King Caesar
| King Caesar | |
|---|---|
| Godzilla film series character | |
| First appearance | Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) |
| Last appearance | Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) |
| Created by | Jun Fukuda |
| Portrayed by |
Shōwa series Kin'ichi Kusumi Millennium series Motokuni Nakagawa |
King Caesar (キングシーサー Kingu Shīsā?) is a kaiju who first appeared in Toho's 1974 film Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla.
King Caesar's name and appearance are based on Shisa, which are artistically embellished stone lion statues common in Okinawa, where the film Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla took place. They are an Okinawan variation on the Chinese guardian lion (石獅; Shishi, meaning "Stone Lion"), which in turn originates from Buddhist tradition in India, where lions are native. Shisa only loosely resemble actual lions on account of being based on second-hand descriptions by people who'd never seen one in person. In the 1970s, general East Asian folklore were relatively unknown to Western audiences, which resulted in the translators interpreting name "Shisa" to be a Japanization of the name "Caesar". Toho has since trademarked it, making "King Caesar" the character's official English name.
King Caesar's character concept was inspired by a traditional Okinawan folk tale in which a Shisa protects a village from a rampaging dragon. This myth is referenced in the character's introductory film, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, in which the titular Mechagodzilla plays the role of the evil "dragon". It is portrayed as a loyal and powerful protector of mankind, in reference to the role Shisa play in Okinawan tradition. Character profiles in supporting media describe the monster as standing 50 meters (164 feet)-100 meters (328 feet) tall and weighing 30,000 metric tons (33,069 short tons)-50,000 metric tons (55,115 short tons). King Caesar is shown to be swift and athletic. It can also draw an enemy's energy weapons into its right eye and reflect them back from its left eye with ten times the force, and empower itself with solar energy.
Along with fellow 1970s Showa era monster Gigan, King Caesar is the favourite monster of director Ryuhei Kitamura, which led to the character's inclusion in the film Godzilla: Final Wars.WatchMojo.com listed King Ceaser as #6 on their "Top 10 Godzilla Villains" list.
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