King Ghidorah (GtTHM)

King Ghidorah (キングギドラ, Kingu Gidora?), sometimes spelled Ghidrah or Ghidora, is a daikaiju featured in several of Toho Studios' Godzilla films and (in derivative forms) in the Mothra Trilogy. King Ghidorah is among the most powerful creatures in daikaiju eiga with a reputation that has earned it the title "The King of Terror". It is often considered Godzilla's greatest rival. Indeed, so awesome is King Ghidorah's destructive power that Godzilla is often required to ally himself with another kaiju, even several kaiju, before engaging the three-headed monster in battle. One exception to this theme occurred in the 1991 film Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, which resulted in Godzilla defeating King Ghidorah, as well as severing King Ghidorah's middle head. Despite this setback, however, King Ghidorah is one of the few daikaiju who is more than a match for Godzilla under most circumstances, though there have been other monsters such as Hedorah, Destoroyah, Spacegodzilla, and Mechagodzilla 2 who have been equally formidable opponents for Godzilla. King Ghidorah is also one of the daikaiju most often mind controlled; it acts completely autonomously in three movies, in other appearances being controlled for most of its screen time by aliens.

Created as an opponent for Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra in 1964's Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster,King Ghidorah is a golden dragon-like space monster with two legs, three heads on long necks, bat-like wings, and two tails. It was said to be 100 meters tall with a 150-meter wingspan weighs 30,000 metric tons in the showa era. King Ghidorah was brought to life on the movie screen by a stunt actor inside an elaborate three-piece costume, with a team of puppeteers to control the beast's many appendages. Its alarming shrieks — a different ringing pitch for each of its heads — are among the genre's most recognizable sound effects. Its design is due to special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya based on a minimal description in the script: "It has three heads, two tails, and a voice like a bell."

In recent films, King Ghidorah has undergone several revisions to its origin and appearance — for instance, a 150-meter tall irradiated triplet of genetically-engineered pets with a Rodan-like cackle, called Dorats in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, and a 49-meter-tall guardian monster in Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack — and has been realized via CGI as well as suitmation.

Shōwa era


King Ghidorah was created by the Garogans and was given to the Xiliens (for some unknown reason) which the sent King Ghidorah to Earth to weaken it's forces and take it over without any trouble. But the Xiliens did not know of Earth's Monsters. King Ghidorah was destined to be given to different alien races losing his history on the way.

Initially,King Ghidorah was said to have come from outer space, an ancient evil responsible for destroying civilizations on many planets, including Venus (Mars in the English dub), as well as many planets themselves. Arriving on Earth in a magnetic meteorite,King Ghidorah devastated much of the Japanese countryside before being repelled by the monstrous team of Godzilla, Mothra, and Rodan. In the follow-up movie, Invasion of Astro-Monster, it was revealed to be a mind-controlled pawn of beings from Planet X, a newly discovered planet in Jupiter's umbra, who called it Monster Zero. These "Xilians" coveted Earth's water resources and took control of Godzilla and Rodan in an attempt to conquer Earth. However, the human characters intervened by freeing the monsters, and after a fight with Godzilla and Rodan, King Ghidorah flew back into space. While generally accepted as a victory for Godzilla and Rodan, some have argued that King Ghidorah actually won the encounter and left of his own accord, maybe because he was too injured to continue attacking Earth. Some have looked to the fact that in the next film Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, Godzilla is found on an island supposedly dead but others fans say that Godzilla is recovering or sleeping.

It made two more appearances in the Shōwa Series, both times as an agent of alien invaders. In Destroy All Monsters, controlled by the Kilaaks, it fought and was apparently killed by the combined might of ten of Earth's daikaiju. In Godzilla vs. Gigan, Space Hunter from Nebula M, found the dormant King Ghidorah and restored him back to health. King Ghidorah then teamed up with Gigan in a battle against Godzilla and Anguirus. It should be noted, though, that Destroy All Monsters was set in the year 1999, while Godzilla vs. Gigan is to all appearances set in the early 1970s.

King Ghidorah also appeared in two episodes of the tokusatsu superhero TV series, Meteor Man Zone. He appeared in two back-to-back episodes, and was one of the few monsters to survive his encounter with Zone Fighter.

Heisei era
The kaiju was revamped for 1991's Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, third in the VS Series. Time-travelers from the 23rd century (called "Futurians") released three genetically-engineered Dorats (or Drats) onto Lagos Island, the location at which a Godzillasaurus was to be exposed to radiation from hydrogen bomb testing and become Godzilla. Instead, the irradiated Dorats fused into Ghidorah, which the Futurians then used to devastate present-day (1992) Japan. The marauder was defeated by a reincarnated Godzilla; this newer Godzilla was larger and more powerful than ever before owing to long term exposure to nuclear waste and an encounter with a modern nuclear submarine. Even so, Ghidorah appeared to be winning the battle until its controlling computer was sabotaged. Godzilla recovered and blasted off the monster's middle head. Ghidorah fell into the ocean, where it remained comatose for hundreds of years.

Mecha-King Ghidorah
Mecha-King Ghidorah (Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, 1991) The Futurian Emi Kano recovered the beast in 2204 and, from its body and futuristic technology, created the cyborg Mecha-King Ghidorah (メカキングギドラ, Meka Kingu Gidora?), equipped with solar-paneled wings, an entirely mechanical middle head, and several devices specifically designed for combat with Godzilla. This incarnation managed to stun Godzilla with its Capture Cables, grasp it with the giant Machine Hand, and carry it out to sea. Godzilla finally blasted the monster at point-blank range, crippling it, and both plummeted into the water. Godzilla would return the following year (Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth), but King Ghidorah would not appear again in the Versus series. The cybernetic remains of Mecha-King Ghidorah, however, would later be studied by the United Nations Godzilla Countermeasures Center (U.N.G.C.C.) and the technology used to design and construct Mechagodzilla 2 (Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II) and M.O.G.U.E.R.A. (Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla).

Mothra Trilogy
In 1996's Rebirth of Mothra, a similar monster called Desghidorah or Death Ghidorah (デスギドラ, Desugidora?) appears as a black, quadrapedal (four-legged), three-headed dragon who could breathe fire and lava bolts and open fissures into the Earth as well as absorb energy from the planet it was destroying. It was defeated and sealed away millions of years in the past, but was accidentally freed in the present. Mothra defeated it and sealed it away, making the world safe from its evil. Ghidorah was portrayed via CGI in this film series.

King Ghidorah reappeared in 1998's Rebirth of Mothra III, resuming his world-destroying roots from the Showa Era. Having come from outer space and responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs (although Desghidorah was also credited with that), he returns in the present day as a older and more powerful Grand King Ghidorah (グランドギドラ, Gurando Gidora?, Grand Ghidorah). No-match for Grand King Ghidorah in the present, Mothra battled the younger, weaker Cretaceous King Ghidorah in prehistoric times as well to negate the existence of the current-age Ghidorah. At first it worked, but the tail of Cretaceous King Ghidorah which was lost in a battle against Mothra regenerated over time and began a second Grand King Ghidorah, which Mothra destroyed after receiving more power.

Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack
King Ghidorah appeared in the third of the Millennium Series of Godzilla films, 2001's Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack. Ghidorah adopted yet another origin for this film, as one of three legendary guardians of the Japanese isles, similar to the eight-headed dragon Yamata no Orochi of Japanese mythology. (In fact, the three-headed Ghidorah in this film is said to be underdeveloped, awakened from hibernation before it could grow all eight of its heads.) Godzilla again attacks Japan and is repelled by the combined might of the guardian monsters (Baragon, Mothra, and Ghidorah) and the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Despite killing all three Yamato Beasts and decimating the JSDF, the spirits of the three Guardians entered Godzilla's body, stunning him long enough to allow General Tachibana to burrow his way out of Godzilla after internally firing a D-03 missile (explosive drill). This eventually killed him when he tried to use his atomic beam again after it burst out the inflicted hole in his shoulder and finally caused Godzilla to vaporize himself from within. This film was the first time that King Ghidorah was depicted as a hero, rather than a villain. It was also the first time that King Ghidorah was physically portrayed as being smaller than Godzilla.

Godzilla: Final Wars
In Godzilla: Final Wars, a skeletal-looking monster called Monster X (モンスターX, Monsatā Ekkusu?) appears and clashes with Godzilla. As their fight seems to end in a tie, Monster X transforms into a massive, gold and black, quadrepedal Ghidorah called Keizer Ghidorah (カイサーギドラ, Kaisā Gidora?), who unleashes his golden gravity rays upon Godzilla and uses them to hurl the Monster King across the devastated landscape. He then attacks Godzilla with his own massive weight and then seizes him in his deadly maw, siphoning Godzilla's life away. Godzilla is brought back from the brink by the mutant Ozaki, and manages to overpower Ghidorah and hurl him into the air, sending him hurtling into space on a massive energy ray and causing him to explode. In his character design logo, Keizer Ghidorah is referred to as Monster X II for reasons unknown, although it is possible that at the time of the logo's creation, Toho was still trying to protect Monster X's true identity before the release of the film.

Popularity
King Ghidorah consistently ranks as viewers' favorite daikaiju in the Godzilla films (2nd to Godzilla). This fame, coupled with the unimpressive box office run of Godzilla vs Biollante (1989), inspired Kazuki Omori to revive Ghidorah for the 1991 sequel.

Ghidorah (often also as Mecha-King Ghidorah) has appeared in several Godzilla video games:

Godzilla: Monster of Monsters

Super Godzilla (also "Mecha")

Godzilla: Battle Legends (also "Mecha")

Godzilla Giant Monster March (also "Mecha")

Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee (also "Mecha")

Godzilla: Domination (also "Mecha")

Godzilla: Save the Earth (also "Mecha")

Godzilla: Unleashed (also "Mecha")

Ghidorah also appears often in pop culture, for instance as Godzilla's adversary in a special effects shoot depicted in Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. It is also the namesake of both Daniel Dumile's alter-ego "King Gheedorah" and (presumably) the Japanese rap group King Gidora. "Monster Zero" is referenced in Rob Zombie's "The Great American Nightmare". In an Episode of The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, an obvious spoof, named Kittyra, fights with Cragera, a spoof of Gamera. In Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest, there is a 3-headed Chimera-like boss monster named 'Ghidrah', apparently a nod to the famous monster. Stock footage of Ghidorah was frequently employed in the cartoon Courage the Cowardly Dog. In The Emperor's New School episode, Kronk Moves In, Yzma's alligator turns into the shape of Ghidorah because of her "Ghidorah potion" she threw by accident.

Abilities
King Ghidorah has had a number of changes made to himself over the years, but most of his traditional battle characteristics have remained the same. His different forms in the different movies have their own abilities.

King Ghidorah(original and normal form):Flight at mach 3; able to fire Gravity beams from its mouths; hurricane winds from wings; constricting necks

Mecha King Ghidorah:Antigravity flight at mach 4; able to fire Gravity beams from its mouths on the left and right head; can fire a Laser Triple beam from the central head; equipped with Godzilla Capture Cables and the large Machine Hand restraint that can also discharge electricity

Keizer Ghidorah:Able to fire Gravity beams from its mouths; can drain energy through its bite

DesGhidorah:Able to breath Hell's Flame from its middle head; can fire Lava Gout energy bolts from all three-heads; able to perform Shock Pulse, a powerful shockwave emitted from all over the body; can send a electric surge through its bites; able to do Fiery Prye Road by causing the ground to split open and release flames from within the earth;fly at mach 23

Cretaceous King Ghidorah:Fireballs from mouths; flight at mach 3; hurricane winds from wings; can travel in space by encasing itself within a meteor using the extracted life essences it consumes; able to grow his body back from severed parts

Grand King Ghidorah:Flight at mach 3; hurricane winds from wings; gravity beams from mouths; able to fly even with the loss of its wings using a zero gravity field; scales manipulate the light from projectiles to form a protective barrier; can shoot six bolts of electricity from each wing; able to create a dome that allows objects to pass through, yet has a corrosive effect when they try to leave; dome's exterior is laced with tentacles; can teleport smaller beings inside the dome; able to travel in space by encasing itself within a meteor using the extracted life essences it consumes; can install a weak mind control

Breath Weapons
King Ghidorah is able to fire off powerful beams of what looks like electrical bolts of energy from each mouth, sometimes referred to as "Gravity Beams." The Gravity Beams have lived up to their name in Zone Fighter and Godzilla Final Wars, where they were able to lift opponents and objects off the ground and throw them around or bring them closer. Different incarnations have different looking beams, but they all function similarly. Death Ghidorah was able to breathe a stream of intensely hot flames from its middle head, known as Hell's Flame. In Rebirth of Mothra 3, Cretaceous Ghidorah had Fire Breath instead of the regular energy bolts.

Wing lightning
In Rebirth of Mothra 3, Grand King Ghidorah was able to project six bolts of lightning from each of his wings.

Golden armor
Ghidorah has armored scales that provide him with some degree of protection. However, it does not guarantee total invulnerabilty. In Rebirth of Mothra 3 these scales were reflective and repelled even the strongest of Mothra Leo's attacks. Death Ghidorah's black scales appeared to be a tough armor that could shrug off all but the strongest attacks.

In Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, Godzilla was able to sever one of Ghidorah's necks and burn a hole right through his left wing. In Destroy All Monsters, Anguirus used his tusks and fangs to lacerate one of the monster's necks.

In Godzilla Mothra King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, Godzilla drew blood as he bit down on one of Ghidorah's necks. Also at the end of the movie Ghidorah is incinerated by a point-blank blast of Godzilla's nuclear breath. It seems worth mentioning that in this movie Ghidorah did NOT appear to have the standard armor scales. It had either a weaker version or no armor at all.

Hurricane winds
Ghidorah is able to create hurricane-strength winds by standing and flapping his wings, or by gliding over an area at a low altitude. Ghidorah can reach interplanetary velocities, although his atmospheric speed is assumed to be roughly Mach 3 (this may represent a comfortable maneuvering speed for the monster).

Assorted other abilities
The Showa era King Ghidorah had the ability to generate what appeared to be magnetic fields, but what were stated to not be, and instead be a "mysterious pulling power". While it was never stated directly what purpose they served, it was stated that they were somehow connected to its powers. It seems possible that it used them as a form of levitation. In Rebirth of Mothra, Death Ghidorah had an explosive ability that allowed it to open fissures in the Earth's crust. In Rebirth of Mothra 3, Grand King Ghidorah appeared to have a range of Psionic abilities, allowing it to teleport small objects and giving telekinetic capabilities, strong enough for King Ghidorah to levitate. In Godzilla: Final Wars, Kaizer Ghidorah was able to drain lifeforce, using it to nearly kill Godzilla in the movie. He could also control the movements of his beams and use them to pick up and throw Godzilla.

Related Articles

 * Mecha-King Ghidorah
 * Desghidorah
 * Grand King Ghidorah
 * Keizer Ghidorah
 * Cretaceous King Ghidorah

Cultural References
King Ghidorah appears in Courage the Cowardly Dog when LeQuack turns on a TV with King Ghidorah on it, and fire shoots from the TV. In an episode of The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, Billy wishes he could be a giant monster when he faces Kittyrah, a three-headed cat monster which is obviously a parody of King Ghidorah.