Two classic kaiju fromGodzilla’suniverse were nearly combined into one for a 1990s monster movie. Baragon and Anguirus are both counted amongGodzilla’s monster alliesin the franchise. Introduced inFrankenstein vs BaragonandGodzilla Raids Againrespectively, both were on hand when Godzilla famously opposed King Ghidorah in 1968’sDestroy All Monsters.
Of the two, only Anguirus actually took part in the fighting. Godzilla and Anguirus then had a proper team-up inGodzilla vs. Gigana few years later. Unfortunately, he didn’t return to the franchise again untilGodzilla: Final Wars, which only featured him in a minor role. As for Baragon, his only post-Destroy All Monstersappearance came inGodzilla, Mothra, andGhidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Again. However, Toho did remain interested in Baragon and Anguirus for years. In fact, there was once a plan to blend the concepts behind these two monsters together and make them one ofGodzilla’s many villains.
Godzilla vs. Baraguirus Would Have Featured A Baragon & Anguirus Fusion
Baraguirus Was A Clever Cross Between Baragon & Anguirus
Several ideas preceded Toho’sGodzilla vs. Destoroyahscript, one of which beingGodzilla vs. Ghost Godzilla.Rather than go directly fromGodzilla vs. Ghost Godzillato the final product, the concept went through several stages, includingGodzilla vs. Baraguirus.Rumors claimed that it involved Baragon and Anguirus fusing into one monster for a fight with Ghost Godzilla (the resurrected form of the 1954 Godzilla). But according to Shinji Nishinkawa, who created the concept, he didn’t intend for Baraguirus and Anguirus to be a proper fusion. Rather, he intended for the creature to exist as a mix of their physical characteristics, hence the name.
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Nishinkawa explained that part of the reason for Baraguirus' conception revolved around the setting for one of the fights (viaToho Kingdom.) Apparently, Nishinkawa envisioned an underground fight that would feature a rebuilt Moguera, the robot that was destroyed fighting SpaceGodzilla in the previous film,Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla. Because Baragon is a subterranean creature that builds underground tunnels, Baraguirus was considered an ideal villain for this particular battle. Afterward,Baraguirus would have been possessed by Ghost Godzillaand used as a vessel for a confrontation with Godzilla himself.
What Baraguirus Might Have Looked Like In A Godzilla Movie
There Are No Official Designs For Baraguirus
SinceGodzilla vs. Baraguirusnever reached fruition, what this creature would have looked like on the big screen remains open to speculation. However, the idea behind it does raise a number of possibilities. Both are four-legged creatures, so it makes sense to assume the same would be the case for Baraguirus. It also stands to reason that it would possess a spiny shell, given that this is one of Anguirus' most distinguishing traits as an ankylosaurus-inspired kaiju. As for what it would borrow from Baragon, it’s possible that it would have shared his floppy ears and yellow horn at the center of its head.
This could have made him a formidable opponent for Godzilla, especially if he could instantly create tunnels in the midst of a battle in order to escape or surprise his opponent.
As evidenced by Nishinkawa’sGodzilla vs. Baraguirusplan, the canceled Godzilla villain would have been armed withBaragon’s signature burrowing power. This could have made him a formidable opponent for Godzilla, especially if he could instantly create tunnels in the midst of a battle to escape or surprise his opponent. If he were to receive something from Anguirus as well, the most obvious option would have been his jumping attack. In the Showa era, Anguirus would fling himself backward, allowing his spiky shell to act as a weapon.
6 Years After Godzilla vs. Baraguirus Fell Through, Toho Planned A Baragon & Anguirus Team-Up
Toho Never Moved Forward With This Baragon & Anguirus Idea Either
Interestingly,Godzilla vs. Baraguirusisn’t the only scrapped Godzilla project derived from these two specific monsters. Instead of converting them into one monster,there was an intention for Baragon and Angurius to team up in the original version ofGodzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack.As explained byThe Big Book of Giant Japanese Monsters: The Lost Filmsby John LeMay, a treatment forGodzilla vs. Varan, Baragon, Anguirus: Giant Monsters All-Out Attackcalled for Baragon, Varan, and Anguirus to battle Godzilla.
Ultimately though, their lack of popularity worked against them. Toho kept Baragon in the script, but replaced the other two with Mothra and Ghidorah. In the finished movie, Baragon died in a one-on-one battle with Godzilla, but had the original plan moved forward, he would have had an opportunity to fight side-by-side with Anguirus and Varan in the final battle.
