What are the Godzilla Monsters Called?
As a lifelong gamer and Godzilla superfan, I‘m thrilled to provide the rundown on the biggest, baddest kaiju in Toho Studios‘ legendary monster franchise.
Origins – How "Kaiju" Entered Pop Culture
The term kaijū translates from Japanese as "strange beast" and became widely known in the 1950s with movies like Godzilla. Filmmaker Ishirō Honda, inspired by earlier works like King Kong, created the Godzilla character and franchise which kicked the kaiju genre into high gear.
Godzilla gripped popular culture with its timely commentary on atomic weapons and fascinated audiences with its giant monsters brought to life through innovative suitmation techniques.
Over 30 live-action Godzilla films have been made by Toho studios, facing the King of the Monsters off against a menagerie of friends and foes.
Godzilla – King of the Monsters
Godzilla made his first attack in 1954‘s simple titled Godzilla. The massive prehistoric sea monster was awakened by hydrogen bomb testing, standing 50 meters tall and laying waste to Tokyo with his atomic breath.
Godzilla‘s look blended various dinosaurs, taking the overall shape of a T. Rex, Stegosaurs plates on his back, and a roar echoing the American movie monster King Kong. His name came from the Japanese words for gorilla (gorira) and whale (kujira).
Over the decades, Godzilla would go from villain to reluctant hero defending earth from other threats like King Ghidorah. He‘s also gained more powers like a nuclear pulse, magnetism manipulation, and flight(!).
No matter how many times he‘s defeated, Godzilla always comes back more powerful than ever, cementing his reputation as the undisputed King of the Monsters.
Mothra – Divine Moth Goddess
With her blinding wings and high-pitched chirps, Mothra made her debut in 1961‘s Mothra film. She draws power from her priestess followers and battles to protect the natural world.
Despite often helping or teaming up with Godzilla against shared foes, Mothra has clash with him on several occasions. She fearlessly sacrifices herself time and again for the greater good.
A perpetual fan favorite, Mothra has magical abilities like energy beams, poison scales for defense, and telepathy to communicate with humans.
King Ghidorah – Godzilla‘s Archnemesis
First introduced 1964‘s Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, King Ghidorah stands as Godzilla‘s greatest arch-rival.
This sinister dragon has cackling serpentine heads, massive bat-like wings that stir up blistering storms, and can discharge lightning bolts from all three mouths.
King Ghidorah is known by titles like Death Song of Three Storms which says it all. He delights in rampages of devastation, requiring all of earth‘s monsters to repeatedly unite against him.
Rodan – Supersonic Flying Titan
Making his entrance in 1956‘s Rodan, this massive irradiated Pteranodon can glide at supersonic speeds!
Rodan emerges from his volcanic nest full of aggression. He clashes frequently with Godzilla and other kaiju – sometimes as an ally, sometimes as an enemy combatant depending on the film.
In addition to supersonic flight allowing escape or blindingly fast attack speeds, Rodan can produce destructive shockwaves upon take-off or landing impacts.
Anguirus – Godzilla‘s Very First Foe
This fierce ankylosaur beast put up the first fight against Godzilla all the way back in 1955‘s Godzilla Raids Again, establishing their long rivalry.
Anguirus charges headfirst into battle with little regard for personal safety, often sustaining brutal beatings before defeating enemies with tenacious spirit.
His spiky carapace offers some defense and Anguirus has developed an uncanny knack for tracking Godzilla across whole oceans.
Mechagodzilla – The Cybernetic Pretender
When brute monster force doesn‘t stop Godzilla, humans have hatched high-tech plots sending waves of mechanized metal imposters into the fray starting with 1974‘s creatively titled Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla.
Sometimes controlled remotely from aircraft or acted as battle suits for human pilots, multiple versions of Mechagodzilla have come armed to the teeth with finger missiles, laser beams from eyes/mouth/chest, and buzzsaw midsections!
Mechagodzilla models can be extremely formidable thanks tons of heavy duty weaponry. But in the end, the metal doppelgängers fall short of matching the real deal‘s savage tenacity.
MonsterVerse – Legendary Films Reboots Universe
Beginning with 2014‘s Godzilla reboot, Legendary Films has forged a shared cinematic universe that pits Godzilla against classic foes plus new kaiju creations in fresh blockbuster spectacles.
Kong: Skull Island (2017) reintroduced King Kong to setup an ultimate grudge match in Godzilla vs Kong (2021).
Godzilla: King the Monsters (2019) brought back Rodan, Mothra, King Ghidorah while teasing future appearances by many more iconic titans.
I‘m thrilled to see my beloved kaiju revived with modern movie magic including stunning CGI and cinematography while keeping practical effects and suits part of the magic.
