Godzilla misconceptions

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Due to Godzilla being one of the biggest franchises and pop-culture icons in Japan and the world, it is not uncommon for people to believe in and/or create and perpetrate misconceptions and stereotypes about Godzilla. Here is a list of Godzilla-related misconceptions and stereotypes.

Characters

Godzilla

What color is Godzilla?

The MireGoji suit is so far the only green Godzilla in the Godzilla movies

Godzilla is usually portrayed as being either charcoal gray or black. Godzilla being green is a stereotype that started as early as the American poster for the 1956 Godzilla, King of the Monsters!. Godzilla was never depicted as green in a Japanese film until the MireGoji and GiraGoji designs on 1999's Godzilla 2000: Millennium and 2000's Godzilla vs. Megaguirus. Godzilla was green in Hanna-Barbera's Godzilla, Marvel's Godzilla, King of the Monsters and Dark Horse's Godzilla, King of the Monsters comics. However, all of these were American media. Godzilla has also been represented as green in some Japanese media, often posters, promotional stills, video games such as Gojira-kun and Godzilla vs. 3 Giant Monsters, and animation like Get Going! Godzilland. Other media, such as the 1988 video game Godzilla: Monster of Monsters!, depict Godzilla as light blue in color.

Godzilla Junior, the juvenile Godzillasaurus featured in the films Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla and Godzilla vs. Destoroyah is depicted as green in the final two films of the trilogy. However, in Godzilla Island, Godzilla Junior is shown to be soil-brown-colored.

What is Godzilla?

Throughout his film appearances, Godzilla has possessed multiple different origins. For the most part, Godzilla is usually a type of prehistoric reptile that has been awakened and/or mutated by atomic radiation. In the original 1954 film, Godzilla is hypothesized by Dr. Yamane to be some sort of amphibious prehistoric reptile, intermediary to land-residing and sea-dwelling reptiles. In this film, Godzilla's bumpy, scarred hide and atomic breath are byproducts of his exposure to the hydrogen bomb. This same origin applies to the second Showa Godzilla and presumably the various Millennium series Godzillas as well.

The Heisei Godzilla is explained in the film Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah to have mutated from a type of fictional theropod dinosaur called a Godzillasaurus as a result of exposure to radiation from a nuclear submarine crash. Contrary to popular belief, the Heisei Godzilla is the only incarnation of Godzilla to date to be definitively confirmed as a type of dinosaur, with most other incarnations having only been referred to as unspecified types of prehistoric reptile.

The Godzilla from the 1998 American film directed by Roland Emmerich is an iguana whose egg was exposed to a 1968 French nuclear test conducted in French Polynesia. The radiation caused the resulting creature to grow into a gigantic theropod-like monster. To date, this is the only incarnation of Godzilla to be an actual type of lizard, even though Godzilla is often mockingly called an "overgrown lizard" by characters in the Japanese films.

The Godzilla from Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack is a malicious supernatural entity spawned by the restless souls of those killed by the Japanese military during World War II. This is the only incarnation of Godzilla to be supernatural in origin, though he is presumed to have still originated as a prehistoric reptile like the 1954 Godzilla.

The Godzilla from Legendary Pictures' 2014 American Godzilla film is a member of a species of massive prehistoric amphibious reptiles that fed on radiation at a time when the planet's surface radiation levels were much higher. Unlike other incarnations of the character, the Legendary Godzilla does not appear to have been altered or enhanced by radiation, instead being a naturally evolved creature that uses radiation as a food source.

The barrels of nuclear waste on the sea floor that spawned Shin Godzilla

The Godzilla featured in Shin Godzilla is an unspecified type of prehistoric marine animal that became heavily mutated after feeding on nuclear waste dumped into its habitat sometime in the 1950's. The creature mutated rapidly over a period of 60 years, eventually coming ashore and continuing to mutate until it took the recognizable form of Godzilla. While the exact type of animal this Godzilla originated from is never discussed in the film, an essay written from an in-universe perspective by the character Goro Maki included with the film's Blu-ray release suggests that the creature's base form likely possessed large teeth and fangs and was "in all likelihood, closely related to prehistoric marine reptiles, which first emerged in the Paleozoic Era."[1] A common misconception regarding this version of Godzilla is that it originated as a colony of mutated microorganisms. This misconception likely arose due to this Godzilla being referred to as a mixotroph, an organism that is able use a mix of different forms of energy and carbon, in the film. Because the majority of mixotrophs are unicellular microorganisms, some fans apparently assumed that this Godzilla is the result of several mixotrophic microorganisms being mutated by nuclear waste on the sea floor and combining into a superorganism. It should be noted, however, that there are some multicellular mixotrophs as well, such as the Oriental hornet and the Venus flytrap. The film does not ever suggest that Godzilla specifically originated as a microorganism, and, as previously mentioned, states that he was a type of marine animal, likely a reptile.

The Godzilla from the continuity of the GODZILLA anime trilogy is unique among all other Godzilla incarnations in that he originated from plant-based life rather than animal life. He is said to be the "end result of natural selection on Earth" and has survived for 20,000 years as the largest and most powerful lifeform in the planet's history.[2] Godzilla evolved as a result of this plant life incorporating the characteristics of various other organisms through the process of horizontal gene transfer, granting him extreme durability, heat resistance, stealthiness, and regenerative abilities.[3]

How tall is Godzilla?

An official graphic comparing the heights of Godzilla in many different films

Godzilla is known for being gigantic, but his exact size has varied significantly across media. In the original 1954 film, Godzilla is estimated to stand 50 meters, or approximately 164 feet, tall. The second Godzilla introduced in Godzilla Raids Again was the same height as his predecessor, and would remain that tall for the remainder of the Showa series. In The Return of Godzilla, Godzilla's height was increased to 80 meters to allow him to better scale with the significantly changed skyline of Tokyo. His height increased to 100 meters in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah after feeding on the energy of a nuclear submarine, and he remained that height for the rest of the Heisei series. In the Millennium series, Godzilla was usually 55 meters tall, but was 60 meters tall in Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack and 100 meters tall again in Godzilla: Final Wars. 100 meters stood as Godzilla's maximum height in a film until the 2014 American film, where Godzilla was made 355 feet, or 108.2 meters, tall. This record would not stand for long, as Toho introduced the tallest Godzilla yet, at 118.5 meters in height, in Shin Godzilla two years later. Only a year later, this record was shattered by Godzilla Earth from GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters, who stood at a colossal 300 meters in height, making him definitively the tallest incarnation of the character.

While Shin Godzilla was the tallest Godzilla featured in a film prior to Godzilla Earth, he was not the tallest incarnation of the character overall. That distinction went to the Godzilla from the Hanna-Barbera Godzilla cartoon, who stood 122 meters, or 400 feet, tall. Some fans erroneously claim that the Godzilla featured in Marvel's Godzilla, King of the Monsters comic series is taller, as the cover for one issue depicts him as being the same height as Seattle's Space Needle, which is 605 feet tall. However, the Marvel Godzilla's height has never been confirmed, and the scaling from this cover should not be taken literally, as Godzilla's apparent height fluctuates wildly in the comic.

Does Godzilla breathe fire?

Godzilla fires his Atomic Breath

Anyone who is not overly familiar with Godzilla would immediately believe that Godzilla has a generic fire breath that may sometimes be blue. However, in the majority of his film appearances, Godzilla's "fire breath" is a much more powerful Atomic Breath (放射熱線,   Hōsha Nessen, lit. Radioactive Heat Ray) which he gained due to the atomic radiation he was exposed to (or that he had naturally in Legendary Pictures' Godzilla). Godzilla's atomic breath, sometimes called a "heat ray" or "heat beam," is much more powerful than fire and is typically blue in color, though it sometimes is depicted as being a fiery orange color. In the original Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again, Godzilla's breath attack was instead known as the "incandescent light" (白熱光,   Hakunetsu Hikari), and took the form of a whitish mist. In Godzilla: The Series, Godzilla's atomic breath is green in color and resembles a blast of flame. In Shin Godzilla, Godzilla's "atomic ray flow" (放射線流,   Hōshasen-ryū) begins as a stream of fire before it condenses into a thin purple beam. Godzilla Earth and Godzilla Filius from the GODZILLA anime trilogy possess a unique variation of the character's atomic breath. Their beams are more electromagnetic in nature than heat-based, and are produced from the Asymmetrically Permeable Shield their bodies naturally generate. Rather than being fired from the mouth, Godzilla Earth and Filius' atomic breath is projected from the shield directly in front of their faces. In the Heisei series and in Godzilla: Final Wars, Godzilla possesses a more powerful red variant of his atomic breath that is wrapped in a yellow spiral, which he typically only uses as a last resort or after absorbing a large amount of energy. The red spiral heat beam is also utilized sometimes in non-film media such as comic books and novels.

Some versions of Godzilla such as the Marvel Godzilla and the Hanna-Barbera Godzilla, however, do actually breathe fire, though it is also noted to be atomic in nature. This may also be an influence from the 1954 Japanese and 1956 American posters for the first Godzilla movie. The TriStar Godzilla does not have a fire breath at all, but instead a flammable Power Breath which can cause a fiery explosion.

Is Godzilla intelligent?

While Godzilla's relative degree of intelligence and sapience varies across his many appearances, he is usually shown to possess some level of intellect beyond that of a simple animal. In the mid-to-late Showa series specifically, Godzilla is completely sapient and can think, perform human-like activities, give directions, and even talk in Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, albeit needing Mothra's Shobijin to translate, and Godzilla vs. Gigan. In the Heisei era, Godzilla is able to detect threats and find his son, Godzilla Junior. Godzilla also seems to talk to Junior, warning him and telling him to follow, and uses telepathy to communicate and understand commands and speech by both his son and Miki Saegusa. Godzilla also expresses feelings when Junior is killed by Destoroyah in the climax of Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. In the Millennium era, Godzilla's sapience level changes between films. In Godzilla 2000: Millennium and Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, Godzilla is a force of nature that fights to ensure his own survival by battling the monsters Orga and Megaguirus, inadvertently defending humanity in the process. Yuji Shinoda remarks in Godzilla 2000: Millennium that Godzilla seems to actively search for and destroy man-made energy sources. In Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, Godzilla is able to outsmart, evade and overpower all of the Guardian Monsters, demonstrating some degree of cunning and intellect. In Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla and Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., Godzilla does not demonstrate much personality and serves as a living force of nature, though he still expresses anger, surprise and shock when engaging in battle. It is also suggested that he recognizes Kiryu, built around the bones of the original Godzilla, as another member of his kind and is attracted to his presence. In Godzilla: Final Wars, Godzilla is again at least semi-sapient, as he can understand Minilla standing in front of the humans as meaning that they are not threats. He can also quickly outsmart his opponents and exploit their weaknesses to easily defeat them. He is even able to trick Keizer Ghidorah into severing one of its own heads. In Legendary Pictures' Godzilla, Godzilla seems to be able to slowly anticipate the attacks of the M.U.T.O. s after several encounters, figuring out the best method to fight and ultimately defeat them. Additionally, the film depicts him going out of his way to ignore humans and avoid structures in his path, as he leaves San Francisco peacefully at the end of the film. In Shin Godzilla, Godzilla seems to wander around aimlessly and does not interact with or acknowledge his surroundings much at all. However, he demonstrates an uncanny ability to adapt to external stimuli, evolving into a form more suitable for movement on land after emerging from Tokyo Bay and developing defensive characteristics such as nictitating membranes over his eyes, the ability to project his atomic energy as a weapon, and a phased-array radar which allows him to detect threats while sleeping. At the end of the film, after he has been halted by the efforts of a collective of humans, it is shown that he was in the process of himself evolving into a collective of smaller, human-like forms. Godzilla Earth from the GODZILLA anime trilogy demonstrates a surprising amount of intelligence, detecting potential threats well in advance and across large distances. He also seems to deliberately hunt down and destroy large human settlements, as if he is going out of his way to attempt to end the human race. In GODZILLA: City on the Edge of Battle, Godzilla Earth recognizes that something has happened near the Tanzawa Forest after Godzilla Filius is destroyed by United Earth forces, and repeatedly patrols the surrounding area to try and discover the threat. Once his atomic breath fails to damage Mechagodzilla City from afar, he immediately recognizes that a ranged attack will not work and changes his tactics. He also attacks the United Earth forces by converting his excess electromagnetic energy into heat raising the surrounding temperature after being overloaded with electromagnetic waves in an attempt by the United Earth to destroy him.

The TriStar Godzilla is a notable exception to most of Godzilla's portrayals, simply being a large animal driven solely by instinct and attempting to survive and reproduce. While it relies on instinct, the TriStar Godzilla still demonstrates a great deal of cunning in its encounters with the U.S. military, easily evading its assaults and ambushing and destroying his attackers. He even manages to fake his own death in the Hudson River, only to resurface from underground later. He demonstrates a mixture of grief and anger after discovering the corpses of his young in the ruins of Madison Square Garden, and seems to determine that the nearby humans are responsible before he attacks them. This Godzilla's son from Godzilla: The Series is established as being much more intelligent than his father, developing a strong bond with his surrogate father Niko Tatopoulos and actively assisting him and his colleagues in their battles against other, more aggressive mutations. He responds to commands from Nick and follows him across the world, and even cooperates with other monsters such as Nessie and Komodithrax. While he recognizes Cyber Godzilla as his father and initially submits to him, falling under the control of the Leviathan Aliens, he later consciously chooses Nick over his biological father and turns against Cyber Godzilla.

Is Godzilla indestructible?

Main article: Godzilla#Weaknesses.

While Godzilla typically boasts an impressive degree of durability and an immunity to all conventional weaponry, he is not indestructible and possesses weaknesses. The two most obvious examples of Godzilla's mortality are the Oxygen Destroyer and meltdown. The Oxygen Destroyer killed and reduced the first Godzilla to nothing (or to bones in Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla), while the Heisei Godzilla's meltdown resulted in his entire body melting away to nothing, and could have been catastrophic to the whole planet had it not been for G-Force freezing him as he melted down and Godzilla Junior absorbing the excess radiation. While these are the only two instances of Godzilla dying in a Toho film, he has demonstrated other weaknesses across his film appearances.

  • Godzilla is vulnerable to being frozen, as demonstrated in Godzilla Raids Again, Son of Godzilla, and Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. While extremely low temperatures are capable of halting and immobilizing Godzilla, they can only temporarily keep him subdued until he thaws and resumes activity.
  • In King Kong vs. Godzilla and Mothra vs. Godzilla, Godzilla demonstrated a weakness to strong voltages of electricity. A large barrier of high-tension wires carrying one million volts of electricity stopped Godzilla from approaching Tokyo, while the JSDF later used special towers and electrified nets to attack Godzilla with even higher voltages of electricity, visibly hurting him. King Kong was able to turn the tide of battle against Godzilla after absorbing power from lightning and releasing electricity through his strikes. In later films, however, Godzilla seemed to draw strength from electricity instead, and it no longer served as a critical weakness.
  • Curiously, although much of the destruction caused by Godzilla becomes surrounded by fire, in Godzilla Raids Again, a gasoline fire is used to prevent Godzilla from leaving Kamiko Island in between airstrikes. In Godzilla vs. Megalon, Godzilla seems to have a very slight aversion to fire, as seen when he cowers behind Jet Jaguar and waits for him to lift him away from the flames.
  • Dr. Shiragami's Anti-Nuclear Energy Bacteria managed to lower the radioactivity within Godzilla's body to the point of forcing him to hibernate in the sea for two years. It was only through feeding on a nuclear submarine that Godzilla was able to finally overcome the ANEB.
  • In Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, Godzilla was completely paralyzed from the waist down when Super Mechagodzilla destroyed the secondary brain in his hip. Mechagodzilla would have most likely killed Godzilla if Fire Rodan had not intervened.
  • In Godzilla 2000: Millennium, the Full Metal Missile Launchers managed to blast off chunks of Godzilla's skin and visibly cause him pain, although he completely healed from the attacks after only a few hours.
  • In Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, Godzilla's entire body was destroyed when he attempted to fire his atomic breath while a large wound had been opened on his neck. He attempted to fire the beam several times, with the pressure eventually building to the point where Godzilla exploded. While Godzilla's body was destroyed in the explosion, the monster was not truly killed, as his disembodied heart continued beating on the ocean floor.
  • The Absolute Zero Cannon used by Kiryu in Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla managed to leave a cavity in Godzilla's chest and force him to retreat. Over a year later, the wound had still not completely healed, and proved to be a weak point.
  • Several of Godzilla's enemies have proved capable of hurting and overpowering him as well, requiring outside help for him to overcome them. Examples include King Ghidorah, Gigan, SpaceGodzilla, and Keizer Ghidorah.
  • Godzilla can be harmed if his own atomic breath is reflected back at him. The Super X2 and the Heisei Mechagodzilla both demonstrated the ability to absorb Godzilla's atomic breath and fire it back at him with several times the force, visibly injuring him. Mothra has also demonstrated the ability to reflect Godzilla's atomic breath with her defensive scales.
  • In GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters, troops led by Haruo Sakaki successfully killed Godzilla Filius, a smaller subspecies of the original Godzilla, by disabling his Asymmetrically Permeable Shield and then injecting him the EMP Probes. The electromagnetic energy built to critical levels, with Godzilla Filius eventually exploding.

What is the origin of Godzilla's name?

It has been confirmed by various official sources that Godzilla's Japanese name, Gojira, is derived from the Japanese words for gorilla, gorira (ゴリラ) and whale, kujira (クジラ). In spite of what rumors may suggest, there is no sufficient evidence for the existence of a person with that nickname ever working for Toho, or that Godzilla was named after him.

Is Godzilla male or female?

An American poster for Godzilla, King of the Monsters!, the source of Godzilla's title of "King of the Monsters"

While the Japanese dialogue in the Godzilla films uses gender-neutral pronouns (equivalent to "it") to refer to Godzilla and all the other monsters, official translations of the films, including dubs and subtitle tracks, will often explicitly identify Godzilla as being a male creature. While some translations will still refer to Godzilla as "it," he has never been referred to as a female in any of his onscreen appearances. Further establishing Godzilla's male gender is his official title, King of the Monsters, or Monster King (怪獣王,   Kaijū-Ō) in Japanese. This title was first used for Godzilla in the 1956 American re-edit of the original Godzilla film, Godzilla, King of the Monsters! This title has subsequently been applied to Godzilla in both official Japanese and American media, and has become synonymous with the character, even to the point of being trademarked by Toho. Worth noting is that English dialogue even within the Japanese versions of the films will often refer to Godzilla using male pronouns, examples being Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II and Godzilla: Final Wars. Officially licensed English-language media, such as the Hanna-Barbera Godzilla cartoon, American Godzilla comics, and the films of the MonsterVerse, all consistently refer to Godzilla as a male, with some of the designers for Legendary Pictures' Godzilla even taking care to make the monster's design appear "masculine."[4]

A common point of confusion that has led some to speculate that Godzilla is female is the presence of his sons, as no mate for Godzilla is ever seen onscreen and only female reptiles can produce eggs. However, Godzilla's son in the Heisei series, Godzilla Junior, is explicitly confirmed to not be Godzilla's biological son, but rather another member of the Godzillasaurus species that Godzilla simply adopted. Godzilla's relation to Minilla, his son in the Showa series and in Godzilla: Final Wars, is unclear, as it is never explained in the films themselves if he is Godzilla's biological child or if he was adopted like Godzilla Junior. Even still, Godzilla is explicitly described as being Minilla's father and not his mother, being referred to as "Papa Godzilla" (パパゴジラ,   Papagojira) in supplementary materials for Son of Godzilla. In addition, the film's director, Jun Fukuda, clarified at the time that the Godzilla featured in the film was in fact male.[5] Furthermore, both the 1998 informational book The Official Godzilla Compendium and Toho's official English-language website state that Minilla was adopted by Godzilla in Son of Godzilla.[6][7]

Another common source of confusion regarding Godzilla's gender comes from the 1998 American Godzilla film directed by Roland Emmerich, which featured an incarnation of Godzilla that lays eggs asexually. Even despite this ability, this version of Godzilla is explicitly referred to as a male in dialogue, with Nick Tatopoulos even calling it "a very unusual he" after discovering its ability to reproduce asexually. The film's official novelization even refers to Godzilla as the "father" of his asexually-produced offspring. This Godzilla's sole surviving offspring from Godzilla: The Series does not retain his father's ability to reproduce asexually, and later mates with a female mutant Komodo dragon named Komodithrax to act as a surrogate father to her offspring. When the original Godzilla returns as Cyber Godzilla in the series, Nick refers to the creature as the other Godzilla's "daddy." The Godzilla featured in Shin Godzilla also possesses the ability to reproduce asexually, but not through the production of eggs. Rather, cells that are removed from Godzilla's body will continue regenerating, potentially growing into fully-functioning organisms and allowing Godzilla to propagate across the globe. In addition, at the end of the film, this Godzilla's next stage of evolution is shown to be a collective of smaller human-sized forms that were frozen while fissioning from the tip of his tail. The same applies to Godzilla Earth from the GODZILLA anime trilogy, whose cells gave rise to an entire ecosystem of organisms possessing his DNA, including another Godzilla dubbed Godzilla Filius.

The Godzilla book written by Ian Thorne also makes the strange claim that "Gigantis," as Godzilla is called in the Americanized version of Godzilla Raids Again, is a female monster. This is most likely just one of the miscellaneous errors contained in the book, as dialogue in Gigantis, the Fire Monster consistently refers to Gigantis with male pronouns.

While a female member of Godzilla's species has never appeared in a film, some have been featured in official non-film media. Examples include Rozan from A Space Godzilla, Bijira and Majira from Gojira-kun: Kaijū Daikōshin, and Gojirin from Get Going! Godzilland. The monster Biollante, spawned partially from Godzilla's own cells, is considered to be a female monster, and she and Godzilla are compared to a "brother and sister" at one point in the film Godzilla vs. Biollante.

Is Godzilla evil?

Though Godzilla has been the main antagonist in several films and is often hostile toward humanity, the only time Godzilla has been truly evil is in Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, where he is a malevolent supernatural entity spawned by the restless souls of those killed by the Imperial Japanese Military during World War II, who seeks to punish the nation for its past aggression. In most of his other film appearances, Godzilla is either simply an aggressive force of nature with no true malicious intent, an anti-hero who unintentionally defends the human race by fighting off greater threats, or a heroic monster who fights to defend the planet from alien invasions or malicious monsters.

Is the 1962 Godzilla the same Godzilla from 1955?

The Godzilla in King Kong vs. Godzilla is the same monster which attacked Osaka in 1955

The Godzilla from Godzilla Raids Again and from King Kong vs. Godzilla are the same creature.

This is a minor misconception which stems from Universal's American dub of King Kong vs. Godzilla, which states that Godzilla appeared from the iceberg, having slept in it since the Jurassic Period. In reality, this Godzilla is the same Godzilla which fought Anguirus in 1955, and this misconception is based on the fact that the American dub completely ignores the events of the previous two films, while the Japanese version of the film takes place after them. The iceberg which Godzilla emerges from in the film floated away from Kamiko Island, where he was buried in ice in Godzilla Raids Again.

Does Godzilla die in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II?

Godzilla's second brain

Godzilla is not killed by Super Mechagodzilla in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II. Instead, Super Mechagodzilla merely destroys Godzilla's second brain, paralyzing him. Fire Rodan then arrives at the call of BabyGodzilla to revive Godzilla's second brain using his energy. After his brain regenerates and he absorbs a considerable amount of energy from Rodan, the revitalized Godzilla stands back up and defeats Super Mechagodzilla.

Godzilla actually was slated to die in an early draft of the film, after which BabyGodzilla would absorb his radiation and grow into a new Godzilla then destroy Mechagodzilla. This idea was discarded and later loosely reused for the ending of the film Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. Godzilla is also killed in Kodansha's manga adaptation of the film, with Mechagodzilla beheading him after Mecha-King Ghidorah's programming takes over the machine. However, Godzilla is ultimately revived and healed by Fire Rodan, then defeats Mechagodzilla.

Does Godzilla die in Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack?

Godzilla's still-beating heart at the end of Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack

Godzilla does not actually die at the end of the film Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack. In this film, Godzilla is said from the start to be a supernatural beast that is possessed by the restless souls of the people killed by the Japanese military during World War II. At the end of the film, the submarine Satsuma expands a wound in Godzilla's neck, causing his atomic breath to fire through the wound when he uses it. Godzilla attempts to fire his atomic breath multiple times, but the pressure eventually causes him to explode, leading the JSDF to believe Godzilla is finally destroyed. However, the film's final scene shows Godzilla's disembodied heart still beating continuously on the sea floor, implying that Godzilla will never truly die.

Does the MonsterVerse Godzilla have gills?

Godzilla concept art by Christian Pearce stating that the 'overlapping plate'-like structures at the sides of Godzilla's head are, in fact, gills

The incarnation of Godzilla featured in Legendary Pictures' MonsterVerse has been confirmed to have gills by those involved in designing him. This confirmation comes from concept art notes as well as the following statement from Godzilla designer Christian Pearce in an fxguide interview: "Pearce: One of the first conversations we had about Godzilla was that we all agreed that Godzilla is fundamentally impossible - there’s nothing you could do to logically rationalize a creature of that size and standing and physiology. We had to take the lead and hope that the audience would take it with us - he’s impossible - but it’s Godzilla. We were almost detailing him from the outside, which is the opposite to how we usually work where we design creatures from their environment outwards. We did look at the natural world, including marine creatures. Godzilla spends 99 per cent of his life underwater so we looked at marine iguanas and large oceanic mammals, even by adding gills."[8]

In addition, Gareth Edwards himself admitted that this Godzilla has gills in Godzilla: The Art of Destruction: "You might say, oh, he should have gills. He's underwater and he's got no lungs—how else does he breathe? It might make some fans turn in their graves to know that we did this, but if just one thing comes from it, it's well worth it."[9]

The MonsterVerse Godzilla is also not the first Godzilla to have gills. Tomoyuki Tanaka's informational book, Definitive Edition Godzilla Introduction, reveals that the Showa Godzilla also has gills. The air holes in the Godzilla suits made for Haruo Nakajima to breathe through are explained in this book to be gills in-universe.[10]

Is "God Godzilla" an official Godzilla manga kaiju?

"God Godzilla" in the Ultraseven doujinshi "Worst Case Invasion of Earth"

This misconception is derived from the presence of "God Godzilla," or "Almighty Deity Godzilla," a special version of Godzilla who briefly appears in an Ultraseven doujinshi (fan-made manga) created by two experienced Japanese artists. The monster in question is Godzilla, with King Ghidorah-like wings that form a cape. God Godzilla only appears in a single scene, and is shown standing among several Ultra series kaiju who are looking up at him, with Ultraseven taking a defensive stance just in front of him. God Godzilla is not considered official due to its status as a fan-made monster. God Godzilla has some similarities in appearance with the monster King Godzilla from Kodansha Comics' Godzilla, King of the Monsters manga, which was officially licensed by Toho, and it is possible that the two are sometimes confused.

Godzilla 1998 and Zilla

Godzilla 1998/Zilla name controversy

Toho's official Zilla™ copyright icon, used for all incarnations of the TriStar Godzilla from 2004 onward

The answer to "was the Godzilla in GODZILLA (1998) renamed to Zilla?" is a bit complicated. The simple answer is that the monster from the 1998 film specifically is still Godzilla®, and the current (2004–present) versions of the monster are Zilla™.

To elaborate more: the monster from the 1998 film GODZILLA was originally the same character as Godzilla. Due to fan outrage, Toho trademarked the design of the 1998 creature as "Zilla," claiming it "took the 'God' out of 'Godzilla.'" Because of this legal action, all future incarnations of the 1998 monster will be known as Zilla, but the 1998 version still retains the name and copyright of Godzilla in all media related to and featuring it before 2004. However, the 1998 creature's specific design and characteristics are also likely contained under the Zilla copyright due to the similarities between the two creatures, evidenced by the fact that the image on the copyright icon is an official image of the 1998 Godzilla, and that in the comic series Godzilla: Rulers of Earth Zilla possesses the explicit design and abilities of the 1998 creature. The Godzilla trademark that TriStar had registered has been defunct since about 2001, after the end of the animated series and the subsequent re-absorption of the trademark by Toho. The reason the two creatures are named differently is merely a case of Toho being unable to rebrand a product they do not legally own full rights to; as they would require permission from TriStar to alter the titles and licensing of the 1998 film and the animated series, and most likely would have no interest in doing so. In addition, numerous other companies licensed the 1998 Godzilla's likeness from TriStar for marketing, merchandising, and advertising purposes, and would thus need to be consulted as well. The 1998 design is now under the Zilla trademark (as the two bear too much resemblance to require two separate trademarks), as are its characteristics and abilities (as demonstrated by Zilla's portrayal in Godzilla: Rulers of Earth), however all media relating specifically to the 1998 creature can and will still call it Godzilla.[11]

In short, both "Godzilla 1998" and "Zilla" can be used to describe the same character in different pieces of fiction, but in legal terms the current term for the character is Zilla (due to the Godzilla trademarks associated with the 1998 creature having long since expired, and Zilla having been its seeming replacement since 2004). This is supported by the fact that Toho's original agreement with Sony in 1992 to produce an American Godzilla film allowed Toho to use the American version of Godzilla in their own films and licensed media after Sony's rights to the character expired.[12]

Does Godzilla 1998 have atomic breath/fire breath?

File:Zilla 1998 - Zilla Breathes Fire - I Will See if You Even Dare To Steal This, Swe.png
The 1998 Godzilla blows on two cars with his flammable power breath

There is a scene in the 1998 American GODZILLA film that shows the titular monster blowing at a few cars and creating an explosion of fire. Many people have misinterpreted this as the monster breathing fire or even an atomic heat ray. This is actually just the creature blowing his power breath, a flammable breath that ignites flammable objects such as gasoline when enough force is exerted. Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin revealed that they never intended for their Godzilla to have any type of atomic breath, but the power breath was put in the film to please the fans that wanted an atomic heat ray. In addition, some concept art and promotional artwork of Godzilla for the film depicts him firing an atomic ray from his mouth.

However, the monster from the 1998 film's son from Godzilla: The Series does have a green atomic breath. His parent also was resurrected in the animated series as Cyber Godzilla, and had a blue atomic heat ray, obviously an homage to the Japanese Godzilla.

Was Zilla meant to be in Godzilla: Unleashed?

According to an interview with Simon Strange conducted by Chris Mirjahangir from Toho Kingdom, Zilla was in fact considered for the game, but due to lack of popularity from fans who said that "his inclusion would ruin the game," Zilla was ultimately left out of the game. This is not to say that Zilla was meant to be added to the game and then removed, but rather he was only considered early on and ultimately not selected for inclusion.[13][14]

Did Toho buy the rights to Zilla from TriStar Pictures?

This is a relatively minor misconception relating to Zilla's appearance in Godzilla: Final Wars. Many people believe that Toho purchased the rights to TriStar Pictures's American version of Godzilla in order to include it in Godzilla: Final Wars as Zilla. In actuality, Toho did not pay for the rights to TriStar's Godzilla, they were merely exercising an option in their original contract with Sony signed back in 1992, which allowed them to use the American version of Godzilla in their own films and licensed media after Sony's rights to the character had expired. When Ryuhei Kitamura and Shogo Tomiyama discovered that they would be able to use TriStar's Godzilla in Godzilla: Final Wars, they decided to trademark it as "Zilla" and feature it in the film.[11]

Was the Godzilla from Godzilla: The Series officially dubbed "Godzilla Junior" by Toho?

There's a popular rumor saying that Toho honored the Godzilla from Godzilla: The Series by calling calling him "Godzilla Junior," seeing that it was worthy of the Godzilla name. However, it turned out that this rumor was just a misconception created by fans of Godzilla: The Series, and Toho added no comment to the matter. While this Godzilla is often known as "Godzilla Junior" or "Zilla Junior" among fans, he is only called "Godzilla" or "Gojira" within the series itself, with Japanese sources calling him either "Godzilla the Second" (ゴジラ二世,   Gojira Nisei) or the "Second Generation American Version Godzilla" (2代目アメリカ版ゴジラ,   Nidaime Amerika-ban Gojira).

Is the Godzilla from Godzilla: The Series the same creature as the Zilla from Godzilla: Final Wars?

This is a minor misconception that the last surviving egg from the end of the 1998 film that became the Godzilla in Godzilla: The Series later appeared in Godzilla: Final Wars as Zilla. This is however not true, as Godzilla: The Series and Godzilla: Final Wars each occupy different continuities and are not connected. Both the Godzilla from the animated series and Zilla from Godzilla: Final Wars are separate incarnations of the Godzilla 1998/Zilla character and are not the same creature.

King Ghidorah

Did King Ghidorah attack Mars or Venus in Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster?

In the film Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, the character Maas Doulina Salno becomes possessed by the spirit of an alien in order to warn humanity of the arrival of King Ghidorah, the monster who destroyed the alien's home planet thousands of years ago. The exact planet the alien hails from varies in different versions of the film. In the original Japanese dialogue, Salno states that King Ghidorah attacked Venus, while in the American English and Castilian Spanish dubs, she says that he attacked Mars instead.

Are King Ghidorah and Keizer Ghidorah the same character?

Many fans believe that the monster King Ghidorah appeared in Godzilla: Final Wars, as a form which Monster X transformed into. However, this is not an incarnation of King Ghidorah, and is instead another monster in the Ghidorah species. Unlike King Ghidorah, Keizer Ghidorah is quadrupedal, and lacks defined scales on its body. This is supported by King Ghidorah and Keizer Ghidorah having two different functioning copyright icons and trademarks each.

Are Grand King Ghidorah and King Ghidorah different characters?

Some people believe that the villain monster from Rebirth of Mothra III is a separate character from King Ghidorah, known as "Grand King Ghidorah." However, the monster from the film is actually just an incarnation of King Ghidorah, as evidenced by the film's Japanese title, Mothra 3: King Ghidorah Attacks!, and the use of King Ghidorah's copyright icon in DVD releases of the film. "Grand Ghidorah" was a nickname utilized by the film's modeling staff and Shinji Nishikawa.[15][16]

However, this does not mean that the King Ghidorah from Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah is the same individual creature as the 1998 King Ghidorah, as the Heisei Godzilla series and the Rebirth of Mothra trilogy do not exist in the same continuity.

Mothra

Is the Mothra from Rebirth of Mothra the same Mothra from Godzilla vs. Mothra?

It is often believed both among casual viewers and fans of the Godzilla and Mothra series that the Rebirth of Mothra trilogy shares continuity with the Heisei series of Godzilla films, and that the version of Mothra in Rebirth of Mothra is the same Mothra that appeared in Godzilla vs. Mothra. As previously mentioned in relation to King Ghidorah in Rebirth of Mothra III, the Rebirth of Mothra trilogy and Godzilla Heisei series do not share continuity and the versions of Mothra in both films are not the same, evidenced by their different statistics and origins. Also worth noting is that at the end of Godzilla vs. Mothra, Mothra flew into outer space to destroy a meteor destined to strike the Earth in 1999, while in Rebirth of Mothra, which is presumably set in 1996, Mothra is living on Infant Island and according to the Elias has not left the island in many years.

Is Mothra Leo female?

Mothra Leo, Mothra's son, in Rebirth of Mothra

Mothra's son from the Rebirth of Mothra trilogy, Mothra Leo, is sometimes labeled as female. This is due to Omni Productions' English dubs of the films, which refer to Leo as female in the first and third entries of the trilogy. Leo is intended to be a male character, evidenced by his name, his deeper and more masculine roar and his physical features, especially his larger and fan-shaped antennae, which are made to resemble male moths. Official artwork showing ancient members of Mothra's species during the Cretaceous period supports this, as the Mothras all either resemble Mothra herself (the females) or Mothra Leo (the males).[17]

Baragon

Was Baragon originally meant to attack Paris in Destroy All Monsters?

Gorosaurus demonstrates Baragon's ability to burrow in Destroy All Monsters

In the film Destroy All Monsters, the monster Gorosaurus uncharacteristically burrows up from underground in Paris, destroying the Arc de Triomphe. A newscaster in the film shortly afterward claims that Paris is under attack by "Baragon." Given that Baragon possesses the ability to burrow, this sequence of events has led many to the conclusion that Baragon was really meant to appear in this scene, but was replaced at the last moment by Gorosaurus. Many fans assume that this occurred either because Baragon's suit was on loan to Tsuburaya Productions, who frequently modified it to portray other monsters from its Ultra Series, or because it was badly damaged from previous use and unable to be restored in time for the scene. While it is true Gorosaurus did replace Baragon in this role, the reality is a bit more complex.

The final screenplay for the film actually had the walrus-like kaiju Maguma from Gorath as the creature that attacks Paris.[18] At some point during the film's production the monster was dropped in favor of Baragon. Baragon's suit had actually been returned to Toho after being modified by Tsuburaya Productions in 1966 and 1967 for Ultraman and Ultraseven, and was restored for use in Destroy All Monsters.[19] According to several sources, the real reason Baragon was replaced by Gorosaurus for the Paris attack scene was due to concerns that the Baragon suit's ears would interfere with the sequence depicting the monster emerging from underneath the Arc De Triomphe.[19][20] This change was not a last-second alteration as often believed, as storyboards created for the film depict Gorosaurus attacking Paris and preliminary set designs done by Yasuyuki Inoue list Gorosaurus as appearing in the scene.[21]

The fact that Baragon was originally planned for the role has been referenced in other pieces of media over the years. In the comic series Godzilla: Rulers of Earth, Baragon actually does attack Paris after burrowing up from underneath the Arc De Triomphe. In the television series Ultraman X, the monster Magular, who was originally depicted using the modified Baragon suit, attacks Paris and destroys the Arc De Triomphe.

Was Baragon planned to appear in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla?

A longstanding myth claims that Baragon was originally planned for Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, with Anguirus ultimately taking his role in the finished film, explaining the monster's uncharacteristic burrowing ability. In reality, there is no evidence that Baragon was ever in consideration for the film, while Anguirus was already featured in two of the film's earlier screenplays: Giant Monsters Converge on Okinawa! Showdown in Zanpamisaki and Showdown in Zanpamisaki: Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla. Author John LeMay proposes in his book The Big Book of Japanese Giant Monster Movies: The Lost Films that this confusion may stem from the presence of King Balgan, a predecessor to King Caesar, in the screenplay for Showdown in Zanpamisaki: Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla. The romaji for the second word of King Balgan's Japanese name is "Barugan," which shares five of its seven letters with "Baragon." Despite the somewhat similar names, King Balgan and Baragon are completely unconnected, while Anguirus was still present in the screenplay that included King Balgan. There are no official sources which state that Baragon was ever in consideration for Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, while Anguirus was planned to star in the film from its early stages, and as such the notion that Anguirus replaced Baragon in the film is entirely false.

Minilla

Are Minilla and Godzooky the same character?

Some people frequently confuse Minilla, Godzilla's son in the Showa series and Godzilla: Final Wars, with Godzooky, Godzilla's "nephew" from Hanna-Barbera's Godzilla. Despite this confusion, Minilla and Godzooky are entirely separate characters, though Godzooky is likely loosely based on Minilla.

Godzilla Junior

Is Godzilla Junior Godzilla 1999?

Godzilla Junior at the end of Godzilla vs. Destoroyah

Some fans think that Godzilla Junior is the Godzilla incarnation featured in the movie Godzilla 2000: Millennium, due to the ending of the film Godzilla vs. Destoroyah where it is shown that Godzilla Junior is alive and becomes an adult Godzilla after absorbing his father's radiation after he melts down. However, there is no confirmation about Godzilla Junior actually being the Godzilla in Godzilla 2000: Millennium, especially due to the fact that when Junior grows to adulthood, he is shown to look identical to his father, while the Godzilla in Godzilla 2000 looks radically different from the Heisei Godzilla, while only standing a little above half his height. Godzilla.jp confirms that the Godzilla in Godzilla 2000 is the second Godzilla in that film's continuity after the original Godzilla that attacked in 1954, while Godzilla Junior was the third Godzilla in the Heisei continuity.

Is Godzilla Junior Godzilla 2004?

This common theory stems from stock footage of Godzilla Junior's rebirth being shown on top of Godzilla being frozen in ice at the beginning of Godzilla: Final Wars. However, the Heisei series and Godzilla: Final Wars share no continuity and are not connected. Furthermore, it would be impossible for the Godzilla in Final Wars to be Godzilla Junior, as the Godzilla in Final Wars is said to have first appeared in 1954, while Godzilla Junior was not even born until 1994.

Is Godzilla Junior Godzilla's biological son?

This misconception comes from the observation that Godzilla Junior looks considerably more like his father than Minilla, and from the simple fact that his name is Godzilla Junior, implying that he is Godzilla's biological son. However this is not the case, as it is established in the film Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II that Godzilla Junior is just another Godzillasaurus who is not immediately related to Godzilla and, like Minilla, was simply adopted as a son by Godzilla. Junior's large size and physical resemblance to Godzilla are just byproducts of prolonged exposure to Godzilla's radiation.

SpaceGodzilla

Does SpaceGodzilla have two origin stories?

SpaceGodzilla's origin was debated in his debut film, with two theories taking precedent, but neither one was proven.

SpaceGodzilla has two separate origin theories. However, neither one is definitively proven even within the context of Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla.

In Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla, scientists and members of the U.N.G.C.C. discuss SpaceGodzilla's origin. Scientists propose that the Godzilla cells that created SpaceGodzilla either were brought into space by Biollante or Mothra. Whilst two theories are put forward, neither are confirmed, meaning that technically, no definitive origin story is given to SpaceGodzilla in the film. However, there is some evidence in the film suggesting that Biollante is more likely the monster responsible for SpaceGodzilla's creation, as both monsters share many similarities. Both have screeching roars, jaws with numerous needle-like teeth, tusks on the sides of their mouths, and both break apart into energy spores and retreat to space when defeated.

Are SpaceGodzilla and Biollante Godzilla's siblings?

Many fans sometimes refer to SpaceGodzilla as a sort of "brother" to Godzilla, mostly due to the sheer animosity and archrivalry shared by the two kaiju, as well as their physical similarity. Literally speaking, SpaceGodzilla is not Godzilla's brother, but rather a non-identical clone who derives a significant portion of his genome from Godzilla, the rest of which is derived from crystalline alien organisms. This same logic can be applied to Biollante as well, whose genome is composed of DNA from Godzilla, a rose, and the human Erika Shiragami. As Dr. Genshiro Shiragami states in Godzilla vs. Biollante, Godzilla and Biollante are "more than just brother and sister. They are made from the same cells. They are the same creature, only one is an animal, and the other is a plant." Therefore, it makes more sense to refer to SpaceGodzilla and Biollante as either "clones" or "genetic counterparts" to Godzilla, rather than true siblings.

Destoroyah

Did Destoroyah kill Godzilla?

Destoroyah collides with the ground in front of Godzilla and disintegrates

This is a minor misconception that is commonplace in many circles outside of the Godzilla fanbase. Many people are aware that Godzilla dies in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, and that his opponent in the film is Destoroyah, who was spawned by the weapon that killed the first Godzilla, so they often conclude that Destoroyah is responsible for Godzilla's death. This is not true, as Godzilla's death in the film is due to a nuclear meltdown occurring in his heart, which is unrelated to Destoroyah. Destoroyah is responsible for killing Godzilla's adopted son, Godzilla Junior, in the film, but not Godzilla himself. Destoroyah does battle with the dying Godzilla, but is ultimately destroyed by the combined efforts of Godzilla and G-Force, with Godzilla finally dying from his meltdown shortly afterward. In an unused alternate ending for the film, Godzilla actually kills Destoroyah as he is undergoing his meltdown. This ending is also used in the Shogakukan manga adaptation of the film. This misconception may be strengthened by some suggestive dialogue in the PlayStation 3 and 3 Godzilla game that is said when Destoroyah appears; "He took down Godzilla, and humanity is next!"

King Kong

Is King Kong as big as Godzilla?

King Kong alongside Godzilla in a still for King Kong vs. Godzilla.

While the version of King Kong from King Kong vs. Godzilla is 45 meters tall, 5 meters shorter than the Showa incarnation of Godzilla, every single other incarnation of Kong so far is 31.6 meters at the tallest, though the MonsterVerse incarnation of Kong is stated to not yet be fully grown. Godzilla's maximum height in film so far is over 300 meters (in GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters), and his minimum so far is 50 meters.

Gamera

Did Gamera appear in a Godzilla film?

The case of a German bootleg VHS of Gamera vs. Barugon with the title "Gamera vs. Godzilla", featuring altered concept artwork of the TriStar Godzilla on the front, and pictures of Godzilla 1991 on the back
A page from TV Magazine's June 1979 "Godzilla vs. Gamera" feature

Some people believe that the monster Gamera, one of the most popular Japanese kaiju, once encountered Godzilla in a film. They often assume that Gamera either debuted as a Godzilla monster or was featured in a crossover film with Godzilla, due to the popularity and rivalry of both monsters. Individuals unfamiliar with either franchise may sometimes confuse Gamera monsters like Barugon or Zedus for Godzilla, or Godzilla monsters like Anguirus or Kamoebas for Gamera. This misconception is strengthened by foreign releases of some Showa Gamera films, which had Godzilla's name placed in their titles to increase the marquee value. A German bootleg VHS of Gamera vs. Barugon even bears the name "Gamera vs. Godzilla" and features images of Godzilla on the case. Gamera and Godzilla have never officially met in a film, due to always being owned by rival companies. However, both monsters have had figures released in the same toy lines and are both featured in some official artwork and encyclopedic books together, and even clashed in a live stage show in 1970. In June 1979, the Japanese TV Magazine included a special feature called "Godzilla vs. Gamera" comparing the two monsters and discussing who would win in a fight.[22] Both monsters appeared in the 2017 survival horror game City Shrouded in Shadow, though they did not encounter each other. Gamera is referenced in the 2017 novel GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse, as the corpse of a Kamoebas killed by Godzilla is noted to be a different species from past Kamoebas specimens, and is 60 meters long and missing its right arm. There are also no shortage of fan-made meetings between the two monsters, and endless debates as to who would win in a fight. Kadokawa, Gamera's current owners, reportedly did approach Toho with a proposal for a Godzilla vs. Gamera film in the 2000's, but Toho declined.

Is Gamera owned by Toho?

Going along with the above misconception, some people believe that Gamera is owned by Toho, the same company that created and owns Godzilla. They often assume that Gamera was acquired by Toho after his original creators, Daiei Motion Picture Company, went bankrupt. Toho was involved with the Gamera series during the Heisei era, when they distributed Shusuke Kaneko's Gamera trilogy while collaborating with Daiei. In the 2000's, all of Daiei's remaining assets were acquired by the Kadokawa Corporation, who retains ownership of Gamera and all of his films to this day. Gamera's toy rights are held by Bandai, who also owns the toy rights to Godzilla, and several toy lines have included both Godzilla and Gamera figures. Despite this, Toho themselves do not hold any ownership over Gamera, and the distribution rights to the Heisei trilogy along with all other Gamera films are now held by the Kadokawa Corporation.

M.U.T.O.

Are the M.U.T.O.s an adaptation of an existing Toho kaiju?

The M.U.T.O.s are original monsters created specifically for Legendary Pictures' Godzilla

It is commonly believed by those unfamiliar with the Godzilla franchise that the M.U.T.O.s, Godzilla's opponents in the 2014 film, are meant to be an adaptation of an existing Toho kaiju, usually either Mothra, Gigan or Rodan. The M.U.T.O.s are actually original monsters created by Legendary Pictures specifically for the film, and not directly based on an existing monster from the Godzilla series, due to Legendary Pictures not holding the rights to any monsters aside from Godzilla himself. Much of the confusion regarding Mothra being a M.U.T.O. comes from the male M.U.T.O.'s winged appearance and emergence from a chrysalis-like structure, as well as a rumored post credits-scene from the film reported by the website KDramaStars, which supposedly featured Mothra leading an army of M.U.T.O.s. The scene in question was a hoax fabricated by the website, while the male M.U.T.O.'s similarities to Mothra are most likely just coincidental. While Mothra has always been depicted as a giant colorful moth that acts as a benevolent guardian, the M.U.T.O.s are hostile parasitic creatures which are not insects and feature bodies almost entirely black in color. The belief that Gigan and Rodan are M.U.T.O.s also stems from some physical similarities between them and the M.U.T.O.s, such as the wings in Rodan's case and hook-like hands and slit-shaped eyes in Gigan's case, as well as two pieces of fan art by the user DopePope on deviantART, which depict Gigan and Rodan as M.U.T.O.s. Both Mothra and Rodan will be appearing in the sequel to Legendary's Godzilla.

Unnamed Multi-Legged Monster

Is the unnamed multi-legged monster named "Vishnu?"

The corpse of the unnamed multi-legged monster in the 2012 SDCC teaser trailer for Legendary Pictures' Godzilla

The dead unnamed multi-legged monster that appears in the 2012 Comic-Con teaser trailer for Godzilla (2014) is often given the name "Vishnu" by fans, due to Robert Oppenheimer's narration saying this name as the camera pans correspondingly over the monster's corpse. However, the monster has no official name, due to simply being an early concept for the M.U.T.O.s and a placeholder meant to show that Godzilla would be fighting another monster in the upcoming film.

Another common nickname that is sometimes applied to the monster is "Talaghan." This name was actually a hoax started by a user on a forum site who claimed that this was the monster's official name. This was untrue, as the creature has no official name.

Is Rokmutul the unnamed multi-legged monster?

Rokmutul, an early concept monster for Godzilla (2014)

Some fans believe that the monster Rokmutul, which appears in early concept art for Godzilla (2014), is the unnamed monster that appears in the 2012 Comic-Con trailer. This is due to the fact that Rokmutul is shown fighting Godzilla in some artwork and possesses multiple legs. However, Rokmutul and the SDCC monster are two separate concepts, even in spite of their similarities. Rokmutul only possesses six legs, while the SDCC monster has at least eight. Rokmutul also resembles an Ankylosaurus and has spikes on its back, while the monster from the SDCC teaser has no spikes and more closely resembles a tardigrade than a reptile.

Film

Was Godzilla vs. The Devil ever considered?

Godzilla vs. The Devil, also known as Godzilla vs. Satan, was supposedly an unmade Godzilla film proposed by Tomoyuki Tanaka in 1978 as an attempt to revive him after the poor box office performance of 1975's Terror of Mechagodzilla that never got past the planning stages. It supposedly was known that Godzilla would have been pitted against several demon monsters and finally would have squared off against Satan himself in a climactic final battle.

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A page explaining the "Devil' was meant to be Bagan

"Godzilla vs. The Devil" was a misconception which became well-known due to Toho Kingdom hosting it on the site for several years. Anthony Romero of Toho Kingdom apologized for hosting this content in the "Toho Busters" article, saying "Toho Kingdom itself is guilty of this as well, as the concept was listed on the site for years. Regardless, the project was not something that Toho had officially considered."

The misconception stemmed from a misreading of an early script for a Godzilla film in the 1980's before The Return of Godzilla. Bagan was originally meant to be in the film, and the codename for the script was "Godzilla vs the Devil."[23]

Does Godzilla defeat King Kong in the Japanese version of King Kong vs. Godzilla?

This is a widely published misconception that plagued American fans of Godzilla who did not have access to the Japanese versions of Godzilla films before the internet was around to disprove this. According to this misconception, there were two endings for the 1962's King Kong vs. Godzilla, one that played in the United States where King Kong surfaces from the water at the end of the film and another that played in Japan where Godzilla is the one who surfaces. This is not the case; King Kong is the monster that triumphs at the end of both versions, the only difference being that in the Japanese version the characters speculate that Godzilla may still be alive, while in the American version they merely state they hope they have seen the last of Godzilla. Additionally, after the "End" graphic appears in the Japanese version, both Godzilla and Kong's roars are heard, while only Kong's is heard in the American version. Even with the presence of the internet, this rumor is still heavily believed in by fans and the general public alike and remains one of the most prominent Godzilla misconceptions. While producer Tomoyuki Tanaka later retroactively declared the outcome of Godzilla and Kong's battle to be a draw in his book Definitive Edition Godzilla Introduction, there is still no version of the film where Godzilla wins the battle, nor is there an official source which claims that Godzilla was the victor.

Was Ishiro Honda going to direct Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II?

There is somewhat of an urban legend that alleges that Ishiro Honda, director of the original Godzilla and many other Godzilla and kaiju films during the Showa era, was set to return to direct Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II in 1993, but unfortunately passed away before filming and was replaced by Takao Okawara. This story likely originated from an anecdote by Godzilla suit actor Kenpachiro Satsuma that was taken out of context. In an interview with David Milner conducted around the time the film was released, Satsuma recalled that at a party just before Honda's death, Satsuma asked him to direct the next Godzilla film. Honda replied that he would, but Satsuma noted he wasn't sure how serious he was.[24] In the years before his death, Honda himself expressed no interest in returning to the series, and was content working with his friend and colleague Akira Kurosawa.[25] Honda was ambivalent about the Heisei Godzilla films, saying they "lacked imagination" and feeling the actors were not nearly as invested in their parts as they were in the Showa series.[26] It seems likely that Honda never actually planned to direct Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, and as such was not being serious when he told Satsuma that he would direct it.

Did the Godzilla from Godzilla 2000: Millennium reappear in Godzilla vs. Megaguirus?

This is a very popular misconception that comes simply from the fact that the MireGoji suit was used both in Godzilla 2000: Millennium and Godzilla vs. Megaguirus. A look at Godzilla vs. Megaguirus disproves this rather quickly. There is no continuity between the two films, as the Godzilla from Godzilla 2000: Millennium is stated to be the second Godzilla in the film's continuity after the original Godzilla's death, while Godzilla vs. Megaguirus takes place in an alternate continuity where the Oxygen Destroyer was never used in 1954, and Godzilla remained alive to menace Japan over the coming decades. The MireGoji suit was slightly modified and renamed GiraGoji, and the only directly connected films of the Millennium Series are Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla and Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.. All other films disregard every other film in the series, save for the 1954 original, which is used as the starting point for most of the films.

Does the German dub of Godzilla vs. Megalon say Jet Jaguar is King Kong in a robot suit?

The German release of the film only marketed Jet Jaguar under the name "King Kong" for marquee value and never mentioned that Jet Jaguar was King Kong in a robot suit.

Was Bagan going to be in Godzilla: Final Wars?

Reizaus, the monster that was mistaken for Bagan in the video

This misconception originates from a video uploaded to YouTube on June 19th, 2012, which supposedly consists of cut footage of Bagan from Godzilla: Final Wars. The footage is a hoax, showing off the monster called Reizaus from the television show Super Fleet Sazer-X, a tokusatsu series produced by Toho the following year. The aspect ratio and color filters of the footage are altered to match those of Godzilla: Final Wars, while the audio track is muted and replaced by the "Rodan Attacks New York" track from the score for the film. The uploader later claimed that the footage was simply "reused" for Super Fleet Sazer-X in combination with new footage of the suit, but this is clearly not the case upon viewing the episode featuring Reizaus. The monster inhabits the same miniature set for the entirety of its appearance, which is only compatible with the episode it appeared in. While this misconception is easily debunked, it is still common among the English-speaking fanbase. Another monster closely resembling Reizaus called Reizos is also featured in the DVD special Super Fleet Sazer-X: Secrets of the Fighting Legends - Public Release, and may also sometimes be mistaken for Bagan.

While Reizaus and Reizos are definitely original monsters created for the Super Star God series and not the result of reused footage of Bagan from Godzilla: Final Wars, it is entirely possible that their designs may have been inspired by Bagan. Artists Shinji Nishikawa and Minoru Yoshida, who created concept art of Bagan for the unmade film Mothra vs. Bagan, both designed monsters for Super Fleet Sazer-X. Many kaiju featured in the Super Star God series closely resemble or are directly inspired by existing Toho kaiju, such as Bulgario (Mechani-Kong), Deathba (Hedorah), Megallion (Moguera), Riseross (Kiryu and Gigan), and Scarabaeus (Megalon).

Do all of the Godzilla films share the same continuity?

Main article: List of Godzilla film continuities.

It is commonly believed among some fans that all of the Godzilla films take place within the same continuity. This is not the case, as there are several distinct continuities that encompass the various films in the series, including some non-Godzilla films.

Many fans also believe that the Heisei series and some of the Millennium series films are part of the same continuity, but this is a misconception as well. Each of the Millennium films (except for the two Kiryu Saga films) is set in its own continuity with no connection to the Heisei series or any other previous film, except in some cases the original 1954 film.

Were the events of Godzilla, The Return of Godzilla, and Godzilla vs. Biollante erased from the Heisei timeline in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah?

A newspaper article detailing the nuclear submarine crash that created the Heisei Godzilla

This common misconception comes from the film Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, in which time travelers from the future travel back to 1944 and remove a Godzillasaurus from Lagos Island and place it in the Bering Sea, believing it will prevent Godzilla's creation by the H-bomb test at Bikini Atoll and remove him from history. Because the script is somewhat vague about what really happened, many fans believe that the Futurians' actions erased the events of Godzilla (1954), The Return of Godzilla, and Godzilla vs. Biollante from the timeline, and a new Godzilla was created instead and appeared in the remaining films in the Heisei series.

This is however, not the case, as this film and the ones after it point out. The Futurians' actions did not affect the creation of the first Godzilla that attacked Tokyo in 1954, because this Godzilla was a separate individual from the Godzillasaurus on Lagos Island, and was still killed by the Oxygen Destroyer. The Godzillasaurus in the Bering Sea was exposed to radiation from a nuclear submarine crash and transformed into a new Godzilla, which attacked Japan in 1984, meaning the events of The Return of Godzilla and Godzilla vs. Biollante still happened normally, and the Futurians' actions actually created the Heisei Godzilla in the first place, therefore incurring a predestination paradox  and ensuring that the timeline did not actually change in any large way. This is demonstrated by the fact that the human characters still remember the events of the previous films, and the events of said films are referenced in later entries, which also explicitly point out that the 1954 and Heisei Godzillas were separate individuals.[27] Logically, this explanation also makes sense when applied to current knowledge of temporal events - Had the events of 1984 and 1990 been made non-existent, any human beings who were directly involved in those events would have ceased to exist.

Why was Godzilla (1994) scrapped?

There is a common misconception that the reason TriStar Pictures's original 1994 American Godzilla film was scrapped was because Toho demanded that if TriStar's Godzilla were to fight another monster, it had to be one of Toho's monsters rather than an original monster. TriStar, not willing to spend the money for the rights to Mothra or King Ghidorah, supposedly scrapped the draft of the film featuring the Gryphon as Godzilla's opponent for this reason.

That is however not the actual reason the film was not made. Toho did offer to sell TriStar the rights to Mothra and King Ghidorah, however they did not require TriStar to use either monster. TriStar originally intended for King Ghidorah to be Godzilla's opponent in the film, but were informed that the monsters Mothra and King Ghidorah were licensed separately from Godzilla and the other Toho monsters, and decided to create an original opponent for Godzilla instead.[28] The film was ultimately scrapped because director Jan De Bont could not come to a budget agreement with the Sony executives for the film. De Bont dropped out of the project, and Sony desperately searched for a new director for the film, eventually hiring Roland Emmerich, who only accepted on the condition that he could discard the original script and handle the film however he wanted.[11]

Is Godzilla 2000 a sequel to GODZILLA (1998)?

When Godzilla 2000: Millennium was released in the United States, many casual moviegoers mistook the film as a sequel to the 1998 American film. Even today, some people believe that Godzilla 2000 is meant to be a loose sequel to the 1998 film, featuring the monster that hatched from the lone egg at the end of the film as its version of Godzilla. This is not true, as Godzilla 2000 is a standalone film that follows the original 1954 film, featuring a version of Godzilla that had been attacking Japan for some time prior to the events of the film. Toho actually intended for their film to distance itself from the 1998 film, returning the Japanese Godzilla to the big screen in the wake of the widespread fan backlash caused by TriStar's take on the franchise. The 1998 film itself was planned to have a sequel produced, but it was scrapped and an animated series was made as a continuation of the film instead, while Toho's Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack later briefly referenced the 1998 film.

Is Gamera the Brave part of the Millennium series?

Many people believe that the film Gamera the Brave is part of the Millennium series and the only Gamera film released during that era. This is not true, as the Millennium series only applies to the Godzilla series, and Gamera the Brave is still considered part of the Heisei series despite not sharing continuity with Shusuke Kaneko's Gamera trilogy. This is evidenced by the inclusion of Gamera the Brave in a book entitled Heisei Gamera Perfection and in Kadokawa's Heisei Gamera Blu-ray box set.[29] In Japan, fans often refer to it as the "Shinsei version" (新生版,   Shinsei-ban) to distinguish it from the trilogy.

Why was The Return of Godzilla unavailable in North America for so long?

The cover of Anchor Bay's 1997 VHS release of Godzilla 1985, the last legitimate North American release of the film until 2016

Prior to September 2016, the 1984 film The Return of Godzilla had not received an official Region 1 home video release since 1997, when Anchor Bay released the film on VHS as part of its Godzilla collection. When New World Pictures, who released The Return of Godzilla in the United States as Godzilla 1985, was acquired by 20th Century Fox in 1997, its library of films released from 1984 to 1991 was acquired for video release by Anchor Bay. However, Anchor Bay's rights to the Godzilla series expired afterward, leaving the film without a U.S. distributor. While the other films Anchor Bay held the rights to were all acquired by a new North American distributor, predominantly Classic Media and Sony, Toho withheld The Return of Godzilla from being available for distribution, citing an unspecified rights issue. The Return of Godzilla would not be available for distribution in North America until this legal issue expired or was resolved, leaving it as the only Godzilla film to not receive a Region 1 DVD or Blu-ray release until 2016. Kraken Releasing, who previously released Ebirah, Horror of the Deep, Godzilla vs. Hedorah and Godzilla vs. Gigan on DVD and Blu-ray in 2014, acquired the rights to release The Return of Godzilla and finally released it on DVD and Blu-ray on September 13, 2016. However, due to ongoing rights issues the American edit of the film, Godzilla 1985, was not included in this release.[30]

Do the Shobijin make a cameo in Godzilla (2014)?

Two firefighters, often mistaken for the Shobijin, in a scene from Legendary Pictures' Godzilla

A popular misconception regarding Legendary Pictures' 2014 film Godzilla is that the Shobijin, the twin priestesses who usually speak for Mothra in the Toho films, make a cameo appearance in one scene. The scene in question shows a building in Las Vegas that has been damaged by the eight-legged M.U.T.O., exposing some of the building's interior. Some people mistook two figures who can be seen inside the building as being the Shobijin, however it is very clear upon watching the scene just before this point that the two figures are simply two firefighters from a rescue team who are searching damaged buildings in the area for survivors.

Miscellaneous

Was Shin Godzilla made as a negative response to Godzilla (2014)?

When Toho announced production of a new Japanese Godzilla film for 2016 after the release of Legendary Pictures' Godzilla, many interpreted it as a sort of retaliation for Legendary's take on the franchise and an attempt by Toho to outdo Legendary and bring back the "real Godzilla," similar to Toho's production of Godzilla 2000: Millennium in the wake of the backlash to GODZILLA (1998). This thinking was only strengthened by the announcement that the new Godzilla would stand taller than Legendary's version and the film's official Japanese title, Shin Gojira, which could be translated as True Godzilla. However, Toho made it clear from the start that it approved of Legendary's film and decided to produce Shin Godzilla to celebrate the new interest the film had generated in the franchise. Toho demonstrated its support for Legendary's Godzilla when it sold the rights to Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah to Legendary and approved the production of sequels to the film, including a crossover with King Kong. The film's co-director and special effects director, Shinji Higuchi, later called Godzilla (2014) a "masterpiece" in an interview.[31] The film's title was chosen because chief director and screenwriter Hideaki Anno saw it as a revival to the franchise and felt that the title could represent various different meanings.

Are the Kaiju suits made out of rubber?

Many people around the world may think the Godzilla suits are only made out of rubber, but this is not exactly correct. Monster suits may be made from a variety of materials, with many created from a method called "foam fabrication." Suits created using foam fabrication start as patterns and plans of the creature based on the suit actor and the design. Then, the patterns are converted into sheets of upholstery foam that were are cut, glued and sculpted into the creature's shape. Then, after the foam structure is done, the outside is covered with contact adhesive (a flexible glue used in the industry and used to glue the foam) and then the skin texture in pushed-in with wooden tools. Finally, the suit is sealed with a few coats of liquid latex (natural rubber derived from the latex tree) and a good coat of paint. In the Showa era, the heads were often made from baking clay. To summarize, rubber is used in the construction of most kaiju suits, but it is only one component in a complex process in which several other materials are used as well.

What was Toho's first superhero television program?

Although a seemingly minor topic, an unbelievably widespread misconception is that Warrior of Love Rainbowman was Toho's first superhero television series. Contrary to popular belief, this is not the case, due to the actual first superhero show Go! Godman airing a day earlier during Nippon Television's Good Morning! Kid's Show segment. This error is also sometimes extended even farther, with some saying Rainbowman was Toho's very first television show period. However, this too is easily disproved when it is taken in to account that Toho's drama He of the Sun aired its first episode 5 years earlier, and that Toho had collaborated with Tsuburaya Productions on several episodes of Ultra Q and Ultraman, loaning them the materials, staff and suits for several monsters and episodes.

Does Godzilla appear in The LEGO Batman Movie?

A number of film critics and audience members have claimed that Godzilla appeared alongside King Kong as an antagonist in the 2017 Warner Bros. film The LEGO Batman Movie, though the creature in question is meant to be the Kraken from the original Clash of the Titans film. Aside from being made of Lego, this depiction of the Kraken differs from its predecessor in two key ways, which likely contributed to the confusion: it is green and capable of shooting blue fireballs from its mouth. Some people may have assumed that Warner Bros. had the rights to use Godzilla in the film due to Warner Bros. acting as the distributor to Legendary Pictures' Godzilla films. However, Warner Bros. is only the distributor of Legendary's Godzilla films, and does not have the rights to use the character in its own productions.

Video

Wikizilla: YouTube Godzilla Misconceptions Volume 1

References

This is a list of references for Godzilla misconceptions. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]

  1. Mutation of Shin Godzilla.jpg
  2. GODZILLA: PLANET OF THE MONSTERS Update - SciFi Japan
  3. GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters Theater Program. Toho. November 17, 2017.
  4. [1]
  5. Overview - Son of Godzilla on ja.Wikipedia
  6. JD. Lees and Marc Cerasini (24 March 1998). The Official Godzilla Compendium. Random House. p. 126. ISBN 0679888225.
    Compendium7.png
  7. Son of Godzilla - TOHO GLOBAL SITE
  8. Early Weta Workshop designs for Godzilla | fxguide
  9. Mark Cotta Vaz. Godzilla: The Art of Destruction. Insight Editions. p. 99. ISBN 978-1783292806.
  10. Definitive Edition Godzilla Introduction (14th Edition). Shogakukan. 20 November 1996. p. 18. ISBN 4-09-220142-7. Check date values in: |date= (help)
    A diagram detailing Godzilla's traits, including his gills
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 GODZILLA Unmade: The History of Jan De Bont's Unproduced TriStar Film - Part 4 of 4 - SciFi Japan
  12. GODZILLA Unmade: The History of Jan De Bont's Unproduced TriStar Film - Part 1 of 4 - SciFi Japan
  13. Zilla, Cloverfield and Bagan Scrapped From Unleashed - Simon Strange Interview
  14. Zilla Scrapped From Unleashed - Simon Strange Interview
  15. Toho SF Special Effects Film Series 1998. Pages 88-89.
  16. Shinji Nishikawa tweet from November 9, 2015
  17. Rebirth of Mothra Super Complete Works. Shogakukan. 1 December 1996. p. 6. ISBN 4091014569.
    Ancient Mothras.jpg
  18. Toho Special Effects Movie Complete Works. Village Books. 28 September 2012. p. 124. ISBN 4-864-91013-8. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. 19.0 19.1 All Toho Monsters Pictorial Book (4th Edition). Yosensha. 4 September 2016. p. 146. ISBN 978-4-8003-0362-2. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  20. Godzilla 1954-1999 Super Complete Works. Shogakukan. 1 January 2000. p. 131. ISBN 978-4091014702. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  21. Tokyo Shock Destroy All Monsters DVD / Blu-ray audio commentary
  22. June 1979 TV Magazine issue - Yahoo! Japan
  23. Toho Busters - Toho Kingdom
  24. Kenpachiro Satsuma Interview I - davmil.org
  25. David Kalat (1997). A Critical History and Filmography of Toho's Godzilla Series. McFarland. p. 216.
  26. Ishiro Honda Interview - davmil.org
  27. GODZILLA VS KING GHIDORAH: Time Travel and the Origins of Godzilla - SciFi Japan
  28. GODZILLA Unmade The History of Jan De Bont's Unproduced TriStar Film - Part 2 of 4 - SciFi Japan
  29. Cover of Heisei Gamera Perfection
  30. Kraken Releasing Acquires 'The Return of Godzilla' - The Fandom Post
  31. AP Interview: Japan's 'Godzilla' Director Wants to Surprise - ABC News