The Godzilla movies are the definitive giant monster movies. While they were not the first to do giant monsters, they revolutionized them to become cinematic icons. Future movies including Cloverfield, Pacific Rim, and Gamera would take inspiration from the King of the Monsters as a result.
Whether they're scary, funny, intimidating, or downright cool, the Kaiju monsters of the Godzilla franchise are timeless additions to the science fiction genre. Some have become legendary, while others have dropped off the radar, but there's no shortage of cool Kaiju to enjoy on-screen across numerous Godzilla films.
Updated on June 12th, 2021 by Melody MacReady: When it comes to the Godzilla movies, there have been thirty-six live-action and animated movies, a few animated movies, and multiple timelines over the course of nearly seventy years. As a result, a lot of kaiju have been introduced and reimagined; leading to some monsters gaining cult followings or rising to the popularity of other monsters. It's hard to stop at just ten monsters as there are several more kaiju that deserve credit where it is due. Some of these monsters range from heroes to villains and anti-heroes and some even fit in all three categories depending on the incarnation.
Jet Jaguar
Despite appearing in one of the most mocked Godzilla movies, Jet Jaguar's presence left an impact. He was the result of a fan creating a new kaiju for the franchise via a contest. The result is a humanoid robot that can grow to any size, including the size of Godzilla to help fight Megalon.
His appearance in Godzilla VS Megalon would not be his last appearance. He would return in several video games, comics, and has made his biggest return in the Godzilla: Singular Point anime.
Anguirus
This kaiju does not get enough credit as he was the first time Godzilla ever fought another monster. Though Godzilla Raids Again is often considered one of the worst Godzilla sequels, without it, there wouldn't be all the many monster brawls that fans love so much.
Anguirus appears in Destroy All Monsters, Godzilla VS Gigan, Godzilla VS Megalon, and is another monster that got his big return in Singular Point.
Space Godzilla
Completely bland name aside, Space Godzilla was the second new villain of the Heisei era of Godzilla. His origin is left ambiguous; it's theorized that Godzilla's DNA went into a black hole and resulted in this evil clone. In of being a threat, he nails it as he's much more nimble and capable of flight.
His crystalline growths also fire powerful lasers that nearly kill Godzilla until M.O.G.U.E.R.A. assisted in its destruction. Space Godzilla is also pure evil as he is shown to actually attack Godzilla Jr. and capture him without any remorse.
M.U.T.O.
When Legendary Pictures rebooted Godzilla in 2014, they knew they'd need a good monster for him to face down. Luckily they came up with one of the cooler designs out there, the M.U.T.O. which stands for Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism.
These parasitic creatures awaken from a long slumber to begin taking the world apart piece by piece, awakening Godzilla himself to restore the balance. The M.U.T.O. are inherently ironic given that they are the first true big-screen Kaiju featured in an American Godzilla film.
Destoroyah
This principle baddie was born from the very weapon that killed Godzilla in the original film, the Oxygen Destroyer. This menacing being starts out small but soon morphs into one of Godzilla's most fearsome and malevolent foes.
Destoroyah could handle some of Godzilla's attacks that would obliterate lesser foes, plus his regenerative capabilities and vicious nature made him terrifying in a pit fight. He nearly killed Godzilla outright - one of the few Kaiju to manage it.
Hedorah
In the Showa era, most of the monsters that Godzilla fought were just big that: big monsters that caused simple destruction. Hedorah, also known as the Smog Monster, is a much more horrifying villain. Hedorah kills using pollution which leads to some graphic body horror kills that likely traumatized some children.
Even when fighting Godzilla, his toxic muck melts and burns pieces of Godzilla himself. Much like Godzilla, Hedorah is a social commentary on mankind's constant pollution and its destructive force. This makes Hedorah a well-rounded villain, especially with his many designs and forms.
Orga
In Godzilla: 2000, Godzilla fights a rather bizarre monster. It's said to be a civilization of millions of aliens acting as one to create a giant jellyfish-like monster. However, the moment they absorb Godzilla's DNA, the aliens fuse into one being known as Orga.
Orga is a rather unique monster mixing alien and Godzilla designs into a being that constantly changes and gets stronger and stronger. He's creepy, disturbing, and manages to do a lot of damage in one movie. He made such a big splash that he returned in the games and made a quick cameo in Godzilla: Planet Of The Monsters.
Rodan
Rodan got his start in his own film, a rare treat for other Kaiju. This large pterosaur has flip-flopped between evil and benevolent several times, but it usually there was a destructive force for Godzilla to contend with.
This Kaiju is best known for its supersonic speed and wing power, which can cause hurricane-level destruction. In the MonsterVerse version, he has wings that are fused with the lava he rests in, allowing him to burn everything in his path.
Gigan
When the franchise began looking to the stars for an appropriate foe for Godzilla to fight, Gigan proved to be a perfect choice. This Cyborg Kaiju was controlled by an alien race seeking to destroy Earth alongside King Ghidorah, but Godzilla was having none of it.
The creature has popped up several times to do battle with Godzilla, most notably in Godzilla: Final Wars, where he takes on dual forms. Gigan and Mothra share a long-term rivalry; the former having suffered defeat by the latter, thousands of years prior.
Biollante
Meet Biollante, the Kaiju that sent young kids screaming in terror from the living room. This menacing-looking Kaiju is a grotesque hybrid of Godzilla and human DNA, along with plant life.
It evolved quickly into a horrible creature capable of regenerating its body, spitting radioactive sap, and shrugging off heavy attacks. Although large in appearance, Biollante is quite nimble and capable of moving around with great speed.
