Yamata no Orochi (八岐の大蛇 Yamata no Orochi?, lit. Big Snake Of Eight Branches) is an eight-headed serpent god or kaiju from Japanese mythology that made its first appearance in the 1959 Toho film, The Three Treasures as the main antagonist.
Design[]
Appearance[]
Orochi looks like a giant snake with eight heads, with eight small tails extending from the main one.
Portrayal[]
Orochi was portrayed using an extensive puppet.
History[]
Showa era[]
The Three Treasures[]
The Yamata no Orochi in the Showa era shares the same story as the Orochi from mythology, with his role in the movie being a description of that event. Every year he would arise from a lake to consume a child of the earthian deities. After consuming eight vats of sake set out for him, Susano was able to trap Orochi's heads in a tree, forcing the serpent to attack with his tails. After Susanoo stabbed his sword into Orochi's tail twice, the monster died, allowing the storm god to retrieve the sword Murakumo.
Abilities[]
Orochi can withstand a great deal of punishment and the severing of most of his heads. Despite being overpowered, Orochi lasted a fairly long time.
Gallery[]
Production[]
Screenshots[]
Merchandise[]
Trivia[]
Another Orochi in The Godzilla Comic Raids Again
- Although this Orochi is the first incarnation of the mythological creature Toho made, it would not reappear in following works that adapted the monster. Instead, other variations of the Yamata no Orochi were featured or references:
- Godzilla once battled Orochi in a The Godzilla Comic Raids Again story by Hurricane Ryu Hariken, albeit with a radically different design.
- In the IDW Godzilla comic, Godzilla: Rage Across Time, the Yamata no Orochi of legend appears in the first issue. However, due to copyrights, IDW could not secure the original Toho-designed Orochi, and in place is a different Orochi.
- In Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, King Ghidorah is stated to be an underdeveloped Orochi, awakened from hibernation before it could grow all eight of its heads. It is unknown if Ghidorah is connected to the original Toho Orochi.
- Standing at 300 meters tall when upright, the Orochi who appeared in The Three Treasures is one of the tallest monsters ever to appear in a film produced by Toho in the Showa era.
