Pigmon

is a passive Kaiju species in the Ultraman Series. Debuting in episode 8, the original Pigmon was one of the many monstrous creatures from Tatara Island, but, unlike its fellow inhabitants, the little red monster was friendly and curious toward humans, as evidenced by it helping a stranded survivor. It was tragically killed by the rampaging Red King, but would be resurrected by the powers of Geronimon, only to perish again, this time at the hands of the Re-Dorako.
While the first Pigmon died for good, its kind has made frequent appeareances in the franchise, usually keeping their role of benevolent monsters.
Subtitles:
*
*Ultraman Max: 
*Ultraman X: 
==Conception==
===Etymology===
Pigmon's name is a shortened combination of "Pygmy Monster".
==History==
===Ultraman===
====Pigmon====
While most creatures within the expedition to Tatara Island were vicious, Pigmon was not. The diminutive beast helped the injured sole survivor by giving him food, and led the SSSP to him when they arrived on the island. When Red King attacked, Pigmon distracted the dinosaurian creature while the Science Patrol escaped, but Red King killed Pigmon by causing a landslide with a huge rock, crushing him to death. 
=====Trivia=====
*Suit actor: Shuji Fujita.
*Pigmon is known for being created from a reused Garamon suit from Ultra Q but slightly repainted, making them look nearly identical. Usually to differentiate from the two monsters, most marketing groups attach Pigmon toys with the pink balloon that Pigmon was tagged with in his original appearance. Another distinguishing difference is a strange symbol on Garamon's chest, that is missing on Pigmon.
*Pigmon's cries are slowed down Giant Lizard cries from King Kong vs. Godzilla.
**The cries would be altered slightly for the Giant Rats in Latitude Zero. ￼
*Pigmon would inspire the monsters Pigu from The☆Ultraman and Mienin from Ultraman Cosmos.
*A spinoff of the Garamon and Pigmon species was created soley for the Redman comic book, called Redmon. 
*In the Japanese game show, Takeshi's Castle, Pigmon is one of the most featured kaiju, appearing in four games in total. He was eliminated when the giant samurai knocked him over.
*Pigmon was one of the many monsters that made up Belyudra's right horn in Mega Monster Battle Ultra Galaxy: The Movie.
*In the manga by Kazumine Daiji, in the chapter, Three Giant Monsters, Pigmon saves Hoshino from the Suflan, before being killed by the plants.
====Re-Pigmon====
Later, Pigmon (along with Telesdon and Dorako) were resurrected by Geronimon as a warning to humanity. Pigmon warned the Science Patrol of Geronimon's plot to attack Earth with an army of 60 monsters under his control. The Science Patrol were able to destroy Telesdon without much effort, but after one of the members, Ide is nearly killed by Re-Dorako, Pigmon distracts the monster and is crushed to death by it. 
=====Trivia=====
*Suit actor: Masahiro Oyake
*Pigmon's second episode was later featured in episode 45 of New Ultraman Retsuden, "Little Heroes! Geronimon's Back!".
*Re-Pigmon's monkey-like cries are altered from those made by young Sanda in The War of the Gargantuas.
===Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero===
Pigmon reappeared in episode 3 of the series, Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero. In this series Pigmon is renamed .
Pigmon's episode appearance and role were both very similar to the one of his debut in the original Ultraman TV show. Once again he befriends humans that are stranded in a valley infested by monsters (appropriately starring the monsters Red King and Chandlar,) as well as WINR. The only change was that he was allowed to survive at the end of the episode.
====Trivia====
*Powered Pigmon is the first monster to be played by a female suit actor.
*Much like the majority of monsters that appeared in Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero, Pigmon is given a redesign. His claws are bigger and his chest is more segmented in structure.
*This is the first time in the series in which Pigmon does not die or is lost forever in some way.
*Pigmon in this show is the first instance of a female suit actor portraying a kaiju, predating Daiei/Kadokawa's Super Gyaos by years.
===Ultraman Tiga===
Pigmon makes a cameo in Ultraman Tiga episode 49 "The Ultra Star".
===Ultraman Max===
Pigmon reappeared in episodes 5, 6, and 36 of the series, Ultraman Max. 
In this series, a Pigmon is sent by its species from another planet to live on a mysterious island ("Subject Phantom" according to DASH). The Island sealed away Red King underground a long time ago and sent Pigmon, as well as two monsters named Salamadon and Paragler to act as guardians to both the island and to keep Red King from awakening. Pigmon quickly befriends Kaito, the host of Ultraman Max until both Kaito and Pigmon were knocked unconscious and a tomb securing Red King is desecrated. Red King awakens and attacks, killing the two guardian monsters, then turns to Pigmon in hopes of killing it too. Kaito transforms into Ultraman Max and after a lengthy battle, in the end destroying Red King. Pigmon then bids farewell to Kaito and Team DASH before turning into a stone statue to make the island disappear and not cause any further problems.
The same Pigmon later returns towards the end of the series, where it warns Team DASH that Red King has returned "mysteriously" (in fact, it was an Alien Shamer that opened a dimensional portal by accident that released both Pigmon and Red King). Once Pigmon tries to fight the disguised Alien Shamer, Shamer hits Pigmon with a dimensional ray gun, but its atoms are mixed into Elly (an android member of Team DASH) and became amorous towards Kaito. In the end however, Pigmon sacrifices itself by throwing itself into Shamer's dimensional weapon, separating his atoms from Elly's body and into another dimension while Red King is destroyed once again by Ultraman Max.
Although Pigmon is never seen again after its last appearance, it is implied that some of Pigmon's personality is still left behind in Elly's body at the end of episode 36.
====Trivia====
*This Pigmon suit appeared in a 2014 commerical sponsoring summer clothing.
===Mega Monster Battle Ultra Galaxy: The Movie===
A Pigmon living on an unidentified desert planet has befriended a temporarily banished Ultraman Zero, who is training with Ultraman Leo. It is also because of Pigmon's role in the film that Ultraman Zero learns about what it means to be an Ultraman, and thus leaves with that knowledge to face off against Ultraman Belial. 
====Trivia====
*Originally, Kanegon was slated to appear in Pigmon's place as Ultraman Zero's friend, but was replaced by Pigmon for unknown reasons.
*The Pigmon suit from Ultraman Max is reused for Pigmon's return in this series.
===Ultra Zero Fight===
===Ultraman Ginga===
In episode 7, him along with Ultraman Taro and many other monsters are seen cheering Ultraman Ginga on as he fights Dark Galberos.
It is likely that he returned to space in his original form after Ultraman Ginga defeated Dark Lugiel.
===Ultraman X===
In this series, Pigmons are a race of monsters that awakened after the Ultra Flare incident. Most of them can be seen in Sydney, Australia, the Chang Jiang River, and Luxembourg. Pigmons are usually friendly and easily feel lonely when no one is around, even if it is another member of their own race.
One peculiar Pigmon lives somewhere near the Tatara City and had played with several children in the neighbourhood for 15 years, collecting several of their memento in its tree shelter. However, certain people mistook it as a red ghost that had been sighted in the neighbourhood area. Sakura, a newly moved little girl finds Pigmon and played with it. While Sakura and her mother left for the shopping complex, Pigmon sees the Dark Thunder Energy and chases Sakura's car all the way to the Tatara City to warn her but accidentally made the citizens mistaken it for a threat until Xio officers arrived and the Dark Thunder Energy strikes, bringing forth King Guesra.
Pigmon saves a man that hit him earlier from several falling rubble at the cost of its own safety and seemingly died when succumbing to its injury. However, Xio was able to nurse Pigmon back to health and return it to its original home as its playing with Sakura. 
Pigmon reappeared as a Cyber Card In the final episode of Ultraman X. After Ultraman X spoke out to Gomora and striked Greeza right in the center of his chest, Pigmon, along with all of the other Cyber Cards, traveled to X and united with him. Cyber Pigmon's power was used to help form the Hybrid Armor and power up the Ultimate Xanadium to defeat Greeza once and for all. Pigmon, along with the numerous other Cyber Cards and Spark Dolls, then appeared and thanked Daichi as he thanked them. 
====Trivia====
*According to Rui, Pigmon was rated number 1 in the most friendly monster in the record, knowing it meant no harm.
*According to the Xio database, Pigmon has another name titled "Friendship rare animal", has the intelligence of an 8 year old, and has a country handling it as a holy monster.
*In the original script for the episode, Pigmon was considered but not officiated as there was a worry that his suit would be unusable for filming. The episode was going to center around a plot very similar to that of "Gan-Q's Tears" from Ultraman Ginga S, but it was later changed. Pigmon was then considered yet again, but including Burezaren was deemed more appropriate. Yet it still didn't meet the desired effect, thus Pigmon was eventually chosen.
===Ultraman R/B===
A Pigmon was the assistant of a Dada, who was tasked with setting up a thank-you party for aliens to come together and have a good time. However, Pigmon got the date wrong, so the guests would only arrive one day later, even though he and Dada already finished setting up. Dada then got Pigmon to look for people to lure to their house as substitute guests, and it met Asahi Minato and her friends, who followed Pigmon. Pigmon and Dada then start the party, with Saki Mitsurugi coming later. When Dada started rampaging upon hearing that Katsumi Minato and Isami Minato were actually Ultramen, Pigmon went off to look for Booska. After the battle, Booska shrank Dada down into a capsule, which Pigmon played with while in what seemed to be Dada spaceship.
====Trivia====
*Unlike other recent members of its species, this Pigmon was given a new suit which more closely resembles the character's very first appearance from the original Ultraman series. It also utters the same sounds as its original counterpart.
===Ultraman R/B The Movie: Select! The Crystal of Bond===
Pigmon were under attack by Mecha Gomora on Planet Hostar 21 and were nearly brought to extinction. Ultraman Tregear used this opportunity to provoke Katsumi Minato to transform into Ultraman Rosso and save the Pigmon, but he was later defeated by Snake Darkness. Stranded there and dehydrated, Katsumi was beginning to lose hope but the Pigmon he saved gave him some water. Katsumi later said goodbye to the Pigmon as his family helped him return to Earth. 
===Sevenger Fight===
Pigmon appeared on a planet, where it happily greeted Space Sevenger, only to be targeted by two Garamons, causing Sevenger to defend the small monster.
==== Trivia ====
* This is the first instance of Pigmon and Garamon being seen together.
* For shots showing the giant Sevenger and the Garamons, a small Bandai candy toy of Pigmon was placed on the ground.
*This Pigmon has the same cries as Re-Pigmon. As mentioned above, these are reused from young Sanda in War of the Gargantuas.
==Data==
==Other Media==
===Takeshi's Castle===
Pigmon appears in the Japanese variety show, Takeshi's Castle. He participates in "Knock Knock" and "Rice Bowl Down Hill" in which he both fails in. In the U.S. version known as MXC, he is called "Inoperable Tumera".
===Ultraman Ball===
Pigmon appeared in the game, Ultraman Ball.
===Kaiju Busters POWERED===
Pigmon appears in this game.
===ULTRAMAN manga===
While not directly appearing, a small alien by the name of Pigmon does appear in the manga.
===Ultraman Galaxy===
Pigmon reappeared in the puzzle role-playing game for mobile devices, Ultraman Galaxy as a C (Common) card that you can unlock him in one of the levels in the game with a very high chance of getting Pigmon.
=== Ultraman (Marvel) ===
Pigmon appears in the "Kaiju Steps" side story in the first issue of every series. He is a kaiju mascot of the USP that informs cadets of the rules of the organization. Pigmon is usually seen with Cadet Pierre.
==Merchandise==
===Ultra Monster Series===
*Pigmon (2005)
**Release date: 17th of September, 2005
**ID Number: 04
Part of the Ultra Monster Series 2005 Toyline, Pigmon is a new mold based on it's appearance in Ultraman Max, sporting 4 points of articulation.
The toy was later reissued in Asia, under the Ultra Monster Series moniker, with no ID number attached in it.
===Ultra Egg===
TBA
==References==
id:Pigmon
ja:ピグモン
Category:Ultra Zero Fight
Category:Ultra Zero Fight Kaiju
Category:Kaiju
Category:Allies
Category:Kaiju Allies
Category:Cyber Kaiju
Category:Reused Kaiju Suits