Behemoth

"Look at him. You think we have the right to just kill a god?"

- Mariko (Godzilla: King of the Monsters - The Official Movie Novelization)

Behemoth, also dubbed Titanus Behemoth, is a prehistoric giant mammoth-ground sloth created by Legendary Pictures that appears in Legendary's 2019 film, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, as a minor Titan obeying Ghidorah and later Godzilla.

Name
Behemoth's name likely refers to the Biblical use, where the "Behemoth" is a giant land animal often interpreted as a mammoth, created by God as a demonstration of power - the counterpart to the Leviathan. It may also be referring to the primary definition of "behemoth", a huge and monstrous creature. The word itself derives from Behemah, the hebrew word for beast.

Behemoth's other name, Mapinguary, is an ape-sloth Bigfoot-like cryptid in South American folklore with mammoth fur - Behemoth resembles this, but with tusks, and without the one eye or second mouth on his stomach that the Mapinguary has. It is strongly implied that sightings of the Mapinguary in South America are actually sightings of Behemoth, which is why the locals call him Mapinguary.

Appearance
Behemoth resembles a prehistoric ground sloth with large, curled tusks resembling those of a mammoth, knuckle-walking in a way reminiscent to that of a gorilla. He seems to be light brown in colour, and is covered in mammoth fur, while his head is that of a mammoth with a short, tapir-like trunk. Behemoth also has a row of small flat spines running down his back. The ends of his forelimbs are tipped with broad fingers bearing very large claws, with the hindlimbs being stouter for weight bearing; due to this, Behemoth is capable of standing on his hindlimbs. Behemoth's tusks also appear to have some sort of green algae or vines growing on them.

Portrayal
It is believed that Behemoth is portrayed through CGI and keyframe animation, although the portrayal is currently undefined. Behemoth moves slowly and heavily like a mammoth, walking like a gorilla, but he has been shown to be capable of charging with enough force to demolish buildings in his path in the manner of an elephant.

Roar
In the novelization of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Behemoth roars. In the film, he lets out low, elephant-like rumbles.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters
In Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Behemoth is contained and monitored in Monarch Outpost 58, in a cavern in the Tingua Preserve, Brazil. Designated "Titanus Behemoth" (although he is known to the locals as Mapinguary), his file is briefly examined by Mark Russell. Later, Behemoth is woken by the calls of his new Alpha, Ghidorah, and he, along with the other Titans (excluding Godzilla, Mothra, and Kong), is sent to hunt, moving as a pack with his new allies. Behemoth himself rams into buildings in Rio de Janeiro, demolishing them with his tusks. Soon, Madison Russell activates the ORCA in Boston, and Behemoth is one of the Titans to make the journey. Incapable of moving quickly enough to arrive in time to help his Alpha, Behemoth arrives to see Godzilla having killed Ghidorah. Although the first to confront Godzilla, Behemoth follows Rodan in bowing down to his new Alpha with Scylla, Methuselah, and MUTO 3.

News reports later mention that Behemoth is having a positive impact on the environment, including the deforested regions of the Amazon, due to his feces being an effective fertilizer.

Durability
Behemoth's fur is essentially fireproof, as fire cannot burn on it. Very little of the heat from the fire actually affects Behemoth's skin, which makes it merely a nuisance.

Reforestation
Behemoth's movement leaves behind trace amounts of radiation which, as a result, grow jungle-like foliage in his path. One noticeable example of this was when clear-cut portions of the Amazon rainforest spawned due to Behemoth's radiation.

Strength and Combat
Behemoth can use his strong and sharp tusks to destroy buildings with ease. He can also attack with the claws on his front limbs while standing on his hind legs.

Trivia

 * The outpost Behemoth is contained in, Monarch Outpost 58, may be a reference to the 1958 Toho film Varan.
 * The sound system used on-set for Godzilla: King of the Monsters to create Titan roars was nicknamed "Behemoth".
 * Michael Dougherty created Behemoth as a companion mammal for Kong, feeling that too many Toho monsters were reptiles or insects. A mammoth was chosen because of Dougherty's fascination with woolly mammoths, but elements of sloth and primate were added to stop Behemoth from being just a giant mammoth.
 * Early in production, Behemoth was a giant six-tusked mammoth with vegetation-like growths on his legs, and he appeared to have a wilder and more crazed disposition.
 * Behemoth's ability to create new plant-life in his path may be a reference to the Shishigami from the 1997 anime film, Princess Mononoke.

Films

 * Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Novels

 * Godzilla: King of the Monsters - The Official Movie Novelization