This Classic Monster Godzilla Beats King Ghidorah for a Huge Villain Record

Godzilla vs. Gigan saw its titular villain make franchise history with his fight against the King of the Monsters. The kaiju, known for his cyborg build and hooked blades attached to his wrists, crossed paths with Godzilla in a total of three films. After fighting him for the first time in the 1972 film, Gigan returned in Godzilla vs. Megalonand sadly didn't make another appearance on the big screen until Godzilla: Final Wars.

With just three films under his belt, Gigan is far from Godzilla's greatest villain, with that title typically given to King Ghidorah or Mechagodzilla. However, the creature is terrifying and arguably one of the most challenging enemies Godzilla has ever fought. Not only that, but he holds a record that not even Ghidorah himself - who preceded Gigan on the big screen by several years - can claim.

Gigan became the first monster to make Godzilla bleed

It took 19 years for Godzilla to bleed for the first time in the franchise

Between his monstrous first fight in 1955 against Anguirus in Godzilla strikes again and the events of Godzilla vs. Hedorah In 1972, Godzilla was involved in a series of intense and hotly contested confrontations with other kaiju. But despite this, it wasn't until the next film - 1973 Godzilla vs. Gigan - that he faced a creature formidable enough to make him bleed. With its bladed hooks and circular saw weapon in its belly, Gigan managed to cut Godzilla several times in the fight. The fact that Ghidorah, who was with Gigan at the time, was arguably the lesser of the two threats to Godzilla says a lot about Gigan's battle prowess.

Given that many of the Godzilla films, including Godzilla vs. Giganhad a familiar tone, Godzilla's bloody appearance in the film's final fight was a surprising sight. He had lost fights before, but the battle with Gigan was considerably different in that sense. Godzilla was seen taking what could be called a beating. One part of the fight was notably one-sided, with Godzilla having no defense for Gigan, who repeatedly slashed and pierced his skin with his blades for over a minute.

Gigan exposed one of Godzilla's greatest weaknesses

Melee weapons are now a common problem for Godzilla

Despite the struggles Gigan put him through, Godzilla eventually caught his breath and beat Gigan, but what happened in that fight exposed a great weakness. That's because Godzilla vs. Gigan It wasn't the last time he had this problem; other creatures with the means to cut him have been particularly challenging for Godzilla to fight over the years. As durable as he is, other monsters since Gigan have had success cutting through Godzilla's skin and drawing blood.

A small handful of monsters were able to inflict serious blows on Godzilla this way. Mechagodzilla, Megaguirus and Biollante are examples of creatures capable of cutting through Godzilla's flesh. Biollante, for example, cruelly stabbed Godzilla in Godzilla vs. Biollante with one of its sharp, vine-like appendages. This has been a recurring problem for Godzilla, and one that has even carried over into the Monsterverse's Godzilla films.

Gigan's brutal defeat against Godzilla proves how effective he could be as a Monsterverse villain

Godzilla's First Monsterverse Fights Signal Just How Dangerous Gigan Can Be

Even in the Monsterverse, Godzilla has been vulnerable to slashing attacks. The MUTOs were able to harm Godzilla with their claws in the 2014 film Godzilla, and Kong's ax was particularly effective against him in Godzilla vs. Kong. In fact, the ax was sharp enough to penetrate deep into his flesh. The success with which the monsters managed to cut through Godzilla in the Monsterverse is a sign that Gigan's biggest moment of the Showa era could be replicated on the big screen. If Godzilla shares the same vulnerability to this type of attack in the Monsterverse, then it stands to reason that Gigan could be just as challenging for him as he was in Godzilla vs. Gigan and Godzilla vs. Megalon.

Since Ghidorah's debut confirmed that alien Titans exist in the Monsterverse, it's not hard to imagine Gigan being out there somewhere. In fact, it could even be the subject of Godzilla vs Kong and Godzilla x Kong's Roswell jokes. If it's true that Monarch is aware of the existence of other extraterrestrial monsters, the Monsterverse could use this to facilitate Gigan's emergence in the modern era. If he has an arsenal similar to Toho's, he would likely be a force to be reckoned with who could challenge Godzilla for his title of King of the Monsters.