira Watanabe completed his concept art, incorporating the membranes of a gliding lizard.[13]

Varan's suit under construction for his debut film

Varan's head was modeled by Teizo Toshimitsu, his body by Kanju and Yasuei Yagi,[citation needed] and his skin, back, and claws by Keizo Murase. In order to make Varan's back spikes appear transparent, Murase cut them from variously sized vinyl hoses which he purchased from a general store.[14] He then wrapped them in pieces from a semitransparent vinyl sheet to make them less see-through at the request of Tsuburaya.[14] The suit's eyes were similarly translucent, allowing built-in lights to shine through,[15]:34 while the pupils were drawn on with a magic marker.[16]:52

The scales on Varan's back were molded from pressed peanut shells, which were in abundance due to one of the Yagi brothers being sent peanuts by his relatives.[14] Murase elaborated in an interview with Brett Homenick in 2018: "When I was talking to Mr. Tsuburaya, we were eating peanuts. Of course, we had to crush the shell in order to eat the peanuts and throw the shells away. So I said to Mr. Tsuburaya, "What do you think about this shell? I think it would look good on Varan's back." Mr. Tsuburaya asked me, "How would you make it with peanut shells?" I replied, "Let me make a sample." So I made a sample, and Mr. Tsuburaya thought it was very interesting. So that's how we made the back of the Varan suit."[17]

Ultimately, Tsuburaya felt disappointed in the final product, due to it appearing excessively muscular. Murase made numerous adjustments to the suit, applying sawdust to the surface and blending the muscles with paint to obscure or define them, but was unable to achieve a favorable product due to being unable to alter the suit's internal structure.[14]

The few color stills of the suit show that it was brown in color, and Murase himself described the Varan suit as being a "chocolate sepia color." Despite this, many stills artificially colorized the suit green. The suit was worn onscreen primarily by Haruo Nakajima, though Katsumi Tezuka stepped in for the water scenes.[4]:35 Nakajima was injured while wearing the suit during Varan's climactic attack on Haneda Airport; when the explosives-filled truck underneath Varan detonated, the explosion badly burned Nakajima's stomach, marking the only instance where he had ever been injured during filming.[18]

In addition to the suit, a full body flying prop and hand-operated puppet (or guignol) of Varan's upper half, both 1/2-size, were created to portray the monster.[15]:35

The 1/2 scale Varan gliding prop, brought out of storage and refurbished for the monster's brief role in Destroy All Monsters

Varan's next film appearance would come 10 years later, for what was originally planned to be the final Godzilla film: Destroy All Monsters. In the film's original script, All Monsters Attack Directive, Varan was supposed to battle King Ghidorah alongside Rodan.[16]:144[19] Possibly due to his suit becoming unusable, Varan's role was greatly reduced in the final film, with him only appearing on a small monitor on Monsterland, and in brief scenes touching down in Aokigahara along with Baragon and Manda and taking off from Monsterland. The original 1/2-scale gliding Varan puppet is believed to have been reused,[4]:35[15]:35 though some sources claim it was created from scratch.[16]:144

Despite his minimal role, Varan's prop was prominently displayed in promotional stills for the film alongside the other monsters' suits and props. Because of the prop's much smaller size compared to the other monsters, some contemporary sources explained that this Varan was a 10-meter juvenile, although this distinction was largely overlooked in later years, with him simply being given the same 50-meter height as his original incarnation.[note 1]

In Shinichi Sekizawa's story treatment for the twelfth Godzilla film, titled The Return of King Ghidorah!, Varan was to appear alongside Rodan as Godzilla's allies against the space monsters King Ghidorah, Gigan, and Mogu, all of whom were under the control of the evil alien brain Miko. Sekizawa refined his story further into Godzilla vs. Gigan: The Return of King Ghidorah!, dropping Varan and Rodan in favor of Anguirus and a larval Mothra, with Megalon replacing Mogu. Ultimately, the concept was trimmed down to Godzilla vs. Gigan, which pitted Godzilla and Anguirus against Gigan and King Ghidorah.[5]

Varan's next considered appearance was as the antagonist in the final film of the Heisei series. In this story proposal, Godzilla vs. Giant Monster Varan, Varan was to be an evil creature which was the harbinger of the Apocalypse that would arise in the year 1999 to destroy the world. Godzilla and his adopted son would team up to defeat Varan, with the film ending at the start of the new millennium. This concept was short-lived, as many other story proposals featuring new monsters such as Ghost Godzilla and Barubaroi were submitted in its place, with Destoroyah ultimately serving as Godzilla's final foe in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah.[20]

When Shusuke Kaneko was hired to direct the third entry in the Millennium series, he eventually settled on the concept of Godzilla battling against three smaller and weaker Guardian Monsters. For this role, he selected Varan, Baragon, and Anguirus. In the story, Varan was the White Wind Monster known originally as Baradaki, who joined forces with the Golden Freezing Monster Angira to battle Godzilla in Yokohama. When the Red Hot Monster Baragora is revived by a lightning bolt, he joins his comrades in the battle. While all three are slain by Godzilla, they do enough damage to allow the JSDF's advanced warship Gotengo to arrive and ultimately defeat him. Kaneko's story proposal, Godzilla X Varan, Baragon and Anguirus: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, was approved by producer Shogo Tomiyama and submitted to Toho's executives. To Kaneko's surprise, they requested that he find a way to work in the more marketable monsters Mothra and King Ghidorah to increase the film's marquee value following the disappointing box office returns of Godzilla vs. Megaguirus.[21] After learning that many people were unfamiliar with the three monsters he chose, Kaneko went with Toho's wishes and replaced Varan and Anguirus with Mothra and King Ghidorah, compromising by retaining Baragon in the final product. Monster designer and modeler Fuyuki Shinada was disappointed in Varan's exclusion, and compromised by sculpting the monster's facial fins onto the heads of the King Ghidorah suit.[citation needed]

Design

Varan is a primarily quadrupedal reptilian creature with thin membranes between his arms and legs, which he uses for gliding in a manner akin to that of a flying squirrel or sugar glider. Varan's eyes are small with large pupils, his head is round, and he has a short-muzzled face with a lumpy nose and a prominent upper lip. His teeth vary in size, but all of them are more or less conical in shape. He has a barrel-shaped torso with a large sternum. His neck is fairly long and thick and his limbs are relatively long and thin. Varan also has a pair of spiky, fin-like structures on the sides of his face and a single row of large spines that run down from the top of his head to the end of his long, prehensile tail. His hands and feet have five digits each and they have a slender, bony look to them. His spines are clear and translucent, having little to no real color to them, and his hide can be divided into two notable sections: the lowermost sides of his skin are smooth with a slightly baggy or wrinkled feel to them and are a light cream or tan-like sandy brown, while the uppermost parts of his skin are covered with a multitude of bumpy, wart-like structures and are a much darker shade of brown. These two sections are separated by a series of wavy membranes on the sides of his torso, limbs, and tail that straighten to form Varan's gliding membranes.

Origins

Varan is an ancient reptilian creature known as a Varanopode, which lived from the Triassic through the Cretaceous Periods.[6] Varan escaped extinction and lived for millions of years at the bottom of a lake in the Japanese countryside. Villagers living near the lake saw Varan as a god, giving him the title of the "Baradagi Mountain God."

In Destroy All Monsters, Varan is one of the several kaiju living on Monsterland at the end of the 20th century. No details regarding him are ever discussed within the film, but external sources say that this Varan is a juvenile.[5] According to Godzilla Movie Studio Tour, this Varan was raised by humanity.

A toy of Varan released by Marusan in 2016 taxonomically classifies Varan as Reptilia Class, Rodan Family, Godzilla Genus, Varanopode (爬虫類ゴジラ属ラドン科バラノポーダ,   Hachūrui Gojira-zoku Radon-ka Baranopōda), reaffirming his species as a Varanopode, but also suggesting a close evolutionary relationship to both Godzilla and Rodan.[22]

History

Showa era

Varan

Varan in Varan

After a pair of rare Siberian butterflies were found in Japan by a young boy, two scientists were sent to investigate the area where they were found, near a secluded mountain village. The scientists were killed by an unknown force, and another team was sent to investigate. There, they encountered the local villagers, who worshiped a mountain god called "Baradagi." The team went out to find a boy who was lost in the forest, but the villagers warned that they would anger Baradagi. One of the scientists persuaded the villagers to go out to find the boy, but Varan, the "Baradagi" the villagers worshiped, emerged from the nearby lake and attacked them. Varan killed the village priest and destroyed the village before returning to the lake he had come from. The JSDF arrived and surrounded the lake, and opened fire on Varan after luring him out with chemicals. The attack had no effect, and Varan chased two people into a cave. The JSDF fired flares to distract Varan, prompting him to climb to the top of a cliff. Varan opened large membranes under his arms and dove off the cliff, gliding across the sky and towards the ocean. The JSDF deployed countless destroyers and bombers to try and stop Varan before he could reach the Japanese mainland, but their attacks did little to slow the beast's advance. Eventually, Varan surfaced from Tokyo Bay and attacked Haneda Airport. The JSDF attacked Varan with all of their available artillery and jets, but still were unable to harm him. When Varan destroyed a truck containing experimental explosives, it triggered an explosion that seemed to visibly harm him. The JSDF quickly tied two of these explosives to flares and then dropped them from helicopters, knowing Varan would eat the flares. After Varan swallowed the flares, the first bomb exploded inside Varan, causing him to become weak. Varan limped back into the ocean and disappeared beneath the waves before the second bomb exploded, producing a small mushroom cloud over the water. The JSDF then finally declared the creature dead.

Destroy All Monsters

At the end of the 20th century, a juvenile Varan was living among Earth's other monsters on the human-monitored Monsterland. When the Kilaaks took control of the island and its inhabitants, Varan disappeared as the alien invaders' global assault was initiated. Whether Varan was ever used by the aliens to fight humanity is unclear, as he wasn't seen again until well after the humans used the Moonlight SY-3 to destroy the Kilaaks' Moon base. After the Kilaaks' control was broken, Varan spectated the Earth monsters' fight against King Ghidorah at Mount Fuji alongside Baragon and Manda. Once King Ghidorah and the Kilaaks were defeated, Varan and the other Earth monsters returned to Monsterland in peace.

Millennium era

Godzilla Final Wars

Varan was one of countless monsters that threatened humanity during the 20th century. In the year 20XX, a Canadian child was playing with numerous toys of monsters, including one of Varan, before he noticed a news report showing Anguirus attacking Shanghai on TV.

Reiwa era

Godziban

Varan briefly appeared as one of the monsters called to fight King Ghidorah in "Fly! Toward the Future". Varan is set to appear in a larger capacity in Season 4.

Abilities

Durability

Varan's hide is extremely durable, and is unable to be penetrated by any known conventional weapon. Dr. Sugimoto and Kenji Uozaki propose that Varan's durability comes not from the thickness of his skin, but rather its flexibility, which allows it to withstand impacts from projectiles and explosives.

Triphibiousness

Varan gliding across the sky in Varan

Varan is a triphibian creature, meaning that he is capable of movement on land, underwater, or in the air. Varan walks across solid land with ease, and can effectively crush structures using his arms, legs, and tail. Varan remains submerged underwater for long periods of time, initially spending his time sleeping under a lake. Varan later makes his way to Tokyo by swimming through the ocean, evading the JSDFs naval assault as he quickly covers a great distance. Most unusually, Varan is capable of gliding flight. Varan unfolds skin membranes between his arms and legs and leaps into the air, with the membranes allowing him to glide across the sky like a flying squirrel. Varan glides at Mach 1.5,[8] the same flight speed as Rodan. In Destroy All Monsters, Varan used gliding to join the other monsters assembling at the foot of Mt. Fuji, later using it after returning to Monsterland as well.

In the novel Godzilla 2000 by Marc Cerasini, Dr. Birchwood theorizes that Varan can glide by "somehow separat[ing] the oxygen and hydrogen in water. The creature then expels the oxygen and pumps the hydrogen molecules into sacs along its torso."[23]

Sonic Beam

Varan using his Sonic Beam against Destoroyah

In the video game Godzilla: Unleashed, Varan can spit a pink sonic beam from his mouth. Varan is stated in the game to use sonic waves to communicate over great distances, but has the capability to weaponize these same sonic waves into a proper beam which can damage opponents and buildings alike.

Concentrated Blast

Varan firing a Concentrated Blast at Godzilla

Also seen in Godzilla: Unleashed, this ability allows for Varan to shoot small concentrated balls of sonic energy at targets that explode on impact.

Physical capabilities

Varan is very strong, easily crushing buildings under his weight using his limbs and tail. While he has never been depicted in combat with another monster in a film, in his appearances in other media Varan is shown to be a capable hand-to-hand combatant, making use of his claws and agility to carry out martial arts-style moves while also being able to leap into the air and glide.

Shapeshifting

Varan shapeshifting from a flying squirrel to his real form in Godziban

In the web series Godziban, Varan is able to disguise himself in the shape of an oversized flying squirrel.

Poison spines

According to the Definitive Edition Godzilla Introduction, the Second Generation Varan possesses poisonous spines in his back.[24] However, his avoidance of conflict in Destroy All Monsters prevented their effects from being demonstrated.

Fireballs

In the Godzilla, King of the Monsters Game Boy game, Varan is able to spit fireballs.

Weaknesses

Varan only has one known exploitable weakness, that being the fact that his durable hide does not protect the inside of his body. The First Generation Varan was successfully killed when the JSDF tricked him into swallowing flares carrying powerful bombs designed for excavating rock. These bombs then exploded inside of Varan's body, destroying him from within. Varan was shown to be visibly stunned after a truck filled with these bombs exploded underneath him earlier, but he quickly got back to his feet showing no ill effects.

Video games

Despite his limited number of film appearances, Varan has been featured in a fair number of video games. Most notably, Varan appears as a boss character in Godzilla: Monster of Monsters! for the NES, and as a completely playable character in the Wii version of Godzilla: Unleashed.

Godzilla: Monster of Monsters!

Appearing on the second world, Varan will assault Godzilla or Mothra with a variety of melee attacks, the most devastating attack of which is his punch, a move that has excellent range and does noticeable damage. Varan can also attack with his claws in rapid succession, which can score several hits against Godzilla or Mothra if in range. Varan may also attack his foes with a kick, or attempt to head butt them while advancing forward. Varan also has the ability to jump high into the air to avoid attacks. Despite a healthy amount of moves, Varan shouldn't cause much trouble for Godzilla or Mothra because of his lack of a projectile and his habit of reeling back in pain after sustaining heavy damage; furthermore, unlike other bosses, Varan will not trap the player in the corner but will stay just at arms reach if Godzilla or Mothra is backed into the corner.

Godzilla: Unleashed

Height: 50 meters[26]
Weight: 15,000 tons[26]

"Varan is an Earth Defender with special affinity for forested and hilly areas. Although not capable of true flight, Varan's extraordinary leaping capabilities and gliding capacity mean that he rarely, if ever, touches the ground for more than an instant. Although he naturally lives in solitude, Varan has developed very finely-honed sonic projection capabilities which can be used to communicate over vast distances. These same pinpoint sonic waves can be used in battle to disrupt an opponent's sense of balance. Varan is quite possibly the most mysterious of Earth's native monsters—first-hand sightings of him by humans remain relatively rare."

Godzilla (PlayStation 3 / PlayStation 4)

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

Books

Godzilla on Monster Island

Varan and Anguirus discovered Mothra's cocoon washed up on the beach of Monster Island while going for a walk together, prompting Anguirus to seek Godzilla's help in protecting it. Varan later witnessed Mothra's emergence and welcomed her to the island's monster community.

Godzilla 2000

When the Operation EarthFirst mission destroyed several asteroids heading towards the planet, meteorites broken off from the asteroids fell into the Gulf of Mexico, awakening Varan. The monster proceeded to leave a trail of destruction along the Mexican coast, with military strikes from the Mexican Armed Forces being ineffective. Varan eventually made his way to Galveston, Texas, where G-Force was able to seriously injure him with the super aircraft Raptor-One, resulting in him retreating into the gulf.

Who's Afraid of Godzilla?

Varan was one of the many monsters afraid of Godzilla living on Monster Island, but he would later see the error of his ways and befriend the King of the Monsters.

GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse

Multiple Varan individuals were known to exist; the second, denoted "Varan II", came ashore in Los Angeles in 2030 along with Baragon II and Anguirus IV after they were attacked by Godzilla in the Pacific Ocean. All three kaiju were then killed by a single blast of Godzilla's atomic breath.[27]

Comics

The Godzilla Comic

Varan appeared in the Monster Warrior Godzilla segment as one of the kaiju living on their own planet.

Godzilla: Rulers of Earth

In the distant past, Varan emerged alongside Ebirah during King Caesar's battle with Megalon, but eventually fell dormant once more. Varan was classified as a "water" monster in a cave mural on Infant Island.

Varan first emerged out of a lake in China while Lucy Casprell and her team were there to investigate another monster. As Varan attacked, the military engaged him, though he was able to destroy their vehicles with ease. Varan then chased Lucy's group until Rodan suddenly arrived. Varan was quick to turn his attention on Rodan and battled the winged monsters outside of a military base hidden in the mountain. Varan was able to capture Rodan and pin him to the ground, but Rodan soon escaped and smashed Varan into the side of the mountain. Military forces briefly broke the two apart, though they resumed their duel soon after, which began destroying the base. Eventually, Varan used the spikes on his back to tear into Rodan's wings and shred them, forcing him into retreat. Just as Varan continued his rampage on the military base, Gaira was freed from the facility under the mountain and engaged Varan by smashing a satellite dish over his head and punching him. Gaira's superior strength eventually got the better of Varan, who decided to retreat - but not before Gaira grabbed onto his tail. Gaira continued to hang on as Varan flew out into the ocean, though what happened next was unknown, as Varan would not be seen again in the following years. Eventually, after the Trilopods invaded Earth, Varan was abducted alongside the rest of Earth's kaiju, with one Trilopod copying Varan's characteristics. King Caesar later freed Varan from the Trilopod hive along with the other captive Earth monsters, at which point Varan took part in the final battle against the Trilopods, helping Zilla kill the Titanosaurus-Trilopod. He also assisted Godzilla and the other monsters against the massive Magita. After the threat was vanquished, Varan and the other monsters followed Godzilla out to sea.

Godzilla in Hell

Demon Varan rising from the Eternal Ocean in Godzilla in Hell

A demonic version of Varan emerged from the Eternal Ocean as Godzilla arrived there after falling from the ice following his fight with the demon Anguirus. The demon Varan and Godzilla immediately fought each other, but Godzilla dispensed of the demon with his atomic breath.

Godzilla: Rage Across Time

During the Cretaceous Period, Varan engaged in a great battle with Godzilla, Anguirus, and Baragon. Varan flew into Godzilla, but Godzilla caught him and tossed him aside. As a meteor shower fell to Earth, Varan reengaged Godzilla and knocked him down. Anguirus came to Godzilla's aid by attacking Varan, using his spiked carapace to stab Varan in the stomach, incapacitating him as the meteors continued to fall around them.

Godzilla: Skate or Die

Varan appears in Australia, threatening a skate park for unknown reasons. Both Godzilla and a group of skaters will face off against him.

Gallery

Main article: Varan/Gallery.

Roar

Varan's roars are a mixture of different Rodan screeches from his debut film with several Godzilla roars from the 1954 film, most notably his death roar. In some parts of the film, his roars have heavily sped-up Rodan screeches mixed into the beginning. Varan's roars were also recycled or altered for the original Baragon, Gorosaurus, the Bat Men and Megalon; numerous monsters from the Ultra Series, including Pagos, Peguila, Neronga, Magular, Chandlar, and Namegon; Tsunozillas in the Go! Godman film; the MagiDragon in Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger; and Godzilla Amphibia and Godzilla Terrestris in Godzilla Singular Point. Varan's roars were used for both Sanda and Gaira, in combination with the Toho King Kong's roar and a sped-up Rodan roar, in the Japanese and West German trailers for The War of the Gargantuas.

Varan's roars

In other languages

Language Name Meaning
Flagicon Russia.png Russian Варан Translation of English name

Trivia

  • Varan is a "triphibian" creature in that he can walk on land, swim in water, and glide through the air.[1] Numerous other kaiju have been described using this term, such as Gappa.
  • Despite his small role in Destroy All Monsters, Varan's name is briefly mentioned in the Italian version of the film.[28]
  • Varan is the only non-humanoid Toho kaiju to possess five digits on his hands and feet.
  • Varan's head makes a brief appearance in Pacific Rim Uprising, during the scene where Hermann Gottlieb examines PPDC records in search of a match for the image Mako Mori transmitted.
  • Sprite assets for Varan can be found in the game files for Godzilla Defense Force, although he cannot currently be encountered in the game itself.[29]
  • A "what-if" illustrated scenario in the 2004 book Godzilla: Tokyo SOS Super Complete Works showed the JXSDF creating an army of mecha-kaiju with the help of DNA extracted from their organic counterparts, including Varan.
  • Varan influenced the design for Godzilla Amphibia in Godzilla Singular Point, even using his classic roar.
  • Varan made a brief cameo in the 1986 OVA, Prefectural Earth Defense Force.

Video

Wikizilla: YouTube Kaiju Profile: Varan

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 The vast majority of sources erroneously give the Destroy All Monsters incarnation of Varan the same stats as the original 1958 Varan. At the same time, Godzilla 1954-1999 Super Complete Works lists the Destroy All Monsters Varan's height as being 30 meters (p. 125).

References

This is a list of references for Varan. 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 1.2 1.3 J.D. Lees, Marc Cerasini (24 March 1998). The Official Godzilla Compendium. Random House. p. 140. ISBN 0279888225 Check |isbn= value: checksum (help).
    Compendium31.png
  2. Godzilla 1954-1999 Super Complete Works. Shogakukan. 1 January 2000. p. 125. ISBN 978-4091014702.
  3. Toho Special Effects All Monster Encyclopedia. Shogakukan. 23 July 2014. p. 20. ISBN 4-096-82090-3.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Toho Special Effects Movie Complete Works. villagebooks. 28 September 2012. p. 34-35, 124. ISBN 9784864910132.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Encyclopedia of Godzilla (Mechagodzilla Edition). Gakken. 10 December 1993. pp. 100, 135. ISBN 405600174X.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah Monster Complete Works. Kodansha. 5 December 1991. pp. 68, 75. ISBN 4061777203.
  7. Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla theater program. Toho. 14 December 2002.
  8. 8.0 8.1 Godzilla Giant Monsters Super Encyclopedia (4th ed.). Kodansha. 15 March 1994. p. 61. ISBN 978-4063042702.
  9. 9.0 9.1 Godzilla Completely Deciphered. Takarajimasha. 26 June 2014. p. 104. ISBN 4800228964.
  10. 10.0 10.1 Ultra Books: Destroy All Monsters. Asahi Sonorama. 1968.
    Ultra Books Kaiju Soshingeki Varan.jpg
  11. 11.0 11.1 All Godzilla Complete Super Encyclopedia (2nd printing). Kodansha. 28 January 2005. p. 43. ISBN 4063045579.
  12. "Lost Project: Godzilla X Varan, Baragon and Anguirus: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack". Toho Kingdom.
  13. Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters (paperback ed.). Chronicle Books. 6 May 2014. ISBN 978-1-4521-3539-7.
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Murase, Keizo (24 September 2015). Monster Maker: Keizo Murase - Treasured KAIJU Photobook. Yosensha. p. 258-259. ISBN 978-4-8003-0756-9.
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 The Pictorial Book of Godzilla 2. Hobby Japan Co., Ltd. 1 December 1995. pp. 34–35. ISBN 978-4894251175.
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 All Toho Monsters Pictorial Book (4th Edition). Yosensha. 4 September 2016. pp. 52, 144. ISBN 978-4-8003-0362-2.
  17. Homenick, Brett (23 May 2018). "MEMORIES OF JAPAN'S MASTER MONSTER MAKER! Keizo Murase Shares the Secrets of the World's Greatest Kaiju!". Vantage Point Interviews.
  18. Milner, David; Tucker, Guy (March 1995). "Haruo Nakajima Interview". Kaiju Conversations.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  19. "電脳小僧の特撮映画資料室". Cyberkids1954. Archived from the original on 16 July 2018.
  20. LeMay, John (15 June 2017). The Big Book of Japanese Giant Monster Movies: The Lost Films. Bicep Books. pp. 171–172. ISBN 9781548145255.
  21. "Shusuke Kaneko on Directing GMK" by Ed Godziszewski and Norman England in Japanese Giants #9 (June 2002), page 21.
  22. バランが立った!マルサンのソフビ人形で直立ポーズのバランが漆黒成形で発売! - Dengeki Hobby Web
  23. Cerasini, Mark (11 November 1997). Godzilla 2000. Random House. p. 81. ISBN 0679887512.
  24. "Varan". Toho Kingdom. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  25. "Godzilla Defense Force - Unreleased Content [Android/iOS]". Toho Kingdom. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  26. 26.0 26.1 Blackheart_Goji (26 May 2023). "Godzilla unleashed card animations w/sfx final". YouTube.
  27. Ōki, Renji (October 25, 2017). GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse. Kadokawa. pp. 112–150.
  28. [1]
  29. Godzilla: Defense Force - Unreleased Content

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