View source for Godzilla

{{Short description|Fictional monster}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2024}}
{{Redirect-multi|2|ゴジラ|Godzillasaurus|the dinosaur|Gojirasaurus|the film franchise|Godzilla (franchise){{!}}''Godzilla'' (franchise)|other uses|Godzilla (disambiguation)|and|Gojira (disambiguation)}}
{{pp-move|small=yes}}
{{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}
<!-- This article was pared-down and heavily rewritten because it was bloated with unsourced information and written in an inappropriate in-universe tone. Brevity is the soul of wit, please do not copy/paste information from Wikizilla or remove citations. -->
{{Infobox character
| name = Godzilla
| series = [[Godzilla (franchise)|Godzilla]]
| image = Godzilla (1954).jpg
| image_size = 
| alt = 
| caption = Publicity still of Godzilla as portrayed by [[Haruo Nakajima]] via [[suitmation]] in ''Godzilla'' (1954)<ref name="Hokkaido">{{cite web|url=http://event.hokkaido-np.co.jp/godzilla/works/index.html|title=作品紹介|trans-title=Work Introduction|work=Godzilla Exhibition at Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art|publisher=[[Hokkaido Shimbun]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210831102736/http://event.hokkaido-np.co.jp/godzilla/works/index.html|archive-date=August 31, 2021|quote=ひな形をもとに、撮影用のスーツが制作された。スーツに入って演じたのは、東宝所属の俳優・手塚勝巳と中島春雄だが、広報用に特別に撮影されたこの写真では、スーツの制作スタッフの一人で長身であった開米栄三が、スーツに入っている。|trans-quote=Based on the model, a suit was created for the shoot. The actors in the suit were Katsumi Tezuka and Haruo Nakajima, both Toho actors, but in photos taken specifically for publicity purposes, Eizo Kaimai, a tall man who was one of the suit's creators, is in the suit.|language=ja|access-date=April 21, 2025}}</ref>
| first = ''[[Godzilla (1954 film)|Godzilla]]'' (1954)<ref name="Empire guide">{{cite web|url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/godzilla-movie-guide/|title=An Essential Guide To All The Godzilla Movies|first=Owen|last=Williams|work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]|date=March 3, 2021|access-date=August 6, 2022|url-status=live|archive-date=August 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220806233530/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/godzilla-movie-guide/}}</ref>
| last = 
| creator = {{Plainlist|
* [[Tomoyuki Tanaka]]{{sfn|Ragone|2007|p=34}}<ref name="Livedoor">{{Cite web |title=「ゴジラは誰の物か」泥沼裁判に 本多監督の遺族、東宝を訴える |trans-title="Who owns Godzilla?" - Director Honda's family sues Toho in a quagmire of a lawsuit |date=March 30, 2022 |url=https://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/22254043/ |access-date=August 26, 2024 |website=[[Livedoor]] |language=ja |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230625231832/https://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/22254043/ |archive-date=June 25, 2023}}</ref>
* [[Eiji Tsuburaya]]<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Doug|first=Bolton|date=July 7, 2015|title=Godzilla creator Eiji Tsuburaya celebrated in Google Doodle|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/eiji-tsuburaya-s-114th-birthday-monster-movie-pioneer-honoured-interactive-google-doodle-10370174.html|access-date=July 25, 2021|website=[[The Independent]]|language=en|url-status=live|archive-date=July 27, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220727015614/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/eiji-tsuburaya-s-114th-birthday-monster-movie-pioneer-honoured-in-interactive-google-doodle-10370174.html}}</ref>{{efn|name=Toho|During a 2010 dispute with Honda's family over Godzilla's copyright ownership, Toho credited Tanaka and Kayama alone as the character's "authors".<ref name="Livedoor"/>}}
* [[Ishirō Honda]]{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=24}}{{efn|name=Toho}}
* {{Ill|Shigeru Kayama|ja|香山滋}}<ref name="Livedoor"/>
}}
| designer = [[Akira Watanabe (art director)|Akira Watanabe]]{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=27}}<br>Teizō Toshimitsu{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=27}}
| portrayer = {{show|Various|
{{Plainlist|
* '''[[Godzilla (Showa)|Shōwa era]]''':
* [[Haruo Nakajima]]<ref name="Hokkaido"/>{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=178}}
* [[Katsumi Tezuka]]<ref name="Hokkaido"/>{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=27}}
* Hiroshi Sekida{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=142}}
* Seiji Onaka{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=142}}
* Shinji Takagi{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=360}}
* Isao Zushi{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=361}}
* [[Toru Kawai]]{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=361}}
* '''[[Godzilla (Heisei)|Heisei era]]''':
* [[Kenpachiro Satsuma]]{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=263}}
* [[Hurricane Ryu]] (''[[Godzilland|Adventure! Godzilland]]'')<ref>{{cite book|title=ゴジラ大百科・メカゴジラ編|trans-title=Encyclopedia of Godzilla (Mechagodzilla Edition)|date=December 10, 1993|publisher=[[Gakken]]|page=170|isbn=978-4056001747|language=ja}}</ref>
* [[Naoki Bandō]] (''Get Going! Godzilland'')<ref name="ANN">{{cite web|title=''Susume! Godzilland'' (OAV) |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=29059 |access-date=September 22, 2024 |website=[[Anime News Network]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240922220137/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=29059 |archive-date=September 22, 2024 }}</ref>
* '''[[Godzilla (TriStar)|TriStar Pictures]]''':
* Kurt Carley<ref name="kc">{{cite web|url=http://www.tohokingdom.com/articles/2014-11-07_nakajima_carley_godzilla_1954_1998.html|title=Nakajima and Carley: Godzilla's 1954 and 1998|last=Mirjahangir|first=Chris|work=Toho Kingdom|date=November 7, 2014|access-date=April 5, 2015|url-status=live|archive-date=July 27, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220727015038/https://www.tohokingdom.com/blog/haruo-nakajima-and-kurt-carley-godzilla-1954-and-godzilla-1998/}}</ref>
* '''Millennium era''':
* [[Tsutomu Kitagawa]]{{sfn|Kalat|2010|p=232}}
* [[Mizuho Yoshida]]{{sfn|Kalat|2010|p=241}}
}}}}
| voice = {{show|Various|
{{Plainlist|
* '''Shōwa era''':
* Ted Thomas<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 28, 2014 |title=Ted Thomas on his time in the spotlight |url=https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1599506/my-life-ted-thomas |website=[[South China Morning Post]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161126135706/http://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1599506/my-life-ted-thomas |url-status=live |archive-date=November 26, 2016 |access-date=September 22, 2024 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>{{efn|Thomas voiced Godzilla in the English dub of ''[[Godzilla vs. Gigan]]'' (1972).}}
* '''Hanna-Barbera''':
* [[Ted Cassidy]] (vocal effects)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/entertainment/events/1970/01/01/critter-chronology-history-godzilla/37335572007/|title=Critter chronology: the history of Godzilla|first=Jonathan|last=Comey|work=[[Cape Cod Times]]|date=January 1, 1970|access-date=December 31, 2022|url-status=live|archive-date=December 31, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221231165801/https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/entertainment/events/1970/01/01/critter-chronology-history-godzilla/37335572007/}}</ref>
* '''Heisei era''':
* [[Yūko Mita]] (''Get Going! Godzilland'')<ref name="ANN"/>
* '''TriStar Pictures''':
* [[Frank Welker]] (vocal effects)<ref name="Frank">{{cite web|url=https://www.awn.com/animationworld/frank-welker-master-many-voices|title=Frank Welker: Master of Many Voices|last=Miller|first=Bob|work=Animation World Network|date=April 1, 2000|access-date=March 24, 2018|url-status=live|archive-date=July 27, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220727014901/https://www.awn.com/animationworld/frank-welker-master-many-voices}}</ref>
}}
}}
| motion_actor = {{Plainlist|
* '''[[Godzilla (MonsterVerse)|Legendary Pictures]]''':
* [[T. J. Storm]]<ref name="tj">{{cite web|url=https://archivo.crhoy.com/conozca-al-actor-que-da-vida-a-godzilla-quien-hablo-con-crhoy-com-v2k0k2x/entretenimiento/|title=Conozca al actor que da vida a Godzilla, quien habló con crhoy.com|last=Arce|first=Sergio|work=crhoy.com|date=May 29, 2014|access-date=March 26, 2015|url-status=live|archive-date=May 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190524013337/https://www.crhoy.com/archivo/conozca-al-actor-que-da-vida-a-godzilla-quien-hablo-con-crhoy-com-v2k0k2x/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/genre-mvp-the-motion-capture-actor-whos-played-groot-godzilla-and-iron-man|title=Genre MVP: The Motion Capture Actor Who's Played Groot, Godzilla, and Iron Man|first=Adam|last=Pockross|work=Syfy Wire|date=February 28, 2019|access-date=March 16, 2019|url-status=live|archive-date=March 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190301025357/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/genre-mvp-the-motion-capture-actor-whos-played-groot-godzilla-and-iron-man}}</ref><ref name="GKOTM Credits">{{cite web|url=http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2019/05/23/godzilla-king-of-the-monsters-final-credits/|title=Godzilla: King of the Monsters Final Credits|work=SciFi Japan|date=May 23, 2019|access-date=May 23, 2019|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190524013046/http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2019/05/23/godzilla-king-of-the-monsters-final-credits/}}</ref>
* '''Reiwa era''':
* [[Mansai Nomura]]<ref name="shinmc">{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/meet-godzilla-resurgences-motion-capture-actor-1784640157|title=Meet Godzilla Resurgence's Motion Capture Actor|last=Ashcraft|first=Brian|work=[[Kotaku]]|date=August 1, 2016|access-date=August 1, 2016|url-status=live|archive-date=June 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230605032421/https://kotaku.com/meet-godzilla-resurgences-motion-capture-actor-1784640157}}</ref>
}}
| alias = {{Plainlist|
* Gigantis{{sfn|Solomon|2017|p=32}}
* Monster Zero-One{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=121}}
* Titanus Gojira<ref>{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/godzilla-king-monsters-every-titan-creature/|title=Every Titan In Godzilla: King Of The Monsters|author=Sarah Moran|work=Screen Rant|date=May 31, 2019|access-date=October 25, 2019|url-status=live|archive-date=October 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191025070535/https://screenrant.com/godzilla-king-monsters-every-titan-creature/}}</ref>
}}
| species = Prehistoric monster{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=19}}
| family = [[Minilla]] and [[Godzilla Junior]] (adopted sons)
}}
	
{{Nihongo foot|'''Godzilla''' ({{IPAc-en|ɡ|ɒ|d|ˈ|z|ɪ|l|ə}} {{respell|ɡod|ZIL|ə}})|ゴジラ|Gojira|lead=yes|{{IPA|ja|ɡoꜜʑiɾa|IPA|Ja-Godzilla.oga|small=no}}|group=lower-alpha}} is a monster, or ''[[kaiju]]'', that debuted in the [[Godzilla (1954 film)|eponymous 1954 film]], directed and co-written by [[Ishirō Honda]].<ref name="Empire guide"/> The character has since become an international [[Godzilla in popular culture|pop culture icon]], appearing in [[Godzilla (franchise)|various media]]: 33 Japanese films produced by [[Toho|Toho Co., Ltd.]], [[Godzilla (franchise)#American films|five American films]], and numerous [[List of Godzilla games|video games]], novels, [[Godzilla (comics)|comic books]], and [[Godzilla (franchise)#Television|television shows]]. Godzilla has been dubbed the '''King of the Monsters''', an epithet first used in ''[[Godzilla, King of the Monsters!]]'' (1956), the American localization of the 1954 film.

Originally and in most iterations of the creature, Godzilla is a colossal [[Mesozoic|prehistoric]] [[reptilia]]n or [[dinosaurian]] monster that is [[Semiaquatic|amphibious]] or resides partially in the ocean, awakened and empowered after many years by exposure to [[Radioactive decay|nuclear radiation]] and [[nuclear testing]]. With the [[Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki|nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki]] and the ''[[Daigo Fukuryū Maru|Lucky Dragon 5]]'' incident still fresh in the Japanese consciousness,<ref name ='Souder_2012'>Souder, William (2012); On a Farther Shore - The Life and Legacy of Rachel Carson. Broadway Books, New York, 496 pp.  ISBN 978-0-307-46221-3</ref> Godzilla was conceived as a metaphor for [[nuclear weapon]]s.<ref name="Brian">{{cite web |last=Merchant |first=Brian |date=August 25, 2013 |title=A Brief History of Godzilla, Our Never-Ending Nuclear Nightmare |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/a-brief-history-of-godzilla-our-never-ending-nuclear-nightmare/ |work=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]] |access-date=February 23, 2022 |archive-date=June 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612143920/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/8gd4e3/a-brief-history-of-godzilla-our-never-ending-nuclear-nightmare |url-status=live}}</ref> Others have suggested that Godzilla is a metaphor for the United States, a "giant beast" woken from its "slumber" that then takes terrible vengeance on Japan.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.wearethemighty.com/entertainment/godzilla-films-japanese-metaphor| author=Eric Milzarski| title=How Godzilla films were actually a metaphor for how postwar Japan saw the world | publisher=We Are the Mighty| date=December 12, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=https://video.foxnews.com/v/5166986165001#sp=show-clips| title=Is Godzilla a metaphor for the United States?| publisher=Fox News| date=October 13, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=https://news.usc.edu/32825/trojans-explore-the-fantastic-aspects-of-reality/| author=Ambrosia Viramontes Brody| title=Trojans explore the fantastic aspects of reality| publisher=USC News| date=January 23, 2012| access-date=August 8, 2020| archive-date=November 12, 2020| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112195639/https://news.usc.edu/32825/trojans-explore-the-fantastic-aspects-of-reality/| url-status=dead}}</ref> As the film series expanded, some storylines took on less serious undertones, portraying Godzilla as an [[antihero]] or lesser threat who defends humanity. Later films address disparate themes and commentary, including Japan's apathy, neglect, and ignorance of its [[Empire of Japan|imperial past]],{{sfn|Barr|2016|p=83}} [[natural disaster]]s, and the [[human condition]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Robbie Collin |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/10820543/Gareth-Edwards-interview-I-wanted-Godzilla-to-reflect-the-questions-raised-by-Fukushima.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/10820543/Gareth-Edwards-interview-I-wanted-Godzilla-to-reflect-the-questions-raised-by-Fukushima.html |archive-date=January 11, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Gareth Edwards interview: 'I wanted Godzilla to reflect the questions raised by Fukushima' |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=May 13, 2014 |access-date=May 19, 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Godzilla has been featured alongside many supporting characters and, over the decades, has faced off against various human opponents, such as the [[Japan Self-Defense Forces]] (JSDF), in addition to other gargantuan monsters, including [[Gigan]], [[King Ghidorah]], and [[Mechagodzilla]]. Godzilla has fought alongside allies such as [[Anguirus]], [[Mothra]], and [[Rodan]] and has had offsprings, including [[Godzilla Junior]] and [[Minilla]]. Godzilla has also battled characters and creatures from other franchises in [[Crossover (fiction)|crossover]] media—such as [[King Kong]]—as well as various [[Marvel Comics]] characters, like [[S.H.I.E.L.D.]],<ref>''Godzilla, King of the Monsters'' (vol. 1) #1 (Marvel Comics, 1977)</ref> the [[Fantastic Four]],<ref>''Godzilla, King of the Monsters'' (vol. 1) #20 (Marvel Comics, 1979)</ref> and the [[Avengers (comics)|Avengers]],<ref>''Godzilla, King of the Monsters'' (vol. 1) #23 (Marvel Comics, 1979)</ref> as well as [[DC Comics]] characters such as the [[Justice League]],<ref name="JL">''Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong''(vol. 1) #1 (DC Comics and Legendary Comics, 2023)</ref> the [[Legion of Doom]],<ref name="JL" /> and the [[Green Lantern Corps]].<ref>''Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong''(vol. 1) #5 (DC Comics and Legendary Comics, 2024)</ref>
{{TOC limit|3}}

==Appearances==
{{Main|Godzilla (franchise)}}
{{See also|Godzilla (Showa)|Godzilla (Heisei)|Godzilla (TriStar)|Godzilla (Monsterverse)|Shin Godzilla (character)|Godzilla Earth|Godzilla (Godzilla Minus One)}}
First appearing in the [[Godzilla (1954 film)|1954 film of the same name]], Godzilla has starred in a total of 38 films: 33 Japanese films produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd. and five American films, one produced by [[TriStar Pictures]] and four produced by [[Legendary Pictures]]. The monster has also appeared in countless other entertainment mediums, which include comic book lines, [[novelization]]s, and video games; each appearance expands upon the universe created by the films.

==Development==
===Naming===
Although the process of creating Godzilla's [[Godzilla (1954 film)|first film]] is comprehensively recorded, exactly how its name came to be remains unclear.{{Sfn|Ragone|2007|p=35}} The most widely accepted report of its origin is that producer [[Tomoyuki Tanaka]] named the monster after [[Toho]] employee Shirō Amikura, who was nicknamed {{nihongo|"''Gujira''"|グジラ}} then {{nihongo|"''Gojira''"|ゴジラ}}, a [[portmanteau]] of the Japanese words {{nihongo3|"gorilla"|ゴリラ|gorira}} and {{nihongo3|"whale"|{{ruby-ja|鯨|クジラ}}|kujira}}, because of his sturdy build and his fondness for [[whale meat]].{{Sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=23}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Gojira Media |url=http://www.godzillaondvd.com/mediapageloads/still05.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711103915/http://www.godzillaondvd.com/mediapageloads/still05.html |archive-date=July 11, 2011 |access-date=November 19, 2010 |work=Godzila Gojimm |publisher=Toho Co., Ltd.}}</ref><ref>[[:ja:山口理|Satoshi Yamaguchi]], April 2013, ゴジラ誕生物語, p.20, [[:ja:新興出版社啓林館|Bunken Shuppan]]</ref> The account has been acknowledged by Toho themselves,{{Sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=23}} director [[Ishirō Honda]],{{Sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=23}}{{Sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2017|p=88}} producer Tanaka,<ref name="Mori" />{{Sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2017|p=88}} special effects director [[Eiji Tsuburaya]],{{Sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2017|p=88}} producer {{Ill|Ichirō Satō (producer)|lt=Ichirō Satō|ja|佐藤一郎_(映画プロデューサー)}},<ref name="Satō"/> and production head {{Ill|Iwao Mori|lt=Iwao Mori|ja|森岩雄}},<ref name="Mori" /> with Satō and Mori recalling that the employee was Amikura.<ref name="Satō">{{Cite magazine |date=November 1984 |title=文藝春秋: Volume 62 |trans-title=''Bungei Shunjū'': Volume 62 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C0s4AAAAMAAJ |magazine=[[Bungei Shunjū (magazine)|Bungei Shunjū]] |language=ja |volume=62 |page=83<!--with Sato's recollection--> |access-date=May 14, 2023 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref><ref name="Mori">{{Cite magazine |date=1993 |title=キネマ旬報: Issues 1109-1112 |trans-title=''Kinema Junpo'': Issues 1109-1112 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=41YaAQAAIAAJ |magazine=[[Kinema Junpo]] |language=ja |issue=1109–1112 |page=119<!--Mori and Tanaka's suggestions on its origin--> |access-date=May 14, 2023 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref> However, Honda's widow Kimi dismissed the story in a 1998 [[BBC]] documentary on Godzilla, believing that Honda, Tanaka, and Tsuburaya gave "considerable thought" to the name of the monster, stating, "the backstage boys at Toho loved to joke around with tall stories, but I don't believe that one".{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=23}} Honda's longtime assistant director {{Ill|Kōji Kajita|lt=Kōji Kajita|ja|梶田興治}} added: "Those of us who were closest to them don't even know how and why they came up with ''Gojira''."{{Sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2017|p=89}}

Toho later translated the monster's Japanese name as "Godzilla" for overseas distribution.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=22}}{{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2017|p=89}} The first recorded foreign usage of "Godzilla" was printed in the ''[[Hawaii Tribune-Herald]]'' on November 20, 1955.<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 20, 1955 |title=CHRONICLE |page=5 |work=[[Hawaii Tribune-Herald]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/556515405/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=May 14, 2023 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

During the development of the American version of ''[[Godzilla Raids Again]]'' (1955), Godzilla's name was changed to "Gigantis" by producer Paul Schreibman, who wanted to create a character distinct from Godzilla.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=74}}

=== Characterization ===
<!-- This article was pared-down and heavily rewritten because it was a bloated with unsourced information and written in an inappropriate in-universe tone. Brevity is the soul of wit, please do not copy/paste information from Wikizilla or remove citations. -->
<!--[[File:Godzilla 1954-2014 incarnations.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.35|Every film incarnation of Godzilla between 1954 and 2017]]-->
Within the context of the Japanese films, Godzilla's exact origins vary, but it is generally depicted as an enormous, violent, prehistoric sea monster awakened and empowered by nuclear radiation.<ref>{{cite news|author=Peter Bradshaw |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2005/oct/14/6 |title=Godzilla &#124; Culture |newspaper=The Guardian |date=October 14, 2005 |access-date=September 25, 2013 |location=London}}</ref> Although the specific details of Godzilla's appearance have varied slightly over the years, the overall impression has remained consistent.<ref>Biondi, R, "The Evolution of Godzilla – G-Suit Variations Throughout the Monster King's Twenty-One Films", ''G-Fan'' #16, July/August 1995</ref> Inspired by the fictional ''[[Rhedosaurus]]'' created by animator [[Ray Harryhausen]] for the film ''[[The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms]]'',<ref>Greenberger, R. (2005). ''Meet Godzilla''. Rosen Pub. Group. p. 15. {{ISBN|1404202692}}</ref> Godzilla's character design was conceived as that of an [[Semiaquatic|amphibious]] reptilian monster based around the loose concept of a dinosaur<ref>Kishikawa, O. (1994), ''Godzilla First, 1954 ~ 1955'', Big Japanese Painting, ASIN B0014M3KJ6</ref> with an erect standing posture, scaly skin, an anthropomorphic torso with muscular arms, lobed bony plates along its back and tail,<!-- Oxford comma used to separate list from combination --> and a furrowed brow.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Think Godzilla's Scary? Meet His Lawyers|url=https://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2008/11/godzilla-terror/|magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]|access-date=May 21, 2013|first=David|last=Kravets|date=November 24, 2008}}</ref>

Art director [[Akira Watanabe (art director)|Akira Watanabe]] combined attributes of a ''[[Tyrannosaurus]]'', an ''[[Iguanodon]]'', a ''[[Stegosaurus]]'' and an alligator<ref>{{cite news|title=Godzilla arouses atomic terror|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2006-08-28-godzilla-dvd_x.htm|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|access-date=May 30, 2013|first=Mike|last=Snider|date=August 29, 2006}}</ref> to form a sort of blended [[Chimera (mythology)|chimera]], inspired by illustrations from an issue of [[Life (magazine)|''Life'']] magazine.{{sfn|Tsutsui|2003|p=23}} To emphasize the monster's relationship with the atomic bomb, its skin texture was inspired by the [[keloid]] scars seen on the [[Hibakusha|survivors of Hiroshima]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Gojira|url=https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/384918|publisher=[[Turner Classic Movies]]|access-date=June 2, 2013}}</ref> The basic design has a reptilian visage, a robust build, an upright posture, a long tail and three rows of serrated plates along the back. In the original film, the plates were added for purely aesthetic purposes, in order to further differentiate Godzilla from any other living or extinct creature. Godzilla is sometimes depicted as green in comics, cartoons, and movie posters, but the costumes used in the movies were usually painted charcoal gray with bone-white dorsal plates up until the film ''[[Godzilla 2000|Godzilla 2000: Millennium]]''.<ref name="godziszewski">''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfSARjZ0OXc Making of the Godzilla Suit!]''. Ed Godziszewski. ''YouTube'' (December 24, 2010)</ref>

In the original Japanese films, Godzilla and all the other monsters are referred to with [[gender-neutral pronoun]]s equivalent to "it",{{sfn|Tsutsui|2003|p=12}} while in the English dubbed versions, Godzilla is explicitly described as a male. In his book, Godzilla co-creator [[Tomoyuki Tanaka]] suggested that the monster was probably male; but also suggested that the original 1954 version could have been female<!--Currently, Godzilla is considered to be a male, apparently due to its caring behavior and attitude towards Minya. However, since animals can not reproduce without males and females, is there a female Godzilla somewhere? Perhaps it was the female that destroyed Tokyo first, and was defeated by Oxygen Destroyer ……. 

(現在のゴジラは、そのあばれかたや、ミニラに接する態度などから見て、どうやらオスだと考えられる。しかし、動物はオスとメスがなければ、繁殖できないから、どこかにメスゴジラがいるのではないだろうか。

もしかしたら、最初に東京を破かいして、オキシジェン•デストロイヤーに倒されたのが、メスだったかもしれない……が。)-->.<ref name="Tanaka">{{Cite book |last=Tanaka |first=Tomoyuki |url=https://mykaiju.com/an-introduction-to-godzilla-2/ |title=Definitive Edition Godzilla Introduction |publisher=[[Shogakukan]] |year=1984 |isbn=4-09-220142-7 |edition=14th |publication-date=November 20, 1996 |pages=18, 30, 117, 120 |quote= |orig-date=July 15, 1984}}</ref> In the 1998 film ''[[Godzilla (1998 film)|Godzilla]]'', the monster is referred to as a male and is depicted laying eggs through [[parthenogenesis]].{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=336}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://slate.com/culture/2014/05/godzilla-male-or-female-what-gender-is-the-movie-monster.html|title=Is Godzilla Male or Female?|last=Harris|first=Aisha|work=Slate|date=May 16, 2014|access-date=March 19, 2018|archive-date=May 2, 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502225708/https://slate.com/culture/2014/05/godzilla-male-or-female-what-gender-is-the-movie-monster.html}}</ref> In the [[Monsterverse|Legendary Pictures ''Godzilla'']] films, Godzilla is specified as a male.<ref name="/Film Gender">{{cite web|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/1746895/godzilla-gender-kaiju-male-female/|title=Godzilla's Gender: Is The Iconic Kaiju Male Or Female?|first=Ryan|last=Scott|work=[[/Film]]|date=December 31, 2024|access-date=January 1, 2024|url-status=live|archive-date=January 1, 2025|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20250101200156/https://www.slashfilm.com/1746895/godzilla-gender-kaiju-male-female/}}</ref>

For the English translations for the ''[[Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again]]'' novellas, writer [[Jeffrey Angles]] settled on male pronouns for Godzilla, stating that "Kayama [writer of the original novellas] thought about Godzilla as a stand-in for the nuclear bomb, and it was men in America who were developing the hydrogen bombs that frightened Japan so much in 1954. So maybe it's perhaps not inappropriate to call Godzilla 'he'." Angles also noted that Toho prefers to keep Godzilla and their other ''kaiju'' characters as gender-neutral as they see them more as objects akin to natural disasters.<ref name="/Film Gender"/>

Godzilla's allegiance and motivations, as well as its level of intelligence, have changed from film to film to suit the needs of the story. Although Godzilla does not like humans,<ref>''[[Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster]]'' (1964). Directed by [[Ishirō Honda]]. [[Toho]].</ref> it will fight alongside humanity against common threats. However, it makes no special effort to protect human life or property<ref>''[[Godzilla: Unleashed]]'' – Godzilla 2000 character profile</ref> and will turn against its human allies on a whim. It is generally not motivated to attack by predatory instinct; it does not usually eat people<ref name="penny"/> and instead sustains itself on nuclear radiation<ref>''[[The Return of Godzilla]]'' (1985). Directed by [[Koji Hashimoto (director)|Koji Hashimoto]]. [[Toho]]</ref> and an omnivorous or piscivorian diet consisting especially of [[cetaceans]] and large fish.<ref>Milliron, K. & Eggleton, B. (1998), ''Godzilla Likes to Roar!'', Random House Books for Young Readers, {{ISBN|0679891250}}</ref><ref name=Tanaka /> When inquired if Godzilla was "good or bad", producer [[Shōgo Tomiyama]] likened it to a [[Shinto]] "God of Destruction" which lacks moral agency and cannot be held to human standards of good and evil. "He totally destroys everything and then there is a rebirth. Something new and fresh can begin."<ref name="penny"/> [[Tomoyuki Tanaka]] noted in his book that Godzilla and humanity can become temporary allies against greater threats, but they are essentially enemies due to the difficulty to co-exist.<ref name=Tanaka /> Later Showa film's heroic and child-friendly representations of the character distancing from fears and destructions were controversial among their own filmmakers, such as by [[Ishiro Honda]] and [[Yukiko Takayama]]; the latter described the period a "sad era" for Godzilla for its heroic deeds, lacks of city destructions, and insufficient budgets.<ref>{{cite web |date= 2023-01-13 |title=About Godzilla by Ishiro Honda |url= https://mykaiju.com/about-godzilla-by-ishiro-honda/ |website= Mykaiju.com |access-date= 2025-08-25 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date= 2023-06-05 |title=Memories of “Godzilla”|url= https://mykaiju.com/memories-of-godzilla/ |website= Mykaiju.com |access-date= 2025-08-25 }}</ref>

====Abilities====
[[File:Godzilla King of the Monsters (1956) Atomic ray.png|thumb|Godzilla's atomic heat beam, as shown in ''[[Godzilla (1954 film)|Godzilla]]'' (1954)]]
[[File:KK v G trailer (1962).png|thumb|right|Godzilla battles [[King Kong#King Kong (Toho)|King Kong]]{{Broken anchor|date=2025-06-19|bot=User:Cewbot/log/20201008/configuration|target_link=King Kong#King Kong (Toho)|reason= The anchor (King Kong (Toho)) [[Special:Diff/997173156|has been deleted]].|diff_id=997173156}} in ''[[King Kong vs. Godzilla]]'' (1962). This film attracted the highest Japanese box office attendance figures in the entire ''Godzilla'' series to date.<ref>{{cite web|title=キングコング対ゴジラ＜高画質版＞|url=http://www.nihon-eiga.com/program/detail/nh10005863_0001.html|website=nihon-eiga.com|publisher=Nihon Eiga Broadcasting Corp|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016003938/http://www.nihon-eiga.com/program/detail/nh10005863_0001.html|archive-date=October 16, 2014|language=Japanese|access-date=June 20, 2022}}</ref>]]

Godzilla's signature weapon is its "atomic heat beam" (also known as "atomic breath"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://movieweb.com/godzilla-king-of-the-monsters-poster-2/ |title=Godzilla Blasts His Atomic Breath in Stunning King of the Monsters Poster |first=Ryan |last=Scott |website=[[MovieWeb]] |date=April 18, 2019 |access-date=July 10, 2019}}</ref>), nuclear energy that it generates inside of its body, uses electromagnetic force to concentrate it into a laser-like high velocity projectile and unleashes it from its jaws in the form of a blue or red radioactive beam.<ref name="ReferenceA">''An Anatomical Guide to Monsters'', Shoji Otomo, 1967</ref> Toho's special effects department has used various techniques to render the beam, from physical gas-powered flames<ref>{{cite AV media|title=Interview with Haruo Nakajima|work=Godzilla – Criterion Collection 2012 Blu-ray/DVD Release}}</ref> to hand-drawn or computer-generated fire. Godzilla is shown to possess immense physical strength and muscularity. Haruo Nakajima, the actor who played Godzilla in the original films, was a [[Black belt (martial arts)|black belt]] in judo and used his expertise to choreograph the battle sequences.<ref>''The Art of Suit Acting'' – Classic Media [[Godzilla Raids Again]] DVD featurette</ref>

Godzilla is [[Semiaquatic|amphibious]]: it has a preference for traversing Earth's [[hydrosphere]] when in hibernation or migration, can breathe underwater due to pore-shaped [[gill]]s<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref name=Tanaka /> and is described in the original film by the character Dr. Yamane as a [[transitional form]] between a marine and a terrestrial reptile. Godzilla is shown to have great vitality: it is immune to conventional weaponry thanks to its rugged hide and ability to [[Regeneration (biology)|regenerate]],<ref>''[[Godzilla 2000]]'' (1999). Directed by [[Takao Okawara]]. [[Toho]].</ref> and as a result of surviving a nuclear explosion, it cannot be destroyed by anything less powerful. One incarnation possesses an electromagnetic pulse-producing organ in its body which generates an asymmetrical permeable shield, making it impervious to all damage except for a short period when the organ recycles.<ref>''[[Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters]]'' (2017)</ref>

Various films, non-canonical television shows, comics, and games have depicted Godzilla with additional powers, such as an atomic pulse,<ref name="GvKG">''[[Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah]]'' (1991). Directed by [[Kazuki Ōmori]]. [[Toho]]</ref> magnetism,<ref name="GvMG">''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla]]'' (1974). Directed by [[Jun Fukuda]]. [[Toho]]</ref> precognition,<ref name="GvB">''[[Godzilla vs. Biollante]]'' (1989). Directed by [[Kazuki Ōmori]]. [[Toho]]</ref> fireballs,<ref>''[[Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee]]'' (2002). [[Pipeworks Software]]</ref> convert electromagnetic energy into intensive body heat,<ref>[[Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle]] (2018)</ref> converting shed blood into temporary tentacle limbs,<ref>''[[Godzilla Singular Point]]'', Episode 9 (2021)</ref> an electric bite,<ref>''CR Godzilla Pachinko'' (2006). Newgin</ref> superhuman speed,<ref>''[[Zone Fighter]]'' (1973). Directed by [[Ishirō Honda]] et al. [[Toho]]</ref> laser beams emitted from its eyes<ref>''[[Godzilla (1978 TV series)]]'' (1978). Directed by [[Ray Patterson (animator)|Ray Patterson]] and [[Carl Urbano]]. [[Hanna-Barbera Productions]]</ref> and even flight.<ref name="GvH">''[[Godzilla vs. Hedorah]]'' (1971). Directed by [[Yoshimitsu Banno]]. [[Toho]]</ref>

====Roar====
Godzilla has a distinctive disyllabic roar (transcribed in several comics as ''Skreeeonk!''),<ref>Stradley, R., Adams, A., et al. ''Godzilla: Age of Monsters'' (February 18, 1998), Dark Horse Comics; Gph edition. {{ISBN|1569712778}}</ref><ref>Various. ''Godzilla: Past Present Future'' (March 5, 1998), Dark Horse Comics; Gph edition. {{ISBN|1569712786}}</ref> which was created by composer [[Akira Ifukube]], who produced the sound by rubbing a pine tar-resin-coated glove along the string of a [[Double bass|contrabass]] and then slowing down the playback.<ref name="npr"/> In the American version of ''Godzilla Raids Again'' (1955) titled ''Gigantis the Fire Monster'' (1959), Godzilla's roar was mostly substituted with that of the monster [[Anguirus]].{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=74}} From ''[[The Return of Godzilla]]'' (1984) to ''[[Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah]]'' (1991), Godzilla was given a deeper and more threatening-sounding roar than in previous films, though this change was reverted from ''[[Godzilla vs. Mothra]]'' (1992) onward.<ref>David Milner, [http://www.davmil.org/www.kaijuconversations.com/okawar.htm "Takao Okawara Interview I"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224172354/http://www.davmil.org/www.kaijuconversations.com/okawar.htm |date=February 24, 2021 }}, ''Kaiju Conversations'' (December 1993)</ref> For the 2014 American film, sound editors Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl refused to disclose the source of the sounds used for their Godzilla's roar.<ref name="npr">{{cite news|last1=NPR Staff|title=What's In A Roar? Crafting Godzilla's Iconic Sound|newspaper=NPR.org|url=https://www.npr.org/2014/05/18/312839612/whats-in-a-roar-crafting-godzillas-iconic-sound|publisher=National Public Radio|access-date=September 7, 2015}}</ref> Aadahl described the two syllables of the roar as representing two different emotional reactions, with the first expressing fury and the second conveying the character's soul.<ref name="ew">{{cite magazine|last1=Ray|first1=Amber|title='Godzilla': The secrets behind the roar|url=http://www.ew.com/article/2014/05/22/godzilla-roar-interview-timeline-video|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=May 22, 2014|access-date=May 19, 2016}}</ref>

====Size====
[[File:Godzilla (1954) Teizô Toshimitsu.jpg|thumb|left|Teizō Toshimitsu sculpting a prototype for Godzilla's design]]
Godzilla's size is inconsistent, changing from film to film and even from scene to scene for the sake of artistic license.<ref name="penny">{{cite web|url=http://www.pennyblood.com/godzilla2.html |title=Godzilla Stomps into Los Angeles |last=Schaefer |first=Mark |work=Penny Blood |date=November 2004 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050203181104/http://www.pennyblood.com/godzilla2.html |archive-date=February 3, 2005}}</ref> The miniature sets and costumes were typically built at a {{frac|1|25}}–{{frac|1|50}} scale<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gvsdestoroyah.dulcemichaelanya.com/Bsmodels.htm |title=Godzilla |publisher=Gvsdestoroyah.dulcemichaelanya.com |access-date=September 25, 2013}}</ref> and filmed at 240 frames per second to create the illusion of great size.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/hitech/godzilla/godzilla03.html |title=Amazing and Interesting Facts about Godzilla Special Effects – Special Effects in Godzilla Movies – Hi-tech – Kids |publisher=Web Japan |access-date=September 25, 2013}}</ref> In [[Godzilla (1954 film)|the original 1954 film]], Godzilla was scaled to be {{convert|50|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} tall.{{sfn|Lees|Cerasini|1998|p=124}} This was done so Godzilla could just peer over the largest buildings in Tokyo at the time.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=27}} In the [[Godzilla, King of the Monsters!|1956 American version]], Godzilla is estimated to be {{convert|400|ft|m|1|abbr=on|order=flip}} tall, because producer [[Joseph E. Levine]] felt that 50 m did not sound "powerful enough".{{sfn|Tsutsui|2003|p=54-55}}

As the series progressed, Toho would rescale the character, eventually making Godzilla as tall as {{convert|100|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Lees|Cerasini|1998|p=125}} This was done so that it would not be dwarfed by the newer, bigger buildings in Tokyo's skyline, such as the {{convert|243|m|ft|0|adj=mid|-tall}} [[Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building]] which Godzilla destroyed in the film ''Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah'' (1991). Supplementary information, such as character profiles, would also depict Godzilla as weighing between {{convert|20,000|and|60,000|metric ton|short ton|-1}}.{{sfn|Lees|Cerasini|1998|pp=124–125}}

In the American film ''[[Godzilla (2014 film)|Godzilla]]'' (2014) from [[Legendary Pictures]], Godzilla was scaled to be {{convert|355|ft|m|1|abbr=on|order=flip}} and weighing {{convert|90,000|short ton|metric ton|-1}}, making it the largest film version at that time.<ref>{{cite web|title=Godzilla Ultimate Trivia|url=http://www.themoviebit.com/2014/04/godzilla-ultimate-trivia.html|publisher=The Movie Bit|access-date=May 21, 2014|archive-date=June 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140606203438/http://www.themoviebit.com/2014/04/godzilla-ultimate-trivia.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Director [[Gareth Edwards (filmmaker)|Gareth Edwards]] wanted Godzilla "to be so big as to be seen from anywhere in the city, but not too big that he couldn't be obscured".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.movietribute.com/874/new-godzilla-is-350-feet-tall-biggest-godzilla-ever/|title=The New Godzilla is 350 Feet Tall! Biggest Godzilla Ever!|last=Owusu|first=Kwame|work=MovieTribute|date=February 28, 2014|access-date=February 20, 2018|archive-date=August 30, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160830223625/http://www.movietribute.com/874/new-godzilla-is-350-feet-tall-biggest-godzilla-ever/|url-status=dead}}</ref> For ''[[Shin Godzilla]]'' (2016), Godzilla was made even taller than the Legendary version, at {{convert|118.5|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=2016年新作『ゴジラ』 脚本・総監督：庵野秀明氏＆監督：樋口真嗣氏からメッセージ |url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/special/47834/ |website=oricon.co.jp |access-date=April 1, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://augustragone.blogspot.com/2015/12/japanese-press-reveals-shin-godzillas.html|title=Japanese Press Reveals Shin Godzilla's Size|last=Ragone|first=August|work=The Good, the Bad, and Godzilla|date=December 9, 2015|access-date=February 20, 2018}}</ref> In ''[[Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters]]'' (2017), Godzilla's height was increased further still to {{convert|300|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Miska |first1=Brad |title=The Latest Godzilla is Three Times the Size of its Predecessors! |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3476184/latest-godzilla-three-times-size-predecessors/ |website=Bloody Disgusting |date=December 27, 2017 |access-date=April 20, 2019}}</ref> In ''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019 film)|Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]'' (2019) and ''[[Godzilla vs. Kong]]'' (2021), Godzilla's height was increased to {{convert|393|ft|m|1|abbr=on|order=flip}} from the 2014 incarnation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newsweek.com/godzilla-size-chart-comparison-king-monsters-ghidorah-1439644|title='Godzilla' Size Chart Shows How Much the 'King of Monsters' Has Grown Over the Years|first=Andrew|last=Whalen|work=[[Newsweek]]|date=May 30, 2019|access-date= February 16, 2022|url-status=live|archive-date=February 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216194754/https://www.newsweek.com/godzilla-size-chart-comparison-king-monsters-ghidorah-1439644}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://collider.com/godzilla-vs-kong-who-will-win/|title='Godzilla vs. Kong' Tale of the Tape: Who Ya Got?|first=Vinnie|last=Mancuso|work=Collider |date=March 29, 2021|access-date= February 16, 2022|url-status=live|archive-date= February 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216193641/https://collider.com/godzilla-vs-kong-who-will-win/amp/}}</ref>

==Special effects==
[[File:Godzilla Raids Again (1955) Behind the scenes.gif|thumb|Suit fitting on the set of ''[[Godzilla Raids Again]]'' (1955), with [[Haruo Nakajima]] portraying Godzilla on the left]]
Godzilla's appearance has traditionally been portrayed in the films by [[Suitmation|an actor wearing a latex costume]], though the character has also been rendered in [[Animatronics|animatronic]], [[stop-motion]] and [[Computer-generated imagery|computer-generated]] form.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.inverse.com/article/22234-special-effects-in-godzilla-movies-history|title=The History of Godzilla Is the History of Special Effects|last=Failes|first=Ian|work=Inverse|date=October 14, 2016|access-date=March 19, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nippon.com/en/views/b04001/|title=Godzilla's Analog Mayhem and the Japanese Special Effects Tradition|last=Ryūsuke|first=Hikawa|work=Nippon.com|date=June 26, 2014|access-date=March 19, 2018}}</ref> Taking inspiration from ''[[King Kong (1933 film)|King Kong]]'', special effects artist [[Eiji Tsuburaya]] had initially wanted Godzilla to be portrayed via stop-motion, but prohibitive deadlines and a lack of experienced animators in Japan at the time made suitmation more practical.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=21}}

===Practical effects===
The first suit, weighing in excess of {{convert|100|kg|abbr=on}}, consisted of a body cavity made of thin wires and bamboo wrapped in chicken wire for support and covered in fabric and cushions, which were then coated in latex. It was held together by small hooks on the back, though subsequent Godzilla suits incorporated a zipper.<ref name="godziszewski"/> Prior to 1984, most Godzilla suits were made from scratch, thus resulting in slight design changes in each film appearance.{{sfn|Kalat|2010|p=36}} The most notable changes from 1962 to 1975 were the reduction in Godzilla's number of toes and the removal of the character's external ears and prominent fangs, features which would all later be reincorporated in the Godzilla designs from ''The Return of Godzilla'' (1984) onward.{{sfn|Kalat|2010|p=160}} The most consistent Godzilla design was maintained from ''[[Godzilla vs. Biollante]]'' (1989) to ''[[Godzilla vs. Destoroyah]]'' (1995), when the suit was given a cat-like face and double rows of teeth.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=254-257}}

Several suit actors had difficulties in performing as Godzilla due to the suits' weight, lack of ventilation and diminished visibility.<ref name="godziszewski"/> [[Haruo Nakajima]], who portrayed Godzilla from 1954 to 1972, said the materials used to make the 1954 suit (rubber, plastic, cotton, and latex) were hard to find after [[World War II]]. The suit weighed 100 kilograms after its completion and required two men to help Nakajima put it on. When he first put it on, he sweated so heavily that his shirt was soaked within seconds.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/02/world/asia/japan-films-shed-rubber-suits-godzilla-roars.html|title=Rubber Suit Monsters Fade! Tiny Tokyos Relax!|first=Martin |last=Fackler |date=September 1, 2013|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=January 23, 2022}}</ref> [[Kenpachiro Satsuma]] in particular, who portrayed Godzilla from 1984 to 1995, described how the Godzilla suits he wore were even heavier and hotter than their predecessors because of the incorporation of animatronics.<ref name="clements2010">Clements, J. (2010), ''Schoolgirl Milky Crisis: Adventures in the Anime and Manga Trade'', A-Net Digital LLC, pp. 117–118, {{ISBN|0984593748}}</ref> Satsuma himself suffered numerous medical issues during his tenure, including [[oxygen deprivation]], near-drowning, concussions, electric shocks and lacerations to the legs from the suits' steel wire reinforcements wearing through the rubber padding.{{sfn|Kalat|2010|p=258}} The ventilation problem was partially solved in the suit used in 1994's ''[[Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla]]'', which was the first to include an air duct that allowed suit actors to last longer during performances.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=298}} In ''[[Godzilla (1998 film)|Godzilla]]'' (1998), several scenes had the monster portrayed by stuntmen in suits similar to those used in the Toho films, with the actors' heads being located in the monster's neck region and the facial movements controlled via animatronics. However, because of the creature's horizontal posture, the stuntmen had to wear metal leg extenders, which allowed them to stand {{convert|6|ft|m|0|order=flip|spell=on}} off the ground with their feet bent forward.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=337-339}} Kurt Carley performed the suitmation sequences for the adult Godzilla.<ref name="kc"/>

In ''The Return of Godzilla'' (1984), some scenes made use of a 16-foot high robotic Godzilla (dubbed the "Cybot Godzilla") for use in close-up shots of the creature's head. The Cybot Godzilla consisted of a [[Hydraulics|hydraulically powered]] mechanical endoskeleton covered in [[Polyurethane|urethane]] skin containing 3,000 computer operated parts which permitted it to tilt its head and move its lips and arms.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=232}} For ''[[Godzilla (1998 film)|Godzilla]]'' (1998), the film's special effects crew built a {{frac|1|6}} scale animatronic Godzilla for close-up scenes, whose size outmatched that of [[Stan Winston]]'s "[[Rexy]]" in ''[[Jurassic Park (film)|Jurassic Park]]''.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=337-339}}

===CGI===
In ''[[Godzilla (1998 film)|Godzilla]]'' (1998), special effects artist [[Patrick Tatopoulos]] was instructed to redesign [[Zilla (TriStar Godzilla)|Godzilla]] as an incredibly fast runner.<ref name=Rickett2006>{{cite book |title=Designing Movie Creatures and Characters: Behind the Scenes With the Movie Masters |last=Rickitt |first=Richard |year=2006 |publisher=Focal Press |isbn=0-240-80846-0 |pages=74–76 }}</ref> At one point, it was planned to use [[motion capture]] from a human to create the movements of the computer-generated Godzilla, but it was said to have ended up looking too much like a man in a suit.<ref>{{cite book| last = Rickitt| first = Richard| title = Special Effects: The History and Technique| publisher = Billboard Books| year = 2000| isbn = 0-8230-7733-0| page = 174}}</ref> Tatopoulos subsequently reimagined the creature as a lean, [[digitigrade]] bipedal, iguana-like creature that stood with its back and tail parallel to the ground, rendered via [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theasc.com/magazine/jun98/godzilla/art1/pg1.htm |title=Godzilla Lives! – page 1 |publisher=Theasc.com |access-date=January 22, 2014}}</ref>

In ''[[Godzilla (2014 film)|Godzilla]]'' (2014), the character was portrayed entirely via CGI. Godzilla's design in the reboot was intended to stay true to that of the original series, though the film's special effects team strove to make the monster "more dynamic than a guy in a big rubber suit."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/entertainment/dudek.html?tag=Rygiel |title=Oscar winner & Kenosha native Jim Rygiel gets UWM award |first=Duane |last=Dudek |date=November 8, 2013 |access-date=December 10, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213114405/http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/entertainment/dudek.html?tag=Rygiel |archive-date=December 13, 2013}}</ref> To create a CG version of Godzilla, the Moving Picture Company (MPC) studied various animals such as bears, [[Komodo dragon]]s, lizards, lions and [[Wolf|wolves]], which helped the visual effects artists visualize Godzilla's body structure, like that of its underlying bone, fat and muscle structure, as well as the thickness and texture of its scales.<ref>{{cite magazine | url = http://m.hollywoodreporter.com/entry/view/id/887324 | title = Oscars: 'Interstellar,' 'Hobbit' Visual Effects Artists Reveal How They Did It | author = Carolyn Giardina | magazine = The Hollywood Reporter | date = December 25, 2014 | access-date = December 28, 2014 | archive-date = December 28, 2014 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20141228141250/http://m.hollywoodreporter.com/entry/view/id/887324 | url-status = dead }}</ref> Motion capture was also used for some of Godzilla's movements. [[T. J. Storm]] provided the performance capture for Godzilla by wearing sensors in front of a green screen.<ref name="tj"/> Storm reprised the role of Godzilla in ''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019 film)|Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]'', portraying the character through [[Motion-capture acting|performance capture]].<ref name="GKOTM Credits"/>

In ''[[Shin Godzilla]]'', a majority of the character was portrayed via CGI, with [[Mansai Nomura]] portraying Godzilla through motion capture.<ref name="shinmc"/> In 2024, ''[[Godzilla Minus One]]'' was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Visual Effects]], becoming the first ''Godzilla'' film nominated for an [[Academy Awards|Oscar]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/godzilla-oscar-nomination-king-kong-8547915|title='Godzilla Minus One' scores monster's first Oscars nomination|first=Clark|last=Collis|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=January 23, 2024|access-date=January 26, 2024|url-status=live|archive-date=January 26, 2024|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20240126180122/https://ew.com/godzilla-oscar-nomination-king-kong-8547915}}</ref> At the [[96th Academy Awards]] ceremony, it won the award.

==Cultural impact==
{{Main|Godzilla in popular culture}}
[[Image:Godzillastar.jpg|left|thumb|Godzilla's star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]]]
Godzilla is one of the most recognizable symbols of [[Japanese popular culture]] worldwide<ref>{{cite book |last=Sharp |first=Jasper |title=Historical Dictionary of Japanese Cinema |publisher=Scarecrow Press |page=67 |year=2011 |isbn=9780810857957}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=West |first=Mark |title=The Japanification of Children's Popular Culture: From Godzilla to Miyazaki |publisher=Scarecrow Press |page=vii |year=2008 |isbn=9780810851214}}</ref> and remains an important facet of Japanese films, embodying the ''[[kaiju]]'' subset of the ''[[tokusatsu]]'' genre. Godzilla's vaguely humanoid appearance and strained, lumbering movements endeared it to Japanese audiences, who could relate to Godzilla as a sympathetic character, despite its wrathful nature.<ref>{{cite AV media |title=Interview with Tadao Sato |work=Godzilla – Criterion Collection 2012 Blu-ray/DVD Release }}</ref> Audiences respond positively to the character because it acts out of rage and self-preservation and shows where science and technology can go wrong.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Psychological Appeal of Movie Monsters |website=Calstatela.edu |url=http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/sfischo/psychological_appeal_of_movie_monsters1.pdf |access-date=September 28, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070819142841/http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/sfischo/psychological_appeal_of_movie_monsters1.pdf |archive-date=August 19, 2007}}</ref>

In 1967, the Keukdong Entertainment Company of South Korea, with production assistance from [[Toei Company]], produced ''[[Yongary, Monster from the Deep]]'', a reptilian monster who invades South Korea to consume oil. The film and character has often been branded as an imitation of Godzilla.{{sfn|Kalat|2010|p=92}}<ref name="yongary">{{cite web|url=http://aytiws.com/2010/06/yongary-monster-from-the-deep-1967/|title=Yongary, Monster from the Deep |last=Demoss |first=David |work=And You Thought It Was...Safe(?)|date=June 18, 2010|access-date=March 19, 2018}}</ref>

Godzilla has been considered a filmographic [[metaphor]] for the United States, as well as an allegory of [[Nuclear power|nuclear]] weapons in general. The earlier ''Godzilla'' films, especially the original, portrayed Godzilla as a frightening nuclear-spawned monster. Godzilla represented the fears that many Japanese held about the [[atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki]] and the possibility of recurrence.<ref>Rafferty, T., [http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/popcult/handouts/metaphor/godzilla/godzilla.html The Monster That Morphed Into a Metaphor], ''New York Times'' (May 2, 2004)</ref>

As the series progressed, so did Godzilla, changing into a less destructive and more heroic character.<ref name="Huffington">{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/kevin-lankes/godzillas-secret-history_b_5192284.html|title=Godzilla's Secret History|last=Lankes|first=Kevin|work=[[Huffington Post]]|date=June 22, 2014|access-date=March 19, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/a-comprehensive-history-of-tohos-original-kaiju-and-atomic-allegory-godzilla|title=A Comprehensive History of Toho's Original Kaiju (and Atomic Allegory) Godzilla|last=Goldstein|first=Rich|work=[[The Daily Beast]]|date=May 18, 2014|access-date=March 19, 2018}}</ref> ''[[Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster|Ghidorah]]'' (1964) was the turning point in Godzilla's transformation from villain to hero, by pitting him against a greater threat to humanity, [[King Ghidorah]].<ref name="Syfy">{{cite web |last1=Grebey |first1=James |title=The history of Ghidorah, Godzilla's rival for the title of King of the Monsters |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/the-history-of-ghidorah-godzillas-rival-for-the-title-of-king-of-the-monsters |website=[[Syfy Wire]] |publisher=[[NBCUniversal]] |access-date=May 27, 2020 |date=May 28, 2019}}</ref> Godzilla has since been viewed as an [[anti-hero]].<ref name="Huffington"/> [[Roger Ebert]] cited Godzilla as a notable example of a villain-turned-hero, along with King Kong, [[Jaws (James Bond)|Jaws (''James Bond'')]], the [[Terminator (character)|Terminator]] and [[John Rambo]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ebert |first1=Roger |author1-link=Roger Ebert |title=Ebert's Bigger Little Movie Glossary |date=2013 |publisher=[[Andrews McMeel Publishing]] |isbn=978-0-7407-9246-5 |page=22 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q-U8ZWC-Ip0C&pg=PT22}}</ref>

Godzilla is considered "the original radioactive [[superhero]]" due to his accidental radioactive [[origin story]] predating [[Spider-Man]] (1962 debut),<ref name="Huffington"/> though Godzilla did not become a hero until ''Ghidorah'' in 1964.<ref name="Syfy"/> By the 1970s, Godzilla came to be viewed as a superhero, with the magazine ''King of the Monsters'' in 1977 describing Godzilla as "Superhero of the '70s." Godzilla had surpassed [[Superman]] and [[Batman]] to become "the most universally popular superhero of 1977" according to Donald F. Glut.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Glut |first1=Donald F. |chapter=Godzilla, Saurian Superhero |title=Jurassic Classics: A Collection of Saurian Essays and Mesozoic Musings |date=2001 |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |isbn=978-0-7864-6246-9 |pages=225-229 (225-6) |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O5znudeYRzEC&pg=PA225}}</ref> Godzilla was also voted the most popular [[movie monster]] in ''[[The Monster Times]]'' poll in 1973, beating [[Count Dracula]], [[King Kong]], the [[Werewolf fiction|Wolf Man]], the [[The Mummy (Universal film franchise)|Mummy]], the [[Creature from the Black Lagoon]] and the [[Frankenstein's monster|Frankenstein Monster]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kogan |first1=Rick |title='It Was A Long Time Coming, But Godzilla, ''This Is Your Life'' |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1985-09-15-8503020410-story.html |access-date=May 22, 2020 |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=September 15, 1985}}</ref>

[[File:Zilla Compare.jpg|thumb|right|Paleontologist [[Kenneth Carpenter]]'s skeletal diagram of Godzilla in a modern dinosaur posture]] 
In 1996, Godzilla received the [[MTV Movie Awards#MTV Lifetime Achievement Award|MTV Lifetime Achievement Award]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fanpop.com/spots/godzilla/videos/7584880/title/godzilla-wins-mtv-lifetime-achievement-award-1996 |title=Godzilla Wins The MTV Lifetime Achievement Award In 1996 – Godzilla video |publisher=Fanpop |date=November 3, 1954 |access-date=April 13, 2010}}</ref> as well as being given a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] in 2004 to celebrate the premiere of the character's 50th anniversary film, ''[[Godzilla: Final Wars]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/people/2004-11-30-godzilla_x.htm |title=USATODAY.com – Godzilla gets Hollywood Walk of Fame star |publisher=Usatoday30.usatoday.com |date=November 30, 2004 |access-date=September 25, 2013}}</ref> Godzilla's pop-cultural impact has led to the creation of numerous parodies and tributes, as seen in media such as ''[[Bambi Meets Godzilla]]'', which was ranked as one of the "50 greatest cartoons",<ref>Beck, Jerry (ed.) (1994). ''The 50 Greatest Cartoons: As Selected by 1,000 Animation Professionals''. Atlanta: Turner Publishing. {{ISBN|1-878685-49-X}}.</ref> two episodes of ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]''<ref>"Godzilla Genealogy Bop" – MST3K season 2, episode 13, aired February 2, 1991</ref> and the song "[[Godzilla (Blue Öyster Cult song)|Godzilla]]" by [[Blue Öyster Cult]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Song Review by Donald A. Guarisco |url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/godzilla-mt0004247257 |title=Godzilla – Blue Öyster Cult &#124; Listen, Appearances, Song Review |website=AllMusic |access-date=September 25, 2013}}</ref> Godzilla has also been used in advertisements, such as in a commercial for [[Nike, Inc.|Nike]], where Godzilla lost an oversized one-on-one game of basketball to a giant version of NBA player [[Charles Barkley]].<ref>Martha T. Moore. "Godzilla Meets Barkley on MTV". USA Today. September 9, 1992. 1.B.</ref> The commercial was subsequently adapted into a [[Godzilla vs. Charles Barkley|comic book]] illustrated by [[Jeff Butler]].<ref>Paul Gravett and Peter Stanbury. ''Holy Sh*t! The World's Weirdest Comic Books''. St. Martin's Press, 2008. 104.</ref> Godzilla has also appeared in a commercial for [[Snickers|Snickers candy bars]], which served as an indirect promo for the 2014 film. Godzilla's success inspired the creation of numerous other monster characters, such as [[Gamera]],{{sfn|Kalat|2010|p=23}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/gamera-the-giant-monster-1798165079|title=Gamera: The Giant Monster|last=Phipps|first=Keith|work=AV Club|date=June 2, 2010|access-date=March 19, 2018|archive-date=December 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230133059/https://film.avclub.com/gamera-the-giant-monster-1798165079|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Reptilicus]] of Denmark,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://schlockmania.com/reptilicus/|title=Reptilicus: Godzilla Goes To Denmark|last=Don|work=Schlockmania|date=June 16, 2015|access-date=March 19, 2018}}</ref> [[Yonggary (character)|Yonggary]] of South Korea,{{sfn|Kalat|2010|p=92}} [[Pulgasari]] of North Korea,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/04/pulgasari-north-korea-cult-hit|title=How Kim Jong Il Kidnapped a Director, Made a Godzilla Knockoff, and Created a Cult Hit|last=Romano|first=Nick|magazine=Vanity Fair|date=April 6, 2015|access-date=March 19, 2018}}</ref> [[Gorgo (film)|Gorgo]] of the United Kingdom<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thedissolve.com/features/movie-of-the-week/550-meet-gorgo-the-british-godzilla/|title=Meet Gorgo, the "British Godzilla"|last=Murray|first=Noel|work=The Dissolve|date=May 8, 2014|access-date=March 19, 2018|archive-date=March 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180320043737/https://thedissolve.com/features/movie-of-the-week/550-meet-gorgo-the-british-godzilla/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and the [[Clover (creature)|''Cloverfield'' monster]] of the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/films/31340/Cloverfield-Making-of-a-monster|title=Cloverfield: Making of a monster|last=Monetti|first=Sandro|work=Express|date=January 13, 2008|access-date=March 19, 2018}}</ref>
''[[Dakosaurus]]'' is an extinct [[Thalattosuchia|sea crocodile]] of the [[Jurassic|Jurassic Period]], which researchers informally nicknamed "Godzilla".<ref name="Gasparini''et al.'', 2006">Gasparini Z, Pol D, Spalletti LA. 2006. An unusual marine crocodyliform from the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary of Patagonia. ''Science'' '''311''': 70–73.</ref> Paleontologists have written tongue-in-cheek speculative articles about Godzilla's biology, with [[Kenneth Carpenter]] tentatively classifying it as a [[Ceratosauria|ceratosaur]] based on its skull shape, four-fingered hands, and dorsal scutes and paleontologist [[Darren Naish]] expressing skepticism, while commenting on Godzilla's unusual morphology.<ref>{{cite web|last=Naish |first=Darren |url=http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2010/11/01/science-of-godzilla-2010/ |title=The science of Godzilla, 2010 – Tetrapod Zoology |publisher=Scienceblogs.com |date=November 1, 2010 |access-date=September 25, 2013}}</ref>

Godzilla's ubiquity in pop culture has led to the mistaken assumption that the character is in the [[public domain]], resulting in litigation by Toho to protect their corporate asset from becoming a [[generic trademark]]. In April 2008, [[Subway (restaurant)|Subway]] depicted a giant monster in a commercial for their Five Dollar Footlongs sandwich promotion. Toho filed a lawsuit against Subway for using the character without permission, demanding $150,000 in compensation.<ref>[http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2008/04/18/news/toho-sues-subway-over-unauthorized-godzilla-ads/ Toho sues Subway over unauthorized Godzilla ads], ''The Japan Times'' (April 18, 2008)</ref> In February 2011, Toho sued [[Honda]] for depicting a fire-breathing monster in a commercial for the [[Honda Odyssey]]. The monster was never mentioned by name, being seen briefly on a video screen inside the minivan.<ref>[http://www.tokyohive.com/article/2011/02/toho-suing-honda-over-godzilla/ Toho suing Honda over Godzilla], ''TokyoHive'' (February 12, 2011)</ref> The [[Sea Shepherd Conservation Society]] christened a vessel the ''MV Gojira''. Its purpose is to target and harass Japanese whalers in defense of whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. The ''MV Gojira'' was renamed the {{MV|Brigitte Bardot}} in May 2011, due to legal pressure from [[Toho]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/2011/05/25/the-beast-transforms-into-a-beauty-as-godzilla-becomes-the-brigitte-bardot-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120403063406/http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/2011/05/25/the-beast-transforms-into-a-beauty-as-godzilla-becomes-the-brigitte-bardot-13 |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 3, 2012 |title=Sea Shepherd Conservation Society :: The Beast Transforms into a Beauty as Godzilla Becomes the Brigitte Bardot |publisher=Seashepherd.org |date=May 25, 2011 |access-date=September 25, 2013 }}</ref> [[Gojira (band)|Gojira]] is the name of a French [[Technical Death Metal|death metal]] band, formerly known as Godzilla; legal problems forced the band to change their name.<ref>[http://www.thegauntlet.com/bio/1611/Gojira.html Gojira htm Biography and Band at the Gauntlet], ''The Gauntlet''</ref> In May 2015, Toho launched a lawsuit against [[Voltage Pictures]] over [[Colossal (film)|a planned picture]] starring [[Anne Hathaway]]. Promotional material released at the Cannes Film Festival used images of Godzilla.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=torrentfreak.com |url=https://torrentfreak.com/voltage-pictures-sued-for-copyright-infringement-150520/ |title=Voltage Pictures Sued For Copyright Infringement |access-date=July 9, 2015}}</ref>

[[Steven Spielberg]] cited ''Godzilla'' as an inspiration for ''[[Jurassic Park (film)|Jurassic Park]]'' (1993), specifically ''[[Godzilla, King of the Monsters!]]'' (1956), which he grew up watching.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=15}} Spielberg described ''Godzilla'' as "the most masterful of all the dinosaur movies because it made you believe it was really happening."{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=17}} ''Godzilla'' also influenced the Spielberg film ''[[Jaws (film)|Jaws]]'' (1975).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Freer |first1=Ian |title=The Complete Spielberg |date=2001 |publisher=[[Virgin Books]] |isbn=9780753505564 |page=[https://archive.org/details/completespielber0000free/page/48 48] |url=https://archive.org/details/completespielber0000free|url-access=registration }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Derry |first1=Charles |title=Dark Dreams: A Psychological History of the Modern Horror Film |date=1977 |publisher=A. S. Barnes |isbn=9780498019159 |page=[https://archive.org/details/darkdreamspsycho0000derr/page/82 82] |url=https://archive.org/details/darkdreamspsycho0000derr|url-access=registration }}</ref> ''Godzilla'' has also been cited as an inspiration by filmmakers [[Martin Scorsese]] and [[Tim Burton]].{{sfn|Kalat|2010|p=318}}

A  carnivorous dinosaur from the [[Triassic]] period was named ''[[Gojirasaurus]]'' in 1997''.''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gojirasaurus |url=https://arctos.database.museum/guid/NMMNH:Paleo:4666 |access-date=January 28, 2023 |website=[[Arctos]]}}</ref> The main-belt asteroid [[101781 Gojira]], discovered by American astronomer [[Roy Tucker]] at the [[Goodricke-Pigott Observatory]] in 1999, was named in honor of the creature.<ref name="Asteroid-Gojira" /> The official naming citation was published by the [[Minor Planet Center]] on July 11, 2018 ({{small|[[Minor Planet Circulars|M.P.C.]] 110635}}).<ref name="MPC-Circulars-Archive" /> The largest [[megamullion]], located 600 kilometers to the south-east of [[Okinotorishima]], the southernmost Japanese island, is named the [[Godzilla Megamullion]]. The [[Japan Coast Guard]] played a role in name, reaching an agreement with Toho. Toho's Chief Godzilla officer Keiji Ota stated that "I am truly honored that (the megamullion) bears Godzilla's name, the Earth's most powerful monster."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pacific undersea province given name 'Godzilla Megamullion' |url=https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14521947 |access-date=January 28, 2023 |website=The Asahi Shimbun |language=en}}</ref>

In a 2007 interview, Japanese defense minister [[Shigeru Ishiba]] said that he would mobilize the [[Japan Self-Defense Forces]] in response to an appearance by Godzilla.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2007/12/22/Japan-ready-to-tackle-Godzilla/22641198366042/ |title=Japan ready to tackle Godzilla |work=UPI |date=22 December 2007}}</ref>

===Cultural ambassador===
In April 2015, the [[Shinjuku]] ward of Tokyo named Godzilla a special resident and official tourism ambassador to encourage tourism.<ref name="ny-post"/><ref name="guardian"/> During an unveiling of a giant Godzilla bust at Toho headquarters, Shinjuku mayor [[Kenichi Yoshizumi]] stated, "Godzilla is a character that is the pride of Japan." The mayor extended a residency certificate to an actor in a rubber suit representing Godzilla, but as the suit's hands were not designed for grasping, it was accepted on Godzilla's behalf by a Toho executive. Reporters noted that Shinjuku's ward has been flattened by Godzilla in three Toho movies.<ref name="guardian">{{cite news|newspaper=The Guardian|title=Godzilla recruited as tourism ambassador for Tokyo|date=April 9, 2015|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/09/godzilla-recruited-as-tourism-ambassador-for-tokyo |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108112826/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/09/godzilla-recruited-as-tourism-ambassador-for-tokyo |archive-date=November 8, 2020}}</ref><ref name="ny-post">{{cite news|newspaper=New York Post|title=Godzilla is Tokyo's newest resident and ambassador|url=https://nypost.com/2015/04/09/godzilla-is-tokyos-newest-resident-and-ambassador/|date=April 9, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108132217/https://nypost.com/2015/04/09/godzilla-is-tokyos-newest-resident-and-ambassador/ |archive-date=November 8, 2020}}</ref>

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=

<ref name="Asteroid-Gojira">{{cite web
  |title      = (101781) Gojira
  |work       = Minor Planet Center
  |url        = https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=101781
  |access-date = July 19, 2018}}</ref>

<ref name="MPC-Circulars-Archive">{{cite web
  |title      = MPC/MPO/MPS Archive
  |work       = Minor Planet Center
  |url        = https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/ECS/MPCArchive/MPCArchive_TBL.html
  |access-date = July 19, 2018}}</ref>

}} <!-- end of reflist -->

===Sources===
{{Refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book |title=The Kaiju Film: A Critical Study of Cinema's Biggest Monsters |last=Barr |first=Jason |year=2016 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0786499632}}
* {{cite AV media|first=Gareth|last=Edwards|title=[[Godzilla (2014 film)|Godzilla]]|publisher=Warner Bros. Pictures|year=2014}}
* {{cite book |last=Galbraith IV|first=Stuart |title=Monsters Are Attacking Tokyo! The Incredible World of Japanese Fantasy Films|publisher=Feral House|date=1998 |isbn=0922915474}}
* {{cite book |last=Godziszewski|first=Ed|title=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Godzilla|publisher=Daikaiju Enterprises|year=1994}}
* {{cite AV media|first=Ishiro|last=Honda|title=[[Invasion of Astro-Monster|Monster Zero]] (English version)|publisher=Toho Co., Ltd/United Productions of America|year=1970}}
*{{cite book|title=テレビマガジン特別編集 誕生40周年記念 ゴジラ大全集|trans-title=TV Magazine Special Edition: 40th Anniversary of the Birth of Godzilla Complete Works|last=Iwahata|first=Toshiaki |date=September 1, 1994 |publisher=Kodansha|isbn=4-06-178417-X|language=Japanese}}
* {{cite book |title=A Critical History and Filmography of Toho's Godzilla Series|last=Kalat |first=David |year=2010 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=9780786447497|edition=second }}
* {{cite book |last1=Lees |first1=J.D. |last2=Cerasini |first2=Marc |title=The Official Godzilla Compendium |url=https://archive.org/details/officialgodzilla00lees |url-access=registration |publisher=[[Random House]] |year=1998 |isbn=0-679-88822-5 }}
* {{cite book|last1=Motoyama|first1=Sho|last2=Matsunomoto|first2=Kazuhiro|last3=Asai|first3=Kazuyasu|last4=Suzuki|first4=Nobutaka|last5=Kato|first5=Masashi|title=東宝特撮映画大全集|trans-title=Toho Special Effects Movie Complete Works|publisher=villagebooks|year=2012|isbn=978-4-864-91013-2|language=Japanese}}
* {{cite book|last=Nagayama|first=Yasuo|title=Why do Monsters Attack Japan?|year=2002|publisher=[[Chikuma Shobō]]|isbn=978-4480823519}}
* {{cite book |first=Arvid|last=Nelson|year=2019|title=Godzilla: Aftershock|publisher=Legendary Comics|isbn=978-1681160535}}
* {{cite book |last=Perlmutter|first=David|year=2018|title=The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers|isbn=978-1538103739}}
* {{cite book |last=Ragone |first=August |year=2007 |title=Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters|publisher=Chronicle Books |isbn=978-0-8118-6078-9}}
* {{cite book |title=Japan's Green Monsters: Environmental Commentary in Kaiju Cinema |last1=Rhoads |first1=Sean |last2=McCorkie |first2=Brooke |year=2018 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=9781476663906}}
* {{cite book |title=Japan's Favorite Mon-Star: The Unauthorized Biography of the Big G |last=Ryfle |first=Steve |year=1998 |publisher=ECW Press |isbn=9781550223484 |url=https://archive.org/details/japansfavoritemo0000ryfl |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book |last1=Ryfle|first1=Steve|last2=Godziszewski|first2=Ed|title=Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film, from Godzilla to Kurosawa|publisher=Wesleyan University Press|year=2017|isbn=978-0-8195-7087-1}}
* {{cite book |last=Solomon |first=Brian |year=2017 |title=Godzilla FAQ: All That's Left to Know about the King of the Monsters |publisher=Applause Theatre & Cinema Books |isbn=9781495045684}}
* {{cite book|last=Tanaka|first=Tomoyuki|author-link=Tomoyuki Tanaka|title=東宝特撮映画全史|trans-title=The Complete History of Toho Special Effects Movies|publisher=Toho Publishing Business Office|year=1983|isbn=4-924609-00-5|language=Japanese}}
* {{cite book |title=Godzilla on My Mind: Fifty Years of the King of Monsters |last=Tsutsui |first=William M. |year=2003 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=1403964742}}
{{Refend}}
==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikiquote|Godzilla (franchise)}}
* [https://godzilla.com Official ''Godzilla'' website] by [[Toho|Toho Co., Ltd]]
* [http://www.toho.co.jp/ Official website] of Toho Co., Ltd (Japanese)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170511111057/http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0005212/ Godzilla] on [[IMDb]]
<!-- Fan-created wikis MUST not be listed here per WP:FANSITE. -->

{{Godzilla|state=expand}}
{{King Kong}}
{{Tokyo Sports Film Award for Best Actor}}
{{MonsterVerse}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Godzilla (character)| ]]
[[Category:Godzilla (franchise)| ]]
[[Category:Godzilla characters]]
[[Category:Mothra characters]]
[[Category:Toho monsters]]
[[Category:King Kong (franchise) characters]]
[[Category:Film characters introduced in 1954]]
[[Category:Horror film villains]]
[[Category:Science fiction film characters]]
[[Category:Kaiju]]
[[Category:Animal superheroes]]
[[Category:Animal supervillains]]
[[Category:Animated characters]]
[[Category:Fictional aquatic animals]]
[[Category:Fictional characters with accelerated healing]]
[[Category:Fictional characters with fire or heat abilities]]
[[Category:Fictional characters with nuclear or radiation abilities]]
[[Category:Fictional characters with superhuman durability or invulnerability]]
[[Category:Fictional deicides]]
[[Category:Fictional dinosaurs]]
[[Category:Fictional dragons]]
[[Category:Fictional dragonslayers]]
[[Category:Fictional giants]]
[[Category:Fictional kings]]
[[Category:Fictional mutants]]
[[Category:Fictional prehistoric animals]]
[[Category:Fictional reptiles]]
[[Category:Fictional sea monsters]]
[[Category:Fire-breathing monsters]]
[[Category:Fictional parents or guardians]]
[[Category:Monsterverse characters]]
[[Category:Japanese mascots]]
[[Category:Film studio mascots]]