is a fictional monster, or kaiju, that debuted in the eponymous 1954 film, directed and co-written by Ishiro Honda. The character has since become an international pop culture icon, appearing in various media: 33 Japanese films produced by Toho Co., Ltd., five American films and numerous video games, novels, comic books and television shows.
Godzilla’s Japanese name, Gojira comes from a combination of the Japanese approximation of “gorilla”,and kujira, the Japanese word for “whale.” The name is said to have been chosen to represent the size and strength of both animals. In Shigeru Kayama’s story treatment for the original 1954 Godzilla film, Godzilla’s name was spelled in katakana as (Godzira). In the original film, Godzilla’s name is originally spelled in kanji as by the Odo Island natives, though these characters were chosen for sound only. This kanji spelling of Godzilla’s name is also used in Shin Godzilla, where it is said to mean “Incarnation of God” in the dialect of Odo Island, and in GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse, the official prequel novel to GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters, where it is said to be the name of a mythological dragon from the island’s folklore. Contrary to popular belief, the English name “Godzilla” was not invented by the American distributors of the original film. Before Toho sold the film to U.S. distributors, the company’s international division had originally marketed English-subtitled prints of the film under the title of Godzilla, which were shown briefly in Japanese-American theaters. Toho themselves had decided on “Godzilla” as the English transliteration of Gojira. According to the 2002 book Since Godzilla, the English name “Godzilla” produces connotations such as the words “God,” “lizard,” and “gorilla.” The word “God” is applicable to Godzilla because of his immense size and destructive power, which causes him to be seen as a god by some, “lizard” is applicable due to his reptilian appearance and ties to the time of the dinosaurs, and “gorilla” is applicable due to his strength and his creation having been inspired by the famous gorilla-like giant monster King Kong. “Godzilla” may be approximated into Japanese .
Godzilla (Gojira) is a daikaiju who first appeared in the 1954 Toho film Godzilla.The primary focus of his franchise, Godzilla is typically depicted as a giant prehistoric creature awakened or mutated by the advent of the nuclear age. For the early part of the Showa series of films, he was depicted as a villainous and destructive force of nature, punishing humankind for its use of nuclear weapons, which disturbed and burned him. Over the remainder of the series, Godzilla gradually developed into a heroic character, defending Japan by fending off other more malevolent creatures such as King Ghidorah, many of them either extraterrestrial or controlled by extraterrestrials. When Toho rebooted the franchise in 1984 with The Return of Godzilla, ignoring every film in the series except the original, Godzilla became a menace to Japan and the world once more. The Heisei series saw Godzilla battle some of his foes from the Showa era, such as Mothra and Mechagodzilla, as well as new monsters like Biollante and Destoroyah. Despite his destructive tendencies, this Godzilla incidentally saved humanity from greater evils on occasion. The Heisei series was followed by the Millennium series, an anthology in which nearly every film took place in its own continuity, often connected in some way to the original 1954 film. Godzilla was often the villain in these films, though in some he was instead an anti-hero similar to the Heisei series. Twelve years after the end of the Millennium series, Toho rebooted the franchise again with Shin Godzilla, a completely standalone film in which Godzilla appeared for the first time in modern-day Japan. This Godzilla was a bizarre new species spawned by the dumping of nuclear waste in Tokyo Bay in the 1950s, with the capacity to adapt to any situation by spontaneously mutating his own DNA. Toho introduced a new continuity the following year with the GODZILLA anime trilogy, in which Godzilla successfully drove humanity from the Earth in 2048 and reshaped the planet in his own image over the next 20,000 years. When refugees from the Aratrum returned to reclaim the planet, they were faced with a Godzilla that had continuously grown and evolved to reach a height of over 300 meters.
After World War II, the Japanese public generally welcomed the American military occupation; Americans offered the Japanese chocolates, cigarettes, and a variety of food. Americans were symbols of wealth and objects of longing. Godzilla appeared in the ninth year after the war. During the occupation, any reference to atomic bombings or to Unites States occupation soldiers was not allowed under the censorship agreement; and even after the occupation was over in the early 1950s, These films establish an appropriate distance from the United States, pick up the critical issues of the period, and project the fears and struggles of the Japanese against the Americans, the Japanese themselves, science and technology, civilisation, and later politics and the economy. This might be one of the reasons why Godzilla has been a hero for each of the major historical periods after the war and why the films’ popularity continued to attract audiences. Godzilla formulas have proved to be very adaptable in confronting underlying themes and anxieties in the Japanese cultural psyche.
The Godzilla series began with the Showa series, which ran from 1954 to 1975. Aside from the first 15 Godzilla films, the continuity of the Showa series includes various other kaiju films produced by Toho, including Rodan and Mothra. The Showa series is characterized by a loose sense of continuity, with most films only referring to the events of the film directly before them, as well as a lighter tone, save for the original Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again. It introduced some of Godzilla’s most famous monster costars, including Anguirus, Rodan, Mothra, King Ghidorah, and Mechagodzilla. Godzilla and his co-stars King Ghidorah and Gigan also made appearances in five of the 26 episodes of the television series Zone Fighter in 1973. This show is considered to be canonical with the Showa Godzilla films,set between the events of Godzilla vs. Megalon and Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla.
Irradiated and driven from his underwater sanctuary by an American hydrogen bomb test, Godzilla began sinking ships in the waters off of Japan. He next came ashore on Odo Island during a typhoon, causing great destruction to the island’s village. A fact-finding party led by Dr. Kyohei Yamane went to the island to investigate the damage, but came face-to-face with the monster when he revealed himself over a hill. The JSDF attacked the monster with depth charges, but they had little effect and Godzilla subsequently appeared in Tokyo Bay before coming ashore and destroying a section of Tokyo in a brief raid. The JSDF next erected a barricade of high-tension wires carrying 50,000 volts of electricity around the city to try and prevent Godzilla from entering, but the monster melted the pylons with a blast of superheated radioactive vapor from his mouth. With the JSDF’s artillery useless against him, Godzilla rampaged through the heart of Tokyo, transforming the Japanese capital into a sea of fire. Godzilla returned to Tokyo Bay as fighter jets futilely launched missiles at him. Dr. Yamane’s daughter Emiko and her fiancé Hideto Ogata attempted to convince her childhood friend, the brilliant chemist Dr. Daisuke Serizawa, to use his experimental chemical weapon known as the Oxygen Destroyer to stop Godzilla. Despite his misgivings about revealing such a dangerous weapon to the world, Serizawa eventually agreed after witnessing the devastation in Tokyo. Serizawa and Ogata donned diving suits and located Godzilla resting at the bottom of Tokyo Bay, after which Ogata was lifted back to a boat and Serizawa activated the device. Seeing it working, Serizawa wished Emiko and Ogata happiness and severed his line to ensure the secret of his weapon died with Godzilla. Godzilla surfaced and roared defiantly at onlookers gathered on the boat before sinking beneath the bay to his death. Despite Godzilla’s demise, Dr. Yamane warned that Godzilla was likely not the last of his kind, and that so long as nuclear testing continued, another Godzilla could appear.
The Heisei series marked Godzilla’s return to the big screen after almost an entire decade’s absence, as well as a transition between the reign of the Showa Emperor Hirohito to that of his son Akihito, now dubbed the Heisei Emperor. After several failed attempts to revive the Godzilla series, Toho finally produced the sixteenth entry in the franchise, The Return of Godzilla, in 1984. It was a reboot to the series, ignoring all previous films except for the original 1954 film. Despite being released during the Showa era (as the Heisei era did not begin until 1989), The Return of Godzilla is considered the first entry of the Heisei series, due to sharing continuity with all of the films in the Heisei series which succeeded it and the nine-year gap between it and the last Showa film, Terror of Mechagodzilla. The Heisei series lasted for seven films and ended with Godzilla vs. Destoroyah in 1995.
The Heisei era of Godzilla films refers to the series of Japanese Godzilla movies produced by Toho from 1984 to 1995. list of the Godzilla movies from the Heisei era: “The Return of Godzilla” (1984) - Also known as “Godzilla 1984” or “Godzilla” “Godzilla vs. Biollante” (1989) “Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah” (1991) “Godzilla vs. Mothra” (1992) - Also known as “Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth” “Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II” (1993) “Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla” (1994) “Godzilla vs. Destoroyah” (1995) These films form a direct continuity that follows the events of the original 1954 “Godzilla” movie, ignoring the continuity of the Showa era films. The Heisei era films featured updated versions of classic kaiju (monsters) and explored various themes related to nuclear weapons and environmental concerns
While Toho had intended to place their series on a hiatus following the release of Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, which would continue as TriStar Pictures released a planned trilogy of Hollywood Godzilla films, the negative fan response to TriStar’s GODZILLA in 1998 prompted them to bring Godzilla out of retirement early. Toho produced the film Godzilla 2000: Millennium in 1999 to take advantage of the new demand to return the Japanese Godzilla to the big screen. This film began the third series of Godzilla films, known as the Millennium series, which ran for six films and ended with Godzilla Final Wars in 2004. The Millennium series is unique in that, unlike previous series, its films do not all share a single continuity, and are usually completely stand-alone, using the original film as a backdrop. Only Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla and Godzilla: Tokyo SOS share continuity. In the leadup to the final entry in the Millennium series, Godzilla Final Wars, which also served as Godzilla’s 50th anniversary film, Toho announced that the series would be placed on a 10-year hiatus in order to renew interest.
These films each present their own unique take on Godzilla and feature different continuities, although some share common elements, such as the return of classic kaiju like Mothra, King Ghidorah, and Mechagodzilla. The Millennium era aimed to bring fresh perspectives and updated special effects to the Godzilla franchise.
Toho announced a new Japanese reboot to the series titled Shin Godzilla that would be released in 2016, in between Legendary’s 2014 film and its 2019 sequel. The film, co-directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi, was released in Japanese theaters on July 29, 2016. It is not connected to the Monsterverse, marking the first time two individual Godzilla film series have been in progress at the same time. The film is notable for being the first Toho Godzilla film to portray Godzilla entirely through CGI. It also launched the Shin series, a series of reboots of famed Japanese science fiction series, all produced with Anno as the director and/or screenwriter. After the film’s release, Toho collaborated with animation studio Polygon Pictures to produce a trilogy of animated Godzilla films in 2017 and 2018, which were accompanied by two prequel novels written by Renji Oki. While counted along with Shin Godzilla as part of the Reiwa series, the GODZILLA anime trilogy does not share continuity with the film. The web series Godziban and I’m Home! Chibi Godzilla were both released during the Reiwa era, as was the Netflix Original anime series Godzilla Singular Point.
In 1992, Toho sold the rights to produce an American Godzilla film to Sony Pictures Entertainment, who designated the project to their subsidiary TriStar Pictures. Toho intended for their series to end with Godzilla vs. Destoroyah in 1995, and go on hiatus while TriStar released a trilogy of American Godzilla films. After difficulties getting the project off the ground in 1994 due to budget conflicts, TriStar brought in the Indepedence Day team of Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin, who completely reimagined Godzilla as an agile and elusive creature similar in appearance to a theropod dinosaur. When Toho ultimately approved TriStar’s changes to the character, the studio’s film GODZILLA was released theatrically in 1998. Heavily advertised as the must-see film of the year, it was met with considerable backlash, especially among Godzilla fans, who felt the titular creature departed too much from Godzilla’s established character. The negative reception led TriStar to scrap the proposed sequel, though an animated series spinoff still aired from 1998 to 2000. Toho saw an opportunity to bring their series out of retirement early with Godzilla 2000: Millennium in 1999, which kickstarted the Millennium series of Godzilla films. When TriStar and Sony allowed their rights to revert back to Toho in 2003, Toho registered TriStar’s version of Godzilla as a new character called Zilla, as Shogo Tomiyama claimed it “took the ‘God’ out of ‘Godzilla.’”[53] Zilla debuted in the film Godzilla Final Wars in 2004, and Toho has subsequently declared that any future depictions of TriStar’s Godzilla will be under the name Zilla.
Godzilla’s decade-long hiatus finally ended in 2014 with the release of Hollywood studio Legendary Pictures’ Godzilla. The film was successful enough to inspire the greenlighting of two sequels, with Legendary then expanding the concept into an entire cinematic universe dubbed the Monsterverse which would bring together Godzilla and King Kong for the first time since 1962. The Monsterverse continued with Kong: Skull Island in 2017, which introduced a new incarnation of Kong. Godzilla: King of the Monsters, featuring Godzilla’s classic co-stars Rodan, Mothra, and King Ghidorah, followed in 2019. In 2021, Godzilla clashed with Kong once again along with classic foe Mechagodzilla in the crossover film Godzilla vs. Kong. A fifth entry in the Monsterverse, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, is currently in post-production. Godzilla is confirmed to be appearing in the upcoming Apple TV+ series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, an interquel set between the events of Godzilla and Godzilla: King of the Monsters, while Kong starred in the animated series Skull Island. In addition, Godzilla stars in three graphic novels set within the continuity of the Monsterverse: Godzilla: Awakening, Godzilla: Aftershock, and Godzilla Dominion.
Godzilla’s signature ability is his atomic breath. He can release a powerful and destructive energy beam from his mouth, often in the form of a blue or white beam of concentrated radiation. This attack can cause massive destruction and is one of his most iconic features. Godzilla is often depicted as being resistant to the effects of radiation, which is a key element in his origin story. He can absorb and harness nuclear energy. Godzilla is incredibly strong, capable of lifting and tossing other kaiju and causing massive destruction with his physical attacks. In some iterations, Godzilla can release a shockwave of nuclear energy from his body, which can repel nearby enemies.
Godzilla has shown the ability to regenerate and heal rapidly from injuries, including wounds sustained in battle. Godzilla has exhibited signs of high intelligence in certain films, such as strategizing during battles. Godzilla has shown the ability to evolve and adapt to various challenges and threats, often taking on new forms or abilities in different films.
is a fictional monster, or kaiju, which first appeared in Ishiro Honda’s 1964 film Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster. The monster was initially created by Tomoyuki Tanaka, Eiji Tsuburaya and Shinichi Sekizawa as an homage to the eight-headed mythological Japanese dragon Yamata no Orochi. Although the name of the character is officially trademarked by Toho as “King Ghidorah”,[ the character was originally referred to as Ghidorah or Ghidrah in some English markets. Although King Ghidorah’s design has remained largely consistent throughout its appearances (an armless, bipedal, golden and yellowish-scaled dragon with three heads, two fan-shaped wings, and two tails), its origin story has varied from being an extraterrestrial planet-destroying dragon, a genetically engineered monster from the future,[21] a guardian monster of ancient Japan,or a god from another dimension. The character is usually portrayed as the archenemy of Godzilla and a foe of Mothra,though it has had one appearance as an ally of the latter. Despite rumors that Ghidorah was meant to represent the threat posed by China, which had at the time of the character’s creation just developed nuclear weapons,[24] director Ishiro Honda denied the connection and stated that Ghidorah was simply a modern take on the dragon Yamata no Orochi
RODAN is a giant Pteranodon kaiju who first appeared in the 1956 Toho film Rodan, and made his first appearance alongside Godzilla in the 1964 Godzilla film Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster. Two individual Rodans, a male and a female, were featured in the character’s debut film. Awakened by nuclear radiation, the Rodans emerged from Mount Aso in Kyushu and wrought havoc across the globe, eventually annihilating the city of Fukuoka. The JSDF tracked the beasts to their nest in Mt. Aso, and triggered an eruption using artillery, seemingly causing the two Rodans to perish together. However, in Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, a single Rodan rose from the crater of Mt. Aso and immediately did battle with Godzilla. Mothra convinced Rodan and Godzilla to put aside their differences and help her drive off King Ghidorah, a malevolent space monster. Rodan
went on to become a trusted ally of Godzilla in the Showa series, aiding him twice more in battle against King Ghidorah in the films Invasion of Astro-Monster and Destroy All Monsters.
A lineage of benevolent lepidopteran Titans, Mothra defended the natural world in the ancient past and was revered as a goddess by ancient human civilizations. Mothra possessed a symbiotic relationship with Godzilla, and aided him in battle against the extraterrestrial King Ghidorah long ago. In 2009, the scientific organization known as Monarch discovered Mothra’s egg within an ancient temple in China’s Yunnan Rainforest. She hatched in 2019, and subsequently escaped Monarch’s Outpost 61 after a group of armed eco-terrorists raided it. Mothra cocooned herself under a nearby waterfall and emerged in her imago stage to help Monarch locate Godzilla so together they could stop Ghidorah from destroying the world. Mothra led Monarch to Godzilla’s underwater lair in the Hollow Earth, where Dr. Ishiro Serizawa sacrificed his life to revitalize Godzilla using a nuclear warhead. Mothra joined Godzilla in Boston to confront Ghidorah, but the three-headed Titan summoned the winged Rodan to intercept Mothra. Despite being badly injured in the battle, Mothra incapacitated Rodan by stabbing him with her stinger. She then crawled onto the wounded Godzilla before Ghidorah could finish him off and defiantly flew at her enemy, who disintegrated her with his gravity beams. Mothra’s energy flowed into Godzilla, triggering the final stage of their symbiosis in which Godzilla gained the ability to emit intense heat and generate pulses of nuclear energy which took the form of Mothra. In this empowered state, Godzilla easily destroyed Ghidorah once and for all, and took his rightful place as the King of the Monsters.
Mothra is one of the most iconic and beloved kaiju (monsters) in the Godzilla franchise. Mothra first appeared in her own standalone film, “Mothra,” in 1961, before becoming a recurring character in the Godzilla series. Mothra is a giant, moth-like creature
Godzilla is one of the most iconic and recognizable monsters in cinematic history. The character’s distinctive appearance, including its reptilian features and atomic breath, has made it a cultural symbol. Godzilla has appeared in numerous films and spin-offs, making it one of the longest-running and most successful film franchises in history. The franchise has had a significant influence on the kaiju and monster movie genres. Godzilla’s appeal extends well beyond Japan. The character has a massive global fanbase, and the films have been dubbed or subtitled in various languages, allowing audiences worldwide to enjoy the movies. Overall, Godzilla’s cultural impact is immense, and it continues to resonate with audiences of all ages, influencing not only entertainment but also discussions about science, politics, and environmental concerns.
Godzilla’s origin story is closely tied to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the character has often been used as a metaphor for the destructive power of nuclear weapons. This has given the franchise a significant role in discussions about nuclear disarmament and the consequences of atomic warfare. Godzilla has been referenced in music, with numerous songs and album covers featuring the character. It has also been a subject of art and fan creations. In Japan, Godzilla is seen as a cultural icon, and its legacy is preserved through various means, including museums and exhibitions. Godzilla has been a merchandising phenomenon, with toys, action figures, clothing, and other products featuring the character. Collecting Godzilla memorabilia has become a hobby for many fans.
His original name, Gojira, was rumored to be the nickname of a tough guy at Toho Studios. According to Ishiro Honda (who directed the first Godzilla film), “There was this big—I mean huge— fellow working in Toho’s publicity department, and other employees would say, ‘That guy’s as big as a gorilla.’ ‘No, he’s almost as big as a kujira [the Japanese word for whale].’ Over time, the two mixed and he was nicknamed ‘Gojira.’” Godzilla’s classic roar is a surprising mix of sounds. In the original 1954 movie, Godzilla’s iconic roar was produced by rubbing a pine tar-coated leather glove over a double bass string. As you can hear in the video above, Godzilla’s roar has changed quite a bit over the years. Godzilla was originally going to be a giant, mutated octopus. t’s part of movie lore by now: the original idea for Godzilla was that he would look something like a giant octopus. Ultimately, producer Tomoyuki Tanaka (smartly) decided to go with a more dinosaur-like design instead.