User:Les/Sandbox/Dorsal fin

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Dorsal fins (背びれ or 背ビレ,   sebire), also known in English as spines, scutes, or plates, are a feature of every incarnation of Godzilla as well as some related characters, and are one of the monster's most recognizable characteristics.

Showa

ShodaiGoji

The first Godzilla design had three rows of generally bone-white dorsal plates. The ShodaiGoji suit's dorsal plates were staggered and uneven in appearance. They also curved slightly forward, whereas most of the later suits would have plates that didn't curve in any particular direction.

GyakushuGoji

Very similar to the ShodaiGoji suit, GyakushuGoji also had three rows of dorsal plates, and they were also curved slightly forward.

KingGoji

This suit only had one large main row of dorsal plates flanked by two smaller rows.

MosuGoji

The dorsal plates were nearly identical to those of the KingGoji suit.

DaisensoGoji

The dorsal plates were nearly identical to those of the MosuGoji suit, only more detailed.

MusukoGoji

This suit's dorsal plates took on jagged and curved asymmetrical characteristics, somewhat closer to that of the ShodaiGoji and GyakushuGoji suits than previous designs.

SoshingekiGoji

The dorsal plates on this suit toned down the jaggedness of those on the MusukoGoji's suit, returning to a more uniform appearance.

MegaroGoji

This suit had silver, puffy, pillow-like designed dorsal plates.

Heisei

84Goji

His dorsal plates were made large again.

BioGoji

The lateral dorsal plates were also enlarged almost to the size of the center row.

BatoGoji

For the BatoGoji, the arrangement of the dorsal plates was changed and the largest plate was located in the middle of the back.

RadoGoji

During the movie's climax after Godzilla is revived by Rodan's life force, the suit was covered in gold glitter and the white tips of the dorsal plates were made translucent yellow in color.

MogeGoji

Largely identical to the RadoGoji's plates.

Burning Godzilla

To depict Godzilla's Burning form, the MogeGoji suit was refitted with dorsal plates fashioned from semi-transparent vinyl, which housed red, orange and yellow light bulbs. The largest plate was placed at shoulder height again, as with the BioGoji suit.

Millennium era

MireGoji

His dorsal plates were large and jagged with a purple tint to them.

GMKGoji

The dorsal plates became smooth and bone-white again. When Godzilla charges and expels his atomic breath, the dorsal plates on the suit shift slightly via a mechanism on its back.

KiryuGoji

The dorsal fins were reduced a bit and lost their purplish hue, retaining the classic bone-white color, but still remained jagged like the MireGoji's dorsal fins.

FinalGoji

The small dorsal fins resemble those of the Showa series: a single prominent row with smaller surrounding fins. Its dorsal fins were white instead of a bone-white color, these fins also being more pointy.

Reiwa era

ShinGoji

It sports several rows of small tan dorsal plates on its back and has a tail with a fluke at the end of it like the first form. Godzilla's fourth form possesses larger black maple leaf-shaped dorsal plates which run up to the top of its neck. The middle row of plates is larger than the others, and is flanked on both sides by at least two smaller rows. The dorsal plates are jagged in appearance, and feature a porous bony surface in their center which is reminiscent of cancellous bone. Scars can be observed running into structures in his black dorsal plates, which are reminiscent of blood vessels.

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AniGoji

The AniGoji posses jagged triangular dorsal plates. The design's dorsal plates are larger than the GareGoji's, and more closely resemble the traditional maple leaf-shaped plates of past Godzilla designs.

GyuraGoji

GyuraGoji posses maple leaf-shaped dorsal plates on his back, with the classic bone-white texture, but sporting red, vein-like markings on them.

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GEMSTONE

GEMSTONE's Godzilla posses the traditional charcoal grey skin and bone-white dorsal plates.

MinusGoji

The Minus One Godzilla possesses larger and sharper thorn-like dorsal fins akin to the MireGoji and KiryuGoji designs.

American

Hanna-Barbera

His plates are unlike those of any other Godzilla in that they begin at the top of his head, and are more triangular in shape compared to Godzilla's traditional maple leaf-shaped plates. They are also blue or green in color rather than bone-white.

ToraGoji

In contrast to Godzilla's traditional maple leaf-shaped dorsal plates, the ToraGoji has curved, spike-like dorsal plates, curving towards the front, described as looking somewhat like reversed shark fins.

GareGoji

Development

One aspect of Godzilla design that received many variations in the design process was his dorsal plates. The dinosaur-esque design created by Broadmore featured triangular-shaped plates like previous designs and his atomic breath was more electrical-based, similar to Frank Hong's early keyframe art. Gareth Edwards did not like this design, saying that the plates were "incredibly big" and added that "you didn't see that form anywhere else on his body." Edwards also felt that the lightning effect made it difficult to understand what the audience was looking at. Another potential design by Christian Pearce had the dorsal plates resemble the plates of Stegosaurus. At one point Godzilla had porcupine spines in place of his signature plates. Though Edwards admitted that he liked this design, saying that it made Godzilla aggressive, he rejected it explaining "The problem is it just isn't Godzilla." Two designs also featured a fish-like dorsal fin in place of Godzilla's signature plates. One design that Edwards thought would be the final option for the fins was a fish-like design. Christian Pearce and Andrew Baker, concept artists responsible for designing Godzilla who were also fans of the kaiju, were known to have arguments with Edwards to keep Godzilla's atomic breath and the shape of his dorsal plates. Eventually, Edwards agreed to keep the atomic breath, but he disagreed with the design of the plates and chose an angular, broken slate look with his reasoning being that this trait "made more sense, as if the fins growing out of [Godzilla] are brittle and break." However, the maple leaf-shaped dorsal plates seen in the majority of Godzilla's designs would later be incorporated into the GareGoji design by the time the 2012 Comic-Con teaser trailer was made.

Detail

The dorsal plates are somewhat flat and of moderate size and have a mildly jagged, slightly chipped-away appearance to them, and bear a partial resemblance to the ones found on the MireGoji suit. He has a total of 89 dorsal plates running down his back and tail.

DougheGoji

The DougheGoji largely resembles its predecessor, the GareGoji, but features differently-shaped dorsal plates based on the 1954 design's.

For Godzilla vs. Kong, director Adam Wingard considered giving him spikier dorsal plates, he ultimately left the design unchanged.

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  Concept art for Godzilla vs. Kong depicting Godzilla with spikier dorsal plates

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  Concept art for Godzilla vs. Kong depicting Godzilla with spikier dorsal plates

Comics

Marvel Comics

His dorsal plates start near the top of his head, similarly to the Hanna-Barbera Godzilla. His head is more dinosaur-like, with a long snout, sharp teeth, and eyes positioned higher on his head and facing slightly to the sides. His dorsal plates maintain the traditional maple-leaf shape, but are green in color rather than bone-white.

Related characters

Minilla

In the Showa series, the dorsal fins on his back are small and undeveloped. In Godzilla Final Wars, he has more noticeable dorsal fins.

Mechagodzilla

Mechagodzilla (Showa)

TBA

Mechagodzilla (Heisei)

TBA

Kiryu

TBA

Mechagodzilla (anime trilogy)

TBA

Mechagodzilla (Ready Player One)

TBA

Mechagodzilla (Monsterverse)

Mechagodzilla possesses three rows of dorsal plates which start at its head, move down its back and finally converge into one row along the tail. The dorsal plates in question are small and rectangular-shaped, being inspired by Mecha-King Ghidorah's spines.

Godzilla Junior

BabyGodzilla

BabyGodzilla has small gray dorsal fins running down his back.

LittleGodzilla

LittleGodzilla's plates are short, rounded and bumpy.

Godzilla Junior

Godzilla Junior has very small dorsal fins on his back.

SpaceGodzilla

SpaceGodzilla's dorsal fins on his back are made of similar crystals and are white in color.

Shimo

TBA

References

This is a list of references for Les/Sandbox/Dorsal fin. 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]

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