Origin
It’s unknown how exactly Gon the dinosaur survived into the modern era, but has been seen wandering in numerous places around the globe. He frequently befriends other animals – whether carnivore or herbivore – and often rescues weaker animals from fearsome predators or outright bullies. Overall, Gon is shown to be a short-tempered but kind-hearted creature, with an insatiable appetite for both food and new experiences.
Creation
Gon is a Japanese dinosaur character created by Masashi Tanaka in 1992, and is the title character for his own manga series. His adventures are completely wordless, and instead focus on the way Gon interacts with other animals and the natural world, depicted by Tanaka in lush, realistic detail.
Tanaka has stated, “This work contains no dialog or onomatopoetic words. People always ask me why I have done this. From the beginning, I didn’t think it was necessary. Manga should be without grammar. I also think that it is strange to give animals human language and make them talk. What I set out to do with Gon was to draw something that was more interesting than anything you could say in words. Manga still has great potential that does not exist in other media. I plan to continue developing the art of expression.“
The English edition of Gon was originally published by Manderin Publishing (UK, 1994) and Paradox Press (USA, 1996).
In 1998, the manga received an Excellence Prize at the Japan Media Arts Festival.
Powers & Abilities
Despite his small size, Gon is an incredibly fearsome foe. His hide is tough enough to easily withstand the claws and teeth of predators, and his skull is incredibly hard, making his headbutt a devastating attack. He has been shown strong enough to tear a wildebeast in half with only his mouth, as well as to be able to support the weight of a full-grown elephant on his back. His teeth and jaw strength allow him to bite through just about anything, even rock. Even with his short legs, Gon can run at a speed that puts even cheetahs to shame, and his legs have also been shown to allow him to jump several miles into the air. He has also shown to be able to hold his breath underwater incredibly long times, and was shown to be able to survive eating nearly triple the amount of poisonous mushrooms it took to kill a full-grown grizzly bear. Gon is omnivorous, and devours what seems to be more than ten times his body weight on a regular basis.
Other Media
Video Games
Gon
Gon’s first appearance in a video game was in Gon, a Super Nintendo platform game developed by Tose and released in Japan by Bandai in 1994.
Tekken 3
Gon is an unlockable guest character in Tekken 3 (1998), unlocked by either defeating him in Tekken Ball mode, or achieving a high score in Survival mode and inputting the name “GON.” His special attacks (exclusive to the game) include fire breath and a fart attack known as “Gon with the Wind.” He also has an alternate costume where he wears a turtle shell, like he once did in the manga series.
Gon: Baku Baku Baku Baku Adventure
Most recently, Gon has appeared in Gon: Baku Baku Baku Baku Adventure, a Nintendo 3DS game developed by Namco Bandai and released in Japan on June 14, 2012.
Anime
Gon
A 50-episode CGI anime premiered in April 2012. It focuses on Gon and other animal characters, albeit with voice acting, unlike the manga.