Underrated Kaiju spotlight: Baragon

     Whenever fans talk of Kaiju there are a few that everyone knows. Godzilla, King Kong and Ghidorah to name a few. There are other Kaiju that exist in and beyond the reach of TOHO Studios. Many Kaiju that are mentioned from time to time, but ultimately overlooked. I would like to shine the spotlight on a few of these Kaiju from time to time. I want to talk about Kaiju that are awesome and deserving of much more recognition than they get. The perfect starter for this kind of thing would have to be the underground wonder himself, Baragon. Now I don't want to go into an extensive filmography for several reasons. Baragon being in only few movies and games is forefront to those reasons, though. I simply wish to talk about how I was exposed to this monster, spotlight some cool things he has done/is capable of, and share why I just think the monster is awesome and why more people should check him out. So let's get right to it.
     Unlike most other Kaiju fans I was not exposed to Baragon in the normal way. Growing up in the 90's I had a collection of Godzilla and other monster movies. Based on covers of some of those movies I knew that monsters existed that I don't see often (Baragon, Varan, etc). In my youth, I was much more ignorant and only really focused on the big G. Through my obsession I got most of the Godzilla games for various consoles. Godzilla: Save The Earth was my first big exposure to Baragon. When I unlocked him I didn't know what he was, only that he looked pretty cool. To this day he is my favorite monster to fight as in that game, with Jet Jaguar coming as a close second. I was exposed to a very cool Kaiju. Not long after that, I saw GMK for the first time and loved it. Though it was brief, I got to see a cool new Kaiju show his stuff.
     For the years to come I had a growing fascination with monster. Kaiju like Baragon caught my eye simply with how powerful they could actually be. In the few movies Baragon has been in, he has shown some pretty terrifying skills. Baragon has a seldom-used breath attack where he shoots, what appears to be, red hot lightning. In Godzilla: Save The Earth, even, Baragon has another breath attack where he essentially barfs burning magma like a garden hose. Yes, it is as funny and terrifying as it sounds. This big bad Kaiju can even travel into and out of the underground as if he were swimming and while moving through the earth he carries the force of an earthquake. By simply movie, Baragon can shake and shatter the earth more than many other Kaiju have shown to be able to do. To me, the most endearing quality and greatest power of this guy is one thing. Baragon has Tenacity for days. Baragon will always rise to meet a challenge and will keep going even after taking hits from insanely strong Kaiju like Godzilla.
     Despite such terrifying presence and persistent arsenal, Baragon does not have the best track record when fighting other Kaiju. Most Kaiju fans know and accept that Baragon is not among the strongest monsters and will likely lose most monster battles. That won't stop the bugger from trying though. That persistence of his honestly does inspire me to go after new things even if there is a chance of failure. Baragon is a tough Kaiju that holds his head up high knowing that he has faced every challenge thrown his way. That stalwart pride never wavering, even for a loss. Baragon will never go down easy and he knows it. Even if that bugger goes down he will do his best to make his foe WORK for it.
     Even with his prominent tenacity there is one more distinct advantage that Baragon has that many monsters do not. Baragon has one of the simplest designs, yet is so easily recognizable. I have said before when talking about other things, but simplicity tends to be best. The easier it is to understand or conceive something, the more fun you can have with other aspects of the medium and creation. While Tokusatsu does have  a reputation for re-using monster designs and suits, anybody can see the back plates and immediately attribute them to the watchdog that is Baragon.
     Truthfully that is the best way to describe Baragon. He is a giant Kaiju watchdog that will remain steadfast through it all. I dare say, this Kaiju is even adorable. Nobody can convince me otherwise, fight me. Keep geeking out my fellow Kaijuphiles. In the future I will gladly shine a light on some other Kaiju that deserve it. Kaiju Kidd signing off!