In 1954, Toho Co. unleashed the King of Monsters, Godzilla, upon the world. Sixty years on, after twenty-eight films of stomping across Japan, and a certain 1998 film most people wish to forget, Godzilla returns to western shores in Gareth Edward’s 2014 film Godzilla. The film looks pretty awesome, and will feature some new Kaiju (the term used for Japan’s giant monsters). But if any sequels are developed, we could potentially see the appearance of some popular faces from the Japanese series. This article lists seven of the most iconic, terrifying, and awesome Kaiju to battle with or against Godzilla, and how they could be incorporated into the new film series.
7. Rodan
Rodan is a giant mutated pteranodon, and a recurring ally and enemy to Godzilla. First appearing in 1956’s Rodan, the first incarnation of the character was one of two pteranodon who hatched after being disturbed by a mining operation along with a swarm of giant bugs. The two attacked Kyushu, but one was killed by a military bombardment and the second throws itself into a volcano to die with its mate. The Godzilla incarnation of Rodan was alone, and a very aggressive Kaiju who battled Godzilla a number of times. Rodan is a fast flyer, able to generate hurricanes and sonic booms as he flies. Being one of Godzilla’s earliest enemies, and their similar origins through radioactive mutation, Rodan could have the potential to appear in the sequel.
6. Anguirus
Anguirus is a personal favourite, so I’d love to see him in the sequel! Debuting in 1955’s Godzilla Raids Again, Anguirus is a large Ankylosaurus-like Kaiju with a spiked back, but lacks the dinosaur’s signature tail club. He had the honour of being Godzilla’s first Kaiju opponent, and later became a recurring ally, having a “bash brother”-like friendship with his former enemy/rival. Anguirus has had a number of iconic moments, such as dragging King Ghidorah to the ground in Destroy All Monsters by hanging from the three-headed dragon’s neck by his teeth, the hilarious talking scene between him and Godzilla in Godzilla vs. Gigan, and his humiliating defeat at the hands of MechaGodzilla, who ripped his jaw off. Anguirus is a very basic Kaiju, relying only on his body’s weapons like his claws, and an ability to roll into a spiked runaway ball to flatten foes. However, he has a pretty big fanbase in America, and would be welcomed into a sequel with open arms.
5. Biollante
Now here is one of the most unique but strangest Kaiju. Biollante was the antagonist of 1989’s Godzilla vs. Biollante. Created from a combination of Godzilla’s DNA and a rose bush by a grief stricken scientist who thought his daughter’s soul was in the flowers, Biollante is a giant towering behemoth with a crocodile-like face and fanged tentacle vines. She makes Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors look like a benevolent house plant. Biollante was created by a dentist and part-time filmmaker named Shinichirō Kobayashi as a winner of a public competition to create the 1989 film’s story and new monster. Biollante was eventually destroyed, but several spores carrying Godzilla’s cells floated off into space, and mutated with a black hole to create SpaceGodzilla. Yeah, Godzilla films are pretty kooky at times. Biollante somewhat symbolises the dangers of genetic mutation, as Godzilla is to the horror of nuclear weapons. A bit of an odd Kaiju, but a pretty awesome one.
4. Gigan
Gigan may look like a cybernetic chicken, but he is one of Godzilla’s deadliest villains. A cyborg serial killer with a sadistic streak, Gigan has only appeared a few times in the franchise but has left quite the impression. He has a great character design – giant spiked wings, a pair of scythes for hands, a serrated tail, he can fire grappling cables from his armour, shoot lasers from his eyes, and has a buzzsaw in his chest.
Living to destroy and mutilate, Gigan debuted in 1972’s clunky Godzilla vs. Gigan, where he was sent to Earth with King Ghidorah by the Space Hunter Nebula M aliens, who are space cockroaches, in an attempt to take over Earth. The two badass villains battle Godzilla and Anguirus, and while they lose, Gigan massacres Anguirus and is the first antagonist to make Godzilla bleed. He popped up again in Godzilla vs. Megalon, fighting alongside the giant beetle god Megalon, to battle Godzilla and Jet Jaguar, a size-changing battle robot. After his arm is broken by Jet Jaguar, Gigan calls it quits and flees into space to leave poor Megalon to his defeat at the hands of Godzilla’s epic drop kick.
Gigan then returned in 2004’s epic Godzilla: Final Wars, working for the evil aliens called the Xillens. It is revealed that he battled Mothra for the world, lost, and his mummified remains are resurrected by the Xillens. Gigan is sent to prevent Godzilla’s awakening, and while it looks like he has the advantage, Godzilla opens fire with atomic ray and Gigan’s head is blown apart. But he is rebuilt and comes back for the final battle, ditching his scythe hands for a pair of unique chainsaw arms. Gigan battles Mothra, setting her on fire. However, as he goes to battle Godzilla, razor disks he launched before come back and decapitate him. Mothra then commits a fiery kamikaze attack, obliterating Gigan once and for all.
3. MechaGodzilla
MechaGodzilla is a terrifying machine of death and destruction, and one of Godzilla’s greatest foes. There have been three incarnations of the character. The first appeared in Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla, created by evil ape men and disguised as Godzilla. Anguirus attacked the faker, but MechaGodzilla ended up breaking his jaw off. The real Godzilla showed up and exposed MechaGodzilla’s true form, a pretty intimidating robotic replica of the King of Monsters. MechaGodzilla has a variety of weapons, able to fire missiles and darts from any part of his body, can shoot laserbeams from his eyes, can fly, and spinning his head around creates a forcefield. Godzilla fights him twice, aided the second time by Okinawa deity King Caesar. Godzilla got struck by lightning earlier in the film, and becomes really magnetic, dragging MechaGodzilla into his grasp and he twists the robot’s head off. MechaGodzilla returned in Terror of MechaGodzilla, battling Godzilla with the brainwashed Titanosaurus, but is terminated for good.
The second incarnation appears in Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla II. This version was built by humans as a defensive weapon against Godzilla, using the reverse-engineered technology used to make a mechanical King Ghidorah, and has a special diamond coating to prevent damage from Godzilla’s atomic breath. MechaGodzilla was controlled from within by human pilots, and had a powerful arsenal, including the Plasma Grenade, which could absorb the energy of Godzilla and Rodan’s attacks and aim it back at them. MechaGodzilla battles Godzilla and Rodan, but kills Rodan. Rodan uses his radiation to heal Godzilla as well as melt MechaGodzilla’s diamond coating, and the robot is obliterated, though the pilots escape.
The third incarnation was called “Kiryu” for some reason, and appeared in Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla and Godzilla: Tokyo SOS. This MechaGodzilla was made by mankind, but was built over the skeleton of the first Godzilla, killed in by the Oxygen Destroyer in 1954 (the series had three distinct continuities, with only the first film remaining canon in each one). Kiryu was armed with the Absolute Zero cannon, which can freeze things solid. Unfortunately, the dead Godzilla’s mind took over, MechaGodzilla went on a rampage, and in Tokyo SOS, departed the series with his second incarnation to parts unknown. MechaGodzilla is a very popular Toho Kaiju and would look fantastic in the American films. Perhaps his second incarnation’s backstory could be used, built by humanity to eliminate Godzilla after failing to destroy him.
2. Mothra
Mothra is the most iconic Kaiju after Godzilla, and a recurring character in the franchise. This giant moth is not actually a villain but usually takes on a heroic role, and is a guardian of Earth’s nature and peace. Debuting in 1961, Mothra is a demigod from a pacific island, often accompanied by a pair of fairy-like priestesses called the “Shobijin”. Mothra is a benevolent Kaiju, but will not tolerate people defying the laws of nature, and can be a dangerous enemy if anyone messes with her eggs, baby larvae, or the Shobijin.
Mothra stands out from the other Kaiju for her unique and colourful appearances, not to mention her status as a good monster. Mothra’s first appearance in a Godzilla film was in 1964’s Mothra vs. Godzilla. Mothra’s egg appears on a beach and is nearly used as a tourist attraction by an evil Japanese businessman. Godzilla shows up to cause trouble, and Mothra eventually hatches into twin larvae who chase Godzilla off with silk spray. Mothra, or at least one of the larvae, teams up with Godzilla and Rodan in Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster to battle King Ghidorah. Mothra went to make countless appearances in the Godzilla series, in all three continuities. We met Mothra’s counterpart Battra in 1992’s Godzilla vs. Mothra. Battra is not evil, but cares little for humans and those which wish to disrupt the natural order of things.
My favourite incarnation of the character is in Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, where Godzilla is the badguy again, and Mothra, horned dog-like Kaiju Baragon, and even King Ghidorah are all ancient guardians meant to save the world from Godzilla. Mothra appears as an egg again in a lake, and later hatches into her moth form, flying off to battle Godzilla in Tokyo. Mothra is a pretty awesome and kickass character, but the question is would western audiences take a giant moth seriously in a disaster movie?
1. King Ghidorah
Where there is Godzilla, there is King Ghidorah. This space-faring, lightning-spewing, three-headed dragon is Godzilla’s arch nemesis and has appeared many times in the series. King Ghidorah has had a number of roles – arch nemesis, alien-controlled weapon, and even been a good guy on one occasion. Like MechaGodzilla, Ghidorah has different origins depending on the film continuity, but has been a formidable adversary to Godzilla all the way through.
King Ghidorah debuted in Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, arriving from space to destroy the world, until repelled by Godzilla, Mothra and Rodan. During the course of the first continuity, Ghidorah is either controlled by aliens or comes to Earth of his own volition to cause havoc, only to be defeated by Godzilla. Perhaps his most spectacular defeat was in Destroy All Monsters, where every Kaiju in the vicinity teams up to beat the crud out of King Ghidorah. The second continuity had time travelling aliens alter history, so that the dinosaur that would become Godzilla was replaced by three creatures called “Dorats”, who are exposed to radiation and fuse together to become King Ghidorah, who is used by the aliens to terrorise the world. Godzilla showed up anyway, kicked Ghidorah’s ass and dumped his body in the ocean. The aliens recovered the dragon and revived him as Mecha-King Ghidorah, and the battle with Godzilla ends in a stalemate.
In the third continuity, Ghidorah is depicted as a good guy in Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, appearing as an ancient guardian meant to prevent Godzilla from destroying Japan. But soon the character was reintroduced and reinvented as a villain, appearing in Godzilla: Final Wars, as a mysterious new Kaiju called “Monster X”. Godzilla and Monster X battle in the ruins of Tokyo, where the latter transforms into King Ghidorah for a final battle with his arch enemy. The two fight, and Ghidorah meets his demise where Godzilla blows up two of his heads and launches him into the sky, obliterating him with an atomic breath. If there was one Kaiju who should be in any American sequels, it should be King Ghidorah.
How awesome would it be to see Godzilla fight King Ghidorah or other Kaiju from a western perspective? Which other Kaiju deserve a spot in sequels? Could Godzilla have a crossover with Pacific Rim or even with Gamera? Sound off in the comments or send us your thoughts on Twitter!