Shimidah

Shimidah Place(s) of emergence Hollow Earth Enemies Humans Designed by Ken Barthelmey Planned for Godzilla vs. Kong

Shimidah is an unused Hollow Earth monster designed by Ken Barthelmey for the 2021 Monsterverse film Godzilla vs. Kong. Its planned role in the film, if any, is unknown.

Development

In a departure from the other denizens of the Hollow Earth in Godzilla vs. Kong, Ken Barthelmey did not base Shimidah on any one natural creature, although he likened his first design to "a cross between a shrimp and a deep-sea fish." He was also inspired by naked mole rats and carnivorous plants. Director Adam Wingard suggested that it could use this mouth to set traps. Barthelmey thought of it as "a larva, or the first stage of a much bigger creature. As with other Hollow Earth creatures, it incorporates elements of Godzilla's design, notably his gills and neck.

Design

The Shimidah resembles a cross between a reptilian naked-mole rat and an insect larva. It has six small insect-like legs, and two large insect-like arms. It has scutes on its back, and its lower body has overlapping plates of armor. Its skin is saggy, and its jowls are floppy. It has very tiny eyes, possibly because it doesn't need to rely on vision. Its most notable feature is its flower-like mouth, which it uses to snatch up unsuspecting creatures who walk upon it.

Abilities

Shimidah can burrow and set traps for smaller prey by submerging most of its body in the ground and opening its petal-like mouth so widely that it appears to be part of the terrain. Concept art notes that it uses its forelimbs to "anchor itself in the ground or [...] clutch bigger prey."

Weaknesses

Accustomed to living mostly underground, Shimidah is vulnerable if it can be brought to the surface.

Gallery

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  The concept favored by Adam Wingard

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Videos

Ken Barthelmey work process on designing Shimidah and the Rockclaw

References

This is a list of references for Shimidah. 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]

Bibliography

• Wallace, Daniel (21 May 2021). Godzilla vs. Kong: One Will Fall - The Art of the Ultimate Battle Royale. Insight Editions. ISBN 1-64-722140-4.

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