Baragon
Encyclopedia
is a fictional Kaiju
(Japanese giant monster) that was first featured in the 1965 Toho
-produced film, Frankenstein Conquers the World
. Baragon is a four-legged dinosaur with a horn on his head and large ears. His main weapon is a heat ray that he can fire from his mouth. In addition, he can jump very high and burrow through the ground.
Baragon was later seen in the film Destroy All Monsters
, one of several monsters kept in captivity on Monster Island. Along with the rest of Earth's monsters, Baragon is brought under the control of an alien race called the Kilaaks during their invasion of Earth
and forced to destroy Earth's cities. It is unknown if this was the same Baragon supposedly killed in battle with Frankenstein or another one of the same species, the latter is supported by the fact this Baragon was larger than the original. While the 1965 version of Baragon stands up to only 25 meters (82 feet) in height, the 1968 version stands up to 57 meters (190 feet) in height, matching between that of Godzilla (50 meters) and Anguirus (60 meters).
He later breaks free from this mind control, and watches (but does not actually take part in) the fight against the Kilaaks and their remaining monster, King Ghidorah
before returning to Monster Island with the other Earth monsters.
, the company made famous for its work on the TV show Ultraman
. The Baragon suit was reused several times to create the monsters in the series: Neronga
, Gabora
, and Magular
, as well as Pagos from Ultra Q
. Notably, Haruo Nakajima
(the Godzilla suit actor as well as suit actor for Baragon in his initial debut) also played the suit actor for these monsters (with the exception of Magular.)
In Destroy All Monsters, Baragon was supposed to attack Paris for the film, using his burrowing ability to smash the Arc de Triumph from below. Unfortunately, the Baragon suit was unavailable due to the fact it was on loan for work on Ultraman. Baragon was replaced with Gorosaurus
for this scene, but was still blamed for the attack. Gorosaurus was also given Baragon's special burrowing ability and even his signature roar to further confuse viewers. Baragon was also supposed to be used as a guard for the Kilaak base, but he was not shown on screen while doing this, possibly for the same reason above.
as one of three ancient guardian monsters. The other two are Mothra
and King Ghidorah
(originally Varan
and Anguirus
). When Godzilla
is revived by the souls of the people who died in World War II
, Baragon, Mothra
, and King Ghidorah
were summoned to protect the nation from the threat. Baragon was the first of the three guardians to confront Godzilla
and was eventually killed by the monster's atomic breath. Baragon does not have a heat ray or a glowing horn, but he still has his burrowing and extraordinary jumping abilities.
In Godzilla Final Wars, Stock footage of Baragon from Frankenstein Conquers the World was seen during the opening claiming that Baragon was one of many monsters that arose due to the devastation that the World Wars brought, along with Varan
, Gezora, Gaira, Titanosaurus
, and Megaguirus.
game Godzilla: Monster of Monsters
, and its sequel, as well as the Godzilla
Game Boy
title. The character also appears in Godzilla: Save the Earth
and Godzilla: Unleashed
. The costume used for Baragon was reused twice in the original Ultraman
, the suit was used to make both the monsters Neronga
and Gabora
.
Kaiju
is a Japanese word that means "strange beast," but often translated in English as "monster". Specifically, it is used to refer to a genre of tokusatsu entertainment....
(Japanese giant monster) that was first featured in the 1965 Toho
Toho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
-produced film, Frankenstein Conquers the World
Frankenstein Conquers the World
Frankenstein Conquers the World, released in Japan as , with Toho's official English title being Frankenstein vs. Baragon, is a kaiju film produced in 1965 by Toho Company Ltd...
. Baragon is a four-legged dinosaur with a horn on his head and large ears. His main weapon is a heat ray that he can fire from his mouth. In addition, he can jump very high and burrow through the ground.
Showa series
In the Showa series, Baragon was a dinosaur who burrowed underground to escape extinction and survived while most other dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures like him died out. He adapted to the environment and lived successfully. When the sounds of a nearby factory disturbed and awakened Baragon, he emerged from the underground and attacked it. He appeared later at Shirane and destroyed the village. Then he emerged at a farm, where he ate the livestock - with feathers flying out of his mouth. During these attacks, Baragon was not seen, so the mutant human Frankenstein was blamed. But there was a person who survived the destruction of the factory who claimed there was a second monster and that it was the one that attacked the factory. When a small group of scientists searched for Frankenstein, an explosive detonated and Baragon woke up from his sleep. He appeared from the ground and saw the scientists. Baragon tried to eat the humans, but Frankenstein suddenly appeared to protect the scientists from Baragon. The two fought in a climactic battle and Frankenstein successfully defeated Baragon by choking him and breaking his neck. But in the end, a fissure appeared beneath the two giants, widening until both titans were swallowed by the earth.Baragon was later seen in the film Destroy All Monsters
Destroy All Monsters
Destroy All Monsters, released in Japan as , is a 1968 Japanese horror Science fiction Kaiju film. The ninth in Toho Studios' Godzilla series, it was directed by Ishirō Honda with special effects by Sadamasa Arikawa This is the fifth film to feature Mothra, third to feature King Ghidorah, fourth...
, one of several monsters kept in captivity on Monster Island. Along with the rest of Earth's monsters, Baragon is brought under the control of an alien race called the Kilaaks during their invasion of Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
and forced to destroy Earth's cities. It is unknown if this was the same Baragon supposedly killed in battle with Frankenstein or another one of the same species, the latter is supported by the fact this Baragon was larger than the original. While the 1965 version of Baragon stands up to only 25 meters (82 feet) in height, the 1968 version stands up to 57 meters (190 feet) in height, matching between that of Godzilla (50 meters) and Anguirus (60 meters).
He later breaks free from this mind control, and watches (but does not actually take part in) the fight against the Kilaaks and their remaining monster, King Ghidorah
King Ghidorah
is a kaiju, a fictional Japanese monster featured in several of Toho Studios' Godzilla films...
before returning to Monster Island with the other Earth monsters.
Use of suit
Of all the monsters in the Toho fame, the Baragon suit was borrowed and used the most by Tsuburaya ProductionsTsuburaya Productions
is a Japanese special effects studio founded in 1963 by special effects wizard Eiji Tsuburaya and was run by his family, until October 2007, when the family sold the company to advertising agency TYO Inc. The studio is best known for producing the original Ultraman TV series, as well as the Ultra...
, the company made famous for its work on the TV show Ultraman
Ultraman
is Japanese television series that first aired in 1966. Ultraman, the first and best-known of the "Ultra-Crusaders," made his debut in the tokusatsu SF/kaiju/superhero TV series, , a follow-up to the television series Ultra Q...
. The Baragon suit was reused several times to create the monsters in the series: Neronga
Neronga
is a fictional kaiju from the tokusatsu TV series, Ultraman. The kaiju was made from the 1965 Baragon.Subtitle: .-History:Hiding underneath an old well, Neronga awoke when two friends of the Science Patrol ran into his eye. Bellowing in hunger, the invisible monster emerged form underground, and...
, Gabora
Gabora
Gabora was a monster from the television series Ultraman. The suit is a re-used Baragon with King Kong's roar from 1962 King Kong vs GodzillaSubtitle: .- Ultraman :...
, and Magular
Magular
is a fictional kaiju from the tokusatsu TV series, Ultraman. The kaiju was made from the 1965 Baragon.Subtitle: .-History:Magura was first seen emerging from the ground during a fight between Red King and Chandrah. Frightened off by Red King, he burrowed away again and later ran into Hayata and the...
, as well as Pagos from Ultra Q
Ultra Q
is a tokusatsu SF/kaiju series made in the tradition of Toho's many tokusatsu sci-fi/horror films.Produced in black and white by Tokyo Broadcasting System/Tsuburaya Productions, this is actually the first of the long-running Ultra Series, and was broadcast on Tokyo Broadcasting System from January...
. Notably, Haruo Nakajima
Haruo Nakajima
is a famous Japanese actor. He is best known for playing Godzilla and is considered by many to be the best suit actor in the long history of the franchise...
(the Godzilla suit actor as well as suit actor for Baragon in his initial debut) also played the suit actor for these monsters (with the exception of Magular.)
In Destroy All Monsters, Baragon was supposed to attack Paris for the film, using his burrowing ability to smash the Arc de Triumph from below. Unfortunately, the Baragon suit was unavailable due to the fact it was on loan for work on Ultraman. Baragon was replaced with Gorosaurus
Gorosaurus
is a fictional theropod dinosaur created by Toho Studios. He stands 35 meters tall and weighs 8,000 tons in his first appearance. He was an opponent of King Kong in 1967's King Kong Escapes. He later enjoyed a prominent role in 1968's Destroy All Monsters, in which his size was increased to match...
for this scene, but was still blamed for the attack. Gorosaurus was also given Baragon's special burrowing ability and even his signature roar to further confuse viewers. Baragon was also supposed to be used as a guard for the Kilaak base, but he was not shown on screen while doing this, possibly for the same reason above.
Millennium series
In the Millennium series, Baragon reappeared in the 2001 film, Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out AttackGodzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack
is a 2001 science fiction kaiju film co-written and directed by Shūsuke Kaneko with a very catchy name. It was the twenty-fifth film to be released in the Godzilla film series. This is the eleventh film to feature Mothra, sixth to feature King Ghidorah, and third to feature Baragon. It is part of...
as one of three ancient guardian monsters. The other two are Mothra
Mothra
is a kaiju, a type of fictional monster who first appeared in the serialized novel The Luminous Fairies and Mothra by Takehiko Fukunaga, Shinichiro Nakamura, and Yoshie Hotta...
and King Ghidorah
King Ghidorah
is a kaiju, a fictional Japanese monster featured in several of Toho Studios' Godzilla films...
(originally Varan
Varan
is a kaiju that first appeared in Varan the Unbelievable . Physically, Varan resembles a giant reptile with skin membranes between his arms and legs, allowing him to glide much like a flying dragon or flying squirrel; he also has a horned head....
and Anguirus
Anguirus
is the second Kaiju to appear in the Toho franchise. Anguirus appeared only a year after Godzilla in the 1955 Toho film Godzilla Raids Again...
). When Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
is revived by the souls of the people who died in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Baragon, Mothra
Mothra
is a kaiju, a type of fictional monster who first appeared in the serialized novel The Luminous Fairies and Mothra by Takehiko Fukunaga, Shinichiro Nakamura, and Yoshie Hotta...
, and King Ghidorah
King Ghidorah
is a kaiju, a fictional Japanese monster featured in several of Toho Studios' Godzilla films...
were summoned to protect the nation from the threat. Baragon was the first of the three guardians to confront Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
and was eventually killed by the monster's atomic breath. Baragon does not have a heat ray or a glowing horn, but he still has his burrowing and extraordinary jumping abilities.
In Godzilla Final Wars, Stock footage of Baragon from Frankenstein Conquers the World was seen during the opening claiming that Baragon was one of many monsters that arose due to the devastation that the World Wars brought, along with Varan
Varan
is a kaiju that first appeared in Varan the Unbelievable . Physically, Varan resembles a giant reptile with skin membranes between his arms and legs, allowing him to glide much like a flying dragon or flying squirrel; he also has a horned head....
, Gezora, Gaira, Titanosaurus
Titanosaurus (Godzilla)
is a fictional kaiju featured in the 1975 Showa film Terror of Mechagodzilla, the fifteenth Godzilla film to be produced by Toho.-Abilities:...
, and Megaguirus.
Appearances in other media
Baragon appears as a villain in the 1988 NESNes
-Localities:In Norway:* Nes, Akershus, a municipality in the county of Akershus in Norway* Nes, Buskerud, a municipality in the county of Buskerud in Norway* Nes, Hedmark, a former municipality in the county of Hedmark in Norway...
game Godzilla: Monster of Monsters
Godzilla: Monster of Monsters
-Gameplay:The game features two playable characters, Godzilla and Mothra. The player uses both monsters in turn by selecting the desired character on a virtual gameboard, representative of the planet it is on, and moving it like a chess piece. Each space is a hexagon that represents playable,...
, and its sequel, as well as the Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
title. The character also appears in Godzilla: Save the Earth
Godzilla: Save the Earth
Godzilla: Save the Earth is a fighting game released on November 2, 2004 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox game consoles based on characters and situations from the Godzilla film series. The game is itself the sequel to the 2002 game Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee which was released for the...
and Godzilla: Unleashed
Godzilla: Unleashed
Godzilla: Unleashed, abbreviated as G3 or GU, is a 3D fighting video game based on the Godzilla film franchise for the Wii and PlayStation 2, developed by Pipeworks and published by Atari. The PS2 version was released on November 20 and the Wii version on December 5, 2007 in North America and both...
. The costume used for Baragon was reused twice in the original Ultraman
Ultraman
is Japanese television series that first aired in 1966. Ultraman, the first and best-known of the "Ultra-Crusaders," made his debut in the tokusatsu SF/kaiju/superhero TV series, , a follow-up to the television series Ultra Q...
, the suit was used to make both the monsters Neronga
Neronga
is a fictional kaiju from the tokusatsu TV series, Ultraman. The kaiju was made from the 1965 Baragon.Subtitle: .-History:Hiding underneath an old well, Neronga awoke when two friends of the Science Patrol ran into his eye. Bellowing in hunger, the invisible monster emerged form underground, and...
and Gabora
Gabora
Gabora was a monster from the television series Ultraman. The suit is a re-used Baragon with King Kong's roar from 1962 King Kong vs GodzillaSubtitle: .- Ultraman :...
.