Anguirus

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Anguirus® trademark icon
Anguirus®
Anguirus in Godzilla Singular Point
Name information
null
Alternate names Angilas, Angurus, Angorus,
Bōryu Anguirus,[1] Anguillasaurus,[2] Angillus, Anguillas, Anzilla, Angy, Angiras,[3] big hedgehogGSP
Subtitle(s) Fierce Dragon (暴,   Bōryū)[4][5]
Fierce Dragon Monster
(暴龍怪獣,   Bōryū Kaijū)[6]
Killer of the LivingGtFM
Godzilla's Companion
(ゴジラの仲間,   Gojira no Nakama)GvG[7]
Famous Partner
(名コンビ,   Meiconbi)GvG[8]
The Fierce BeastG:BL
Fiercest Dragon in History
(史上最大の暴竜,   Shijō Saidai no Bōryū)G:TB
Armored KillerMTG
Armored Fierce Dragon
(装甲暴龍,   Sōkō Bōryū)MTG
Physical information
null
Species Giant Ankylosaurus
Height Showa: 60 meters[9]
Millennium: 40 meters (quadrupedal),[10]
90 meters (standing upright)[10][11]
Length Showa: 100 meters[9]
Millennium: 160 meters[10]
Weight Showa: 30,000 metric tons[9]
Millennium: 60,000 metric tons[10][11]
Affiliation information
null
Place(s) of emergence Iwato Island,GRA[7] Monsterland,DAM[7]
Monster Island,AMA-GvM[7]
Gotemba,GvMG[7][note 1] ShanghaiGFW
Controlled by KilaaksDAM, XiliensGFW
Allies Zottos, Gyottos, Osoros, Sugon, Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, Varan, Baragon, Gorosaurus, Kumonga, Manda, Minilla, King Caesar,
G-Guard Mechagodzilla, MOGUERA, Gojirin, TitanosaurusGRoE, SandaGRoE, GairaGRoE, KamacurasGRoE, KamoebasGRoE, ZillaGRoE, Jet JaguarGRoE
Enemies GodzillaGRA, GFW, King Ghidorah, Gigan, Fake Godzilla, Mechagodzilla,
Mecha-King Ghidorah, Gororin, DestoroyahG:L, VaranGRAT, Jet JaguarGSP, Zoospora
Real world information
null
Designed by Shinji NishikawaGFW, Eiji YamamoriGSP
Modeled by Teizo Toshimitsu,GRA Kanju Yagi,GRA Yasuei Yagi,GRA Masao Yagi,GRA Nobuyuki Yasumaru,DAM
Shinichi WakasaGFW
Played by ShowaKatsumi TezukaGRA;
Hiroshi Sekita & Tadaaki WatanabeDAM;
Koetsu OmiyaGvG; Kinichi KusumiGvMG
MillenniumToshihiro Ogura
Other information
null
First appearance Latest appearance
Godzilla Raids Again Godziban
Roar(s)
1955:1968-1974, Reiwa:2004:More roars
What do you want?
„ 

— Anguirus to Godzilla (Godzilla vs. Gigan)

Anguirus (アンギラス,   Angirasu) is a giant Ankylosaurus kaiju who first appeared in the 1955 Toho Godzilla film Godzilla Raids Again.

Anguirus was Godzilla's first-ever opponent, and battled him to the death in Osaka in Godzilla Raids Again. Anguirus was ultimately killed by Godzilla, but a second individual debuted in the film Destroy All Monsters in 1968. This Anguirus became a friend and ally to Godzilla, loyally fighting alongside him to fend off alien monsters such as King Ghidorah and Gigan. Anguirus' final appearance in the Showa series of films came in 1974's Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, where he had his jaw broken by the alien machine Mechagodzilla, who was masquerading as Godzilla. Anguirus' next film appearance came 30 years later in Godzilla Final Wars, where he was a mind-controlled pawn of the Xiliens in their invasion of Earth. More recently, Anguirus has appeared as a skeletal carcass during the prologue of GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters and as an enemy fought by Jet Jaguar in the anime series Godzilla Singular Point, along with numerous other appearances in video games and comic books. While not as popular as the likes of Rodan, Mothra or King Ghidorah, Anguirus has become a popular monster in his own right, and has earned a reputation as being both Godzilla's closest friend and as a tenacious fighter even when severely outmatched.

This is an overview page. To view information on specific incarnations of Anguirus, please click on their corresponding boxes in the table below.

Name

Main articles: Anguirus (First Generation)#Name, Anguirus (Second Generation)#Name, Anguirus (Millennium)#Name.

Anguirus's Japanese name, Angirasu (アンギラス), comes from the Japanese spelling of the name of the dinosaur genus Ankylosaurus (アンキロサウルス,   Ankirosaurusu), upon which the monster's design is based. The name was chosen from several names proposed by employees of Toho during production of Godzilla Raids Again. Actor Yoshio Tsuchiya, who played the character Tajima in the film, proposed the name "Gyottos" for the monster. Many of the rejected names were later used for the original monsters featured in the tie-in manga Rampage Godzilla.[12]

The original English name given to Anguirus by Toho was Angilas, as seen in the company's 1955 international sales booklet.[13] When Godzilla Raids Again was released in the United States by Warner Bros. in 1959 as Gigantis, the Fire Monster, advertising materials spelled the monster's name as Angurus, which was also how it was pronounced in the English dub. In the mid-1970s, Toho copyrighted the new revised English name Anguirus, making it the official Anglicization of the monster's name for all subsequent media. However, only the English dub of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla uses anything resembling this spelling. The English dubs for Destroy All Monsters, All Monsters Attack, and Godzilla vs. Gigan all call him "Angilas," while in Godzilla Final Wars, the pronunciation sounds like "Angweenus." Another alternative name, Anguillas, appears in the international export trailer for Destroy All Monsters[14] and the American version of the Godzilla Game Boy game.[15] The tag for the Anguirus figure in Bandai's Godzilla Island Monster Series toy line combines the romaji for Anguirus' subtitle, Fierce Dragon (暴竜,   Bōryū), with his English name, giving the figure the name Bōryu Anguirus (ボウリュウアンギラス,   Bōryū Angirasu).[1]

Several American publications from the 1970s, including issue #34 of The Monster Times and the children's book Godzilla by Ian Thorne, offer Anzilla as an alternate name or mishearing of Angilas. It appears to originate with Forrest J Ackerman, who referred to the creature as "Anzilla" in a column promoting The Volcano Monsters in the March 1957 edition of the fan magazine Imaginary Tales.[16]

According to a booklet included with Toho's 2002 three-disc DVD release of Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, Anguirus' name as a Guardian Monster was originally Angira (晏麒羅) in the original unrealized version of the film, Godzilla X Varan, Baragon and Anguirus: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack.

Development

Main articles: Anguirus (First Generation)#Development, Anguirus (Second Generation)#Development, Anguirus (Millennium)#Development, Anguirus (Godzilla Singular Point)#Development.

Design

Anguirus is a stout, armored, quadrupedal reptilian creature that looks fairly similar to an Ankylosaurus, with aspects of his design also resembling armadillos, hedgehogs, and crocodiles. He has several inwardly curved horns at the top of his head and a single, short horn on the end of his snout. His face is long, puffy and drawn out, like a crocodile, with two large tusks at the start and rows of smaller, jagged, serrated teeth following suit. His carapace is studded with a plethora of long, sharp, prickly spikes. Anguirus's tail is spiky and longer than his body, accounting for the majority of his total body length. His hind limbs are longer than his forelimbs, enabling him to stand upright to his full height, but he primarily walks upon all fours. In Godzilla Final Wars, Anguirus is jokingly referred to as an "armadillo," most likely due to his ability to curl himself into a ball.

The Final Wars Anguirus has some differences in his design. His skin is a a much lighter shade of gray, with yellowish-colored spikes. This Anguirus has a shorter, more mammal-like snout, and his underbelly has an armored, brick-like texture. He now has spikes on his arms and legs, and his tail ends with a spiked club, a trait shared by the real-life Ankylosaurus.

Personality

Anguirus is depicted as a very tenacious and fierce fighter. Despite constantly going up against enemies tougher than himself, Anguirus rarely backs down and always puts up a vicious fight. Despite his fierce nature, Anguirus has traditionally been shown in various media as being a close friend of Godzilla. While many of Godzilla's allies have had to work with him out of necessity, such as Rodan and Mothra, Anguirus and Godzilla appear to have a genuine friendship. This is most pronounced in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, where Anguirus senses that the Fake Godzilla roaming Japan is not the monster he knows and attacks it, with a character even mentioning that it's strange to see Anguirus attack "his friend" Godzilla.

Origins

In Godzilla Raids Again, it is suggested that Anguirus is an Ankylosaurus that lived during the Cretaceous Period, 150 to 70 million years ago, around the same time as Godzilla. Like Godzilla, Anguirus managed to survive into the modern day by lying dormant before being awakened and irradiated by nuclear bomb tests in the 1950s.[17] This origin is never discussed further nor contradicted in subsequent films. The First Generation Anguirus specifically is said to originate from Siberia, according to official sources.[4]

History

Showa era

Godzilla Raids Again

Main article: Anguirus (First Generation).

Anguirus was first spotted on Iwato Island, where he was locked in combat with Godzilla and eventually tumbled into the ocean with the King of the Monsters. Later, a blackout was enforced in Osaka so that the attacking Godzilla could be lured away with flares, but a gasoline fire drew Anguirus to the city. There, the two monsters again engaged in a vicious struggle, destroying Osaka Castle in the process. In the end, Godzilla mortally wounded Anguirus with a vicious bite to the neck, then finally killed him by setting him aflame with his atomic breath.

Godzilla vs. Gigan to Destroy All Monsters

Main article: Anguirus (Second Generation).

A second Anguirus took up residence on Monster Island, where he became a friend of Godzilla. After overhearing one of the M Space Hunter Nebula Aliens' "action tapes" containing their plans for the conquest of Earth, Anguirus swam to Japan, only to be repelled by the JSDF. He and Godzilla returned to Tokyo after the aliens sent Gigan and King Ghidorah to destroy the city. The Earth monsters initially faltered in battle, overwhelmed by the combined forces of the alien monsters and the Godzilla Tower. However, after the Tower's destruction thanks to a group of humans, which severed the aliens' control over Gigan and Ghidorah, Godzilla and Anguirus eventually succeeded in driving the invaders away.

In the year 197X, nuclear testing in the Aleutian Islands triggered a massive earthquake on Monster Island, which created a fissure that swallowed Anguirus. Sometime after his disappearance into the ground, Anguirus made his way to the Japanese mainland, sensing an imminent threat. When he located what appeared to be his ally Godzilla causing wanton destruction, Anguirus sensed that it was an impostor. Anguirus engaged the sinister doppelgänger, but was unable to hold his own. The machine easily bested him, breaking his jaw. Defeated, Anguirus retreated back underground, though he had managed to alert the real Godzilla to the threat.

By the end of the 20th century, Anguirus was one of several kaiju contained on Monsterland in the Ogasawara Islands. When the Kilaaks assaulted the island, they took control of Anguirus and the other monsters and unleashed them across the globe to do their evil bidding. Teamed with Godzilla, he drove back United Nations forces before they could reach the Kilaak base at Izu. After being freed from the aliens' mind control, Anguirus and the rest of the Earth monsters gathered at the foot of Mount Fuji, where they were intercepted by the aliens' trump card, King Ghidorah. At one point, Anguirus was lifted into the air by King Ghidorah before being dropped back to the ground and stomped upon. Ultimately, however, the monsters succeeded in beating King Ghidorah to death and returned to Monsterland to live out their days in peace.

Heisei era

Get Going! Godzilland

Anguirus appeared in animated form in the educational Get Going! Godzilland OVAs. In these OVAs, Anguirus was Godzilla's closest friend, but frequently got into fights and arguments with him. In the hiragana OVA, Anguirus was running through the forests of Godzilland when Mothra dropped an invitation for a picnic onto his head, blinding him and causing him to run into a rock and fall over. Anguirus then raced with Godzilla to get to the picnic, and the two of them argued over who got there first. When Mothra asked why Godzilla and Anguirus arrived so late, they revealed that they couldn't read the invitation very well. Mothra then taught all of the kaiju about the hiragana alphabet.

In the addition OVA, Anguirus was seen fighting with Godzilla. After a brief fight, the two kaiju became bitter and refused to speak to each other. Mechagodzilla witnessed the fight and, assuming Godzilla no longer wanted to be Anguirus' friend, decided to make Anguirus his new friend. When Mechagodzilla talked to Anguirus, the latter accused Mechagodzilla of being violent. Mechagodzilla became angry and used his laser vision to destroy the hammock Anguirus was sleeping on, then grabbed him and flew to a volcano on the island. Baragon witnessed the kidnapping and told Godzilla, Gojirin, and Mothra about it, and the four kaiju traveled to the volcano to rescue their friend. Once the kaiju arrived, they were forced by Mechagodzilla to take part in a game show where they solved addition problems. After the kaiju got the problems correct, Anguirus was freed. Mothra then convinced Anguirus and the other kaiju to forgive Mechagodzilla and befriend him.

Millennium era

Godzilla Final Wars

Main article: Anguirus (Millennium).

In the year 20XX, the Xiliens manipulated the M-base in Anguirus' DNA to control him, unleashing him on Shanghai, China. He was engaged by the Earth Defense Force battleship Karyu, but proved too fast for its main weapon to hit. Anguirus was soon recalled by the Xiliens, posing as friends to humanity who saved the planet from the monsters by capturing them. After their scheme was exposed by members of the EDF, they redeployed Anguirus to Shanghai with a swarm of Xilien Fighters, where he finished off the Karyu. Next they sent him along with Rodan and King Caesar to intercept the reawakened Godzilla at the foot of Mount Fuji. The monsters coordinated their attacks against Godzilla, but ended up defeated and stacked on top of each other in a pile.

Reiwa era

GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters

Anguirus first appeared in November 2005 and attacked Beijing, causing 8.2 million deaths in tandem with Rodan. Both monsters were eventually killed by the Chinese bioweapon Hedorah, which left behind their skeletal remains and proceeded to lay waste to the surrounding area.[18]

Godzilla Singular Point

Main article: Anguirus (Godzilla Singular Point).
Anguirus staring down Yun Arikawa in Godzilla Singular Point

In the year 2030, flocks of Rodans began appearing in Japan and dying shortly after their rampages. When the JSDF hauled their carcasses away to a facility near Nigashio City in Chiba Prefecture, they were scavenged by Anguirus, who had appeared in the nearby woods. After Anguirus menaced civilians and JSDF responders along a wooded highway, where it revealed the ability to reflect projectile weapons back at its opponents, the local mayor responded by organizing an extermination plan. Luring Anguirus out into the open onto a golf course, a joint effort between local hunters, the JSDF, and the Otaki Factory's Jet Jaguar succeeding in stunning the monster with a harpoon gun. After Anguirus woke up in time to ruin the mayor's triumphant press photo opportunity, Jet Jaguar killed it with a second point-blank shot of the harpoon gun. Goro Otaki, the pilot and inventor of Jet Jaguar, would take one of Anguirus's horns as a trophy and fashioned it into a spear for his robot to use against other kaiju.

Godziban

Anguirus was a resident of Godzi Godzi Island and Godzilla-kun's best friend. He frequently followed the Three Godzilla Brothers and went on adventures with them. Anguirus' special bond of friendship with Godzilla-kun allowed the two to communicate "without words" by way of speech balloons only they and the audience can see.

Abilities

Durability

Anguirus's spiky carapace and armored hide grant him impressive resistance to attacks from enemy monsters. He was able to withstand the attacks of Godzilla, King Ghidorah, Gigan and Fake Godzilla, as well as survive being swallowed by a fissure.

Anguirus's durability is also highlighted in the comic Godzilla: Rulers of Earth, where after being beaten nearly to death by a Cryog Mechagodzilla, he quickly recovers and immediately assists Godzilla in battle against Mecha-King Ghidorah and an army of Mechagodzillas.

Physical abilities

Anguirus possesses rows of extremely sharp teeth that he will use in battle. These, with the added bite force Anguirus can generate, cause pain to any kaiju that finds itself in Anguirus's jaws. He also tends to attack with his claws and by charging opponents.

Moreover, he may use his spiked tail to swing around at opponents. In Kodansha's Godzilla, King of the Monsters manga, his tail is prehensile, and he uses it to grapple with and restrain opponents

Spiked carapace

Godzilla uses Anguirus like a flail to strike Mecha-King Ghidorah in Godzilla: Rulers of Earth #16

Anguirus's greatest asset in combat is his spiked carapace. He often jumps backward and slams his back into opponents in order to injure them with his spikes.

In Godzilla: Rulers of Earth, Godzilla lifted Anguirus by his tail and used him like a flail, swinging his spikes into Mecha-King Ghidorah's chest and damaging the cyborg.

Anguirus Ball

In many Godzilla video games and in the film Godzilla Final Wars, Anguirus was shown to be able to retreat inside of his carapace and curl into a ball, allowing him to travel very quickly and also inflict damage on buildings and enemies with his spiked carapace. In the latter, this move is most commonly called the Anguirus Ball (アンギラスボール,   Angirasu Bōru).[19]

Energy Spikes and Thunderball

In the Atari/Pipeworks trilogy of Godzilla video games, Anguirus displays two different Rage Attacks. The first, as seen in Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee, shows Anguirus jumping into the air, curling up into a ball, and firing off red Energy Spikes, while spinning in midair. The second Rage Attack, from Godzilla: Save the Earth, is called Thunderball and appears to be a red energy-charged version of his Anguirus Ball attack.

Anguirus performs his rotating disc attack against Godzilla

Rotating disc

In the Kodansha manga series Godzilla, King of the Monsters, Anguirus can retract into his shell and quickly zip around in the air while rotating at extremely high speed, condensing his body into the shape of an ultra-sharp disc that can cut Godzilla.

Tail

Anguirus strangles Godzilla with his tail in the Kodansha Godzilla, King of the Monsters manga

Anguirus's tail is tipped with either a sharp curved spike or a fan-shaped spike club. While he never seems to use it in battle onscreen, Anguirus does attack with his tail spike in most video games featuring him.

In the Kodansha Godzilla, King of the Monsters manga, Anguirus's tail is prehensile, and he is able to constrict it around Godzilla's throat.

Burrowing

After falling into a seismic fissure, the Second Generation Anguirus managed to burrow to the Japanese mainland, where he emerged and attacked Fake Godzilla.

Agility

Anguirus is quite agile, charging at enemies with surprising speed and having the ability to make surprise attacks on unsuspecting foes.

Intelligence

Anguirus has been shown to possess heightened intelligence for a kaiju, being able to coordinate attacks with his allies, communicate with Godzilla and suspect that Fake Godzilla was an impostor.

Swimming

Anguirus is an extremely adept swimmer and is shown being able to swim at speeds comparable to Godzilla. He was able to swim great distances in a short period of time without any signs of fatigue.

Ultrasonic/sonic roar

In Godzilla Raids Again, Anguirus briefly let out powerful ultrasonic roars which caused Osaka Castle to crumble during his fight with Godzilla.[20]

This ranged attack returned in the Atari/Pipeworks Godzilla video game trilogy as a Sonic Roar. It is unable to engage in beam locks with other monsters' energy weapons. The sonic roar both damages and launches or pushes back opponents, while also destroying any nearby buildings, rocks, or military units and also has the ability to daze the opponent.

Incandescent Light

During the planning stages of Godzilla Raids Again, Anguirus was to be able to fire an Incandescent Light (白熱光,   Hakunekkō) from his mouth, just like Godzilla. In the tie-in manga Rampage Godzilla and the official novelization for the film, Anguirus briefly uses this attack.[21]

Poison

In several publications, Anguirus was described to be able to create a poisonous liquid within his body and emit it from his back spikes and claws to stun targets.[22]

Fireballs

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

Video games

Godzilla: Unleashed

Height: 80 meters[23]
Weight: 54,000 tons[23]
"Anguirus is a loyal Earth Defender. Although he is neither the largest, strongest, or fastest of Earth's vanguard, he possesses a tenacity of spirit that makes him a fearsome opponent for any monster. Anguirus can stun nearby opponents with his fearsome Sonic Roar, or use his powerful jaws to leave an impression. Anguirus' most unique attribute is his ultra-hard spiked carapace, which can parry any physical attack and inflict heavy edged damage in response. Anguirus can tuck his head and limbs beneath his shell and roll forward-this offers him excellent resistance to attack and allows him to plow through terrain and opponents alike. When the earth is threatened, Godzilla will come to its defense-and Anguirus will be right beside him, until the end."


Godzilla (PlayStation 4)

Anguirus in Godzilla

Anguirus appears exclusively in the PlayStation 4 version of Godzilla as a playable monster. He is modeled after his 1968 appearance from Destroy All Monsters. Anguirus' primary attack involves slamming his spiky carapace against his opponent, though he also possesses the Anguirus Ball attack from the Atari games and Godzilla Final Wars. Anguirus also has the ability to burrow underground like he did in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla.

Moveset

  • Square
    • One tap: Right Punch
    • Two taps: Left Punch
    • Three taps: Back Leg Kick
  • Triangle
    • Tap: Tail Attack
    • Roar + Tap: Bite
  • X
    • Tap: Back Tackle
  • Circle
    • Tap: Back Leg Sand Toss
    • Roar + Tap: Anguirus Ball
  • R2
    • Tap: Underground Shelter

Kaiju Guide

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

Books

Godzilla on Monster Island

When Anguirus and Varan found Mothra's cocoon washed up on the shore of Monster Island after a storm, Anguirus and Godzilla decided to protect the cocoon from their dangerous neighbors. However, their battles with Kamacuras, Kumonga and Gigan attracted attention from human scientists, who dispatched Mechagodzilla to recover the cocoon for study. With Godzilla going into the ocean after the fight with Gigan, Anguirus was left alone to guard the cocoon when Mechagodzilla arrived. Rodan swooped in to help Anguirus, but the two were no match for Mechagodzilla. Rodan alerted Godzilla to the trouble on the beach and he joined the fight, defeating Mechagodzilla easily. Together, the monsters welcomed the newly-emerged imago Mothra to the island.

Who's Afraid of Godzilla?

Anguirus was one of the many monsters in the book to be afraid of Godzilla. When Megalon and Gigan started to bully the other residents of Monster Island, Anguirus stood up to them, only to be shoved into a volcano. When Godzilla saved him, Anguirus was quick to announce he was glad to have a big tough friend like Godzilla.

GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse

The first Anguirus emerged from the frozen soil of Siberia in November of 2005 and traveled southeast to Beijing, where it joined Rodan. Both monsters were exterminated by the Chinese bioweapon Hedorah,[24] but a second Anguirus, denoted "Anguirus II," emerged in South Africa the following year. A fourth Anguirus appeared from the Pacific Ocean in Los Angeles alongside Baragon II and Varan II in 2030, and all three monsters were killed by Godzilla.[25]

Close Friends, Chibi Godzilla

Chibi Anguirus

When feeling lonely, Chibi Godzilla set out to look for friends, encountering Chibi Anguirus along with Chibi Rodan, Chibi Mothra, and Chibi Ghidorah. Chibi Godzilla remarked that Chibi Anguirus had "super cool" prickly spikes on his back. When the other monsters asked what Chibi Godzilla could do, he responded saying he could breathe fire and exhaled a blast of fire at them, prompting them to flee. While running after them, Chibi Godzilla's fire breath caused fruit to fall out of a nearby tree. He asked the other monsters to share the fruit with him, and they all ate until they were full. Chibi Godzilla was no longer lonely as he befriended the other monsters.

Comics

Rampage Godzilla

Anguirus (bottom left), along with Osoros, Sugon, Zottos, Godzilla and Gyottos in Rampage Godzilla

Anguirus has become friends with Zottos, Gyottos, Osoros and Sugon. Godzilla wants to become a pro wrestler, and spars with Anguirus and his friends to get stronger.


The Godzilla Comic

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

Godzilla, King of the Monsters

Anguirus was originally a fossil at a dinosaur expo festival. Dr. Mad Oniyama, with the assistance of his 28th century descendant, revived the fossil by treating it with radiation from KIDS's Time Warp Beam. At first, Anguirus appeared as a large Ankylosaurus, who fought Godzilla after the Time Warp Beam was used to devolve him into a Godzillasaurus. Aware that the ankylosaur was losing the fight, the two Oniyamas fired the Monster Evolution Accelerator, a huge syringe containing DNA that made the ankylosaurus evolve into Anguirus.

Anguirus immediately took action, jumping high into the air and landing on the Godzillasaurus in an effort to kill him. However, the force of the impact ruptured a gas line which then exploded, and Godzilla absorbed the energy, which made the effects of the Time Warp Beam wear off. Anguirus and Godzilla fought again. Anguirus, using his new abilities such as being able to fly by rotating his shell and being able to slice Godzilla while spinning, fought as best as he could, but was defeated after Godzilla caught a shell fired from Yosuke's ASTOL-MB93 and rammed it down his throat. Anguirus tried to flee alongside the two Oniyamas in KIDS, only for the ASTOL-MB93 shell to explode violently, killing Anguirus instantly. KIDS was also destroyed in the massive explosion, leaving the two Oniyamas' fates unknown.

Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters

Anguirus was the second giant monster to appear after Godzilla, first emerging out of the ground in rural Sabinas, Mexico. Anguirus quickly made his way north towards the United States, destroying towns along the way before demolishing the US-Mexico border wall with ease. After traveling through San Antonio, Texas, Anguirus abruptly changed direction and began heading northeast, setting him on a collision course with Godzilla as the latter was swimming towards the US. As Anguirus entered Los Angeles, he was greeted by Godzilla, who immediately struck Anguirus with his atomic breath. Recovering, Anguirus made various attempts to attack Godzilla in vain, with Godzilla able to block most of the attacks. In the end, Anguirus was soundly defeated while the city was decimated by their battle. The US military then enacted a plan to use toxic gas on Anguirus while he was weakened, but Anguirus simply stood up to avoid the gas and left the city, traveling east. Much later, after Sergeant Steven Woods found and reactivated Mechagodzilla, he detected Anguirus nearby, at which point he resolved to fight back against the monsters ravaging the world. Mechagodzilla landed the first blow upon coming face-to-face with Anguirus, but the monster quickly retaliated by curling into a ball and knocking Mechagodzilla down, injuring Steven’s co-pilot Allie in the process. As Anguirus slashed the mech with his claws, Steven discovered and launched Mechagodzilla’s paralyzer missiles, striking Anguirus point-blank. With Anguirus down, Steven took Mechagodzilla to take on his true target - Godzilla.

Godzilla: Gangsters & Goliaths

Anguirus resided on Monster Island, where the Elias served to maintain peace between the monsters and larger cosmic forces at work with the assistance of Mothra. Following the kidnapping of the Elias, the cosmic balance fell into disarray, causing the monsters to leave Monster Island and converge on Japan - Anguirus included. Soon, all the kaiju closed in on Tokyo, wreaking great havoc and facing off against each other and G-Force. After Detective Makoto Sato returned the Elias to Mothra, the kaiju stopped fighting and returned to their island in peace.

Godzilla: Legends

Anguirus in Godzilla: Legends #1

As Destoroyah rampaged through Sydney, Australia, Colonel Matsumiya ordered Dr. Brian Anders to test an experimental device dubbed the G-Signaler in a desperate bid to buy their forces time until reinforcements could arrive, believing the device to be capable of calling Godzilla to their location. Despite failing to summon Godzilla to fight Destoroyah, the device did eventually succeed in attracting the attention of Anguirus, who surfaced from the bay nearby. While Major Samantha Tagger was relieved to see another monster that could stop Destoroyah's reign of destruction, Anders deemed him no match for Destoroyah and disclosed that Anguirus was known for foolishly challenging monsters that were far stronger than he was, which earned him losses to every single monster that he had ever faced, such as Godzilla, Gigan, and King Ghidorah. Though Destoroyah was also significantly larger and stronger, the undaunted Anguirus charged at him anyways as they met within the city, only to be kicked aside with ease. Anguirus swatted some debris at Destoroyah with his tail, though Destoroyah was unfazed and retaliated with his powerful Oxygen Destroyer beam. Before Anguirus could recover, Destoroyah wrapped his tail around Anguirus's neck, dragged him across the city, and flung him into more buildings. Tagger and Anders attempted to provide aid for Anguirus by drawing Destoroyah's attention away in a jet, hoping to lure Destoroyah into nearby Freon tanks to freeze him solid. Unfortunately, the wounded and bloodied Anguirus recovered, drawing Destoroyah back to the ground where he attempted to finish the smaller monster off. Picking up Anguirus, Destoroyah prepared to break his jaw until Anders activated the G-Signaler again to disorient Destoroyah, prompting to him toss Anguirus aside. After Matsumiya arrived on the scene in a helicopter and smashed a Freon tank he was carrying into Destoroyah, Anguirus took the opportunity to roll into a ball and slam into the partially frozen monster. With the impact causing his body to begin breaking apart, the weakened Destoroyah immediately fled back into the sea, allowing Anguirus to achieve his first victory over another monster. In the aftermath, as Anguirus returned to sea, he was intercepted by none other than Godzilla himself, who opted not to attack Anguirus. While Tagger took this as a sign that Anguirus had earned Godzilla's respect, Anders instead theorized that Godzilla simply did not see him as a threat, which was quickly proven when Godzilla turned his attention to the aircraft carrier nearby and attacked them instead.

Godzilla

Anguirus in Godzilla

As the monsters of Earth began to rise again, Anguirus attacked Edinburgh, Scotland. Fed up with the destructive beasts, Boxer formed a team he dubbed the Monster Kill Crew to stop them, setting his sights on Anguirus as their first target. Drawing the monster's attention by lobbing C-4 at him, the team allowed Anguirus to chase them across the city, at which point Boxer prepared to unleash the Headache Beam on him - a weapon developed by fellow Kill Crew member Claire Plangman. Though the team experienced a brief setback when Anguirus destroyed their vehicle and broke the Headache Beam, Claire was able to fix the weapon before Anguirus could crush them and used it to disorient the monster. With Anguirus dazed, the Monster Kill Crew was able to use the Headache Beam to push him towards a location of their choosing - specifically Edinburgh Castle, which had been built over an extinct volcano. Having rigged the castle with explosives, the team triggered a massive explosion that successfully neutralized Anguirus, leaving him unconscious in the crater of the volcano. The military collected Anguirus and brought him to Hunt Atoll, also known as Monster Island, where he was later joined by other kaiju that the Monster Kill Crew defeated, including Kumonga, Battra, and Titanosaurus. Unbeknownst to the public, world powers intended on developing the means of controlling and weaponizing the captive kaiju. Before their plans could come to fruition, however, the captive monsters became increasingly agitated for unknown reasons, and while officials could not determine the cause behind this change of behavior, an explanation soon revealed itself - an invasion of Earth by space monsters, including SpaceGodzilla, Gigan, Hedorah, and Monster X. As his team was responsible for detaining Earth's best defenders, Boxer decided to right his wrongs by infiltrating Monster Island with the aid of Asuka Hikari and disabled the force fields to free the monsters, allowing Anguirus and the other kaiju to escape. Journeying to Hong Kong, Anguirus joined forces with Rodan, who had already engaged Gigan in battle. Anguirus rolled into Gigan and knocked him back, but Gigan used his buzzsaw to slice into the Earth defender's underbelly until Rodan attacked the space monster, prompting Gigan to free the wounded Anguirus. As Gigan turned his attention on Rodan, he failed to notice that Anguirus had recovered. Rolling towards Gigan at full speed, Anguirus slammed into the cyborg's head with all his might, knocking Gigan unconscious.

Godzilla: The Half-Century War

In 1967, the Anti-Megalosaurus Force followed Godzilla to Vietnam, where they were preparing to test new weapons known as Maser Cannons on him that had been positioned atop a large hill in his path. Shortly after activating the weapons, the hilltop crumbled away beneath them as Anguirus emerged from the Earth, destroying most of the Masers Cannons in the process. Godzilla was quick to fire his atomic ray at the smaller beast, but Anguirus dodged it with ease before leaping at Godzilla and clamping down on his arm, knocking Godzilla backwards as he desperately tried to shake his opponent off. Though Godzilla finally tossed Anguirus aside, Anguirus was able to attack him repeatedly under the cover of smoke using his spiked carapace. Eventually, Godzilla managed to catch Anguirus by surprise with a powerful slam of his tail, knocking the stunned Anguirus back into the side of a hill. As U.S. forces launched an intense bombing run against the monsters, Anguirus seemed to realize he was outmatched and retreated by burrowing back underground.

Godzilla: Rulers of Earth

Anguirus was included among the "land" monsters in a cave mural on Infant Island.

During his Megazoology Conference, Dr. Kenji Ando revealed that Anguirus had returned to Mexico, heading back to where he first emerged. Anguirus remained hidden from view for the next few years until he eventually emerged in Alaska, lured there by the leader of the Cryog aliens disguised as a Russian warmonger. There, he was immediately ambushed by a Mechagodzilla unit as part of a demonstration of the mech's capabilities to world leaders. Mechagodzilla proceeded to bombard Anguirus with its missiles, stomped and kicked him, and finally unleashed a combined volley of finger missiles and its optical Space Laser. Anguirus refused to back down, however, and persisted in the fight even as Mechagodzilla tested more weapons against him, as well as its physical capabilities by prying the monster's jaw apart. At last, Anguirus managed to strike Mechagodzilla's head with his tail to free himself and fought back by rolling into his opponent, but Mechagodzilla merely continued to fire more lasers and missiles to defend itself. At last, the injured and bloodied Anguirus collapsed from his wounds and was left for dead.

Lucy Casprell and the Monster Islands Research Team later arrived to investigate what had happened to the fallen kaiju and quickly discovered that he was still alive. He was promptly restrained by the Counter-Kaiju Reaction Forces' own Mechagodzilla while the team was given orders to bring the downed saurian to a new robotics facility in Russia. En route, the CKR's Mechagodzilla was shot down by a pair of the Cryog's Mechagodzilla units just outside of their destination, sending Anguirus and his captors plummeting back to the surface. Anguirus finally managed to escape Mechagodzilla's grasp and rushed into the nearby facility where Godzilla was doing battle against Mecha-King Ghidorah and more Mechagodzillas. The former foes briefly locked eyes before Anguirus charged at a Mechagodzilla unit closing in on Godzilla, mauling and destroying it. Godzilla proceeded to grab Anguirus by the tail and used him as a flail, slamming him into Mecha-King Ghidorah's chest to critically damage him. After Godzilla destroyed the last Mechagodzilla and sent Mecha-King Ghidorah into retreat, the two kaiju roared in victory together before Godzilla destroyed what was left of the facility with his atomic breath. Godzilla and Anguirus then left the decimated arena together as allies before going their separate ways once they reached the ocean. Some time later, as the Trilopods launched a full-scale invasion of Earth, Anguirus was captured by the alien monsters, with one absorbing his DNA before he was imprisoned within their hive in Los Angeles. When King Caesar arrived, he freed Anguirus alongside the other kaiju trapped inside the hive before leading them into battle to help Godzilla against the Trilopod hybrids. Once Anguirus and the monsters of Earth defeated the Trilopods, the titanic Trilopod Magita was unleashed upon them. Anguirus attempted to battle Magita by slamming into the giant Trilopod several times, but was easily knocked aside by the massive creature. After Godzilla destroyed Magita using his Hyper Spiral Ray and nuclear pulse, Anguirus and the other monsters followed him out to sea, then dispersed around the globe to live in peace.

Godzilla: Cataclysm

Anguirus battling Manda in Godzilla: Cataclysm

Anguirus was among the many monsters who participated in a great monster apocalypse that led to the downfall of civilization. After psychic humans attempted to gain control over the kaiju, the monsters went berserk and rampaged through cities. At one point, as the kaiju descended upon Tokyo, Manda attacked Anguirus by wrapping his body around the spiked monster. Anguirus and Mothra later faced down and attacked Godzilla.

Godzilla in Hell

Demon Anguirus in Godzilla in Hell #2

As Godzilla traversed a frozen wasteland in Hell after defeating the demon Rodan, a demonic version of his past foe Anguirus burst forth from the ice as he sensed Godzilla's arrival. He confronted Godzilla and bit him on the arm, but Godzilla threw him off into the ice, causing it to shatter and sending Godzilla careening through it to a deeper level of Hell.

Godzilla: Oblivion

Anguirus in Godzilla: Oblivion

One of numerous monsters native to Earth-2, Anguirus crossed through an interdimensional portal alongside Biollante, Rodan, Mothra, Zilla, Hedorah, and King Caesar. Upon entering the alternate Earth, Anguirus and several other kaiju were quick to join the ongoing battle between Mecha-King Ghidorah and Godzilla. Before Mecha-King Ghidorah could recover from an attack by Mothra, Anguirus rammed into the cyborg and continued slashing at him while he was down before Godzilla took over the assault. Later, after Mecha-King Ghidorah was defeated by the King of the Monsters, all of the monsters were left behind as the humans left the Earth as it became covered by tiny robotic cells that served as interdimensional doorways.

Godzilla: Rage Across Time

During the Cretaceous Period, Anguirus and Godzilla engaged in a great battle with Baragon and Varan. As Baragon concentrated his heat ray on Godzilla, Anguirus attempted to catch the former by surprise and rolled into him, though Baragon retaliated by turning his flames on Anguirus. The battle continued even as a shower of meteors fell to Earth and knocked Baragon out of the battle, with Varan attacking Godzilla before Anguirus slammed his spiked carapace into Varan's underbelly and incapacitated him. Victorious, Anguirus and Godzilla traversed the landscape as it was relentlessly ravaged by meteors until Keizer Ghidorah descended upon the duo. Transforming into Monster X, the alien monster fired his Gravity Beams at Godzilla before setting his sights on Anguirus, tossing him into a pool of lava nearby while Godzilla was unable to save him. Though Godzilla would later fall into the lava as well and emerged unscathed, Anguirus did not resurface alongside him, leaving his fate unknown.

GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters

Anguirus was one of the many monsters that appeared in the 21st century to menace humanity, along with the likes of Rodan, Dogora, Kamacuras, Biollante, and Baragon. Anguirus and Rodan were later killed in China during "Operation Hedorah".

Godzilla: Monsters & Protectors

While speaking with Cedric, Emily, and Anderson, the Shobijin detailed how Mothra protected humanity from threats such as Anguirus.

Godzilla vs. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

After Rita Repulsa voiced her intent to find a spell that would allow her to subjugate the minds of Earth’s monsters, Anguirus was among the kaiju that the evil sorceress imagined falling under her command and aiding her own monsters in laying waste to her home reality.

Godzilla: Monsters & Protectors - All Hail the King!

Cedric and his friends began experiencing recurring dreams from the perspective of Godzilla, with one such dream involving Godzilla battling Anguirus.

Gallery

Main article: Anguirus/Gallery.

Sightings

  • Anguirus's roar was used in many video game series such as Street Fighter and Metroid.
  • In Dairanger, Daimugen reuses Anguirus' roar.
  • The kaiju Archelus from the 2017 video game Earth Defense Force 5 bears some resemblance to Anguirus, and even demonstrates a rolling attack reminiscent of the one used by Anguirus in Godzilla Final Wars and the Atari video games.

Roar

Like Godzilla, Anguirus' roars were created by a musical instrument: the saxophone.[26]

Anguirus' roars were later sped up and used for Mothra. This is most evident in the film Godzilla vs. Mothra where, after being injured, Mothra lets out a roar that sounds almost identical to Anguirus'. In Godzilla Final Wars, his roars were mixed with animal growls.

Anguirus's roars are sometimes written in comics as "Maaaaronk" and "Gaaaaaaoooo".

Anguirus' unaltered roars
in Godzilla Raids Again
Anguirus' roars in Godzilla Raids Again
Anguirus' roars from 1968 to 1974
Anguirus' roars in Godzilla Final Wars

In other languages

Language Name Meaning
China and Taiwan Flags.png Mandarin Chinese 安吉拉斯 Ānjílāsī Transcription of Japanese name
Flagicon Germany.png German Angirus (Godzilla Raids Again, 1958 dub)
Flagicon Israel.png Hebrew אנגירוס Angirus Transliteration of English name
Flagicon Russia.png Russian Ангирус Angirus Transliteration of English name
Flagicon Serbia.png Serbian Ангирус Angirus Transliteration of English name

Trivia

Untextured view of the skeleton of "a creature that might or might not be Anguirus" from the "The Undersea Lair" bonus feature for Godzilla: King of the Monsters
  • Godzilla: King of the Monsters director Michael Dougherty stated that, "the skeleton of a creature that might or might not be Anguirus is briefly visible in one shot, just outside Godzilla’s underwater lair."[28] Anguirus is also featured in concept art of the film's final scene, published in The Art of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, as are other established kaiju such as Gigan and Gamera.[29] In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Dougherty said, "We had thought about using some additional Toho creatures to give them some cameos but every Toho creature comes with a price tag. It was a choice to either shell out more money simply for the rights for these creatures to show up on screen for a few seconds, or embrace the opportunity and the challenge to create new creatures."[30]
  • A sprite model for the 1955 version of Anguirus is present in the game files for Godzilla Defense Force, although he cannot be encountered in the game itself.[31]
Concept art of Steve Bissette's Anguirus surrogate for Godzilla, King of the Monsters Special, later reworked into Kamerus
  • Steve Bissette conceptualized a surrogate monster for Anguirus during development of Dark Horse's Godzilla, King of the Monsters Special comic in 1987, along with similar analogues for Mothra and King Ghidorah. While the Mothra and Ghidorah surrogates were discarded, Bissette's Anguirus stand-in, tentatively given the name "Great Turtle," was slightly retooled into the monster Kamerus, which appears through two flashbacks in the comic.
  • In the Super Sentai series Gosei Sentai Dairanger, the Super Mythical Chi Beast Daimugen, while in turtle form, uses the roar of Anguirus.
  • Anguirus' roars were used for the boss Draygon in the Metroid series.


Video

Wikizilla: YouTube Kaiju Profile: Anguirus

Notes

  1. Underground Gotemba / 御殿場の地底
  2. Episodes 1, 6, 9, 11, 21, 25, 39-40, 43-44, 58-63, 66, 75, 83-85, 87, 93, 97-98, 101-102, 110-113, 119-120, 125, 127, 130, 132, 134-135, 137-138, 140-142, 144-145, 148-150, 160, 179-182, 185-188, 190-194, 202, 207-208, 212, 214, 216-217, 233, 237, 244-246, 251-252, and 255-256.

References

This is a list of references for Anguirus. 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 Boryu Anguirus.jpg
  2. Steve Ryfle, Jay Ghee (April, 1998). Japan's Favorite Mon-Star: The Unauthorized Biography of "The Big G". ECW Press. pp. 73, 371. ISBN 1550223488. Check date values in: |date= (help)
    Anguillasaurus steve ryfle book.png
  3. Wkangiras.jpg
  4. 4.0 4.1 Common Knowledge of Godzilla. Futabasha. 6 July 2014. pp. 17, 51, 55, 59, 69, . ISBN 978-4-575-30696-5.CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  5. ゴジラ東宝大怪獣図鑑. Shogakukan. 1 April 2005. ISBN 4-09-280052-5.
  6. Godzilla Raids Again movie flyer. p. 2. April 1955.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Toho Special Effects All Monster Encyclopedia. Shogakukan. 23 July 2014. pp. 10, 51, 57, 64, 68. ISBN 4-096-82090-3.
  8. Japanese Godzilla vs. Gigan trailer
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 J.D. Lees, Marc Cerasini (24 March 1998). The Official Godzilla Compendium. Random House. p. 118. ISBN 0279888225 Check |isbn= value: checksum (help).
    Compendium1.png
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Godzilla Completely Deciphered. Takarajimasha. 26 June 2014. p. 111. ISBN 4800228964.
  11. 11.0 11.1 Toho Special Effects All Monster Encyclopedia. Shogakukan. 23 July 2014. p. 118. ISBN 4-096-82090-3.
    Anguirus90meters60000metrictons.jpeg
  12. Godzilla 40th Anniversary Complete Works. Kodansha. 1994. p. 203. ISBN 406178417X.
  13. Toho Films 1955-56-07 Godzilla Raids Again.jpg
  14. Vlcsnap-2023-11-23-17h45m54s418.png
  15. Anguillas gb.png
  16. Ackerman, Forrest (May 1957). "SCIENTIFILM MARQUEE". Imaginative Tales – via Archive.org.
  17. Godzilla Monsters All Encyclopedia (7th Edition). Shogakukan. 10 November 1993. p. 105. ISBN 4092811047.
  18. "Whether they’ll appear in the film or not, I can’t say, but as for Godzilla: Kaiju Planet’s history… Rodan confirmed! And Anguirus, Dogora, Dagahra, Orga, and Kamakiras!" - Jimpluff on Tumblr
  19. Godzilla Final Wars Super Complete Works. Shogakukan. January 20, 2005. p. 13. ISBN 978-4091014986.
  20. Yukan Fuji Special Edition: Yukan Godzilla No. 2 (夕刊フジ特別号 「夕刊ゴジラ弐号」). Yukan Fuji. 25 October 2017. p. 5.
  21. Kayama, Shigeru (1955). Godzilla: Tokyo and Osaka Arc. Shimamura Shuppan, Shonen Bunko. p. Page number required.
  22. All Kaiju Photo Encyclopedia 4 (オール怪獣写真図鑑 4), Kurosaki Shuppan
  23. 23.0 23.1 Blackheart_Goji (26 May 2023). "Godzilla unleashed card animations w/sfx final". YouTube.
  24. Renji Ōki (October 25, 2017). GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse. Kadokawa. pp. 19–111.
  25. Ōki, Renji (25 October 2017). GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse. Kadokawa. pp. 112–150.
  26. Paul, Andrew (30 May 2019). "The History of Godzilla's Iconic Roar". GQ.
  27. Tokyo Anguirus.jpg
  28. @Mike_Dougherty on Twitter: "The skeleton of a creature that might or might not be Anguirus is briefly visible in one shot, just outside Godzilla’s underwater lair."
  29. Anguirus in concept art of the bowing scene.
  30. Brown, Tracy (2 June 2019). "How 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters' updated four iconic kaiju characters". Los Angeles Times.
  31. Godzilla: Defense Force - Unreleased Content [Android/iOs]

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