Sanda (サンダ Sanda?) of the IDW Publishing continuity is a gargantua kaiju created by IDW Publishing that first appeared in the 2013 series Godzilla: Rulers of Earth. Sanda is the counterpart to Gaira.
Name[]
Sanda's name comes from the Japanese word for 'mountain,' (サン San?), reflected by the fact that he has spent his life living in the mountains. It could come from the Japanese word for 'three,' which is also san, possibly relating to his status as the third 'Frankenstein monster' to make an appearance, after Frankenstein himself and Gaira.
Design[]
Appearance[]
Sanda resembles his "brother" Gaira, being a humanoid giant covered in fur and scales. He is also significantly larger than Gaira. Unlike Gaira, Sanda has a more human-like face and what appears to be a beard on his chin. Sanda's fur and scales are a light-brown color.
Personality[]
Sanda is a gentle and caring kaiju. Sanda has desperately been searching for Gaira and follows him to the Pacific Ocean after Gaira escapes from a Chinese military facility. When Sanda finds himself surrounded by military forces after coming ashore in Australia, he surrenders and refuses to fight them. Upon seeing Gaira destroying the military forces, Sanda becomes distressed and tries to stop his brother. Despite this, Sanda has a strong loyalty to Gaira and will do whatever he can to protect him without endangering human lives.
Origins[]
History[]
Godzilla: Rulers of Earth[]
Sanda is first seen in the comics on a lone mountain range, watching as his "brother" Gaira and Varan flew into the distance, and encountering Lucy Casprell. At some point, the brown Gargantua gave chase and dove into the ocean, which the two brawling monsters landed. Sanda chased his enraged brother over a severely angered Godzilla, who followed the two. Sanda was knocked out off-panel and came to, surrounded by military. Suddenly, Gaira dove onto him, but to protect him from Godzilla's beam. The green Gargantua then hurried to keep his injured brother safe, smashing a tank that almost shot the brown giant. This angered Sanda, and the two had a small fight, only to have it broken up by another heat beam. The two brothers worked together to fight Godzilla, until Sanda smashed a Saradian petrol tanker over Godzilla's face, causing the monster king to retreat. Gaira, now knocked out and injured, was protected by Sanda, and the two were transported to the new Monster Islands. There, Sanda lived with his brother alongside Baragon, Kumonga, Rodan and Zilla. At one point, Sanda was seen battling Kumonga alongside Baragon. When the Trilopods attacked the Monster Islands, Sanda was getting strangled by a Trilopod with Kumonga's traits, only to be saved by his green brother.
However, Trilopods eventually captured Sanda and his brother and copied their characteristics. While their Trilopod clones went to fight Godzilla in Los Angeles, Sanda and Gaira were kept in the Trilopod hive, until King Caesar broke all the Earth monsters free. Sanda, along with every other monster captured in the hive, rushed to fight the Trilopod swarm, and then tried to attack Magita when the massive Trilopod appeared, only to be swatted to the side. When Godzilla destroyed Magita, Sanda, and every other monster present followed the monster king into the ocean.
Abilities[]
Strength and Combat[]
Sanda is a capable hand-to-hand combatant.
Intelligence[]
Sanda appears to have human-like intelligence. In Godzilla: Rulers of Earth, he demonstrates the ability to use improvised weapons.
Trivia[]
- Sanda's appearance in Godzilla: Rulers of Earth, as he looks at Lucy and later runs away from a helicopter, are homages to Robert Patterson's Sasquatch film. Much like his brother, Sanda doesn't appear in the 'Natural Balance' of the five elements of Monsters.
List of apperances[]
- Godzilla: Rulers of Earth (volumes 5, 10-13, 19-21, and 25)
