#it made me think of those cool aquatic dinosaurs

[hira492]

Look. That episode Mando episode.

Man, i´m not even angry, i´m just disappointed , cause I KNOW how good this show can be. Specially this season that´s, supposedly, gonna revolve around what it means to be a Mandalorian and Mandalore's history 

Din is such an interesting, compeling and complex character and he could be so much more if only THEY- JUST. LET. HIM.

They are completely misunderstanding what´s what drove people to Mando at first. Yes, it´s cute to see this bounty hunter begrudgingly take care of a jedi baby BUT the show is SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT! It was about dissecting this misterious and closed off character who´s being through so much, it was seeing how all that trauma that he has - that made him separate himself from everything and everyone - was what ultimately helped him connect with Grogu. It´s lovely to see him open up little by little knowing he shouldn't, knowing that a goodbye is imminent. It was complex, it had layers. 

And Grogu. I know everyone jokes about how he was just made to sell toys and i thought so as well before starting the show a few years back. I used to really hate him and all the fuss everyone was making around him being a cute baby, but when i finally watched the show, i sat captivated and saw it was so much more. He´s more than just cute baby, he is a survivor ,just like Din, and has lived through so many things. His story is so interesting and he could be much more than a “marketable sw mascot”, but again, THEY ARE NOT ALLOWING THEM THAT!

It´s so frustrating watching this first episode and see both our main characters being reduced to “cute baby” and “dad”. They feel as they have no agency. And damn my brain for making me think this, but i felt, watching this episode, as i felt watching the last Jurassic World movie. Everyone is a diluted version of their character, everyone moves and does whatever the plot and script needs them to do without any explanation or reason to why or HOW they did it and everything just moves SO FUCKING FAST for no reason.

The first 3 episodes of the 1st season were such bangers cause they were the total opposite of this one. They were paced so well, letting viewers experience events along the characters, they made an amazing use of Show not tell (cof cof what do you mean Grogu was away from Din for around a year, Favreau cof cof), they introduced a conflict in a natural and organic way, and most importantly, they trusted the audience to understand what was happening without having a character explain it as we were a bunch of idiots or smth. 

Think about that scene in the 3rd episode when Din decides to take Grogu back from the imperials. We, as an audience, understand (without seeing the guy´s face) what´s going on in his mind in that moment; the doubt, the regret, the decision, everything just through body language, well done cinematography and music. We didn´t need Din or someone else going “you felt bad so you went back for him”, no, we just understood, and the show trusted us to understand that, to come to our own conclussions and understanding of the scene and motivations of the characters. AND WE HAD JUST MET THE GUY.

The difference here from last episode is that they gave us something to work with and, watching the episodes, you understand Din´s final decision.

Now we just don´t know what the hell Din´s thinking, and not because of a mystery or to build tension, it just feels as if Din is a weird NPC that moves the story forward and is there only to show us cool action scenes, cameos and Mandalore lore, without relating to anything. He feels as if he´s just not thinking at all, not as being stupid, but just as if he literally had no mind of his own, no opinions,no feelings, no nothing. And Grogu is just..there, i guess. Being cute and that´s all. 

Also, not as important as the narrative and script issues i had with the episode but, when i first watched The Mandalorian - begrudgingly, i must add, as i actually hated star wars but a friend of mine kept insisting that i gave it a try - i was amazed at how detailed the effects were, how everything felt alive and lived in. I remember rewatching again and again the scene where Din lands the Razor Crest in Arvala 7 and just admire the detail of the dust and water moving with the ship´s power, the way everything felt so real. Everything in the 1st and 2nd season ( i have my issues with the effects in season 2 as well but they´re still okay, imo) felt alive, real. And wow, what a downgrade this episode was.

For a show with a ridiculous budget it´s not showing at all. The kid helmet at the start looked like a toy (i can let it slide cause it´s literally brand new so you could argue there´s no reason for it to not look all shiny and clean), the alligator was okay, i guess, but didn´t feel nearly as real as the  Krayt Dragon from S2, and the rest...to be honest, not surprised at all. I kept getting thrown off by the straight up green screen feel of the Greef vs Random Pirates scene (Also an unnecessary scene, tbh, felt like an escuse for a “cool star wars space battle ™” ). The Mandalorian castle was cool, tho, i guess.

I´m not dissing the people who worked in the show´s Visual Effects at all, btw. I know they can do amazing things, cause they have, i´m sure it was more of a direction and studio issue.

It surprised me how Mando´s episode in TBOBF felt much more interesting, well paced, compelling and true to Din´s character than this episode. 

I know it might be way too early to judge the season as we only have this 1st episode but it´s not looking too good, Mando nation.

I want to be clear, I´m not saying everything sucked, either. I´m just frustrated cause this is my favourite show, it means a lot to me and i just want it to be as good as i know it can be.

[sunstormbudgie]

Hello I saw ur tags that you know about dinosaurs please tell me about weird dinosaurs (/not forced)

Thanks for the ask! I'm more than happy to info dump about my interests! Anyway here's a list of my favourite weird dinosaurs:

Yutyrannus

Yutyrannus is so far the largest known feathered dinosaur (the largest known specimen's weight is estimated at about 1.4 metric tons). I love floofy dinos and I think it's interesting that we haven't yet found feathers on dinos of comparable size. Of course there's a loooong debate about whether the really big guys like Tyrannosaurus had feathers but so far there's no definitive evidence one way or another.

I love Yutyrannus I just think they're so cute :) I love big floofy animals <3

Scansoriopterygidae

Scansoriopterygidae is a family of dinosaurs with a very weird and unique body plan. They have wings, but unlike their close relatives, the birds and dromaeosaurs, their wings are made of thin membranes stretched between their fingers, a lot like a bat. This family also happens to contain the dinosaur with the shortest binomial name: Yi qi.

Psittacosaurus

Themost remarkable thing about Psittacosaurus, in my opinion, is just how much we know about it. Many dinosaurs are known from extremely fragmentary remains, with most of their skeletons being inferred from better-known relatives. But we have specimens of Psittacosaurus that are so well-preserved that we can even know what colours it was.

The preserved skin that we have shows that it was mostly brownish, with black spots around its shoulders, and dark patches around its face and cloaca (imagine putting in all that hard work to become a paleontologist, and then you have to spend hours studying a dinosaur's butt. I might die of embarrassment if that was me).

I also love Psittacosaurus because it's just so goofy looking. It's a small, early-offshoot ceratopsian. It didn't have quite the level of ornamentation of, say, triceratops, but it does have two horn-like structures on its cheeks. Another weird thing about Psittacosaurus is the row of long bristles at the base of its tail. Scientists still aren't sure what they are, or why they're there.

Spinosauridae

Spinosauridae is a clade containing the well-known dinosaur Spinosaurus, and many lesser known dinosaurs that are all very weird. Ever since the discovery of Spinosaurus, this clade has baffled scientists. There have been endless arguements over the last few years over the lifestyle of these animals, from how well they could swim, to what they ate, to their hunting style, to just how aquatic they were.

One interesting recent discovery may give us some insight into these animals: a study of the skull of Irritator (yes, they named a dino Irritator, it's a long story) showed that as the jaw opened, it widened, similar to how pelican jaws work.

Honourable mention: Cryodrakon

Not a dinosaur, but a very cool-looking pterosaur! I gotta say, "Cryodrakon" is probably the coolest name given to any extinct animal ever.

I'm probably forgetting some dinos but those are some of my favourites!

[cupofsorrows]

A Conceptual Post About Pokémon as D&D Monsters

I know, I know, it’s been done before, but I’ve been having a lot of ideas about D&D lately and it occurred to me that it might be fun to try to adapt Pokemon to the standard dnd setting(s) - that is, not just copying them wholesale as in, “you open the dungeon door and see a pikachu” but taking the concept of the creature and placing it in your world as something that genuinely belonged there. Like, say, You confront your party with a large turtle-monster that sprays high-powered water jets as its primary mode of attack. It’s essentially a blastoise, but that isn’t what it’s called and it doesn’t necessarily have to follow the rules that an actual blastoise would in the pokemon games. I’ve seen pokemon stat block writeups before, but they’re usually pretty straightforward “this is a psyduck” type deals, and what I’m interested in is retooling the monster to fit in a different world (while keeping the core of it intact). What’s it called (if it has a different name)? Where does it come from in your world, and where does it live? If the original had evolutions, does this version? Lots of potential there. To that end, here are a few pokemon that I think have particularly interesting concepts:

Phantump: Honestly all of the ghost pokemon have interesting concepts but I didn’t want to have a disproportionate number of ghost-types so I chose this one. Core concept is a furtive little forest spirit that uses old tree stumps (or perhaps fallen logs) as surrogate bodies/protective shells. Canon lore says they’re supposedly the spirits of children who died in the forest, so take or leave that as you please. Now, none of these suggestions have to look exactly like their inspirations as long as they convey the idea - for instance I sort of imagine these guys as little humanoid figures made of gnarled wood, which also gives me distinct skull-kid-from-LoZ vibes (but maybe that should be a separate post...)

Heliolisk: I don’t really know what drew me to this critter in particular, except that ‘solar-powered lizard that can shoot electricity and stuff’ is just a good creature to put in a made-up world (probably in a desert region). It even has “-lisk” in its name, like the more infamous basilisk, so it already sounds like it SHOULD be a mythical creature. As I’m writing this I realize that it strongly resembles the already-in-dnd shocker lizard, but come on, this thing is way more badass. Also I was just reading about it on Bulbapedia and apparently it can run super-fast? so... that’s in there, too.

Snorlax or Slaking: Look I just like the concept of a big hairy beast that’s super strong but spends almost all of its time asleep. Not even sure that would affect its stats but it’s great flavor.

Zygarde: A host of tiny organisms - maybe even single-celled - which can come together to form larger gestalt creatures (most famously a massive serpent/worm, but even more powerful forms may be possible). Should be a very powerful, possibly unique, individual, since it is a legendary pokemon.

Dhelmise: Sentient algae that uses marine detritus as a ‘skeleton’? The ghost type delivers again! I imagine that before humans were responsible for so much stuff being in the ocean these must have used a lot of animal bones (and maybe some driftwood) instead.

Seismitoad: I think there are already frog monsters with sonic attacks, but that was only half of the appeal for me here, the other half being ‘large bipedal frog’. I hold this as being very different from bullywugs, grippli, or any other amphibian-based humanoids: While froglike, those are all still fundamentally types of people, whereas this beast is first and foremost a frog. A frog that walks upright and has opposable thumbs. This also works with poliwhirl/poliwrath and croagunk/toxicroak, but then the sonic/vibration stuff won this one out for me by a slim margin. (Addendum: I have come to the realization that seismitoad and croagunk don’t actually have opposable thumbs according to their artwork. Whatever, just fudge it.)

Tropius: This one’s just plain weird. Like, almost exeggcutor-level weird (dang, maybe I should have chosen exeggcutor instead. But tropius is less famously weird. Side note: what’s up with pokemon based on palmlike plants?) It’s part small sauropod dinosaur, part banana tree, and while I’m not sure whether it should be classified as a plant or not, I do know that it can definitely fly. Also, it produces delicious fruit you can eat!

Parasect: You probably figured I was going to mention this one. Everyone thinks of paras and parasect when they think of pokemon with weird but cool concepts. MY take is that the fungus could infest different types of giant vermin, perhaps making it the basis for a template. Or not; these are just suggestions. Do whatever.

Larvesta and Volcarona: Maybe I’m just on a kick from all the GKOTM fanart I’ve been seeing, but giant fire-spitting caterpillar + giant fiery moth adult seems like a creature idea worth exploring. Larvesta also takes longer to evolve than any other stage-one pokemon, which I see as representing a long time spent in larval form (or pupated), which in turn resembles kaiju’s long periods of ‘dormancy’, bringing us back to Mothra (as all things must). Also, I think larvesta/volcarona are the only bug/fire types in the whole series so far? That’s nuts to me but it just makes them even more special.

Abra: Honestly the way this guy looks is like 90% of the appeal for me here. Abra looks like an armadillo tried to evolve into a monkey and somehow ended up with psychic powers in the process. It levitates and teleports, and according to the lore it’s usually asleep but thanks to its psychic powers is still aware of its surroundings. That’s right, its eyes aren’t really narrow, they’re just closed all the time. Do any images of abra with its eyes open exist? If they do, are we prepared to see them? As always, don’t feel like you have to give any of these guys evolved forms just because they evolve in the games. I’m definitely not saying this here specifically because I like abra’s design more than its evolutions, no sir.

Pinsir or Heracross: Pretty much the same as with the toads a few entries above. Clearly not people, but just vaguely reminiscent enough to maybe be just a little unsettling. C’mon, I know they’re cute in the games and the show but tell me you wouldn’t be at least slightly perturbed if you saw a real-life beetle the size of a 10-year-old trundling around on two legs. Even if you thought it was rad as hell you’d still get out of there pretty quick if it started trundling towards you.

Slowpoke: Listen if you don’t get the appeal of a semi-aquatic, ambiguously mammalian quadruped that has psychic capabilities but is also comically oblivious to external stimuli then I just don’t know what to tell you.

Barbaracle: Colonial organism sort of like Zygarde, except the individual parts are bigger. It could even be modular, with the various ‘limbs’ combining in different ways, although that could also complicate the stat block.

Gothitelle: Conceptually I suppose this is just another humanoid psychic creature, but a while ago I saw someone point out how its frills and whatnot are sort of reminiscent of a sea slug, and damned if ‘anthropomorphic nudibranch’ doesn’t get my blood flowing.

Rapidash: Pretty simple, a unicorn variant/non-evil fire horse. Who wouldn’t want one of those?

Necrozma: I never actually played Sun and Moon 2, nor did I get too deep into the postgame ultra beast stuff in SuMo 1, so regrettably I missed out on a lot of the wonderful interdimensional weirdness. While each ultra beast is appealing in its own way, Necrozma is practically a Lovecraftian Great Old One already what with how it was once an interstellar being of heat and light but was somehow injured or depleted and has now become a completely different creature that travels from world to world absorbing all light. That’s a pretty raw concept for any story, let alone a cute kid’s game. And it’s always a plus when something can be cool and threatening while still being safe for a G rating! You could also do what SuMo2 did and take your heroes to a world that’s already had its light stolen by the beast, to explore how the inhabitants of that world have been affected as well as show what awaits the heroes’ world... or just as a nice change of scenery. Lastly there’s the possibility that Necrozma must ultimately be defeated not through violence, but by figuring out how to restore it to its original form. It isn’t too often that the cosmic monstrosity could actually use your help, and it might leave the PCs feeling like they really accomplished something epic. Alternately, it returning to its original form also makes a great homage to the multiple forms of every JRPG final boss ever, a trope that has been under-represented in D&D for TOO LONG.

...and that’s it, at least for now. Naturally, there are about a thousand other possibilities, including different ways of interpreting the examples I’ve provided here. I suppose they could also be used for purposes besides D&D, although if you’re going to put any of this in the fantasy novel you’ve been working on I suggest you be extra diligent in obfuscating the creatures’ actual origins so as to avoid a visit from any lawyers. I don’t know if anybody is actually even going to see this post at all, but if it does end up getting around, then I fully encourage all of you to put your own spins on this if you’re inspired to do so! I’d love to see what other people might come up with.

[razieltwelve]

Salamander (Final Rose AU?)

“Look what I found, Summer mom!” Yang cried as she hurried over to Summer. “Look!”

Summer hung up the last piece of clothing on the clothesline and then turned. “What did you find?”

“This!” Yang eagerly held up the strange lizard-looking thing she’d found. “I found him on a rock near the creek.”

Summer frowned. “Near the creek? Did you go there on your own? You know some Grimm were spotted there last week.”

“It’s okay,” Yang insisted. “Dad went out there on the weekend while you were out on your mission. He took care of them all.” She held the lizard up. “He was glowing in the sun, mom.”

“Glowing?” Summer took a closer look at the creature. “I don’t think that’s a lizard, Yang.” 

“It’s not?” Yang’s brows furrowed. “Then what is it?”

“Hmm…” Summer grinned. “Why don’t we take a picture and send it to the professor. I’m sure she can tell us.”

X     X     X

Summer was taken aback when rather than reply, Vanille arrived in person only a few hours later. She must have made the flight using one of her high-speed aircraft. “Uh… hi?”

“Please tell me that you still have that salamander,” Vanille said.

“Salamander?” Yang asked. “But it’s not a salamander. I know what those look like, and he’s definitely not one of those.” She showed Vanille the lizard-like creature. It had spent the past few hours sunning itself on the windowsill.

“It is a salamander,” Vanille replied. “Just not the kind you’re thinking of.” She peered closely at the creature and then pulled out a device to scan it. “You’ve probably heard legends about salamanders being related to fire, right?” Yang and Summer both nodded. “But real salamanders are actually amphibians.” Again both Summer and Yang nodded. “What you found, Yang, is another kind of salamander, the kind the myths are really based on.”

“What do you mean?”

Vanille donned some thick gloves and poked the lizard-like creature. “This is what I mean.” She gave the creature a much sharper poke, and it rounded on her. There was a flash of light, and then its whole body was engulfed in searing flames. The wooden windowsill instantly charred, and Vanille backed away until the creature’s flames subsided back into its body and it went back to sunning itself. “See?”

Yang’s eyes widened. “Awesome.”

X     X     X

Vanille stayed for the two days, studying the salamander intently and explaining things to Yang and the others. Apparently true salamanders were exceedingly rare. Nobody knew exactly what caused it, but every so often, a complex of recessive genes in aquatic salamanders activated, resulting in a true salamander, something that came across as more reptilian than amphibious.

Instead of living in water, a true salamander instead loved sunlight, heat, and warmth. Its body was essentially one gigantic battery for thermal energy. That was why Yang had found it basking on a rock. It was absorbing the heat from the sun and the rock. When forced to defend themselves, true salamanders could unleash the stored thermal energy in the form of flames. 

“So how big can he get?” Yang asked.

“Actually, your true salamander is a female,” Vanille replied. “As for how big she can get, well, I’m not sure. True salamanders are exceedingly rare. There are less than a hundred known specimens in the world. However, they do get bigger as they get older. The largest known specimen is almost thirty feet long.”

“Cool.” Yang studied the true salamander that was currently sunning herself on another windowsill. “How do you get them that big?”

“Well, it’s seems to be about feeding them and giving them lots of exposure to thermal energy. In fact, you should probably get used to lighting the fireplace and just letting your true salamander nap in the flames.”

“Awesome.” Yang rubbed her hands together craftily. “I’m going to have the biggest true salamander ever.” She paused. “She’s not going to do anything mean when she gets bigger, right? Like… she’s not going to try to eat Zwei, will she?”

Vanille shook her head. “They’re pretty intelligent. If you can teach her that Zwei is part of the family, she should leave him alone. Besides, true salamanders prefer eating things like frogs, fish, rats, and other smaller prey.” She paused. “Well, until they get bigger. That big one I told you about eats cows.”

“Wow.”

X     X     X

Blake hissed at the… lizard perched on Yang’s bed. It was a good six feet long, and the air around it shimmered with heat. Nothing had caught fire yet, but neither she nor the lizard seemed happy to be sharing the same room. 

The door opened, and Yang ambled in. “Hey, Blakey.”

Blake jabbed one finger at the lizard. “What is that?”

“That’s Sally.” Yang sat down on the bed, and the heat immediately receded. The creature padded forward and laid her head down on Yang’s lap, trilling happily. Yang reached into the bag she’d brought and held up a rat. The creature gave a rumble of happiness and gobbled the rat up. “She’s a true salamander.”

Blake blinked. A true salamander? She’d heard about those, but they were supposed to be exceedingly rare. In fact, there were many people who still doubted they were even real. “What?”

“Yeah, I found her when she was little. I’ve been taking care of her ever since. I wasn’t allowed to bring her to Beacon, but the professor managed to bend the rules for me since she wants to study her a bit more. For the next few months, Sally here will be bunking with us.”

“You want to keep a true salamander in our dorm room?”

“Well, not all the time. She gets on pretty well with Strangles, Diana’s snake, and she does have her own enclosure down in the professor’s lab. She’ll be staying there most of the time, but it’ll be nice to have her up here regularly too.” Yang scratched Sally under the chin. “She’s nice once you get to know her.”

“I see.” Blake eyed the true salamander warily. “Where did you even get that rat from?”

“Diana breeds rats, frogs, and other things that Strangles likes.” Yang rolled her eyes as she pulled another rat out of the bag. “She keeps some handy at the lab since Strangles spends a lot of time there. I got some rats from her.” Sally devoured the rat and then look around the room before deciding to settle on top of the heater that was currently running at full blast to counter the winter chill. 

“Is she going to be okay up there?” Blake asked. The true salamander was sitting directly on the heating element. Blake would have been burned if she’d kept her hand there for longer than a second or two without Aura reinforcement.

“Don’t worry, she’ll be fine.”

As if to back up Yang’s words, Sally closed her eyes and dozed off.

Blake chuckled. The true salamander looked oddly adorable curled up on top of the big heater. “You should probably give Weiss a call. I’m not sure how she’ll react to Sally.”

X     X     X

“What is that?” Weiss wailed. “There’s a dinosaur on our heater!”

[askkrenko]

On Animals vs Animalfolk

The conclusion makes me realize: I don’t think you ever took an explicit stance about animal/human hybrid races.

Obviously, the current situation is a mess, with Leonin and Aven being Cat and Birds respectively, but Snake-people being sometimes Snake sometimes Naga, Lizard-people being their own things, Siren and Harpy mostly not Birds, but sometimes Birds, and this is only those we talked about recently. I don’t even remember what Loxodon and Rhox are tagged as…

So, what do you think would have been an good solution, if we didn’t have to deal with all the inertia of history? Are you strongly in favor of one or the other? Or do you think it should be decided on a case by case basis? Based on what other factors?

~ @death-burst

A very good question was asked in response to my Krenko’s Guide: Birds, and rather than just continually reblog that, I thought this deserved its own thread for people to answer.

The question of whether animal-people are their animal types (Like Leonin and Aven) or their own types (like Minotaur and Naga) is a pretty major one, and there’s multiple ways to deal it out, each with benefits and drawbacks. I’ll get into them below the break.

Option one: All animalfolk are the same type as their animals. 

That is, Minotaurs would be Oxen, Nagas would be Snakes, and Harpies and Sirens would both be Birds.  Now, the big benefit here is cutting down on creature types and letting it be easier to make decks of those types. “Cat” deck is easier than “Lizard” deck because cat people and cats are the same race, while lizard people and lizards are not. Oxen sharing a type with Minotaurs would give them the benefit of all that Minotaur tribal. It should result in the best gameplay response, but it’s also going to wind up looking the weirdest when you try to make sense of it.

 First off, as we see with Leonin and Aven, it creates this weird flavor option where a Leonin is happier to work alongside a housecat than alongside a Loxodon, which is just... a bit odd. Should Brimaz feel some sort of primal unity with a saber tooth tiger? Or a Leotau? Does it even make sense for a Siren like Malcolm (who needs a card ASAP) to think of a Bird of Paradise as one of “his people”? 

The second problem with this option is that not all ‘beast men’ as they are have a unified equivalent animal. Viashino are spread among Lizard, Crocodile, and Dinosaur. Most Merfolk are Fish, but Shadowmoor has the Seal-like Selkies. And then are Dryads and Treefolk supposed to be creature type “Plant?” Are Gorgons Snakes? Some of them certainly seem to be, but not all.

The third problem is that it makes a few creature types less immediately understandable. While people are accepting Leonin as cat people, declaring that Satyrs are actually Goats feels a bit off, as does seriously calling a Merfolk a Fish. We do it as a joke, sure, but actually writing Fish on the card would feel... off. Minotaurs as Oxen are more forgivable, but calling a Centaur a Horse just feels like a downright lie, even though a Centaur is more Horse than a Minotaur is Ox. It creates a disconnect where you actively feel certain things are mislabeled.

Option Two: All beastmen get their own race

That is, anything that uses the race/class style gets its own type. The big benefit here is that everything is clearly labeled and it makes perfect sense what works in tribe. Avens like Avens, but not birds. Minotaurs like Minotaurs, but not Oxen. Everything is exactly what it says it is. This is probably the most reasonable from a flavor perspective... but is awful for gameplay.

The first problem here is type splitting. Splitting Rhino from Rhox takes you from one type underused at 27 to two races under used at 11 and 16.  Splitting Aven from Bird is more comfortable, as both can survive on their own, but now you have an issue of future cards that care about them need to choose one or the other, no longer hitting both. This gets especially weird for one-offs. 

The second problem here is that some beastmen are one-offs. Scandalmonger is the only boar person. Wishmonger is the only unicorn person. Amphin Cutthroat and Pathmage are the only Salamander people, and that creature type is already tiny. There’s likely other instances here as well, but it certainly raises a question for the future. Would a lone turtle-person need their own type? 

Option Three: Mythological creatures get a type, invented ones do not

This tends to be the trend current Magic has stuck with, though there are a number of exceptions. If the creature is one from actual mythology and has some sort of expectation that the audience has heard of it before, it gets its own type. Otherwise, it uses its animal-men type. This is designed to be the easiest on the audience, as creature types are then what people instinctively think they are. When someone sees an ox-man, they know it’s a minotaur. When someone sees a cat-man, they don’t have anything else to call it, so it’s a cat-man. Magic can call it a Leonin, but that’s Magic’s made up word for it.

The major problems here come when invented races border mythological races. Orochi are Snakes because Wizards made them up, but Naga are also snake-men who are not snakes because they’re from mythology. This means we have two groups of snake-people who do not share a creature type, which is made all the more egregious by the fact that Orochi have a huge amount of tribal support as Snakes. A similar problem hits on Harpies and Sirens not being the same type as Aven. Further, a bunch of Dryads are clearly trees, but not Treefolk, which is a supported creature type. Wormwood Dryad, Gnalrwood Dryad, and Dryad Arbor, specifically, are just trees shaped like women.

Option Four: Purely case by case

Purely case by case is a reasonable idea, and would allow for the best mechanical and flavor balance for each type as it needs it, but this still results in major inconsistancy as a result, with players having no idea what’s what. Magic’s done a lot of this in the past, which is why we have Viashino and Cephalids.

This gets really messy really fast, and its biggest problem is that when deciding whether to make a new creature type for something is necesarry, one thing that should be asking is “how often do we plan to use these?” Lets assume a new world has a race of turtle-people. We can either label them as “Turtle” or as “Kappa.” The set’s got eight of them, because they’re a decent part of the world but not so big as to be planning a deck around them. A big question as to whether to give them their own creature type or not is if they’ll be iconic and memorable, and it’s really hard to know that until after the set has come out. If people really like them, they’re going to come back on many worlds, and as their forms change for different planes, it’ll be nicer to have the freedom to make different Kappa than just “turtles.” However, if people don’t attach to them, having their own creature type that most don’t immediately get will just be offputting and weird.

Option Five: Pipe Dream: Complete overhaul with wider types

So, I’m going to throw out first that I know full well a complete overhaul is unreasonable. I’d like one, but it’s just too much in  a game that’s mostly physical. That said, here’s how I’d do it:

All Beastmen are of a Beastmen type... But those types are wider. We’re starting to see this with Minotaur, which includes a number of rams on Amonkhet, and Zedruu, Having other suites of beastmen share typings would be a complete restructuring, but I think it’d work best for everyone.

Minotaurs would include all Ungulates here. This means Rhox, Scandalmonger, Wishmonger, but also easily opening the door for Elk-people to just randomly show up somewhere under the tag Minotaur. This would still only apply to bipeds, though, so Centaurs are still Centaurs (but a Centaur could include something with the lower body of any Ungulate.)

Aven would split from Bird, but absorb Siren and Harpy, and include any humanoid that has feathers and flies.

Ainok, or another name, would include Ainoks, Khenra, and Kitsune, as well as any other Caniform Beastman. Possibly also Feline beastmen, but I think Leonin are getting big enough to have all catfolk just be Leonin. Werewolves stay as Werewolves because they’re really not the same as other animalfolk.

Merfolk would absorb Cephalids. I don’t expect us to see enough different aquatic races that we need more than one type for aquatic animal-person.  Homarids are inhuman enough that I think we just want to tag them as Crustaceans. 

Amphin for any Amphibious Humanoid. 

Reptilians would get Viashino and Naga, because we really do recognize a difference between snake-people and lizard-people, and any turtle people would also become Viashno if they showed up. Orochi would become Naga.

And while I’m at it: Kobolds, Orcs, and Ogres are all Goblins.

This is more of a “if starting over” approach, of course, as too many gameplay effects exist to really encourage splitting pre-existing creature types.  Adding Siren and Harpy to Bird would be obvious and clear, but splitting Avens from Birds would be a logistical nightmare, and would require fighting for custody of old Bird tribal rewards.

Final Notes:

My actual suggestion at this point is, because they’re riding history, just... try not to make any new creature types, and fold in the old ones that didn’t get traction. Homarids can be Crabs now. It’s okay. We get that Homarids aren’t coming back in force, even if we still want to see a few. And when you introduce something like Naga, well, you’ve already got so much snake tribal sitting around, just let them use it.

You’ve got Viashino. Make use of it. Seriously. Viashino are inherently cool.

If you want to use a thing and really can’t find a proper type for it, like say deciding you want to do a set with lots of dinosaurs and not feeling right calling them lizards or beasts, or a set with lots of werewolves, or just needing Pilot as a new class because nothing else fits right, okay, but introducing the type Naga instead of using Snake or adding in Sirens that were visually very similar to Aven but were not Birds just doesn’t do anything because now you have a new type that you’re not even giving us the tools to use.

At least Aetherborn and Servo had lords.

I think “tools to use” is the real key here. I want the tools to use any creature type that exists, so if you’re adding a new creature type it should either be a clear label of mechanical similarity, like Processor or Pilot, or come with a card that lets me take advantage of that word. 

If you put a word on a card that does LITERALLY NOTHING, not even remind me how that card works, you’re wasting my time.

[pokemon-inspiration]

Top 10 Potential Fossil Pokemon Inspirations

To be honest, fossil Pokemon are some of my favorites. It gives the creators of these games an opportunity to utilize some of the most iconic creatures of the past for their designs, even those we might find bizarre. Here’s some I hope they use in the future with some pretty close to truth potential Pokedex entries, in no particular order (with a personal fool’s hope number 11)...

1. Therizinosaurus

Possibly one of the strangest of the theropod dinosaurs, Therozinosaurus and its kin ate plants rather than meat like its more distant relatives. They had pot bellies, feathers, and long scythe-like claws that give the creature its name, resulting in a rather unique appearance. To me, this is a pretty iconic dinosaur, and a look-alike could be a very interesting addition to the Pokemon roster.

Type: Considering the name “scythe lizard”, I could easily see Steel/Rock type.

Pokedex entries:

“When it was first uncovered, its arms were mistaken for that of a turtle-like Pokemon like Carracosta. Though actually related to Tyrantrum, it ate leaves and berries.”

“Its theorized its long claws either helped with defense, stripping foliage off plants, or both. Through restoration, it has been concluded that it was a fluffy, feathery Pokemon.”

2. Mosasaurs

Though there many an aquatic reptile that could be here, such as plesiosaurs or ichthyosaurs, to me the mosasaur just sticks out the most. Along with being featured in Jurassic World, with a pretty accurate size I might add (the largest ones being over 50 feet long), they’re pretty widely known as the apex predators of the oceans in the time of the dinosaurs. They’re also lizards, closely related to today’s monitor lizards like the Komodo dragon. Having a Pokemon version of this mighty creature would be an amazing and terrifying addition to the world.

Type: Rock/Water. Kind of obvious.

Pokedex entries:

“This Pokemon ruled the ancient seas. Feeding on anything smaller than it, it often grew to massive proportions.”

“Though massive, this Pokemon preferred to live in the shallower seas common to its time. Its thought that these were primarily ambush predators.”

3. Iguanadon

I couldn’t very well leave out Dinosaur #2, could I? Though perhaps not as charismatic as the carnivorous dinosaurs, Iguanadon is nonetheless widely recognizable and well loved, enough to be prominently featured in the Disney movie Dinosaur. A darn good potential addition if I do say so myself.

Type: Tempting to say Rock/Steel due to the “stiletto” nature of their thumb spike, but I think a pure Rock type would be best. The thumb spike could be restructured to resemble a stalagmite or something similar to Mega Aerodactyl’s body spikes.

Pokedex entries:

“One of the first fossil Pokemon discovered, its thumb spike was initially placed on its nose. More complete fossils and later restoration placed it correctly on its front legs.”

“While its thumb spikes make for effective daggers, it is speculated that they were also used for prying open nuts with tough shells. Either way there’s little that can stand up to the thumb spike’s power.”

4. Velociraptor

What can I even say here, its Velociraptor. Made famous (though slightly over-sized and still unfeathered) by Jurassic Park and Jurassic World, these dinosaurs are now some of the most recognizable in the whole of the fossil record. If one’s upset about the actual size of these things, I can envision perhaps an evolution into a larger raptor-like Pokemon such as Utahraptor. Who wouldn’t jump at the chance to have a Pokemon version of one of these?

Type: Rock/Flying, if only to emphasize how bird-like these things were.

Pokedex entries:

“Though certain movies from Pokestar Studios have made this Pokemon out to be scaly, they in fact possessed a full coat of feathers. Though too heavy to fly, these Pokemon were very swift.”

“The sickle-like claw on this Pokemon’s foot was used to cut into the soft parts of its prey. Stay out of the way of its Slash attack!”

5. Dimetrodon 

Had to have at least one Permian representative on here, and what better to represent that period than the synapsid Dimetrodon? Though maybe not as charismatic as the larger dinosaur or megafaunal mammals on this list, I think a Pokemon based on this mammal like reptile would be interesting to play with.

Type: Rock/Grass or Rock/Fire, to play with the idea (though possibly outdated) that the sails of this creature were used to warm themselves up.

Pokedex entries:

“It was long thought that this Pokemon’s sail was solely used to absorb energy from the sun. With restoration, it is now suspected it also had a role in selecting mates.”

“A very ancient Pokemon, it is thought to have been an apex predator of its time. The function of its sail is the subject of much debate among paleontologists and Fossil Maniacs.”

6. Smilodon

Now we’re getting into some of the mammals, and we’re starting out with one of the old favorites. Smilodon, also known as the saber-toothed cat, is probably one of the best known extinct mammalian predators out there. Those teeth make for a striking profile, and a Pokemon based on such a fearsome predator would be incredibly cool I think.

Type: Rock/Steel, to maybe play with the “saber” part of its common name and make it a little more literal.

Pokedex entries:

“This Pokemon has been found alongside Mammoswine in ancient tar pits. Its thought they tried to prey on the trapped Pokemon and got stuck themselves. Their signature teeth were deadly hunting weapons.”

“Though this Pokemon’s long canine teeth were powerful, they sometimes got in the way of eating, leaving many scraps for ancient scavengers. They hunted in prides to take down larger prey.”

7. Platybelodon

Since we already have Mammoswine, I’m not holding my breath for another woolly mammoth Pokemon. Thus, I went with one of the more unique representatives of the elephantine dynasty. You can’t miss that distinctive jaw, and to be honest we need more elephant-like Pokemon in these games.

Type: Rock/Ground, again to kind of play with the concept of the “shovel tusk”, taking it a bit more literally despite the real Platybelodon likely using that jaw to strip bark. It could also be a good excuse to tie it to the modern ground-type Donphan.

Pokedex entries:

“This Pokemon’s powerful lower jaw and mighty frame helped it excavate deeply buried roots and tubers. Holes made by it may have been the precursors to today’s Diglett tunnels.”

“It was once thought to have used its long lower jaw to sift through swamps and gobble up submerged vegetation. It is thought to be related to or the ancestor of Donphan.”

8. Megacerops

As a kid I knew these guys as Brontotherium, but apparently this isn’t the correct name for these mighty mammals (the name Brontothere being used at the family level) being so we’ll go with Megacerops. A powerful herbivorous mammal, larger than any rhino we have today, I think these are good candidates for Pokemonhood, especially given the Sioux legends surrounding them being the cause for thunderstorms as “thunder horses”.

Type: Rock/Electric, given their Family name and thunderstorm legend. Plus you can kind of easily see electricity arcing between those horns of theirs.

Pokedex entries:

“This Pokemon is thought to have launched powerful electrical attacks from between its nose horns. Herds of these Pokemon were able to generate spontaneous thunderstorms.”

“Ancient legends say this Pokemon caused thunder by stampeding across the sky. Given its size and prowess with electricity, its not hard to see why.”

9. Hallucigenia

This one is a personal favorite, and a good representation of the Cambrian period. It is thought to either be an ancestor of velvet worms or arthropods, though its fuzzy ancestry is the least odd thing about its history. When it was discovered, it was actually placed upside down and backwards, with its spines thought to be its legs. All this confusion about it is why its common name referencing hallucinations. Something this strange is practically a Pokemon already!

Type: Rock/Psychic, as a funny way of explaining why it was oriented so oddly when first discovered.

Pokedex entries:

“When it was first discovered, residual psychic energies confused the paleontologists who found it, resulting in depictions of this Pokemon being upside down and backwards.”

“Even after millions of years the fossils of this Pokemon contain potent psychic energy. There is much debate as to what modern Pokemon it is related to, if any.”

10. Dunkleosteus

Probably one of the best known ancient fish, Dunkleosteus is a terrifying figure in the history of the world’s oceans. Possessing armored plating and extensions of its skull as its “teeth”, it definitely cuts an intimidating figure as another apex predator. I can definitely see Water and Rock type experts fighting over this one.

Type: Rock/Water, as you’d expect

Pokedex entries:

“The projections often referred to as teeth on this Pokemon were actually extensions of a rocky skull. Even tough prey like Omanyte or Kabuto were not safe from this Pokemon’s jaws.”

“This Pokemon had powerful armored plating on its body, protecting it from prey who were able to fight back or predators like Kabutops. Prey too small to be caught in its jaws were simply sucked up and swallowed whole.”

Personal number 11. Sauroposeidon/Argentinosaurus

Look, I know we already have Amaura and Aurorus as sauropod representatives as fossil Pokemon, but I’d love one that really communicates how large these creatures can get. To that end I’d like one that evokes one of these two, or a fusion of sorts, between the “Earthquake god lizard” and the dinosaur whose leg bones were mistaken for petrified tree trunks.

Type: Rock/Ground, for the Earthquake god lizard aesthetic.

Pokedex entries:

“This Pokemon was so massive, the first time its leg bones were uncovered they were mistaken for petrified trees. Its size meant it had few predators: even Tyrantrum had to think twice before taking it on.”

“Earthquakes are suspected to have occurred whenever this enormous Pokemon put its foot down. Herds of this Pokemon may have caused landslides and volcanic eruptions just by moving through an area.”

If you have any you think I missed, comment them or put them in the tags. This was fun to put together!

[hella-free-space]

Repurposing “Betta Tanks”

I’m a big fan of ‘upcycling’ stuff and I hate just throwing things away (especially pricier things).

There’s SO MUCH (literally a ridiculous amount) of misinformation about bettas that gets circulated by pet stores, facebook users, pinterest users, youtube users, and even betta-centered websites! There’s also plenty of people who have gone out and purchased bettas and “betta tanks” only to find out later that they’re completely unsuitable homes for their new finned friends! D: (If you’d like to know more about bettas and proper husbandry, check out this post) It would seriously suck if I went out and bought one of those Aqueon Betta Falls tanks (they are completely inappropriate for any fish or live animals and they can seriously injure bettas and other fish), which costs around $40 btw, only to learn that I’ve got to start totally from scratch and shell out another $40-100 PER safe and proper setup (the betta falls holds up to 3 fish, so that’s up to 3 new setups). and then after buying a whole new tank and equipment, I’m left with an expensive death trap. I wouldnt feel right selling it anyone else (who might use it to house bettas) but I also don’t want to just throw it away. Do I just put it back in the box and put it up on some high shelf in the garage? NO. NO I DO NOT. I’m going to find a good use for it, and I’m hoping that some of the ideas listed below give y’all some ideas too! more under the cut

Wall Mounted Fish Bowls

[Source]  These are usually anywhere from 1/2 - 1 Gallon, and are available from a number of brands and sellers on amazon and ebay. The idea is pretty cool and novel, but obviously not a healthy home for a betta (or other fish / invert). Consider using it as a hanging terrarium or planter! You can do fresh cut flowers, marimos, pothos, bamboo, java fern, anubias, or even an entire miniature aquascape! Funny enough, you can actually buy hanging glass terrariums / planters as well, so here’s some visuals!

USB / Desktop Aquariums

NO. DON’T DO IT. PUT THOSE FISH DOWN RIGHT NOW. THEY ARE NOT GOING IN THIS TANK. I’ve seen people keep bettas, guppies, tetras, etc. in these things and I just want to make it very clear that these are NOT suitable for anything...

EXCEPT MARIMOS!! :DD Marimos love a little bit of current and can be kept in bowls, jars, or tiny tanks! I think that having a little bit of current and some mini marimos and even some miniature decor would make an awesome edition to any desk, especially since it comes with a light and pump! :) Feel free to get creative tho! you can grow bamboo, pothos, and other plants out of it as well, or do a miniature aquascape, or even do some simple aquatic plants like anacharis, or an anubias nana petite one a tiny piece of driftwood~ have fun with it! :)

Betta Falls

OF DEATH. these tanks can seriously injure your fish, are too small to hold a stable cycle, will stress the fish out (because they can see each other) and are honestly no bigger than the cups you bought them in :/ 

What’s really cool about this tank is the design, though. Its got this cascading waterfall type design which would probably be awesome for marimos since they get their round shape from being rolled around by the current! A bit of flow is the way to go~ Also, being able to do 3 totally different (or completely complementary) sections is what makes this an especially fun and challenging upcycle! 

- You can do some cool rocks or miniature aquarium decor and use it as a waterfall, similar to how these little countertop fountains are used - You can grow bamboo or other semi-aquatic plants out of these compartments - You can grow fully aquatic plants in these compartments - You can even add some fake bettas if you want to add a lil fishy centerpiece - You can do any combination of different things and you’ve got 3 compartments to decorate however you see fit! :D

Betta Cubes

no.

NO!!

YAAAAAAAAAAS!! see where I’m goin with this y’all?

Other “Betta Tanks”

Besides plants, betta tanks also make fantastic enclosures for invertebrates!! :D I’m talkin about your snails, your millipedes, your slings (baby tarantulas), and even your mantids!!

@hipsterzombiesquad took this 1/2 gallon “betta tank” and turned it into a small terrarium for their snails!! :D It’s literally the cutest thing <3 (there’s two teeny tiny snails on top of the rock ornament in case you’re looking for them!)

Amanda L. left this review about the Sweetness Betta Tank: “This is not appropriate for any fish, but I bought this to house a tarantula spiderling. My spider is quite happy and not only is the enclosure cute and a good size for this dwarf species juvenile but the interesting shape let me set up a really deep starter burrow that he's currently excavating and webbing up.”

This is one of these marina betta tanks.  Youtube user ShreckKram used it for a praying mantis! I’m not sure how tall the mantis is compared to the enclosure, but generally you want the terrarium to be 3x as tall and 2x as wide as your mantid is at the very least :)

Emzotic also used the marina betta tank for some snails! :D (skip to 6:20 to see baby snails!)

Bugsincyberspace sells a ton of different invertebrate kits as well! These are biobubble deco cubes that are often marketed towards bettas but as yall can see, they’d make a great bumblee millipede terrarium! :D

The Fish Bowl

[Source] Last but not least, we have to talk about what in the heck to do with these classic fish bowls, drum or not. These bowls are basically blank canvases and there are tons of decor ideas floating around on pinterest, but for now I wanted to give yall a few decor ideas and a then show yall some more interesting uses!

These sand bowls are a really cute alternative to live plants and with all the miniatures you can buy on amazon or ebay or at hobby lobby or michaels (or even walmart), there are so many unique themes / scenes you could choose to create. You can also do a little zen garden of sorts with rocks and different colored sand and a miniature rake even!

A fairy garden!

I don’t personally drink, but I know there are Of Age fishblrs on here, so this is for you! Tipsy Bartender also did a video for this drink!

Of course I had to include a planted terrarium too! Now, when I created a fish bowl succulent terrarium a lot of people said that it wasn’t the best kind of container for succulent since it traps humidity and there’s no drainage (feel free to drill some holes if ya know how to do that tho!). If you’re worried about keeping succulents in a bowl like this, there are tons of mosses and ferns and such that you could use to create a terrarium :) SerpaDesign has a TON of instructional videos for making terrariums!

Another decor idea! 

Now, this is similar to something I actually made for my then-boyfriend (now husband) for valentines day a few years ago. I made a little luvdisc aquarium in a dollar store fish bowl (they’re like 16 oz. super small). I used like, glass pebbles and plastic plants and filled it with this fake water stuff and it came out pretty cute! I’m so sorry that I don’t have a picture of it for yall but the concept is fun and you can do the same thing with pretty much any plastic creature you have!

The last idea I have for y’all today involves food. I’m not the best cook, but I do freakin love me some chocolate, so with halloween coming up, you can use that old fish bowl (preferably cleaned. very well.) for a party-size bowl of dirt-and-worms or the summery sandy alternative (for the vanilla or banana pudding lovers out there). This version features some cute little amphibians! And of course I had to include a dinosaur version because of course I do.

There’s tons of other holiday decor and food and drink ideas as well. since this post is sooooo incredibly long, I’ll just list these last few ideas as links instead of including pictures and everything else.

Glass halloween lighted bowls

DIY Gumball machine

DIY Candy Dispenser

Shark Jello Bowls

The cutest halloween graveyard terrarium

Fishbowl centerpieces

Frog jello cups

Caught ya bein good reward bowl

Fish-themed slime

Goldfish snack bowl

Tissue Paper Lanterns

Dinosaur Terrariums

Origami Fish bowl

Resin Fish Bowls (most of these are miniatures but i dont see why a larger version would be any less cool)

Fish bowl punch (feel free to switch it up and add gummy octopuses too)

Paint it black and make a dry ice cauldron

Paint it black and make it a cauldron candy or punch bowl

[fanfic-shiz]

While I’m Alive (Owen Grady)- Chapter Two

Chapter One

My jaw refused to stay shut during the entire tour of the massive park, eyes frozen wide in awe. Claire chattered away the entire time, and I wondered how the hell she had room in her head for all the things she knew about the park. We breezed through the walkways, and she assured me I'd have plenty of time to explore and visit the attractions on my days off. It was like being a kid again, although I'd been told by about a thousand people that I already was a kid trapped in a twenty-five year old's body. Living, breathing dinosaurs. I made sure at some point to say an appropriate prayer to the science gods for allowing the park to exist.

"And finally, this is where you'll be working."

We had made it to the park's midway, where shops and restaurant flourished on either side of the walkway. "Damn, this place is brand-name central. What the hell is a Pandora's doing here?" I asked.

"We cater to everything." Claire shrugged, like this was answer enough.

"Freaking ridiculous." I muttered.

We made our way towards the Margaritaville restaurant, Jimmy Buffet blaring from the speakers. It was mildly crowded for the early evening lull, most of the tables empty and only about half of the bar full. The park would be closing for the night in just a few short, hours. Claire walked towards the bar where a man in a Hawaiian shirt with a peppered beard stood behind the counter.

"Hi Denny! This is my friend, Rylan." She greeted him.

"You mean my new recruit?" He asked in a booming voice. He gave me a big smile and held out his hand. I liked him already.

"Straight from the main land! Nice to meet you!" I grasped his hand in mine.

"Happy to have you, Rylan. Nice to finally put a face to the name." He let go of my hand and went back to wiping down the bar. "You getting settled in?"

I shrugged. "Sorta. Claire's just giving me a quick tour now."

"I told her she'll have plenty of time for exploring when she's not working for you." Claire jumped in and Denny chuckled.

"I'll try not to work you too hard then. I want to make sure you have time to settle in, but how soon can you start?" He asked.

"Tomorrow." I said quickly. Both he and Claire looked at me with surprise. "I wanna get used to this place as soon as I can and the sooner I start working, the sooner it'll feel like home."

Denny looked pleased with me. "My kinda girl. Let me get you a shirt. How's about eleven o'clock for tomorrow?"

"Sounds perfect!" I grinned. He disappeared around the corner of the bar to a back room. I took a moment to take in the different liquor bottles behind on the shelves behind the bar, the brightly colored string of lights strung across the ceiling, and the beer tap handles to my right. I knew I'd feel right at home behind there. That was the great thing about bartending. It was pretty much the same no matter where you went.

A few minutes later, we were leaving the restaurant and I had a pink t-shirt in my hands with the logo blazoned across the front. The park was even less crowded now, the number of people dwindling as the sun went down. A pack of teenagers rushed by, all of them laughing loudly as they raced from one exhibit to the next.

"Don't kill me but I really gotta run to this dinner meeting. It's almost eight now." Claire said, checking the time on phone.

I brushed her off with a wave of my hand. "Please, I'll be fine. I have all of this to entertain me." I gestured around towards the entire theme park I was surrounded by.

Claire smiled, shaking her head. "Yeah, I don't know why I worry. I probably won't be able to see you until tomorrow. But I promise to come check on you during lunch, okay?"

"Sounds good." I stepped forward and pulled her in for a hug. She seemed surprised, but quickly squeezed me back. "Thanks, Claire. I mean it. I know you don't get it, but this is gonna be good for me."

She looked pleased when I finally pulled away. "I know that...I'm just glad you're happy." She gave me one last smile before turning and walking off. She'd had her cell phone to her ear within a few seconds. She had only gone a few steps, though, before turning back around. "I almost forgot! The last T-Rex feeding is in about five minutes!" She pointed in the direction of a set of huge wooden doors.

I felt my eyes go wide. I didn't even bother to yell a thank you to her, racing towards the T-Rex paddock. Inside, there was a thick glass window that spread one side of the room to the other. People were already starting to push up against it, looking eagerly inside. I found a space and squeezed myself in, nearly bouncing up and down on the balls of my feet in excitement while my heart thudded inside my chest.

It wasn't much longer before a live goat was lowered into the pen. It squealed pathetically and if I hadn't been so damn excited I probably would have felt a little sad for it. There was no time, though, because suddenly the entire room was rattling as huge footsteps crushed the ground.

"Holy shit..." I breathed, ignoring the dirty look I received from a nearby parent as I pressed my hands against the glass. The creature in front of me was unlike anything I had ever seen in my entire life. Scaly brown skin, yellow eyes, and a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. All I could think about was how all the pictures I'd seen in science books, all the documentaries I'd watched in school, didn't even do a little bit of justice towards this massive, prehistoric carnivore. A combination of fear and amazement prickled up and down my spine. The tyrannosaurus towered over us and let out a roar that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. "This is so freaking cool."

"You should see the mosasaurus then!" A voice next to me suddenly said. A kid, probably around thirteen, was grinning up at me. His face was flushed with excitement, like mine.

"What the hell is that?" I asked curiously, unashamed at my unfamiliarity with the name. "Think prehistoric Shamoo, only a hundred times bigger." He explained excitedly. He gestured towards the other side of the park. "It's by the water. The amphitheater is on the boardwalk."

"Thanks, kid!" I grinned at him. I took one last look at the rex behind the glass as it devoured it's bloody meal before taking off at a sprint towards the mosasaurus exhibit. When I finally got there, though, the crowd was just letting out from the last and final showing of the night. I let out a disappointed sigh before sidling up to the glass railing.

"You probably won't be able to see her right now. Mo usually disappears for a while after a feeding." A cheerful voice said from behind me. I glanced over my shoulder to see a girl with shoulder length brown hair beaming at me. She had on a pair of knee-length khaki shorts and a Jurassic World staff shirt. She gestured to the badge around my neck. "You work here? You must be new, I thought I knew everyone here by now." At my confused expression she shrugged. "Small island. You get to know everybody pretty fast. I'm Violet."

"Rylan." I smiled. I gestured towards the tank. "So you work with...Mo here?" I asked, trying out the name she had used for the giant aquatic creature. "Since the day we put him in the tank." She said proudly. "Although, really, I didn't do much. She knows she gets fed every four hours and is usually pretty good at showing up. That's about as much training as was possible with her. I'm basically just here to make sure things go as planned."

"Still, that's pretty awesome. Wish I could've seen her. I was too busy gawking at the T-Rex." I explained.

"Oh that one still scares the hell out of me." She shivered. "All those teeth."

"But Mo doesn't?" I asked, giving her a small smile. "Doesn't she have just as many?"

She returned it with a sheepish one of her own. "Yeah, that's true. I guess when I look at the T-Rex I just can't help but think about what happened here all those years ago."

It took a second for me to figure out what she meant. "Oh, you mean the first park." I frowned. It had happened when I was still a toddler. Everyone in the world was aware of what had happened, though. It was history. It wasn't until recently that I finally did research on the details of the whole story. One reason why my parents weren't so keen on my decision to work and live on the same island. "Crazy...I definitely don't wanna think about it having free roam of the park."

"Exactly." Violet agreed. "I mean, it's not really realistic to be worried, though. We have the best safety measures in the entire world. It's just the idea that it happened once." I nodded, inching closer to the railing and peering over the side. I couldn't see anything but the deep, dark water. If Mo was stirring underneath, I had no idea. "Have you had dinner yet?" She suddenly asked.

I shook my head and as if on cue, my stomach rumbled and we both laughed. "Well, I didn't think I was hungry until right now."

"I'll show you the way to the cafeteria. We'll be closing soon, too, so I can show you how to get home later. The monorail has a stop right outside the staff housing center. That's where you'll be living, right?"

I nodded and she beamed at me. "Cool, haven't had a new face in a while."

I watched as she finished her closing duties, sitting on the cold metal bench of the stands before following her outside down the boardwalk and back to the midway. A voice came over the loud speaker, announcing that the park was closing for the evening. With night time came a cool breeze, a much needed relief from the sweltering heat of the sun. We disappeared inside of the cafeteria, a huge building near the edge of the park. Food was still spread out under the heat lamps and the salad bar was still open, though the giant room was empty of guests. I supposed it was to make sure all the employees had a chance to eat before going home for the night. We flashed our badges to the man sitting behind the counter and grabbed trays. Once our plates were filled, she led the way through a set of double doors to a smaller, quieter room with tables in rows.

"This is the staff room, where we can eat without being bombarded with questions from guests." She explained, sliding into a seat.

I sat across from her, realizing that even though I'd told Claire I'd be fine, I was grateful for the company. "I don't think I'll ever get used to this place. I mean, even my college didn't have a salad bar."

Violet laughed. "Yeah, well, if your school was anything like mine then the food here is a lot safer too."

I grinned, understanding what she meant completely. I dug into my salad, suddenly starving.

"So what kind of work will you be doing here?" She asked.

"I'm bartending at the Margaritaville." I said, in-between mouthfuls. "Not as exciting as being a mosasaurus trainer, but it'll pay the bills." I joked.

"You'll make a ton of money over there." Violet said, spearing a piece of chicken with her fork. "Seriously, the drinks are crazy expensive here and people like to tip. My friend runs the hotdog stand and you would not believe the kind of money people stuff into that tip jar. For a hotdog!"

The double doors to the staff cafeteria suddenly swung open with a loud bang, making me jump. I glanced towards the door to see a man strolling inside, clearly having kicked the doors open. Both his hands were full, a sandwich in one and a bottle of water in the other, and an apple in his mouth. It was a pretty impressive balancing act, almost as impressive as his good looks. His hair was short, a light sandy brown. The same color as the scruffy beard that grew along his strong jaw and over his upper lip. If there was ever an appropriate time to say someone had nice cheek bones, this was it. He had one attractive facial structure, that was for damn sure. His long sleeved gray shirt was covered in dirt, the same with his jeans. Which very tight. Like extremely. I hadn't realized I was still staring until Violet suddenly waved at him.

"Hey, Owen!" She called.

I swiveled my head to look at her with surprise. That was Owen? The Owen Grady, the one that Claire supposedly hated? How? Just...how? I looked back to see his eyes brighten as he caught sight of us and changed directions. He set his water bottle down in between our trays and took the apple from his mouth, chewing and swallowing.

"What's up, Vi? How's Mo?" He asked cheerfully.

"She's fine. Seemed kinda moody today." Violet shrugged. "Took a minute for her to come out for the mid-afternoon feeding. I got worried she was gonna be a no-show."

"Eh, you'll have that. Animals can be pretty temperamental." He added.

"You'd know all about that." She smiled and he flashed her a grin that made my head spin. What the hell was wrong with me? This wasn't the first good looking guy I'd ever seen. Or maybe I'd just resigned myself to the fact that I was going to be on an island where the male species would be limited and his existence had thrown all that off.

"Oh, this is Rylan by the way. She's new."

"Hey, Claire's friend right?" He asked, squinting his eyes as he studied me. I shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny. "Although, I wasn't expecting this. Thought the ice queen was recruiting more of her ice friends to keep her company."

I couldn't help but let out a laugh, remembering the conversation Claire and I had had in the car earlier.

"That's not nice, Owen." Violet sighed.

"No, no it's cool." I assured her and smiled up at him. "I knew she seems that way, but honestly you just don't know her that well."

"Well, since I don't really care to I'll leave that up to you. She's made it clear I'm not her cup of tea." Owen stated.

"She might have mentioned that." I admitted.

"Wow, really? I didn't think I registered on her radar anymore." He shook his head. "Well, I better go. Wanna check on the girls one last time before heading home. See you ladies later!"

He grabbed up his water bottle, flashing one last smile before placing the apple back in his mouth and disappearing out a set of doors on the opposite side he'd come in through.

When he'd left, I glanced back at Violet curiously. "His girls?" I asked. "What, does he have kids or something?"

Violet snorted with laughter, almost spitting out her water. "God no, he means his raptors."

My mouth fell open. "Like...velociraptors?"

"Mmhm. He raised them, kinda like a surrogate mother or something. He says they imprinted on him when they hatched. It's pretty amazing." She explained, her voice sounding impressed. "You should head out to their containment unit if you ever have time. I've seriously never seen anything like him."

"Yeah, I can imagine." I agreed, and even I wasn't sure which part of him I was referring to.  

[jurassicparkpodcast]

The Science of Jurassic Park & More: Part Two

Today we are incredibly excited to be continuing our deep-dive into the world of palaeontology with Doctor David Button from London’s Natural History Museum.

In Part One, David tackled questions such as feathers on dinosaurs, the pose-ability of Sauropod’s necks, and much more. If you missed it, click here to take a read.

All images in the article ahead are also courtesy of our friends at Jurassic Vault – so go show them some love if you haven’t already!

We’re excited to dive into today’s part – where we will kick off by talking about new dinosaur species!

Any dinos we don’t know about yet?

Yep: many new dinosaur species are still being discovered every year, and this shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. Some of these are very unusual – for example the ‘batwing’ dinosaurus Yi and Ambopteryx have only been discovered in the past couple of years. So, amazing things are undoubtedly still to be discovered.

What are the chances of finding another BIG carnivore or sauropod, like bigger than anything known right now?

Interestingly, recent years have seen the discovery of multiple species of very large sauropods – e.g. Dreadnoughtus in 2014, Notocolossus in 2016, and Patagotitan in 2017. Cretaceous fossil sites in South America are becoming increasingly well-known, and Cretaceous strata across Africa are also starting to be better explored. These are both times and places from which titanosaurs were particularly common, and so are the most likely places to yield both new exceptionally large sauropods, and massive theropods that may have fed on them. So, I reckon there is a good chance of finding more colossal dinosaurs in the future.

Were dinosaur’s adequate swimmers? Also, how long did young dinos stay in their "fledgling" stage with mother? Is there a way to tell?

The powerful legs of dinosaurs meant that most were probably competent swimmers. Evidence from oxygen isotopes, preserved gut contents and tooth marks indicates that spinosaurids mainly ate aquatic organisms and probably spent a lot of time in the water – indicating that they must have been able to swim well. The unusual dromaeosaurid Halszkaraptor, meanwhile, shows skeletal characteristics very similar to living aquatic birds, with powerful kicking legs, and short, flipper-like forelimbs. It also seems to have been semiaquatic in lifestyle.

An exception to this may be provided by the ceratopsians. Multiple large bone beds are known which preserve the remains of ceratopsian herds that drowned in flash floods. Hadrosaurs, meanwhile, were common in the same times and places, but do not occur in these death assemblages. Modelling of the centre of gravity shows that the heavy heads of ceratopsians would have pulled them forwards in the water, making it difficult for them to stay afloat. It hence seems that, during these events, hadrosaurs were able to easily swim to safety whereas many more ceratopsians struggled and drowned.

It is hard to tell how long dinosaur chicks stayed with their parents – or, in many cases, whether parental care was performed at all. Footprint evidence shows young dinosaurs associating with adults, but it is unclear whether these represent parents with their babies, or simply casual mixed-age associations. Furthermore, age segregated trackways are also known. Collections of footprints from a small number of differently-sized individuals – for example from rebbachisaurid sauropods – have been suggested to represent family groups, but this is similarly difficult to test. Similarly, although mixed-age associations of Psittacosaurus are known, it is unclear if they represent a parent or helper watching over a crèche or, more likely, simply young psittacosaurs joining together for safety in numbers.

Consequently, even though we know of cooperative behaviour in many dinosaurs, it is hard to distinguish whether genuine parental care from simple gregariousness. Even when we do have strong evidence of parental care in dinosaurs – such as in oviraptorosaurs – we unfortunately still have no real evidence as to how long that care may have lasted after hatching. Nevertheless, it seems plausible that many dinosaurs would have cared for their young for weeks or even months after hatching, like modern-day birds.

Is the Spinosaurus quadrupedal or bipedal?.. or is it still a great mystery within the palaeontology community?

Establishing exactly what Spinosaurus looked like is difficult, as we have so little fossil material of it to go on. Not only are only a small number of Spinosaurus skeletons known, but each is also highly incomplete. As a result, reconstructing a complete view of Spinosaurus requires comparison between the skeletons of different individuals, which can make figuring out accurate proportions difficult. Furthermore, it seems likely that some of the material referred to Spinosaurus actually belongs to a related genus, Sigilmassasaurus, posing even more problems for trying to extrapolate between them to get an overall picture of Spinosaurus.

With all those caveats, I hence think it is most likely that Spinosaurus was capable of bipedal locomotion – like its relatives such as Baryonyx. However, it does still seem likely that its legs were at least relatively short, and so it would look different to its depiction in the Jurassic Park franchise. Still, greater certainty on how Spinosaurus looked and moved will need to wait for the discovery of more complete skeletons of the animal.

Was there any dinosaur media (film, cartoons, documentary, series) that influenced them to follow the path resulting in palaeontology?

Many of my colleagues list Jurassic Park as their single biggest influence in pursuing palaeontology. However, for me, the biggest influence was a magazine series – Dinosaurs! – published by Orbis in the ‘80s and ‘90s. It was very effective at presenting dinosaurs as animals that we could learn about, rather than as monsters, as well as the lines of thinking that allowed us to do so. Certainly, fondly remembered, and almost certainly my single biggest early childhood influence.

In your opinion, where is the line drawn between entertainment and reality? e.g. Would a chase scene in Jurassic Park be as entertaining to a cinema audience if the animal was paleo-accurate to current knowledge and theories.

I, obviously, would generally prefer it if films were as accurate as possible, simple as that is something I find satisfying and interesting. I was, for example, very disappointed by the lack of feathers in Jurassic World, not only because they would have been accurate but also, more importantly, it showed a lack of imagination on the film maker’s part. They could have made all sorts of cool, modern-looking dinosaurs, reaching deeper horror through mixing something we think we know – a bird – with something primordial and deadly. It would also have furthered one of the key threads of Jurassic Park itself.

However, that does not mean I necessarily expect films to be accurate – after all, their job is to sell movie tickets, not to educate. Films in general make continual errors regarding everything from computer science through basic human biology, and I think that audiences are aware of that. Jurassic Park holds up despite being scientifically dated because the movie is effectively using the dinosaurs as metaphors – both for arrogance and the power of nature – as opposed to being a documentary about them. Whereas I would expect a documentary film (e.g. the Walking with Dinosaurs movie) to be well-researched, a genre-film’s job is to relate a narrative, not present facts.

So, overall, I as a moviegoer would personally would prefer it is dinosaurs in films were accurate. However, I do not expect it, and certainly think the use of artistic licence to make the films more entertaining is entirely appropriate. After all, this is their job, not education. Indeed, if we are relying on blockbuster films to educate people about science, we have much bigger societal problems than public understanding of dinosaurs at hand.

How do you feel about Jurassic Park/Worlds speculation on soft tissue and threats? For example Dilophosaurus frill and venom, Troodon venom and nesting habits, and the T. rex "bad eye sight". Also re classification like Deinonychus = Velociraptor???

The ‘bad eyesight’ of Tyrannosaurus in the films actually annoys me, as the size of the orbit and the brain structure indicates that Tyrannosaurus would actually have had good eyesight (like modern birds). The “it cannot see you if you don’t move” thing never made any sense, as a large predator would not be able to function like that. Consequently, I am glad that the Jurassic Park franchise has moved away from that in more recent years, as it has produced a persistent belief about dinosaurs that is entirely inaccurate. Similarly, there is no evidence for venom or an extendable frill in Dilophosaurus (or any other dinosaurs). Consequently, these are best viewed as not so much soft tissue speculation as just making things up for cinematic sake.

That being said, I do appreciate the need for artistic licence in movies, and giving those animals those attributes certainly did help add tension, excitement and action to those scenes. I hence can understand why those features – especially in Dilophosaurus – are included, even though they are entirely fictitious. I am glad that the movies have since acknowledged that many of the cloned dinosaurs are very different to their real counterparts, as it helps balance the need for spectacle with an open admission that these attributes are entirely fictitious.

However, I must admit that I sort of draw the line at the nesting habits of Troodon. I can accept the venom as artistic licence, but the whole thing about it laying its eggs in bodies in Jurassic Park: The Game is so absurd and preposterous that I cannot even enjoy it. I get that they wanted a new level of threat and horror from a dinosaur, but it just makes no sense at any level – no large vertebrate would incubate its eggs in that way, as it would just be a recipe for infection and death of the chicks. I mean, what, were they supposed to have spliced its DNA with an ichneumon wasp or something? Why on Earth would they have done that?!

The Deinonychus were reclassified as Velociraptor in Jurassic Park partially due to the arguments of Greg Paul, who generally supports lumping many dinosaur species together. However, this view is not backed by any other palaeontologist, and so I would rather it was not used and the dinosaurs were correctly classified. However, I acknowledge that the other half of the argument  - that “Velociraptor just sounds cooler” – means that this will never happen in the Jurassic Park franchise.

And fave dino?

It is hard to say, but my favourite dinosaur may be the prosauropod Plateosaurus. This is for a couple of reasons: firstly, a lot of my PhD research was on this animal; and secondly, I just like prosauropods. They seem like they would have been rather incompetent, unintelligent, cumbersome, bulky, reeking, omnivorous, foul-tempered animals, and something about that appeals to me. I am also fond of sauropods – particularly Camarasaurus, as a lot of my PhD research also concerned that animal.

Other favourite dinosaurs include the ornithischian Thescelosaurus (again, this is helped by me having worked closely on it) and hadrosaurs such as Corythosaurus. I also like rebbachisaurid sauropods such as Nigersaurus.

That draws a close to part two of our “The Science of Jurassic Park & More” series. Make sure to join us next week for our third and final installment.

For now, make sure to follow him on Twitter if you aren’t already, and stay tuned to The Jurassic Park Podcast for all the latest Jurassic Park news!

Written by: Tom Fishenden

[kahnac]

Kind of out of Order here since THIS was made before the Kaiju villains list. But don’t worry, it shouldn’t be too big a deal. Just be sure to enjoy what’s down below.:)

Greetings, and hello, everybody. Today, i have something pretty different from what i normally do. This time, with the enormous help of my friend japanesegodzilla1954 , i have conducted a list of my Top 20 favorite kaiju together. Now, when i say "major help", i mean as in HE created the list above while i just told him what kaiju, and in which order. He actually came to me, and asked if i had a list like this i wanted to make. I told him yes, but also that i didn't know how to edit something like this. So he offered his services, and i gladly accepted. And i can easily tell you that i am pretty grateful to japanesegodzilla1954 for making this for me. It really was a great thing to do for a person. But now, let's get to the kaiju themselves, and explain why i like them so: #20. Titanosaurus: Now, as alot of people know: dinosaurs are awesome. And Titanosaurus is no exception. Part of a long lost ancient race of aquatic Dinosaurs, Titanosaurus was enslaved by an alien race, and made to fight alongside Mechagodzilla 1. And boy, was he a force to be reckoned with: he basically beat Godzilla to a pulp, and buried him in a mountain. Yet his only real flaw is his wasted potential. It was stated that he is a shy, timid creature who only acted vicious because of the mind control. Yet we never got the chance to see that. Even after his demise. Yet, he still was a very cool, and interesting kaiju who should definitely be admired. #19. Orga: Here, we have another example of how imitation is often the highest form of death. In this case, it's in the form of a kaiju formed from an alien known as the millenian. It crashed on earth millions of years ago before being awakened in 1999. It immediately sensed Godzilla, his G-cells, and the means of creating a physical form. In time, it conducted the plan, and it succeeded. Except for the radioactive part of the G-Cells mutating it into Orga. Now Orga is an interesting kaiju. He basically looks like a big brute who's probably as strong as Rhino, or Juggernaut if they were kaiju. And it's said because of his mutation, he acts like it, too. But personally, maybe like KaijuSamurai , he is actually smart with his millenian knowledge, but he can sometimes lose himself in G-cell induced rages. That's usually why i like depicting him as something similar to Shockwave from both IDW, and TFP. And idea which has often struck me as being: "logical". #18. Megaguirus: an often horrible creature who basically embodies what a nasty bug is like. She is the queen of an ancient race of insects from centuries ago in earth's prehistory. And is one of the most fearsome, and territorial creatures in existence which is an eternal enemy of Rodan. As they say. Long story short, Japan creates a weapon which opens a wormhole to that point in time, a meganula comes through, lays an egg, kid dumps in tokyo sewers, swarm emerges, absorbs Godzilla's energy, brings it to their queen, and thus Megaguirus is born. And just looking at her brings the idea of what an actual Dragon Fly might look like. She is absolutely vicious, brutal, and she likes playing dirty. She also seems to have a sadistic nature to her, too, which makes her all the more devious. And her speed: oh gosh, her speed is incredible. If anything, she had Godzilla on the ropes thanks to that impossible speed she was using, combined with her ability to absorb Godzilla's power. Now, if things wen't a bit differently, and Godzilla was an ordinary fighter, she would have killed him in no time. But as we've all learned, Godzilla is no ordinary fighter by any means. A lesson which eventually bit her hard, and fast. #17. Rodan: Now, we get to one of the biggest figureheads of Godzilla kaiju. Or specifically, toho. After the movie, "Godzilla Raids Again", toho decided that they would begin making a series of kaiju films before eventually bringing back the big g himself. One of those was Rodan. Basically a prehistoric kaiju akin to the likes of Megaguirus, Anguirus, or Baragon, Rodan was actually one of two who had awakened in the 60's of Japan. Both supposedly died, until the film "Ghidrah, the 3 headed monster" saw his initial return. Now, what makes him interesting is the fact that not only is he a great flier, but also a fierce fighter. And also strong enough to fight Godzilla for the majority of the film until Mothra convinced the two to work together against Ghidorah. Since then, he's appeared in numerous films as Godzilla's ally, and has even been featured in all three Godzilla generations. Though it seems his strength, and abilities vary in each one. But nevertheless, Rodan is a great kaiju that can often stand with the best of them. And no matter what, ya can't keep a good Rodan down for long. Just ask SMGII. #16. Zilla: *sigh* Poor, unfortunate Zilla. The kaiju who apparently very nearly ruined Godzilla's career for being an inferior version of him that could supposedly never hold a candle to the name. Hence why Toho made him into his own kaiju after buying the rights to, just so they can kill him off in an "I'm better than you" fashion. But if i'm to be honest, i don't hate Zilla in the slightest. In fact, i kinda think he's an alright kinda kaiju. But to be honest, most of this outlook comes from my love for his son, Zilla Jr, from the animated series. Which did well to pay more respect to the Godzilla name. And if i actually considered it, he would be on this list instead. But if i did, then he would probably be number one, so i went with regular Zilla. But either way, i owe this Zilla for the second Zilla's existence, and he did awesome in "Rulers of Earth". So, as they say, Credit is where credit's due. #15. DesGhidorah: So here we have the first Ghidorah on the list. But definitely not the only one. Anyway, this one is a real interesting creature. Millions of years ago, he wiped out the planet Mars. In a similar manner as King Ghidorah did to Venus' civilization. He then traveled to earth to do the same, but the Elias, alongside the Mothra race, sealed him away into the earth to hopefully never return. But since when has that ever been a permanent solution? Anyway, cut to a million years later, an evil elias named Belvera mind controls the head of a construction company, and breaks the seal holding DesGhidorah, breaking him free from his prison. All so she can basically "save the earth from humanity". Idiot. Anyway, DesGhidorah picks up where he left off, and begins bleeding the Earth dry of its life force as he burns, and blasts everything in sight. The current Mothra tries to stop him, but she was too weak after giving birth to Leo. Even he can't save her, and she dies. Now, DesGhidorah is a very cool Ghidorah by many ways. His black scaly skin, and bloodred wings give him a perfectly demonic appearance. His quadrupedal appearance also gives the felling of a traditional western dragon to his appearance. And also how ruthless, and powerful he is. So much so that he forces Leo to go to the Tree of Life itself to give him the power to transcend beyond what any normal Mothra is capable of. He then reaches what i can assume is Godzilla, and Gamera levels, and promptly beats Desghidorah back into the earth he crawled out of. But whether he died, or not, is left up to debate. Either way, he certainly lives up to the title of "The Death Ghidorah". #14. Anguirus: Yep. The ever-loving, best buddy to Godzilla himself is here, too. And why not? Especially since, ironically, he was the very first enemy Godzilla ever fought, and beat. After that, he seemed to become friends with Godzilla. In fact, you could say they were pretty close, too. What i like about him is just how great his bond with Godzilla has been depicted. There are plenty of times where he will fight beside Godzilla against any kaiju. He'll often be hanging out with Goji, just relaxing, and probably chatting. And he'll even go as far as to do what he can to cheer him up out of any kind of funk he's in. And because he's one of the most stubborn, and determined fighters around, he will often risk his own neck to help out Godzilla, or anyone else he considers a friend. The respect, and acknowledgement he has for Godzilla is one to truly be admired. It's just a shame we never got to see much of it in the films. But i have heard that there have been indications of it in the showa films, so it is acknowledged. And he's appeared in about as many films as Rodan. So it's safe to say that no matter where Godzilla goes, or in what generation, Anguirus will always be right behind. #13. Jet Jaguar: JET JAGGA! JET JAGGA! PUNCH PUNCH PUNCH!  Yes, that's right. It's every-bodies favorite super fighting robot from "Godzilla vs Megalon". There are alot of things people like about this guy. And even i have a certain liking to him. Especially considering my exposure to him in the "Rulers of Earth" series. Where he has scored as much kaiju wins, if not more than, Godzilla himself. He can use his size changing ability in very creative, and helpful ways. Like giving Orga a bad case of indigaestion, or surviving Destoroyah's attacks, and to dish out a few of his own. He even stood up to Godzilla's nuke breath with ease before giving him a single KO punch. Not alot of kaiju, or mechs, who can say that they knocked him out with one punch, i can promise you that.. And he's also great at strategy, as he knew that the best way to beat Destoroyah was to freeze him. Hence why he shrunk to human size, flew into Kiryu's cockpit, and fired AZ cannon at Destoroyah, completely obliterating him. And he also has a great rivalry with Gigan, as well. Something the comics played with a bit after GvsM. Either way, this is one sentai tribute who will give you the thumbs up for a heroic job well done. #12: King Caesar: Possibly the first King of the Monsters before Godzilla himself, King Caesar is a great, and awesome addition to the roster First of all, he is a kaiju of a somewhat supernatural persuasion, as he is by all accounts a living statue. Hence why he was the best chance the AMF had against the Trilopods: no blood to absorb, and thereby assimilate. When he first appeared, it was to fight against the first Mechagodzilla. An enemy even Godzilla couldn't stand against on his own. Yet inspite of his abilities, which also includes reflecting beams back into enemies, even he couldn't atand against the mecha. At least until Godzilla showed up, and they double teamed the robot. Though what is important to note is that his strength is possibly the kind which even rival's Godzilla's own. Especially considering he's more than strong enough to rip Trilopods in half, or just pull apart piece by piece. Yet what makes him stand out amongst kaiju is how he is actually dedicated to protecting humans. He will actually risk his own life to keep humans safe, and if any is harmed, then let's just say you don't want to fight him, as he will get REALLY angry. Some believe this is because somewhere inside of him there is some kind of spirit which compels him to be a protector of not only the earth, but also the humans who live on it. But whatever his origins, he is a brave, and noble kaiju who has even earned Godzilla's respect. And has proven to be more than worthy of being a Guardian of the Earth. #11. Kiryu: One of the greatest mech's ever created for being certainly one of the most unique: because inside of Kiryu's metal body is the skeleton of Gojira, the 1954 Godzilla. When Godzilla returned years prior to his creation, the JSDF decided to create a bio robot as a weapon to fight him. One of the components was Gojira's skeleton. Unfortunately, nobody counted on Gojira's soul waking up, and actually taking control of the mech to go on a rampage, thanks to Godzilla.  But he was brought back under control. And thanks to his interaction with humans, and one Akane Yoshiro, it seemed like he was actually starting to let go of his hate filled ways, and become more of a heroic force for good. Though he would be considered a tragic hero, since in order to end the cycle of death, and hate, he took Godzilla, and himself, back to the sea, to be laid to rest for good. Heck, he even went so far as to save Chujo from going down with him, as well as give him a farewell message. With speed, and strength capable of matching Godzilla himself, and an Absolute Zero weapon, Kiryu is another great example of how you either die the hero, or live to see yourself become the villain. #10. Biollante: Speaking of tragedy, i don't think any come as close to that of Biollante. Save for Nemesis, that is. Before she became a kaiju, Biollante was actually a human girl named Ericka Shiragami. During an attack by terrorists, she was killed in the event. So, driven by grief, her father tried to bring her back by the only thing he could use: Science. Taking her DNA, and crossing it with that of her favorite rose, as well as adding G-Cells, Shiragami sought to at least preserve her spirit in some way, or another. What actually came about was a case of "be careful what you wish for". after a short while, she basically changed into a gigantic flower creature, confused, and with no idea of what was happening. Her presence actually drew Godzilla to her, and he destroyed her body in a fight. But a few hours later, she came back. More monstrous than ever before. Because of what he did, Biollante was allowed to mutate even further into a beast which began to more closely resemble Godzilla. The two fought to a stalemate, and she turned into space pollen as she drifted up into space, and seemingly giving Ericka peace. A story which i could imagine was the inspiration for the creation of Project Nemesis" which had a similar story with it's titular kaiju. Either way, Biollante is an enormous, but also sad character that makes us wonder if a rose by any other name would really still smell as sweet. #9. Megalon: A prime example of why people like the Showa era: a silly, completely ridiculous kaiju design which still manages to keep the story interesting. Which is basically what Megalon is. He was originally the God of Seatopia, and was intended to destroy humanity. Before Jet Jaguar came along, and beat him into submission. Even with Gigan's help, though the both of them seem to be good buddies. But either way, let's just say Megalon is a weapon without the safety lock on. Cause without somebody like Gigan to tell him what to do, he'll basically just stay in one spot, and go crazy. He's basically like an overgrown child. But one who happens to be a super strong demolisher, and likes blowing stuff up. Though personally, i kinda prefer when he isn't played like an idiot, and is more like a black knight who serves the evil cause for his own purposes. But there is an irresistible charm to Megalon which keeps me from hating the guy, and gives him a small, but special place in my heart. *8. Mechagodzilla 1: And now we have the very first, and possibly worst, Mechagodzilla ever created. As the first evil doppelganger to Godzilla, MG1 left quite an impression. In fact, the first thing he did was impersonate Godzilla, go on a "rampage", and then break Anguirus' jaw. Poor guy. And when he first revealed himself, it was when he basically beat Godzilla to a pulp. Though not without his own systems overheating first. All thanks to the enormous arsenal he has at his disposal, including an invincible shield, and being made out of Space Titanium, which is the strongest metal in the toho universe so far. Even with the help of King Caesar, Godzilla was barely able to beat MG1 until he made himself into a magnet, and then tore off his mechanized head. But as his creators must've learned: if at first you don't succeed, try try again. They rebuilt him stronger than ever, and then teamed him up with Titanosaurus. No doubt inspired by Godzilla's own team up from last time. Either way, the duo made short work of Godzilla, and proved how fearsome they are. Until Titanosaurus was taken care of, then it was more even. But tearing of MG1's head wasn't enough, and Godzilla had to use everything he had to destroy him. While a bit outdated in design, MG1 is an enemy who will live on in the hearts of Godzilla fans for ages to come. #7. Hedorah: Ooooh, great. If people thought MG1 was the toughest, then Hedorah is that, and the most disgusting thing toho ever made. Basically, Hedorah is a being comprised entirely out of toxic sludge, and radioactive waste. He has no organic properties, and is there fore a gelatinous mass. Godzilla himself was no match for the slimy beast, as his attacks were pretty much useless against him, and touching him was dangerous because of his body being completely acidic. He's kinda like Majin Buu with his durability, and his invincibility. In fact, the only way he could be killed was by dehydrating his body, then atomizing his compound. Simply put, if humanity didn't help, this abomination would have killed Godzilla in probably the most unpleasant manners possible. Though i can admit, his concept, and design are intriguing, and something that can make me appreciate the blob of a kaiju. Either way, if slime's beneath him, or slime's up above, you will NOT wanna love his "Toxic Love" anytime soon. Trust me, you will regret it. #6. Mothra & Battra: Now we have what is possibly the most interesting kaiju you could have around. Mothra, in case you don't know, is the guardian of humanity, and the Goddess of Peace. Battra is Guardian of the Earth, and God of Vengeance. Centuries ago, the two fought against each other because of humanity, and Mothra was forced to seal her brother away for centuries. And yes, i consider them siblings. Now Mothra is by far the most influential kaiju in the Toho universe. In fact, she has been in more movies than any other recurring kaiju aside from Godzilla himself. You could even say that she is his foil: the peaceful, loving guardian who exists to protect the world through peaceful means, while Godzilla is an often vengeful, hate filled destroyer who exists to maintain order on Earth. Such is why both have often fought against each other before. But in spite of the conflicts they've had, they have often worked together more. First, against King Ghidorah, and then in a few other instances. Alot of people have taken up the idea that, in certain universes, Mothra can see the potential for good in Godzilla, and she will often try to guide him on the right path. And in spite of his rough exterior, he is willing to accept her guidance, and can even consider her his friend. Though the same could not be said for Battra. He has more often than not been an enemy to both Godzilla, AND Mothra because of his often vengeful nature. But when his sister convinces him of a greater threat to the Earth, he will drop his vendetta, and help her to do his duty. This was mainly against Godzilla, and resulted in his death. But he has since returned in the IDW comics, and has played the prominent role in the series as the yang to Mothra's Yin: not evil, but still greatly misguided. Nevertheless, both are essential guardians of the earth, and will continue to fight until the end of their days to keep their world safe from any danger. #5. Gigan: Introducing the first ally to King Ghidorah himself, and one of the most popular recurring villains in kaiju lore. And considering he's also the first cyborg ever introduced, that is saying something. On his first appearance, he teamed up with King Ghidorah to take down Godzilla, and Anguirus. And very nearly succeeded. His fighting style was formidable, and his blades actually managed to cut through Godzilla's body like butter. Another feat few kaiju can ever say they accomplished. And let's just say that when Godzilla caught his second wind: that's when things got bad for him. After his initial beatdown, he got out of there as fast as possible. Ditching King Ghidorah as quickly as possible. This showed that as  good a fighter as he is, he's also a coward. But he is also a sadistic one, too. He brutishly beat the scrap out of JJ with Megalon, and even used him as a ball for catching. Even going so far as to threaten to off him if Godzilla got any closer. But luckily, Jet got the last laugh as he broke Gigan's arm, and then forced him to make a hasty retreat. Once again, ditching his "friend" to save himself. Though when he got updated for the millennium series, he was severely upgraded in a big sense: his hooks got turned into scythes, his body was given a red and black cybernetic appearance to emphasize his cyborg heritage, and he was clearly given an extreme workout in his years of absence. Because he is quite fit for a guy probably in his forties. Sadly, in spite of his great, new design, he was beaten a bit easily by Godzilla. Guess it was just to show how strong he was compared to before. But Gigan wasn't taken out so easily, cause he got his neck braced, and loaded with chainsaws! Funny enough, it was Mothra who finally put him down, since in the story, the both of them were ancient rivals who fought long ago. And though she killed him, she ended going up with him. But nevertheless, he made a great comeback in "Rulers of Earth", as a secondary villain who is just as formidable as ever before. And who also might have had his rivalry with Jet Jaguar revived as well. Either way you slice it, Gigan is an amazing kaiju who can make the cut of any list. And if you strike him down, he shall only become more powerful than you can possibly imagine. #4. Destoroyah: Ah. Now we're getting into the big leagues. And who better to start off with than the Oxygen Destroyer incarnate? Long story short, Destoroyah was once a microscopic, precambrian crustacean until the Oxygen Destroyer killed Gojira. It then began mutating over the past forty ears before micro oxygen was made, and gave it the ability to exist on land. He then became a number of aggregates which eventually merged together to form him. He has several forms for several purposes, which makes him cool. And from what i've seen: his only purpose is to destroy everything he sees. He also seems to be vengeful as well, because when he achieved his final form, he basically killed Junior for beating him in his second form. But then he learned the hard way what happens when you get Godzilla mad by screwing with his family. Yet even when Godzilla was in his strongest state, which was ironic considering he was dying, Destoroyah proved to be a real Juggernaut, and withstood mostly everything Godzilla threw at him. Up until Godzilla reached his full power, and unleashed all of his flaming vengeance upon Destoroyah. Mutilating his body, and causing him to flee only for G-Force to basically freeze him in midair, and thus kill him. Now, i will say right now, Destoroyah is one of the coolest kaiju around with one of the best designs you could ever ask for. Like the AVGN once said: "HE LOOKS LIKE THE GODDAMN DEVIL!" Which is true, to be honest. But sadly, he was kinda underutilized in Rulers of Earth. Be that as it may, that doesn't stop him from being one of the most badass kaiju to ever grace the big screen. And it certainly won't be the last time we see him. #3. Grand King Ghidorah: If anyone was to ask me what my favorite Ghidorah would be, it would definitely have to be this one. Where i felt Showa Ghidorah was wasted potential, and Heisei wasn't even a real Ghidorah, imagine how excited i was when i learned about this guy. Grand King Ghidorah is a beast among monsters. In fact, he gives full meaning to the word. As it happens, he has destroyed countless worlds through out his existence, much like his showa counterpart. And he even caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. That alone should give an idea of just how dangerous he is. But it isn't. It's when he arrives on earth that his evil is truly displayed. Upon emerging from his meteor transport, he begins destroying Japan's cities, one by one. Not only that, but he actually has the ability to trap people, or in this case children, and contain them inside an alien dome comprised of his own essence. Others can enter, but none can leave. UltraGWRzilla had an idea as for why else he did this: not only was he going to feed on the children's lifeforce-but also the despair, and misery of the human parents who were worried for his young. Giving in to his "King of Terror" title, it is possible that he actually feeds on fear as well-the fear of people losing those they truly love, and couldn't stand to lose. An act of true evil unlike may others. And a notion i'm inclined to agree with. Especially with how he seems to enjoy his work, too. Worst of all, he is leagues above Mothra Leo, who had grown considerably stronger by that point. In fact, i still think he was in Godzilla's league by this point. But either way, Grand King Ghidorah brushed off all of his attacks, and completely devastated the young moth. And thus made him so desperate that he went back in time to the day GKing Ghidorah came to earth, and destroy him while he was weaker. Thus erasing him from the present. The plan worked, of course, though Leo was stranded in the past. But unfortunately, he didn't know that Grand King Ghidorah could apparently regenerate from even a single piece of his body. So in the end, he still came to Earth-just later than he did before- and picked up where he left off. Thankfully, Leo spent his centuries in a cocoon, soaking up earth;s mana to evolve into an armored form. One which finally surpassed Ghidorah, and finally destroyed him. So, as i said, Grand King Ghidorah is another awesome, and incredible kaiju who makes a perfect villain for Toho. Now i just wish he could be featured in IDW comics. Either way, he has proven to be a true horror that brings true meaning to the name "King of Terror". #2. Spacegodzilla: You want to talk evil kaiju? Well, look no further than Godzilla's evil clone, Spacegodzilla. Now, where do i begin? He destroys a nasa space station with everyone on board, trashes Moguera, torments, and terrorizes Little Godzilla so that he can draw out Godzilla, proceeds to beat Godzilla, locks his son in a crystal cage, baits Godzilla into following him, transforms Fukuoka into his own crystal domain, and the proceeds to fight Godzilla, and Moguera in a fight that lasts what could probably be considered longer than any previous kaiju fight i have ever seen. What's interesting about him is that he has no specific origin. We don't know anything about where he came from, or exactly how he was created. The only thing we can assume is that he was born from G-Cells in space. In fact, plenty of people have given him some kind of origin: from G-Cells bonding to a crystal organism in space, being crystal organism that came to earth and copied Jr's DNA, to being a clone engineered by aliens, to being from an entirely alternate universe. The list is somewhat long. But as the Joker once said: "If i'm going to have an origin, i'd prefer it to be multiple choice". This only helps to exemplify how bad he is. The rest goes for his actions, and how he carries them out. For starters, he's out to kill Godzilla so that he can conquer the Earth for himself. The only time we've ever had an alien kaiju trying to conquer earth, it was for some other alien race mind controlling them. But Spacegodzilla is nobodies puppet. He is out to conquer, and rule of his own volition. And he will go to any lengths to do it. Which includes attacking an innocent, helpless young Gojiran so that he can call Godzilla, and then lock up the kid so that he'll have no choice but to fight Spacegodzilla in order to rescue him. And Spacegodzilla will not tolerate anyone who tries to interfere with his conquest in anyway. Ask the mafia who tried to mind control Godzilla beforehand. Then, he transformed Fukuoka into his personal fortress so that he could be at full power when he fights Godzilla. Showing how he uses strategy in his methods. And when he does fight, he is plenty powerful enough to tear Godzilla apart. It was only when his shoulder crystals got blown up that he was eventually beaten. But like any good villain, he never stays down for long. And as stated, he will use any method to get what he wants. Which includes teaming up with an alien race in Save The Earth, and a band of aliens in Ongoing. He still lost on both accounts, of course. But it gave him the idea that he's better of as a solo act. Hence why he returned in "Rulers of Earth" he fought against his former ally, Gigan, and promptly kicked his ass with relative ease. Then the Trilopods came along, and he was actually forced to team up with Godzilla to fight a group of them. One of them having assimilated him. They seemed focused on him though, since they could probably tell he was the bigger threat. Though it didn't matter what they did. When the two "siblings" combined their power, no Trilopod was left standing. And after Godzilla ended up unconscious after he killed one? Spacegodzilla attempted to kill him on the spot, basically pulling a Megatron us. But he sensed the incoming Trilopod hive, and promised to settle things later in kaiju-speak. Though honestly, i feel like his greatest achievement was when he caused the Crystal Incursion. He had the entire world in his hands after he covered the globe in his crystals. Though he obviously didn't know other kaiju could use power surge crystals like that. Oh well. In the end, Spacegodzilla has proven to be the most cunning, ruthless, intelligent, powerful, and sadistic monster created by toho. A true symbol of what it means to be a force for pure evil. And #1 is: #1. Bagan: As i'm sure many of you know: i absolutely love this guy. I'm pretty sure i explained why, but let me recap by explaining who he is. Bagan is essentially a scrapped kaiju who is ironically the most popular of them, too. He was planned to appear in several films, but due to circumstances, he never got a chance. In hindsight, this may seem like a bad thing. But with a kaiju who is basically a blank slate, this is a good thing. While Toho has never created a specific backstory for him, others have done their greatest to give him the best there is. Though he does have a few backgrounds for when he was intended to be used. The kind other people have used, too. He was originally a guardian of earth, who protected the region of china. But due to some unforeseen reasoning, he was either sealed away, or he ended up trapped in an iceberg, or something. Either way, he breaks free centuries later, senses the changes mankind has made to the earth, gets angry, and begins destroying them. Another story was in the NES game "Super Godzilla", where he is basically the super-powered combination of Godzilla, and King Ghidorah. Something which makes him nearly impossible to beat. Some people have incorporated  these backstories into their own stories, while some created their own. As far as anybody is concerned, it's another matter of an origin being multiple choice. As for me, personally, there is a certain version of Bagan i find the most enjoyable. And is easily my favorite kind of Bagan. One where he was indeed a guardian of Earth, and the most powerful. But under mysterious circumstances, he saw life as something that needed to end for certain reasons. So he turned against all living things, and sought to destroy all. Only thanks to the combined efforts of the earth's guardians is he sealed away for centuries. Until centuries later his prison come undone, and he is free once again. That is the main idea for the devil figure Bagan. And people like UltraGWRzilla have done this as well. But i feel like tarbano is someone who can do this kinda theme correctly. As he has created a depiction of satanic origins with the mannerisms of Unicron, and the mindset of Deathwing. Though in my opinion: these qualities are also the kind shared by another satanic figure who was once an agent of good before he betrayed his fellow guardians, and became a force of pure evil: Makuta Teridax. One of my absolute favorite villains in fictional history, i find that Makuta serves as a perfect character influence for Bagan, and is one i will often find myself using for his character in my stories. Which works well, because i consider Bagan to be the devil of Toho universe if he s handled right. Whether he is a destructive force of nature, or a force of ultimate evil, Bagan is otherwise a being who will remind others that while powerful, they are still mere mortals: and he is a god. And those were my Top 20 favorite kaiju. Do you agree with my choices? Have other kaiju you may like? Have any thoughts you'd like to share? Then feel free to share, and leave in the comments below. Until then, i hope you enjoy reading this, and i'll see you all next time. Goodbye!