Sandbox:Rodan (anime trilogy)
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Rodan (ラドン Radon) is a species of giant Pteranodon-like kaiju who appear in the continuity of the GODZILLA anime trilogy. Though their only presence in the films is a skeleton of Rodan I in GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters, the prequel novels GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse and GODZILLA: Project Mechagodzilla expand on the history of the Rodans and their presence in locations such as China, the Italian peninsula, and North Africa.
Name
- Main article: Rodan#Name.
Rodan's Japanese name, Radon, is a truncation of "Pteranodon." It may also have been chosen to suggest radiation. The name was changed to "Rodan" in English-speaking markets in order to avoid confusion with the element radon.
Design
What little is seen of Rodan I's skeleton in the opening of GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters shows it to resemble a pterosaur with a single crest on the back of its head and a long beak, both of these being quite different from other Rodan designs and much more closely resembling the skeletons of Pteranodon specimens.
Rodan I is described in GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse as a "wyvern-type" kaiju, though what this means is not elaborated upon.
Personality
Like nearly all of the kaiju who appeared following Kamacuras's attack on Boston and New York City in May 1999, the Rodans were generally aggressive monsters who made multiple attacks on humanity. Though aggressive towards humans and some other monsters such as Hedorah, the Meganulon and the Megaguirus swarms, some members of the species gathered in massive swarms similar to that of birds flocking and so implying they were a social species.
Origins
Numerous members of the Rodan species menaced humanity after emerging in the first half of the 21st century, with the first being given designated numbers and the rest making up massive flocks. The first Rodan, Rodan I, emerged from Mount Paektu in 2005 and was killed in Beijing alongside Anguirus I by Hedorah. The second, Rodan II, passed through Kyushu some time later, nothing else about the monster being acknowledged although it was mentioned to be an early example of a kaiju attacking Japan. Numerous flocks of Rodan appeared all over Eurasia and North Africa, preying on both people and larval Meganulon, similar to nearby Megaguirus swarms which the Rodan viewed as enemies, and it is implied that the Rodan swarms also drove various smaller monsters out of Eurasia: smaller variants of both Kumonga and Kamacuras as well as the Giant Condor.[1] (NOTE: This reference in particular needs to be checked with the original book since I got it from a translated version of GPMG chapter 6)
History
- GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters (2017) [skeletal remains]
Reiwa era
GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters
During the prologue of the film narrated by Haruo Sakaki, a news report showcases the skeleton of Rodan I alongside Anguirus I's skull at the Great Wall of China. A news ticker states that the two monsters were slain by "Operation Hedorah," though the nature of Hedorah is not elaborated upon.
Abilities
Flight
Rodan is naturally capable of flight, allowing the Rodan swarms to spread across large areas.
Physical abilities
The Rodan flocks prey on both humans and Meganulon, presumably using their jaws to do so.
Swarming/flocking
As the kaiju plague worsens, Rodans appear in flocks and work together to feed on humans or overwhelm enemies in their feeding grounds.
Weaknesses
Both Rodan I and Anguirus I were killed by the Chinese bioweapon Hedorah. Rodan swarms in Paris were noted to have been shot down by G-HEDs built for anti-aircraft warfare.[2] (NOTE: This reference also needs to be checked with the original book since I got it from a translated version of GMA chapter 4.3)
Books
- GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse (2017)
- GODZILLA: Project Mechagodzilla (2018)
GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse
The first Rodan, later designated "Rodan I", emerged from Paektu Mountain in November 2005 and flew southwest to Beijing, where it was joined by Anguirus I. The Chinese military unleashed the experimental bioweapon designated Hedorah to exterminate both kaiju.[3] Hedorah was successful, killing both Rodan I and Anguirus I and leaving behind only skeletal remains, but proceeded to go berserk and destroy the city before vanishing. After Godzilla attacked the Eurasian continent, flocks of Rodans appeared and preyed on European refugees fleeing through Siberia alongside Megaguirus.[4]
GODZILLA: Project Mechagodzilla
Following the death of the first Rodan at the hands of Hedorah, a second individual designated "Rodan II" passed through Kyushu, Japan sometime later. After Godzilla passed through western Europe in the latter half of the 2030s, multiple Rodans were present in Rome and claimed the Italian peninsula as their feeding ground.[5] More Rodans were confirmed to be present in North Africa, alongside Meganula. Larval Meganulon living in the soil in China during the United Earth's Operation Great Wall were frequently hunted by Rodans in the area, with both species preying on the soldiers as well.
Comics
- GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters Episode #1 (2018)
GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters
This adaptation of GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters also recaps the deaths of Rodan I and Anguirus I at the hands of Hedorah, though unlike the film, the manga directly states that Hedorah was responsible for killing the two monsters.
Trivia
- The GODZILLA anime trilogy Rodans reference the original Rodan from the character's debut film in two ways:
- Rodan II attacks Kyushu, just as the two Rodans did.
- It is implied that the Rodan swarms feed on Meganulon, a reference to a scene in the film where a newly-hatched Rodan preys on Meganulon in its cave.
- This Rodan appearing both as solitary giant monsters and in swarms is similar to the Rodan incarnations from both the 2016 IDW Publishing comic miniseries Godzilla: Oblivion and the 2021 television series Godzilla Singular Point, preceding the latter.
References
This is a list of references for Rodan (anime trilogy). These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]
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