Gorosaurus

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Gorosaurus
Gorosaurus in Destroy All Monsters
Alternate names Goro, Gorosaurous,[1] Goro-Saurus,[2] Gorosaurs,[3] Marvelous Atomic Dinosaur,[3] Godzilla,[4] Baragon,[5][6] Gorogorogoro-chan[7]
Subtitle(s) Primeval Monster
(原始怪獣,   Genshi Kaijū)[8]
Primeval Dinosaur
(原始恐,   Genshi Kyōryū)[9][10]
Subterranean Monster
(地底怪獣,   Chitei Kaijū)DAM[11]
Primeval Fierce Dragon
(原始暴龍,   Genshi Bōryū)G:TB
Species Descendant of Allosaurus[9][12]
Height 20 meters[link 1][note 1]
Length 35 meters,[link 2][note 1]
15 meters (tail)[18][19]
Weight 8,000 metric tons[18]
Controlled by KilaaksDAM
Allies Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, Baragon, Minilla, Anguirus, Kumonga, Manda, Varan, Junior,GI King Caesar,GI, GRoE
Jet Jaguar,GRoE Zilla,GRoE Titanosaurus,GRoE Gaira,GRoE Sanda,GRoE KamoebasGRoE
Enemies King Kong, King Ghidorah, Godman, Megaguirus,GRoE Trilopods,GRoE ZoosporaGWfH
Modeled by Nobuyuki Yasumaru
Played by Hiroshi Sekita
First appearance Latest appearance
King Kong Escapes Godziban
Roar(s)
1967:1968:Godman:More roars
...Mothra and Gorosaurus are the island's main inhabitants.
„ 

— Narrator (Destroy All Monsters)

Gorosaurus (ゴロザウルス,   Gorozaurusu) is a dinosaur kaiju who first appeared in the 1967 Toho film, King Kong Escapes, and later debuted in the Godzilla series in the 1968 film Destroy All Monsters.

In King Kong Escapes, Gorosaurus was a huge dinosaur living on Mondo Island, and attempted to eat Lieutenant Susan Watson after she and a United Nations ship crew came ashore on the island. Gorosaurus was attacked by King Kong, who had taken an interest in Watson, and was defeated after Kong broke his jaw. A second incarnation of Gorosaurus appeared in Destroy All Monsters, where he lived on Monsterland along with the rest of Earth's monsters at the end of the 20th century. The Kilaaks invaded the island and took control of its monsters, unleashing Gorosaurus in Paris. When the invaders' hold on the monsters was finally severed, Gorosaurus joined forces with Godzilla and the other Earth monsters against King Ghidorah, helping to turn the tide of battle by delivering a crippling kick to King Ghidorah's back. Gorosaurus was also featured in the television series Go! Godman as an enemy of the hero Godman.

Name

The origin of Gorosaurus' name is not entirely known, though the "-saurus" part of his name, a common component of the names of dinosaurs and other prehistoric reptiles, comes from the Greek word sauros, meaning "lizard." Gorosaurus goes unnamed in King Kong Escapes, and his name is only spoken onscreen in his second appearance in Destroy All Monsters. Toho's export trailer for the latter film alternatively refers to the massive dinosaur with the spelling Gorosaurous.[1] The Gorosaurus from Destroy All Monsters is sometimes designated in official books as Second Generation Gorosaurus (二代目ゴロザウルス,   Nidaime Gorozaurusu).[20][21] In Destroy All Monsters, during the sequence when Gorosaurus emerges from below the Arc de Triomphe, he is called "underground monster" (地底怪獣,   Chitei Kaijū), another name for Baragon, in the Japanese dialogue.

Development

Hiroshi Sekita (Gorosaurus) and Haruo Nakajima (Kong) take a rest next to the Hover Car prop on set between shooting

Gorosaurus was created for the film King Kong Escapes to battle King Kong as an homage to the Meat-Eater which appears in the original King Kong.[22][12] Because Toho Special Art was occupied with modeling both the King Kong and Mechani-Kong suits as well as other kaiju suits for the Ultra Series, Nobuyuki Yasumaru modeled the Gorosaurus suit himself after consulting chief artist Yasuyuki Inoue, aiming for it to feel like a living creature.[12] Yasumaru created a prototype of the monster's head with water clay. A balloon was placed inside the suit to create its throat movements. As the head became heavy from the mechanism used to open and close the mouth, the head was attached to a piano wire during filming. Die-cut latex mixed with sawdust was applied over its skin to achieve a sense of hardness and mass.[12] The suit was worn by actor Hiroshi Sekita, who also served as the suit actor for Mechani-Kong in the film.

The Gorosaurus suit is prepared for the sequence where the monster surfaces and destroys the Arc de Triomphe, replacing Baragon

In the final draft of the screenplay for Destroy All Monsters, the walrus-like kaiju Maguma from Gorath attacked Paris and destroyed the Arc de Triomphe.[22] Maguma was eventually replaced by Baragon in the role, but the filmmakers had concerns about using the restored Baragon suit in the scene due to problems with the suit's ears.[23][12] The role was ultimately given to Gorosaurus, who gained Baragon's ability to burrow and was even referred to as "Baragon" and the "Subterranean Monster" in dialogue. The Gorosaurus suit from the previous year's film was reused for the character's role in this film, with minor cosmetic changes made to the suit's coloration. Hiroshi Sekita again wore the suit, while simultaneously alternating with Tadaaki Watanabe in the role of Anguirus. A small puppet of Gorosaurus and all of the film's other Earth kaiju was created for long shots of the monsters in Aokigahara before the film's final battle. Gorosaurus appeared on the poster and in publicity stills for the next year's film All Monsters Attack, but his role consisted only of a very brief appearance utilizing stock footage from King Kong Escapes. The suit was used in 1970 as part of the "Godzilla vs. Gamera" stage show at the World's Fair. Only one photograph of Gorosaurus clashing with Godzilla with Space Gyaos in the background has surfaced.

The Gorosaurus suit was reused for episode 6 of Toho's tokusatsu television program Go! Godman in 1972. As the suit was not maintained following its use in Destroy All Monsters, it was in very poor shape by this time and had apparently begun to fall apart from the inside, causing its torso to cave in and leaving its lower jaw hanging limply under the head, visibly slanting to one side in some closeups.

Design

Gorosaurus is a giant bipedal dinosaur whose appearance was chosen to reflect the Meat-Eater from the original King Kong. As such, the dinosaur stands upright with his tail dragging on the ground, and possesses a large head, muscular legs and short arms. He has three fingers on each hand, in line with the Meat-Eater. The monster's skin is covered in thick, scaly bumps, and he sports a spike on the tip of his tail. In King Kong Escapes, Gorosaurus' skin is mostly blue in color, while his chin is red that fades into a lighter desaturated yellow on the underside of his tail and belly. In Destroy All Monsters, Gorosaurus' coloration is more muted. His skin now appears more gray, with the red coloration on his chin being much less visible. His underside remains a light tan color, which may appear yellow in some instances.

By the time he appeared in Go! Godman, Gorosaurus' suit was in very poor shape, with its inner support seemingly deteriorated, thus making its torso appear to be caving in, and its jaw hanging at a slight angle.

Origins

Gorosaurus is a carnivorous descendant of the dinosaur genus Allosaurus, which lived during the Late Jurassic Period approximately 150 million years ago.

The Gorosaurus in King Kong Escapes was living on Mondo Island in the modern day. Godzilla Movie Studio Tour expands his origins, stating that he was originally in hibernation underground but awakened due to "rising ground temperatures caused by volcanic activities."

The second Gorosaurus from Destroy All Monsters was one of the many monsters contained on Monsterland at the end of the 20th century. Godzilla Movie Studio Tour states that this Gorosaurus was raised by humanity, much like Baragon, Varan, and Manda.

The Gorosaurus in Go! Godman has similar origins to the one from King Kong Escapes, being a prehistoric dinosaur who originates from Mondo Island.[24]

History

Showa era

King Kong Escapes

Gorosaurus in King Kong Escapes

When Carl Nelson and his fellow crew members Jiro Nomura and Susan Watson disembarked from their ship on Mondo Island, Susan drew the attention of Gorosaurus, who attempted to eat her. Susan's screams caught the attention of King Kong, who emerged from his cave to rescue her. Kong grappled with Gorosaurus, who used his kangaroo kick to knock Kong to the ground. Kong managed to gain the upper hand and pummel Gorosaurus into submission, saving Susan from the beast. However, just as Kong tried to walk away, Gorosaurus regained consciousness and clamped his jaws on Kong's leg. Kong was able to pry Gorosaurus' jaws apart, then defeated him by breaking his jaws.


Destroy All Monsters

Gorosaurus in Destroy All Monsters

At the end of the 20th century, Gorosaurus was living on Monsterland with the other Earth monsters. After the monsters were taken over by the Kilaaks, Gorosaurus was sent to attack Paris, burrowing underneath and destroying the Arc de Triomphe. He was later called back to Mount Fuji to guard the Kilaaks' base of operations. After he was released from his mind control, he helped Godzilla and the other Earth monsters battle King Ghidorah. Gorosaurus landed a devastating kangaroo kick on King Ghidorah's back, damaging his spine and knocking him to the ground. This turned the tide of battle and allowed Godzilla, Anguirus and Minilla to finish off the space monster once and for all. After the destruction of the Kilaaks, Gorosaurus and the other Earth monsters were returned to Monsterland to live out their days peacefully.


Go! Godman

Gorosaurus in Go! Godman

Gorosaurus also appears in the series Go! Godman, as a one-time enemy of the eponymous Godman. Gorosaurus appears in a small town and begins to wander around, stepping on trees. Godman is summoned to battle the monster and the two spar, with Gorosaurus ultimately being finished off by a bombardment of Godman's God-Circles and Supersonic Wave attack.

Heisei era

Godzilla Island

Gorosaurus in Godzilla Island


Reiwa era

Godziban

Gorosaurus is a secondary character in the series, usually present alongside Anguirus and Baragon. The saurian also appears to assist Godzilla-kun when he can't handle a threat alone.

Abilities

Physical capabilities

Gorosaurus bites King Kong.

Gorosaurus demonstrates a fair deal of physical strength, holding his own in battle with both King Kong and King Ghidorah. He prefers to fight primarily by biting his foes.

Gorosaurus is able to use his tail to perform jumps as high as 30 meters.[19] He also possesses a spike on the end of his tail, although he has never been seen using it in combat.

Kangaroo Kick

Gorosaurus kicking King Ghidorah in Destroy All Monsters

In addition to his aforementioned physical strength, Gorosaurus has been noted for using a Kangaroo Kick (カンガルー・キック,   Kangarū Kikku)[22], a special jumping kick that when delivered can knock the opponent to the ground. Gorosaurus has used his Kangaroo Kick against foes like King Kong and King Ghidorah, and it is arguably his most well-known skill.

Burrowing

Gorosaurus burrows underneath the Arc de Triomphe.

In Destroy All Monsters, Gorosaurus was able to burrow underground, and used this ability to burrow up from underneath and destroy the Arc de Triomphe.

Fireballs

In the Game Boy game Godzilla, King of the Monsters, Gorosaurus can spit fireballs.

Video games

Godzilla (PlayStation 3 / PlayStation 4)

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

Gallery

Main article: Gorosaurus/Gallery.

Books

GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse

Gorosaurus appeared in Paris after the city was destroyed by Godzilla. Possessing agility equivalent to Zilla and excellent jumping ability, Gorosaurus battled G-Force in the city in December of 2039 and initially resisted all of their attempts to destroy him, even bringing down two Super X2s. He was finally killed by the combined efforts of G-Force and the Bilusaludo's advanced spacecraft.[25]

GODZILLA: Project Mechagodzilla

A second Gorosaurus appeared in inland China during "Operation: Great Wall," where he was living underground.[26]

Comics

Godzilla: Rulers of Earth

Gorosaurus in Godzilla: Rulers of Earth

Gorosaurus was seen in a flashback that the Shobijin told Lucy in an attempt to explain the origins of all monsters. During prehistoric times, Gorosaurus was seen devouring two full-grown dinosaurs, a Tyrannosaurus and a Spinosaurus which were about to fight each other over a downed Triceratops. Before he could eat his meal, however, Megaguirus attacked him. The Allosaurus-like monster kangaroo-kicked the dragonfly beast and knocked her out of the sky. During the Ice Age, Gorosaurus was later seen frozen in suspended animation inside the ice next to Anguirus. He was included among the "land" monsters in a cave mural on Infant Island.

In the present, Gorosaurus was awoken in Australia by the Trilopod invasion. Gorosaurus battled a horde of Trilopods who invaded his home, and managed to kill several of them. However, he was eventually beaten down, with one of them absorbing his blood to gain his dinosaurian characteristics. Gorosaurus was then subdued and taken to the Trilopod hive, where he remained captive until King Caesar arrived to free him and the other monsters. King Caesar then led Gorosaurus and the other kaiju of Earth in the fight against Magita. In the aftermath, Gorosaurus was seen following Godzilla out to the ocean alongside the other monsters following Magita's defeat.

Godzilla: Rage Across Time

During the Cretaceous Period, Gorosaurus battled King Caesar.

Godzilla: War for Humanity

Gorosaurus in Godzilla: War for Humanity

Gorosaurus was attacked by Zoospora while following its annual migration path, which vomited spores into the dinosaur's mouth and left it unconscious. Upon awakening, Gorosaurus became unusually aggressive and destroyed a nearby city.

Roar

In King Kong Escapes, Gorosaurus' roars consist of Baragon's roars sped up and with Ebirah's short shrieks, sped up and mixed in at the beginning.

In Gorosaurus' heroic role in Destroy All Monsters, his roars were slowed down. Gorosaurus was also given one of Godzilla's roars, during the fight with King Ghidorah. Gorosaurus also used Baragon's unedited roars during the scene where he destroys the Arc de Triomphe. His roars were later reused for the Ultra Series kaiju Alien Bat. In Go! Godman, he uses a lower-pitched Zumbolar roar, which is itself a combination of Godzilla's, King Kong's and Gamera's roars, mixed with a bell-like ringing sound.

Gorosaurus' roars

In other languages

Language Name Meaning
Chinese Flagicon Hong Kong.png Cantonese 哥罗龙 Transcription of Japanese name
China and Taiwan Flags.png Mandarin 哥罗龙 Gē luō lóng Transcription of Japanese name
Flagicon Portugal.png Portuguese Gorossauro Adapted from English name, Portuguese -ssauro in place of -saurus
Flagicon Russia.png Russian Горозавр Gorozavr Adapted from English name, Russian -zavr in place of -saurus
Flagicon Spain.png Spanish Gorosaurio Adapted from English name, Spanish -saurio in place of -saurus

Trivia

Video

Wikizilla: YouTube Kaiju Profile: Gorosaurus

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 The theater program for King Kong Escapes, published in 1967, describes Gorosaurus as having a 35-meter total length and a tail length of 15 meters. "Total length" (全長) typically refers to the measurement of a monster from its head to its tail while fully outstretched; deducting the length of his tail (15 meters) from this measurement would leave him with a height of 20 meters, the same as Mechani-Kong and the 1967 King Kong from the same movie. While some sources concur with a 20-meter height and 35-meter total length, a majority erroneously attribute the 35-meter figure to Gorosaurus' height, including some contemporaneous to Destroy All Monsters. Moreover, the 1991 publication Toho Monster Graffiti (p. 21) gives him a height of 50 meters, the same as the Showa Godzilla.
  2. Episodes 1, 6, 9, 11, 21, 39-40, 43-44, 58-63, 66, 76-77, 83-85, 93, 97-98, 110-114, 119-120, 125, 127, 130, 132-135, 137-146, 148-150, 160, 169, 179, 181-184, 186-190, 192, 194, 199, 202, 207-209, 212, 214, 216-217, 223-224, 226-229, 233-234, 236-238, 244-246, 249, 251-252, and 255.

References

This is a list of references for Gorosaurus. 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 Gorosaurous.png
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Sugita et al. 1993, p. 104
  3. 3.0 3.1 Gorosaurs.jpg
  4. King Kong Escapes Poster Turkey.jpg
  5. SpaceHunterM (8 December 2017). "Destroy All Monsters - U.S. Theatrical Trailer". YouTube.
  6. JakeSnakeAwesome97 (21 March 2016). "Destroy All Monsters VHS Promo (ADV Films)". YouTube.
  7. @TOHO_GODZILLA (9 March 2022). "What should Gorogorogoro-chan write on today's postcard? #Gorosaurus". Twitter.
  8. Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah Monster Complete Works. Kodansha. 5 December 1991. pp. 73, 75. ISBN 4-06-177720-3.
  9. 9.0 9.1 Toho Special Effects All Monster Encyclopedia. Shogakukan. 23 July 2014. pp. 47, 52. ISBN 4-096-82090-3.
  10. Gorgosaurus4539.jpeg
  11. The Pictorial Book of Godzilla 2. Hobby Japan Co., Ltd. 1 December 1995. p. 6. ISBN 978-4894251175.
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 All Toho Monsters Pictorial Book (4th Edition). Yosensha. 4 September 2016. pp. 134, 146. ISBN 978-4-8003-0362-2.
  13. 13.0 13.1 Iwahata & Akai 1994, p. 111.
  14. 14.0 14.1 Magazine House 2014, p. 89.
  15. 15.0 15.1 Kodansha 2016, p. 78.
  16. Futabusha 2016, pp. 70-74, 264-267.
  17. Kodansha 2021, pp. 294, 296.
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 King Kong Escapes theater program (1968). Toho.
  19. 19.0 19.1 Godzilla Toho Giant Monster Pictorial Book. Shogakukan. 1 April 2005. p. 112. ISBN 4-09-280052-5.
  20. Iwata, Toshiaki, and Koichiro Ono (December 5, 1991). Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah Monster Complete Works (ゴジラvsキングギドラ 怪獣大全集). Kodansha. p. 75. ISBN 4-06-177720-3.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  21. Nomura, Kohei (December 5, 2004). Godzilla Dictionary (ゴジラ大辞典). Kasakura Publishing. p. 116. ISBN 4773002921.
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 Toho Special Effects Movie Complete Works. villagebooks. 28 September 2012. pp. 116–117, 124. ISBN 4-864-91013-8.
  23. Godzilla 1954-1999 Super Complete Works. Shogakukan. 1 January 2000. p. 131. ISBN 978-4091014702.
  24. All Kaiju Kaijin (First Volume). Keibunsha. 24 March 1990. p. 183. ISBN 4-7669-0962-3.
  25. Oki, Renji (25 October 2017). GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse. Kadokawa. pp. 186–212.
  26. Oki, Renji (25 April 2018). GODZILLA: Project Mechagodzilla. Kadokawa. pp. 86–111.
  27. Godzilla Channel ゴジラ(東宝特撮)チャンネル (21 May 2021). "【ゴジラ・フェス番外編】ゴジラ・ストアTV【新宿総進撃】". YouTube.
  28. "Godzilla Store Special 5th Year Anniversary Project: You Choose the New Toho Monster Vinyl Figure! (ゴジラ・ストア オープン5周年特別企画 あなたが選ぶ!東宝怪獣新作ソフビフィギュア!)". Godzilla Store. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  29. Coca-Cola (17 September 2021). "Dino". YouTube.

Bibliography

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