Anguirus (First Generation)
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- Dr. Tadokoro: “Dr. Yamane, our supposition was correct. It's the worst possibility of all.”
- Chief of Civil Defense: “So, there's another monster besides Godzilla?”
- Dr. Tadokoro: “That's right. The hydrogen bomb test awakened Godzilla. Now, Ankylosaurus has also been roused.”
- Chief of Civil Defense: “Ankylosaurus?”
- Dr. Tadokoro: “That's right. This is an Ankylosaurus. It's also known as Anguirus. It's a dinosaur that walked the Earth in prehistoric times between 70 and 150 million years ago.”
- ― Dr. Tadokoro explaining about Anguirus (Godzilla Raids Again)
Anguirus (アンギラス Angirasu) is a giant Ankylosaurus kaiju who appeared in the 1955 Toho Godzilla film Godzilla Raids Again.
Awakened by nuclear testing like Godzilla, Anguirus was first sighted battling the other monster on the remote Iwato Island. The monsters dove into the sea and resurfaced in Osaka to resume their battle. Godzilla managed to fatally wound Anguirus before lighting his foe ablaze with his atomic breath, killing the Ankylosaurus kaiju. Anguirus was Godzilla's first ever opponent as well as the first monster he ever defeated. Despite this Anguirus' demise at the hands of Godzilla, a second one would appear in the coming years and befriend Godzilla.
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.[6]
The original English name given to Anguirus by Toho was Angilas, as seen in the company's 1955 international sales booklet.[7] 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. However, a dialogue transcript dated April 2, 1959, submitted by Warner Bros. to the New York State Education Department Division of Motion Pictures on April 29, 1959, uses the now-standard romanization.[8] This incarnation is typically called the First Generation Anguirus (初代アンギラス Shodai Angirasu) or Anguirus (First Generation) (アンギラス（初代） Angirasu Shodai), though the video game Godzilla Kaiju Collection referred to him as Anguirus (GyakuGoji) (アンギラス（逆ゴジ） Angirasu Gyakugoji).
Development
The head of the original Anguirus suit in Godzilla Raids Again was modeled by Teizo Toshimitsu, while the body was modeled by the Yagi brothers Kanju and Yasuei. A 2 shaku (60.6 centimeter) clay model of Anguirus was created, and used as a reference for artwork and posters featuring the monster.[9] When this clay model was made, Anguirus was envisioned as having his carapace split into two pieces and turned upward.[10][9] The suit was initially built to reflect this, but as the carapace peeled apart each time it moved, it was eventually joined together as a single piece. However, the battle scene between Anguirus and Godzilla at the Osaka port was filmed before the carapace was joined together, and so the effect of the carapace being composed of two separate pieces can be seen during this scene and in promotional images and artwork.[10] The carapace of the Anguirus suit weighed 3 kan (11.25 kilograms), and as such suit actor Katsumi Tezuka experienced difficulty standing up while wearing it.[9]
Rather than being cut from a plaster mold, the head of the original Anguirus suit was composed of a hard "skull" with the softer material used for the skin applied around it. To depict Anguirus opening and closing his mouth and performing facial expressions, a guignol (hand puppet) model was used. The thorns on Anguirus' back were created from paper wrapped together to look like spikes and painted over in rubber. Because of this, the thorns were actually incredibly soft and prone to be damaged during the filming of fight scenes. Modeling engineer Eizo Kaimai noted that performing repairs to the thorns was difficult.
The color of the original Anguirus suit was unclear onscreen, as the film it appeared in was shot in black-and-white. However, according to modeler Masao Yagi the suit was a light emerald green.[11] Numerous Guignols were created to portray Anguirus in addition to the suit.
Teizo Toshimitsu models the head of the original Anguirus suit.
Clay Anguirus models being sculpted.
A 2 shaku clay Anguirus model. Note how the shell is split in two and turned upward near the front.
A 2 shaku clay Anguirus model.
A promotional photograph for Godzilla Raids Again. Note how Anguirus' shell is split into two pieces and turned upward at the back.
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' 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.
Personality
Anguirus is stated to be a "voracious, carnivorous dinosaur" despite the real-life Ankylosaurus species being herbivorous. He is stated to be incredibly aggressive, especially toward other aggressive creatures. This is demonstrated by the fact he spends the entirety of Godzilla Raids Again battling Godzilla. Despite his tenacity, he attempted to flee once Godzilla gained the upper hand.
Origins
In Godzilla Raids Again, it is suggested that Anguirus is an Ankylosaurus that lived during the Cretaceous, 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.[12] The First Generation Anguirus specifically is said to originate from Siberia, according to official sources.[2]
History
- Godzilla Raids Again (1955)
- Frankenstein vs. Baragon (1965) [maquette]
Showa era
Godzilla Raids Again
When pilot Shoichi Tsukioka landed on Iwato Island to rescue his friend and colleague Koji Kobayashi, the two men discovered Anguirus and Godzilla locked in battle on the island. The two monsters eventually tackled each other into the ocean, and disappeared. The pilots reported their story to the authorities in Osaka, who determined that Anguirus was a creature that lived alongside Godzilla in prehistoric times, and like Godzilla had been reawakened by nuclear testing. The JSDF enforced a blackout on the city and used flares to draw Godzilla away, but when a group of prisoners escaped from a prison bus as it was evacuating, they led the police on a high-speed chase that ended with a gasoline truck crashing into a refinery and starting a huge fire. This fire quickly spread and drew both Godzilla and Anguirus into Osaka, where they resumed their battle. The monsters tore apart the city as their battle reached Osaka Castle. Godzilla tackled Anguirus into the building, then bit down on his opponent's neck. Anguirus roared out in agony as he began to bleed profusely, and was thrown into a moat by Godzilla. As Anguirus attempted to stagger back to his feet, Godzilla unleashed his atomic breath, incinerating his foe and leaving him victorious.
Abilities
Durability
Anguirus is a durable combatant, able to withstand many vicious attacks by Godzilla. Most impressively, Anguirus can shrug off direct blasts from Godzilla's atomic breath, only seeming to display annoyance at it.
Physical capabilities
Anguirus attacks with his teeth and claws and likes to charge at his opponent in quick bursts before lashing out.
Spiked carapace
Anguirus possesses an armored carapace adorned with rows upon rows of spikes. Despite this, he never seems to incorporate it into combat against Godzilla.
Agility
Anguirus is quite agile, charging at enemies with surprising speed and having the ability to make surprise attacks on unsuspecting foes. In his first battle with Godzilla on Iwato Island, Anguirus surprised Godzilla by attacking him from behind.
Ultrasonic roar
Anguirus briefly let out powerful ultrasonic roars that sent Osaka Castle crumbling during his fight with Godzilla.[13]
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 in Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again, Anguirus briefly uses this attack.
Storyboard from Godzilla Raids Again: "Anguirus also fires an intense incandescent light"[note 1]
Anguirus fires his incandescent light in Rampage Godzilla
![Storyboard from Godzilla Raids Again: "Anguirus also fires an intense incandescent light"[note 1]](https://wikizilla.org/w/images/c/c0/GRA_Storyboard_S63-4_Anguirus_atomic_breath.png)
Weaknesses
Despite his vicious onslaught, Anguirus was unable to best Godzilla in one-on-one combat. Godzilla gained the upper hand and tackled Anguirus through Osaka Castle, after which the Ankylosaur attempted to retreat. Godzilla caught Anguirus by the neck with his jaws, drawing a great deal of blood. After Anguirus collapsed into the castle's moat, Godzilla lit him ablaze with his atomic breath, killing him.
Video games
- Godzilla (1993) - NEC/Hudson Soft TurboDuo / PC Engine Duo
- Godzilla: Great Monster Battle (1994) - Nintendo Super Famicom
- Godzilla Kaiju Collection (2015) - Android and iOS
- Godzilla Defense Force (2019) - Android and iOS [scrapped]
- Godzilla Battle Line (2021) - Android, iOS, and PC
- Minecraft: Bedrock Edition (2011; added in 2024) - Windows 10, Windows 11, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Fire OS/TV, Android, iOS, Windows Mobile, Samsung Gear VR
Godzilla Battle Line
- Stars: ★★
- Energy cost: 4
- Attack speed: 2.7 seconds
- Target: Leader/Ground/Facility
- Movement speed: 13
- Search range: 50
- Reach: 40
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A defensive unit with high HP that can withstand a beating from enemy units. |
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Comics
- Godzilla Raids Again (1955) - Reimeisha
- Godzilla Raids Again (1955) - Shonen Club (Kodansha)
- Godzilla Raids Again - Bokura (Kodansha)
- Rampage Godzilla - Omoshiro Book (Shueisha)
- Continuation: Godzilla - Anguirus Raids Again - Akashiya Shobo
Gallery
- Main article: Anguirus/Gallery.
Roar
Like Godzilla, Anguirus' roars were created by a musical instrument: the saxophone.[14]
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Trivia
- Anguirus was the second kaiju in the Godzilla series, and Godzilla's first-ever enemy.
- In the 1957 Toho film Tokyo is a Fine Place, a baseball player named William Radon joins a team called the Tokyo Anguirus. The team's uniform includes a shoulder patch with the monster's head in silhouette.[15]
- A sprite model for the 1955 design of Anguirus can be found in the game files for Godzilla Defense Force, although he cannot be encountered in the game itself.[16]
- Anguirus' split carapace in Godzilla Singular Point is a reference to a scrapped concept for this Anguirus.
Video
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Notes
- ↑ アンギラスもカアッと強烈な白熱光をはきかける
References
This is a list of references for Anguirus (First Generation). These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]
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