Kaiju bios

Rodan

Rodan (ラドン Radon?) is a giant pteranodon kaiju created by Toho that first appeared in the 1956 Toho film, Rodan, and made his first appearance alongside Godzilla in the 1964 Godzilla film, Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster.

Fire Rodan (ファイヤーラドン Faiyā Radon?) is a form of Rodan that first appeared in the 1993 Godzilla film, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II.

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Name: rodan/radon

Height:(Showa) 50 meters. (Heisei) 70 meters.  (millennium) 100 meters.

Weight: 15,000 - 30,000 metric tons

Wingspan: 120-200 meters

The Japanese name of Rodan, "Radon," is a contraction of "pteranodon" and may also have been chosen to suggest radiation. Ladon, a monster or a dragon from Greek Mythology has a very similar name.

In the United States, the monster's name was changed to and trademarked as "Rodan."

Appearance

Main articles: ShodaiRado, SanDaikaijuRado, SoshingekiRado, HeiseiRado and FinalRado.

Rodan resembles a large pterosaur that walks upright on two legs. Rodan generally has either brown or burgundy skin with a spiky chest and two to three horns on the back of his head.

Roar

Rodan's roar was reused for many of the kaiju, such as the Heisei King Ghidorah and Battra.

Personality

In the original Rodan, the two Rodans are depicted as horrific and dangerous creatures who, despite their destructive nature, care deeply for each other and are unwilling to live without one another. In Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, Rodan displays a great deal of personality, openly mocking Godzilla when the latter is covered in Mothra's silk. According to the translation of the monsters' conversation by the Shobijin, Rodan agrees with Godzilla's sentiment that he only hates humans because they hate him. Rodan claims he has no obligation to protect human beings and prefers to continue his pointless fight with Godzilla. However, upon seeing Mothra bravely take on King Ghidorah by herself, Rodan joins with Godzilla to battle the extraterrestrial creature. In subsequent films in the Showa series, Rodan is seen as a loyal ally of Godzilla who assists him and the other Earth monsters in fighting off King Ghidorah.

In Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla 2, Rodan sees Baby Godzilla as his brother and will go to great lengths to protect him, nearly being killed by both Godzilla and Mechagodzilla. After seeing that Baby Godzilla is a Godzillasaurus and not a pteranodon like him, Rodan willingly sacrifices himself to save Godzilla from Mechagodzilla so he can raise Baby Godzilla.

Origins

In the Showa series, Rodan is a Pteranodon that lived deep underground and was mutated from exposure to radiation and grew to gigantic size. In Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla 2, it is explained that Rodan was a Pteranodon living on Adonoa Island who was mutated due to nuclear dumping on the island by the Russians.

History

Showa Series

Rodan

Rodan56

Rodan in Rodan

In 1956's Rodan, there were two Rodans, a male and a female, both implied to be mates. They were awakened by mining operations in Kitamatsu along with a swarm of prehistoric insects called Meganulons. One of the creatures hatched from an egg located inside an underground cavern and proceeded to devour several Meganulons before flying out of the cavern. Rodan performed an elusive airborne prowl across various Pacific countries such as China, the Philippines and Okinawa before finally revealing itself after it emerged from the foot of Mount Aso. As word spread of the monster's existence, no time was wasted, as the Japanese air force pursued the threat, leading directly to the city of Fukuoka. Following a fierce aerial dogfight, a fighter jet crashed into Rodan's wing, injuring the beast and neutralizing its ability to fly at supersonic speeds, although this does not stop Rodan from laying waste to the city. Soon enough, a second Rodan appears to escort the other to safety, ending the rampage. As the two monsters prepare to hibernate by returning to their nest in Mount Aso, Japan's defense force performs a last-ditch effort to defeat the Rodans by bombarding the active volcano, triggering an eruption. As the two monsters attempt to escape, one is incapacitated by the lava and falls, burning to death. The second Rodan flew down to its dying companion, incinerating itself, leaving both Rodans to burn away in the molten rock.