Fictional locations in the Godzilla films
Encyclopedia
This is a list of fictional Earth locations depicted in films of and tied in with the Godzilla series. Like most fictional universe
s, the world of the Godzilla
films has been enriched by fictional locales ranging from small Pacific Islands
to galactically distant nebula
e.
ese fishing village, is from where the monster
Godzilla receives his namesake
. This island, probably part of the Bonin group, is featured in the original Godzilla
and referenced in a few subsequent films. Gojira
was an antiquated legend of the Odo islanders. In "the old days", according to an elder, when the fishing was poor the villagers sacrificed young virgins to appease the sea monster's hunger. When ships began inexplicably sinking off the coast of Odo Island in 1954, the natives performed a purification ceremony, the last remnant of the old traditions, in a village temple
. Odo is the first location where the kaiju
is known to have come ashore. While its appearance was presumably coincidence, paleontologist Kyohei Yamane elected to name it "Gojira" after the legend.
n Infant Island, first introduced in Mothra, was the site of Rolisican nuclear tests prior to 1961, when the Kinu maru
ran aground on the island leaving four survivors. These men reported an encounter with natives on the (presumed uninhabited) island who drank an unknown juice to prevent radiation poisoning
. The island was later discovered to be home to two minuscule priestesses called the Shobijin and a giant egg, worshiped and called "Mothra
" by the natives. Mothra would eventually hatch into a giant caterpillar, metamorphose into a giant moth, and continue this cycle through several subsequent films.
to Faro Island are a medicinal red berry, bartered from island natives by Pacific Pharmaceuticals; and the giant ape King Kong
, worshiped by the natives but subdued and captured during an expedition sponsored by Pacific in King Kong vs. Godzilla
. The island's natives associate Kong to the frequent lightning
on Faro, as Kong is later seen to draw power from lightning. These natives were of a more stereotyped and comical appearance than those of Infant Island, and, in contrast to Infant, the island serves only as an origin for Kong, and is not seen (and only briefly mentioned) for the duration of the film after Kong's capture.
with nuclear ambitions from Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
- as the site for a heavy water
factory. Coupled with its obscurity, the island conveniences the Red Bamboo by being home to Ebirah
, a mammoth shrimp
, which attacks vessels in the surrounding waters, preventing their enslaved
Infant Islanders from escaping. The island also turns out to be home to a hibernating Godzilla
, which had apparently settled underground after his battles with King Ghidorah
. Also sometimes referred to as "Letchi Island."
, the United Nations
secretly send a team of Japanese atmospheric scientists
to tropical Sollgel Island in Son of Godzilla
. Unfortunately for the scientists and their experiments, the island turns out to be home not only to several giant arthropods, but also, a giant egg and Godzilla
.
Due to unexpected interference to their equipment, the team inadvertently causes a radioactive storm during their first experiment, which causes intense heat and excelled growth in the insect inhabitants but no noticeable change in the island's flora
. Ultimately a second experiment is successful at cooling the jungle
environment of Sollgel; the island is last seen buried in snow. Godzilla
and his son Minilla
are left to hibernate until the island becomes tropical again.
, the last of the Marshall Islands
engaged by U.S.
forces in World War II
, Lagos Island was defended by the only Japanese garrison
to survive the onslaught. Though they intended to fight to their last man, the battle with U.S. landing forces was interrupted by a dinosaur
living on the island. This dinosaur, a Godzillasaurus
, slaughtered the invading force while ignoring the Japanese but suffered near-fatal wounds in an attack from the off-shore U.S. fleet.
In the following years the United States conducted nuclear tests on the nearby Bikini Atoll
, and even on Lagos itself in 1954. As theorized by science fiction
writer Terasawa, the irradiated dinosaur consequently mutated
into Godzilla
.
, Adona Island came to broader attention when a scientific team uncovered a half-buried human-sized egg and subsequently encountered Rodan
and Godzilla
in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II
. As a consequence of the high levels of radiation
on Adona, the egg, which had been of the species Godzillasaurus, had mutated in such a way that the hatching Baby
was more a baby Godzilla
than a dinosaur
.
and Baby Godzilla
swim off to sea at the end of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II
they settle on an uninhabited Pacific island, called Birth Island in the following two films (By the start of Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
the island has vanished, as underground uranium deposits on the island caused Godzilla's radioactive energy to go unstable, and destroy the island in the process). In Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla
, the island is home not only to Godzilla
and Little Godzilla
, but also to Akira Yuki, who has devoted his life to killing Godzilla
, and to members of the T-Project, whose goal is to control Godzilla
via telepathy
.
are central to the plot of almost every Godzilla
film, from the indirect blame placed on the U.S. for awakening the beast in 1954 (Godzilla
), through the role of Interpol
in thwarting Black Hole Alien invasions (Terror of Mechagodzilla
), to the spectre of Japan's own war crimes
manifested in Godzilla
(GMK
). Occasionally a film will feature a fictional country
, often in place of an unnamed but easily inferable real-life country (or bloc of countries).
, upon becoming an adult, flies to New Kirk City and ravages the metropolis looking for them.
Rolisica is widely interpreted as a stand-in for the United States
and the Soviet Union
, with New Kirk City—featuring a Manhattan
-like skyline
, several suspension bridges—obviously standing in for New York City
, Soviet styled military uniforms, and its population being clearly of European
descent. A significant portion of the film Mothra depicts diplomatic relations between Rolisica and Japan, particularly over two issues: their claim that Infant Island had been searched and verified to be uninhabited before their nuclear tests were conducted; and the Rolisican government's position on Nelson's ownership of the Shobijin.
(1964
), Selgina is said to be a small Himalayan monarchy
. The country's princess, Salno leaves her homeland to escape to Japan
from a group of assassins from an enemy country who are trying to kill her, and conquer Selgina. While she is on a plane, she becomes possessed by the spirit of a Venusian
and jumps from the airplane before it explodes. Miraculously unharmed when she is found.
Megalon to attack the surface world and deploy their own human agents to sabotage the powerful robot Jet Jaguar
. When the agents' plans are thwarted and Megalon proves ineffective against Jet Jaguar
, Seatopia requests the help of Gigan
from Nedula Space Hunter M Aliens, though both monsters ultimately succumb to the combined might of Jet Jaguar
and Godzilla
.
Godzilla vs. Megalon
introduced the Seatopians during the space alien themed 1970s (see 1972's Godzilla vs. Gigan
and 1974's Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
). Though human and not extraterrestrial
, their shadowed origins, alliance with the Nebulans, and apparent goal of world conquest are more in keeping with the several alien races from the Godzilla films than with the usual diplomatic roles assigned to fictional countries.
. It sank below the ocean many, many years ago, and eventually became a myth among the people of the surface. Mu was apparently happy to live undisturbed for many years, worshiping the sea dragon Manda. They eventually revealed themselves to the surface world in the 1963 film Atragon
, while attempting to destroy the super submarine Atragon, which threatened their underwater supremacy. In the end, they were unsuccessful, and all of Mu was destroyed in an explosion when the Atragon tunneled into the primary power generator.
Mu was based on the real-life alleged lost continent also known as Mu
.
Middle East
ern nation from Godzilla vs. Biollante
with a desert
climate with large petroleum
deposits, wealthy due to its oil wells and exports and possibly a member of OPEC
. It is generally recognized as a stand-in for any of the Middle Eastern oil-exporting countries, in particular Saudi Arabia
. Through its bioengineering program Saradia nurtured hopes of harvest
ing its deserts and becoming an agricultural exporter. One asset to this program was Dr. Shiragami, a displaced
Japanese geneticist
.
In 1984, following the appearance of a new Godzilla
, Saradian agents obtained a Godzilla
skin sample from devastated Tokyo
. With the self-reproductive properties encoded in Godzilla
's cells
("G-cells"), Shiragami intended to develop desert-sustainable food crops. This program was foiled when the American
terrorist organization
Bio-Major destroyed the Saradian laboratory housing both the skin sample and Shiragami's daughter and assistant Erika
. In 1989 Shiragami was recruited by the Japanese government
to develop Anti-Nuclear Energy
Bacteria
(ANEB) from another sample of G-cells.
Two major enterprises of Saradia maintain a presence in Japan: the Saradia Oil Corporation, which exports petroleum
from the state; and its espionage
program, for which the Oil Corporation serves as a front. A prominent Saradian spy is SSS-9, the assassin
who had pillaged the original skin sample and later a vacuum flask
of ANB from Bio-Major agents.
of Jupiter
, home to the Xians. Its surface is barren, inhospitable, and lacking in water, so the Xians have been forced to make their home in a series of caves beneath the surface. It appeared that Planet X was ravaged due to the constant attacks of the space dragon King Ghidorah
, but this turned out to be nothing more than part of a ploy by the Xians to conquer Earth to steal its water.
and Jupiter
. Little is known about this planet except that its inhabitants, the Kilaaks, have found it uninhabitable and so attempt to take over Earth as their new home.
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
s, the world of 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,...
films has been enriched by fictional locales ranging from small Pacific Islands
Pacific Islands
The Pacific Islands comprise 20,000 to 30,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. The islands are also sometimes collectively called Oceania, although Oceania is sometimes defined as also including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago....
to galactically distant nebula
Nebula
A nebula is an interstellar cloud of dust, hydrogen gas, helium gas and other ionized gases...
e.
Odo Island
Odo Island (or Ohto Island), a southern JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese fishing village, is from where the monster
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....
Godzilla receives his namesake
Namesake
Namesake is a term used to characterize a person, place, thing, quality, action, state, or idea that has the same, or a similar, name to another....
. This island, probably part of the Bonin group, is featured in the original Godzilla
Godzilla (1954 film)
is a 1954 Japanese science fiction film directed by Ishirō Honda and produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka. The film stars Akira Takarada, Momoko Kōchi, Akihiko Hirata and Takashi Shimura. The film tells the story of Godzilla, a giant monster mutated by nuclear radiation, who ravages Japan, bringing back the...
and referenced in a few subsequent films. Gojira
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,...
was an antiquated legend of the Odo islanders. In "the old days", according to an elder, when the fishing was poor the villagers sacrificed young virgins to appease the sea monster's hunger. When ships began inexplicably sinking off the coast of Odo Island in 1954, the natives performed a purification ceremony, the last remnant of the old traditions, in a village temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
. Odo is the first location where the kaiju
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....
is known to have come ashore. While its appearance was presumably coincidence, paleontologist Kyohei Yamane elected to name it "Gojira" after the legend.
Infant Island
The PolynesiaPolynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
n Infant Island, first introduced in Mothra, was the site of Rolisican nuclear tests prior to 1961, when the Kinu maru
Japanese ship naming conventions
Japanese ship naming conventions are different from those in the West. Japanese warships have never been named after people. Prior to World War II, Japanese ship naming conventions underwent several changes before being settled.- Merchant ships :...
ran aground on the island leaving four survivors. These men reported an encounter with natives on the (presumed uninhabited) island who drank an unknown juice to prevent radiation poisoning
Radiation poisoning
Acute radiation syndrome also known as radiation poisoning, radiation sickness or radiation toxicity, is a constellation of health effects which occur within several months of exposure to high amounts of ionizing radiation...
. The island was later discovered to be home to two minuscule priestesses called the Shobijin and a giant egg, worshiped and called "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...
" by the natives. Mothra would eventually hatch into a giant caterpillar, metamorphose into a giant moth, and continue this cycle through several subsequent films.
Faro Island
Two species endemicEndemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to Faro Island are a medicinal red berry, bartered from island natives by Pacific Pharmaceuticals; and the giant ape King Kong
King Kong
King Kong is a fictional character, a giant movie monster resembling a gorilla, that has appeared in several movies since 1933. These include the groundbreaking 1933 movie, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, as well as various sequels of the first two films...
, worshiped by the natives but subdued and captured during an expedition sponsored by Pacific in King Kong vs. Godzilla
King Kong vs. Godzilla
is a 1962 Japanese science fiction kaiju film produced by Toho Studios. Directed by Ishirō Honda with visual effects by Eiji Tsuburaya, the film starred Tadao Takashima, Kenji Sahara, and Mie Hama. It was the third installment in the Japanese series of films featuring the monster Godzilla...
. The island's natives associate Kong to the frequent lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
on Faro, as Kong is later seen to draw power from lightning. These natives were of a more stereotyped and comical appearance than those of Infant Island, and, in contrast to Infant, the island serves only as an origin for Kong, and is not seen (and only briefly mentioned) for the duration of the film after Kong's capture.
Devil's Island
Tiny Devil's Island was chosen by the Red Bamboo - a terrorist organizationTerrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
with nuclear ambitions from Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, released in Japan as and known internationally as Ebirah, Horror of the Deep, is a 1966 science fiction kaiju film directed by Jun Fukuda and written by Shinichi Sekizawa. This is the first film in the series with special effects directed by Sadamasa Arikawa...
- as the site for a heavy water
Heavy water
Heavy water is water highly enriched in the hydrogen isotope deuterium; e.g., heavy water used in CANDU reactors is 99.75% enriched by hydrogen atom-fraction...
factory. Coupled with its obscurity, the island conveniences the Red Bamboo by being home to Ebirah
Ebirah
, is a fictional kaiju that first appeared in the Showa Godzilla film Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster. He is one of the two main antagonists of the film.-Showa series:...
, a mammoth shrimp
Shrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
, which attacks vessels in the surrounding waters, preventing their enslaved
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
Infant Islanders from escaping. The island also turns out to be home to a hibernating 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,...
, which had apparently settled underground after his battles with King Ghidorah
King Ghidorah
is a kaiju, a fictional Japanese monster featured in several of Toho Studios' Godzilla films...
. Also sometimes referred to as "Letchi Island."
Sollgel Island
To test theoretical methods of weather controlWeather control
Weather control is the act of manipulating or altering certain aspects of the environment to produce desirable changes in weather. Weather control can have the goal of preventing damaging weather, such as hurricanes or tornadoes, from occurring; of causing beneficial weather, such as rainfall in...
, the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
secretly send a team of Japanese atmospheric scientists
Atmospheric sciences
Atmospheric sciences is an umbrella term for the study of the atmosphere, its processes, the effects other systems have on the atmosphere, and the effects of the atmosphere on these other systems. Meteorology includes atmospheric chemistry and atmospheric physics with a major focus on weather...
to tropical Sollgel Island in Son of Godzilla
Son of Godzilla
Son of Godzilla, released in Japan as , is a 1967 science fiction kaiju film. The eighth part of the Toho studio's Godzilla series, it was directed by Jun Fukuda with special effects by Sadamasa Arikawa It is the first film to feature Kamacuras, Kumonga, and Minilla.-Plot:A team of scientists are...
. Unfortunately for the scientists and their experiments, the island turns out to be home not only to several giant arthropods, but also, a giant egg and 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,...
.
Due to unexpected interference to their equipment, the team inadvertently causes a radioactive storm during their first experiment, which causes intense heat and excelled growth in the insect inhabitants but no noticeable change in the island's flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
. Ultimately a second experiment is successful at cooling the jungle
Jungle
A Jungle is an area of land in the tropics overgrown with dense vegetation.The word jungle originates from the Sanskrit word jangala which referred to uncultivated land. Although the Sanskrit word refers to "dry land", it has been suggested that an Anglo-Indian interpretation led to its...
environment of Sollgel; the island is last seen buried in snow. 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 his son Minilla
Minilla
is a Kaiju from the Godzilla series of films and is the first of several young Godzillas. He first appeared in the Showa film Son of Godzilla and also appeared in Destroy All Monsters, All Monsters Attack and the Millennium film Godzilla: Final Wars.-Origin:The son of the famous Godzilla, Minilla...
are left to hibernate until the island becomes tropical again.
Lagos Island
In Godzilla vs. King GhidorahGodzilla vs. King Ghidorah
, alternatively spelled Godzilla vs. King Ghidora, is the 18th installment in the Godzilla series of films. This is the fifth film to feature King Ghidorah and the first film to feature Mecha-King Ghidorah, . The movie was released theatrically in Japan on December 14, 1991...
, the last of the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
engaged by U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
forces 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...
, Lagos Island was defended by the only Japanese garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
to survive the onslaught. Though they intended to fight to their last man, the battle with U.S. landing forces was interrupted by a dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
living on the island. This dinosaur, a Godzillasaurus
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,...
, slaughtered the invading force while ignoring the Japanese but suffered near-fatal wounds in an attack from the off-shore U.S. fleet.
In the following years the United States conducted nuclear tests on the nearby Bikini Atoll
Bikini Atoll
Bikini Atoll is an atoll, listed as a World Heritage Site, in the Micronesian Islands of the Pacific Ocean, part of Republic of the Marshall Islands....
, and even on Lagos itself in 1954. As theorized by science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
writer Terasawa, the irradiated dinosaur consequently mutated
Mutation
In molecular biology and genetics, mutations are changes in a genomic sequence: the DNA sequence of a cell's genome or the DNA or RNA sequence of a virus. They can be defined as sudden and spontaneous changes in the cell. Mutations are caused by radiation, viruses, transposons and mutagenic...
into 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,...
.
Adona Island
Long a dump for radioactive wasteRadioactive waste
Radioactive wastes are wastes that contain radioactive material. Radioactive wastes are usually by-products of nuclear power generation and other applications of nuclear fission or nuclear technology, such as research and medicine...
, Adona Island came to broader attention when a scientific team uncovered a half-buried human-sized egg and subsequently encountered Rodan
Rodan
is a fictional Japanese mutated pterosaur introduced in Rodan, a 1956 release from Toho Studios, the company responsible for the Godzilla series. Like Godzilla and Anguirus, he is designed after a type of prehistoric reptile...
and 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,...
in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, released in Japan as , is a 1993 science fiction kaiju film directed by Takao Okawara and written by Wataru Mimura. It was the twentieth film in Toho's Godzilla series and the first to feature BabyGodzilla. It is also the fifth film to feature Rodan and the third film...
. As a consequence of the high levels of radiation
Radiation
In physics, radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing...
on Adona, the egg, which had been of the species Godzillasaurus, had mutated in such a way that the hatching Baby
Godzilla Junior
, also known as Baby Godzilla and Little Godzilla, is the biological son of Godzilla featured in the last three films of the Heisei series of Godzilla films.-Character biography:...
was more a baby 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,...
than a dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
.
Birth Island
After GodzillaGodzilla
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 Baby Godzilla
Godzilla Junior
, also known as Baby Godzilla and Little Godzilla, is the biological son of Godzilla featured in the last three films of the Heisei series of Godzilla films.-Character biography:...
swim off to sea at the end of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, released in Japan as , is a 1993 science fiction kaiju film directed by Takao Okawara and written by Wataru Mimura. It was the twentieth film in Toho's Godzilla series and the first to feature BabyGodzilla. It is also the fifth film to feature Rodan and the third film...
they settle on an uninhabited Pacific island, called Birth Island in the following two films (By the start of Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
, alternatively titled Godzilla vs. Destroyer, is a 1995 science fiction kaiju film directed by Takao Okawara and written by Kazuki Omori. It was released in Japan on December 9, 1995. It is the 22nd installment in the Godzilla series of films and the seventh and last of the Heisei series...
the island has vanished, as underground uranium deposits on the island caused Godzilla's radioactive energy to go unstable, and destroy the island in the process). In Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla
Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla
is a 1994 science fiction kaiju film directed by Kensho Yamashita and written by Hiroshi Kashiwabara. It was the twenty-first film released in the Godzilla series and sixth in the Heisei series of films. It is the second film to feature the Moguera and Little Godzilla and also the seventh film to...
, the island is home not only to 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 Little Godzilla
Godzilla Junior
, also known as Baby Godzilla and Little Godzilla, is the biological son of Godzilla featured in the last three films of the Heisei series of Godzilla films.-Character biography:...
, but also to Akira Yuki, who has devoted his life to killing 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 to members of the T-Project, whose goal is to control 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,...
via telepathy
Telepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
.
Countries
International relationsInternational relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
are central to the plot of almost every 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,...
film, from the indirect blame placed on the U.S. for awakening the beast in 1954 (Godzilla
Godzilla (1954 film)
is a 1954 Japanese science fiction film directed by Ishirō Honda and produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka. The film stars Akira Takarada, Momoko Kōchi, Akihiko Hirata and Takashi Shimura. The film tells the story of Godzilla, a giant monster mutated by nuclear radiation, who ravages Japan, bringing back the...
), through the role of Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
in thwarting Black Hole Alien invasions (Terror of Mechagodzilla
Terror of Mechagodzilla
Terror of Mechagodzilla, released in Japan as , is a 1975 science fiction kaiju film. The film was titled The Terror of Godzilla in its original American theatrical release. The 15th film in Toho's Godzilla series, it was directed by Ishirō Honda with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano...
), to the spectre of Japan's own war crimes
Japanese war crimes
Japanese war crimes occurred during the period of Japanese imperialism, primarily during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. Some of the incidents have also been described as an Asian Holocaust and Japanese war atrocities...
manifested in 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,...
(GMK
Godzilla, 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...
). Occasionally a film will feature a fictional country
Fictional country
A fictional country is a country that is made up for fictional stories, and does not exist in real life, or one that people believe in without proof....
, often in place of an unnamed but easily inferable real-life country (or bloc of countries).
Rolisica
In Mothra, greedy businessmen, led by Clark Nelson of Rolisica, kidnap the Shobijin for the purpose of making money off their performances. Mothra hears the girls' telepathic cry for help and goes searching for the girls in Japan. When Nelson and his associates flee to Rolisica, MothraMothra
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...
, upon becoming an adult, flies to New Kirk City and ravages the metropolis looking for them.
Rolisica is widely interpreted as a stand-in for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, with New Kirk City—featuring a Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
-like skyline
Skyline
A skyline is the overall or partial view of a city's tall buildings and structures consisting of many skyscrapers in front of the sky in the background. It can also be described as the artificial horizon that a city's overall structure creates. Skylines serve as a kind of fingerprint of a city, as...
, several suspension bridges—obviously standing in for New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Soviet styled military uniforms, and its population being clearly of European
European ethnic groups
The ethnic groups in Europe are the various ethnic groups that reside in the nations of Europe. European ethnology is the field of anthropology focusing on Europe....
descent. A significant portion of the film Mothra depicts diplomatic relations between Rolisica and Japan, particularly over two issues: their claim that Infant Island had been searched and verified to be uninhabited before their nuclear tests were conducted; and the Rolisican government's position on Nelson's ownership of the Shobijin.
Selgina
In Ghidorah, the Three-Headed MonsterGhidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, released in Japan as and originally released in the US as Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster, is a 1964 science fiction kaiju film, and is the 5th film in Toho's Godzilla series...
(1964
1964 in film
The year 1964 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 29 - The film Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is released....
), Selgina is said to be a small Himalayan monarchy
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
. The country's princess, Salno leaves her homeland to escape to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
from a group of assassins from an enemy country who are trying to kill her, and conquer Selgina. While she is on a plane, she becomes possessed by the spirit of a Venusian
Venusian
Venusian, Venerean or Venerial may refer to:*Of or relating to the planet Venus*Venusians, hypothetical or fictional beings that inhabit the planet Venus...
and jumps from the airplane before it explodes. Miraculously unharmed when she is found.
Seatopia
By 1971 the underwater kingdom of Seatopia has lost a third of its land to nuclear tests conducted by the surface world and, according to their grandiloquent leader Antonio, must finally and reluctantly fight back. They beseech their godDeity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
Megalon to attack the surface world and deploy their own human agents to sabotage the powerful robot Jet Jaguar
Jet Jaguar
is a fictional character who appears in the Godzilla film Godzilla vs. Megalon .-History:In Godzilla vs. Megalon, Jet Jaguar is a robot created by the protagonist, Goro Ibuki. He is initially depicted as a mindless automaton, and is controlled by the evil Seatopians for most of the film...
. When the agents' plans are thwarted and Megalon proves ineffective against Jet Jaguar
Jet Jaguar
is a fictional character who appears in the Godzilla film Godzilla vs. Megalon .-History:In Godzilla vs. Megalon, Jet Jaguar is a robot created by the protagonist, Goro Ibuki. He is initially depicted as a mindless automaton, and is controlled by the evil Seatopians for most of the film...
, Seatopia requests the help of Gigan
Gigan
is a kaiju from the Godzilla series, introduced in the 1972 film Godzilla vs. Gigan. Gigan is a cybernetic monster sporting a buzzsaw weapon in its frontal abdominal region and large metallic hooks for hands. Gigan is considered Godzilla's most brutal and violent opponent, alongside Destroyah,...
from Nedula Space Hunter M Aliens, though both monsters ultimately succumb to the combined might of Jet Jaguar
Jet Jaguar
is a fictional character who appears in the Godzilla film Godzilla vs. Megalon .-History:In Godzilla vs. Megalon, Jet Jaguar is a robot created by the protagonist, Goro Ibuki. He is initially depicted as a mindless automaton, and is controlled by the evil Seatopians for most of the film...
and 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,...
.
Godzilla vs. Megalon
Godzilla vs. Megalon
is a 1973 Japanese science fiction kaiju film directed and co-written by Jun Fukuda with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. It was the thirteenth film in the Godzilla franchise...
introduced the Seatopians during the space alien themed 1970s (see 1972's Godzilla vs. Gigan
Godzilla vs. Gigan
Godzilla vs. Gigan, released in Japan as and also known as Godzilla on Monster Island when first released to U.S. theaters, is a 1972 Science Fiction Kaiju film. The 12th of Toho Studio's Godzilla series, it was directed by Jun Fukuda with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. It is the fourth film...
and 1974's Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
, originally known in the United States as Godzilla vs. Bionic Monster and subsequently Godzilla vs. Cosmic Monster, is a 1974 science fiction kaiju film. This was the 14th of the Toho studio's Godzilla series , it was directed by Jun Fukuda with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano and the...
). Though human and not extraterrestrial
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
, their shadowed origins, alliance with the Nebulans, and apparent goal of world conquest are more in keeping with the several alien races from the Godzilla films than with the usual diplomatic roles assigned to fictional countries.
Mu
Mu was an ancient empire located under the Pacific OceanPacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. It sank below the ocean many, many years ago, and eventually became a myth among the people of the surface. Mu was apparently happy to live undisturbed for many years, worshiping the sea dragon Manda. They eventually revealed themselves to the surface world in the 1963 film Atragon
Atragon
Atragon, released in Japan as , is a 1963 Toho tokusatsu film based on a series of juvenile adventure novels under the banner Kaitei Gunkan by Shunrō Oshikawa and the illustrated story Kaitei Okoku by illustrator Shigeru Komatsuzaki, serialized in a monthly magazine for boys...
, while attempting to destroy the super submarine Atragon, which threatened their underwater supremacy. In the end, they were unsuccessful, and all of Mu was destroyed in an explosion when the Atragon tunneled into the primary power generator.
Mu was based on the real-life alleged lost continent also known as Mu
Mu (lost continent)
Mu is the name of a hypothetical continent that allegedly existed in one of Earth's oceans, but disappeared at the dawn of human history.The concept and the name were proposed by 19th century traveler and writer Augustus Le Plongeon, who claimed that several ancient civilizations, such as those of...
.
Saradia
The Republic of Saradia is an ArabArab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
ern nation from Godzilla vs. Biollante
Godzilla vs. Biollante
is a 1989 science fiction kaiju film written and directed by Kazuki Ōmori. It was the seventeenth film to be released in the Godzilla franchise and the second in terms of the franchise's Heisei period...
with a desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
climate with large petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
deposits, wealthy due to its oil wells and exports and possibly a member of OPEC
OPEC
OPEC is an intergovernmental organization of twelve developing countries made up of Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. OPEC has maintained its headquarters in Vienna since 1965, and hosts regular meetings...
. It is generally recognized as a stand-in for any of the Middle Eastern oil-exporting countries, in particular Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. Through its bioengineering program Saradia nurtured hopes of harvest
Harvest
Harvest is the process of gathering mature crops from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper...
ing its deserts and becoming an agricultural exporter. One asset to this program was Dr. Shiragami, a displaced
Displaced person
A displaced person is a person who has been forced to leave his or her native place, a phenomenon known as forced migration.- Origin of term :...
Japanese geneticist
Geneticist
A geneticist is a biologist who studies genetics, the science of genes, heredity, and variation of organisms. A geneticist can be employed as a researcher or lecturer. Some geneticists perform experiments and analyze data to interpret the inheritance of skills. A geneticist is also a Consultant or...
.
In 1984, following the appearance of a new 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,...
, Saradian agents obtained a 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,...
skin sample from devastated Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. With the self-reproductive properties encoded in 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,...
's cells
Cell (biology)
The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all known living organisms. It is the smallest unit of life that is classified as a living thing, and is often called the building block of life. The Alberts text discusses how the "cellular building blocks" move to shape developing embryos....
("G-cells"), Shiragami intended to develop desert-sustainable food crops. This program was foiled when the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
terrorist organization
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
Bio-Major destroyed the Saradian laboratory housing both the skin sample and Shiragami's daughter and assistant Erika
Biollante
is a daikaiju from the Godzilla film series. She made her first appearance in the 1989 feature Godzilla vs. Biollante. She was never put into any other Godzilla movies, although she is featured as a secret character in Godzilla: Unleashed on the Nintendo Wii.-Origin:After Godzilla's return in...
. In 1989 Shiragami was recruited by the Japanese government
Government of Japan
The government of Japan is a constitutional monarchy where the power of the Emperor is very limited. As a ceremonial figurehead, he is defined by the 1947 constitution as "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people". Power is held chiefly by the Prime Minister of Japan and other elected...
to develop Anti-Nuclear Energy
Nuclear energy
Nuclear energy usually means the part of the energy of an atomic nucleus, which can be released by fusion or fission or radioactive decay.Nuclear energy also may refer to:*Nuclear binding energy, the energy required to split a nucleus of an atom....
Bacteria
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
(ANEB) from another sample of G-cells.
Two major enterprises of Saradia maintain a presence in Japan: the Saradia Oil Corporation, which exports petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
from the state; and its espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
program, for which the Oil Corporation serves as a front. A prominent Saradian spy is SSS-9, the assassin
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
who had pillaged the original skin sample and later a vacuum flask
Vacuum flask
A vacuum flask is an insulating storage vessel which keeps its contents hotter or cooler than its surroundings. Invented by Sir James Dewar in 1892, the vacuum flask consists of two flasks, placed one within the other and joined at the neck...
of ANB from Bio-Major agents.
Planet X
Planet X was first revealed in 1965's Godzilla vs. Monster Zero as a mysterious planet located in the umbraUmbra
The umbra, penumbra and antumbra are the names given to three distinct parts of a shadow, created by any light source. For a point source only the umbra is cast.These names are most often used to refer to the shadows cast by celestial bodies....
of Jupiter
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
, home to the Xians. Its surface is barren, inhospitable, and lacking in water, so the Xians have been forced to make their home in a series of caves beneath the surface. It appeared that Planet X was ravaged due to the constant attacks of the space dragon King Ghidorah
King Ghidorah
is a kaiju, a fictional Japanese monster featured in several of Toho Studios' Godzilla films...
, but this turned out to be nothing more than part of a ploy by the Xians to conquer Earth to steal its water.
Kilaak
Kilaak is said to be a small planet that exists between MarsMars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
and Jupiter
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
. Little is known about this planet except that its inhabitants, the Kilaaks, have found it uninhabitable and so attempt to take over Earth as their new home.