The “King of Monsters,” Godzilla first appeared on screen as a villain and did terrible things in his films. In the original 1954 horror film Godzillathe giant radioactive monster represented a living nuclear explosion. Although he emerged from the sea and destroyed Tokyo with his size and atomic breath, he became unexpectedly popular. As the Godzilla film franchise grew, the titular character gained an ecological angle, in which he warned humanity about respecting the Earth. Godzilla has appeared in many forms and shows different powers throughout his films.
Godzilla spent the first four films in his franchise as an antagonist before Ghidorah arrived to threaten the world in Ghidorah – The Three-Headed Monster. After defeating Ghidorah, Godzilla the films place the titular character in a more protective and heroic role, turning him into an antihero who occasionally turns evil. Godzilla now fights many villains as the planet’s guardian, but although he is the hero in most of his films, the worst things he has done have been cruel and violent.
10
Destroying Tokyo
Godzilla (1954)
Godzilla is one of the best monster movies of the 1950s and is still scary today. Godzilla’s advance towards Tokyo seems more ominous than many later Godzilla scenes, and although most modern Godzilla movies focus on his strength and powerthe original treats him as an inevitable living disaster. The slow way he moves through the city as people rush to escape adds to the disturbing nature of Godzilla.
In the original Godzilla film. Godzilla was not necessarily an evil character, despite representing the horrors of war. He was portrayed as a beast who simply didn’t care about the impact of his radioactive body or his atomic breath. This is a clear parallel to war and its indifferent nature. While Godzilla didn’t choose to be evil in his original film, the destruction of Tokyo was one of his worst actions in the Godzilla franchise due to the enormous number of deaths and damages it suffered.
9
Killing Mothra
Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)
The moth-shaped kaiju, Mothra, first appeared in her own film, where she was a popular character. She then began appearing in crossover films with Godzilla. Her life cycle is one of constant death and rebirth, and when Mothra feels like she is going to die, she usually lays two eggs, which hatch into their larval form. Although this life cycle means that Mothra is rarely gone for longtheir deaths are generally sad and often happen at the hands of Godzilla.
Mothra x Godzilla was Mothra’s first film in Godzilla franchise. Future Godzilla films see her teaming up with Godzilla when the fate of humanity is in danger from another source, but in Mothra x Godzillathe antagonist is Godzilla himself. Before Mothra faced Godzilla in battle, she laid two eggs, and after he hit her with his atomic breath, she died alongside the eggs. It’s an unexpectedly tragic moment—given the scene’s monstrous participants—and juxtaposes Mothra’s potential as a life-giver with Godzilla’s destructive instincts.
8
Choosing Your Child (But Only in a Dream)
Attack of All the Monsters (1969)
Godzilla’s son Minilla was introduced to appeal to younger audiences. THE naughty baby Godzilla He is playful, likes to jump on rocks, shoot his atomic rays and ride on Godzilla’s tail. He is presented as friendly towards humans and much less destructive than his father, which makes it difficult to see him getting into trouble. In All monsters attackMinilla finds himself fighting a bully monster, Gabara, who is much bigger than him.
Minilla is huge and still can’t control his atomic breathing power. Instead of comforting Minilla, Godzilla forces his son to fight Gabara several times. Godzilla even kicks Minilla when he runs away, calling for help. Although Minilla eventually defeats Gabara, the scenes where Godzilla forces him to fight are difficult to watch. Fortunately, the sequels are only being dreamed up by a boy named Ichiro, who has also been having trouble with his own bullies.
7
Destroying Mr. Shindo
Godzilla vs King Ghidorah (1991)
Shindo wasn’t a good character, but there was a possibility for his redemption as he waited to meet Godzilla. Shindo has recurring memories of being saved from American soldiers during World War II by what he interpreted as a dinosaur-like creature. The creature was a pre-mutated Godzilla. When Godzilla arrives to attack Tokyo once againthe grateful Shindo stays behind to meet with the creature he believes saved him. This, however, does not go well.
However Godzilla seemed to recognize Shindohe hit him at close range. Godzilla’s deadly atomic breath destroys Shindo in seconds. When the time comes Godzilla vs King Ghidorah was released, Godzilla had played the hero in previous films, and while he was still best known as a villain, his choice to kill a character he had previously saved was shocking to see.
6
Destroying the Guardian Monsters
Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters: All-Out Attack (2001)
In GMKGGodzilla is more dangerous since his first appearance in the cinema, and the film reverses the role of Godzilla with that of Ghidorah. GMKG chooses Ghidorah as Earth’s guardian, while Godzilla is back to his violent ways. Godzilla is powered by the tormented souls of everyone killed in the Pacific War and is so powerful that it takes multiple kaiju to defeat him. Unfortunately for these kaiju (known as The Guardian Monsters), they are no match for Godzilla.
When not using his atomic breath, Godzilla often fights using physical strength, without caring who gets in the way. However, in GMKG, Godzilla has a more sadistic streakhitting Mothra with her tail and deliberately destroying passersby. As Mothra has a phoenix-like power of regeneration, she sacrifices herself, giving her spirit to Ghidorah. Godzilla then destroys Ghidorah as well. Godzilla is firmly the evil antagonist in this film, which essentially ignores all of Godzilla’s character development and history in the previous films.
5
Killing Baragon (in an unfair fight)
Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah. Giant Monsters: All-Out Attack (2001)
The reptilian kaiju Baragon is one of Japan’s ancient Guardian Monsters, although he is not as powerful as Mothra or Ghidorah. Yet, despite being weaker than Godzilla, Baragon also fights with him to buy time for Mothra and Ghidorah. Baragon’s bravery and perseverance make his death particularly troubling, as Godzilla is at his most evil in this film. Godzilla seems to take pleasure in humiliating Baragon during their mismatched fight.
Godzilla makes the fight last much longer than necessary, throwing Baragon, slapping him with his tail, throwing him into a helicopter, and even stomping on his head. Although Godzilla is clearly strong enough to get past Baragon, he shows his evil side in GMKG at the end of the fight, proving that he could have finished Baragon in seconds. Godzilla finally attacks Baragon with his atomic breath powers, only destroying him after prolonging his suffering.
4
Targeting individual people
Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah. Giant Monsters: All-Out Attack (2001)
Godzilla is scary enough in movies where he just causes destruction because part of the horror is that individual people don’t matter to him. The consequences of this type of attack are seen in the original Godzilla film, which focuses on civilians (including children and hospitals) after Godzilla’s attacks. However, GMKGGodzilla’s is even scarierbecause he comes back for the people he didn’t kill.
Godzilla deliberately destroys a helicopter and its passengers by throwing Baragon at him, he uses his atomic breath on civilians who are running away from him and, worst of all, targets a bedridden girl. In the scene, the girl looks up and sees Godzilla coming towards her. She can’t escape because she’s in traction and has a head wound, and just when she thinks he’s passed the hospital, Godzilla slams his tail into the building. This scene shows a sadistic side that is hard to swallow.
3
Killing Mothra again (and in front of her children)
Godzilla: Tokyo SOS (2003)
In Godzilla: Tokyo SOS., Godzilla returns to fight his robot doppelganger, Mechagodzilla, again. Godzilla was often featured as an antagonist during his Millennium era, but this time he was angry as his original bones were used to construct Mechagodzilla. Still, his actions towards Mothra were unforgivable, as when Mothra was deployed to try and stop Godzilla’s rampagehe directed a blast of atomic breath towards her children.
Mothra is most famous for her cycle of death and rebirthand her eggs hatched into twin larvae just before she fought Godzilla again. Mothra’s death in SOS Tokyo. It was one of the saddest deaths in a Godzilla film, as the larvae tried to help her, but failed when Mothra received the blast that was meant for them. Not only did Mothra die defending her children from Godzilla, but they saw her die.
2
Cheating on Gotengo
Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)
In Godzilla: Final WarsEarth fights virtually every kaiju in existence, threatening the future of humanity. Humans and Godzilla didn’t always have the best relationshipbut in Godzilla: Final Wars, they were supposed to be allies against the other kaiju. Godzilla was being guided into battle by the crew of the submarine battleship, The Gotengo. However, there was a twist when Godzilla seemed to have won.
Godzilla emerged victoriousbut despite the crew of The Gotengo helping Godzilla win his battles and emerge as the undefeated kaiju, he suddenly shot The Gotengo in a move that shocked viewers. Godzilla then prepared to destroy his crew. However, while Godzilla may have been a poor ally to the crew of the The Gotengohe is a good father and listens to his son, Minilla, who convinces his father to spare the crew.
1
Destroying Ginza District
Godzilla Minus One (2023)
During the many epic battles against humans and other kaiju, sometimes Godzilla’s actions are understandable, even if they aren’t quite right. However, Godzilla’s devastating attack on humanity in Godzilla minus one is at the same time callous and villainous, assuming the “King of the Monsters“back to the roots of the allegory of war. Like war, the antagonistic version of Godzilla doesn’t care about innocent people. In Godzilla minus oneGodzilla unleashes his strongest and most devastating atomic breath power yet.
Godzilla’s atomic breath is blue in Godzilla minus oneand he uses it more like a bomb than a death ray. The impact of his attacks launches mushroom clouds, like real bombs, and the effect is catastrophic. As the tanks arrive to try and take Godzilla down, he uses a different attack: a heat ray. This attack destroys most of the Ginza district, killing tens of thousands of people, including Noriko, the love interest of the protagonist, Shikishima.