Kiryu

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Mechagodzilla incarnations
Mechagodzilla (Heisei)
Kiryu
Mechagodzilla (GODZILLA anime trilogy)
Mechagodzilla trademark icon
Mechagodzilla® (Kiryu)
Modified Type-3 Kiryu in Godzilla: Tokyo SOS
Kiryu in Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla
Alternate names Kiryu, Mechagodzilla 2.0IDW,
Millennium Mechagodzilla,
Mechagodzilla 3G:DAMM-G:STE, MFS-3,
Type-3 Kiryu, Kiryu Kai,GBL[1] Mecha G, Mechanical Godzilla, Mechagodzilla 2004[2][3][4]
Subtitle(s) Multipurpose Fighting System Type-3
(3式多目的戦闘システム,   Sanshiki Tamokuteki Sentō Shisutemu)
Multi-Purpose Fighting System 3[5]
Anti-G Special Weapon
(対特殊兵器,   Tai Jī Tokushu Heiki)[6]
Super Attack-Type Mechagodzilla
(超攻撃型メカゴジラ,  
Chō Kōgekigata Mekagojira
)
[7]
Battle Weapon
(決戦兵器,   Kessen Heiki)MTG
Species Cybernetically modified Godzilla
Height 60 meters[8][9]
Weight 36,000 metric tons,[8][9]
40,000 metric tons (Battle Gear)[8][9]
Forms Godzilla, Kiryu,
Super Weapons Kiryu,
Modified Type-3 Kiryu, S-Class form GB
Controlled by Godzilla's spirit, Japan Self-Defense Force, CKRGRoE, Jet JaguarGRoE
Relations First Godzilla (skeletal structure)
Allies GodzillaG:O, GtHCW, GRoE, Mothra, KumongaG:O, Jet JaguarGRoE, MOGUERAGRoE
Enemies Godzilla, SpaceGodzillaG:O,
Monster XG:O, GiganG:O, GtHCW, HedorahG:O, King GhidorahGtHCW, DestoroyahGRoE, BaragonGRoE, MechagodzillaGRoE,TrilopodGRoE, RodanObliv
Conceived of by Masaaki Tezuka
Written by Wataru MimuraGXMG,
Masaaki TezukaGMMG,
Masahiro YokotaniGMMG
Designed by Shinji Nishikawa, Hiroshi Maruyama
Modeled by Yukio Ogura, Koichi Osada,
Sei Tsumura, Kazunori Yamanaga,
Yuichi Ogura; Masahiro IzumiGXMG; Hayato MakiGMMG
Played by Hirofumi IshigakiGXMG,
Motokuni NakagawaGMMG
First appearance Latest appearance
Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla Godzilla: Tokyo SOS
Roar(s)
More roars
We're going to make something called a bio-robot. It'll be a powerful weapon against Godzilla. A mechanical Godzilla to beat Godzilla.
„ 

Hayato Igarashi (Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla)

Mechagodzilla (メカゴジラ,   Mekagojira), better known as Kiryu (機龍,   Kiryū, lit. "Machine Dragon"), is a cybernetically-enhanced mecha who first appeared in the 2002 Godzilla film Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla.

Built around the skeletal remains of the Godzilla that attacked Tokyo in 1954, Kiryu was an advanced cyborg designed to defend Japan from the kaiju that frequently menace it, particularly the current Godzilla. Kiryu first saw action in 2003 when he was deployed to battle Godzilla when he surfaced at Hakkeijima. However, Godzilla's roar awakened the original Godzilla's restless spirit that was attached to Kiryu's skeleton, causing the machine to go berserk. Kiryu was recalled and his programming altered so this incident could never occur again, then was sent out against Godzilla a second time when he landed at Tokyo. Kiryu fought Godzilla to a draw, leaving him with a gruesome chest wound and himself losing an arm. Kiryu was rebuilt over the course of a year, and sent into combat with Godzilla again when he returned to Tokyo. Kiryu fought alongside Mothra and her twin larvae, and finally triumphed against his organic counterpart by reopening the wound on Godzilla's chest. The original Godzilla's spirit took control of Kiryu once again and chose to sink himself in the Japan Trench with the immobilized Godzilla and deactivate rather than kill another member of his kind.

Name

Kiryu's name comes from the combined kanji characters 機 (ki) and 龍 (ryū), meaning "machine dragon." These characters appear onscreen during the title sequences of both of Kiryu's film appearances. Kiryu's primary legal name is simply "Mechagodzilla," while his official designation in the films is MFS-3, which is short for Multipurpose Fighting System Type-3 (3式多目的戦闘システム,   San-Shiki Tamokuteki Sentō Shisutemu). "Kiryu" is, or was at one point, also trademarked by Toho, as seen in the copyright information for the game Godzilla: Unleashed.[10] Kiryu is referred to as "Mechagodzilla" onscreen a total of five times, once apiece by Sara Yuhara and her friend, and later three times by her father Tokumitsu, all in Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla. Kiryu is also referred to as a Mechanical Godzilla (機械ゴジラ,   Kikai Gojira) by Hayato Igarashi and Togashi. In the following film, he is only ever referred to as Kiryu.

The pronunciation of Kiryu's name in the dialogue of the international English dub for Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla is simplified to remove the linking "r" sound in "ryū," so it is pronounced as "Ki-yu." In the international English dub for Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, Kiryu is referred to as Mecha G, presumably to avoid confusing viewers who had not seen Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, which explained the mecha's name was Kiryu. In the video games Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee and Godzilla: Save the Earth, Kiryu is called Mechagodzilla 3, due to being the third distinct iteration of Mechagodzilla and to distinguish him from the other Mechagodzilla featured in the games, though the Japanese version of the latter game also uses the name "Kiryu" in addition to "Mechagodzilla 3." In the Godzilla comic series published by IDW, Kiryu is only ever referred to as "Mechagodzilla," though he retains the "MFS-3" designation in Godzilla: Rulers of Earth. In the PlayStation 3 and 4 Godzilla video game and some other official media, Kiryu is referred to by a shortened form of his name and designation, Type-3 Kiryu (3式機龍,   San-Shiki Kiryū).

Development

Artists Shinji Nishikawa, Yasushi Torisawa, and Hiroshi Maruyama submitted concept art for the new Millennium series version of Mechagodzilla. Ultimately, Nishikawa's designs would win out, with Maruyama credited for additional design works. Nishikawa designed Kiryu's armor to reflect the bones inside, utilizing spine- and rib-like patterns, likening it to the Ultra Series monster Seabozu.[11] His initial concept for the character even bore a yellow, bone-colored hue,[12] though Masaaki Tezuka preferred a more traditional silver coloration.[13] Nishikawa's fourth draft for Kiryu was briefly considered as the final concept, but he then altered the head's overall design.[12] Special effects director Yuichi Kikuchi suggested that Kiryu's eyes shift from yellow to red when it was possessed by the spirit of the first Godzilla, intending for the red lines on its cheeks to resemble tears of blood.[12] Shinji Nishikawa was also responsible for the design of Kiryu's back unit.

Main article: Kiryu/Gallery#Concept art.
The under-construction Kiryu suit is test fitted for Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla.

A 40 centimeter, 1/5-scale model of Kiryu with a detachable back unit was created as reference for the construction of the mecha's suit, based on Nishikawa's finalized design.[13] It makes a cameo in the film itself on a table in the Defense Agency of Science & Technology.[13] A team of modelers from Startrain, supervised by Shinichi Wakasa, created the suit.[13] For stunt sequences too difficult to execute through suitmation, 1/2-scale Kiryu and Godzilla models were created.[13] They appear in at least two scenes: Kiryu's King Kong vs. Godzilla-esque tail swing, for which they were attached to a spinning base, and the monsters' plummet into the ocean.[13] A highly-detailed CG model of Kiryu's suit was also employed for several shots during his transport and descent into Shinagawa to create movement which was impossible for the suit or scale model.[13] The close-ups of Kiryu's jet boosters in this scene were also purely CG.[13]

The Kiryu suit is worn with its new, in-progress components for Godzilla: Tokyo SOS

Shinji Nishikawa returned for Godzilla: Tokyo SOS to design Kiryu's new weaponry.[12] Startrain and Shinichi Wakasa partially remodeled the suit for the mech to reflect Nishikawa's final concepts.[14] In light of difficulties with filming combat scenes in the previous film, the team attempted to reduce the weight of the suit with the new components.[14] The suit was also repainted with a black tinge at the wishes of special effects director Eiichi Asada in order to give it a gunmetal finish.[11] For the scene in which Yoshito Chujo is ejected from Kiryu's cockpit, a full-size model of its hatch was used, composited over bluescreen footage of the suit's back side.[14]

The Godzilla: Tokyo SOS suit was later reused for live action segments of CR Godzilla 3S-T Battle in 2006.

Design

Kiryu is considerably sleeker than other versions of Mechagodzilla and bears a closer resemblance to Godzilla than the previous versions, especially the the original Godzilla. Kiryu also draws on the designs of the previous incarnations of Mechagodzilla. Kiryu's eyes are normally yellow, but when the first Godzilla's spirit takes control of Kiryu in Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, his eyes turn bright red. In Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, Kiryu develops a red "scar" beneath his left eye when this happens.

In Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, Kiryu is light silver in color, with various areas on his body exposing thick black wires underneath. The head has a long metal spike extending from the top of its forehead upward toward the back of its head. The eyes are large and relatively close together. They are usually yellow in color but will turn red when Kiryu is possessed by the first Godzilla's spirit. A red scar extends underneath both eyes, and it will often glow when Kiryu roars. Kiryu's chest features three rounded plates that come together to cover the Absolute Zero Cannon housed underneath. When outfitted as Super Weapons Kiryu, two blue rocket launchers are attached to his shoulders, similar to how the Garuda's cannons were placed on Super Mechagodzilla's shoulders, while blue railguns are attached to his wrists.

In Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, Kiryu's design is slightly altered. Firstly, he is a darker gray color and overall thinner and more streamlined than before and features a smaller head and shorter neck. Kiryu's eyes are slightly smaller and are further apart. His chest is composed of three plates like the previous suit; however, each one has a ridge on it, and the left chest plate has "MFS-3" written on it. The rest of his design is mostly identical, although the exposed wires are a lighter shade of black, and there are many ridges and patterns present that were not present in the previous film. Kiryu's rocket launchers and railguns are the same color as the rest of his body instead of blue. After Kiryu is damaged in the battle with Godzilla, his right eye is removed, exposing more metal and wiring underneath.

Origins

Kiryu is a bio-robot constructed by the Anti-Megalosaurus Force to combat Godzilla. Kiryu is constructed around the skeleton of the original Godzilla, who was killed by the Oxygen Destroyer in 1954. Kiryu was programmed with special "DNA computers" designed to make him operate like an organic creature, although the DNA sequence used in these computers had the unintended effect of leaving Kiryu susceptible to Godzilla's roar, which reawakened the original Godzilla's spirit and caused Kiryu to go berserk.

In the comic miniseries Godzilla: The Half-Century War, Kiryu is an updated version of the previous Mechagodzilla made after studying Godzilla's skeletal structure, with bits of Godzilla's skin built into its armor. In the continuity of the comics Godzilla and Godzilla: Rulers of Earth, Kiryu is an updated model of the Mechagodzilla built by the American and Japanese governments created by wealthy industrialist Daniel Malmon based on analysis of Godzilla's skeletal structure. Eventually, the machine was commandeered by the Counter-Kaiju Reaction forces and used alongside their other mecha, MOGUERA, to control the appearance of kaiju around the world. In the comic miniseries Godzilla: Oblivion, there is an army of small mass-produced Mechagodzillas that bear the appearance of Kiryu.

History

Millennium era

Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla

Although the original Godzilla had been killed in 1954 by the Oxygen Destroyer, Japan still found itself under attack from other monsters such as Mothra and Gaira over the decades. When a second Godzilla landed in Tateyama in 1999, this was the last straw. The Anti-Megalosaurus Force (AMF) branch of the JSDF proposed to dredge up the skeleton of the first Godzilla from the ocean and use it as a skeletal framework for constructing a mechanical Godzilla to combat the new Godzilla.

The plan was executed, with cloned DNA from the bones inserted into the quasi-organic computer controls, intended to take over subconscious motor control functions for the crew. By 2003, the Mechagodzilla, nicknamed Kiryu, was ready. Kiryu was unleashed when Godzilla surfaced at Hakkeijima, but when the cyborg faced off against Godzilla, something horrific happened: the cyborg's own memories of when he was Godzilla were reawakened by the modern Godzilla's own roars. Kiryu broke free of his pilot, Akane Yashiro, and proceeded to trash Yokohama, ignoring attempts at manual override. Godzilla left the city and headed back to the ocean, with Kiryu continuing his rampage until his fuel supply ran out.

The Japanese public was not amused. Hastily recalled, Kiryu received quite a few weapon upgrades in addition to new computer control software routines. When Godzilla appeared in Tokyo a few days later, both branches of the JSDF tried stopping him without the mecha's help, but it was useless. With Akane at the mecha's control again, Kiryu was sent out.

The second battle went well until Kiryu's receiver was damaged. Akane wanted to enter Kiryu and repair it herself despite orders against it. She then piloted the cyborg directly from the control room in his skull, carrying Godzilla out into Tokyo Bay once more. Akane tried to destroy Godzilla with Kiryu's ultimate weapon, the Absolute Zero Cannon, but the fight ended in a draw. Godzilla went back to the sea, though not before suffering a horribly shredded chest, and Kiryu was taken back to AMF headquarters after suffering a destroyed right arm, a damaged Absolute Zero Cannon, and empty power cells.

Godzilla: Tokyo SOS

Modified Type-3 Kiryu in Godzilla: Tokyo SOS

In 2004, Akane was sent to America for further flight training. Taking her place in case Godzilla appeared was Akiba. Kiryu underwent heavy repairs, having his Absolute Zero Cannon replaced with a triple Hyper Maser Cannon and a collapsible drill installed in his hand. After a year of modifications, the Modified Type-3 Kiryu (3式機龍改,   San-Shiki-Kiryū Aratame) was nearly completed.

Mothra's twin fairies, the Shobijin, appeared to warn Japan. They claimed that building Kiryu using the bones of the Godzilla that appeared in 1954 was a violation of the natural order of things, attracting the current Godzilla. The twins further claimed that Mothra would gladly take Kiryu's place in protecting Japan if they agreed to dismantle Kiryu, and if they declined, Mothra would be forced to attack Japan. Since Kiryu had been built partially to defend against a second attack from Mothra herself, the Japanese government declined the offer.

But when Godzilla appeared in Tokyo once again, Mothra voluntarily engaged him, and Prime Minister Hayato Igarashi was shamed into aiding her. Kiryu flew into battle again. Despite the team-up, the current adult Mothra was killed and Kiryu's transmitter damaged once again. Just like Akane before him, Kiryu's chief engineer Yoshito Chujo entered Kiryu for repairs, but remained inside the mech during the battle after Godzilla's beam had accidentally struck both of the hatch doors, damaging and jamming them.

Teaming up with the newly-hatched twin Mothra larvae, Kiryu was able to use his drill in his right arm to injure Godzilla's chest even more, eventually reaching and tearing up his insides. While Godzilla screamed in pain, Kiryu fired his Triple Hyper Maser and Maser Cannons at Godzilla, making Godzilla's roar trigger another flashback in Kiryu which was directly channeled to Yoshito. Godzilla was then wrapped up by the twin Mothra larvae's silk. Unable to fight, Godzilla dropped to the ground, allowing Kiryu to win the battle. After being ordered to finish Godzilla, Kiryu broke free of Akiba's control. Instead of finishing his battle, he merely subdued Godzilla, carrying him out to sea. After releasing Yoshito to safety, Kiryu displayed a message saying "Sayonara Yoshito" on a computer monitor, then plunged into the depths with his organic counterpart, allowing himself to finally rest in peace, while ensuring Godzilla would survive.

Abilities

Twin Maser Cannon

Kiryu fires the Type-99 Double Maser Cannon

Kiryu is equipped with the Type-99 Double Maser Cannon (99式2連装メーサー砲,   99-Shiki 2 Rensō Mēsā-hō) or Twin Maser Cannon (ツインメーサー砲,   Tsuin Mēsā-hō)[13] a Maser Cannon mounted inside his mouth. While the cannon's output is relatively low, the Twin Maser beams possesses 240% of the destructive power of the Type-90 Maser Cannon.[13] The cannon is powerful enough to harm Godzilla if targeted at his face or chest wound.

In the opening cutscene of the game Godzilla: Save the Earth, Kiryu shoots the Twin Maser Cannon from his eyes, although he shoots it from his mouth in the actual game.

Railguns

Modified Type-3 Kiryu fires his Type-4 Railguns

In Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, Kiryu is equipped with dual wrist-mounted high-speed Type-0 Railguns (0式レールガン,   0-Shiki Rērugan).[13] In Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, these are replaced with improved Type-4 Railguns (4式レールガン,   4-Shiki Rērugan).[13] In both cases, these railguns are relatively low-powered compared to Kiryu's other armaments, and they are typically used as preemptive strikes and in conjunction with other weapons. Kiryu eventually sheds his railguns in his battles with Godzilla. Modified Type-3 Kiryu's gauntlets are tipped with two-pronged blades, and while he never utilizes them in melee combat onscreen, in the PlayStation 3 and 4 Godzilla video game Kiryu utilizes these blades as his primary melee weapon, with his punch attack referred to as Hand Blades.

Maser Blade

Kiryu stabs Godzilla with his Maser Blade

A Maser Blade (メーサー・ブレード,   Mēsā Burēdo)[13] is stored inside each of Kiryu's Type-0 Railgun gauntlets. Kiryu uses this blade to stab Godzilla and deliver a strong electrical surge directly into his body. This blade was omitted from the Type-4 Railguns.

In the video game Godzilla: Save the Earth, this blade is larger in size and deploys directly from Kiryu's arm. He uses the Maser Blade in place of other monsters' normal grab attacks, and can lift monsters high into the air and throw them after piercing them with the blade.

Back Unit

Kiryu is equipped with a Back Unit (バックユニット,   Bakku Yunitto), which possesses dual rocket launchers and boosters. Kiryu can fire two different types of rockets from the Back Unit, while the boosters grant him improved flight capabilities and the capacity to propel himself forward into an enemy at great speed. In Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, after the Back Unit was damaged, Kiryu jettisoned the Back Unit and sent it flying at Godzilla, which pushed him backward before he finally threw it to the side. In Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, the Back Unit was modified to specifically function as a guided missile. Kiryu was able to launch each half of the back unit at Godzilla separately. While Godzilla shot the first half down with his atomic breath, the other half collided with Godzilla and exploded, which succeeded in knocking Godzilla to the ground.

Multiple Interlocking Rockets

Kiryu fires Multiple Interlocking Rockets

Kiryu can fire large Type-87 680 mm Multiple Interlocking Rockets (87式多連装ロケット弾,   87-Shiki Tarensō Roketto-dan) or MRL 2 Mk. IV rockets[13] from the front of the shoulder-mounted cannons on his Back Unit. In Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, these are replaced with improved Type-04 MRL 2 Mk. IV Rockets.

Multipurpose Guided Missiles

Kiryu's Back Unit is also equipped with small ballistic homing rockets which are fired from its sides. In Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, these are Type-95 470 mm Multipurpose Guided Missiles (95式470mm多目的誘導弾,   95-Shiki 470 Emuemu Tamokuteki Yūdō-dan), while in Godzilla: Tokyo SOS they are replaced by Type-98 320 mm Multipurpose Guided Missiles (98式320ミリ多目的誘導弾,   98-Shiki 320-Miri Tamokuteki Yūdō-dan). These rockets are capable of striking a target from long range or while Kiryu is in close-quarters combat.

In Godzilla: Save the Earth and Godzilla: Unleashed, Kiryu can fire homing rockets directly from his back.

Absolute Zero Cannon

Kiryu fires the Absolute Zero Cannon

Kiryu's ultimate weapon is the Type-3 Absolute Zero Cannon (3式絶対零度砲,   3-Shiki Zettaireido-hō), also known simply as the Absolute Zero (アブソリュート・ゼロ,   Abusoryūto Zero), installed inside his chest and concealed by three exterior panels, which unfold to reveal the cannon assembly when in use. As its name suggests, this weapon fires a beam that instantaneously freezes the target to absolute zero, the lowest theoretical temperature of -273.15 degrees Celsius or zero kelvin, at which all atoms cease movement. Because of this, a target struck by the Absolute Zero will be instantly frozen on an atomic level, smashing its atoms and causing it to collapse under its own weight. The Absolute Zero consumes 40% of Kiryu's energy reserves, and as such cannot be used heavily in combat. The Absolute Zero was shown to instantly freeze and disintegrate skyscrapers when fired at them. Its observed impact on Godzilla was much lesser by comparison, presumably due to interference from being fired underwater. The Absolute Zero was unable to kill Godzilla, though it did open a gaping wound on his chest that would prove critical in defeating him a year later. When Kiryu was repaired the following year, it was deemed to not be cost-effective to repair the Absolute Zero as a key component, a synthetic diamond 1.25 meters in diameter, was damaged and so it was replaced with the Type-4 Triple Hyper Maser Cannon.

Anti-Beast Drilling Device (Spiral Claw)

Kiryu stabs Godzilla with the Spiral Claw

When Kiryu's right arm was replaced following his 2003 battle with Godzilla, he was given the ability to collapse his right hand into a rotating drill called the Type-4 Anti-Beast Drilling Device (4式対獣掘削装置,   4-Shiki Tai Kemono Kussaku Sōchi), also known as the Spiral Claw (スパイラル・クロウ,   Supairaru Kurō). This attack proved devastating to Godzilla when Kiryu used it to pierce the scar on Godzilla's chest and rotated it, reopening the wound and causing Godzilla immense pain.

Triple Hyper Maser Cannon

Kiryu fires the Type-4 Triple Hyper Maser Cannon

When Kiryu was repaired, his Absolute Zero was replaced with the Type-4 Triple Hyper Maser Cannon (4式3連装ハイパーメーサー砲,   4-Shiki 3 Rensō Haipā Mēsā-hō).[14] While this attack was undeniably less powerful than the Absolute Zero, it proved crucial in defeating Godzilla, as Kiryu used it in conjunction with his Type-99 Double Maser Cannon to strike Godzilla's chest wound after it was reopened by the Spiral Claw, which critically injured Godzilla and left him helpless as the Mothra larvae encased him in silk. The hatch covering the Hyper Maser is equipped with claws that allowed Kiryu to restrain Godzilla and carry him out to sea.

Wire

Modified Type-3 Kiryu can deploy extremely strong metal wire (ワイヤー,   Waiyā) from his body to bind another monster in conjunction with the claws on his chest hatch and allow him to transport it over long distances. In Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, Kiryu used the wire to restrain Godzilla and carry him out to sea, while in the comic series Godzilla: Rulers of Earth he used it to transport both Baragon and Anguirus.

Physical capabilities

Kiryu swings Godzilla around by his tail

Kiryu is a capable brawler. His techniques include open-hand strikes, tail whips, powerful throws, and a high-speed flying ram which sent Godzilla soaring through the air, yet left Kiryu completely unharmed. He proved agile enough to duck under a blast of Godzilla's atomic breath, then leap over his head to deliver a counterattack. His pilots also used his jet boosters to help execute a spinning throw and evade another atomic heat ray blast.

Flight

Thanks to his rocket boosters, Kiryu is equipped with limited flight capabilities. He can change direction in midair by rotating his rocket boosters and using his tail like a rudder to steer. While in flight, Kiryu has the capability to use his momentum in combat by ramming into opponents. He can only fly for a short period of time due to the strain it places on his power reserves, so he is usually airlifted into battle by AC-3 White Herons.

S-Class form

In the video game GigaBash, after gathering a sufficient amount of Giga Energy, Kiryu can grow to massive proportions, gaining great power and enhanced abilities. Giga Energy is gathered through dealing damage to other Titans or from the surrounding environment.

Weaknesses

While a powerful fighter, Kiryu suffers from a few weaknesses. Due to being constructed around the first Godzilla's remains, the first Godzilla's spirit is still attached to Kiryu, and has overridden all external control over the mecha in two instances. Because he has limited power reserves, Kiryu can only be in action for two hours or less when the use of the Absolute Zero is involved. His limited power reserves also mean that Kiryu can only use his flight abilities sparingly, and that he must be transported into battle by two AC-3 White Herons. Kiryu can also be temporarily knocked out of commission if the transmitter which gives his pilots control over him is damaged, requiring Kiryu to be either manually piloted from within or the transmitter to be manually repaired.

Video games

Kiryu has appeared in the video game Godzilla: Save the Earth for both Xbox and PlayStation 2 under the name "Mechagodzilla 3." Kiryu also appeared in Godzilla: Unleashed for the Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 2 under his actual name from both Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla and Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, "Kiryu." Kiryu was available in Japan's version of Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee on the Nintendo GameCube. Since that film would take a few years to reach America, Kiryu was dropped from the American GameCube version of the game. However, he did appear in the American Xbox version of the game alongside the Heisei Mechagodzilla. Kiryu also appeared in the Japanese version of Godzilla: Domination! in place of the Heisei Mechagodzilla, who was featured in the North American version. Kiryu has the same exact moves as the Mechagodzilla in the American version, and all differences are purely cosmetic. It should also be mentioned that the ending for Mechagodzilla still showcases the Heisei version as well.

Kiryu returns in Godzilla: Save the Earth. Kiryu is an overall good fighter that is also one of the last unlocked. Kiryu can use his mouth cannon, missiles, and plasma blade to get an edge over his foes. His rage attack is the Absolute Zero Cannon, which freezes his opponent while also dealing major damage. In Godzilla: Unleashed, Kiryu returns with an augmented moveset. He is a starter character in this game, unlike his previous appearance. Kiryu is very agile and a very good fighter.

Godzilla: Unleashed

Height: 100 meters[16]
Weight: 66,600 tons[16]

"Kiryu is a cyborg monster generated by the Global Defense Force to protect human cities from monster threats. Kiryu is genetically identical to Godzilla, but has been augmented with armor plating, enhanced reflexes, and limited flight capabilities. These enhancements have eliminated his natural ability to create atomic fire, so he has been outfitted with homing rockets, an electrical cannon, and the fearsome Absolute Zero cannon-which can immobilize any monster in a single hit. Kiryu is the GDF's most successful defender yet, and is their first and best option for defending humanity."


Godzilla (PlayStation 3 / PlayStation 4)

Type-3 Kiryu in Godzilla.

In the PlayStation 3 version of Godzilla, Kiryu appears as one of the final bosses if Godzilla has reached 100 meters. He will only be summoned if the G-Generators are destroyed fast enough. If they are not, Super Mechagodzilla will appear instead. Kiryu attacks using his battle pack at first, then switches to melee attacks and the Hyper Maser once the pack is destroyed. If he is defeated, he will appear in the end cutscene carrying a frozen Godzilla back to the ocean, sinking with him. This is a reference to Godzilla: Tokyo SOS.

In the PlayStation 4 version, Kiryu will be summoned on stage 8 with the Gotengo if the player takes the hard route all the way through. Kiryu is also playable in the "Defend" variation of God of Destruction Mode in this version of the game. Kiryu has a chance to appear on the next-to-last stage of God of Destruction Mode when playing as Godzilla, and will be accompanied by the imago Mothra, who will aid him against the player. This is another reference to Godzilla: Tokyo SOS.

Moveset

  • Square
    • One tap: Hand Blades
    • Two taps: Tail Rotation Attack
  • Triangle
    • Tap: Spiral Claw
    • Tap + Roar: Multi-hit Spiral Claw
  • X
    • Tap: Jump
    • Forward + Tap: Hover Tackle
    • Backward + Tap: Back Jump
    • Left/Right + Tap: Sideways Hover Dash
  • Circle
    • Tap: Type 99 Double Maser Cannon
    • Forward + Tap: Rocket Launcher
    • Left/Right + Tap: Type-0 Rail Gun
    • Roar + Tap: Hyper Maser Cannon
  • R2
    • Tap: Rotating Fire

Kaiju Guide

Main articles: Kaiju Guide: Type-3 Kiryu, Kaiju Guide: Type-3 Kiryu Custom.

City Shrouded in Shadow

Kiryu appears in the survival RPG game City Shrouded in Shadow developed by Granzella and Bandai Namco.[17] Appearing in the game's thirteenth stage, he is deployed by the AMF to combat Godzilla, but the latter gains the upper hand and Kiryu's power is depleted. Multiple AC-3 White Herons are deployed to monitor him, but towards the end of the stage, he suddenly reawakens due to Godzilla's roar and goes berserk. After firing his guided missiles at the building the player is in, he stomps through it, referencing a similar scene in Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla.

GigaBash

Mechagodzilla in GigaBash

Kiryu, specifically modeled after his appearance from Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, was added to Passion Republic Games' brawler GigaBash through a DLC pack on December 6, 2022.

Moveset

All button prompts correspond to the PlayStation 4 and 5 version of the game.

  • Weapon Control System: Basic attacks consume Green Energy. Special attacks consume Blue Energy. Both energy types will regenerate over time.
  • Passive (tap R1 + hold R1): Hold down the button to activate boosters for increased movement speed. Can be used to boost forward or backward.
  • Light Attack (tap Square): Fires the railguns on its arm. Tap repeatedly to rapid fire.
  • Heavy Attack (hold Square): Thrust forward with its wrist blade and applies an electrical surge that bursts shortly afterwards. Can be charged to deal more damage.
  • Dash Attack (tap R1 > tap Square): Rams forward with its shoulder and smashes everything in front of it.
  • Air Attack (tap X > tap Square): Fires its railguns downwards. Tap repeatedly to rapid fire.
  • Block Attack (hold L1 + tap Square): Quickly retreats backward while firing its railguns.
  • Air Grab (tap X > tap Circle): Grabs hold onto an enemy and plunge them towards the ground.
  • Special Attack (tap Triangle): Fires rockets from its shoulders. Tap repeatedly to rapid fire.
  • Charged Special (hold Triangle): Unleashes the Hyper Maser Cannon. Charge longer to deal more damage.
  • Charged Special (hold Triangle): Unleashes the Absolute Zero Cannon that freezes enemies on contact.
  • Block Special (hold L1 + tap Triangle): Fires a salvo of homing missiles. Hold down the button to fire more missiles.
  • Grab Special (tap Circle > tap Triangle): Engulfs the enemy in a fury of homing missiles at point-blank range.
  • Ultimate: Unloads all armaments and bombards the area in front of it in a merciless display of heavy firepower.

Profile

  • As Seen In: Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla
  • Japan Release: 2002.12.14

"Mechagodzilla has a new origin story along with different abilities in each new film. However, all incarnations are created in the hopes of being the ultimate weapon to use against Godzilla.

In this incarnation, nicknamed Kiryu, an anti-Godzilla weapon created by the Japanese government by using the DNA from the skeleton of the original Godzilla. Every part of its body functions as a weapon, posing a real threat to any and all of its foes."

Books

Ready Player One

Nolan Sorrento selected Mechagodzilla from a list of giant robots to control in the OASIS. He later activated Mechagodzilla in battle by shouting "Kiryu!" Kiryu was eventually engaged in combat by Wade Watts, Art3mis, Aech, and Shoto in the forms of the robots Leopardon from Toei's Spiderman, Minerva X from Mazinger, the RX-78-2 Gundam, and Raideen from Brave Raideen. Kiryu killed Shoto and destroyed Raideen, and sliced Leopardon in half with a blast of lightning from his mouth. Wade then pulled out the Beta Capsule and transformed into Ultraman, then fought Kiryu. After breaking his back, Wade beheaded Kiryu with an Ultra Slice. Though Sorrento tried to escape the battle by ejecting Kiryu's head from his body, Wade finished him off with a Specium Ray.

Use of this incarnation's design in other media

Comics

Gallery

Main article: Kiryu/Gallery.

Roar

Kiryu's roar combines Millennium-era Godzilla roars and metallic sounds.

Kiryu's roars and sound effects

In other languages

Kiryu has very few translations compared to his alternate name of Mechagodzilla. Latin alphabets are generally the same. Other translations:

Language Name Meaning
Chinese Flagicon Hong Kong.png Cantonese 机龙 Gei1 lung4 Machine Dragon
China and Taiwan Flags.png Mandarin 机龙 Jī lóng Machine Dragon
Flagicon Israel.png Hebrew קיריו Transliteration of English name
Flagicon Russia.png Russian Кирью Transliteration of English name
Flagicon Serbia.png Serbian Кириу Transliteration of English name
Yiddish קיריו Kiriu Transliteration of English name

Trivia

  • The idea of having the original Godzilla come back to life to battle the current Godzilla was tossed around for the cancelled Godzilla vs. Godzilla film that was originally considered to end the Heisei series. The title card for Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla may allude to this, as it initially reads "Godzilla vs. Godzilla" (ゴジラ×ゴジラ,   Gojira tai Gojira) before displaying the film's true title.
  • Peculiarly, the "Mechagodzilla" trademark icon used in the Japanese GameCube version of Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee replaced the regular Heisei Mechagodzilla artwork with artwork of Kiryu, who took the place of the 1993 incarnation as the Mechagodzilla featured in the game. When Destroy All Monsters Melee was released on Xbox, now with both versions playable, Kiryu was given a separate trademark icon, under the name "Mechagodzilla MFS3." Although this icon was reused in Godzilla: Save the Earth, it has never been used since and all official media simply use the default Mechagodzilla icon for Kiryu.
  • When Kiryu is possessed by the first Godzilla's spirit, his eyes turn red. Yet when the spirit is not malevolent, he develops a scar without the red eyes.
  • An illustrated "what-if" 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. Kiryu is shown among their ranks, although it is unclear whether it is the original or a second machine.
  • The exact version of Mechagodzilla featured in the game Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash is not specified. While its in-game model most closely resembles Kiryu, it is represented in the game's Monster Manifest through a photograph of the Showa incarnation.
  • While the version of Mechagodzilla featured in the novel Ready Player One is specified as Kiryu, the 2018 film adaptation instead utilizes a brand-new version of Mechagodzilla incorporating design elements of the 2014 American Godzilla design and the Mechagodzilla from Noriyoshi Ohrai's advance poster for Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, and possessing both an atomic breath attack and the Showa Mechagodzilla's finger missiles.[18]
  • In an interview on January 8th, 2017, at the "Great Godzilla Tokusatsu Kingdom HIROSHIMA" exhibition, Masaaki Tezuka confirmed that following the release of Godzilla Final Wars, he had submitted a draft for a solo Kiryu movie titled Type-3 Kiryu. It is unknown whether he wrote a sequel to Godzilla: Tokyo SOS or a completely new story.[19]
  • Kiryu's Absolute Zero Cannon was likely named after the Gotengo's Zero Cannon from Atragon. "Absolute zero" is the name given to the theoretically lowest temperature possible, at which atoms cease movement.
  • Synthetic Diamond was also used for the Super X2's Fire Mirror and the armor of the Heisei Mechagodzilla, the Garuda, and MOGUERA.
  • Godzilla vs. the Tigers, a 2022 April Fool's Day short uploaded to the official Godzilla YouTube channel, featured Mecha-To-Lucky, a giant robot version of the titular baseball team's mascot spoofing Kiryu. In the final shot, it wields Modified Type-3 Kiryu's Anti-Beast Drilling Device and a set of railguns.[20]

Video

Wikizilla: YouTube Kaiju Profile: Kiryu

See also

References

This is a list of references for Kiryu. 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. https://godzillagames.jp/battle_line/news/en/news/game/2022110402.html
  2. S- l500.jpg
  3. S-l640.jpg
  4. 33881188 1.jpg
  5. "Mechagodzilla". GODZILLA.
  6. Toho Special Effects All Monster Encyclopedia. Shogakukan. 23 July 2014. p. 113. ISBN 4-096-82090-3.
  7. Japanese Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla trailer.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Common Knowledge of Godzilla. Futabasha. 6 July 2014. pp. 121–123. ISBN 978-4-575-30696-5.
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Uchusen #108. Hobby Japan. September 2003. p. 40.
    Uchusen 108 p40.jpg
  10. Kiryu Godzilla Unleashed Trailer.jpgGodzilla Unleashed Trademark Information Kiryu.png
  11. 11.0 11.1 All Toho Monsters Pictorial Book (4th Edition). Yosensha. 4 September 2016. pp. 292, 298. ISBN 978-4-8003-0362-2.
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Shinji Nishikawa (9 June 2016). Shinji Nishikawa: Drawing Book of Godzilla. Yosensha. pp. 101, 106, 110–114. ISBN 978-4800309594.
  13. 13.00 13.01 13.02 13.03 13.04 13.05 13.06 13.07 13.08 13.09 13.10 13.11 13.12 13.13 Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla Super Complete Works. Shogakukan. 10 January 2003. pp. 14–15, 34–35, 52–53, 59, 63. ISBN 978-4-09-101488-7.
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Godzilla: Tokyo SOS Super Complete Works. Shogakukan. 1 January 2004. pp. 9–10, 43, 56. ISBN 978-4091014931.
  15. "Godzilla Destruction - Unreleased Content [Android/iOS]". Toho Kingdom. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  16. 16.0 16.1 Blackheart_Goji (26 May 2023). "Godzilla unleashed card animations w/sfx final". YouTube.
  17. Griffon, Dada, Type-3 Kiryu and more shadows appear in City Shrouded in Shadow! - Famitsu
  18. "Brought up to him how people have noticed the similarities between his design to Noriyoshi Ohrai's 1993 poster Mechagodzilla, and it turns out it wasn't entirely unfounded - surprisingly, it was per Toho's request! They forwarded Ohrai's work to him and said, 'make it like this.'"
  19. "Lost Project: Type-3 Kiryu". Toho Kingdom. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  20. https://youtu.be/2bOajPFiZ40

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