Rodan
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
“
|
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.
|
„
|
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
- Rodan (1956)
- Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)
- Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965)
- Destroy All Monsters (1968)
- All Monsters Attack (1969) [mentioned]
- Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972) [stock footage]
- Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973) [stock footage]
- Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975) [stock footage]
- Bye-Bye Jupiter (1984) [stock footage]
- Adventure! Godzilland 2 (TV 1993) [animated segments]
- Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993)
- Get Going! Godzilland (1994, 1996)
- Godzilla Island (TV 1997-1998) [74 episodes][note 1]
- Rebirth of Mothra 3 (1998) [video game sprite]
- Godzilla Final Wars (2004)
- Kong: Skull Island (2017) [cave painting]
- GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters (2017) [skeletal remains]
- Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
- Godziban (web 2019-) [episodes 10, 12, 17, 20-23, 38, 47, and 54-57; special episodes 2, 4, 6, and 9-11]
- I'm Home! Chibi Godzilla (web 2020-2021) [episodes 8-9, 16, 20, 22, and 24-25]
- Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) [stock footage]
- Godzilla Singular Point (TV 2021) [episodes 1-13]
- Chibi Godzilla Raids Again (TV 2023)
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).
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.
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.
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).
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 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, 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
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'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
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
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-kun (1985) - Microsoft MSX
- Monster's Fair (1986) - Microsoft MSX
- Godzilla: Monster of Monsters! (1988) - Nintendo Entertainment System / Famicom [scrapped]
- Circus Caper (1989) - Nintendo Entertainment System
- Godzilla (1990) - Game Boy
- Rodan (1991) [cancelled]
- Godzilla 2: War of the Monsters (1992) - Nintendo Entertainment System
- Battle Soccer: Champion of the Field (1992) - Nintendo Super Famicom
- Battle Baseball (1993) - Nintendo Famicom
- Godzilla, King of the Monsters (1993) - Nintendo Game Boy
- Godzilla (1993) - NEC/Hudson Soft TurboDuo / PC Engine Duo
- Godzilla (1993) - Arcade
- Godzilla (1993) - NEC PC-9801
- Godzilla: Heart-Pounding Monster Island!! (1995) - Sega Pico
- Godzilla: Archipelago Shock (1995) - Sega Saturn
- Godzilla: Giant Monster March (1995) - Sega Game Gear
- Godzilla Generations (1998) - Sega Dreamcast
- Godzilla: Trading Battle (1998) - Sony PlayStation
- Collect Godzilla: Giant Monster Assembly (1998) - Sega Dreamcast VMU
- Mothra: Dream Battle (1998) - Sega Dreamcast VMU
- Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee (2002) - Nintendo GameCube and Microsoft Xbox
- Godzilla: Domination! (2002) - Nintendo Game Boy Advance
- Godzilla: Save the Earth (2004) - Sony PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Xbox
- CR Godzilla 3S-T Battle (2006) - Pachinko
- Godzilla: Unleashed (2007) - Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 2
- Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash (2007) - Nintendo DS
- CR Godzilla: Descent of the Destruction God (2010) - Pachinko
- Monster Strike (2013) - Android and iOS
- Godzilla (2014) - PlayStation 3 and 4
- Godzilla Kaiju Collection (2015) - Android and iOS
- Pocoron Dungeons (2014; added in 2016) - Android and iOS
- CR True King of the Monsters Godzilla (2018) - Pachinko
- Godzilla Defense Force (2019) - Android and iOS
- Roblox (2006; added in 2019) - Microsoft Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Xbox One [head; accessory]
- PVV! Godzilla Great Monster Assembly!! (2019) - Pachinko
- Dragon Quest of the Stars (2015; added in 2020) - iOS, Google Play, Android
- Monsterverse (2020) - Empire DCX slot machine
- Run Godzilla (2021) - Android, iOS
- Godzilla Destruction (2021) - Android and iOS
- Godzilla Battle Line (2021) - Android and iOS
- Godzilla (2021) - Pinball
- Pachinko True King of the Monsters Godzilla 2 (2022) - Pachinko
- The Ants: Underground Kingdom (2021; added in 2022) - Android, Google Play, iOS
- XR World (2022) - Android, iOS, and PC
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
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."
Fire Rodan's bio from page 25 of the Godzilla: Unleashed instruction manual booklet
Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash
Rodan appears in Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash as one of the flyers.
Godzilla (PlayStation 4)
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.
Rodan in Godzilla-kun
Rodan in Godzilla 2: War of the Monsters
Rodan in Collect Godzilla: Giant Monster Assembly
Rodan in Godzilla: Domination!
Rodan's icon in Godzilla: Domination!
Rodan's character box from versus mode in Godzilla: Domination!
Rodan's battle sprite in Godzilla: Domination!
Rodan in Godzilla: Save the Earth
Books
- Godzilla Saves America: A Monster Showdown in 3-D! (1996)
- Godzilla on Monster Island (1996)
- Godzilla vs. Gigan and the Smog Monster (1996)
- Godzilla 2000 (1997)
- Godzilla at World's End (1998)
- Godzilla: Journey to Monster Island (1998)
- Godzilla Likes to Roar! (1998)
- Godzilla vs. the Robot Monsters (1998)
- Godzilla vs. the Space Monster (1998)
- Who's Afraid of Godzilla? (1998)
- GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse (2017)
- GODZILLA: Project Mechagodzilla (2018)
- Do Your Best Chibi Godzilla (2018)
- Close Friends Chibi Godzilla (2019)
- Godzilla: King of the Monsters - The Official Movie Novelization (2019)
- Sticker Picture Book: Chibi Godzilla and Friends (2020)
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.
Comics
- Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993) [Kodansha]
- Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993) [Shogakukan]
- Godzilla, King of the Monsters (1992-1993)
- Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters #2-3, 5, 7, 10-12 (2011-2012)
- Godzilla: Gangsters & Goliaths #1, 4-5 (2011)
- Godzilla: Legends #2-3 (2011-2012)
- Godzilla #1-4, 10-13 (2012-2013)
- Godzilla: The Half-Century War #3 (2012)
- Godzilla: Rulers of Earth #1, 5, 9, 13, 19, 20, 21, 25 (2013-2015)
- Godzilla: Cataclysm #4 (2014)
- Godzilla in Hell #2 (2015)
- Godzilla: Oblivion #1, 4 (2016)
- Godzilla: Rage Across Time #5 (2016)
- Godzilla vs. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #3 (2022)
- Godzilla Rivals: Rodan Vs. Ebirah (2023)
- Fight or Flight (2023)
Godzilla, King of the Monsters
Rodan appeared under the control of Dr. Mad Oniyama, flying across Tokyo and dropping large bombs from his talons aimed at destroying oil facilities and supertankers in the region. While Rodan was flying out at sea, Godzilla tried to shoot him down with his atomic breath, but Oniyama commanded Rodan to catch Godzilla instead and take him away to be frozen and dropped into the ocean. After Godzilla was revived by two submarines dispatched by the U.N. to provide him with energy, the two fought again, but this time Godzilla had the upper hand, ripping one of Rodan's wings off and burning him to death with his atomic breath.
Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters
An earthquake struck Moscow as a school group visited the Vernadsky State Geological Museum. In the chaos, a student named Mikhail stole a crystalline rock recovered from the site of the Tunguska event in 1908. Outside, countless dead birds fell from the sky. When Mikhail returned home to his room full of exotic pets, he planned to break the stone open, believing there to be diamonds inside. Instead it crumbled to reveal an egg, which hatched into a pterosaur. Mikhail hid him inside of his closet and left for hockey practice, while promising to bring back his neighbors' cat for him to eat. By the time he returned, the pterosaur had eaten all of his pets, growing dramatically in the process, and quickly ate Mikhail as well. The monster flew off, sparing the cat.
At a meeting of the United Nations, Professor Kenji Ando dubbed the pterosaur "Rodan", after Pteranodon. Growing even larger, Rodan continue to terrorize Russia, killing a researcher claiming to have discovered where he, Godzilla, Anguirus, and Battra had come from. As Rodan flew toward Battra in Paris, he passed over Germany, where the army attacked him with a poisonous gas via rocket barrage. Rodan shrugged off the gas and unleashed it on the soldiers below with a single flap of his wings. He arrived in Paris to find Battra cocooned and targeted the insect's masters, the psychic twins Minette and Mallory. Battra emerged just in time and chased off Rodan with his prism beams, but the pterosaur countered, shredding his left wing. With a powerful psychic command, the twins brought the battle to an end, with Rodan now 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.
They found Godzilla in the ruins of Washington, D.C., unconscious after 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 left both half-buried under rubble. Rodan was last seen leaving the area, his whereabouts are unknown. As humanity began to rebuild, Rodan recovered and left for parts unknown.
Godzilla: Legends
In Okinawa in 2007, Lance Corporal Graves returned from a hiking trip in the Kuju Mountains and requested to enter Camp Schwab, a military base. After and R&R check, they found that Graves brought back a giant egg. The Sarge immediately knew what it was and wanted to move the gg into a secure location and to send Graves to the Brig if any of them lived. Rodan soon appears with the intention of taking back its egg and killed multiple soldiers including Graves.
The egg remained their for the next four years with Rodan appearing for the fourth time in the past two years, the egg was studied by Dr.Ohayo Gozaimasu who loved it more than his own son Ethan who was being bullied due to his dads nationality and his job. However due to late results and it being a biohazard, the Japanese government set a date for the eggs disposal
Dr. Ohayo Gozaimasu and his son then broke into the lab and stole the egg and hid it in their home. Ethan suggested that he should stay home and watch the egg but due to his grades slipping, his dad declines. Ethan then brought the egg to his school in hopes that Rodan would come for it and kill the bullies in the process. His father was immediately arrested upon arrival and his house was searched only for them to come up empty handed, they tracked the egg at Ethan’s school where Rodan was heading.
The Marines then immediately headed straight for the school where they proceeded to open fire on Rodan with Ethan calling the army bullies for harming him. The egg soon hatches and Rodan picks it up gently with its mouth, Ethan then hops on Rodan’s neck and all three of them took off, never to be seen again.
Godzilla: The Half-Century War
Rodan in Godzilla: The Half-Century War #3
Godzilla
In Godzilla #4, Rodan battles Titanosaurus in Tokyo. Though Titanosaurus is captured after the battle, Rodan escapes. In issue #10, Rodan and Anguirus battle Gigan in Hong Kong. In issue #13, Rodan appears in New York and plays an integral role in helping Godzilla defeat Keizer Ghidorah.
Rodan attacking Keizer Ghidorah in Godzilla
Godzilla: Rulers of Earth
Rodan appeared in the Godzilla: Rulers of Earth comic series, suddenly attacking Varan and fighting him in a military base. Rodan kept to the air, but the spikes on Varan's back shredded Rodan's wing, forcing him to retreat. Rodan was later seen in a flashback explaining the natural order of monsters, sleeping in a hillside cave. He is also seen on the mural in Infant Island's cave among other flying kaiju. Rodan was later transferred to the Monster Islands, his wing healed, and lived in peace there until the Trilopods attacked. Rodan fell, had his DNA copied by a Trilopod, and was taken to the Trilopod hive along with the other residents of the islands. Much later, King Caesar rampaged through the Trilopod hive, freeing the imprisoned Earth monsters, and Rodan flew to Los Angeles to assist Godzilla in battle. Rodan managed to kill the Anguirus-Trilopod, and fought against Magita, though he was easily swatted aside by the massive Trilopod. After the battle, Rodan, along with the other kaiju, followed Godzilla out to sea.
Godzilla in Hell
A demonic version of Rodan appeared in the second issue of the IDW mini-series Godzilla in Hell, where he confronted Godzilla in a city in Hell. The demon Rodan charged at Godzilla and dodged his atomic ray. The demon Rodan then soared into the clouds to try a sneak attack on Godzillla, but Godzilla defeated the demon by slamming his tail into him, causing him to crash into the doomed cities of Hell.
Godzilla: Oblivion
Several small Rodans appear in the first issue of Godzilla: Oblivion, where they live in an extra-dimensional version of Earth. One of them rose up from a pile of rubble and killed a soldier with his heat beam. He was then confronted by Kiryu, who easily overwhelmed the Rodan until more of his kind showed up and gained the upper hand. Two Rodans were then seen fighting two Mothra larvae when the human team decided to head back to their own dimension.
A larger Rodan appeared in issue #4 alongside Anguirus, Biollante, Zilla, King Caesar and Mothra as they crossed through an interdimensional portal while Mecha-King Ghidorah was fighting Godzilla. In the following issue, where the monsters were also joined by Hedorah, 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.
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 and Battra.
|
|
In other languages
| |||||||||||||||
Russian
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
|
Notes
- ↑ 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]
CommentsShowing 144 comments. When commenting, please remain respectful of other users, stay on topic, and avoid role-playing and excessive punctuation. Comments which violate these guidelines may be removed by administrators. Loading comments..
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- CS1 errors: ISBN
- Toho
- Legendary Pictures
- Showa Series
- Heisei Series
- Millennium Series
- Reiwa series
- Monsterverse
- Monsters
- Toho Kaiju
- Kaiju living on Monsterland
- Earth Defenders
- Kaiju living on Godzilla Island
- Villain Monsters turned Good
- Dinosaurs
- Rodan
- Showa Kaiju
- Heisei Kaiju
- Millennium Kaiju
- Flying Creatures
- Godzilla Film Kaiju
- Showa Godzilla Kaiju
- Heisei Godzilla Kaiju
- Millennium Godzilla Kaiju
- Legendary Godzilla Kaiju
- Reptiles
- Telepaths
.png){kind=link}
