Hydra

Hydra^[1] (ヒドラ, Hidora) is a supernatural Kaiju that was apparently awakened by the soul of a child who was killed by a careless driver. It attacked several motorists before being countered by SSSP and eventually Ultraman. Ultraman attempted to stop Hydra from attacking anyone else, but the monster easily evaded his attacks, and the hero simply opted to allow Hydra to leave on his own accord.

Subtitle: Highland Dragon (高原竜, Kōgen Ryū)

Conception

Etymology

In a 2023 special discussion, tokusatsu researcher Yoichi Iwasa revealed the origin of the name for Hydra. Initially, the creature was called "Hidori" (ひどり), with "Hi" (fire) symbolizing anger and "Dori" (bird) representing the freedom and spirit of flight. Later, to better align the name with the monster's characteristics, it was changed to "Hydra".^[2][3]

Design

Hydra's design is adapted from the original plans for Bemular.

History

Ultraman

Years ago, a young boy named Akira was killed on Route 87. Afterward, the SSSP was visited by a young boy declaring that the mythical dragon Hydra would be arriving soon. Just as the Science Patrol investigated strange lights around the tip of a mountain, they discovered that the boy whom was killed had created the Hydra as for a park. Soon the Hydra breaks out of the mountain, roaring the world and vowing to get revenge on the motorists that had killed Akira. The beast leads a path of destruction, attacking vehicles on the road.

The Science Patrol manage to fight back, deploying powerful laser weapons against the creature. A blast to its chest manages to rip it open, but this only enraged the winged monster. As it approached, Hayata transformed into Ultraman. The two forces clashed, but Hydra managed to dodge Ultraman’s Spacium Beam. As Ultraman’s energy began to run low, the monster began to fly away. Watching on, Ultraman allowed it to escape as the spirit of Akira appeared on its back. The monster was never seen again.^{Terror on Route 87}

Trivia

• Suit actor: Teruo Aragaki
• Hydra's suit would later be reused and heavily modified into Guigass.
• Hydra's chirps and screeches are heavily sped up Toho Frankenstein's roars.
• In the English Dub version of Ultraman, Hayata says that Hydra could be a prehistoric monster that's lived in Japan for millions of years.
• A similar story would later adapted for the Kaiju Elegia in Ultraman Taro and later Shiela from Ultraman Tiga. Like Hydra, both Elegia and Shiela are avian monsters with a connection to humans who died in tragic accidents.
• Hydra's cutout is present in episode 12 of Return of Ultraman.

• A model Hydra's statue that appeared in the zoo in its debut episode re-appeared in Koseidon a decade later, while the actual statue itself would appear later in the show.
• In Ultraman Ginga, Hydra appeared alongside King Pandon, Alien Temperor, and Gomess in the Dark Spark War.

Revive! Ultraman

Hydra makes a re-appearance in the non-canon movie.

Despite retreating along with the spirit of Akira, Hydra is one of the five monsters to be called to rampage after the death of Dodongo. The monster would later had a rematch with Ultraman (a clone via Ultra Separation). It was later killed by the Ultra's Spacium Beam after a short battle. ^{Revive! Ultraman}

Data

Stats

• Height: 60 m
• Weight: Weightless
• Origin: Izu Omuroyama

Powers and Weapons

• Flight: Thanks to the wings on his back, Hydra is capable of flight at high speeds.
• Flames: Hydra can shoot a beam of flames from his mouth.

Merchandise

Gallery

Ultraman

Miscellaneous

References

1. ↑ https://m-78.jp/character/ultraman_hydra/
2. ↑ https://x.com/sandae2356/status/1748830738445893812
3. ↑ https://ameblo.jp/gara999/entry-12554178272.html
4. ↑ https://cocreco.kodansha.co.jp/telemaga/news/feature/kaijubiyori/f9WUh