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SPOILER WARNING: This section may contain major plot and/or ending details. Proceed at your own discretion. |
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The Iwi were human tribes that inhabited the Hollow Earth and Skull Island.
Origins[]
As revealed in Skull Island: The Birth of Kong, Godzilla vs. Kong - The Official Movie Novelization, and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, the Iwi tribe originated in and inhabited the Hollow Earth for thousands of years, coexisting alongside and worshipping Titans like Godzilla, Mothra, and the Kongs as gods. However, the peace was shattered when a power-hungry Titan called the Skar King enslaved his kind and the ancient Titan Shimo to conquer the surface world, which started a great war between the Kongs and Godzilla's species. The Iwi also fractured and fought each other to support the respective Titans they worshipped. In the end, Godzilla imprisoned the Skar King and his army in the depths of the Hollow Earth. Some surviving Kongs escaped the Skar King's rule and migrated to Skull Island, with numerous Iwi following them centuries later. These new Iwi settlers arrived on the island in time to witness Kong's mother and father still inhabiting the island, as all of the other Kongs of Skull Island had been killed by Skullcrawlers.
History[]
Kong: Skull Island[]
Shortly after Hank Marlow and Gunpei Ikari became stranded on Skull Island in 1944, they encounter the Iwi who provided them food and shelter. The Iwi taught Marlow and Ikari their culture and language, up until Ikari's death in the jaws of a Skullcrawler.
By 1973, a joint expedition between Monarch and Landsat encountered Iwi and Marlow after their helicopters were destroyed by Kong. Marlow explained that the reason why Kong attacked them was because the bombs they were setting off started to awaken the Skullcrawlers that the Iwi feared. They provided the expedition shelter for the night as they continued to build the boat Marlow and Ikari had been working on from the wreckage of Marlow's plane for nearly three decades. Upon finishing the boat the next day, Marlow and the expedition bid the Iwi farewell.
Skull Island[]
A group of Iwi captures Charlie after he lured Kong to fight the Kraken.
Skull Island: The Birth of Kong[]
In 1995, another Monarch expedition party led by Aaron Brooks, the son of Houston Brooks and San Lin, became stranded on Skull Island and encountered the Iwi after they were attacked by Psychovultures and Death Jackals. An Iwi boy named Ato explained to Aaron that some Iwi started to speak English following the 1973 expedition. They offer communion and pilgrimage with Kong, but Walter R. Riccio started to grow paranoid following the visions he had about the Iwi's arrival to Skull Island and how the Skullcrawlers slaughtered Kong's mother, father, and the rest of the Kong members, believing that there should never be a wall between humanity and Kong. Riccio destroyed the wall of the Iwi Village, attracting the attention of a pack of Mother Longlegs that started to massacre some Iwi. Eventually, Kong arrived to kill the Mother Longlegs and Riccio, leaving Aaron the only survivor of the expedition as he intended to stay on Skull Island to help the Iwi rebuild after sending a message to his father.
Godzilla vs. Kong[]
By 2024, the entirety of the Skull Island Iwi tribe were wiped out when Camazotz ravaged Skull Island, leaving Jia orphaned and one of the few survivors of her people. With her family killed, she has been adopted by Ilene Andrews. She carries on the bond that her people have with Kong, having formed a unique relationship with him and communicating with him using sign language.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire[]
It is revealed that there is an Iwi civilization thriving in the city of Malenka within the Hollow Earth. They worship Godzilla and Mothra as gods who protect them from the Skar King and Shimo. When the Skar King prepares to invade the surface world, the Iwi sends a distress signal that motivates Godzilla into evolving to become powerful enough to battle the great threat. They also have a prophecy centering around an Iwi from Skull Island who will help Godzilla and Mothra in defeating the Skar King, and that Iwi is revealed to be Jia when she, Ilene Andrews, Bernie Hayes, and Trapper venture into the Hollow Earth.
Culture[]
Originally, the Iwi had no formal language and preferred to communicate with each other through gesturing and facial expressions; however, as revealed by Ato, during the events of Kong: Skull Island, Hank Marlow taught his father English, and his father taught it to him, in turn. This allowed the Iwi to evolve by developing their very own language. However, the Iwi of the Hollow Earth developed a form of Sign Language and telepathy that enabled them to hear each other's thoughts. They also view eye contact as a sign of respect.
The Iwi of Skull Island worship Kong and his species as their gods and saviors, and fear hostile creatures such as Camazotz, the Kraken, and the Skullcrawlers to the point of refusing to speak their true names. The Iwi of the Hollow Earth, while also worshipping Kong's kind, revere Godzilla and Mothra as deities who protect them from malevolent creatures such as the Skar King.
Hierarchy[]
Though not outright stated, or confirmed, it would appear there is something of a hierarchy in the Skull Island Iwi's society, as Ato has blue tribal tattoos adorning him, and many others (presumably the various leaders) also featured blue tribal tattoos, whereas all the others had yellow tattoos.
The Hollow Earth Iwi has a matriarchal society, with a single woman acting as their queen and spiritual leader who is adorned with red tattoos.
Technology and weapons[]
Due to their "primitive" lifestyle, the Iwi of Skull Island primarily use "ancient" weapons such as spears and bows. They also prefer to ambush their enemies, as many painted their skin to blend in with the stone architecture surrounding their village. They are welcoming to outsiders who have no aggressive intentions.
However, the Iwi of the Hollow Earth are more advanced and exploit the gravitational anomalies of their environment to lift stones and quartz crystals much heavier than themselves, allowing them to build towering pyramid-like structures in Malenka. They also make use of chiming sounds the quartz crystals generate to send distress signals to Godzilla every time a dangerous threat looms. Additionally, they utilize a combination of liquid metal to make their electromagnetic pyramids create anti-gravitational shockwaves that can keep hostile creatures at bay. Additionally, they use Mothra's silk to hide their settlements from the rest of the world.
The Iwi also use an irrigation system powered with water and employ Hollow Earth chemicals as weapons and light sources.
Clothing[]
The Iwi sometimes use disguises to camouflage themselves with their surrounding environment. While the Iwi of Skull Island wear simpler clothing, the Iwi of the Hollow Earth produce more intricate textiles, thus allowing them to weave and tailor elaborate ceremonial garments.
Notable Individuals[]
Trivia[]
- The Iwi share somewhat similarities with the Houtua.
- Both worship their own Kaiju as their deities.
- Both have lived primitive lifestyles for hundreds to thousands of years.
- Both have their own forms of languages.
- Both fear other Kaiju, to the point that they only fight them if necessary.
- The Iwi of the Hollow Earth resemble the Shobijin due to their relationship with Mothra.
List of appearances[]
Films[]
- Kong: Skull Island (First appearance)
- Godzilla vs. Kong
- Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
TV Series[]
Comics[]
Novels[]
- Kong: Skull Island - The Official Movie Novelization
- Godzilla vs. Kong - The Official Movie Novelization
- Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire - The Official Movie Novelization
