The Evolution of Godzilla

Introduction

• Godzilla's appearance has evolved since his inception in movies.
• Overview of his theatrical looks and story.

Original Godzilla (1954)

• Appearance: Small arms, thick legs, dorsal plates down his spine, tiny pupils, fangs, and pointy ears.
• Story: Attacks Japan and gets disintegrated to bone.

Godzilla Raids Again (1955)

• Appearance: Thinner, longer arms, smaller head, larger pupils, jutted-out teeth.
• Story: Buried after attack.

King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

• Appearance: Colorized, more plump, lizard-like head, yellow eyes, no ears, no fangs.
• Story: Faces King Kong, tumbles into the ocean.

Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

• Appearance: Slimmer, wider head, wide eyes, smooth brows.
• Story: Covered in silk and drops into the sea.

Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)

• Appearance: Slimmer face, longer tongue.
• Story: Begins to defend humanity, fights Ghidorah.

Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965)

• Appearance: Thinner, more defined dorsal plates, dull claws, rounder head.
• Story: Alien mind control, new dance moves.

Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966)

• Appearance: Less angry brows.
• Story: Battles a big lobster, escapes an exploding island.

Son of Godzilla (1967)

• Appearance: Elongated neck, pudgier, flimsy dorsal fins, stubby nose, bugged-out eyes.
• Story: Raises a son.

Destroy All Monsters (1968)

• Appearance: Slimmer, battle-damaged face.
• Story: Fights various monsters.

Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971)

• Appearance: Consistent with previous films.
• Story: Battles pollution monster Hedorah.

Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

• Appearance: Suit starts ripping.
• Story: Gains ability to speak, triumphant battle.

Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

• Appearance: Shorter neck, bright dorsal fins, round face.
• Story: Long-distance dropkick, battle with Megalon.

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)

• Appearance: Angrier expression, more detailed muzzle.
• Story: Faces Mechagodzilla, uses magnetic upgrade.

Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)

• Appearance: Consistent with previous film.
• Story: Faces Mechagodzilla again, timeline reboot.

The Return of Godzilla (1984)

• Appearance: Taller, larger dorsal fins, fourth toe, fangs, ears.
• Story: Trips into a volcano.

Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989)

• Appearance: Smaller head, muscular build, larger fins, cat-like face.
• Story: Defeats giant plant monster Biollante.

Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991)

• Appearance: Taller, muscular, angrier.
• Story: Bites Mecha-King Ghidorah, dumped into the ocean.

Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992)

• Appearance: Thinner, rearranged dorsal plates, flatter head, golden eyes.
• Story: Battles Mothra and Batra.

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993)

• Appearance: Slimmed down shoulders, slimmer legs.
• Story: Raises baby Godzilla, brain destroyed but revitalized.

Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994)

• Appearance: Bulkier, less detailed neck, larger eyes.
• Story: Battles SpaceGodzilla.

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995)

• Appearance: Glowing more, hunched son.
• Story: Godzilla melts down, son absorbs radiation.

Godzilla (1998)

• Appearance: Mutated iguana, blue dorsal spines, hanging dewlap.
• Story: Defeated by basic explosives.

Godzilla 2000 (1999)

• Appearance: Shorter, green jagged skin, sharp purple spines.
• Story: Battled, prepared for new reboot.

Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000)

• Appearance: Lighter, longer neck, smaller mouth.
• Story: Defeats giant flying insect Megaguirus.

Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001)

• Appearance: Smooth charcoal-colored skin, white dorsal fins, hunched neck, pure white eyes.
• Story: Formed by ghosts of WW2 victims, defeated by drill missile.

Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

• Appearance: Jagged design, wolf-like face.
• Story: Blasted by a beam, visible scar on chest.

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

• Appearance: Consistent with previous film.
• Story: Covered in silk, sunk to the bottom of the sea.

Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)

• Appearance: Taller, smoother, slender, longer ears, red eyes.
• Story: Battles multiple creatures, heads back to ocean.

Shin Godzilla (2016)

• Appearance: Evolving forms, light-colored with no arms to red and blood-accented, long tail with face.
• Story: Given freezing agent, ceasing evolution.

Godzilla Anime Trilogy (2017-2018)

• Appearance: Muscular, rounded, tree bark-like texture.
• Story: Rules Earth after 19,000 years.

Godzilla (2014, 2019)

• Appearance: Plump, jagged dorsal plates, wide feet, gills.
• Story: Fights MUTOs, gains new power after radiation.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)

• Appearance: Taller, beefier, blunt tail, glowing dorsal fins.
• Story: Maintains kingly crown after battle.