Anguirus (GRA)

"What do you want?"

- Anguirus to Godzilla (Godzilla vs. Gigan)

Anguirus (アンギラス, Angirasu) is an ankylosaurus-like created by Toho that first appeared in the 1955 Godzilla film, Godzilla Raids Again.

Name
The original English name given to Anguirus by Toho was "Angilas", given the pronunciation of the name in Japan, which was changed to Anguirus in the 1959 American release of Godzilla Raids Again, with the film's title being changed to Gigantis, the Fire Monster. In the mid-1990s, Toho copyrighted the revised name "Anguirus," making it official.

Appearance
Anguirus is a four-legged dinosaur that looks similar to an ankylosaurus. He has several horns at the top of his head and a a single horn above his nose like a rhinoceros. His face is long and drawn out, like a crocodile, and has rows of jagged, serrated teeth. His carapace is studded with long, sharp spikes. Anguirus' tail is longer than his body and makes up most of his body length, and is covered with spikes. His hind limbs are longer than his forelimbs, enabling him to stand up on them to his full height, but he generally walks upon all fours.

Godzilla Raids Again
Anguirus was first awakened in Godzilla Raids Again, by Godzilla on a remote island, where they fought. Godzilla managed to defeat Anguirus, and he swam away to Japan. The two met each other again in Japan, where they fought. Godzilla killed Anguirus, and he returned to the sea.

Destroy All Monsters
In Destroy All Monsters, Anguirus was now living on Monsterland along with the other Earth monsters in the year 1999. The Earth was invaded by the Kilaaks, however, and he was sent to guard the aliens' earth base. The humans intervened, and freed the monsters from the alien mind control. Anguirus battled King Ghidorah once again, and managed to kill him with the other monsters.

Godzilla vs. Gigan
Almost 30 years after the events of Godzilla Raids Again, in Godzilla vs. Gigan, a new Anguirus arrived, this time to save Japan. Godzilla and Anguirus were now living on Monster Island, and Godzilla sent him to Japan to check on a strange noise they were hearing. Anguirus swam to the shores of Japan, where he was attacked by the military. The military managed to drive him off, but he returned to Monster Island to inform Godzilla. Godzilla returned with him to Japan, where they fought Gigan and King Ghidorah at the World Children's land. They defeated the enemy monsters, but were very badly injured in the process.

Godzilla vs. Megalon
Anguirus appeared briefly in Godzilla vs. Megalon, where he was seen on Monster Island with Godzilla and Rodan. The trio of monsters are resting on Monster Island when nuclear tests are carried out nearby, causing the island to split in half. Godzilla manages to escape, but Anguirus topples over onto Rodan, and they both fall into the growing fissure.

Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla
Three years later, in Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla, Anguirus, having been resting underground ever since he fell into the fissure a year previously, went to Japan to check on Godzilla. He noticed that something was not right, and Godzilla attacked him. Anguirus managed to scrape off some of Godzilla's skin, revealing a metallic shine underneath. The now-revealed Fake Godzilla attacked Anguirus brutally, throwing the monster around, then broke Anguirus' jaw, and he dug underground to heal.

Godzilla: Final Wars
In the year 2004, Anguirus was under the control of the Xiliens and was sent to attack Shanghai. He was attacked by the Karyu, but he proved too fast for it. He continued to fight against the humans, but he was recalled by the Xiliens. After the trust was broken between humanity and the aliens, Anguirus was set lose on Shanghai once again. He battled the Karyu and destroyed it when he curled into a ball and slammed into it. Once Godzilla was awoken again, Anguirus, Rodan, and King Caesar were sent to stop him. Anguirus fought most of the battle while curled up, allowing him to be kicked into Godzilla by King Caesar. Godzilla defeated them all, leaving them unconscious.

Abilities
Anguirus does not have any "special" abilities in particular, so he uses his teeth, claws, horns, and spiked carapace as his weapons, contributing to his appeal among fans of more "natural"-seeming monsters. He has been known to hurl himself backwards at a foe, ramming them with his spiny carapace (Godzilla vs. Gigan). He is also capable of burrowing substantial distances (Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla). Recently, the Anguirus that appeared in Godzilla: Final Wars has shown the ability to curl himself into a ball and propel himself at tremendous speed.

Anguirus possess astounding stamina and determination, able to keep fighting after absorbing vicious assaults that would force other monsters into retreat. Despite repeatedly facing more powerful opponents than himself, most notably Godzilla, King Ghidorah, and MechaGodzilla, he has never retreated from a fight without first taking substantial punishment. The finest example of Anguirus' persistence was his attack on King Ghidorah in Destroy All Monsters, in which he pierced the dragon's right-most neck with his jaws and held firm on even as his foe took to the air, letting go only when King Ghidorah bit Anguirus' own neck. The same scene occurred as stock footage in Godzilla vs Gigan. Despite suffering the great fall, Anguirus resumed his attack once the space dragon was grounded, showing no discernible fatigue. A similar incident occurred in Godzilla vs. Megalon, in which Rodan and Anguirus fall into a fissure in the ground, with Anguirus managing to survive the fall and presumably remain hidden from human detection until he was shown encountering Fake Godzilla.

Despite his tenacity, Anguirus has never won a fight without the assistance of Godzilla. By the 1970s, his appearances were utilized to demonstrate how powerful the then new opponent was, highlighting the threat. This is especially pronounced in Godzilla vs. Gigan, in which Anguirus bravely but ineffectively attacked both Gigan and King Ghidorah during the "tag-team" final battle, requiring Godzilla's aid to finish off both foes. The primary reason for this occurrence is that Anguirus was chosen by the film's producers to act as a stand-in for other monsters whose suits were well beyond repair at the time, particularly Baragon. Anguirus would fill in for for his fellow quadruped again in Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla, where he showcased Baragon's burrowing abilities despite the lack of precedent in his earlier appearances.

In the video games Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee and Godzilla: Save the Earth, Anguirus is finally given a "sonic roar", a roar which is loud enough to hurt monsters and destroy military weapons. It can also destroy, and even pass right through, buildings and rocks. In the former game, Anguirus' rage attack involves him charging his spikes with some undefined energy, then jumping far up into the air, shooting them off while performing multiple flips. In the latter, it is simply a variant of his "rolling" attack used in the first game as well as Godzilla: Final Wars.

It appears that, according to a 1955 Japanese manga adaptation of Godzilla Raids Again, which was contemporary with the film, Anguirus may have been originally conceived as a fire-breather as he his depicted several times breathing some sort of flame. Also, the way Anguirus' shell flops around in Godzilla Raids Again, partially split in two and loose from his back, is depicted in the artwork as well, leading to the belief that this may have been intentional, rather than a costume design flaw. When the second Anguirus appeared in Destroy All Monsters, these traits were not present nor alluded to.

Filmography

 * Godzilla Raids Again
 * Destroy All Monsters
 * Godzilla vs. Gigan
 * Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla
 * Godzilla Island (TV series)
 * Godzilla: Final Wars

Video Game Appearances

 * Monsters of Monsters (Scraped)
 * Gojira-Kun
 * Godzilla (Gameboy)
 * Godzilla (Arcade) (Cameo)
 * Kaiju-Oh Godzilla
 * Godzilla: Archipelago Shock
 * Godzilla: Giant Monster March
 * Godzilla: Monster War
 * Godzilla Trading Battle
 * Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee
 * Godzilla: Save the Earth
 * Godzilla: Unleashed (Wii and PlayStation 2)
 * Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash

Godzilla: Unleashed
Height:80 meters Weight:54,000 tons

"Anguirus is a loyal Earth Defender. Although he is neither the largest, strongest, or fastest of Earth's vanguard, he possesses a tenacity of spirit that makes him a fearsome opponent for any monster. Anguirus can stun nearby opponents with his fearsome Sonic Roar, or use his powerful jaws to leave an impression. Anguirus' most unique attribute is his ultra-hard spiked carapace, which can parry any physical attack and inflict heavy edged damage in response. Anguirus can tuck his head and limbs beneath his shell and roll forward-this offers him excellent resistance to attack and allows him to plow through terrain and opponents alike. When the earth is threatened, Godzilla will come to its defense-and Anguirus will be right beside him, until the end."

Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters
Anguirus appears in Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters. He appears in Mexico and travels to the United States, where he engages Godzilla in battle in California. After being defeated by Godzilla, Anguirus heads east, eventually encountering MechaGodzilla, who defeats him as well.

Godzilla: Ongoing
Anguirus appears in Godzilla: Ongoing, where he is initially seen attacking Edinburgh, Scotland. Boxer and his "Kaiju Kill Crew" intercept Anguirus and try to take him down using their "headache beams." Anguirus puts up a vicious fight against Boxer's team but is eventually neutralized and transported to Monster Island, where the U.S. military is collecting giant monsters for unknown purposes. When the space monsters Hedorah, Gigan, SpaceGodzilla, and Monster X attack Earth, Boxer's estranged son steals Kiryu and flies him to Monster Island to break out Anguirus and the other Earth monsters. Anguirus heads to Hong Kong, where he joins up with Rodan to battle Gigan. Anguirus sustains gruesome wounds in the battle, but with Rodan's help he is able to defeat Gigan, leaving the cyborg blinded with a shattered visor.

Godzilla: The Half-Century War
Anguirus appears in Godzilla: The Half-Century War Issue 2, where he appears in Vietnam and does battle with Godzilla. Anguirus fights fiercely, but retreats from the battle after Godzilla begins to beat him.

Godzilla: Legends
Anguirus appears in Godzilla: Legends issue #1. As a city is attacked by Destoroyah, a scientist named Dr. Anders uses an experimental device to try and call Godzilla to the city to fight. While the device works, it calls Anguirus instead. Anguirus attacks Destoroyah, even though Destoroyah is much larger and stronger. Even with Anguirus' perseverance, and Dr. Anders' second attempt at using the G-signaler, Destoroyah is too powerful for them to do any lasting damage. He almost kills Anguirus until Col. Matsumiya uses a helicopter to send a huge tank of freon to smash into Destoroyah. Anguirus then rolls into a ball and slams into the partially frozen Destoroyah, defeating it and scoring his first victory over another. Afterwards, Godzilla arrives and it seems that Anguirus and he will face off, but Godzilla displays respect towards Anguirus, at least knowing there's a bigger threat to go after.

Godzilla: Rulers of Earth
In Godzilla: Rulers of Earth, Anguirus is considered a land monster that was frozen in an ice cap until he was reawakened along with all the other Earth monsters.

In Rulers of Earth 14, Anguirus is ambushed by a MechaGodzilla that was built by the Cryog leader disguised as a Russian warmonger. The mecha badly wounds Anguirus and nearly snaps his jaw. Eventually, MechaGodzilla blasts Anguirus with several weapons and leaves him for dead. When Lucy Casprell and her team arrive, they discover that Anguirus is still alive and send Kiryu to retrieve him and bring to the Monster Islands. Kiryu is suddenly given new orders to bring Anguirus to a Russian facility, and flies off with the downed saurian. Along the way, Kiryu is shot down by a group of more MechaGodzillas near a robotics facility in Russia. Anguirus manages to escape Kiryu's grip and enters the facility, which the Cryog leader has converted into an arena where Godzilla is doing battle with Mecha-King Ghidorah and more MechaGodzillas. Anguirus joins the battle alongside Godzilla. Godzilla uses Anguirus as a club and slams him into Ghidorah's chest, critically damaging him. Eventually, Godzilla destroys the remaining MechaGodzillas while Mecha-King Ghidorah retreats. Godzilla and Anguirus then leave the arena together, but not before Godzilla completely destroys it with his atomic breath.

Godzilla: Cataclysm
Anguirus appears in a flashback in Godzilla: Cataclysm Issue 1, where he is seen battling Manda in Tokyo, while several other monsters battle each other as well.

Sightings

 * Anguirus roar was used in many video game series such as Street Fighter and Metroid.
 * Anguirus' roars were reused for the Draygon boss of the Metroid series.
 * In Dairanger, Daimugen reuses Anguirus' roar.

In Other Languages

 * Basque: Erraldoien
 * Serbian: Ангуирус
 * Yiddish: אַנגוירוס
 * Russian: Ангирус
 * Chinese: 安吉拉斯

Trivia

 * Despite being referred to as an ankylosaur, Anguirus actually resembles a mix of a crocodile, nodosaur, and a styracosaurus.
 * Anguirus was the second in the Godzilla series.
 * Anguirus was the first to be killed by Godzilla.
 * Anguirus is the very first monster Godzilla ever fights, and years later a new Anguirus would come and befriend Godzilla.
 * Before his appearance in Godzilla: Final Wars, Toho planned to use Anguirus twice in the Millennium series and once in the Heisei series. First, he was supposed to appear in Godzilla vs. Ghost Godzilla, which was supposed to be the last film in the Heisei series. In the Millennium series, he first was one of the Guardian Monsters, the God of the Sea, in Godzilla X Varan, Baragon and Anguirus: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, the original version of Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack. He was cut when Toho decided they could make a larger profit if they replaced him for a more popular : Mothra. Again, in Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., he was originally the monster found washed up dead on the beach with a large neck wound received from Godzilla. However, Toho replaced him with Kamoebas out of concerns that fans would take offense to such an appearance.
 * A scene in Godzilla: Final Wars of Godzilla destroying Rodan, Anguirus, and King Caesar was not filmed, making Anguirus one of the only five surviving monsters at the end of Final Wars. The film originally had Godzilla destroy the three monsters. Because they were spared, fans hypothesize that Godzilla spares them because they were his allies in the past.
 * Along with Rodan, Anguirus is considered to be Godzilla's closest ally.
 * During early production of the Godzilla vs. Ghost Godzilla in 1995, Anguirus was originally planned to appear, but due to fact that Godzilla fought against creatures that simply resembled him, the project was dropped and Anguirus didn't appear in another Godzilla film until 2004. Even though Anguirus didn't appear in the Heisei era, there is concept art commissioning on how he would have looked like.

Poll
Do you like Anguirus? Yes! No. Kind of.