Ghidorah's Three Heads

Lore & Background

King Ghidorah is explicitly described in the film as an extraterrestrial from Venus who destroyed his own home planet. His arrival on Earth was predicted by a prophetess, who revealed that some Venusians had escaped to Earth and assimilated with humans, losing most abilities except for prediction powers. The creature first emerged after Professor Miura's team witnessed the meteor they were investigating explode over Mount Kurodake. Unlike previous monsters awakened by nuclear weapons or worshipped as gods, screenwriter Shinichi Sekizawa designed Ghidorah specifically to introduce aliens into the franchise. The Prophetess warns that Ghidorah is a monster capable of destroying entire worlds, prompting the authorities to plead with Mothra's twin fairies, the Shobijin, for help. However, the fairies clarify that Mothra alone cannot defeat him; only the combined power of Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra offers hope for survival.

In Their Own Story

The narrative arc begins when a meteor shower descends on Japan, with the largest crash landing on Mount Kurodake. As Professor Miura investigates the magnetic waves emitted by the rock, King Ghidorah is unleashed upon Matsumoto following the meteor's explosion. The creature proceeds to attack the city while Godzilla and Rodan converge on other areas, battling throughout the countryside. Authorities attempt to summon Mothra via the Shobijin, but they are warned that a solo effort will fail. During the conflict, the Prophetess is revealed to be Princess Salno of Selgina, who had jumped from an exploding plane before arriving in Japan. After Malmess nearly kills her and falls to his death, she regains memories of three events where Shindo saved her but retains no memory of being the Prophetess. Ultimately, Godzilla and Rodan set aside their differences after seeing Mothra attempt to battle Ghidorah alone. The monsters overwhelm the space dragon and force it to flee into outer space before departing.

Reader's Guide

King Ghidorah was portrayed by Shoichi Hirose in a suit that presented significant on-set difficulties due to multiple wires attached to the necks, tails, and wings. A team of seven men handled these wires over soundstage rafters while Hirose remained hunched over for hours using only a supportive crossbar. The filming process caused delays as the necks would tangle with each other, studio lights reflected off the plastic wires, and wires frequently got caught in the suit's scales. Effects cameraman Sadamasa Arikawa described the operation as "agonizing." Director Ishirō Honda had originally been reluctant to anthropomorphize the monsters but proceeded with the film after 'Red Beard' fell behind schedule. The suit design was based on Yamata no Orochi, and while wings were initially intended to have a rainbow-like hue, they appeared gold in the final film. Small models were utilized for far-away shots or flying sequences involving Rodan and Ghidorah.

Did You Know?

• King Ghidorah was designed by Akira Watanabe as an homage to Yamata no Orochi.
• The suit required a team of seven men to handle the wires attached to the necks, tails, and wings over the soundstage rafters.
• Screenwriter Shinichi Sekizawa introduced aliens like Ghidorah because he grew tired of tropes where monsters were awakened by nuclear weapons or worshipped as gods.
• Ghidorah was released into Earth's atmosphere after a meteor exploded over Mount Kurodake while researchers investigated its magnetic waves.
• The film earned ¥375 million at the Japanese box office and $1.3 million in the United States.