Eiji Tsuburaya
Eiji Tsuburaya and Akira Watanabe based Varan's design on that of a "Draco" lizard, Godzilla, and a kappa. The name "Varan" is derived from "Varanus pater", or "father of lizards." The original incarnation of Varan is 50 meters (164 feet) tall and weighs 15,000 metric tons (16,534 short tons).