As the character was created during the end of the Cold War and the wane in concerns over nuclear weapons represented by Godzilla, Biollante was conceived as a symbol of more contemporary controversies regarding genetic engineering.

After Godzilla's return in 1985, Dr. Genshiro Shiragami attempts to use the monster's cells to genetically enhance various species of plants to create crops resistant to harsh weather of Saradia, an arid country in the Middle East.

[5] His idea of Biollante's origins was not too different from those of the final film, though the creature was portrayed in his submission as having no direct link to Godzilla, and of having human-level intelligence, as well as maintaining the memories of Erika.

[6][7] Kobayashi had previously created a plant-animal hybrid kaiju named Leogon for a similar story writing contest held for 1971's Return of Ultraman series.

Kawakita made use of Gunhed's special effects team Studio OX, though designing and building the Biollante props proved problematic, as traditional suitmation techniques made realizing the requested design of the creature's first form difficult, and the resulting cumbersome model for Biollante's final form was met with disbelief from the special effects team.

[4] Visibility in the final form Biollante suit was poor, thus causing difficulties for Takegami in aiming the creature's head when firing sap, which permanently stained anything it landed on.