Firelion ファイアライオン

Firelion is a mythical guardian whose spirit burns within the body of a lion-like dragon. It was one of four original monsters that appeared in a 2007 online roster vote on IGN, its competition consisting of Magmouth, the Visitor, and Lightning Bug. The readers' poll was used to determine who would become a playable character in the then-upcoming Nintendo Wii version of Godzilla: Unleashed. The fiery monster's page also included a short bio:

"A creature of myth and legend, Firelion is believed to have been the guardian of the lost civilization of Mu. The ruins of this once great culture were discovered sunken off the coast of Japan. Artifacts recovered from the site depict the existence of a great lion-like dragon with a firey mane. This artist's rendering is based on the many carvings and glyphs found amongst the ruins. Recent earthquake activity has opened fissures near the site which archeologists are eager to explore."

Though its competition was fierce, Firelion ultimately landed in 2nd place, losing to the lava-born monster Magmouth, who would later become known as Obsidius.

• Its design was inspired by stone lions seen in ancient Chinese architecture, while the green scales covering its body were added to give it a "tougher-than-stone armor aspect." More details and concept art can be found on its IGN roster vote page.