Summary

• Rodan's portrayal in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II was a heroic and selfless beast, unlike his treatment in the Monsterverse.
• The Monsterverse robbed Rodan of his heroic traits, giving his big moment to Mothra instead in Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
• It's not too late for the Monsterverse to redeem Rodan and honor his legacy with a true selfless act alongside Godzilla.

Because of Titans in the Monsterverse. All that aside, I felt that the movie didn't do as much with him as it should have.

Initially, I was ittedly a little disappointed that he was utilized as a secondary villain rather than a hero. But at the same time, Rodan was certainly fun to watch in King of the Monsters, especially since he seemed more dangerous and more powerful than ever. In that sense, I thought the Monsterverse handled him well. But after rewatching one of my favorite Godzilla movies from the 1990s, combined with Rodan's continued absence from the Monsterverse's movies, I now see his treatment as one of the most unsatisfying parts of the Monsterverse.

Rodan Has One Of The Most Selfless Arcs In The History Of The Godzilla Franchise

Rodan Proved He Was A True Hero In Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II

Rodan's role as Ghidorah's chief minion in King of the Monsters is a far cry from the kaiju I from Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II. After years of serving as an ally to Godzilla in the Showa era, Rodan was reintroduced in the 1993 movie as a creature with no existing backstory in connection with Godzilla. In the film, Rodan was regarded as a threat to humanity, but not for the same reasons as most giant monsters that attack civilization. Rather, his motivation was much more relatable - he was trying to rescue a lost member of his family.

Specifically, Rodan was looking for what he perceived to be his sibling. He hatched next to another egg that had been nesting alongside him for years, unaware that it was Godzilla's. Falsely believing this egg to be his brother or sister, Rodan worked tirelessly to take it back from the film's human protagonists, even going up against Godzilla and Mechagodzilla in the process. In the interest of protecting his sibling, Rodan even sacrificed his own life. By using what was left of his life essence to restore Godzilla's energy, he set up Mechagodzilla's defeat to ensure his sibling was taken away from the humans.

Receiving Rodan's power is what unlocked one of Godzilla's strongest attacks, the red spiral heat ray.

This instinct is nothing new, however, considering that Godzilla had protected his son before in Son of Godzilla. But what set it apart from that was the scene that showed Rodan laying his eyes on the newly-hatched Godzilla Junior during the big battle. This added all sorts of emotional weight to Rodan's big moment, as it meant that he knew that he was dying for someone who wasn't even his biological family. The fact that resolving this misconception didn't deter Rodan from making the ultimate sacrifice made me see this monster on a human level that I didn't expect.

The Monsterverse Robbed Rodan Of His Heroic Traits (& Gave His Big Moment to Mothra)

Rodan Is Far From A Hero In Godzilla: King Of The Monsters

The side of Rodan that I saw in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II wasn't represented at all in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Based on a mural in the underwater city, a member of Rodan's species sided with Godzilla against Ghidorah thousands of years ago. But in the movie, losing to him results in Rodan fighting on his side. But after Godzilla kills Ghidorah, Rodan immediately bows down to a new master. Rodan's focus on self-preservation in King of the Monsters stands in stark contrast to the selfless hero he was in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II.

What's worse is that Rodan's tragic and heroic ending in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II actually is in the film, but was handed to Mothra instead. After falling in battle to King Ghidorah, Godzilla is saved by Mothra, who copies the 1993 version of Rodan by powering up Godzilla with her remaining life essence. In doing so, she became one of the Monsterverse's greatest heroes; to date, she's the only Titan to die for the greater good. Rodan, on the other hand, never evolved beyond the role of the Titan who switched sides only to save his own life.

How The Monsterverse Can Still Do Right By Rodan

It's Not Too Late To Redeem Rodan In The Monsterverse

Although Godzilla: King of the Monsters' handling of Rodan didn't live up to the high standard set by Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (or his other roles), there was still room for that to be rectified. But considering that there have been two big-screen Monsterverse movies since then and neither featured Rodan, I'm not very confident that the Monsterverse intends to do anything more with him. But while Godzilla vs. Kong left much of what happened in King of the Monsters behind it (Rodan included), Mothra's return in Godzilla x Kong made me optimistic that the Monsterverse hasn't forgotten about the movie's contributions to the lore.

Rodan showing up in Godzilla x Kong's sequel or perhaps one of the Monsterverse's new TV shows is absolutely plausible, as King of the Monsters' ending does allow for that. Rodan accepted Godzilla as the new alpha and relocated to a volcano in Fiji offscreen. Presumably, he's still there and could resurface at anytime. As for why he would, it's possible that he'll be summoned by Godzilla. The Godzilla vs. Kong graphic novel prequel, Godzilla: Dominion, confirmed he can let out a call that orders all the Titans following him into hibernation, which indicates that the reverse should also be true.

This makes a Godzilla-Rodan team-up something that the Monsterverse can easily arrange, potentially in Godzilla vs. Kong 3. But, Rodan's relationship with Godzilla shouldn't be based solely on his alpha status, as his actions on Ghidorah's behalf in King of the Monsters imply. To adequately honor his Toho counterpart's heroic legacy from both Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II and his Showa era films, the King of the Skies needs a moment where he chooses to help Godzilla. I want to see Rodan fight beside Godzilla not out of fear of disobeying the alpha, but in an act of true selflessness and loyalty.