The Anguirus (アンギラス Angirasu?) of the Showa era is a mutated Ankylosaurus kaiju created by Toho who first appeared in the 1955 Godzilla film, Godzilla Raids Again.
Name
Anguirus' Japanese name, Angirasu (アンギラス), comes from the Japanese spelling of the name of the dinosaur genus Ankylosaurus (アンキロサウルス Ankirosaurusu), upon which the monster's design is based. The name was chosen from several names proposed by employees of Toho during production of Godzilla Raids Again.
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.
Design
ShodaiAngira
Anguirus is a four-legged dinosaur-like creature who combines the features of an Ankylosaurus, a Styracosaurus, and a crocodile. He has several horns at the top of his head and a single rhino-like horn above his nose. His face is elongated with a long snout bearing rows of jagged, serrated teeth and 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 also 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 acts as a quadruped.
This design, the "ShodaiAngira", comes from the words shodai, meaning first generation, and Angira, which comes from Angirasu.
SoshingekiAngira
Compared to the previous Anguirus design, Anguirus' appearance in Destroy All Monsters has a wider, more muscular neck. The eyes are larger, giving Anguirus a more heroic appearance, just like the Godzilla it appeared alongside. Except for a pair of fangs, its teeth are shorter than its predecessor's. The carapace, which no longer moves independently of the rest of the suit, is lined with uneven rows of spikes.
This design was also used for Anguirus' brief appearance in the opening of Godzilla vs. Megalon. The suit's fangs were removed for its appearance in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla. This suit is also known as the GiganAngira (ガイガンアンギラ?) in Godzilla vs. Gigan, the MegaroAngira (メガロアンギラ?) in Godzilla vs. Megalon, and the MekaAngira (メカアンギラ?) in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla.
Its name, SoshingekiAngira, comes from the film's Japanese title, specifically sōshingeki, meaning attack of the marching [monsters], and Angira, which comes from Anguirus' Japanese name, Angirasu.
Roar
Anguirus' common roar is very akin to a loud shriek, over a deep bellow.
Personality
Anguirus is depicted as a very tenacious and fierce fighter. Despite constantly going up against enemies tougher than himself, Anguirus rarely backs down and always puts up a vicious fight. Despite his fierce nature, Anguirus has traditionally been shown in various media as being a close friend of Godzilla. While many of Godzilla's allies have had to work with him out of necessity, such as Mothra and Rodan, Anguirus and Godzilla appear to have a genuine friendship, despite initially being enemies. This is most pronounced in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, where Anguirus senses that the Godzilla roaming Japan is not the monster he knows and attacks it, with a character even mentioning that it's strange to see Anguirus attack "his friend" Godzilla.
Origins
It is suggested that Anguirus is a relative of the dinosaur Ankylosaurus that lived around the same time as Godzilla. Like Godzilla, Anguirus managed to survive into the modern day by lying dormant somewhere, presumably underwater, before being awakened and irradiated by nuclear bomb tests in the 1950s. This origin is never discussed further or contradicted in subsequent films.
History
Godzilla Raids Again
Anguirus in Godzilla Raids Again
Anguirus first encountered Godzilla in Godzilla Raids Again, on Iwato Island. The two ancient creatures fought then fell into the sea below and disappeared. After some research was carried out, Anguirus was revealed to be an ancient and incredibly strong dinosaur from the Cretaceous Period. The two kaiju resurfaced and met each other again in Osaka, Japan, where they fought. After a fierce and destructive battle, Godzilla gained the upper hand when he bit Anguirus in his neck then threw him into a moat near Osaka Castle, before finishing him off with his atomic breath.
Destroy All Monsters
Anguirus in 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
Anguirus in Godzilla vs. Gigan
Almost 20 years after the events of Godzilla Raids Again, in Godzilla vs. Gigan, Godzilla and Anguirus were now living together on Monster Island. Whether this was the same Anguirus that fought Godzilla in 1955 or a different Anguirus entirely is never explained. 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. Despite being badly injured in the battle, Godzilla and Anguirus drove off the space monsters and returned to Monster Island in peace.
Godzilla vs. Megalon
Anguirus in 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 were resting on Monster Island when nuclear tests were carried out nearby, causing the island to split in half. Godzilla managed to escape, but Anguirus toppled over and fell into the growing fissure.
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
Anguirus in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
Three years later, in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, Anguirus, having been resting and travelling underground ever since he fell into the fissure a year earlier, traveled to Japan in search of Godzilla. Anguirus knew something wasn't right, when he saw his friend "Godzilla" was attacking buildings mindlessly and walking around the Japanese countryside with no specific pattern. Anguirus burrowed out of the ground after Godzilla attacked an apartment building, tripping him over. Anguirus then challenged Godzilla, but Godzilla threw him through a bridge and into a valley. As Anguirus got back up, he leapt out of the valley, knocking off some of Godzilla's scales with his claws as he passed, revealing metal underneath. The now-revealed Fake Godzilla then fought back viciously, beating Anguirus and slamming him into the ground. The Fake Godzilla broke Anguirus' jaw in a violent and bloody fashion, forcing Anguirus to burrow back underground and retreat. Chronologically, this wasn't Anguirus' last appearance in the Showa era, as at some point between 1975 and 1999, he was found and taken to Monsterland, his injuries having been completely healed.
Abilities
Burrower
Only seen in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, Anguirus is capable of burrowing substantial distances.
Carapace
Perhaps his most notable and recognizable feature, Anguirus has numerous, sharp spikes all over his shell-like carapace. This carapace can protect Anguirus from enemy attacks and inflict damage if Anguirus slams his back into an opponent.
Coordination
Due to his quadruped appearance, Anguirus is a relatively fast and agile monster. Additionally, he is capable of leaping incredible distances.
Additional brains
Anguirus possesses numerous other brains including within its tail and legs.[3]
Sonic roar
Anguirus' roar caused cracks on Osaka Castle in Godzilla Raids Again. Later featured in some video games including Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee, Godzilla: Save the Earth, and Godzilla: Unleashed, Anguirus possesses a "sonic roar" loud enough to hurt monsters and destroy military weapons as well as destroy and even pass right through buildings and rocks.
Stunning Poison
This ability was described in some official publications; Anguirus can create and emit a poisonous liquid which can stun targets from its spikes and claws.
Atomic Breath
During the production of Godzilla Raids Again, Anguirus was planned to breathe an atomic breath akin to Godzilla. This ability was recorded in the official novelization of the film and Rampage Godzilla.[4]
Other abilities
Unlike many of Toho's other monsters, Anguirus lacks any energy or projectile-based attacks and relies more on fighting with his teeth and claws. He has been known to hurl himself backwards at a foe, ramming them with his spiny carapace, as seen in Godzilla vs. Gigan. Anguirus was also shown to be capable of burrowing substantial distances in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla.
Anguirus possess astounding stamina and determination, able to keep fighting after absorbing vicious assaults that would force most 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. Perhaps 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. Anguirus then fell from high in the sky into a ditch, and was mercilessly stomped on by King Ghidorah. But only a few seconds later, Anguirus merely shook the dust off his body and re-entered the fight, showing no discernible fatigue. This same scene occurred as stock footage in Godzilla vs Gigan. A similar incident occurred in Godzilla vs. Megalon, in which Anguirus fell into a fissure on Monster Island and disappeared, only to return a year later when he encountered the Fake Godzilla.
Despite his tenacity, Anguirus has never won a fight in a film without the assistance of Godzilla. By the 1970s, Anguirus' appearances were often utilized to demonstrate how powerful Godzilla's 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. A 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. The fact that Anguirus was relegated to frequently appearing as Godzilla's ally in these films eventually contributed to his reputation as Godzilla's closest friend and most trusted ally, despite earlier being his first enemy.
The video games Destroy All Monsters, Save the Earth, and Unleashed also introduced his "rolling" attack, which was later incorporated in his appearance in Godzilla: Final Wars. 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 more powerful variant of his rolling attack.
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-breathing monster 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 Anguirus appeared in Destroy All Monsters, these traits were not present nor alluded to.
Video games
Gojira-kun
Anguirus appeared within the title Gojira-kun.
Godzilla: Save the Earth
Anguirus made an appearance within the game Godzilla: Save the Earth as a playable monster.
Godzilla: Unleashed
Godzilla (2014 video game)
Anguirus appears exclusively in the PlayStation 4 version of the 2014 game Godzilla, as a playable monster. He is modeled after his 1968 appearance from Destroy All Monsters. Anguirus' primary attack involves slamming his spiky carapace against his opponent, though he also possesses the roll attack from the Atari games and Godzilla: Final Wars. Anguirus also has the ability to burrow underground like he did in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla.
.png "Anguirus (PS4).png (234 KB)")
Moveset
| Square | One tap: Right Punch Two taps: Left Punch Three taps: Back Leg Kick |
| X | Tap: Back Tackle |
| Triangle | Tap: Tail Attack Roar + Tap: Bite |
| Circle | Tap: Back Leg Sand Toss Roar + Tap: Anguirus Ball |
| R2 | Tap: Underground Shelter |
Godzilla: Kaiju Collection
Anguirus' Showa incarnations are featured within the mobile title Godzilla: Kaiju Collection, alongside his Millennium incarnation.
Anguirus's default appearance
Godzilla Battle Line
Anguirus appears as a selectable character in Godzilla Battle Line. He is a 2 star melee kaiju that's bulky and hits hard, much like the three star Godzilla. While lesser than his 3 star counterpart in almost every stat, he is much cheaper and still quite bulky at high levels.
Comics
Rampage Godzilla
In this 1955 manga, Anguirus has become friends with Zottos, Gyottos, Osoros and Sugon. Godzilla wants to become a pro-wrestler, and spars with Anguirus and his friends to get stronger.
Godzilla, King of the Monsters
In this manga, Anguirus was a new species on display at a Dinosaur Expo Festival whose remains where irradiated by Doctor Oniyama to turn into a kaiju, then he was released by Oniyama to face Godzilla but was eventually killed when Godzilla rammed one of Rodan's shells into its throat, causing him to explode.
In other languages
- Basque: Erraldoien
- Serbian: Ангуирус
- Yiddish: אַנגוירוס
- Russian: Ангирус
- Chinese: 安吉拉斯
Trivia
- Anguirus is the second kaiju to appear in the Godzilla series.
- Anguirus is the first to be defeated by Godzilla.
- Anguirus is the first Godzilla ever fought, and would go on to become his most loyal ally and friend.
- Anguirus' roars were used in many video game series such as Street Fighter and Metroid.
- In Super Metroid, the roars were used for both Ridley and Draygon.
- In Street Fighter II, the roars are heard whenever a match is finished on Fei Long's stage, fitting with the idea of Fei Long being an film actor in addition to a Kung-Fu fighter.
- In Dairanger, Daimugen reuses Anguirus' roar.
- Due to limitations of the costume's design to accommodate a stuntman Anguirus seems to walk on his knees at times (though this is not the case in his animated and video game depictions).
List of appearances
Films
- Godzilla Raids Again (First appearance)
- Destroy All Monsters
- Godzilla vs. Gigan
- Godzilla vs. Megalon
- Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
Video games
- Gojira-kun
- Godzilla: Save the Earth
- Godzilla: Unleashed
- Godzilla (2014 video game)
- Godzilla: Kaiju Collection
Comics
References
