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is a fictional
mecha In science fiction, or mechs are giant robots or machines controlled by people, typically depicted as humanoid walking vehicles. The term was first used in Japanese after shortening the English loanword or , but the meaning in Japanese is ...
character that first appeared in the 1974 film ''
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla is a 1974 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Jun Fukuda, with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. Distributed by Toho and produced under their effects subsidiary Toho–Eizo, it is the 14th film of the ''Godzilla'' franchise, and feature ...
''. In its debut appearance, Mechagodzilla is depicted as an extraterrestrial villain that confronts
Godzilla is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film ''Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produc ...
. In subsequent iterations, Mechagodzilla is usually depicted as a man-made weapon designed to defend
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
from Godzilla. In all incarnations, the character is portrayed as a robotic
doppelgänger A doppelgänger (), a compound noun formed by combining the two nouns (double) and (walker or goer) (), doppelgaenger or doppelganger is a biologically unrelated look-alike, or a double, of a living person. In fiction and mythology, a doppelg ...
with a vast array of weaponry, and along with
King Ghidorah is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', which first appeared in Ishirō Honda's 1964 film '' Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster''. Although the name of the character is officially trademarked by Toho as "King Ghidorah", the character was origina ...
, is commonly considered to be an archenemy of Godzilla.


Overview


Development

Mechagodzilla was conceived in 1974 as a more serious villain than its immediate two predecessors,
Gigan is a kaiju from Toho's ''Godzilla'' franchise who first appeared in ''Godzilla vs. Gigan''. Gigan is a space monster resembling a species of reptile who was turned into a cyborg by the Nebulans. Gigan sports a huge buzzsaw in its frontal abdomi ...
and
Megalon is a kaiju who first appeared in Toho's 1973 film ''Godzilla vs. Megalon'', his only film appearance to date. Overview Megalon is a bipedal, humanoid, burrowing insect resembling a beetle, standing 55 meters (180 feet) tall and weighing 40,000 ...
, whose films were considered creative disasters. According to
Tomoyuki Tanaka was a Japanese film producer. He is best known for co-creating the ''Godzilla'' franchise and its associated spin-offs. Early life Tanaka was born on April 26, 1910, in Kashiwara, Osaka. As a child, he would often walk miles to the nearest t ...
, Mechagodzilla was inspired by both Mechani-Kong from the previous
Toho is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the producer ...
film ''
King Kong Escapes is a 1967 Kaiju, ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film was a Cinema of Japan, Japanese–Cinema of the United States, American co-production between Toho and Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment ...
'' and the robot anime genre, which was popular at the time. Effects director
Teruyoshi Nakano was a Japanese special effects director. Early life Nakano was born on in Andong, Manchukuo (now Dandong, Liaoning, China). His father worked for an affiliate of South Manchuria Railway called International Transport. His childhood was ch ...
also felt that a mechanical monster was cheaper to construct than the mutated animals Godzilla had previously faced. As the resulting ''
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla is a 1974 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Jun Fukuda, with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. Distributed by Toho and produced under their effects subsidiary Toho–Eizo, it is the 14th film of the ''Godzilla'' franchise, and feature ...
'' proved to be a greater critical success than previous 1970s ''Godzilla'' films, the character was revived in 1975's ''
Terror of Mechagodzilla is a 1975 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda (his final film as a director), written by Yukiko Takayama, and produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka and Henry G. Saperstein, with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. Distributed by Toho and p ...
''. The film's screenplay was based on the winning entry of a story-writing competition won by Yukiko Takayama, who continued the darker tone of the previous film by adding the subplot of Mechagodzilla being cybernetically connected to a young woman. Mechagodzilla's design remained largely unchanged from its previous appearance, though it was made to look thinner and more angular, with a darker sheen and an MG2 insignia emblazoned on its upper arms. The film's original draft was going to have Mechagodzilla destroy Tokyo utterly, though the destruction was cut down for budgetary reasons. Mechagodzilla was brought back in 1993's ''
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II , is a 1993 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Takao Okawara, written by Wataru Mimura, and produced by Shōgo Tomiyama. Produced and distributed by Toho Studios, it is the 20th film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise, as well as the fifth film ...
'', as the success of ''
Godzilla vs. Mothra is a 1992 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Takao Okawara, written by Kazuki Ōmori, and produced by Shogo Tomiyama. Produced and distributed by Toho Studios, it is the 19th film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise, and is the fourth film in the ...
'' and the popularity of its main antagonist
Mothra is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that first appeared in the 1961 film '' Mothra'', produced and distributed by Toho Studios. Mothra has appeared in several Toho ''tokusatsu'' films, most often as a recurring character in the ''Godzilla'' ...
spurred Toho into reintroducing familiar characters rather than inventing new ones. Originally, the new Mechagodzilla was to be named "Berserk", and was envisioned as being a much more organic Godzilla-like creature which would later turn on its creators after becoming infected with a
computer virus A computer virus is a type of computer program that, when executed, replicates itself by modifying other computer programs and inserting its own code. If this replication succeeds, the affected areas are then said to be "infected" with a compu ...
which makes it self-aware. Berserk would subsequently absorb more and more machinery, to the point of degenerating into a mass of metal and wires, though this concept was rejected early in pre-production. As Mechagodzilla was intended to be a military defense weapon rather than an alien construct, the character was redesigned as looking sleeker and smoother. It was portrayed by suit actor
Wataru Fukuda (born April 7, 1964) is a Japanese suit actor. Partial filmography *"Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah" (1991) as Godzillasaurus * ''Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II'' (1993) as Mechagodzilla/Super Mechagodzilla * ''Yamato Takeru'' (1994) as Utuno Ikusa ...
, and consisted of multiple separate elements which were worn like plate armor. Special effects artist Koichi Kawakita originally envisioned Mechagodzilla being able to split into aerial and terrestrial units, though this idea was scrapped in favor of the character merging with the flying battleship Garuda. The film was promoted through the children's program ''Adventure Godzilla-land'', which portrayed Godzilla and Mechagodzilla as rival news anchors reporting on the events of the upcoming movie. Composer
Akira Ifukube was a Japanese classical and film music composer, best known for his works on the ''Godzilla'' franchise. Biography Early years in Hokkaido Akira Ifukube was born on 31 May 1914 in Kushiro, Japan as the third son of a police officer Toshim ...
wrote a theme for Mechagodzilla incorporating a slow battle march with heavy percussion and pentatonic phrasing. The decision to incorporate Mechagodzilla into the Millennium series was taken by producer
Shōgo Tomiyama Shōgo Tomiyama (富山省吾, born 1952 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese former writer and producer. Filmography Producer * ''Yuki no dansho - jonetsu''(1985) * ''Young Girls in Love'' (1986) * ''Totto Channel'' (1987) * ''Gorufu yoakemae'' (19 ...
, who gave the general outline of what would become the story of ''
Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla is a 2002 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Masaaki Tezuka, written by Wataru Mimura, and produced by Shogo Tomiyama. Produced and distributed by Toho Studios, it is the 27th film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise and the fourth film in the fr ...
'' to ''
Godzilla vs. Megaguirus is a 2000 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Masaaki Tezuka, written by Hiroshi Kashiwabara and Wataru Mimura, produced by Shogo Tomiyama, and starring Misato Tanaka, Shōsuke Tanihara, Yuriko Hoshi, Masatoh Eve, and Toshiyuki Nagashima. P ...
'' director Masaaki Tezuka. Tezuka instructed his staff to research both
cybernetics Cybernetics is a wide-ranging field concerned with circular causality, such as feedback, in regulatory and purposive systems. Cybernetics is named after an example of circular causal feedback, that of steering a ship, where the helmsperson ma ...
and DNA engineering in order to make the character scientifically plausible. Tezuka had initially wanted Mechagodzilla to be a much speedier robot than the one on film, envisioning it as becoming progressively more agile during its fight against Godzilla as the latter tore off its opponent's armaments. This incarnation of Mechagodzilla was deliberately shown being airlifted by carriers rather than flying directly into battle as the previous two incarnations had done, as Tezuka felt that it made little sense for Mechagodzilla to drain its energy in such a manner. Upon being asked why the Mechagodzilla suit wasn't painted with
military camouflage Military camouflage is the use of camouflage by an armed force to protect personnel and equipment from observation by enemy forces. In practice, this means applying colour and materials to military equipment of all kinds, including vehicles, ...
colors, Tezuka answered that "Mechagodzilla doesn't need to hide." Tezuka had originally intended to have both Godzilla and Mechagodzilla die at the end of the film, but was forced to change this on the insistence of Toho managers, who felt that such an ending was too dark for a
New Year New Year is the time or day currently at which a new calendar year begins and the calendar's year count increments by one. Many cultures celebrate the event in some manner. In the Gregorian calendar, the most widely used calendar system tod ...
movie release. In the 2003 sequel '' Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.'', creature designer Shinichi Wakasa used the same mold to create a redesigned Mechagodzilla, which was meant to look more weathered than its predecessor. According to production designer Shinki Nishikawa, several other changes were made to the Mechagodzilla design's head, chest and arms in order to make the character look less heroic and more machine-like. The robot's back unit was reduced in size and flipped upside down, and the head was made smaller. As the previous design's shoulder cannons were considered uneven and unsophisticated-looking because of their rectangular shape, special effects director Eiichi Asada made them more pentagonal. As the character was supposed to rely more on its forearm cannons than in the previous film, Nishikawa made them larger and more powerful looking. For ''
Godzilla vs. Kong ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' is a 2021 American monster film directed by Adam Wingard. A sequel to '' Kong: Skull Island'' (2017) and '' Godzilla: King of the Monsters'' (2019); it is the fourth film in Legendary Pictures' MonsterVerse, the 36th film ...
'', Mechagodzilla's design was inspired by the Generation 1 ''Transformers'' due to their "simplicity." Director
Adam Wingard Adam Wingard ( ; born December 3, 1982) is an American filmmaker. He has served as a director, producer, screenwriter, editor, cinematographer, actor, and composer on numerous projects. Following an early career as a member of the mumblecore ...
attempted to avoid the "complex" designs from the Michael Bay ''Transformers'' films. Writer Max Borenstein had originally written Mechagodzilla into ''Godzilla: King of the Monsters''. However, director
Michael Dougherty Michael Patrick Dougherty (born October 28, 1974) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and animator, best known for the cult horror film '' Trick 'r Treat'' (2007), and the monster film '' Godzilla: King of the Monsters'' (2019 ...
scrapped the character during development.


Arsenal

The Showa Mechagodzilla stands in height and weighs 40,000 metric tons. It is built from "space
titanium Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. Found in nature only as an oxide, it can be reduced to produce a lustrous transition metal with a silver color, low density, and high strength, resistant to corrosion in ...
", and is capable of launching missiles from its fingers, toes and knees, as well as firing Space Beams from its eyes and a Cross Attack Beam from its chest unit. It also possesses rocket boosters on its feet allowing it to fly. Its head can spin 360°, and can form a force field capable of repelling and shocking opponents.''
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla is a 1974 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Jun Fukuda, with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. Distributed by Toho and produced under their effects subsidiary Toho–Eizo, it is the 14th film of the ''Godzilla'' franchise, and feature ...
'' (1974). Directed by
Jun Fukuda was a Japanese film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for directing five entries in the ''Godzilla'' series starting with '' Ebirah, Horror of the Deep'' (1966) as well as the spy films '' Ironfinger'' (1965) and ''Golden ...
.
Toho is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the producer ...
The upgraded model featured in ''Terror of Mechagodzilla'' included revolving missiles, and was no longer vulnerable to decapitation, as its main computer was housed in an external power source. Once Mechagodzilla's head was removed, the machine was able to continue to fight, possessing a Head Controller capable of firing a concentrated laser with the same strength as its regular beams.''
Terror of Mechagodzilla is a 1975 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda (his final film as a director), written by Yukiko Takayama, and produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka and Henry G. Saperstein, with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. Distributed by Toho and p ...
'' (1975). Directed by
Ishirō Honda was a Japanese filmmaker who directed 44 feature films in a career spanning 59 years. The most internationally successful Japanese filmmaker prior to Hayao Miyazaki, his films have had a significant influence on the film industry. Honda enter ...
.
Toho is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the producer ...
The Heisei Mechagodzilla stands in height, weighs 150,000 metric tons, and is powered by a
nuclear reactor A nuclear reactor is a device used to initiate and control a fission nuclear chain reaction or nuclear fusion reactions. Nuclear reactors are used at nuclear power plants for electricity generation and in nuclear marine propulsion. Heat from n ...
, deriving its energy from heavy hydrogen and
helium-3 Helium-3 (3He see also helion) is a light, stable isotope of helium with two protons and one neutron (the most common isotope, helium-4, having two protons and two neutrons in contrast). Other than protium (ordinary hydrogen), helium-3 is the ...
in pellet form. Its frame is coated in an armor made of synthetic diamond codenamed T-1, allowing the robot to resist and repel Godzilla's atomic breath, as well as absorb its power to energize its Plasma Grenade, an energy weapon housed in its abdomen. Additional armaments include Laser Cannons in its eyes, a Mega Buster ray fired from its mouth, jet propulsors on its back, missiles and shock
anchor An anchor is a device, normally made of metal , used to secure a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ''ancora'', which itself comes from the Greek ἄγ ...
s capable of piercing Godzilla's hide and electrocuting him. The model is later combined with the flying battleship Garuda, thus allowing it to hover and adding two additional
Maser A maser (, an acronym for microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) is a device that produces coherent electromagnetic waves through amplification by stimulated emission. The first maser was built by Charles H. Townes, Jame ...
Cannons to its arsenal.''
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II , is a 1993 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Takao Okawara, written by Wataru Mimura, and produced by Shōgo Tomiyama. Produced and distributed by Toho Studios, it is the 20th film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise, as well as the fifth film ...
'' (1993). Directed by
Takao Okawara is a Japanese film director, writer, and producer. Biography Most famous for his entries in the Heisei ''Godzilla'' series, Takao Okawara joined Tōhō in 1973, but would not get his first shot in the director's chair until 1980, when he joine ...
.
Toho is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the producer ...
Kiryu, the Millennium Mechagodzilla, stands at in height, weighs 40,000 metric tons, and is piloted remotely from a control craft. The mecha can be remotely recharged from the ground using microwaves that are relayed through a power system on one of the command aircraft, and then beamed back down to the robot. Its armaments include a Twin Maser Cannon in its mouth,
railgun A railgun or rail gun is a linear motor device, typically designed as a weapon, that uses electromagnetic force to launch high velocity projectiles. The projectile normally does not contain explosives, instead relying on the projectile's high s ...
s on its hands, drill claws, a maser blade on its right hand, reactors in its feet to fly and two rocket launchers on its shoulders. Its most powerful and most energetically costly weapon is the Absolute Zero Cannon housed in its chest, which fires a beam capable of
flash freezing In physics and chemistry, flash freezing is the process whereby objects are frozen in just a few hours by subjecting them to cryogenic temperatures, or through direct contact with liquid nitrogen at . It is commonly used in the food industry. Fl ...
enemies.''
Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla is a 2002 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Masaaki Tezuka, written by Wataru Mimura, and produced by Shogo Tomiyama. Produced and distributed by Toho Studios, it is the 27th film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise and the fourth film in the fr ...
'' (2002). Directed by Masaaki Tezuka.
Toho is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the producer ...
In '' Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.'', the Absolute Zero Cannon is replaced with a Triple Hyper Maser Cannon.'' Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.'' (2003). Directed by Masaaki Tezuka.
Toho is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the producer ...
The Anime Trilogy Mechagodzilla stands 50 meters in height, weighs 30,000 metric tons, and is powered by artificial intelligence and made from nanometal. In the novel: ''Project Mechagodzilla'', its arsenal includes Blade Launcher, Convergent Neutron Cannon, Flight, Hyper Lance, Thermal Energy Buffer Layer, and Tail Blow. When it forms Mechagodzilla city, the defenses include gun cannons, EMP Harpoons, and a force field to protect itself when fired upon. In ''
Godzilla vs. Kong ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' is a 2021 American monster film directed by Adam Wingard. A sequel to '' Kong: Skull Island'' (2017) and '' Godzilla: King of the Monsters'' (2019); it is the fourth film in Legendary Pictures' MonsterVerse, the 36th film ...
'', Mechagodzilla towers over Godzilla, and is telepathically piloted through a cybernetic neural network developed from
King Ghidorah is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', which first appeared in Ishirō Honda's 1964 film '' Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster''. Although the name of the character is officially trademarked by Toho as "King Ghidorah", the character was origina ...
's only surviving brain. Its weaponry includes a proton scream, missiles, jet boosters on its back, plasma punch, rotating buzzsaws in its fingers and drill pliers at the end of its tail.


Film history


Shōwa period (1974–1975)

In ''
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla is a 1974 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Jun Fukuda, with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. Distributed by Toho and produced under their effects subsidiary Toho–Eizo, it is the 14th film of the ''Godzilla'' franchise, and feature ...
'', Mechagodzilla is created as a weapon of destruction by the Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens, also known as the Simians, who intend to conquer Earth before their own homeworld gets destroyed by an expanding
black hole A black hole is a region of spacetime where gravity is so strong that nothing, including light or other electromagnetic waves, has enough energy to escape it. The theory of general relativity predicts that a sufficiently compact mass can defo ...
. First appearing in a pseudo-flesh outer covering and masquerading as the real Godzilla, Mechagodzilla attacks Japan and overpowers Godzilla's ally
Anguirus is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', which first appeared in ''Godzilla Raids Again'' (1955), the second film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise. Anguirus is the first monster to be shown engaging in combat with Godzilla in a film. Since then, the c ...
. Godzilla appears and destroys the pseudo-flesh disguise, forcing Mechagodzilla to reveal itself in full. Their initial battle results in a tie, as Godzilla is severely wounded and Mechagodzilla is forced back into the Simian's base for repair. Mechagodzilla is deployed again but is overpowered through the combined efforts of Godzilla and
King Caesar is a god kaiju who first appeared in Toho's 1974 Godzilla film ''Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla''. In his first film appearance, King Caesar is portrayed as a guardian deity and the protector of an ancient Ryukyuan family. Awakened from a dormant st ...
. Godzilla ultimately defeats Mechagodzilla by decapitating it and blowing its body apart. The Simians return and rebuild Mechagodzilla in ''
Terror of Mechagodzilla is a 1975 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda (his final film as a director), written by Yukiko Takayama, and produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka and Henry G. Saperstein, with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. Distributed by Toho and p ...
''. This time, it is further modified with living human brain cells and has its control circuitry integrated into the body of the human woman Katsura Mafune, who is a cyborg courtesy of the aliens, now being led by Mugal. Mechagodzilla is teamed up with the dinosaur Titanosaurus, who is controlled by Katsura's crazed father. Although Mechagodzilla survives another decapitation during a battle against Godzilla, it is once more defeated after Katsura commits suicide, destroying the robot's controls and freezing it long enough for Godzilla to use its atomic heat ray on Mechagodzilla's headless body, causing it to explode.


Heisei period (1993)

In ''
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II , is a 1993 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Takao Okawara, written by Wataru Mimura, and produced by Shōgo Tomiyama. Produced and distributed by Toho Studios, it is the 20th film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise, as well as the fifth film ...
'', Mechagodzilla is built as an anti-Godzilla weapon by the United Nations Godzilla Countermeasures Center using 23rd-century technology
reverse engineered Reverse engineering (also known as backwards engineering or back engineering) is a process or method through which one attempts to understand through deductive reasoning how a previously made device, process, system, or piece of software accompli ...
from the remains of Mecha-King Ghidorah. Mechagodzilla overpowers Godzilla in Kyoto, but is rendered harmless by a voltage backsurge caused by Godzilla. Mechagodzilla is recovered and merged with the smaller airship Garuda to form . This combined mecha later fights both Fire Rodan and Godzilla. It proceeds to cripple Godzilla by destroying its secondary brain and mortally wounds Rodan. Rodan then sacrifices its energy to revive Godzilla, who then uses its new red spiral atomic breath to destroy the weakened Super-Mechagodzilla. In ''
Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla is a 1994 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Kensho Yamashita, written by Hiroshi Kashiwabara, and produced by Shōgo Tomiyama. Produced and distributed by Toho Studios, it is the 21st film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise, as well as the sixth ...
'', it is revealed that Mechagodzilla's remains were salvaged and used to construct Moguera.


Millennium period (2002–2003)

The Millennium incarnation is featured in two films: ''
Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla is a 2002 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Masaaki Tezuka, written by Wataru Mimura, and produced by Shogo Tomiyama. Produced and distributed by Toho Studios, it is the 27th film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise and the fourth film in the fr ...
'' and '' Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.'' and is referenced as , derived from Kikai Ryu (Japanese for "machine dragon") or "Kōryū" (Japanese for steel dragon). When a second Godzilla appears in 1999, the Japanese military creates a Mechagodzilla codenamed Kiryu, built around the skeleton of the original Godzilla from 1954. During its first battle with Godzilla four years later in 2003, Kiryu's genetic memories of its 1954 incarnation are awakened, and it proceeds to attack Tokyo, free from the controls of its pilot until its power drains. During its second battle with Godzilla, Kiryu forces Godzilla to retreat after using its Absolute Zero Cannon. In '' Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.'', taking place one year later in 2004,
Mothra is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that first appeared in the 1961 film '' Mothra'', produced and distributed by Toho Studios. Mothra has appeared in several Toho ''tokusatsu'' films, most often as a recurring character in the ''Godzilla'' ...
's fairies warn Japan that Kiryu's creation is a violation of the natural order and that Mothra would gladly take the cyborg's place in protecting Japan, should Kiryu be dismantled. The ultimatum is declined, as Kiryu was built partially to defend against a second attack from Mothra herself. Godzilla eventually appears, prompting Mothra and Kiryu to cooperate. Kiryu momentarily is forced to fight Godzilla alone after Mothra is killed, but is later assisted by Mothra's larvae, who encase Godzilla in a cocoon, and Kiryu is given orders to terminate him. However, Kiryu's soul has awakened once again, and it instead grabs hold of Godzilla, flies out to sea, and submerges both Godzilla and itself in the depths of the ocean (though not before ejecting its human occupant to safety).


Reiwa period (2017–2018)

Mechagodzilla appears briefly in '' Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters'', the first film in the anime trilogy. The mecha is designed and constructed by Humans and Bilusaludo - the latter one of two alien races who made contact with humans in an attempt to rescue them - as a countermeasure against Godzilla. But the mech is never activated as Godzilla attacked the construction facility forcing them to abandon it. Though not seen again, the mech is referenced several other times throughout the film. In '' Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle'', the second film in the trilogy, the remnants of Mechagodzilla's AI rebuild the facility it was created in by utilizing nanometal to help defeat Godzilla, aptly named "Mechagodzilla City". It also creates three battlesuits with flight capabilities called "Vultures". Haruo and his forces use the city as a base of operations to destroy Godzilla. When Mechagodzilla City begins assimilating its surroundings and living beings with its nanometal under the command of the Bilusaludo, and is predicted to assimilate the entire planet prompting Haruo to destroy its command center, giving Godzilla the opening to destroy it. In '' Godzilla: The Planet Eater'', some nanometal survives within Yuko's body which Professor Martin extracts and applies to the last ''Vulture'' intending to rebuild civilization. Realizing this will only repeat the mistakes that prompted Godzilla's advent, endanger the Houtua and risk the return of Ghidorah, Harou takes Yuko and the last Vulture and flies all three towards Godzilla in a suicide charge to save the Houtua from mankind's mistakes.


MonsterVerse (2021)

Mechagodzilla was featured in the 2021 film ''
Godzilla vs. Kong ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' is a 2021 American monster film directed by Adam Wingard. A sequel to '' Kong: Skull Island'' (2017) and '' Godzilla: King of the Monsters'' (2019); it is the fourth film in Legendary Pictures' MonsterVerse, the 36th film ...
''. Secretly built by Apex Cybernetics as an anti-Titan weapon and modeled after
Godzilla is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film ''Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produc ...
, it is remotely piloted by Ren Serizawa via a
telepathic Telepathy () is the purported vicarious transmission of information from one person's mind to another's without using any known human sensory channels or physical interaction. The term was first coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Frederic ...
link originating from a skull of Ghidorah's left head (acquired after it was torn off by Godzilla in '' Godzilla: King of the Monsters''), though conventional energy sources prove insufficient to power it to full capacity. As Mechagodzilla is being built at a facility in
Pensacola, Florida Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal c ...
, Godzilla senses Ghidorah's presence whenever the mecha activates, which causes him to search for and eventually attack the facility. Due to the secrecy of the project, the public misinterprets this as Godzilla having gone rogue, resulting in Monarch and Apex taking Kong to the
Hollow Earth The Hollow Earth is a concept proposing that the planet Earth is entirely hollow or contains a substantial interior space. Notably suggested by Edmond Halley in the late 17th century, the notion was disproven, first tentatively by Pierre Bougu ...
in search of an energy source to confront Godzilla with; simultaneously, Apex covertly plans to use it to power Mechagodzilla, now housed within
Victoria Peak Victoria Peak is a hill on the western half of Hong Kong Island. It is also known as Mount Austin, and locally as The Peak only generally. With an elevation of , it is the highest hill on Hong Kong Island, ranked 29 in terms of elevation in Ho ...
. Godzilla and Kong clash en route to the Hollow Earth in the
Tasman Sea The Tasman Sea ( Māori: ''Te Tai-o-Rēhua'', ) is a marginal sea of the South Pacific Ocean, situated between Australia and New Zealand. It measures about across and about from north to south. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer A ...
, but ultimately the team finds and retrieves the power source, in the form of "Hollow Earth Energy". After Godzilla and Kong fight a second time in
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta ...
, Serizawa charges the mechanical Titan with the untested Hollow Earth's energies, upon pressure from Apex Cybernetics'
CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especiall ...
Walter Simmons. However, the process unexpectedly allows Ghidorah's mind to possess Mechagodzilla, who then kills both Simmons and Serizawa, goes on a rampage in the city, and faces Godzilla. Tired and wounded from his earlier battle with Kong, Godzilla is easily overwhelmed, and is nearly killed before Kong joins the battle. Kong's axe initially proves ineffective against Mechagodzilla, as its energy was depleted after battling Godzilla. As Mechagodzilla maintains the upper hand, Josh Valentine tampers with its control panel via alcohol spillage, stalling it long enough for Godzilla to supercharge Kong's axe with his atomic breath. Kong then uses his fully powered axe to dismember Mechagodzilla's limbs, and finishes it off by tearing off its head.


In other media

The various incarnations of Mechagodzilla have appeared in other media associated with the series, such as video games, television shows, and comics.


In video games

The Shōwa Mechagodzilla appears in the video games '' Godzilla: Monster of Monsters'' for the
Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in American ...
, ''
Godzilla is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film ''Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produc ...
'' for the
Game Boy The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same tea ...
, '' Super Godzilla'' for the
Super NES The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Euro ...
(American release; replaces the Heisei version from the Super Famicom release, since the Heisei incarnation's film had yet to be released in America when the game was released), '' Godzilla: Battle Legends'' for
TurboGrafx-16 The TurboGrafx-16, known as the outside North America, is a home video game console designed by Hudson Soft and sold by NEC Home Electronics. It was the first console marketed in the fourth generation, commonly known as the 16-bit era, thou ...
, '' Godzilla Generations'' for the
Dreamcast The is a home video game console released by Sega on November 27, 1998, in Japan; September 9, 1999, in North America; and October 14, 1999, in Europe. It was the first sixth-generation video game console, preceding Sony's PlayStation 2, Nin ...
(erroneously using his Heisei counterpart's sound effects) and '' Godzilla Generations: Maximum Impact'' for the Dreamcast and the
Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, ...
version of '' Godzilla: Unleashed''. The Heisei Mechagodzilla appeared in the video games '' Super Godzilla'' (Japanese version, replaced by the Showa Mechagodzilla in the English release) and '' Godzilla: Monster War'', both for the
Super NES The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Euro ...
, '' Godzilla: Domination!'' for
Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2 ...
, '' Godzilla: Save the Earth'' for
Xbox Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the na ...
and
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia o ...
, '' Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee'' for Xbox and the
Nintendo GameCube The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the Wi ...
, and the
Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, ...
and
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia o ...
versions of '' Godzilla: Unleashed''. Kiryu first appeared in the Japanese version of '' Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee'' on the
Nintendo GameCube The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the Wi ...
. Since the Millennium Mechagodzilla duology would take a few years to reach US stores, it was dropped from the American version of the game but did appear as an exclusive in the Xbox version. Kiryu was next playable in '' Godzilla: Save the Earth'' for the
Xbox Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the na ...
and the
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia o ...
under the title "Mechagodzilla 3"; this would be Kiryu's first PS2 appearance in the United States. Kiryu also appears in both versions of '' Godzilla: Unleashed'', for the first time under the name "Kiryu" as opposed to its names in the two previous games; "Millennium Mechagodzilla" and "Mechagodzilla 3". Like the other kaiju in the game, the backstories of all three Mechagodzilla incarnations are altered slightly, to fit the context of the game. The Heisei Mechagodzilla and Kiryu are man-made mecha created by the G.D.F. (Global Defense Force) faction to defend Earth from the Vortaak and their kaiju of the Aliens faction. The original Showa Mechagodzilla was salvaged and rebuilt by the Vortaak to be used in their kaiju force. In the PlayStation 4 version of ''
Godzilla is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film ''Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produc ...
'', 4 incarnations of Mechagodzilla appear, the original Showa Mechagodzilla appears as both Mechagodzilla from ''Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla'' and as Mechagodzilla 2 the rebuilt Mechagodzilla from ''Terror of Mechagodzilla''. The Heisei Mechagodzilla appears in its Super Mechagodzilla form, while Kiryu appears in its rebuilt design from ''Tokyo S.O.S.'' In the PS4 version, all 4 Mechagodzilla are playable, the 2 versions of the Showa Mechagodzilla can be played in God of Destruction Mode via the Invade option (which allows the mode to be played using Kaiju other than the Heisei era Godzilla), while Super Mechagodzilla and Kiryu can be played via selecting Defend option (where the player defends humanity as friendly kaiju such as Mothra and various G-Force Mecha). In the PS3 version, only Mechagodzilla 1975, Super Mechagodzilla, and Kiryu appear as bosses and are not playable. The thirteenth level of '' City Shrouded in Shadow'', a game where players, as civilians, must escape and survive kaiju attacks, mostly mirrors the first encounter between Godzilla and Kiryu in ''
Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla is a 2002 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Masaaki Tezuka, written by Wataru Mimura, and produced by Shogo Tomiyama. Produced and distributed by Toho Studios, it is the 27th film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise and the fourth film in the fr ...
''. The protagonists, tied up in the building by Yakuza thugs, witness
Godzilla is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film ''Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produc ...
rampage through the game's setting, the fictional Ichi City, and Kiryu is eventually deployed in response. After a short battle where both shoot at each other, Godzilla roars at Kiryu and reminds the spirit within of his past as a Godzilla, causing him to be possessed & go berserk. As Godzilla leaves, Kiryu approaches and fires missiles at the building in which the player is inside. Once the player has reached safety or once 30 seconds have transpired, Kiryu marches through the building, cleaving it in half, heading off into the distance. The newspaper that displays the results after the level reveals that, after 30 minutes of rampaging, Kiryu has run out of power, allowing the government to retrieve the inactive mecha.


Television

While Mechagodzilla did not appear in '' Godzilla: The Series'', a sequel to '' Godzilla (1998)'', the first Godzilla was reanimated as a cyborg called ''Cyber-Godzilla'' in the Monster Wars trilogy. A Showa inspired Mechagodzilla appears in the post-credits scene of the anime series ''
Godzilla Singular Point is a Japanese anime television series co-produced by the animation studios Bones and Orange. Licensed by Netflix and directed by Atsushi Takahashi, the series premiered on March 25, 2021 on Netflix in Japan, and on Tokyo MX and other channels ...
'', though the lab's computer screens identify him as ''Robogodzilla''.


In film

Mechagodzilla appears in the 2018 science fiction action film ''
Ready Player One ''Ready Player One'' is a 2011 science fiction novel, and the debut novel of American author Ernest Cline. The story, set in a dystopia in 2045, follows protagonist Wade Watts on his search for an Easter egg in a worldwide virtual reality gam ...
'' where he is seen battling the Iron Giant and the
RX-78-2 Gundam The is a fictional manned robot (mecha), introduced in 1979 in Yoshiyuki Tomino's and Sunrise (company), Sunrise's anime series ''Mobile Suit Gundam''. In the series, it is a prototype weapon for the Earth Federation when it falls into the hands ...
. This time, Mechagodzilla is remodeled and resembles the 1974 Shōwa version, the 2002 Kiryū, and the 2014 Legendary MonsterVerse Godzilla design.


Appearances


Films

* ''
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla is a 1974 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Jun Fukuda, with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. Distributed by Toho and produced under their effects subsidiary Toho–Eizo, it is the 14th film of the ''Godzilla'' franchise, and feature ...
'' (1974) * ''
Terror of Mechagodzilla is a 1975 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda (his final film as a director), written by Yukiko Takayama, and produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka and Henry G. Saperstein, with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. Distributed by Toho and p ...
'' (1975) * ''
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II , is a 1993 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Takao Okawara, written by Wataru Mimura, and produced by Shōgo Tomiyama. Produced and distributed by Toho Studios, it is the 20th film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise, as well as the fifth film ...
'' (1993) * ''
Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla is a 2002 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Masaaki Tezuka, written by Wataru Mimura, and produced by Shogo Tomiyama. Produced and distributed by Toho Studios, it is the 27th film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise and the fourth film in the fr ...
'' (2002) * '' Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.'' (2003) * '' Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters'' (2017) * ''
Ready Player One ''Ready Player One'' is a 2011 science fiction novel, and the debut novel of American author Ernest Cline. The story, set in a dystopia in 2045, follows protagonist Wade Watts on his search for an Easter egg in a worldwide virtual reality gam ...
'' (2018) * '' Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle'' (2018) * ''
Godzilla vs. Kong ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' is a 2021 American monster film directed by Adam Wingard. A sequel to '' Kong: Skull Island'' (2017) and '' Godzilla: King of the Monsters'' (2019); it is the fourth film in Legendary Pictures' MonsterVerse, the 36th film ...
'' (2021)


Television

* '' Godzilla Island'' (1997–1998) * ''
Godzilla Singular Point is a Japanese anime television series co-produced by the animation studios Bones and Orange. Licensed by Netflix and directed by Atsushi Takahashi, the series premiered on March 25, 2021 on Netflix in Japan, and on Tokyo MX and other channels ...
'' (2021)


Video games

* '' Godzilla: Monster of Monsters'' (
NES The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in American ...
– 1988) – as Mechagodzilla (1974) * ''
Godzilla is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film ''Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produc ...
'' / ''Godzilla-Kun: Kaijuu Daikessen'' (
Game Boy The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same tea ...
– 1990) – as Mechagodzilla (1974) * '' Battle Soccer: Field no Hasha'' (
Super Famicom The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Euro ...
– 1992) – as Mechagodzilla (1974) * '' Super Godzilla'' (
Super NES The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Euro ...
– 1993) – as Mechagodzilla (1974) and Mechagodzilla 2 * '' Kaijū-ō Godzilla'' / ''King of the Monsters, Godzilla'' (
Game Boy The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same tea ...
– 1993) * '' Godzilla: Battle Legends'' (
Turbo Duo The TurboDuo is a fourth-generation video game console developed by NEC Home Electronics and Hudson Soft for the North American market. The TurboDuo was test-marketed in Los Angeles in October 1992, before a nationwide rollout in May 1993. It i ...
– 1993) * '' Godzilla: Monster War'' / ''Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters'' (
Super NES The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Euro ...
– 1994) * '' Godzilla Giant Monster March'' (
Game Gear The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console released by Sega on October 6, 1990, in Japan, in April 1991 throughout North America and Europe, and during 1992 in Australia. The Game Gear primarily competed with Nintendo's Game Boy, ...
– 1995) * '' Godzilla Trading Battle'' (
PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divi ...
– 1998) – as Mechagodzilla (1974) and Mechagodzilla 2 * '' Godzilla Generations'' (
Dreamcast The is a home video game console released by Sega on November 27, 1998, in Japan; September 9, 1999, in North America; and October 14, 1999, in Europe. It was the first sixth-generation video game console, preceding Sony's PlayStation 2, Nin ...
– 1998) – as Mechagodzilla (1974) * '' Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee'' (
Nintendo GameCube The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the Wi ...
,
Xbox Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the na ...
– 2002/2003) – as Mechagodzilla 2 and Mechagodzilla 3 (Xbox exclusive) * '' Godzilla: Domination!'' (
Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2 ...
– 2002) – as Mechagodzilla 2 and Mechagodzilla 3 * '' Godzilla: Save the Earth'' (
Xbox Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the na ...
,
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia o ...
– 2004) – as Mechagodzilla 2 and Mechagodzilla 3 * '' Godzilla: Unleashed'' (
Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, ...
,
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia o ...
– 2007) – as Mechagodzilla (1974, Wii exclusive), Mechagodzilla 2 and Kiryu * '' Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash'' (
Nintendo DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...
– 2007) – as Kiryu * ''Godzilla on Monster Island'' (AVP Slot – 2011) – as Kiryu * ''
Godzilla is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film ''Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produc ...
'' ( PlayStation 3,
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...
– 2014/2015) – as Mechagodzilla (1974, PS4 exclusive), Mechagodzilla 2 (1975), Super Mechagodzilla, and Kiryu * '' City Shrouded in Shadow'' (
PS4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in E ...
– 2017) – as Kiryu * ''Godzilla Defense Force'' (2019) * '' GigaBash'' (2022) - as Kiryu


Literature

* '' Godzilla vs. the Robot Monsters'' (1998) * ''
Ready Player One ''Ready Player One'' is a 2011 science fiction novel, and the debut novel of American author Ernest Cline. The story, set in a dystopia in 2045, follows protagonist Wade Watts on his search for an Easter egg in a worldwide virtual reality gam ...
'' (novel – 2011) – as Kiryu * '' Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters'' (comic – 2011–2012) * '' Godzilla: Gangsters and Goliaths'' (comic – 2011) * '' Godzilla: Legends'' (comic – 2011–2012) * '' Godzilla: Ongoing'' (comic – 2012) * '' Godzilla: The Half-Century War'' (comic – 2012–2013) * '' Godzilla: Rulers of Earth'' (comic – 2013–2015) – as Mechagodzilla (1974) and Kiryu * '' Godzilla: Oblivion'' (comic – 2016) * ''Godzilla: Monster Apocalypse'' (novel – 2017) * ''Godzilla: Project Mechagodzilla'' (novel – 2018)


Reception

The character has generally been positively received. It was rated No. 15 of the 50 Best Movie Robots by ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fo ...
'', beating other such legends as
C-3PO C-3PO () or See-Threepio is a humanoid robot character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise who appears in the original trilogy, the prequel trilogy and the sequel trilogy. Built by Anakin Skywalker, was designed as a protocol droid intended to ...
from '' Star Wars'', the
T-1000 The T-1000 is a fictional character in the ''Terminator'' franchise. A shapeshifting android Terminator assassin, the T-1000 is the main antagonist of '' Terminator 2: Judgment Day'', as well as a minor antagonist in ''Terminator Genisys'' a ...
from '' Terminator 2: Judgment Day'', and
Optimus Prime Optimus Prime, , is a fictional character in the ''Transformers'' franchise. The Transformers characters were developed for an American market after Hasbro representatives visited the 1983 Tokyo Toy Show. The characters were modified and the ...
from ''
Transformers ''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the Autobots and the Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms, su ...
''. ''
Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' listed the character as No. 6 on its "The 15 Most Badass Kaiju Monsters of All Time" list, while
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa dist ...
listed it as No. 4 on their "Top 10 Japanese Movie Monsters" list.


In popular culture

* In an episode of ''
30 Rock ''30 Rock'' is an American satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey that originally aired on NBC from October 11, 2006, to January 31, 2013. The series, based on Fey's experiences as head writer for ''Saturday Night Live'', takes ...
s fifth season, "Chain Reaction of Mental Anguish", Kiryu appears as one of the characters in a theme restaurant. * In
Ernest Cline Ernest Christy Cline (born March 29, 1972) is an American science fiction novelist, slam poet, and screenwriter. He wrote the novels ''Ready Player One'', '' Armada'', and '' Ready Player Two'' and co-wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation ...
's novel ''
Ready Player One ''Ready Player One'' is a 2011 science fiction novel, and the debut novel of American author Ernest Cline. The story, set in a dystopia in 2045, follows protagonist Wade Watts on his search for an Easter egg in a worldwide virtual reality gam ...
'' and its
film adaptation A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dia ...
, the main antagonist Nolan Sorrento controls a full-size Mechagodzilla replica during the climactic battle in a virtual reality environment. In the book, it is the Kiryu model that fights against
Ultraman ''Ultraman'', also known as the , is the collective name for all media produced by Tsuburaya Productions featuring Ultraman (character), Ultraman, his many brethren, and the myriad monsters. Debuting with ''Ultra Q'' and then ''Ultraman (1966 ...
. ** The film version is an original design based on Legendary's Godzilla design that battles the Iron Giant and the
RX-78-2 Gundam The is a fictional manned robot (mecha), introduced in 1979 in Yoshiyuki Tomino's and Sunrise (company), Sunrise's anime series ''Mobile Suit Gundam''. In the series, it is a prototype weapon for the Earth Federation when it falls into the hands ...
. * In the game ''
Bulletstorm ''Bulletstorm'' is a 2011 first-person shooter game developed by People Can Fly and Epic Games and published by Electronic Arts (EA). The video game is distinguished by its system of rewarding players with "skillpoints" for performing increasin ...
'', there is a level where the player controls a mechanical version of a Hekaton (which is the game's equivalent to Godzilla) as well as the song being played during this part of the game being called "Mecha-dzilla." * Mechagodzilla makes a cameo appearance in the '' Ugly Americans'' episode "Kong of Queens", in which King Kong fights Godzilla (King Kong's children watching the movie ''King Kong vs. Godzilla''), and another when Kong punches a wall (after an argument with Mark Lily on the phone), the Showa-era Mechagodzilla was seen having breakfast. * Mechagodzilla was parodied by the series ''
South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boysStan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand their ...
'' in their episode " Mecha-Streisand", which features singer
Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...
becoming a gigantic mechanical monster. * The Nitrome flash game ''Rubble Trouble Tokyo'' has Mechagodzilla (here called "Mecha Saur") as a tool that can be used to demolish buildings. * A parody of Mechagodzilla appears in ''The Adventures of Mini-Goddess'' anime series' episode "Gabira - The Strike Back". *An episode of the pop culture video podcast Death Battle pitted the Kiryu MechaGodzilla against the DragonZord from
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers ''Mighty Power Rangers'' (''MMPR'') is a superhero television series that premiered on August 28, 1993, on the Fox Kids programming block. It is the first entry of the ''Power Rangers'' franchise, and became a 1990s pop culture phenomenon alon ...
where it was determined that MechaGodzilla would win.


Notes


References


Bibliography

* * * {{MonsterVerse Godzilla characters Fictional mass murderers Robot supervillains Fictional characters with superhuman strength Fictional robotic dinosaurs Toho monsters Science fiction film characters Fantasy film characters Film characters introduced in 1974 Kaiju Fictional monsters Horror film villains Fictional giants