Summary
- Godzilla Minus One features the strongest atomic breath ever, capable of wiping out cities with just one blast.
- Despite its power, Godzilla's new atomic breath has a significant weakness - it needs time to recharge between uses.
- The change in Godzilla's atomic breath could lead to more strategic battles in potential sequels, with high stakes for missing a shot.
Warning: Spoilers for Godzilla Minus One
Godzilla's movies delivered a new incarnation of the Japanese pop culture icon that's faithful to the 1954 original in a number of important ways. However, there are some noteworthy distinctions between them, not the least of which is how their signature attack works.
Easily one of the strongest abilities in the franchise, Godzilla's atomic breath has gone through several changes over the years. It's been blue, red, orange, purple, and as recently as 2024, pink. It also has a few variations, including the red spiral heat ray, which was introduced in the Heisei era. As for Godzilla Minus One, it kept the trademark blue color that's normally associated with Godzilla, but made a significant change to how it works - and its overall power level. That said, there's a big catch that comes with it, one that may not make the upgrade worth it.
Godzilla Minus One's Title Explained: Why The Godzilla Movie Is Called That
The newest movie including the iconic Kaiju - Godzilla Minus One - has an interesting title that holds a deeper meaning within the film’s story.
Godzilla's Atomic Breath Is Stronger Than Ever In Godzilla Minus One
Godzilla's New Atomic Breath Can Unleash Widespread Destruction
With his first atomic breath blast in the movie, Godzilla left a lasting impression of the colossal threat he poses. His attack caused a massive explosion that left behind a mushroom cloud. A powerful shockwave went along with it as all, further adding to the destruction Godzilla had set in motion. Clearly, this new interpretation of Godzilla's atomic breath functions like a nuclear bomb, which is actually quite fitting, given that the King of the Monsters is a creature created by nuclear technology. But not only is it appropriate, it's also considerably stronger than all other forms of atomic breath.
Arguably the Godzilla with the strongest atomic breath prior to Godzilla Minus One was the Monsterverse iteration. After all, his version was able to puncture a hole that went all the way to the Titans' Hollow Earth world. However, it's important to note that his individual blasts don't cause mass destruction. Whereas he strikes in concentrated areas, Minus One's Godzilla can wipe out cities with just a single use of his atomic breath.
Godzilla's Atomic Breath Has A Huge Weakness In Minus One
Other versions of Godzilla don't have this problem
As powerful as it may be, Godzilla's new atomic breath has a glaring weakness. In the movie, it was stated by Kenji Noda that Godzilla needs time to charge up his attack before using it a second time. Although there was no proof of his assertion at the time, Godzilla not using his atomic breath to save himself from their trap came across as evidence of Noda's theory. Based on this, it's safe to assume that Godzilla's atomic breath does indeed require recharging. That's a significant trade-off, considering that this isn't a normal limitation for Godzilla.
What Godzilla's Atomic Breath Change Could Mean For His Monster Fights
Godzilla Would Have To Be More Calculated ing His Atomic Breath
For now, the possibility of Godzilla making a comeback in a sequel hasn't been ruled out, which means there's a chance his atomic breath will eventually get a proper test. And if the rules the movie established for it are any indication, his fighting strategy will have to differ from those employed by earlier incarnations of the kaiju. Atomic breath has always contributed greatly to Godzilla's versatility; because of it, he can be lethal both from a distance and up close. That could still be true for Minus One's Godzilla, but not after he fires one shot of his atomic breath.
If it connects, that could be all it takes to defeat his enemy, which could result in some easy victories for Godzilla in a Godzilla Minus One sequel. But the potential consequences of missing the attack could be just as great. It could set up an extremely challenging monster battle where Godzilla is without his greatest weapon. For instance, if Godzilla is fighting another kaiju with a beam ability, like King Ghidorah or Destoroyah, he wouldn't have a way to counteract it once he's used his atomic breath. His lack of speed and maneuverability could make this a bigger disadvantage for him, as he could wind up a sitting duck for long-range attacks.
Godzilla Minus One
- Release Date
- November 3, 2023
- Runtime
- 124 minutes
- Director
- Takashi Yamazaki
Cast
Ryunosuke KamikiKoichi Shikishima-
Minami HamabeNoriko Oishi
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Takashi Yamazaki
- Franchise(s)
- Godzilla
- Studio(s)
- Toho Studios, Robot
- Distributor(s)
- Toho Studios
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