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Zilla
Species:Mutated Iguana
Height:Millennium: 90 Meters
Weight:Millennium: Unknown
Appearances:Godzilla: Final Wars (2003 film)


Summary

Zilla (Jira) is a giant mutant iguana kaiju who first appeared in the 2004 Toho Godzilla film, Godzilla: Final Wars.

One of the Xiliens' many mind-controlled monster pawns, Zilla was unleashed in Sydney, Australia before he was teleported away as the Xiliens tried to pose as humanity's saviors. When their plan was exposed by the Earth Defense Force and Godzilla was freed from Antarctica, Zilla was deployed to battle him in Sydney. Zilla was quickly defeated by Godzilla, who swatted him aside with his tail and finished him with a blast of his atomic breath. Zilla is based on TriStar's controversial depiction of Godzilla from the 1998 American film and was included in Godzilla: Final Wars after TriStar's rights to the character expired and reverted to Toho. Zilla's only film appearance to date came in Godzilla: Final Wars, but he has also been featured in the mobile game Godzilla: Kaiju Collection and two licensed Godzilla comic series published by IDW Publishing. Zilla also exists within the timeline of the GODZILLA anime trilogy of films, with an entire chapter dedicated to the creature in the novel GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse.

Name

Zilla's name comes from Godzilla, with the "God" removed. According to Shogo Tomiyama, this name was chosen because the TriStar Godzilla "took the 'God' out of 'Godzilla.'"Per Toho's insistence, all future incarnations of TriStar's Godzilla will be under this name.

Zilla's name is never spoken onscreen in Godzilla: Final Wars, though he is at one point referred to by the Controller of Planet X as a tuna-eating monster (Maguro o kutteru, lit. tuna-eater), or tuna-head in the film's English dub. Because of this line, Japanese fans frequently refer to both Zilla and the TriStar Godzilla by the nicknames Maguro (lit. tuna) or Maguro-san (lit. Mr. Tuna).

Design

Zilla's appearance is almost identical to that of the TriStar Godzilla, due to his CGI model being created simply by scanning Trendmasters' Ultimate Godzilla figure. In Godzilla: Final Wars, the only differences in his appearance are his scutes, which point straight upward instead of curving forward, and his skin, which is more of a stone gray color rather than the dark blue coloration of the 1998 Godzilla. The spiky dewlap that was present on Godzilla 1998's neck does not seem to be present on Zilla.

In Godzilla: Rulers of Earth, Zilla is given the exact design of the 1998 Godzilla, complete with curved scutes and blue skin. One feature unique to the IDW Zilla is the presence of a fifth digit on his hands.

Personailty

In Godzilla: Final Wars, Zilla is completely under the control of the Xiliens, and attacks Sydney under their orders. When he battles Godzilla, Zilla, perhaps foolishly, attempts to attack Godzilla head-on by pouncing on him, which results in his quick demise.

In Godzilla: Rulers of Earth, Zilla is highly aggressive and extremely vicious, attacking Godzilla upon encountering him in Honolulu. Zilla holds his own in the battle by evading Godzilla's attacks and opportunistically striking him back, but retreats as soon as Godzilla gains the upper hand and nearly kills him. Zilla later takes up residence in the waters around the Monster Islands, but avoids going ashore where the other kaiju are. Zilla manages to evade the Trilopods when they invade the islands and capture the kaiju, then follows them to Los Angeles and attacks them. During this battle, Zilla actively rescues Jet Jaguar from several Trilopods, then joins forces with Godzilla and the other monsters to defeat the alien menace. After the battle, Zilla and the other kaiju seemingly submit to Godzilla and follow him out to sea.

Origin

Zilla's origins go unexplained in Godzilla: Final Wars, and he is never even mentioned by name. According to the film's theater program, Zilla's "true identity is unknown, but according to one theory it may be the same monster that struck New York in 1997." The book Godzilla: Final Wars Super Complete Works, published in 2005, reiterates this, stating "Informal information has been reported saying that the same kind of monster appeared on the east coast of the U.S. in 1998," obviously referencing the 1998 American Godzilla film. The book also states that Zilla is a "mutated iguana monster with tuna as its regular meal."

In Godzilla: Rulers of Earth, Zilla's origins are never directly discussed, but it is established that he is part of the natural balance of Earth, along with all of the other Earth kaiju. Zilla's appearance on the Infant Island mural suggests that he is an ancient creature, instead of a mutated iguana like his film incarnation. In Godzilla: Oblivion, Zilla is one of several kaiju that inhabits an alternate dimension where Godzilla rules.

In the continuity of the GODZILLA anime trilogy, Zilla's specific origins are unclear and contested, but one theory posits that Zilla, along with Orga and Biollante, may be a subspecies of Godzilla or a species directly derived from him.

History

Millennium Era

Godzilla: Final Wars (2003)

Zilla was sent to attack Sydney, Australia, under the command of the Xiliens. The towering reptile terrorized the city, destroying cars and eating civilians. Suddenly, Zilla and all of the other kaiju that had appeared around the world were teleported away by the Xiliens, who claimed to have come to save humanity. After the Xiliens' true intent, to take over the world and harvest mankind's mitochondria, was revealed, they re-released all of their monsters. The Earth Defense Force freed Godzilla from Area G in Antarctica and led him across the world to defeat the Xiliens' monsters. The Controller of Planet X had Zilla redeployed in Sydney to battle Godzilla. Zilla pounced at Godzilla, but Godzilla swung his tail and knocked the monster into the Sydney Opera House before incinerating him with his atomic breath. Following Zilla's defeat, the Controller simply remarked that he "knew that tuna-eating monster was useless."

Trivia

  • Shogo Tomiyama and Ryuhei Kitamura did not originally intend to include Zilla in Godzilla: Final Wars, but upon learning that they could use the TriStar Godzilla in the film, they decided to feature him as the new monster Zilla. Zilla's late addition may be responsible for the monster's lack of appearances in merchandise and promotional materials for the film.
  • Zilla's quick destruction at the hands of Godzilla in Godzilla: Final Wars was, according to Shogo Tomiyama, meant to "show which Godzilla is stronger," reflecting many fans' dissatisfaction with TriStar's depiction of Godzilla.
  • Despite Zilla's quick demise in "Godzilla: Final Wars," Patrick Tatopoulos was thrilled to learn that the Godzilla he designed would be appearing in a Toho film.
  • Zilla's role in the novel GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse is a direct reference to the worst-case scenario regarding the TriStar Godzilla's reproduction in the 1998 film, where it multiplies rapidly and overruns an entire city due to all of its offspring being born capable of asexual reproduction. In addition, Zilla attacks France, a reference to the French being responsible for Godzilla's creation in the 1998 film.
  • Zilla was briefly considered for inclusion in the video game Godzilla: Unleashed, but didn't make the cut due to his lack of popularity during production on the previous games.
  • After Zilla is dispatched by Godzilla in Godzilla: Final Wars, the Controller of Planet X angrily says "I knew that tuna-eating monster was useless," a reference to the TriStar Godzilla's diet of fish in the 1998 film. In the film's English dub, the Controller calls Zilla a "tuna head."
  • Zilla is the only monster in Godzilla: Final Wars to be portrayed entirely through computer-generated imagery, a nod to the TriStar Godzilla being portrayed primarily through CGI in the 1998 film.
  • In Godzilla: Rulers of Earth, when Zilla is seen swimming in the waters around the Monster Islands, the character Chavez suggests that Zilla may be reluctant to set foot on the islands because he isn't welcome. Lucy assures him that the other monsters will eventually come to accept him. This is most likely an inside joke referencing the Godzilla fanbase's reluctance to accept Zilla.