Kiryu

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**Mechagodzilla** (メカゴジラ *Mekagojira*?), nicknamed **Kiryu** (機龍 *Kiryū*?, lit. *Machine Dragon*) is a cybernetically-enhanced mecha created by Toho that first appeared in the 2002 *Godzilla* film, *Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla*.

## History

### Millennium era

#### *Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla*

Although the original Godzilla had been killed in 1954 by the Oxygen Destroyer, Japan still found itself under attack from other monsters such as Mothra and Gaira over the decades. When a second Godzilla landed in Tateyama in 1999, this was the last straw. The Anti-Megalosaurus Force (AMF) division of the Japanese Xenomorph Self-Defense Force (JXSDF) proposed to dredge up the skeleton of the first Godzilla from the ocean and use it as a skeletal framework for constructing a mechanical Godzilla to combat the new Godzilla.

The plan was executed, with cloned DNA from the bones inserted into the quasi-organic computer controls, intended to take over subconscious motor control functions for the crew. By 2003, the Mechagodzilla, nicknamed Kiryu, was ready. Kiryu was unleashed when Godzilla surfaced at Hakkeijima, but when the cyborg faced off against Godzilla, something horrific happened: the cyborg's own memories of when he was Godzilla were reawakened by the modern Godzilla's own roars. Kiryu broke free of his pilot, Akane Yashiro, and proceeded to trash Yokohama, ignoring attempts at manual override. Godzilla left the city and headed back to the ocean, with Kiryu continuing his rampage until his fuel ran out.

The Japanese public was not amused. Hastily recalled, Kiryu received quite a few weapon upgrades in addition to new computer control software routines. When Godzilla appeared in Tokyo a few days later, both branches of the JSDF tried stopping him without the mecha's help, but it was useless. With Akane at the mecha's control again, Kiryu was sent out.

The second battle went well until Kiryu's receiver was damaged. Akane wanted to enter Kiryu and repair it herself despite orders against it. She then piloted the cyborg directly from the control room in his skull, carrying Godzilla out into Tokyo Bay once more. Akane tried to destroy Godzilla with Kiryu's ultimate weapon, the Absolute Zero Cannon, but the fight ended in a draw. Godzilla went back to the sea, though not before suffering a horribly shredded chest, and Kiryu was taken back to AMF headquarters after suffering a destroyed right arm, a damaged Absolute Zero Cannon, and empty powercells.

#### *Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.*

In 2004, Akane was sent to America for further flight training. Taking her place in case Godzilla appeared was Akiba. Kiryu underwent heavy repairs, having his Absolute Zero Cannon replaced with a triple Hyper Maser Cannon and a collapsible drill installed in his hand. After a year of modifications, the **Modified Type-3 Kiryu** (3式機龍改 *San-Shiki-Kiryū Aratame*) was nearly completed.

Mothra's twin fairies, the Shobijin, appeared to warn Japan. They claimed that building Kiryu using the bones of the Godzilla that appeared in 1954 was a violation of the natural order of things, attracting the current Godzilla. The twins further claimed that Mothra would gladly take Kiryu's place in protecting Japan if they agreed to dismantle Kiryu, and if they declined, Mothra would be forced to attack Japan. Since Kiryu had been built partially to defend against a second attack from Mothra herself, the Japanese government declined.

But when Godzilla appeared in Tokyo once again, Mothra voluntarily engaged him, and Prime Minister Hayato Igarashi was shamed into aiding her. Kiryu flew into battle again. Despite the team up, the current adult Mothra was killed and Kiryu's transmitter damaged once again. Just like Akane before him, Kiryu's chief engineer Yoshito Chujo entered Kiryu for repairs, but remained inside the mech during the battle after Godzilla's beam had accidentally struck both of the hatch doors, damaging and jamming them.

Teaming up with the newly-hatched twin Mothra larvae, Kiryu was able to use his drill in his right arm to injure Godzilla's chest even more, eventually reaching and tearing up his insides. While Godzilla screamed in pain, Kiryu fired his Triple Hyper Maser and Maser Cannons at Godzilla, making Godzilla's roar trigger another flashback in Kiryu which was directly channeled to Yoshito. Godzilla was then wrapped up by the twin Mothra larvae's silk. Unable to fight, Godzilla dropped to the ground, allowing Kiryu to win the battle. After being ordered to finish Godzilla, Kiryu broke free of Akiba's control. Instead of finishing his battle, he merely subdued Godzilla, carrying him out to sea. After releasing Yoshito to safety, Kiryu displayed a message saying "Sayonara Yoshito" on a computer monitor, then plunged into the depths with his organic counterpart, allowing himself to finally rest in peace, while ensuring Godzilla would survive.

## Abilities

### Twin Maser Cannon

Kiryu is equipped with the **Type-99 Double Maser Cannon** (９９式２連装メーサー砲 *99-Shiki 2 Rensō Mēsā-hō*) or **Twin Maser Cannon** (ツインメーサー砲 *Tsuin Mēsā-hō*) a Maser Cannon mounted inside his mouth. While the cannon's output is relatively low, the Twin Maser beams possesses 240% of the destructive power of the Type-90 Maser Cannon. The cannon is powerful enough to harm Godzilla if targeted at his face or chest wound.

### Railguns

In *Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla* Kiryu is equipped with dual wrist-mounted high-speed **Type-0 Railguns** (０式レールガン *0-Shiki Rērugan*). In *Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.*, these are replaced with improved **Type-4 Railguns** (４式レールガン *4-Shiki Rērugan*). In both cases, these railguns are relatively low-powered compared to Kiryu's other armaments, and they are typically used as preemptive strikes and in conjunction with other weapons. Kiryu eventually sheds his railguns in his battles with Godzilla. Modified Type-3 Kiryu's gauntlets are tipped with two-pronged blades, and while he never utilizes them in melee combat onscreen, in the PlayStation 3 and 4 *Godzilla* video game Kiryu utilizes these blades as his primary melee weapon, with his punch attack referred to as **Hand Blades**.

### Maser Blade

A small **Maser Blade** (メーサー・ブレード *Mēsā Burēdo*) is stored inside each of Kiryu's Type-0 Railgun gauntlets. Kiryu uses this blade to stab Godzilla and deliver a strong electrical surge directly into his body. This blade was omitted from the Type-4 Railguns.

In the video game *Godzilla: Save the Earth*, this blade is larger in size and deploys directly from Kiryu's arm. He uses the Maser Blade in place of other monsters' normal grab attacks, and can lift monsters high into the air and throw them after piercing them with the blade.

### Back Unit

Kiryu is equipped with a **Back Unit** (バックユニット *Bakku Yunitto*), which possesses dual rocket launchers and boosters. Kiryu can fire two different types of rockets from the Back Unit, while the boosters grant him improved flight capabilities and the capacity to propel himself forward into an enemy at great speed. In *Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla*, after the Back Unit was damaged, Kiryu jettisoned the Back Unit and sent it flying at Godzilla, which pushed him backward before he finally threw it to the side. In *Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.*, the Back Unit was modified to specifically function as a guided missile. Kiryu was able to launch each half of the back unit at Godzilla separately. While Godzilla shot the first half down with his atomic breath, the other half collided with Godzilla and exploded, which succeeded in knocking Godzilla to the ground.

### Multiple Interlocking Rockets

Kiryu can fire large **Type-87 680 mm Multiple Interlocking Rockets** (87式多連装ロケット弾 *87-Shiki Tarensō Roketto-dan*) or **MRL 2 Mk. IV rockets** from the front of the shoulder-mounted cannons on his Back Unit. In *Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.*, these are replaced with improved **Type-04 MRL 2 Mk. IV rockets**.

### Multipurpose Guided Missiles

Kiryu's Back Unit is also equipped with small ballistic homing rockets which are fired from its sides. In *Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla*, these are **Type-95 470 mm Multipurpose Guided Missiles** (９５式４７０ｍｍ多目的誘導弾 *95-Shiki 470 Emuemu Tamokuteki Yūdō-dan*), while in *Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.* they are replaced by **Type-98 320 mm Multipurpose Guided Missiles** (９８式３２０ミリ多目的誘導弾 *98-Shiki 320-Miri Tamokuteki Yūdō-dan*). These rockets are capable of striking a target from long range or while Kiryu is in close-quarters combat.

In *Godzilla: Save the Earth* and *Godzilla: Unleashed*, Kiryu can fire homing rockets directly from his back.

### Absolute Zero Cannon

Kiryu's ultimate weapon is the **Type-3 Absolute Zero Cannon** (３式絶対零度砲 *3-Shiki Zettaireido-hō*), also known simply as the **Absolute Zero** (アブソリュート・ゼロ *Abusoryūto Zero*), equipped in his chest hatch. As its name suggests, this weapon fires a beam that instantaneously freezes the target to absolute zero, the lowest theoretical temperature of -273.15 degrees Celsius or zero kelvin, at which all atoms cease movement. Because of this, a target struck by the Absolute Zero will be instantly frozen on the molecular level, smashing its atoms and causing it to collapse under its own weight. The Absolute Zero consumes 40% of Kiryu's energy reserves, and as such cannot be used heavily in combat. The Absolute Zero was shown to instantly freeze and disintegrate skyscrapers when fired at them. Its observed impact on Godzilla was much lesser by comparison, presumably due to interference from being fired underwater. The Absolute Zero was unable to kill Godzilla, though it did open a gaping wound on his chest that would prove critical in defeating him a year later. When Kiryu was repaired the following year, it was deemed to not be cost-effective to repair the Absolute Zero, and so it was replaced with the Type-4 Triple Hyper Maser Cannon.

### Anti-Beast Drilling Device (Spiral Claw)

When Kiryu's right arm was replaced following his 2003 battle with Godzilla, he was given the ability to collapse his right hand into a rotating drill called the **Type-4 Anti-Beast Drilling Device** (４式対獣掘削装置 *4-Shiki Tai Kemono Kussaku Sōchi*), also known as the **Spiral Claw** (スパイラル・クロウ *Supairaru Kurō*). This attack proved devastating to Godzilla when Kiryu used it to pierce the scar on Godzilla's chest and rotated it, reopening the wound and causing Godzilla immense pain.

### Triple Hyper Maser Cannon

When Kiryu was repaired, his Absolute Zero was replaced with the **Type-4 Triple Hyper Maser Cannon** (４式３連装ハイパーメーサー砲 *4-Shiki 3 Rensō Haipā Mēsā-hō*). While this attack was undeniably less powerful than the Absolute Zero, it proved crucial in defeating Godzilla, as Kiryu used it in conjunction with his Type-99 Double Maser Cannon to strike Godzilla's chest wound after it was reopened by the Spiral Claw, which critically injured Godzilla and left him helpless as the Mothra larvae encased him in silk. The hatch covering the Hyper Maser is equipped with claws that allowed Kiryu to restrain Godzilla and carry him out to sea.

### Wire

Modified Type-3 Kiryu can deploy extremely strong metal **wire** (ワイヤー *Waiyā*) from his body to bind another monster in conjunction with the claws on his chest hatch and allow him to transport it over long distances. In *Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.*, Kiryu used the wire to restrain Godzilla and carry him out to sea, while in the comic series *Godzilla: Rulers of Earth* he used it to transport both Baragon and Anguirus.

### Physical capabilities

Unlike previous Mechagodzillas, Kiryu's tail is able to move, which allows Kiryu to use it as a weapon. Kiryu is a well-balanced machine and the most agile Mechagodzilla to date, moving with a fluid, almost organic grace. Despite his agility, Kiryu is incredibly strong, being able to grab Godzilla by the tail and swing him around with ease.

### Flight

Thanks to his rocket boosters, Kiryu is equipped with limited flight capabilities. He can change direction in midair by rotating his rocket boosters and using his tail like a rudder to steer. While in flight, Kiryu has the capability to use his momentum in combat by ramming into opponents. He can only fly for a short period of time due to the strain it places on his power reserves, so he is usually airlifted into battle by AC-3 White Herons.

### Weaknesses

While a powerful fighter, Kiryu suffers from a few weaknesses. Due to being constructed around the original Godzilla's remains, the first Godzilla's spirit is still attached to Kiryu, and has overridden all external control over the mech in two instances. Because he has limited power reserves, Kiryu can only be in action for two hours or less when the use of Absolute Zero is involved. His limited power reserves also mean that Kiryu can only use his flight abilities sparingly, and that he must be transported into battle by two AC-3 White Herons. Kiryu can also be temporarily knocked out of commission if the transmitter which gives pilots control over him is damaged, requiring Kiryu to be either manually piloted from within or the transmitter to be manually repaired.

## Roar

TBA

Kiryu's roar combines Millennium-era Godzilla roars and more metallic sounds.

## Films & TV

* *Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla* (2002)
* *Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.* (2003)
* *Godzilla: Final Wars* (2004) [toy]