Mothra Leo

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Mothra Incarnations
Mothra 1996
Mothra Leo
Mothra 2001
Mothra trademark icon Aqua Mothra copyright icon
Mothra® Leo
Mothra Leo's imago form in Rebirth of Mothra
Mothra Leo's larval form in Rebirth of Mothra
Rainbow Mothra in Rebirth of Mothra III
Aqua Mothra in Rebirth of Mothra II
Light Speed Mothra in Rebirth of Mothra III
Armor Mothra in Rebirth of Mothra III
Eternal Mothra in Rebirth of Mothra III
Name information
null
Alternate names Mothra, New Mothra, Mothra Excelled, Exceled Mothra, Excelled Mothra, Rebirth Mothra, Mothra (NewAge),
Yoroi Mothra,[1] Child MothraGI
Subtitle(s) Guardian Beast
(守護神獣,   Shugoshinjū)[2]
Guardian Deity of Greenery
(緑の守護神,   Midori no Shugojin)G:TB
Physical information
null
Species Divine Moth
Length 25 meters (Larva, Light Speed, Armor, Eternal),[2]
24 meters (Imago, Rainbow, Aqua),
17.8 centimeters (Micro)[3]
Wingspan 53 meters (Imago, Rainbow, Armor, Eternal),[2]
30 meters (Aqua, Light Speed),[2]
30 centimeters (Micro)[2]
Weight 3,000 metric tons (Larva),[2]
5,900 metric tons (Imago, Rainbow, Armor, Eternal),[2]
3,500 metric tons (Aqua, Light Speed)[2]
Forms Larval Stage, Imago Stage,
Rainbow Mothra, Aqua Mothra,
Micro Mothra, Light Speed Mode Mothra,
Armor Mothra, Eternal Mothra
Affiliation information
null
Relations Mothra (Mother), Baby Mothra (Sister)GI
Allies Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, King Caesar, Anguirus, Godzilla Junior, Gorosaurus, Baragon, Mechagodzilla, M.O.G.U.E.R.A.
Enemies Desghidorah, Dagahra, King Ghidorah, Destoroyah, Megalon, Battra, Hedorah, Mecha-King Ghidorah, Proto-Moguera, Hyper Mecha-King Ghidorah
Real world information
null
Created by Masumi Suetani, Okihiro Yoneda
Played by Puppets
Other information
null
First appearance Latest appearance
Rebirth of Mothra Godzilla Island
Roar(s)
LarvaImagoAquaArmorMore roars

Mothra Leo (新モスラ,   Shin Mosura, lit. New Mothra) is a divine moth kaiju created by Toho who first appeared in the 1996 Toho film, Rebirth of Mothra.

Born from an egg summoned by Mothra in her old age, Mothra Leo hatched prematurely to help his mother battle the evil Desghidorah after he was unleashed from his ancient tomb. The young larva fought Desghidorah but was severely outmatched. Mothra saved her son before he was washed away in a flood triggered by Desghidorah destroying a dam, and carried him safely out to sea, where her strength finally failed her and she drowned. Leo desperately tried to save his mother, but to no avail. Determined to avenge her, Leo cocooned himself and emerged in his more powerful imago form, then engaged in a rematch with Desghidorah, defeating him and successfully sealing him back in his tomb. The following year, Leo traveled to the Nilai-Kanai Temple to battle the toxic monster Dagahra, only to be soundly defeated. However, the monster Ghogo sacrificed himself to revive Leo and transform him into the more powerful Rainbow Mothra. Rainbow Mothra then transformed into Aqua Mothra and destroyed Dagahra. A year later, Rainbow Mothra faced King Ghidorah at Mount Fuji to rescue the many children the space monster had kidnapped. King Ghidorah was far too powerful a foe for Rainbow Mothra and nearly killed him. The Elias used their remaining strength to send Rainbow Mothra back in time to the Cretaceous, so he could battle King Ghidorah while he was younger and weaker. Rainbow Mothra defeated King Ghidorah but was severely wounded in the process. Several Primitive Mothras encased Rainbow Mothra in a cocoon, where he remained until the present day. When King Ghidorah reappeared in the present, Rainbow Mothra emerged from his cocoon as the more powerful Armor Mothra, and engaged in a final battle with his foe. Armor Mothra was able to vanquish the King of Terror and free his prisoners, then shed his armor to become Eternal Mothra and returned to Infant Island with Fairy and the Elias.

Mothra Leo was also featured as a resident of Godzilla Island in the television series of the same name. The son of Mothra, Leo defended his younger sister Baby Mothra from hostile monsters such as Battra, and fought alongside Godzilla and his allies to defend the island. In addition, Mothra Leo and his various forms appear in other officially licensed media including video games and card games.

Name

Mothra Leo is only ever referred to onscreen as Mothra (モスラ) in the Rebirth of Mothra trilogy. Most official Japanese sources call him New Mothra (新モスラ,   Shin Mosura)[4] or Rebirth Mothra (新生モスラ,   Shinsei Mosura), while others instead give him the name Mothra Excelled (モスラ・エクセルド,   Mosura Ekuserudo).[5] Two English variations of this name, Exceled Mothra and Excelled Mothra, are used in All Toho Monsters Pictorial Book.[4] The name "Mothra Leo" (モスラレオ,   Mosura Reo) originates from the title of a song sung by the Elias in Rebirth of Mothra as the monster forms his cocoon and emerges as an imago. While this name is never spoken onscreen to refer to the character, it was widely adopted by both Japanese and English-speaking fans to refer to this incarnation of Mothra. The name was finally used officially to refer to the character in the Toho DVD release for Rebirth of Mothra II, though it was spelled with an interpunct (モスラ・レオ). Each of Mothra Leo's different forms after his imago stage has its own distinct name, although only Aqua Mothra is individually trademarked.

In Japanese, Mothra Leo's forms are denoted as Rainbow Mothra (レインボーモスラ,   Reinbō Mosura),[2] Aqua Mothra (アクアモスラ,   Akua Mosura)[4] or Underwater Mode Mothra (水中モード・モスラ,   Suichū Mōdo Mosura),[2] Micro Mothra (ミクロモスラ,   Mikuro Mosura)[6] or Aqua Micro Mothra (アクア・ミクロモスラ,   Akua Mikuro Mosura),[2] Light Speed Mode Mothra (光速モード・モスラ,   Kōsoku Mōdo Mosura)[2] or Rainbow Mothra Light Speed Mode (レインボーモスラ・光速モード),[6] Armor Mothra (鎧モスラ,   Yoroi Mosura),[2] and Armor Mothra Eternal (鎧モスラ・エターナル,   Yoroi Mosura Etānaru)[2] or Eternal Mothra (エタナール・モスラ,   Etanāru Mosura).[7]

In the 1997 television series Godzilla Island, Mothra Leo is referred to as Child Mothra (子モスラ,   Ko Mosura) as a larva, but becomes known as New Mothra after maturing into his imago stage.

Additionally, Mothra Leo, including all of his forms, are given the subtitle Guardian Beast (守護神獣,   Shugoshinjū).[2] The 1998 video game Godzilla: Trading Battle also gives both the larva and imago forms of Leo the subtitle Guardian Deity of Greenery (緑の守護神,   Midori no Shugojin).

Design

Mothra Leo takes on many different forms and appearances over the course of the Rebirth of Mothra trilogy. In his larval form, Leo looks very similar to Mothra's larval form from Godzilla vs. Mothra, however he is lighter in color. After transforming into his imago form, Leo resembles his mother's imago form, but has several distinguishing features. His wings are somewhat more triangular and have different designs and color schemes. His abdomen is more rounded and less defined than Mothra's. Leo also has green eyes, three beads on his forehead, and feather-like antennae, resembling those of a male moth. After transforming into Rainbow Mothra in Rebirth of Mothra II, Leo's wings change from orange and green in color to all of the colors of the rainbow. As Aqua Mothra, Leo's appearance is more streamlined, and he lacks fur. Leo's wings are replaced with four fins, and he also gains fins on his tail.

In Rebirth of Mothra III, Rainbow Mothra's design changes. He now has a less bulky body, thinner legs, and backward-facing antennae. Leo's wings are a combination of blue, orange, black and white rather than all of the colors of the rainbow, and his eyes are blue rather than green. His form Light Speed Mothra looks almost identical to Aqua Mothra, but is blurry due to its quick movement. As Armor Mothra, Leo possesses a silvery armored shell around his body, with sharp jagged wings with different patterns. In his final form, Eternal Mothra, he looks very similar to Armor Mothra, only without the armored shell and with white fur all over his body.

Personality

Mothra Leo is a steadfast guardian of the Earth, charging into action whenever the Elias call upon him and fighting until his strength is spent, even against vastly more powerful foes. He is not above doing favors for individual humans as well, letting Taiki and Wakaba ride on him while he restored the Hokkaido rain forest, and clearing a path for the group who explored the Nilai-Kanai Temple to escape.

History

Heisei Series

Rebirth of Mothra

Mothra Leo Larva in Rebirth of Mothra

In the Rebirth of Mothra universe, Leo and Mothra were the last remaining members of a highly advanced species of giant moths created as guardians to the Elias, an ancient civilization of small yet powerful humanoids far older than humanity.

Mothra Leo Imago in Rebirth of Mothra

Leo first appeared as an egg laid by an aged and weakened Mothra in 1996. He hatched prematurely during a battle between his mother and a monster called Desghidorah and, despite being hopelessly outmatched in his larval form, attacked his mother's aggressor. After a long battle, the two managed to escape, though by that point, Mothra had been badly wounded, and she collapsed into the sea. Despite his best attempts to help her, Leo could do nothing as he watched his mother sink into the depths. Leo then retreated to a remote island where he cocooned himself against a 10,000 year old tree. After some time, Leo emerged as a swarm of multicolored butterflies which merged into one giant insect. Leo then flew to Hokkaido to do battle with Desghidorah, and arrived in a flurry of laser and energy beams. The demonic dragon could not stand against the power of the new Mothra and was soon defeated. With the help of the Seal of Elias, Leo imprisoned the beast once again within its ancient tomb. Leo then went on to replenish the land destroyed by Desghidorah, releasing a powder that sped up the growth of Hokkaido's flora. With the forests and fields returned to their original beauty, Leo returned to Infant island.


Rebirth of Mothra II

Rainbow Mothra in Rebirth of Mothra II
Aqua Mothra in Rebirth of Mothra II

Mothra Leo was called upon again when an ancient pollution-eating monster called Dagahra began infesting the ocean with toxic parasites called Barems. Leo attacked Dagahra and seemed to have the upper hand, until the battle was taken underwater. Unable to combat Dagahra in his element, Leo was overwhelmed by a swarm of Barem and awaited his opponents' killing blow. However, with the assistance of the Elias, Mothra Leo was replenished by the water spirit Ghogo and was transformed into a new form, Rainbow Mothra (レインボーモスラ,   Reinbō Mosura). Suffused with the water spirit's ancient magic, Rainbow Mothra re-entered the fray, relentlessly assaulting Dagahra. Yet, when the toxic one retreated below the waves, Rainbow Mothra followed suit and dove under the water, transforming himself into his new aqua form, Aqua Mothra (アクアモスラ,   Akua Mosura), and finishing off Dagahra. With his foe defeated, Rainbow Mothra then flew off into the horizon and thus, the world is once again safe.


Rebirth of Mothra III

Rainbow Mothra in Rebirth of Mothra III
Light Speed Mothra in Rebirth of Mothra III
Armor Mothra in Rebirth of Mothra III

Rainbow Mothra was awakened again to fight King Ghidorah when he was eating humans. The two fought, but Rainbow Mothra was quickly defeated. Rainbow Mothra was transformed into Light Speed Mothra (光速モード・モスラ,   Kōsoku Mōdo Mosura, lit. Light Speed Mode Mothra) and went back in time to kill King Ghidorah when he was weaker. He went back to the Cretaceous period, where he fought Cretaceous King Ghidorah. He defeated Cretaceous Ghidorah, but his tail was buried in the ground. Cretaceous Ghidorah regrew from the tail, and arrived in the present only a day later. Leo attacked King Ghidorah as Armor Mothra (鎧モスラ,   Yoroi Mosura), and killed him. Armor Mothra transformed into Eternal Mothra (エタナール・モスラ,   Etanāru Mosura) and flew away in peace.

Godzilla Island

Mothra Leo in Godzilla Island
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Abilities

Mothra Leo possesses considerably more abilities than his mother, which often vary depending on which form he takes.

Larva

  • Mothra Leo can spray webbing out of his mouth with a multicolored electrical aftershock.
  • Mega Breast Cannon: a powerful blue chest laser.
  • Mothra Leo is able to blend in with his surroundings.
  • Land speed is up to 40 kilometers per hour. Mothra Leo can also swim.

Imago

  • Fight at speeds up to Mach 15.5. The Excel Dash technique allows him to temporary reach Mach 85.
  • Cross Heat Lasers: a trio of thin beams emitted from the gems on his forehead.
  • Jade Bolts: electrical blasts fired from his wings. Usually used in conjunction with his debilitating Reflective Green Powder.
  • Mega Breast Cannon: a powerful blue chest laser capable of sending Dagahra hurtling through the air and vaporizing large swaths of water.
  • Mothra Leo is able to break apart into thousands of energized, 30.5-centimeter versions of himself.
  • Excel Pileload: jade rings released by spinning directly above an opponent.
  • Sparkling PryeRoad: a series of energy columns.
  • Sun Strike Buster: After raining down Reflective Green Powder in a circle, Mothra Leo can call forth a titanic beam of emerald energy to strike a foe below him.
  • Mothra Leo is able to dramatically speed up the growing process of plants, returning the Hokkaido rain forest to its original state in a matter of minutes.

Rainbow Mothra

Rainbow Mothra's Cross Heat Rainbow Laser
  • Flight at speeds up to Mach 15.5.
  • Cross Heat Rainbow Laser: a trio of thin beams emitted from the gems on his forehead, considerably stronger than his imago form's Cross Heat Lasers.
  • Mineral Chest Cannon: a powerful blue chest laser. A variant of this attack was used to cut off his Aqua form's Pressure Field and send Dagahra falling towards Nilai-Kanai Temple.
  • Rainbow Mothra can generate a Reflective Rainbow Powder from his wings which can paralyze and cause pain to his opponent.
  • Pressure Field: an invisible barrier capable of deflecting Dagahra's Irabushan Beam. However, it was unable to repel King Ghidorah's gravity beams or his younger form's fireballs.
  • Sparkling Rainbow Buster: energy bolts released by spinning towards an opponent.
  • Rainbow Mothra can transform into Aqua Mothra.

Aqua Mothra

  • Aqua Mothra's maximum swimming speed is 200 knots.
  • Flight.
  • Cross Heat Pulsar Beam: a trio of thin beams emitted from the gems on his forehead.
  • X-shaped energy blasts which form at Aqua Mothra's wings and fire from the head. They are usually blue, though there is a powerful orange variant as well.
  • Crescent Dash Beam: V-shaped energy blasts fired from his antennae.
  • Pressure Field: an invisible barrier capable of dissipating Dagahra's Irabushan Beams.
  • Aqua Mothra is able to break apart into thousands of energized, 30.5-centimeter versions of himself, each of which can use his own Cross Heat Pulsar Beam.
  • Aqua Mothra can generate a tractor beam in his wake, capable of lifting the 17,700-ton Dagahra out of the water and into the air.
  • Capable of transforming into either Rainbow Mothra or Light Speed Mothra.

Light Speed Mothra

  • Flight at speeds up to 186,000 miles per second.
  • Able to travel through time.
  • Capable of transforming into Rainbow Mothra.

Armor Mothra

  • Flight at speeds up to Mach 15.
  • Armor Mothra's carapace is incredibly strong, allowing him to shrug off the same attacks from King Ghidorah that devastated his Rainbow form.
  • His razor-sharp wings were able to remove one of King Ghidorah's wings with two slices.
  • Armor Cross Heat Laser: a concentrated blue beam fired from the gems on his forehead, strong enough to penetrate King Ghidorah's barrier.
  • Excel Dash Buster: Armor Mothra energizes himself and flies straight through an opponent, causing them to slowly turn to crystal and explode.
  • Capable of transforming into Eternal Mothra.

Eternal Mothra

  • Flight at speeds up to Mach 15.
  • With the aid of the Elias Triangle, Eternal Mothra was able to restore life to Moll.
  • As this form never fought another monster, his other abilities are unknown.

Filmography

Video Games

Gallery

Main article: Mothra Leo/Gallery.

Roar

Mothra Leo's roars consist primarily of altered Mothra roars, which have been modified to sound deeper and more masculine. As Armor Mothra, Leo's roar is very mechanical-sounding, sounding almost like a drill.

Mothra Leo's roars

Trivia

  • Mothra Leo has his own theme song, which he shares with Mothra.
  • In the English dubs for the Rebirth of Mothra trilogy, Leo's gender was changed from film to film. However, Mothra Leo is generally considered to be male, reflected by his name, more masculine-sounding roar, and fan-shaped antennae, while Mothra herself is female.
  • Rainbow Mothra appears on the cover of Godzilla: Save the Earth, despite only Mothra herself being featured in the game.

References

This is a list of references for Mothra Leo. 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. X160809068 1a.jpg
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 Toho Special Effects All Monster Encyclopedia. Shogakukan. 23 July 2014. pp. 98, 101, 103–105. ISBN 4-096-82090-3. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. Rebirth of Mothra II Super Complete Works. Shogakukan. 10 January 1998. p. 11. ISBN 978-4-09-101461-0. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 All Toho Monsters Pictorial Book. Yosensha. 4 September 2016. pp. 262, 266–267. ISBN 978-4-8003-0362-2. Unknown parameter |ed= ignored (|edition= suggested) (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)
    Exceled Mothra.png
  5. Uchusen YEAR BOOK 1997. Asahi Sonorama. February 28, 1997. pp. 9–10.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Toho Special Effects Movie Complete Works. Village Books. 28 September 2012. pp. 258, 262. ISBN 4-864-91013-8. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. Common Knowledge of Godzilla. Futabasha. 6 July 2014. p. 189. ISBN 978-4-575-30696-5. Check date values in: |date= (help)

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