FUN THREAD: What are your favorite Ultra Kaijus?

[TyrantGojira]

My Top 20:
20.Alien Magma
19.Tyrant
18.Golza
17.Gan Q
16.Gudon
15.Izac
14.Greeza
13.Gatanothor
12.Grozam
11.Deathrem
10.Galberos
9.Alien Baltan
8.Telesodon
7.Margodon
6.Red King
5.Birdon
4.Galactron
3.Horoboros
2.Gomora
1.Zaigorg

[Megalon-5]

I have enough for a top 100, but to narrow it down to a top 10:

1. Kanegon
2. Seabozu
3. Baltan
4. Takkong
5. DINOSAUR TANK
6. Aboras
7. Astromons
8. Black King
9. Peguila
10. Mochiron

[Gigantis]

I'm growing a weird soft spot for Bullton now.

[Rody]

I need four more kaiju names:

*the two kaiju that appeared in the same episode as Red King I and Pigmon I, plus the "strangler vines" from that episode,
*the fish-dinosaur kaiju that liked chocolate and if you shot at it, it'd get violent.

The chocolate-eating lizard is Gesura, whose suit was repurposed from the Ultra Q monster "Peter", an Arigetotasu.

Wouldn't mind seeing Gango show up either as an actual threat or maybe a silly whimsical prankster a la Mr. Mxypliz from Superman. Or maybe a small prankster monster that goes on adventures with Pigmon!

Since when is it "Gango"? That's not a very good transliteration.

That's the translation Mill Creek uses, so I assume it's TsuPro-sanctioned. I still prefer Gyango, though.

I'd also be totally down for a lighthearted new story with Gango. On my last watch, I noticed Gango's feet looked like slippers, and suddenly I had this hilarious vision of an episode featuring Gango as a regular tenent at an apartment/hotel, lounging around in his slippers and bathrobe. He terrifies everyone else in the building, but he's technically harmless, so no one knows what to do with him.

[Tyrant_Lizard_King]

I know its not Ultraman persay but I really really love most of the virus designs in Gridman.

[Cryptid_Liker]

^Speaking of Gridman, Ghoulgilas, Anti/Shinobilar and Nanashi are masterful.

[mikelcho]

I really liked Baltan, Seabozu, and Jirass, they're probably my favorites.

Runner ups would be the kaiju that gets its fly wings ripped off of during the huge brawl, the starfish Bat that eats oil, one-headed Keizer Ghidorah, and the bird kaiju that protects the bridge where that child died, all from the original series

I know this is an old post but those are Chandora, Pestar, Dodongo, and Hydra.

Is it possible that Dorako I is the first kaiju you're talking about? I remember it having fly-like wings, while Chandora had skin flaps under its arms that looked like wings, but weren't.

Also, Dorako I could fly and Chandora couldn't.

[Cryptid_Liker]

I need to watch that comet episode again. You're probably right.

[Rody]

I really liked Baltan, Seabozu, and Jirass, they're probably my favorites.

Runner ups would be the kaiju that gets its fly wings ripped off of during the huge brawl, the starfish Bat that eats oil, one-headed Keizer Ghidorah, and the bird kaiju that protects the bridge where that child died, all from the original series

I know this is an old post but those are Chandora, Pestar, Dodongo, and Hydra.

Is it possible that Dorako I is the first kaiju you're talking about? I remember it having fly-like wings, while Chandora had skin flaps under its arms that looked like wings, but weren't.

Also, Dorako I could fly and Chandora couldn't.

Yeah, that sounds like Dorako - who is probably my personal second-favorite Ultra kaiju. The design just really works for me, and it's one of the first Ultra kaiju I became aware of whose design appealed to me right away.


Okay, so I should give my own short list by now:

6. Nosferu (Ultraman Nexus)
While I think the overall design could use improvement, Nosferu's scissorblade jaws are probably the single most nightmarish trait I've seen on an Ultra Monster, and I love it. In a series already full of ghoulish kaiju, Nexus made out Nosferu to be something especially nasty.

5. Gargorgon (Ultraman X)
Another design which stood out to me right from the initial photographs, Gargorgon is an easily readable design and a formidable beast. I think she's one of the best monsters to come out of the new generation, and I hope she appears again in the future.

4. Peguila (Ultra Q)
Having finally watched Ultra Q last year, Peguila instantly shot into my favorites. It's such a uniquely - how to I put it - "plausibly fantastic" design, similar to some of Tsubaraya's Toho monsters like Baragon and Varan. It's an excellently constructed suit, and you can can see the real animal influence in it; but it combines those factors and adds other details in a way that makes it look like it could have walked right out of a fairly tale. There's something about it which strikes me as very Japanese in aesthetic, and I love it. I honestly think Peguila might be one of the best monsters Eiji Tsuburaya and his teams designed.

3. Gomora (Ultraman)
Does Gomora need an explanation? He's a classic dinosaurian kaiju with a very recognizable silhouette, and he could beat Ultraman in a fight! What's not to love?

2. Dorako (Ultraman)
As mentioned above, I'm not entirely sure why Dorako's design works for me - it just does. I saw the above image in some YouTube video back in 2008 or something, and I just thought, "I think I like that one". Seeing Dorako in action affirmed my thoughts. Dorako isn't a particularly strong*, or especially bizarre kaiju; but that's okay, he doesn't need to me.
*I understand he was pretty formidable in The Ultimate Hero, However...

1. Antlar (Ultraman)
Back when I was first trying out the franchise, I was having trouble getting into the look of the original series (I was going through a stage); Antlar in episode 7 was the first suit/design that immediately impressed me. Antlar looked like it could have featured in a full film, and kaiju based on an ant lion was a neat idea to boot - not to mention he was the first monster to just SHRUG OFF Ultraman's spacium ray! There are lots of powerful monsters and solid designs in the original show, and the franchise as a whole; but Antlar was the very first to make me think, "that is a COOL monster".

Honorable mentions to (in no particular order):

• Zetton (Ultraman)
• Galberos (Nexus)
• Demaaga (X)
• Kelbeam (Mebius)
• Vakishim (Ace)[how does one even conceive something like that?!]
• Dinosaur Tank (Seven)
• Gomess (Q)
• IF (Max)
• Black King (Return)
• Velokron (Ace)
• Miclas (Seven)

[Angilasman]

I love so many. Used to say Jamila was my top favorite, but after watching Return I gotta say it's now Twin Tail. Such an ingeniously weird design and execution - the kind of thing that would be way too out-there for a kaiju movie, but in the format of television when you have to come up with a new thing every week it's doable! I also love how it objectively looks ridiculous, but it's super vicious once you get close to it.

Other than that, I'm a big fan of the classics that everyone loves; Gomora, Baltan, Eleking, King Joe, Zetton, Greeza, Bullton...

[daveblackeye15]

I did show stuff and haven't watched much Heisei yet.
So from the modern batch...

X: Gargogon was a cool monster. Also love Greeza since he's like weird second-warping joker. Zaigorg, love big scary hands/club limbs.
Orb: Maga-Basser, Zeppandon and both Orochis. Galactron.
Geed: I like the fusion monsters but easily my favorite is Thunder Killer. Sadly that form seems to get the least love such as having the shortest role in Z's 7th episode. King Galactron.

[Cryptid_Liker]

Geronimon
Majaba
Dorako
Nepenthes
Alien Barossa 1

[ShinGojira14]

Definitely Jirass.

Added in 28 seconds:
Or is is Jirahs now?

[Cryptid_Liker]

Or is is Jirahs now?

It's officially Jirahs but last time I checked, we don't acknowledge that decision. Kinda like how no one considered the 1998 Godzilla film part of the franchise until like, 2018.

[tbeasley]

See new post.

[LegendZilla]

The Ultra franchise is low on creativity when it comes to kaiju nowadays.

[Megalon-5]

The Ultra franchise is low on creativity when it comes to kaiju nowadays.

More like low on funds. Tsuburaya's still digging themselves out of the hole they were stuck in and making new monster suits is really expensive. Of the various new kaiju we've gotten, I'd say they're pretty good and fit in well with the pack of Showa and Heisei favorites.

[Major sssspielberg!]

It's hard to say! The more I get into Ultra the more kaiju I come to love. Pretty much every creature from '66 is iconic.
Some of my favorites though are:
Muruchi
Lunaticks
Miclas
Neronga
Dinosaur Tank (duh)
Dinozaur
Pris-Ma
Gomora

[LegendZilla]

The Ultra franchise is low on creativity when it comes to kaiju nowadays.

More like low on funds. Tsuburaya's still digging themselves out of the hole they were stuck in and making new monster suits is really expensive. Of the various new kaiju we've gotten, I'd say they're pretty good and fit in well with the pack of Showa and Heisei favorites.

Can you explain this "hole" they were stuck in?

[Cryptid_Liker]

The Ultra franchise is low on creativity when it comes to kaiju nowadays.

More like low on funds. Tsuburaya's still digging themselves out of the hole they were stuck in and making new monster suits is really expensive. Of the various new kaiju we've gotten, I'd say they're pretty good and fit in well with the pack of Showa and Heisei favorites.

Can you explain this "hole" they were stuck in?

Thai dude collabs with TsuPro, tries to steal Ultraman's international rights, commits the crime of unironically calling Seven Ultraman Seven, sparks a decades-long court case, tries to make his edgy fanfic a reality, and ends up getting his only official Ultraman credit retroactively taken from him.