With Gareth Edwards’ and Legendary Pictures’ Godzilla opening this Friday, people are getting caught up in Godzilla-mania. Whether it be fans reliving old favorites on DVD, or newcomers to the King’s 29 film franchise watching on Hulu Plus (yes, they’re all there), it only seems right to consider Godzilla’s greatest friends and foes in the Toho Company roster. Here’s are some dossiers of The Young Folks top 10 favorite Godzilla monsters.
Supplementary resources acquired from Godzilla.wikia.com
#10 BARAGON (バラゴン)
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First Sighting: 1965
Size: 25 Meters tall
Powers: Flame ray, Bull Horn Ramming, Effortless Burrowing, Leaping, Earthquaking
Featured Films: Baragon vs. Frankenstein, Destroy All Monsters, Godzilla Mothra & King Ghidorah: Giant Monster All Out Attack
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Bio: Name translates to ‘Rose Dragon.’ Baragon’s history in the Godzilla franchise is limited, but he had small beginnings taking on the Frankenstein’s monster by himself before his residency on Monster Island, resulting in his appearance in Destroy All Monsters. He’s considered to be of prehistoric origin, and impressively made the drawing for the 3 Guardians destined to defend the Earth from Godzilla in his second film appearance.
#9 HEDORAH (ヘドラ)
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First Sighting: July 1971
Size: grows from 0.1 – 120 Meters tall
Powers: Grows by means of absorbing the pollution in it’s surrounding environment, Crimson energy beam, Sulfuric acid mist, Acid mud, Flight
Featured Films: Godzilla vs. Hedorah, Godzilla: Final Wars
Bio: Name literally meaning ‘sludge,’ Hedorah is an alien known for being crudely named “The Smog Monster” by American audiences. This kaiju is one of the most prominent in Godzilla’s rogues gallery, due to it’s formidable resilience against his power, and, in the film’s context, for being the most terrifying use of messaging about humanity’s cruelty to their own world other than Godzilla himself.
#8 DESTOROYAH (Desutoroia, デストロイア)
First Sighting: December 1995
Size: 120 Meters tall
Powers: Oxygen Destroyer Ray, Micro Oxygen injecting fangs, Horned Energy Blade, Mantis claws, Energy Drain pincer tail, growing from combined small organisms.
Featured Films: Godzilla vs. Desteroyah
Bio: Destoroyah’s formidability is similar to that of Hedorah’s in it’s evolution through combined microscopic organisms. However, his origin is something disturbing unto itself. Serizawa’s Oxygen Destroyer featured in the first Godzilla film (1954/56) may have destroyed the original Godzilla, but at the cost of mutating something else entirely, as prehistoric organisms akin to a horseshoe crab would eventually combine to create one: Desteroyah, who’s organic abilities are infused with the same properties of Serizawa’s Oxygen Destroyer that proved so deadly for Godzillas before. There’s also the fact that this devilish beast is the only monster to have killed Godzilla’s young. (No, Matthew Broderick does not count)
#7 GIGAN (Gaigan, ガイガン)
First Sighting: March 1972
Size: 65 – 120 Meters
Powers: Scythed appendages, Grappling hooks, Anti-gravity flight, Abdominal saw, Visor laser
Featured Films: Godzilla vs. Gigan, Godzilla vs. Megalon, Godzilla Final Wars
Bio: While the alien invasion concept was not new to the Godzilla lore when Gigan came about, he was one of the few extraterrestrial beasts capable of making the King literally bleed. Gigan’s debut film, including the feature itself, was immensely inspired by comic book culture, showing in the film’s tone, characters, and outrageous plot, but also Gigan’s characteristics in design. When he was reawakened as Godzilla’s ultimate foe in ‘Final Wars’ it was seen only fit that he be repaired and his scythe hands replaced by giant chainsaws. Gigan is punk rock incarnate.
#6 JET JAGUAR ( ジェットジャガー, Jetto Jyagā)
First Sighting: March 1973
Size: 1.8 – 50 Meters tall
Powers: Altering size from Man to Titan height at will, kung fu melee proficiency, Mach 3.5 flight, kaiju communication, arm laser cannon
Featured Films: Godzilla vs. Megalon
Bio: Jet Jaguar was actually a fan submitted character who was intended to star in his own film, but the script was rewritten to feature Godzilla so it could be marketable. Despite only a single film appearance, the character became popular in the lore outside of the films for his resemblance to anime icon ‘Ultraman.’ Fans of Mystery Science Theater 3000 may recognize Jet Jaguar for his uncanny resemblance to actor Jack Nicholson.
#5 MOTHRA (Mosura, モスラ)
First Sighting: April 1964
Size: Larva Stage- 43 – 130 Meters long
‘Imago’ Stage – 24 – 80 Meters long, Wingspan 75 – 250 Meters
Powers: Larva – Silk spray, Mandible grip
‘Imago’ – Divine power, Psychic readings, poison powder, Antenna bolts, Wing gales, Reflective particle prism, Abdominal poison dart
Featured Films: Mothra, Mothra vs. Gozilla, Ghidora: The Three Headed Monster, Ebirah: Horror of the Deep, Destroy All Monsters, Godzilla vs. Mothra, Rebirth of Mothra, Godzilla Mothra & King Ghidorah: Giant Monster All Out Attack!, Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., Godzilla: Final Wars
Bio: Mothra’s role among the roster of Toho monsters is like that of a phoenix in that she is reborn as one previously laid larva when she falls in battle. Regarded as a divine kaiju, Mothra has the ability to communicate with other living being psychically, and resides on an island with little foliature life remaining after the atomic bombing of Japan, the residents of which worship and care for her as their Goddess. Mothra is arguably the first kaiju to defeat Godzilla in a battle.
#4 MechaGodzilla I, II & ‘KIRYU’ (Mekagojira, メカゴジラ)
First Sighting: March 1974
Size: MGI: 50 Meters, MGII: 120 Meters, Kyriu: 60 Meters
Powers:
MGI: Space Titanium armor, Optical Laser, Finger/Toe/Knee/Mouth missile housings, Chest plasma cutting beam, force field, rocket propulsion
MGII: Mach 1 Flight, Mega Buster Ray, NT-1 Alloy armor, NT-20 Heat Shield, Optical beam, Plasma grenade, Paralysis missiles, Shock anchor
Kyriu: Absolute Zero Cannon, Triple Hyper Master Cannon, Godzilla’s bone armor, digital Godzilla DNA, Propulsion thrusters, Dual laser cannons, Forward rocket launchers, Guided missiles, Arm blade,
Featured Films: Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, Terror of Mechagodzilla, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.
Bio: The most powerful foe to match that of Godzilla’s, Mechagodzilla has been built and rebuilt as a deterrence to the King of the Monsters and equally for invasions of planet Earth. Mechagodzilla is armed with the most, and the highest caliber, weaponry, and had rigid silver armor created to be reminiscent of the Samurai of Edo japan. Mechagodzilla II and it’s successor, Kyriu, were build by Earth Defense Forces as a Godzilla countermeasure. With larger master cannons, and eventual incorporation of Godzilla’s DNA into it’s systems, Mechagodzilla is the opponent that has come closest to absolutely destroying Godzilla by way of battle.
#3 KING GHIDORAH (Kingu Gidora, キングギドラ)
First Sighting: December 1964
Size: 150 Meters, Wingspan 175 Meters
Powers: Mach 3 flight, Mach 4 Anti-Gravaity flight, Gravity beam, wing hurricane, Laser trip beam, Upgraded to Mecha Armor
Featured Films: Ghidorah, The Three Headed Monster, Invasion of the Astro Monster, Destroy All Monsters, Godzilla vs. Gigan, Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, Godzilla Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack
Bio: Ghidorah, named from the Japanese word for Hydra (hidora), is inspired by the the eight headed Japanese mythic beast, Yamata no Orochi. The monster, with three independently thinking heads, has been characterized as both a pure evil and a creature who is merely psychically controlled, save for his final appearance in 2001, as a Guardian of the Earth. Ghidora is about the most popular of Godzilla’s nemesis, and is said to have an origin similar to that of Godzilla, as Atom Bomb testings resulted in the fusion of small, harmless animals, called the Dorat, into the fearsome dragon.
#2 ANGUIRUS (Angirasu, アンギラス)
First Sighting: April 1955
Size: 100 meters long, 60 meters tall
Powers: Tusks, Horns, Spikes on carapace, Burrowing, High speed roll
Featured Films: Godzilla Raids Again, Destroy All Monsters, Godzilla vs. Gigan, Godzilla vs. Megalon, Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla, Godzilla: Final Wars
Bio: With characteristics of prehistoric origin, Aguirus was the first kaiju to ever attempt to combat against Godzilla. Since that battle, the two became allies, and Anguirus will always use every ounce of power in his body to defend Japan from evil creatures and assisting Godzilla in battle to find the potential exploits of their opponents. He and Godzilla, however briefly, are also the only two kaiju to ever have communicated in human language. Nobody knows exactly the reason why this occurred, but it was, after all, in the 1970’s. The 70’s were an odd time.
#1 RODAN (Radon, ラドン)
First Sighting: 1956
Size: 50 – 70 Meters Tall, Wingspan 120 Meter
Powers: Mach 1.5 flight, Windstorm, Shockwave, Uranum heat beam
Featured Films: Rodan, Ghidora The Three Headed Monster, Invason of the Astro Monster, Destroy All Monsters, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, Godzilla: Final Wars
Bio: Named from the Japanese name for a Pteranodon, ‘Radon.’ Rodan is a prehistoric beast who remained preserved beneath the Earth, and was awoken by a mining excavation in Kitsamatsu. Rodan then migrated into Godzilla’s turf and, as one of the few kaiju completely resilient to Godzilla’s Atomic Ray attacks, became one of the King of Monsters’ most useful allies with shockwave abilities and Mach speed travel.
#0 GODZILLA (Gojira, ゴジラ)
First Sighting: February 1954
Size: 50 – 106 Meters tall
Powers: Atomic Ray, Super “G Cell” regenerative powers, Nuclear pulse
Featured Films: All 29
Bio: No mention of monsters is complete without him. His reign is measured in eras akin to that of ancient emperors, and his existence a constant manifestation of nuclear tragedy. Despite his varying roles as a force of nature, as wrestling heroic, or a terrifying savage beast, Godzilla is recognized across the globe. The representation of his stories may not always have the grandest value to them, but it can be recognized that the King of the Monsters represents many qualities to the youth of the world: nature, rebirth, loss, perseverance, and the value of life…
The beast’s roar is one that rings just as much of nostalgia as it does of tragedy.
Which one is your favorite? Did we mention your favorite? Who would you like to see realized on screen if the new film is a monster hit? Stay tuned for a review and more on TheYoungFolks.com
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