Rodan

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Rodan® trademark icon Fire Rodan™ Copyright Icon
Rodan®
Rodan in Godzilla Singular Point
Name information
null
Alternate names Radon, Monster Zero-Two,IoAM
Fire Rodan, Fire Demon,G:KotM
Titanus RodanG:KotM
Subtitle(s) Giant Monster of the Sky
(空の大怪獣,   Sora no Daikaijū)[1]
Crimson Monster Bird
(紅蓮怪鳥,   Guren Kaichō)ROD, G:TB
Airborne Monster
(空中怪獣,   Kūchū Kaijū)DAM[2]
Pterosaur Monster
(翼竜怪獣,   Yokuryū Kaijū)GvMG2[3]
The Flying BattleshipGBL
Atomic Monster Bird
Bio-BomberGKotM
(原子怪鳥,   Genshi Kaichō)GTB
The One Born of FireGKotM[4]
A Titan of Winged FuryGKotM[5]
Physical information
null
Species Giant irradiated Pteranodon,ROD-GFW
giant volcanic winged Titan,GKotM
giant extradimensional radioactive winged creatureGSP
Height Showa: 50 meters[6][7]
Heisei: 70 meters[6][7]
Millennium: 100 meters[7]
Monsterverse: 46.9 meters[5][8]
Wingspan Showa: 120 meters[6][7]
Heisei: 150 meters[6][7]
Millennium: 200 meters[7]
Monsterverse: 265.5 meters[5][8]
Weight Showa: 15,000 metric tons[7]
Heisei: 16,000 metric tons[6][7]
Millennium: 30,000 metric tons[7]
Monsterverse: 39,043 tons[4]
Forms Fire Rodan, Power Up RodanTMT
Affiliation information
null
Controlled by XiliensIoAM, GFW, KilaaksDAM,
Dr. Mad OniyamaGKotM
Relations BabyGodzilla (surrogate brother),
Minilla (surrogate father)GZB
Allies Godzilla, Mothra, Anguirus, Varan, Gorosaurus, Kumonga, Baragon, Manda, Minilla, BabyGodzilla, King Caesar, MechagodzillaGI, MOGUERA, Jet Jaguar, Rattler, Yellowback, BattraGKM, SandaGRoE, GairaGRoE, ZillaGRoE, TitanosaurusGRoE, King GhidorahGKotM
Enemies Meganulon, King Ghidorah, GodzillaGvMGII, GFW, GSP, Mechagodzilla, HedorahGvG&tSM, GMA, Megalon, Battra, Destoroyah, Neo Hedorah, Mecha-King Ghidorah, Hyper Mecha-King Ghidorah, TitanosaurusG(IDW), MothraGTHCW, GO, GKotM, VaranGRoE, TrilopodGRoE, MagitaGRoE, MegaguirusGMA, Jet JaguarGSP, ZoosporaGWfH
Real world information
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Played by ShowaHaruo NakajimaROD,
Koji UrukiGTHM, Masaki ShinoharaIoAM, Teruo AragakiDAM
HeiseiKoichi Kawakita (hand puppet)
MillenniumNaoko Kamio
Monsterverse: Jason Liles (mocap)
Other information
null
First appearance Latest appearance
Rodan Godziban
Roar(s)
1956:1964-1968:Heisei:Millennium:Monsterverse: Godzilla Singular Point: More roars
The last of their kind, masters of the air and earth, the strongest, swiftest creatures that ever breathed... now they sank against the earth like weary children. Each had refused to live without the other, and so they were dying together. I wondered whether I, a 20th century man, could ever hope to die as well.
„ 

Shigeru Kawamura (Rodan)

Rodan (ラドン,   Radon) is a giant Pteranodon kaiju who first appeared in the 1956 Toho film Rodan, and made his first appearance alongside Godzilla in the 1964 Godzilla film Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster.

Two individual Rodans, a male and a female, were featured in the character's debut film. Awakened by nuclear radiation, the Rodans emerged from Mount Aso in Kyushu and wrought havoc across the globe, eventually annihilating the city of Fukuoka. The JSDF tracked the beasts to their nest in Mt. Aso, and triggered an eruption using artillery, seemingly causing the two Rodans to perish together. However, in Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, a single Rodan rose from the crater of Mt. Aso and immediately did battle with Godzilla. Mothra convinced Rodan and Godzilla to put aside their differences and help her drive off King Ghidorah, a malevolent space monster. Rodan went on to become a trusted ally of Godzilla in the Showa series, aiding him twice more in battle against King Ghidorah in the films Invasion of Astro-Monster and Destroy All Monsters.

Rodan was reintroduced for the Heisei series in the film Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, where he was found on Adonoa Island guarding over BabyGodzilla's egg. After being defeated by Godzilla, Rodan transformed into a more powerful form dubbed Fire Rodan (ファイヤーラドン,   Faiyā Radon) and flew to Japan to retrieve BabyGodzilla from G-Force. Rodan was mortally wounded in battle by Mechagodzilla, and gave up his life force to revitalize Godzilla so that he could overcome Mechagodzilla and raise BabyGodzilla in his place.

Rodan's next film appearance came in the final film of the Millennium series, Godzilla Final Wars, where he was a mind-controlled pawn of the Xiliens in their invasion of Earth. Rodan also exists in the continuity of the GODZILLA anime trilogy, with multiple members of the species featured in the two official prequel novels, GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse and GODZILLA: Project Mechagodzilla. The skeletal remains of the first Rodan in this continuity, killed by the bioweapon Hedorah, are visible during the opening of GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters, along with those of Anguirus. Rodan was teased through a cave painting in Kong: Skull Island, the second film of Legendary Pictures' Monsterverse, and appeared in full alongside Mothra and King Ghidorah in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, the sequel to Legendary's Godzilla.

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

Name

Rodan's Japanese name, Radon (ラドン,   Radon), is a truncation of "Pteranodon." It may also have been chosen to suggest radiation. The katakana spelling of Radon is identical to that of Ladon, a dragon-like monster present in Greek mythology, though this may be nothing more than a coincidence. The name was changed to "Rodan" in English-speaking markets,[9] in order to avoid confusion with the element radon.[10] Toho eventually trademarked the name "Rodan," making it the monster's official English name. However, the name "Radon" was used in English-language materials for Invasion of Astro-Monster,[11][12] and in the English dubs for Terror of Mechagodzilla and Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II.

Design

Rodan resembles a large pterosaur that walks upright on two legs. Rodan generally has either brown or burgundy skin with a spiky chest and two to three horns on the back of his head.

Personality

In the original Rodan, the two Rodans are depicted as horrific and dangerous creatures who, despite their destructive nature, care deeply for each other and are unwilling to live without the other. In Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, Rodan displays a great deal of personality, openly mocking Godzilla when the latter is covered in Mothra's silk, and shakes his head in an irritated fashion after Godzilla's atomic breath has no effect on him. According to the translation of the monsters' conversation by the Shobijin, Rodan agrees with Godzilla's sentiment that he only hates humans because they hate him. Rodan claims he has no obligation to protect human beings and prefers to continue his pointless fight with Godzilla. However, upon seeing Mothra bravely take on King Ghidorah by herself, Rodan joins with Godzilla to battle the extraterrestrial creature. In subsequent films in the Showa series, Rodan is seen as a loyal ally of Godzilla who assists him and the other Earth monsters in fighting off King Ghidorah.

In Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, Rodan sees BabyGodzilla as his brother and will go to great lengths to protect him, nearly being killed by both Godzilla and Mechagodzilla. After seeing that BabyGodzilla is a Godzillasaurus and not a Pteranodon like him, Rodan willingly sacrifices himself to save Godzilla from Mechagodzilla so he can raise BabyGodzilla.

Origins

In the Showa series, Rodan is a Pteranodon that lived deep underground and was mutated from exposure to radiation and grew to gigantic size. In Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, it is explained that Rodan was a Pteranodon living on Adonoa Island who was mutated due to nuclear dumping on the island by the Soviets. Rodan's origins are never elaborated upon in Godzilla Final Wars, but according to chief monster modeler Shinichi Wakasa he is the same character as before and has been encountered in that film's continuity in the past, explaining why the characters recognize him.

In the Monsterverse, Rodan is a colossal ancient creature designated as a Titan by Monarch, who was discovered in pyrostasis within the volcano on Isla de Mara, Mexico, in 1991. Rodan's exact species is not known, although he is described as a "reptilian firebird" and still resembles a giant pterosaur.

History

Showa era

Rodan debuted in his own self-titled film in 1956. In 1964, Toho continued the practice of incorporating its other monster characters into the Godzilla series as it had just done with Mothra by featuring Rodan in Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster. Rodan went on to appear alongside Godzilla in two more entries in the Showa series, as well as a few other appearances through stock footage.

Rodan to Destroy All Monsters

Main article: Rodan (Showa).
Rodan terrorizes Fukuoka in Rodan

Radiation from repeated nuclear bomb tests seeping underground irradiated a Pteranodon egg in a subterranean cavern underneath Mount Aso in Kyushu, causing it to grow to gigantic size. Rising global temperatures caused by human activity and accumulated volcanic gases led to the egg hatching into the monster Rodan, who flew out of the cavern. UFO sightings skyrocketed worldwide, with the flying object reaching supersonic speeds and outmaneuvering fighter jets. Scientists determined that the UFO was Rodan, with JSDF fighter jets attempting to bring the creature down over Japan. Rodan landed in Fukuoka and used the hurricane force winds generated by the flapping of his wings to tear the city apart. A second Rodan, the monster's mate, flew to the city and joined her mate before both escaped together. The JSDF determined that the Rodans were nesting in Mt. Aso, and so used missile launchers to trigger a volcanic eruption that consumed and seemingly killed them both.

Rodan carries Mothra on his back as they battle King Ghidorah in Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster

Eight years later, a prophetess claiming to hail from Venus appeared in Japan and warned that accumulated volcanic gases under Mt. Aso would soon resurrect Rodan. Her warnings were not taken seriously until Rodan, either a surviving Rodan from 1956 or potentially their son, emerged from the volcano's crater and took flight. Rodan flew over Yokohama and drew the attention of Godzilla, who followed him to the Mount Fuji area. The two monsters clashed in a clearing and seemed evenly matched until the larval Mothra interrupted their duel. She pleaded with them to help her drive off King Ghidorah, an evil three-headed space dragon in the process of invading Earth. Rodan and Godzilla stubbornly refused and preferred to continue their petty conflict, but were inspired by Mothra's courage when they witnessed her challenge Ghidorah alone. Godzilla and Rodan put aside their differences and joined forces with Mothra, and together the three Earth monsters forced Ghidorah to withdraw into outer space.

In 196X, astronauts Glenn and Kazuo Fuji visited the newly-discovered Planet X and learned that it was inhabited by an intelligent alien civilization known as the Xiliens. The Xiliens' leader, the Controller of Planet X, revealed that they were constantly under attack by King Ghidorah, who they knew as Monster Zero. He asked permission for the Xiliens to "borrow" Godzilla and Rodan in the hope that they could once again defeat King Ghidorah. The Xiliens sent their UFOs to Earth and abducted Godzilla and Rodan, bringing them to Planet X. Godzilla and Rodan immediately joined forces once more and forced King Ghidorah to flee. However, the entire situation had been staged; the Xiliens were controlling King Ghidorah the entire time and now had full control over Godzilla and Rodan as well. They unleashed all three monsters on Earth and demanded humanity's surrender, but astronaut Kazuo Fuji developed a way to sever the Xiliens' mind control waves and free Godzilla and Rodan from their influence. The plan worked, while the JSDF used a weaponized sound frequency to destroy the Xiliens' forces. With their free will restored, Godzilla and Rodan teamed up against King Ghidorah again, and their battle ended with all three monsters falling into the ocean. While Ghidorah surfaced shortly afterward, Godzilla and Rodan were nowhere to be seen.

By 1972, Rodan had taken up residence on Monster Island alongside Godzilla, Anguirus, Mothra, Minilla, Kamacuras, Kumonga, and Gorosaurus. The evil M Space Hunter Nebula Aliens intended to wipe out all of the monsters on the island in order to eliminate potential resistance to their planned invasion of Earth, but Godzilla and Anguirus became aware of this plot and managed to secure the safety of their monster brethren by defeating the Nebulans and their monster pawns King Ghidorah and Gigan. Not long after, an underground nuclear test conducted in the Aleutian Islands triggered devastating seismic aftershocks that reached Monster Island, tearing it apart. Rodan was caught in the destruction along with Godzilla and Anguirus, falling from his perch.

Rodan flies over Moscow while under the control of the Kilaaks in Destroy All Monsters

At some point following the destruction of Monster Island, humanity relocated Rodan and the majority of Earth's other monsters to a new facility in the Ogasawara Islands called Monsterland. There, Rodan was free to fly around a designated range bounded by an invisible electromagnetic shield and catch prey in the waters surrounding the island. At the close of the 20th century, an alien race calling themselves the Kilaaks seized control of the island, using special transmitters to take mental control over the island's human research staff and all of the monsters. Rodan was sent to attack Moscow, then joined Godzilla, Mothra, and Manda in assaulting Tokyo. After Tokyo was devastated, Rodan and several other monsters were deployed to the Mount Fuji area in order to guard the Kilaaks' underground base located there. Rodan gave chase after the Moonlight SY-3, but gave up his pursuit once it reached the upper atmosphere. The SY-3 crew successfully disabled the Kilaaks' monster control device on the Moon, allowing the United Nations to give orders to the monsters instead to attack the Kilaaks' base. Rodan assembled in the Aokigahara forest near Mt. Fuji along with Godzilla, Anguirus, Mothra, Minilla, Gorosaurus, Kumonga, Manda, Baragon, and Varan as they prepared to assault the invaders' base. However, the Kilaaks summoned their trump card, King Ghidorah, to defend their stronghold. Rodan briefly used his wings to blow powerful gusts of winds at King Ghidorah, but retreated after the latter fired a hail of gravity beams at him. Godzilla, aided primarily by Anguirus, Gorosaurus, and Minilla, managed to bring King Ghidorah down and kill him once and for all. In a final desperate move, the Kilaaks sent a flame-cloaked UFO dubbed the "Fire Dragon" to hold back the monsters and destroy the humans' control device on Monsterland. The Fire Dragon flew past Rodan and set him on fire before moving on to Monsterland. Even without the humans' orders, the monsters recognized the Kilaaks as their enemy, and Godzilla promptly destroyed their base. Rodan and his comrades then returned to Monsterland to live together in peace.

Heisei era

After Toho successfully returned both King Ghidorah and Mothra to the screen for the rebooted Heisei series of Godzilla films, it decided to do the same for the remaining "Big Five" monsters, Mechagodzilla and Rodan. While Rodan only appeared in one film during the Heisei era, he also appeared in non-film media such as Gakken Video's Get Going! Godzilland OVAs and the television show Godzilla Island. Toho considered featuring Rodan as the antagonist in Rebirth of Mothra 3, but opted to use King Ghidorah in the role instead.

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II

Main article: Rodan (Heisei).
Fire Rodan sacrifices himself by giving up his life force to revive Godzilla in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II

Russian petroleum workers on Adonoa Island in the Bering Sea discovered a Pteranodon nest complete with fossilized remains and a seemingly intact egg, attracting the attention of a Japanese scientific team led by Professor Hiroshi Omae. The scientists attempted to bring the egg back to Japan, but were attacked by its brother, Rodan, mutated to colossal size from exposure to the nuclear waste frequently dumped on the island. Godzilla arrived on the island and attacked Rodan, intending to recover the egg himself. Rodan used his aerial superiority and quick reflexes to hold his own against Godzilla, but was eventually overpowered by his foe's raw strength. Godzilla strangled Rodan and repeatedly blasted him with his atomic breath until he apparently died from his injuries, then departed to pursue the egg. The egg hatched at an institute in Kyoto, revealing itself as a Godzillasaurus egg rather than a Pteranodon egg. The United Nations Godzilla Countermeasure Center cared for the hatchling, dubbed BabyGodzilla, in the hope of learning potential weaknesses in the species that would be shared by Godzilla himself. When a group of psychic students sang a song to Baby which they learned from psychically analyzing the ancient fern adhering to his egg, it provided a huge boost in power to the wounded Rodan, reviving him as the crimson-hued Fire Rodan. Still seeing Baby as his younger brother, Rodan flew to Japan to rescue him. He intercepted a transport moving Baby to the Ogasawara Islands in order to lure Godzilla there as a trap, then landed in the Makuhari Bay area. G-Force sent Mechagodzilla and the Garuda to rescue Baby and his human surrogate mother, Azusa Gojo, from Rodan. Rodan was able to knock the Garuda out of the sky and held his own against Mechagodzilla in close-quarters combat, but was critically wounded by the latter's Plasma Grenade cannon. After repeated blasts, Rodan fell onto his back, his chest shredded and blood pouring from his mouth. Godzilla soon arrived to battle Mechagodzilla, which combined with the Garuda to form Super Mechagodzilla. Super Mechagodzilla crippled and nearly killed Godzilla, prompting Baby to call out to Rodan. Hearing his brother's call, Rodan used the last of his strength to fly to Godzilla's aid, with Mechagodzilla using its Mega Buster to shoot him down. Rodan landed on top of Godzilla and imbued him with his life energy, after which he dissipated into nothingness. Revived and empowered by Rodan's sacrifice, Godzilla swiftly obliterated Super Mechagodzilla with his newly-acquired red spiral-wrapped atomic ray, then adopted Baby in order to raise him in Rodan's place.

Get Going! Godzilland

Rodan was one of Godzilla's childhood friends, and lived alongside him, Anguirus, Baragon, King Ghidorah, Gojirin, Gigan, Moguera, and Mechagodzilla on an island called Godzilland. Rodan had a reputation for being greedy and gluttonous, often using his speed and ability to fly very quickly to sneak food away from the other monsters. Rodan had a cocky personality due to his ability to fly faster than any other monster, though Godzilla and the others still considered him a good friend. Unlike the other boy monsters, Rodan never once tried to romantically impress Gojirin, which was a source of conflict between Godzilla, Anguirus, and Baragon. It was Rodan who warned Godzilla and Anguirus that Gojirin had been kidnapped by Mechagodzilla while they were surfing together.

Godzilla Island

In the year 2097, Rodan was a resident of Godzilla Island, along with virtually all of the other monsters of Earth. Working with his allies, who principally included Godzilla, Anguirus, King Caesar, Baragon, Mothra Leo, Gorosaurus, and Junior, Rodan helped G-Guard protect the island and the entire Earth from the invading Xiliens and their monster servants. Rodan at one point took on the more powerful form of Fire Rodan, which left him surrounded in a fiery aura and granted him the ability to spit a heat ray.

Millennium era

Rodan was the last of the Big Five monsters to appear in the Millennium series of Godzilla films, joining the ensemble monster cast for Godzilla's 50th anniversary film, Godzilla Final Wars.

Godzilla Final Wars

Main article: Rodan (Millennium).
Rodan perches atop a building as he attacks New York City in Godzilla Final Wars

Rodan was one of the many giant monsters to menace humanity during the 20th century following decades of warfare and nuclear testing, necessitating that the nations of Earth put aside their differences and work together to form the Earth Defense Force. The EDF found success in combating the monsters, and after sealing Godzilla beneath the Antarctic ice enjoyed two decades of relative peace. In the year 20XX, Rodan suddenly reappeared alongside several other monsters, who attacked major cities around the globe. Rodan destroyed the jet transporting United Nations Secretary General Naotaro Daigo, allowing the alien Xiliens to abduct him and replace him with an impostor. Rodan then assaulted New York City before being abruptly transported away by the Xiliens, who did the same to all of the other rampaging monsters. The Xiliens attempted to convince humanity that they were here to save them with this gesture, but certain members of the EDF learned that the aliens were in fact controlling the monsters and slowly infiltrating positions of power within both the UN and EDF. When their deception was publicly exposed, the Xiliens released all of the monsters once more to eliminate all human resistance. Rodan renewed his attack on New York City, engaging and destroying the EDF warship Rumbling before being sent to Mount Fuji alongside Anguirus and King Caesar to intercept the recently-unleashed Godzilla. The three monsters worked together to try and bring down Godzilla, but were defeated one-by-one and stacked unconscious on top of each other in a pile.

Monsterverse

Following the success of Legendary Pictures' Godzilla in 2014, the studio announced that it had acquired the rights to use Rodan, Mothra, and King Ghidorah in a sequel from Toho. All three monsters appeared alongside Godzilla and a select few new monsters in Godzilla: King of the Monsters in 2019, the third film in what had been officially dubbed the Monsterverse.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Main article: Rodan (Monsterverse).
Rodan duels with Mothra in the skies over Boston in Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Rodan, known to some ancient civilizations as the "Fire Demon," was a colossal winged Titan with an affinity for magma and volcanoes. He was dreaded by ancient humans for his ability to level entire cities by simply flying over them. Rodan eventually took up residence in the volcano on what was later Isla de Mara in Mexico, entering a state of suspended animation within the magma-filled crater. Monarch, a scientific organization founded in the aftermath of World War II in order to study and search for Titans, had become aware of Rodan's existence by 1973 through analysis of ancient cave paintings depicting him and other Titans such as Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah. Monarch eventually found Rodan in pyrostasis within the Isla de Mara volcano in 1991, forming Outpost 56 around the volcano in order to contain and study him.[13] Rodan remained dormant until 2019, when eco-terrorist Alan Jonah and rogue Monarch scientist Dr. Emma Russell used the sonar device Orca to begin awakening dormant Titans in an attempt to restore the natural order. They remotely disabled the containment system at Outpost 56 and broadcast the Orca's signal in order to awaken Rodan, who burst from the crater. Monarch's G-Team engaged Rodan with fighter jets and the flying fortress USS Argo in order to lure him away from the nearby village and into the path of the approaching King Ghidorah, who had previously been awakened by Jonah and Emma. Rodan gave chase after the G-Team squadron, bringing down all of the fighters and nearly grabbing the Argo with his talons before encountering Ghidorah. Both Titans clashed in the air, with Ghidorah triumphing and blasting Rodan into the sea with a gravity beam. After the United States military used the Oxygen Destroyer in an attempt to kill both Ghidorah and Godzilla, the three-headed Titan emerged from the blast unharmed and landed atop the Isla de Mara volcano, regenerating the head that Godzilla had just torn off and emitting a cry that awakened all of the other dormant Titans and bent them to his will. Rodan too submitted to the new alpha Titan, landing at the foot of the volcano and bowing before Ghidorah.

Rodan accompanied his new master to Washington, D.C., where they battled attacking military forces. When Emma's daughter Madison stole the Orca and used the loudspeakers at Fenway Park in Boston to halt the rampaging Titans, King Ghidorah flew there to deal with the interference. The revitalized Godzilla and his ally Mothra soon arrived in Boston alongside a military escort in order to confront Ghidorah one final time. Realizing he was outmatched, Ghidorah called Rodan to his aid to deal with Mothra. Rodan and Mothra dueled in the sky, with the magma dripping from the ends of his wings burning Mothra's wings. Rodan pinned Mothra to the top of a skyscraper and attempted to stab her with his beak, but she impaled him through the chest with her stinger, incapacitating him for the remainder of the fight. Mothra then sacrificed herself to protect Godzilla, with her life energy flowing into him and transforming him into the empowered Burning Godzilla, who promptly incinerated Ghidorah. Methuselah, Behemoth, Scylla, and the Queen MUTO, all formerly under Ghidorah's control, surrounded the victorious Godzilla. Rodan, still alive despite the gaping wound in his chest, landed before Godzilla as well and roared at him. Godzilla returned a gaze that convinced Rodan to back down and submit to him, with all of the other Titans following suit. Rodan began nesting in a volcano in Fiji, and resumed his ancient rest.

Reiwa era

Rodan was the only Big Five Toho kaiju who did not play a major role in the GODZILLA anime trilogy, instead being relegated to its backstory as related in the prequel novels GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse and GODZILLA: Project Mechagodzilla, while appearing briefly as a skeletal carcass during the opening credits sequence of GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters. Rodan appears in a larger capacity in non-film media produced during the Godzilla series' Reiwa era, such as the web series Godziban and I'm Home! Chibi Godzilla and the anime Godzilla Singular Point.

GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters

Rodan's skeletal remains in GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters

The first Rodan and the first Anguirus both fell to the Chinese bioweapon Hedorah near the Great Wall of China. Other members of the species appeared around the world in the following decades.

Godziban

Main article: Radon and Rodan.

Minilla discovered an egg on Godzi Godzi Island, which he decided to protect as if it was his own child. He defended it from the Three Dorat Brothers, and it later hatched into a monster that Minilla named "Radon." Radon saw Minilla as his "mama," and Minilla raised him until the Dorats returned and combined together into King Ghidorah. Minilla continued to protect Radon, who tried to protect him as well once he was outmatched. However, Minilla's older brother Godzilla-kun and his monster friends soon arrived to help, and worked together to drive Ghidorah away. Radon's older brother from Kyushu, Rodan, soon came to Godzi Godzi Island to take his little brother back home. Radon said goodbye to Minilla and departed with Rodan. However, the two brothers would often return to Godzi Godzi Island and befriend the monsters living there, with Rodan once assisting Godzilla-kun and Moshu-Moshu in battle against King Ghidorah.

I'm Home! Chibi Godzilla

Main article: Chibi Rodan.

Chibi Rodan was one of Chibi Godzilla's best friends, who often visited him at the apartment he shared with the human woman Satomi.

Godzilla Singular Point

Main article: Rodan (Godzilla Singular Point).

Flocks of Rodan suddenly appeared in Japan in the year 2030, with one attacking the Summer Monster Festival where Goro Otaki and Yun Arikawa of the Otaki Factory were demonstrating their new invention, Jet Jaguar. Otaki used Jet Jaguar to fight the creature and defend the civilians, though the robot was badly damaged. The Rodan flew away after causing havoc only to suddenly die. Numerous other Rodan carcasses were discovered, after which swarms of evolved Rodan emerged from the sea. The Rodan increased in number and spread across the world as other kaiju such as Anguirus and Manda also emerged. Anguirus even stole and consumed a Rodan carcass that was set aside for research. Once Godzilla had come ashore in Tokyo and evolved into Godzilla Terrestris, a gigantic shadowy Rodan attacked him but was swiftly destroyed by his heat ray, disappearing. The Otaki Factory members infiltrated the besieged Tokyo to confront Godzilla once and for all, with Jet Jaguar battling several flocks of Rodan as he made his way to Godzilla. Just before several Rodan could close in on Jet Jaguar, Godzilla Ultima awoke and vaporized them with his atomic breath before turning his attention to the robot.

Abilities

Supersonic flight

Rodan flies at supersonic speed in Godzilla Final Wars

Rodan's most noticeable trait is his flying speed, which has allowed him to effortlessly outmaneuver and outrun supersonic jets. Aside from his impressive speed and agility, Rodan possesses a variety of special abilities.

Shockwaves

Rodan is capable of creating destructive shockwaves when flying, which he has used to demolish major cities such as Fukuoka (in Rodan) and Moscow (in Destroy All Monsters).

Wind gusts

Rodan can create powerful gusts of wind while in the air or on the ground by flapping his wings deliberately.

Melee attacks

Rodan also uses his beak and talons effectively in battle (as shown in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, where his beak was powerful enough to crush boulders and disable Mechagodzilla's right eye), and his wings, despite their delicate appearance, are quite durable. Rodan can lift creatures several times his weight, for instance, Godzilla. Rodan also usually has spikes on his head and chest, which he may use in battle.

Wind breath

Rodan unleashes a gust of wind from his mouth in Rodan

In Rodan's first appearance, the two Rodans could fire jets of compressed air from their mouths, capable of demolishing buildings and sending trucks flying. However, M24 Chaffee tanks and 24 Twin Rocket Cars on the scene were unaffected. This ability has not been seen since Rodan's debut.

Uranium Heat Beam

Fire Rodan fires his uranium heat beam in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II

In Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, Rodan, as Fire Rodan, develops the ability to emit a radioactive heat beam from his mouth called the Uranium Heat Beam, following exposure to Godzilla and radioactive waste on Adonoa Island.


Revitalization

In the Kodansha Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II manga adaptation, Fire Rodan can absorb any nearby small animals such as birds, and fish, among others, into his body in order to restore his health and vitality.

Resistance

Rodan was one of the few monsters not affected by Godzilla's atomic breath. In Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, Godzilla used his atomic breath against Rodan several times, but Rodan seemed unaffected by it at all, only shaking his head in an annoyed manner. Rodan also shrugged off King Ghidorah's gravity beams in Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster and Invasion of Astro-Monster. He was struck several times on his wings, but showed no pain or reaction.

Miscellaneous

In the Game Boy Advance video game Godzilla: Domination!, Rodan can release a radioactive mist from specialized glands located in his torso area for two seconds, which, if it connects, can score up to three hits against the opponent. It can also be noted that in this game Rodan also sports an "Atomic Heat Ray" which in fact, resembles a fireball rather than an actual ray.

Attractions

Godzilla the Ride: Giant Monsters Ultimate Battle

As King Ghidorah took a JSDF armored vehicle to the skies over Tokyo, Rodan arrived and attacked him head-on. Ghidorah repulsed him, but dropped the vehicle in the process. It deployed its parachutes as the monsters clashed. Ghidorah prevailed easily, throwing Rodan to the ground before assailing him with Gravity Beams.

Video games

Godzilla 2: War of the Monsters

Rodan is one of the monsters encountered in the game.

Battle Soccer: Champion of the Field

Rodan is in the SNES game as a goalie for the Godzilla Team.

Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee

Rodan was playable in both the Nintendo Game Cube and the Xbox versions.

Godzilla: Save the Earth

Rodan re-appears in the sequel again with the same design in both of the games for PlayStation 2 and Xbox.

Godzilla: Unleashed

Fire Rodan in Godzilla: Unleashed

Rodan returns in Godzilla: Unleashed, but under the name "Fire Rodan," to coincide with the use of his Uranium Beam. Rodan is part of the Earth Defender Faction and is one of the fastest flyers in the game.

Height: 70 meters
Height: 24,000 tons

"Fire Rodan is Earth's largest flier. His element is the air, the clouds, and the wind-swept mountain peaks that scrape against them. Nesting in the tops of active volcanoes, Fire Rodan is virtually immune to heat and lava-based attacks. Rodan is the fastest of all monsters while in the air, and prefers to confront challenges from a lofty height. His great speed also makes him a fierce hand-to-hand combatant, with savage claw, talon, and beak attacks. Fire Rodan defends the Earth's atmosphere - eliminating all airborne threats to the planet's well-being."

Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash

Rodan appears in Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash as one of the flyers.

Godzilla (PlayStation 4)

Rodan in Godzilla

Rodan appears exclusively in the PlayStation 4 version of Godzilla as a playable monster. He is based on his 1956 appearance from Rodan. Rodan has the ability to fly around the map far faster than the other flying monsters in the game, and can produce powerful sonic booms by clapping his wings together.

Moveset

  • Square
    • One tap: Peck
    • Two taps: Peck
    • Three taps: Multi-Peck
  • Triangle
    • Tap: Kick Up
    • Tap (Mid-Air): Double Kick
  • X
    • Tap: Jump
    • Hold: Hover
    • Roar + Tap: Swooping Shockwave
    • Tap (Mid-Air): Land
  • Circle
    • Tap: Wing Shockwave
    • Roar + Tap: Sonic Ram
    • Tap (Mid-Air): Wing Shockwave
  • R2
    • Tap: Area Shockwave

Kaiju Guide

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

Books

Godzilla Saves America: A Monster Showdown in 3-D!

Godzilla encountered Rodan's nest atop Mount Rushmore as he traveled across the United States to confront King Ghidorah. Rodan cautioned Godzilla to stay out of its way, and Godzilla continued on his way.

Godzilla on Monster Island

Rodan and Anguirus were Monster Island's first line of defense when Mechagodzilla arrived to extract a mysterious cocoon on the beach. Rodan launched a series of pecks at the robot's head, but was knocked aside with a swing of its fists. After Godzilla drove Mechagodzilla off, Rodan was among the monsters who watched in awe as Mothra emerged from the cocoon.

Godzilla vs. Gigan and the Smog Monster

When Hedorah attacked Los Angeles, Rodan swooped in once again to repel him. He was quickly overpowered by the Smog Monster's toxic attacks, but Godzilla arrived just in time to save him with a few blasts of his atomic breath. When Godzilla struggled against Gigan, Rodan returned the favor, driving the cyborg out of the city with a sonic boom. After Godzilla prevailed, the two monsters returned to their homes as the grateful citizens of LA saw them off.

Godzilla Likes to Roar

Rodan was one of the residents of Monster Island. He is named once in the book, as Anguirus "nudges [him] with his snout."

Who's Afraid of Godzilla?

Like the other Monster Island denizens, Rodan was terrified of Godzilla, fleeing as the King of the Monsters bounded down to the beach to join their merriment. After Godzilla left and Gigan and Megalon took over, Rodan flew away. He returned after Godzilla rescued Anguirus from the two bullies and proved that he wasn't as scary as he looked.

GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse

The first Rodan, later designated "Rodan I," emerged from Paektu Mountain in November 2005 and flew southwest to Beijing, where it was joined by Anguirus I. The Chinese military unleashed the experimental bioweapon designated Hedorah to exterminate both kaiju.[14] Hedorah was successful, killing both Rodan I and Anguirus I and leaving behind only skeletal remains, but proceeded to go berserk and destroy the city before vanishing. After Godzilla attacked the Eurasian continent, flocks of Rodans appeared and preyed on European refugees fleeing through Siberia alongside Megaguirus.[15]

GODZILLA: Project Mechagodzilla

Following the death of the first Rodan at the hands of Hedorah, a second individual designated "Rodan II" passed through Kyushu, Japan sometime later. After Godzilla passed through western Europe in the latter half of the 2030s, multiple Rodans were present in Rome and claimed the Italian peninsula as their feeding ground.[16] More Rodans were confirmed to be present in North Africa, alongside Meganula. Larval Meganulon living in the soil in China during the United Earth's Operation Great Wall were frequently hunted by Rodans in the area, though both species began preying on the soldiers as well.

Brave Like Godzilla

Rodan and their friends in Brave Like Godzilla

On Monster Island, the juvenile kaiju Rodan, alongside their friends Minilla, Anguirus, and Mothra, lived in fear of the bully Gabara. Inspired by Godzilla's bravery, Minilla decided to stand up to the bully while Rodan and the others watched from a safe distance; the group later comforted Minilla following their defeat to Gabara. Rodan and the other monsters helped Minilla train with their heat ray, though after Minilla was still unable to defeat Gabara alone, the group worked together to form a new plan.

Anguirus, Rodan, and Mothra led Gabara to the edge of a cliff where Mothra tripped Gabara, allowing Minilla to knock the bully into the water with their heat ray. Though victorious, the group took pity on the helpless Gabara thrashing about in the water and decided to throw them a vine to rescue them. Humbled, Gabara decided to stop tormenting the other monsters and instead began playing with them.

Comics

Godzilla, King of the Monsters

One of Dr. Mad Oniyama's legion of monsters, Rodan, who he also described as his Bio-Bomber, was tasked with performing raids on oil facilities around the world, including the destruction of an oil refinery in the United Arab Emirates, and a Japanese supertanker, the Kandamaru, off the coast of Indonesia. Following Rodan's attack on the Kandamaru, Godzilla intervened and attempted to fight the flying monster, only to be grabbed and taken away to Satan Atoll, where he was partially frozen by Oniyama's freezer tanks. With Godzilla incapacitated, Oniyama proceeded to blackmail the United Nations, demanding a set of islands in the South Pacific in exchange for killing Godzilla; if the U.N. were to refuse, he planned to have Rodan drop bombs across the globe, attacking nations the world over. He then commanded Rodan to carry Godzilla to 'Execution Point X', an area of open water in the Arctic Ocean near the North Pole, and drop him; as Godzilla sank, he began to completely freeze, which would surely kill him.

Fortunately, on the suggestion of Hideo Kaneko, two unmanned nuclear submarines arrived as Godzilla hit the seabed. Using the last of his energy, Godzilla broke free of the ice and destroyed the submarines, absorbing the radiation contained within their reactors to recover his energy, thaw out, and reach the surface. Oniyama commanded Rodan to grab Godzilla again, this time planning to drop him back-first onto a jagged area of an iceberg, but Godzilla was able to use his tail to brace himself and rebound off the ice, jumping into the air and slamming Rodan down onto the floating ice. Sorely outmatched on the ground, Rodan attempted to flee, but couldn't even move before Godzilla grabbed and tore off his right wing, then incinerated him with his Atomic Breath.

Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters

Shortly after the appearance of Godzilla in Japan, an earthquake struck Moscow as a school group visited the Vernadsky State Geological Museum. Amidst the chaos, a student named Mikhail stole a crystalline rock recovered from the site of the Tunguska event in 1908 and brought it home with him, hoping to break it open and find diamonds inside. Before he could act, the stone crumbled to reveal an egg, which promptly hatched to reveal a baby pterosaur-like creature. Mikhail hid the baby monster inside of his closet and left for hockey practice; hours later, Mikhail returned to discover that the beast had eaten all of his pets, growing dramatically in the process. After devouring Mikhail, the monster flew off, where it would later be dubbed "Rodan" by Professor Kenji Ando, after Pteranodon. Rodan grew rapidly and continued to terrorize Russia, killing a researcher claiming to have discovered where the monsters had come from. As Rodan flew toward Battra's location in Paris, he passed over Germany, where the army attacked him with a poisonous gas via rocket barrage. Rodan shrugged off the gas with ease and returned it to the soldiers below with a single flap of his wings. He arrived in Paris to find Battra cocooned and instead targeted the divine moth's masters, the psychic twins Minette and Mallory. Battra emerged just in time and chased off Rodan with his prism beams, but Rodan countered by shredding Battra's left wing. With a powerful psychic command, the twins brought the battle to an end as Rodan fell under their control as well. As a newspaper reporting on Godzilla's rampage blew past them, they set their sights on the King of the Monsters. The twins guided Rodan and Battra to Washington, D.C. where they found Godzilla, still unconscious in the wake of his battle with Mechagodzilla and King Ghidorah. He soon revived, but ignored their commands, causing them to theorize that he was too low on energy. Rodan and Battra then carried Godzilla to a nuclear power plant and dropped him onto it, with Battra blowing it up with his prism beams. Believing that Godzilla was now under their control, Minette and Mallory approached him, only for him to knock them off Battra with his atomic breath. The King of the Monsters quickly defeated Rodan, catching his beak in midair and slamming him into the ground before delivering a flying stomp. Godzilla and Battra then locked beams, causing an explosion that buried the monsters under rubble. In the aftermath, as humanity began to rebuild, Rodan recovered and left for parts unknown.

Godzilla: Gangsters & Goliaths

Rodan was among the kaiju living 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 Rodan and the other monsters to leave Monster Island and converge on Japan. 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

In 2007, Lance Corporal Graves discovered a giant egg in the Kuju Mountains and brought it back with him to Camp Schwab, a military base in Okinawa. Recognizing the threat posed by having the egg in their possession, a sergeant attempted to relocate it to a secure location as quickly as possible, but ultimately proved too late when Rodan arrived to retrieve his egg. As Rodan attacked the base, Dr. Holder moved the egg to a secure location, though Graves and numerous others were killed in the attack.

Over the next four years, Dr. Holder developed an unhealthy obsession with the egg, setting all other projects aside to study it while Rodan made recurrent appearances in the area. After yet another Rodan sighting, Holder's superiors finally ordered the egg to be destroyed and set a date for its disposal. Unwilling to lose the egg, Dr. Holder teamed up with his son Ethan and broke into the lab that night, stealing the egg and bringing back to their house. Though Dr. Holder was promptly arrested the next day, Ethan managed to sneak the egg to his school, hoping that Rodan would appear and kill his bullies. As predicted, Rodan descended upon the school soon after, only to be intercepted by the military, who attacked with everything they had. In the midst of the battle, the egg suddenly hatched in front of Ethan, drawing Rodan's attention. As Rodan landed and scooped the baby into his mouth, Ethan climbed onto Rodan's back, forcing the military to stand down and allow Rodan to escape with his baby and Ethan. In the aftermath, an officer informed Dr. Holder that they would hunt Rodan and its child down, while Dr. Holder could only weep at the realization that he would never see his son again.

Godzilla

Rodan in Godzilla

As the monsters of the world began to reawaken, Rodan attacked the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in Brazil while a race was in progress, injuring racer Harrison. Harrison's father Boxer subsequently offered his son a position on his so-called Monster Kill Crew, who went on to defeat Anguirus and Kumonga with their unique Headache Beam weapons before setting their sights on Rodan. In São Paulo, the Monster Kill Crew attempted to use a Headache Beam to lure Rodan into a giant electrified Kevlar net they had set up nearby, only for Rodan to fly over the net instead and avoid capture. Later, after hearing about the emergence of Titanosaurus, the Monster Kill Crew traveled to Tokyo to stop the monster, only to be intercepted by Rodan upon arriving. Boxer fired a Headache Beam at Rodan from their helicopter, but Rodan retaliated by knocking the helicopter out of the sky and into a nearby building. The Monster Kill Crew then pivoted to goading the two kaiju into fighting to wear them out. Disoriented by the Headache Beam, Rodan fell into Titanosaurus, riling the aquatic dinosaur. Before he could act, however, Rodan used his wings to knock a building into his foe and rammed him into the side of a massive skyscraper. As Rodan continued to bite and attack Titanosaurus, the Monster Kill Crew took advantage of the situation and dropped explosives on the dueling behemoths, destroying the building that loomed over them. As the rubble buried Titanosaurus, Rodan managed to take flight in time and escaped yet again.

Sometime later, the space monsters SpaceGodzilla, Gigan, Hedorah, and Monster X descended upon the planet, at which point Rodan converged on Hong Kong to challenge Gigan. After the Monster Kill Crew freed the kaiju they had captured from Monster Island, Anguirus joined Rodan in the battle against the cyborg. Rodan snuck up on Gigan as he attacked Anguirus, and though Gigan attempted to stop him by firing his cranial laser, Rodan dodged the beam and flew directly into Gigan's head to shatter the cyborg's eye visor with the spikes on his chest. As Rodan circled around for a second attack, Gigan caught him by surprise by jumping up and grabbing him, pulling him back to the ground and slicing into his stomach. Fortunately for Rodan, Anguirus recovered and defeated Gigan soon after. With his foe vanquished, Rodan rushed to New York to aid the outmatched Godzilla, who was in the midst of battle with the powerful Keizer Ghidorah. Upon arrival, Rodan was met by Keizer Ghidorah’s Gravity Beams, though he quickly recovered. Using his wings, Rodan created a sonic boom powerful enough to sever one of Keizer Ghidorah's heads clean off. However, Keizer Ghidorah retaliated and concentrated two beams on Rodan, sending him flying out of the city and effectively knocking him out of the fight. However, as a result of Rodan's help, Godzilla was able to defeat the weakened alien monster to save the planet.

Godzilla: The Half-Century War

Following the appearance of Anguirus in 1967, more monsters began appearing all across the globe, including Rodan. In response, the A.M.F. assembled more teams of kaiju experts, with one such team dedicated to researching and combating Rodan.

In 1975, Rodan and many other monsters were drawn to Ghana by a Psionic Transmitter created and activated by Dr. Deverich. During the mayhem that followed, Rodan chased Battra across the city before being attacked by Mothra and forced to the ground, narrowly missing Godzilla's atomic breath in the process. After Rodan recovered, Deverich activated a master control switch on the Psionic Transmitter that summoned all the monsters to attack the power station housing the Transmitter. After the building was destroyed, all of the monsters departed.

Godzilla: Rulers of Earth

Rodan was classified as an "air" monster in a cave mural on Infant Island.

During a Megazoology Conference, Dr. Kenji Ando revealed that Rodan was heading north above Canada. He was later sighted flying over China, and though he was believed to have left the area of the Huanren Reservoir when Dr. Ando and his investigation team arrived, he soon returned when Varan emerged nearby and initiated a battle. During the fight, Varan grabbed Rodan, pulled him to the ground, and slashed into his back with his claws, though Rodan was able to escape and strike back by picking Varan up and slamming him into the side of a mountain. The Chinese military attempted to break up the fight as the monsters drew dangerously close to a secret base, but despite their best efforts, the two kaiju continued their battle and eventually came crashing into the base itself. Within the base, Varan used the spikes on his back to shred into Rodan's wings, forcing the injured kaiju to withdraw from the fight and return to the skies above. At some point in the years that followed, the Counter-Kaiju Reaction Forces successfully captured Rodan and contained him on the Monster Islands alongside Sanda, Gaira, Baragon, and Kumonga, where he lived in peace and healed his damaged wings. The islands were eventually besieged by a race of alien monsters called Trilopods; Rodan fell to one of the monsters, which absorbed his DNA and took on his physical characteristics. The Trilopods took Rodan and the islands' residents back to their massive hive in Los Angeles, where they were held captive alongside the rest of Earth's kaiju. Later, King Caesar freed the imprisoned monsters and led them into battle to assist Godzilla against the Trilopod army. Rodan managed to kill the Anguirus-Trilopod and attempted to fight the titanic Magita as well, though he was easily swatted aside by the massive Trilopod, who was ultimately defeated by Godzilla. After the battle, Rodan, along with the other kaiju, followed the weary Godzilla out to sea.

Godzilla: Cataclysm

After psychic humans attempted to gain control over the world's kaiju, Rodan was among the many monsters who participated in a great monster apocalypse that led to the downfall of civilization.

Godzilla in Hell

Demon Rodan in Godzilla in Hell

A demonic version of Rodan confronted Godzilla as he arrived in a city in Hell, charging at him and dodging his atomic ray. The demon Rodan then soared into the clouds in preparation for another attack, only for Godzilla to catch him by surprise first by slamming his tail into his demonic foe, causing Rodan to crash into the doomed cities of Hell.

Godzilla: Oblivion

Rodans battle Mothra larvae in Godzilla: Oblivion

Dr. Eli Talbert successfully opened an interdimensional portal into an alternate Earth, dubbed "Earth-2". Upon arrival, Dr. Talbert and his team were ambushed by a small Rodan, who rose up from a pile of rubble and killed a soldier with his Uranium Heat Beam. The Rodan was then confronted by a larger Mechagodzilla, who easily overwhelmed the Rodan until several more of his kind arrived and gained the upper hand against the mech. Some of the Rodans then attacked Dr. Talbert's soldiers until native reinforcements arrived and saved them with their advanced anti-monster weaponry. As the group fled from the chaos, they witnessed two larger Rodans fighting against two Mothra larvae on their way back to the portal to their own dimension.

Sometime later, the people of Earth-2 gathered many of their kaiju and sent them through the portal to Earth-1, which included a giant Rodan alongside Anguirus, Biollante, Zilla, King Caesar, Hedorah, and Mothra, while Mecha-King Ghidorah was fighting Godzilla. Rodan first turned his attention towards Godzilla and attacked him from behind while Mothra attacked him from the front. Later, after Mecha-King Ghidorah was defeated by Godzilla, 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, while Gezora and Ebirah fought over a pair of dinosaurs, Rodan suddenly flew overhead and claimed the meal instead, knocking the dueling monsters over as he flew by. Almost immediately afterwards, Rodan was struck by Godzilla's atomic ray while he was in the midst of his own battle against Baragon and Varan, sending Rodan plummeting back to Earth - and right into Kumonga's nest. Kumonga quickly ensnared the fallen Rodan in his webbing, but before the spider could act any further, the ground split apart beneath them as a meteor shower fell to Earth and ravaged the landscape, sending both monsters crumbling into a crevasse.

GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters

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

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, Rodan 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 Rivals: Rodan Vs. Ebirah

In 2030, several kaiju had been captured and contained within Sector X of the ParaSOL scientific research facility orbiting high above the Earth, including Rodan, Ebirah, and Biollante tendrils, kept in stasis in containment tanks. Scientists studied Rodan in the hopes of advancing fossil fuel-free flight methods. Shortly after cryptobotanist Dr. Carole Kincaid's arrival, in which they warned against keeping the kaiju in such close proximity to one another, Rodan abruptly awoke and burst out of his containment tank, which quickly led to Ebirah escaping his own tank. As the scientists fled, Rodan engaged Ebirah by grabbing his claw, only to be knocked aside. Rodan used his wings to send Ebirah crashing through various sectors of the space station, causing catastrophic damage. Rodan followed his foe through the facility to the entrance of the space elevator connecting the facility to Tokyo, Japan. As their battle sent them tumbling through the elevator's massive doors, Ebirah used his claws to grab Rodan's wings as they began the long plummet back to the surface. Though Rodan attempted to use his wings to slow their descent, Ebirah instead used his claws to tear straight through his wings, causing Rodan to shriek out in pain. The furious Rodan attempted to retaliate with force, but was promptly struck in the face by one of Ebirah's claws, sending him bouncing against the walls of the elevator shaft. Frustrated, Rodan then prepared to unleash his Uranium Heat Beam on his foe, but Ebirah thwarted the attack by grabbing Rodan by the throat. As Rodan freed himself from Ebirah's claws, scientists engaged the "Cocoon Protocol" - cannons loaded with Mothra silk meant to catch runaway elevators. After the webbing successfully ensnared both kaiju within a massive cocoon, the scientists sent Biollante's tendrils to retrieve them. However, Rodan then fired his Uranium Heat Beam from within the cocoon, incinerating most of it and causing the kaiju to resume their descent while Rodan was knocked unconscious by the move, having burnt himself out.

With Rodan and Ebirah still posing a grave threat to Japan if they were to strike the surface at their falling speed, Dr. Fatima Ogbannaya contacted the surface and requested the deployment of Mechagodzilla. Once there, Mechagodzilla used residual silk from the cocoon to tie the unconscious Rodan and Ebirah together, hoisted them onto his back, and used his thrusters to slow their descent. Though the mech hit the ground with a great deal of force, he was able to land safety on the surface with both monsters, thus ending the threat of Japan's annihilation. After Ebirah freed himself and retreated into Tokyo Bay, trucks began surrounding Rodan's body as they prepared to recapture him.

Godzilla: Here There Be Dragons

Rodan was among the various kaiju known to the Sons of Giants, a secret society that sought to conceal the existence of the monsters from the rest of the globe during the 16th century.

Godzilla: War for Humanity

Rodan is ambushed by Zoospora in Godzilla: War for Humanity

Just as he was emerging from hibernation within the Taal Volcano in the Philippines, Rodan was ambushed by Zoospora, a dangerous new kaiju capable of infecting others with its spores and gaining control over them. Zoospora ensnared the winged kaiju in its tendrils before he had a chance to defend himself and discharged its spores into Rodan's mouth to claim yet another victim. The infected Rodan then flew to Tokyo to join the similarly-poisoned Gorosaurus, Manda, and Anguirus. As Mothra arrived in Tokyo to aid a severely-outmatched task force operating Super MOGUERA against Zoospora's army of infected kaiju, Rodan ambushed the divine moth and slammed her head into a building. Soon after, Godzilla arrived in Tokyo shortly before Super MOGUERA was forced to retreat as a result of catastrophic damage. Godzilla then fought and temporarily incapacitated several of the kaiju alone, but while he was battling Rodan, Zoospora itself arrived to take over the fight, overwhelming Godzilla. By nightfall, Rodan joined the other kaiju in menacing Godzilla alongside the now-poisoned Mothra. During the fight, Rodan slammed Godzilla into the ground and attempted to attack Minilla while Godzilla desperately sought to defend the infant kaiju. Despite the damage it had sustained, Super MOGUERA eventually returned to the battle and saved Godzilla from being overcome by the five monsters. Upon recovering, Rodan and Mothra attempted an aerial attack, but Godzilla blasted Rodan with his atomic breath while Super MOGUERA stopped Mothra, temporarily knocking them out of the fight. Super MOGUERA later kept Rodan and the other kaiju at bay with its laser sword before the combined efforts of the task force and Godzilla were able to destroy Zoospora, causing its poison to dissipate and free the infected kaiju from its control. Upon coming to his senses, Rodan promptly retreated alongside his fellow kaiju, sparing Tokyo from further destruction.

Gallery

Main article: Rodan/Gallery.

Roar

Sound technican Ichiro Minawa created Rodan's roar by recreating the contrabass technique that Akira Ifukube used to create Godzilla's roar. He then layered the recordings with a human voice and sped them up.[17] Rodan's roar was reused for several other kaiju, such as the Heisei King Ghidorah, Battra, and the Ultra Series kaiju Angira and Gasgegon.

Rodan's roars in Rodan (Raw Materials)
Rodan's roars in Rodan
Rodan's roars from 1964 to 1968
Rodan's roars in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II
Rodan's roars in Godzilla Final Wars
Rodan's roars in Godzilla: King of the Monsters

In other languages

Language Name Meaning
Chinese Flagicon Hong Kong.png Cantonese 拉顿 Laai1 deon6 Transcription of Japanese name
China and Taiwan Flags.png Mandarin 拉顿 Lā Dùn Transcription of Japanese name
Flagicon Israel.png Hebrew רודאן Transcription of English name
Flagicon Russia.png Russian Родан Transliteration of English name

Trivia

  • Strangely, despite being referred to as 'Fire Rodan' in the game Godzilla: Unleashed, and keeping the use of the form's Uranium Heat Beam, Rodan was still represented in his normal form's appearance. This was most likely made as an excuse to give Rodan a beam weapon since, in Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee and Godzilla: Save the Earth, he was normal Rodan but was still given the Uranium Heat Beam, which is an ability that Rodan never uses in his regular form. As a result of this, Fire Rodan's trademark icon was utilized in Godzilla: Unleashed, but Rodan's regular icon was not.
  • Rodan is one of a select few monsters to appear in all four series of Toho Godzilla films, as well as the Monsterverse, along with Mothra, King Ghidorah, Mechagodzilla, and Godzilla himself. However, he has never been Godzilla's primary opponent in a film.

Videos

Wikizilla: YouTube Kaiju Profile: Showa Rodan
Wikizilla: YouTube Kaiju Profile: Rodan
(Heisei & Millennium)
Wikizilla: YouTube Kaiju Profile: King Ghidorah, Mothra & Rodan (2019)

Notes

  1. Episodes 1, 6-7, 9-11, 18, 21, 25, 27-30, 36, 38-41, 43-44, 46, 58-61, 63, 66-67, 72-73, 83-84, 90-93, 102, 111-113, 119, 125, 127, 129-130, 132-134, 137-138, 140-141, 144-146, 149, 160-161, 169, 181, 184, 190-192, 194, 199, 201-208, 212, 217, 224, 226-229, 233, 251, and 256.

References

This is a list of references for Rodan. 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. Toho Special Effects All Monster Encyclopedia. Shogakukan. 23 July 2014. p. 117. ISBN 4-096-82090-3.
  2. Ultra Books: Destroy All Monsters. Asahi Sonorama. 1968.
    Ultra Books Kaiju Soshingeki Rodan.jpg
  3. Toho Special Effects All Monster Encyclopedia. Shogakukan. 23 July 2014. p. 86. ISBN 4-096-82090-3.
  4. 4.0 4.1 "Specimen: Titanus Rodan". Toho Kingdom on Twitter. 16 May 2019.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 "SPECIMEN: TITANUS RODAN" - Monarch Sciences
    TITANUS RODAN - Monarch Sciences.png
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 J.D. Lees, Marc Cerasini (24 March 1998). The Official Godzilla Compendium. Random House. p. 138. ISBN 0279888225 Check |isbn= value: checksum (help).
    Compendium28.png
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 Godzilla Completely Deciphered. Takarajimasha. 26 June 2014. pp. 76, 102, 111. ISBN 4800228964.
  8. 8.0 8.1 MonsterVerse Rodan Japanese stats.jpg
  9. Rodan 57.jpg
  10. Harry Edmundson-Cornell (March 24, 2015). "Tsuburaya Does Colour: Rodan". Sequart Organization.
  11. Astro-monster 66.jpeg
  12. Radon trailer.png
  13. Kong: Skull Island (5 July 2017). "1991: A covert Monarch team establishes a quarantine zone around a dormant volcano in Isle de Mona. #KongSkullIsland". Twitter. Archived from the original on 31 July 2017.
  14. Oki, Renji (October 25, 2017). GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse. Kadokawa. pp. 19–111.
  15. Ōki, Renji (October 25, 2017). GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse. Kadokawa. pp. 151–185.
  16. Oki, Renji (25 April 2018). GODZILLA: Project Mechagodzilla. Kadokawa. ISBN 9784041063453.
  17. Homenick, Erik. "Part IX - Myths, Monsters and Laments". AkiraIfukube.org. Retrieved 9 February 2022.

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