List of Toho alien races
This is a list of the extraterrestrial races featured in the tokusatsu films and television series produced by Japanese production company Toho, including the various Godzilla films.
Mysterians
| Toho alien race | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | The Mysterians |
| Distinctions |
|
The Mysterians (ミステリアン Misuterian) (from The Mysterians, 1957) make their presence known on Earth following a sequence of disasters in the Fuji area: a forest fire, an earthquake, and the rampage of a giant robot called Moguera. Following these events their leader meets with five scientists and reveals their history: Originally inhabitants of the (formerly) hypothetical planet Mysteroid, ancient Mysterians had advanced nuclear power and subsequently destroyed themselves and their planet in a nuclear war (thereby creating the asteroid belt). Their descendants colonized Mars and remained there until Earthlings began claiming Martian land. In retribution, and to preserve their fading race, the Mysterians request a 3-kilometer patch of land on Earth and the right to marry Earthling women. They wrought destruction at first, they claim, to demonstrate their power and prevent humankind from foolishly instigating a nuclear war against them.
Despite their unprovoked attack, the Mysterians claim to be pacifists, using mild force at first to prevent large-scale conflict later. Mysterian uniforms consist of white bodysuits with color trim, boots, gloves, and helmets, with color indicative of rank (red the highest, then yellow, then blue). As would become the norm in Toho alien invasion movies, the Mysterians are basically human in form; however, unlike many future alien races, this is their true form, rather than a disguise. Their tactics are innovative and clever; during the Markalite cannon raid on the Mysterians' dome, they destroy one of the devices with a flood and another by sacrificing a second Moguera.
Natals
| Toho alien race | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | Battle in Outer Space |
| Distinctions |
|
The Natals (ナタール Natāru) appeared in Battle in Outer Space, The Natals are a diminutive alien race who want the Earth as a colony for their planet and enslave all of humanity. The aliens display a wide array of technologies and ingenuity in their attempt to overthrow the Earth by various means, including mind control, sabotage, anti-gravity rays, space-torpedoes, saucer attacks, and finally their huge Mothership.
The Natals are eventually defeated through the cooperation of Earth's nations in developing new weapons, launching a fleet of advanced rocket ships, and a sneak-attack on the aliens moon base.
Xiliens
| Toho alien race | |
|---|---|
| Kind | Keizer form (only in Godzilla: Final Wars) |
| First appearance | Invasion of Astro-Monster |
| Distinctions |
|
| Races |
Cybernetic humanoids (Invasion of Astro-Monster) Reptilian humanoids (Godzilla: Final Wars) |
Invasion of Astro-Monster
Hailing from the mysterious Planet X (located behind Jupiter), the Xiliens (X星人 Ekkusu Seijin, X Planet People) (in Invasion of Astro-Monster, 1965) pleaded for assistance from the people of Earth, as it seemed King Ghidorah, having been driven off Earth the previous year by Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra, was now assaulting their planet. Mankind allowed the aliens to "borrow" Godzilla and Rodan, and the two monsters were transported to Planet X and were successful in driving Ghidorah away.
Shortly after this, however, the aliens revealed their true intentions and that they had captured Godzilla and Rodan to gain complete control over them and King Ghidorah. They gave humanity twenty-four hours to choose between surrendering themselves to Planet X or being destroyed by the monsters. They finally grew tired of waiting for an answer and unleashed all three kaiju upon Japan.
Water, very scarce on Planet X, is highly coveted by the Xiliens, and this was the main reason behind their invasion of Earth. The aliens were vulnerable to loud, high-pitched sounds, and humanity used this to defeat them.
The Xiliens were a completely emotionless race, letting their lives be run by computers. Their leader is known as the Controller. Everything on Planet X is numbered, according to the Controller, and King Ghidorah was known as Monster Zero. When the aliens gained control of Godzilla and Rodan, they were known as Monster Zero-One, and Monster Zero-Two.
The Xiliens' spacecraft were capable of traveling one-tenth the speed of light, and could fire explosive laser beams from the domes on their underside. Their ships could also encase targets as big as kaiju inside giant force-bubbles, then use tractor beams to haul them great distances, even from Earth to Planet X. They also possessed laser pistols that were capable of disintegrating a human being. Their greatest power, however, had to be their ability to take control of any creature's mind; they did this to Godzilla, Rodan, and King Ghidorah. These aliens were often called Xians by American fans, though this is not an actual name.
Godzilla: Final Wars
Godzilla: Final Wars' version of the Xiliens (X星人 Ekkusu Seijin, X Planet People) invaded the Earth, masking their true intentions with peaceful purposes. They had the ability to control any creature with a certain DNA compound called M-Base, a compound which both the mutant soldiers of M-Force and they can also alter DNA so they can control other creature like the kaiju. They used their control of M-Base to send the monsters on rampages across the globe – Rodan in New York City, Anguirus in Shanghai, Kamacuras in Paris, Zilla in Sydney, King Caesar in Okinawa, Kumonga in Arizona, and Ebirah in Tokai. After allowing them to cause enough damage to their locations, the Xiliens teleported the monsters away, telling the people of the Earth that they rescued them, and want only peace between their planets (Earth and Planet X). They warned humanity of a small run-away planet known as Gorath, saying that unless we aimed all our firepower at it, Gorath would collide with the Earth (the planet was the main concern in Gorath, an older film).
Tension among the Xiliens' ranks soon rose, however. While the leader of the Xiliens wanted to take over the planet through as peaceful means as possible, the second-in-command believed in their superior firepower and technology, and wanted to return the monsters to Earth. It was soon discovered that the Xiliens were replacing high political leaders with Xilien clones, and that Gorath didn't actually exist. The Xiliens were exposed on national television, and with their plan revealed, the second-in-command (henceforth known as the Controller) shot and killed the leader, taking command of the invasion from that point on. He explained that the reason for their invasion was to use mankind as a food source – the Xiliens needed mankind's mitochondria to survive. Upon returning to the Mothership, he returned the monsters to Earth, and this time they were assisted by swarms of Xilien fighters. He also activated the Xiliens' ancient weapon – a cyborg kaiju named Gigan.
When Godzilla was awoken to battle the Xilien army of monsters, the Controller was unfamiliar with the beast, and sent the monsters to defeat him. One by one, Gigan, Zilla, Kumonga, and Kamacuras all fell, and even a team attack by Rodan, Anguirus, and King Caeser failed to stop Godzilla. Upon landing in Tokyo, Godzilla simultaneously obliterated Ebirah and Hedorah (Hedorah's location prior to this scene is a mystery, as he is not seen at any other time in the film, leading to the belief he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, Hedorah could merely have been making a cameo appearance). Enraged, the Controller sent a secret, last monster, Monster X into battle via an enormous Asteroid in which he was contained. The monster was much more powerful than the previous monsters and overpowered Godzilla numerous times. When Mothra (whom the Controller was also unfamiliar with) arrived in Tokyo, a repaired and upgraded Gigan was sent to destroy her. Monster X and Gigan briefly double-teamed Godzilla before Gigan was destroyed by a kamikaze attack from Mothra. As the two monsters fought, the Controller revealed to the heroes that mutants were the product of interbreeding between humans and Xiliens in the past. He also revealed that he was a Kaiser (spelled as "Keizer" for unknown reasons)- an extremely rare type of mutant who is granted super powers due to the fusion of M-base and human DNA. Kaisers are able to control any other lifeform by telepathic means if that organism has M-base. Ozaki, one of the mutant soldiers, was also a Kaiser, and defeated the Controller in battle. Moments before the Xilien Mothership came crashing down around him, the Controller is seen screaming in anger and agony among the explosions, due to his defeat. Scenes change back to Monster X and Godzilla, who continue to rage in their war for ultimate defeat of the other. After they are both blown away by a massive conflagration when their energy beams collide, Monster X transforms into a hideous monstrosity known as Keizer Ghidorah.
The Xilien Mothership is immense, and is made of four parts: one massive orb-body, and three claw-shaped ships. These "claw ships" can travel on their own, and have the ability to teleport targets, even ones as large as daikaiju, with ease. Where the monsters were stored once they were teleported out of their designated cities is unknown, but it was presumably within the main body. The Mothership is protected by a powerful forcefield, the generator for which is in the core of the ship itself. The Mothership also houses hundreds of fighters.
Kilaakians
| Toho alien race | |
|---|---|
| Kind | Shapeshifting silicon based organisms |
| First appearance | Destroy All Monsters |
| Distinctions |
|
The Kilaakians (キラアク星人 Kiraaku Seijin, Kilaak Planet People) (in Destroy All Monsters, 1968) were a race of female humanoids from the planet Kilaak. Kilaak is an endonym for one of the asteroids between Mars and Jupiter. The aliens invaded Monsterland and assumed control of the kaiju and resident scientists. Soon the monsters were attacking cities across the globe – Godzilla attacked New York, Rodan assaulted Moscow, Mothra invaded Beijing, Manda attacked London, and Gorosaurus destroyed Paris. Despite the military's efforts to stop them, the aliens remained unscathed until their base on the moon was destroyed by the rocketship, Moonlight SY-3. When humanity broke the kaiju from their control, the aliens pulled out their trump card – King Ghidorah. However, up against the combined might of Godzilla, Anguirus, Gorosaurus, Rodan, Mothra, Kumonga, and Minilla, Ghidorah was easily slain. Godzilla then destroyed the Kilaakians' base on Earth, ending their threat.
The Kilaakians attempted to conquer Earth in order to create a great scientific civilization, which they stated needed some death to create. The aliens thrived in high temperatures and were greatly susceptible to cold. When they were struck by low temperatures, they shed their human guises and reverted to their true forms: small, metallic worm-like creatures.
Aside from their mind control devices (that can enslave both humans and kaiju alike), they don't seem to have any great technology, though they do have force fields that can't be penetrated even by bullets. Their flying saucers aren't much of a threat in and of themselves, but they have the ability to engulf their outer hulls in flames, burning anything the ship may touch. This mode is called a "Fire Dragon".
Space Hunter Nebula M Aliens
| Toho alien race | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | Godzilla vs. Gigan |
| Distinctions |
|
| Races | Insectoids |
Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972) had the aliens from an Earth-like planet in the M Space Hunter Nebula (M宇宙ハンター星雲人 M Uchuu Hantā Seiunjin, M Space Hunter Nebula People) (also known as Nebula M Space Hunter, Space Hunter Galaxy M) invade Earth in order to escape their own dying planet, long plagued by pollution caused by its previous (and now long extinct) inhabitants, a species just like humans. Using "action signal tapes" to control Gigan and King Ghidorah, the aliens had the two monsters demolish Tokyo until they were challenged by Godzilla and Anguirus.
They were headquartered in a large Godzilla-shaped structure called the Godzilla Tower. The Tower was capable of firing lethal laser beams from its mouth, and these beams very nearly killed Godzilla until the Tower was destroyed by explosives smuggled into the head section, freeing Gigan and Ghidorah in the process. The aliens called their human guises "uniforms," and could only use previously deceased humans for them.
When their uniforms were killed (or perhaps simply sustained enough damage), the aliens' disguises dissolve, revealing their true forms: massive, human-sized cockroaches. With the exception of the Godzilla Tower, the aliens possessed nothing impressive, and after their initial invasion, were never heard from again, except to send Gigan to assist Megalon in Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973).
Seatopians
| Toho alien race | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | Godzilla vs. Megalon |
| Races | Humans |
Though terrestrial, the Seatopians performed a very similar role to an invading alien species in Godzilla vs. Megalon, and even seemed to have an alliance with the M Space Hunter Nebula Aliens from the previous film.
The Seatopians lived under the sea, and wished to exact their revenge upon the human race, who had obliterated most of their Kingdom through the testing of nuclear weapons. They sent their monster god Megalon to destroy the world, and captured the robot Jet Jaguar to guide him, and also to build an army of robots. Eventually, control of Jet Jaguar was regained, and the robot teamed up with Godzilla to drive away Megalon and Gigan.
The Simians
| Toho alien race | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla |
| Distinctions |
|
| Races | Hominid |
The Simians are also known as the "Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens."
First Wave
The Simians are a race of war-like, wine-drinking humanoid ape sentient beings. They built the robotic Mechagodzilla as a tool for world domination. They do not seem to be capable of ultra-high technology like that of their predecessors, apart from the ability construct a colossal machine such as Mechagodzilla. Simians can even change into a more human-like appearance. They establish a secret base in Okinawa, only to be discovered and killed by Interpol agents. Simultaneously, Mechagodzilla is destroyed by the combined strength of Godzilla and King Caesar.
Second Wave
A new army of Planet 3 Aliens returned the next year in Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975) with a rebuilt Mechagodzilla, and a plan to destroy Tokyo to rebuild it as a high-tech city (and branch out from there). The second wave of Planet 3 Aliens were disfigured humans wearing rubber masks (similar to the underground mutant race depicted in Beneath the Planet of the Apes). This time the aliens joined forces with a vengeful scientist named Shinzo Mafune, who controlled the huge aquatic dinosaur dubbed Titanosaurus by Mafune. The aliens didn't really care for the scientist, and merely saw Titanosaurus as a way to weaken Godzilla before he faced Mechagodzilla. After Mafune and the Planet 3 Aliens settled their differences, Mechagodzilla and Titanosaurus attacked Tokyo, and were faced with Godzilla. After a lengthy fight, Godzilla eventually triumphed over both foes, blowing up Mechagodzilla in a giant chasm and (apparently) killing Titanosaurus (this was never really confirmed, although that particular monster hasn't been heard from since; in the movie, Titanosaurus was struck by a powerful atomic ray from Godzilla and fell over a cliff, but since he fell into the ocean, it is entirely possible that, freed from Mafune's control, the dinosaur simply swam back to his home on the ocean floor and never returned). The Planet 3 Aliens tried to escape in their spacecraft, but they were blown out of the sky by Godzilla. All remaining aliens were already killed by Interpol agents and the military.
The Planet 3 Aliens, like the Nebula M Aliens, didn't seem to possess any impressive technology other than their ability to construct Mechagodzilla. The Second Wave aliens, however, wore silver bulletproof suits. Also like the Nebula M Aliens (and the Kilaakians), the Planet 3 Aliens' human appearance was merely a disguise.
Futurians
| Toho alien race | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah |
| Races | Humans |
The Futurians were a group of time travelers who appeared in the 1991 film Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah. Although not actually aliens, the Futurians arrived in a large time machine called "Mother Ship" which resembles traditional representation of an alien spaceship. The Futurians themselves consisted of an American man named Wilson, a Russian man named Grenchko (referred to as Glenn Chico in the English dub of the film), a Japanese woman named Emi Kano, and a crew of superhuman androids led by Unit M-11. Upon their arrival, they explained to members of Japan's government that they had come back from the year 2204 to save the country from total destruction at the hands of Godzilla. They proposed to do this by traveling back in time to 1944 and eliminating the dinosaur that would become Godzilla as a result of an atomic bomb test 10 years later. However, after teleporting the Godzillasaurus to the depths of the Bering Sea, Emi "accidentally" left behind the three Dorat pet animals that had been brought along on the mission. The trio of creatures was exposed to the radiation in Godzilla's stead, and as a result fused together and mutated into the monster King Ghidorah. By the time Emi and the others returned to the present, King Ghidorah was destroying major cities all across Japan, and the Futurians' true plot was revealed.
Apparently radical members of an organization called the "Earth Union", which is possibly the 23rd-century equivalent of the United Nations, Wilson and Grenchko had been dissatisfied with the balance of world power in their own time. In this age, Japan was the only major superpower on the planet, and since nuclear weaponry was banned in 2204, Wilson was forced to come up with a different scheme: to travel back in time and cripple Japan in the past, making it weaker in their own time and thus resulting in a fairer balance of world power. With Godzilla gone, he reasoned, Japan would be defenseless; and the Dorats, which could be easily controlled through microwave impulses, would be the ideal template for a monster which would obey their commands.
In the end, Wilson and Grenchko's overconfidence proved to be their undoing, as well as them being unknowing that nuclear pollution was in the Bering Sea that could mutate the dinosaur into Godzilla, who returned to Japan, possibly due to sensing King Ghidorah. Wilson ordered King Ghidorah to be sent to kill Godzilla and while King Ghidorah has the upper hand in the beginning a disillusioned Emi and Terasawa sabotaged the computer controlling Ghidorah with the help of a reprogrammed M-11, allowing Godzilla to hand the three-headed monster a crushing defeat. The three then knock out Wilson and Grenchko and teleport the Mother Ship to the battle field before their emergency override could take them back to the future. While Ghidorah was stunned by a nuclear pulse and the loss of his middle head, Godzilla blasted Mother with his atomic breath, destroying it and killing everyone aboard. Afterwards, King Ghidorah attempted to flee but Godzilla blew a hole in his wing with an atomic ray, sending him falling into the ocean, before Godzilla began to rampage through Japan. Emi and M-11 returned to their own time to resurrect King Ghidorah with cyborg technology in order to stop Godzilla's rampage, guessing that the cold sea water would keep the golden dragon alive. She returned to the present piloting Mecha-King Ghidorah, and eventually defeated Godzilla before returning once again to 2204, but not before revealing that she was Terasawa's descendant. In the manga version, Emi dies as she is about to depart when Godzilla shoots his atomic ray out of the ocean.
Millennians
| Toho alien race | |
|---|---|
| Kind | Orga (mutated form) |
| First appearance | Godzilla 2000: Millennium |
| Distinctions |
|
The Millennians (ミレニアン Mirenian) (from Godzilla 2000: Millennium, 1999) were a race of beings that, while traveling in space in their solar-powered spacecraft, crashed on Earth in the Cretaceous Period, and were reduced to anti-matter. In the year 1999, a submarine built by the Crisis Control Intervention Center (CCI) accidentally awakened it from its 65-million-year-old slumber by shining the submarine's lights on it. The revived Millennians needed a way to regain their physical form. Scanning a group of humans, they found their DNA insufficient, and so their saucer flew off to find DNA that met their needs. They found this DNA in Godzilla, who was just attacking Tokaimura. Scanning Godzilla, the Millennians found his eternally reproducing cells (dubbed "Organizer G-1", "Regenerator G-1" in the American version) to be ideal for their ambitions. The saucer attacked Godzilla with a powerful energy cannon, but when Godzilla returned fire with his fiery, powerful plasmatomic energy beam, the fight ended up in a double knock-out. The CCI tried to contain the saucer, but it easily broke free from its bindings and flew off, landing in Shinjuku. There, it began remotely absorbing any information it could from computers throughout the city.
When Godzilla arrived in Shinjuku to destroy his foe, the saucer was able to overwhelm him, knocking a massive skyscraper onto him and rendering him unconscious. While Godzilla was out, the saucer extracted a large amount of his DNA and began using it to take form. The Millennians took form as a single, gigantic squid-like creature. Unfortunately, the Millennian could not control the power of Organizer G-1, and began mutating much further than it had expected. The creature collapsed to the ground as the DNA changed its body. As this was happening, Godzilla regained consciousness and blasted the saucer out of the sky. As Godzilla moved in towards the wreckage to investigate, the Millennian stood up, revealing its new form – the monstrous Orga. Startled by the new creature's sudden appearance, Godzilla went on the attack.
As the Orga, the Millennians acquired massive physical strength and the ability to fire a beam of energy similar to that of their spaceship from its right shoulder. They also gained the ability to assimilate an opponent's DNA by biting them and regenerate rapidly. They also gained a snake-like jaw letting Orga devour opponents whole. This turned out to be their undoing, as Godzilla allowed himself to be partly swallowed so he could destroy the genetic horror from within, decapitating and killing Orga.
The Millennians pilot the saucer using telepathy, which it also uses to tap into all technological devices, including computers, to gather their data, as well as transmit messages on all media machines. It also used telepathy to lasso Godzilla with underground cables, so that the alien can wear out the monster in order to gain the Organizer G-1. The Millennian also seems to not want to fight unless absolutely necessary; even once it has mutated into Orga, it is obvious that it does not want to battle Godzilla until it realizes that escape is not an option. They also rarely attacked humans unless they felt threatened, indicating that despite wanting to conquer the Earth, they wanted to do it peacefully.
Planet
The atmosphere is very different from Earth's, most species won't survive on our world from this planet.
Vortaak
| Toho alien race | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee |
The Vortaak are an alien warlike species that appeared in the Godzilla Vortaak Saga of video games, and seem to be based on the Xilians that appear in Monster Zero and Godzilla Final Wars. In Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee the Vortaak seem to be one of the Universe's most dominant species. They conquer planets to expand their civilization. They attack Earth by the best way possible: controlling the Kaiju. Godzilla (not the only monster available) breaks free from the alien mind control and defeats the other Kaiju, who are released from their control and flee to their homes. The Vortaak bring Godzilla aboard their ship to kill him for his attack on them. Their "champion", Mechagodzilla, is released on him, but Godzilla defeats him and is teleported back to Earth as the Vortaak flee with their evil scheme foiled. In the Godzilla: Unleashed website reveals show that the Vortaak have secretly attacked Earth before this game.
The Vortaak return two years later in Godzilla: Save the Earth. The Vortaak queen oversees her planned attempts to conquer Earth because of their recent defeat. The Vortaak try to steal Godzilla's DNA by tricking the humans. Godzilla travels across the globe after being aware of their return. He passes numerous tests including defeating a larger variety of monsters until he is brought aboard the royal Vortaak ship to defeat the result of his stolen genes, SpaceGodzilla. Godzilla wins the battle and returns home once again, leaving the Vortaak queen Vorticia screaming as they flee.
The Vortaak appear as villains in the next entry in the series Godzilla: Unleashed on the Alien Faction, though Spacegodzilla, Krystalak, and their faction, the Mutants, are the main antagonists of the game. They play an important role in the games storyline and climax due to the fact that they control one of the four teams in the game and the changing storyline. The alien mothership in this game is partially destroyed in a crash and rather than fixing it Vorticia focuses all the Vortaak's power on the recently discovered alien crystals on Earth. Vorticia's plan is to send the players monster to Earth to steal the crystals to empower her own monsters more powerful than Earth's. The Mothership is eventually destroyed in gameplay.
In the Xbox version of Destroy All Monsters Melee, the Vortaak mothership homeworld is an arena. It is unknown if this is actually their homeplanet or if just another planet in their system. It is unlocked by beating adventure mode with Kiryu.The planet has a harsh rocky landscape surrounded by mountains and rocks are in the landscape and few buildings.
Vorticia
Vorticia is queen of the alien race known to the universe as the Vortaak. She is one of the main villains of the Atari/Pipeworks Godzilla Vortaak Saga video game series. Little of her past is known due to the first two games lack of storyline (although Save the Earth did have a great storyline planned but due to time reasons it was cut) but she presumably hails from the planet seen in the Xbox version the Destroy All Monsters Melee. It is presumed she became Queen before the first game but because she does not appear in the first game she could have become Queen between the two games or she just does not appear and is represented by the Vortaak seen.
In Destroy All Monsters Melee, Vorticia does not appear but the Vortaak take over the planets and their own kaiju to wreak havoc on Earth until the planets surrender. Godzilla defeats the army of kaiju and the Vortaak flee. Two years later in Save The Earth the Vortaak return and Vorticia makes her appearance to Earth sending the Vortaak kaiju to attack Earth again but Godzilla defeats the bigger army of monsters and passes numerous tests and the Vortaak flee as Vorticia screams.
Early Unleashed revealed videos show an aged Vorticia wondering about the alien crystals on Earth that apparently empower kaiju. She sends the players kaiju to Earth to steal the crystals to empower the other kaiju rather than repair the crashed ship.
Cryogs
The Cryogs appeared in the most recent Godzilla comic series Godzilla: Rulers of Earth, and controlled Gigan. Their home planet had been desolated by Ghidorah, who has been known for that stuff. Their leader had unleashed the Trilopods, creatures that could harvest Kaijus DNA and slightly copy that Kaiju's resemblance.
