NAME:
Pigmon (ピグモン Pigumon)

FIRST APPEARS IN:
Ultraman, Episode 8: The Lawless Monster Zone

DESIGN FEATURES:
– the floppiest wrists in existence
– a sad face that shows quiet reserve for his inevitable death
– a red-fungal exterior
– a sometimes-attached pink balloon

SKILLS:
– distracting the enemy and, in the process, getting crushed to death
– helping the science patrol by getting crushed to death
– getting crushed to death

MONSTER SOUNDS:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Pigmon isn’t a daikaijū (a giant monster). And no, Pigmon does not have the ability to break apart a building. He is, however, damn good at breaking the hearts of Ultraman fans. Pigmon could well be the saddest character to feature in the original Ultraman series. This friendly and tiny monster just can’t catch a break. Check out his depressing character history from the Ultraman Wiki…

While most creatures within the expedition to the “Lawless Monster Zone” were vicious, Pigmon was not. He helped the injured sole survivor by giving him food, and he found and led the Science Patrol to him when they arrived on the island. When Red King attacked, Pigmon distracted the creature while the Science Patrol escaped, but Red King killed Pigmon by throwing huge rocks at him, crushing him to death.

Later, Pigmon (along with Telesdon and Dorako) were resurrected by Geronimon as a warning to humanity. Pigmon warned the Science Patrol of Geronimon’s plot to attack Earth with an army of sixty monsters under his control. The Science Patrol were able to destroy Telesdon without much effort, but after one of the members, Ide, is nearly killed by the revived Dorako, Pigmon distracts the monster and is crushed to death.

Faces of death

Poor Pigmon. Crushed to death not once, but twice! Yes, the writers of Ultraman cruelly bring Pigmon back from the dead only to murder him once more. But it’s Pigmon’s death scenes that make him one of the more memorable monsters from the Ultraman series. Pigmon is a sad, pathetic looking creature. He’s desperate to please his new pals, the Science Patrol, and watching him die while serving them is quite horrific. It’s not only the fact that Pigmon is an intensely innocent character, but the way he dies in both episodes is genuinely unsettling. First, we see him crushed to death by rocks thrown by Red King. His eyes slowly close as he breathes his final breath. Traumatising. His second death is even worse as Dorako delivers a nasty blow to Pigmon’s tiny frame. Watch the two soul-destroying death scenes below:



Pigmon’s design and costume has an undeniable charm to it. Most of this charm comes from its cheapness. Pigmon was created, in classic Tokusatsu style, from an old Garamon suit left over from Ultra Q – the show that preceded Ultraman. Ultraman‘s producers had no problem blatantly reusing monster costumes – Jirass being the most shameless example – but, with Pigmon, almost no effort to alter the costume was made. Pigmon and Garamon are basically identical:

Pigmon/Garamon is ludicrous in appearance, even by Ultraman standards. His misshapen body is surrounded by a red afro making him look like a lost member of the Muppets. His face is a permanent expression of fear and discontent with frozen, dead eyes and grimaced lips. Pigmon is an uncomfortable mess – a creature not meant for any world. If I had to pinpoint my favourite awkward physical attribute, it would have to be Pigmon’s ridiculous hand and wrist combo. I mean just look at him flopping those puppies around:


Pigmon would go on to appear in many other Ultraman series and is one of the more recognisable monsters from the Ultraman universe. But I prefer to remember him for his two depressing appearances in the original series. Rest in piece, tiny Pigmon.