allies of Godzilla. The creature shared a memorable team-up with the King of the Monsters when the two worked together to oppose Mechagodzilla. Both King Caesar and Godzilla's robotic counterpart debuted together in 1974's Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla.
King Caesar served as co-protagonist to Godzilla in the film. But unfortunately, to this day, it remains the monster's most significant contribution to Godzilla lore. King Caesar's only other appearance in a Godzilla movie didn't come until Godzilla: Final Wars in 2004, and even that was little more than a cameo. This has kept King Caesar from becoming a major figure in the franchise, but in spite of his overall absence from Godzilla's stories, King Caesar is still deserving of attention in the Monsterverse. In fact, his role in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla is actually proof of what he would bring to the table.
King Caesar's Backstory Would Make Him A Perfect Fit For The Monsterverse
King Caesar Is Very Similar To The Monsterverse's Titans
In Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, it's established that King Caesar is the ancient and revered guardian of Okinawa. Thousands of years ago, he was worshiped as a god by the people of Okinawa. He dwells in the region, entombed within a mountain. However, it is possible for Okinawans to procure his help when needed; the creature bears some sort of connection to the Azumi royal family, which means of their bloodline are capable of awakening him. By singing a song called "Miyibari's Prayer," they can summon King Caesar to combat a particular threat to Okinawa's safety.
This concept appropriately fits the Monsterverse. Unlike the vast majority of the monsters in Toho's Godzilla universe, King Caesar is a monster once treated as a god in ancient times, which is in step with how the Monsterverse has defined its Titans. Plus, at least some of them - including Godzilla and Mothra - were viewed as deities by lost civilizations. For that reason, it's not hard to imagine that one of these forgotten "gods" hibernating underground is a Monsterverse version of King Caesar.
Mothra's Story Reveals How King Caesar Could Be Discovered In The Monsterverse
Mothra's Backstory Proves That A Monster Like King Caesar Could Work In The Monsterverse
Clearly, the backstory of King Caesar is built heavily on fantasy elements. And based on the direction currently being taken by the Monsterverse, none of these would be out of place in Godzilla and Kong's world. director Michael Dougherty previously confirmed that Mothra's hostile reaction to her awakening at the beginning of the film was due to the Monsterverse incarnation of the twin fairies not being present. In classic Godzilla movies, the twin fairies call upon Mothra by singing a ritualistic song. Apparently, Mothra was upset that a different method was used to awaken her in King of the Monsters.
This confirms that music can be used to awaken Titans, thus further laying the foundation for a creature like King Caesar to exist in the Monsterverse, possibly somewhere in Godzilla and Kong's Hollow Earth world. Similar to what happened in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla's ending, the human characters in Godzilla x Kong's sequel - or perhaps another Monsterverse installment - can seek out King Caesar's resting place and perform the ritual that brings him out of his slumber.
A human with ancestral ties to his history could be the key to King Caesar's official Monsterverse debut.
Of course, it's not just anyone that can wake up King Caesar, and that can be true for the Monsterverse as well. In Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, it's revealed that as the last of the Iwi tribe, Jia is connected to Mothra and also the only person who can awaken her to fight the Monsterverse's Skar King. Since it's now known that specific people can share psychic links to a particular Titan, it won't require a stretch of the imagination for the same rules to apply to King Caesar. A human with ancestral ties to his history could be the key to King Caesar's official Monsterverse debut.
Where King Caesar Could Be In The Monsterverse (& How He Could Drive Godzilla x Kong 2's Story)
Like Skar King, King Caesar Could Be The "King" Of His Own Hollow Earth Realm
King Caesar's name offers a potential clue as to where he could fit into the picture. Evidently, the Hollow Earth is divided up into various realms, each with their ecosystems. One is the world depicted in Godzilla vs. Kong, and another is the Subterranean Realm from Godzilla x Kong. With Kong and Skar King being the alpha of their respective worlds, it stands to reason that each Hollow Earth realm also has its alpha, or "king," that rules over its resident monsters. It's possible that one of these Hollow Earth alpha Titans is King Caesar, which would help explain his title.
Akin to how the Subterranean Realm was the backbone of Godzilla x Kong, King Caesar's world could be the driving force of the Godzilla x Kong sequel. Through it, the Monsterverse can introduce new concepts, monster species, and unique geographical locations. Such an adventure could be the focal point of the film, and could therefore come across as a fun take on Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla's story, albeit in the style of the Monsterverse.
Godzilla's 10 Best "Versus" Movies, Ranked
Godzilla's best "versus" movies feature epic battles with iconic foes, highlighting his role as both a destructive force and protector of humanity.
Although it was ultimately a Godzilla movie where the King of the Monsters was the true hero in the end, reviving King Caesar is what Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla was really about. The human characters believed that only his resurrection in the modern era could stop the alien villians from accomplishing their goals with Mechagodzilla. That very formula feels tailor-made for the Monsterverse, which could easily offer a storyline where a group of people travel deep into a secret Hollow Earth realm in the hopes of finding King Caesar.
Were King Caesar to appear in Godzilla x Kong's sequel, it's likely that the Monsterverse would honor his dynamic with Godzilla in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla. Since both Godzilla and Kong are also perceived as protectors of humanity, it stands to reason that his emergence in the film would lead to the three forming a trio, presumably in time for its final showdown. A team-up between Godzilla, Kong, and King Caesar - three Titan alphas - could be the perfect way to increase the scale of the monster action for the next installment in the series.
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
Cast
Masaaki Daimon-
Kazuya Aoyama
-
Reiko Tajima
-
Akihiko Hirata
WHERE TO WATCH
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, released in 1974, introduces a dual threat to Earth with the emergence of Godzilla and a mechanical doppelgänger. As Godzilla's destructive rampage begins, it becomes evident that this mechanical version, Mechagodzilla, poses a significant challenge, following an ancient prophecy of Earth's potential destruction.
- Release Date
- March 21, 1974
- Runtime
- 84 minutes
- Director
- Jun Fukuda
- Writers
- Jun Fukuda, Hiroyasu Yamaura, Masami Fukushima, Shinichi Sekizawa
