The story of Godzilla is a classic. The metaphor behind his existence was never subtle. Ishiro Honda depicted the atomic tests at the Bikini Atoll as the explicit reason for his existence. The development of a weapon to kill Godzilla became a massive moral quandary. Bomb development created the beast, but it could be the solution as well. As in real life, the creation of a new weapon never brings an end to war. Destoroyah is the new frontier of conflict.
If the Monsterverse plans to start adding classic kaiju to their catalog, Destoroyah might be the best candidate. The most recent entries in the American franchise have introduced new threats, many of which have become fascinating newcomers. Skar King brought a ton of attention to Godzilla x Kong, but he’s not likely to emerge again. The new monster of the week format might become tiring without the occasional return.
Where did Destoroyah come from?
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Names |
Destoroyah, Destroyah, Destroyer, Destroroyer |
|---|---|
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Subtitle |
Perfect Lifeform |
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Designers |
Minoru Yoshida, Noriyoshi Ohrai, Hideo Okamoto |
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Portrayers |
Eiichi Yanagida, Ryo Hariya, Masayuki Kuramashi, Rikiya Mune, Hidenori Yamaoka, Shigehiro Ueda |
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First Appearance |
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah |
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First Appearance Date |
December 9, 1995 |
Destoroyah is a towering multi-stage crustacean monster who faced Godzilla in his debut feature. His 1995 debut feature closed Godzilla’s Heisei era. That momentous occasion prompted Toho to go all out while designing Godzilla’s latest foe. Their first pitch was the restless spirit of Godzilla’s original 1954 iteration, but several recent incarnations overused evil doppelgängers of the central kaiju. The next emergent concept was a mashed-together abomination called Barubaroi. Barubaroi is a fascinating creature with around seven heads and a dozen eyes. Its name evoked comparisons to the Berber people of North Africa, forcing the designers to start over. Concept artist Minoru Yoshida took inspiration from Go Nagai’s classic Devilman manga to create a crustacean monster. The demonic result adopted the concept of evolving through multiple phases from Barubaroi while also borrowing his central narrative theme.
Destoroyah is called Destroyer in some English dubs. Toho couldn’t copyright a name that generic, so they maintain the Japanese pronunciation in most languages. Destoroyah shares many narrative elements with Godzilla. Where the King of the Monsters gained his power from the atomic bomb, Destroroyah awakened after Japan used the Oxygen Destroyer. Maintaining the idea of Godzilla facing his past, the Oxygen Destroyer was the bomb that killed Godzilla in his first appearance. Destoroyah was a mass of Precambian crustaceans held dormant in the Earth’s crust. When Dr. Serizawa activated the Oxygen Destroyer, he awakened the small beasts and set them on a rapid evolutionary path. The small trilobites grew into horseshoe crabs and fused into a large crab beast. They would grow larger from there, eventually taking their Perfect Form to face Godzilla as Destoroyah.
What is Destoroyah capable of?
Destoroyah is known as one of Godzilla’s most evil foes. His demonic appearance mirrors his cruelty, violence, and intelligence. He has at least six distinct forms. Two of them never appear on-screen. His early forms use numerical superiority. Destoroyah can combine to form a large beast and segment himself to attack as a mob. This allows him to strategize, heal from injuries, and escape dodgy scenarios. His Flying Form unlocks a massive increase in speed, but his final Perfect Form is his most iconic. The massive devil is considerably stronger than Godzilla, allowing him to toss the King with his arms and tail. Mirroring Godzilla’s Atomic Breath, Destoroyah can exhale a jet of Micro-Oxygen that can destroy anything. Destoroyah can also wield a laser blade that emits from his central horn. He can absorb energy, tank a considerable amount of radiation, and deal massive damage to armored foes like Godzilla. His immense power makes him one of the most threatening antagonists in Godzilla’s long catalog.
What happened to Destoroyah?
Destoroyah had the tremendous misfortune of facing Godzilla while he was in his Burning form. Godzilla enjoyed the power of catastrophic radiation. His immense upgrade raised the risk of ending all life on Earth. Destoroyah posed a reasonable challenge to Godzilla in his traditional form, but Burning Godzilla made short work of the Perfect Lifeform. Destoroyah ignited the conflict by killing Godzilla’s son, enraging the King. Their first conflict saw Destoroyah quickly lose the upper hand, break into a million smaller crustaceans to continue the fight, and suffer a near-death experience as Godzilla let out a nuclear pulse. Destoroyah returned in his Perfect Form. He dealt considerable damage to Burning Godzilla, but his might still fell short. Burning Godzilla unleashed a jet of Infinite Heat Atomic Breath that erased large portions of Destoroyah’s body before firing several blasts wildly in all directions. Destoroyah fled, reasonably convinced he could no longer win. Unfortunately, the Japanese authorities shot Destoroyah’s wings with cryolasers, freezing him in midair and sending him plummeting. He lands at Godzilla’s feet, where the impossibly high temperature quickly eradicates Destoroyah.
Destoroyah is a mighty foe, but he makes the mistake of facing Godzilla at his best. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah is more about the former character than the latter. As the sendoff for Heisei Godzilla, the King of the Monsters reaches the peak of his power. Nevertheless, Destoroyah remains an iconic antagonist with a stellar design.
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