Daisuke Serizawa
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A-bombs against A-bombs, H-bombs against H-bombs — as a scientist — no, as a human being, adding another terrifying weapon to humanity's arsenal is something I can't allow. (原爆対原爆、水爆対水爆、その上 更に― この新しい恐怖の武器を人類の上に加えることは― 科学者として― いや 一個の人間として 許すわけにはいかない。)
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— Daisuke Serizawa (Godzilla) |
Dr. Daisuke Serizawa (芹沢大助 Serizawa Daisuke) is a scientist who first appeared in the 1954 Toho Godzilla film Godzilla.
A brilliant young scientist, Serizawa stumbled upon a deadly chemical reaction while performing studies on the element oxygen. Naming his terrible invention the Oxygen Destroyer, Serizawa hid its existence from everyone except Emiko Yamane, and asked her to keep the invention a secret. However, Emiko was forced to break her promise when Tokyo was devastated by Godzilla and only the Oxygen Destroyer seemed a viable way of stopping him. Together, Emiko and her lover Hideto Ogata convinced Serizawa to use his invention just once to stop Godzilla. Serizawa donned a diving suit and traveled to the bottom of Tokyo Bay with Ogata and activated his device where Godzilla was resting. In order to seal the secret of his dangerous invention forever, Serizawa severed his line and ensured he and his secret would die with Godzilla. The monster was finally destroyed, but only thanks to Serizawa's sacrifice.
Personality
Daisuke Serizawa is a reclusive, introverted, obsessive, yet brilliant scientist. He spends the majority of his time in his lab, absorbed by his in-depth research on Oxygen. When seeing off Emiko Yamane, Kyohei Yamane, and Hideto Ogata as they depart for Odo Island, he is noticeably silent and stoic amongst a joyous, cheerful crowd, and Ogata is surprised by his visit, highlighting his nature as an outcast. When a reporter presses for questions regarding his research, Daisuke gives vague answers and quickly becomes defensive when pressed. Emiko excuses his behavior to a reporter, indicating this as a frequent tendency. However, Daisuke is deeply emotional despite his cold exterior; the discovery of Micro-Oxygen, an unexpected form of energy capable of tearing apart and liquifying oxygen atoms, was so distressing to him, he states that he was unable to eat for days. It is unknown if the war and burden of horrifying knowledge created his reserved personality, exacerbated by it, or if it was always a part of him. It is explicitly clear, however, that Daisuke's trauma is a great contributor to his pessimistic streak, referring to humans as "weak animals" and not even trusting himself in having the willpower to resist being persuaded to use the Oxygen Destroyer. Despite this, Daisuke is still immensely humanitarian and ethical, taking special care in his research and its unexpected fruits, guarding his terrible secret with harsh determination, willing to destroy his research and take his own life should the Oxygen Destroyer ever be put to use. His primary emotional vulnerability is Emiko; upon being left alone with her, his romantic feelings for her become transparent, turning on romantic music, awkwardly stealing glances, and anxiously pacing. This anxiety may indicate a general self-consciousness, or some awareness that he is losing touch with his fiancée. He shares his dreadful secret exclusively with Emiko, granting her exclusive trust and emotional vulnerability beyond that of his mentor, Dr. Yamane. This soft spot leads him to be deeply hurt by Emiko's personal betrayal, telling Ogata his secret in her belief it is mankind's only hope of killing Godzilla. His persistence in maintaining the Oxygen Destroyer's secrecy even results in a physical battle with Ogata, one that he immediately regrets. After repeated insistence from his friends, an emotional breakdown, and a sentimental chorus played on television, Daisuke eventually gives into their pleas, immediately incinerating his research papers. When the morning comes, his strong will dictates that he aid Ogata in placing the weapon underwater, despite having no diving experience. Upon seeing his device having an affect on the monster, Daisuke cut his diving suit's line to prevent his retrieval, letting himself die with his creation and Godzilla. Before dying, Daisuke wished Emiko and Ogata a happy life together, having known of their relationship despite never receiving direct confirmation and forgiving any feeling of betrayal caused by this revelation. His loss of the connection he cared for the most may have solidified his resolve to end his life, but nevertheless, his sacrifice for the world and Emiko's happiness showcases great nobility and selflessness behind his cold demeanor.
History
- Godzilla (1954)
- Godzilla Raids Again (1955) [mentioned]
- Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995) [stock footage]
- Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001) [mentioned]
- Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002) [stock footage]
- Chibi Godzilla Raids Again (TV 2023-) [episode 19; poster]
- Is Your Godzilla Collection Stop-Motion Ready? (2026)
Showa era
Godzilla
Dr. Daisuke Serizawa was a young colleague of paleontologist Kyohei Yamane, in love with his daughter Emiko, who herself had secretly fallen in love with and planned to marry Hideto Ogata. He saw active combat during World War II, and lost his right eye in battle - his eyepatch was worn to cover the empty socket.
After the war, Dr. Serizawa became a scientist who studied elements and their effects on other objects and organisms. During his studies into the element of oxygen, he discovered a destructive chemical reaction that split oxygen atoms into fluids, forcibly removing all oxygen from a body of water and liquefying any organic material present. He was initially horrified by the destructive potential of his "Oxygen Destroyer" but chose to continue researching it, confident that he could take it beyond its raw form and develop it to benefit society. Meanwhile he kept its existence secret from everyone, even Emiko and Ogata.
Shortly after the first sightings of Godzilla, Dr. Serizawa decided to reveal his secret experiments to Emiko when she visited his home, where she intended to break the news that she planned to marry Ogata. After shocking Emiko with the horrific effects of the Oxygen Destroyer, he swore her to secrecy, explaining that he knew that the world was not ready to know of such a terrible weapon. He remained in his lab during much of Godzilla's subsequent attacks on Tokyo, continuing his research, while Emiko was so shocked by what she saw she couldn't bring herself to tell Serizawa about Ogata.
After Godzilla's second raid on Tokyo, Emiko told Ogata about the Oxygen Destroyer, believing it was the only weapon that could stop Godzilla. She traveled to Serizawa's lab with Ogata, hoping to convince Serizawa to use the Oxygen Destroyer against Godzilla. Serizawa adamantly refused, maintaining that his weapon would only begin a new age of terror once the world saw what it could do. He briefly scuffled with Ogata in defense of his decision, but paused when he saw a report about the devastation Godzilla had brought upon Tokyo. Shaken by the utter destruction, Serizawa finally agreed to use his device, but warned Ogata that he would only use it once.
Unbeknownst to Emiko, Serizawa had every intention to make certain that the secret of his ultimate weapon would remain secret. He burned all of his research, assuring Emiko that this was the only way to prevent his secret from falling into the wrong hands. Serizawa and Ogata traveled with a party of scientists and reporters aboard a boat in Tokyo Bay, locating Godzilla on the seabed with a Geiger counter. Serizawa insisted on accompanying Ogata on the dive to activate his device, saying that he had to ensure it was used properly, since it was the only device he had. Ogata agreed, and the two men dove to the ocean floor, where Godzilla was resting. Serizawa activated the Oxygen Destroyer as Ogata was lifted to the surface. As the Oxygen Destroyer reacted with the surrounding water, Serizawa remarked that his invention had worked, and told Ogata and Emiko to be happy together. He then severed his line to ensure that he, and the knowledge of his terrible invention, would die along with Godzilla.
Godzilla Raids Again
Just a year after Godzilla's defeat, a second Godzilla was sighted on Iwato Island along with another monster called Anguirus. Dr. Yamane was called in by experts in Osaka to discuss possible countermeasures against Godzilla, but said that there was no feasible way to defeat Godzilla following Dr. Serizawa's death.
Heisei era
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
In 1996, scientist Kensaku Ijuin publicly announced his discovery of Micro-Oxygen, a miniaturized oxygen atom with many potential uses that could benefit mankind. Reporter Yukari Yamane, granddaughter of Kyohei Yamane, was contacted by her aunt Emiko, who warned her that Ijuin's invention seemed dangerously similar to Dr. Serizawa's Oxygen Destroyer, for which he gave up his life to prevent its future use. She asked her niece to convince Ijuin to shelve his project to prevent the Oxygen Destroyer from ever being recreated. Yukari met with Ijuin to discuss the similarities between Micro-Oxygen and the Oxygen Destroyer, and Ijuin admitted that he had made reference to Serizawa's surviving work when developing it. However, he was adamant that while it could be used as a weapon in the wrong hands, Micro-Oxygen was developed strictly to benefit mankind. Later, Yukari's brother Kenichi approached Ijuin to ask him to recreate the Oxygen Destroyer, believing it was the only way to kill Godzilla before his impending meltdown destroyed the world. However, Ijuin revealed that the full destructive power of Micro-Oxygen had already been unleashed, as construction of the Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line had drawn a colony of Precambrian crustaceans mutated by the Oxygen Destroyer in 1954 to the surface.
Millennium era
Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack
In 1954, Godzilla was killed using an experimental chemical weapon, the inventor of which subsequently died. To prevent the JSDF from facing ridicule and appearing incapable of defending Japan, the Japanese government covered up the weapon's use and gave the JSDF credit for killing Godzilla. This decision would come to haunt them 50 years later, when Godzilla returned and the JSDF proved completely unable to stop him.
Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla
After a second Godzilla appeared in Tateyama in 1999, Japanese Prime Minister Machiko Tsuge met with Minister of Science and Technology Hayato Igarashi to discuss the disaster. They recalled that the original Godzilla had been killed back in 1954 by the Oxygen Destroyer, a chemical weapon invented by Daisuke Serizawa. However, Serizawa had taken his own life to prevent knowledge of his invention from ever falling into the wrong hands again.
Video games
- CinemaScope Adventure: Godzilla (1984) - NEC PC-8801 and Fujitsu FM-7
- Godzilla 2: War of the Monsters (1992) - Nintendo Entertainment System
- Battle Baseball (1993) - Nintendo Famicom [as "Doctor"]
- Godzilla Generations (1998) - Sega Dreamcast
- Godzilla (2014) - PlayStation 3 and 4
- Godzilla (2021) - Pinball
Godzilla 2: War of the Monsters
Dr. Serizawa is one of three scientists the player can consult. This version of the character lacks his signature eyepatch.
Godzilla Generations
Dr. Serizawa-Giant (ジャイアント芹沢博士 Jaianto Serizawa Hakase, lit. Giant Dr. Serizawa) is the most difficult character to unlock, as the player must first complete the game with Godzilla, Godzilla 1st, Godzilla-USA, and Minilla. He has two attacks: a laser cannon that extends from his eyepatch and the Oxygen Destroyer, which unleashes lightning in every direction when he holds it above his head. He can recover health by kneeling, causing a ray of light to appear above him.
Godzilla (PlayStation 3 / PlayStation 4)
In the tutorial level, the G-Force Operator states that Godzilla was only driven away from Japan back in 1954 because of "Dr. Serizawa's sacrifice."
Comics
- Science Adventure Picture Story Godzilla (1954)
- Kaiju Godzilla (1954)
- Godzilla (1955) [Bokura]
- Godzilla (1955) [Shonen]
- Godzilla (1958)
- The Godzilla Comic (1990) ["Godzilla's Resumed Earth Defense Battle"]
- Godzilla: The Half-Century War #1 (2012)
- Godzilla vs. Fantastic Four (2025) [mentioned]
The Godzilla Comic
In the story Godzilla's Resumed Earth Defense Battle, Serizawa's nephew Testsuichi warns humanity of the environmental catastrophe facing the planet. Daisuke himself is shown in a brief flashback to his deployment of the Oxygen Destroyer against Godzilla.
Godzilla: The Half-Century War
At the end of the first issue, a powerful chemical weapon was deployed against Godzilla in Tokyo Bay. The unnamed inventor, heavily implied to be Serizawa, destroyed his blueprints before committing suicide as the weapon activated. Godzilla's fate was left ambiguous; either he survived or another monster of the same species appeared several months later.
Godzilla vs. Fantastic Four
As Godzilla approached New York City, Reed Richards recalled how the Fantastic Four had come too late to help during the monster's original Tokyo rampage, which was halted by Dr. Serizawa's Oxygen Destroyer at the cost of the scientist's life. Richards added that he wished he had the opportunity to work with him.
Gallery
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Doctor Serizawa and Oxygen Destroyer card featured in the Godzilla Wars 2 line of Toy Card 100 trading cards. -
A figure of Daisuke Serizawa and the Oxygen Destroyer produced by Toygraph -
Remnants of Daisuke Serizawa's diving suit on display in 2004 -
Keychain of Daisuke Serizawa and the Oxygen Destroyer -
Monogram International Figural Bag Clips -
X-Plus Toho Maniacs figure -
Paragon FX Group Dr. Serizawa and Oxygen Destroyer aquarium bubbler
Trivia
- In the American release of Godzilla, Godzilla, King of the Monsters!, Dr. Serizawa is rewritten as being an old college friend of the main protagonist, Steve Martin (portrayed by Raymond Burr). Although Akihiko Hirata did not participate in the American shoot, a body double obscured by lab equipment allowed Serizawa to hold a phone conversation with Martin.
- The American version also explains that Emiko was betrothed to Serizawa when they were both children, whereas in the Japanese version Serizawa had simply hoped to marry Emiko, who did not reciprocate his romantic feelings.
- Dr. Serizawa holds the distinction of being the only human to have truly killed Godzilla, and one of very few characters to have defeated him and left him no chance to return or counter-attack.
- Serizawa is often referenced in spoofs of the kaiju genre, such as the anime mecha comedy series Mobile Police Patlabor, the PokéStar Studios in the fifth generation of Pokémon games, the first chapter of Kaiju Girl Caramelise, and the Tokyo Grows episode of the U.S. cartoon Pinky and the Brain. Even in Pacific Rim, Serizawa's name is used to measure the danger level of kaiju. The character Ishiro Serizawa from the Monsterverse is named after him.
- In the Godzillaencounter.com viral images, if one reads the letters in bold red and places them in order of the date when each viral image was posted, it reads SERIZAWA.
See also
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