:Godzilla

{{Main|Godzilla (franchise)}}

{{See also|Godzilla (Showa)|Godzilla (Heisei)|Godzilla (Monsterverse)|Shin Godzilla (character)|Godzilla (Godzilla Minus One)}}

First appearing in 1954, 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, novelizations, and video games; each appearance expands upon the universe created by the films.

Although the process of creating Godzilla's 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}}{{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.}}Satoshi Yamaguchi, April 2013, ゴジラ誕生物語, p.20, Bunken Shuppan 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,{{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)}}, and production head {{Ill|Iwao Mori|lt=Iwao Mori|ja|森岩雄}}, with Satō and Mori recalling that the employee was Amikura.{{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 |language=ja |volume=62 |page=83 |access-date=May 14, 2023 |via=Google Books}}{{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 |access-date=May 14, 2023 |via=Google Books}} 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.{{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}}

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}}

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.{{cite news|author=Peter Bradshaw |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2005/oct/14/6 |title=Godzilla | Culture |newspaper=The Guardian |date=October 14, 2005 |access-date=September 25, 2013 |location=London}} Although the specific details of Godzilla's appearance have varied slightly over the years, the overall impression has remained consistent.Biondi, R, "The Evolution of Godzilla – G-Suit Variations Throughout the Monster King's Twenty-One Films", G-Fan #16, July/August 1995 Inspired by the fictional Rhedosaurus created by animator Ray Harryhausen for the film The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms,Greenberger, R. (2005). Meet Godzilla. Rosen Pub. Group. p. 15. {{ISBN|1404202692}} Godzilla's character design was conceived as that of an amphibious reptilian monster based around the loose concept of a dinosaurKishikawa, O. (1994), Godzilla First, 1954 ~ 1955, Big Japanese Painting, ASIN B0014M3KJ6 with an erect standing posture, scaly skin, an anthropomorphic torso with muscular arms, lobed bony plates along its back and tail, and a furrowed brow.{{cite magazine|title=Think Godzilla's Scary? Meet His Lawyers|url=https://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2008/11/godzilla-terror/|magazine=Wired|access-date=May 21, 2013|first=David|last=Kravets|date=November 24, 2008}}

Art director Akira Watanabe combined attributes of a Tyrannosaurus, an Iguanodon, a Stegosaurus and an alligator{{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}} to form a sort of blended chimera, inspired by illustrations from an issue of 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 survivors of Hiroshima.{{cite web|title=Gojira|url=https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/384918|publisher=Turner Classic Movies|access-date=June 2, 2013}} 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: Millennium.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfSARjZ0OXc Making of the Godzilla Suit!]. Ed Godziszewski. YouTube (December 24, 2010)

In the original Japanese films, Godzilla and all the other monsters are referred to with gender-neutral pronouns 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.{{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}} In the 1998 film Godzilla, the monster is referred to as a male and is depicted laying eggs through parthenogenesis.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=336}}{{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}} In the Legendary Pictures Godzilla films, Godzilla is specified as a male.{{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/}}

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.

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,Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964). Directed by Ishirō Honda. Toho. it will fight alongside humanity against common threats. However, it makes no special effort to protect human life or propertyGodzilla: Unleashed – Godzilla 2000 character profile 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 and instead sustains itself on nuclear radiationThe Return of Godzilla (1985). Directed by Koji Hashimoto. Toho and an omnivorous or piscivorian diet consisting especially of cetaceans and large fish.Milliron, K. & Eggleton, B. (1998), Godzilla Likes to Roar!, Random House Books for Young Readers, {{ISBN|0679891250}} 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." 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.

File:Godzilla King of the Monsters (1956) Atomic ray.png (1954)]]

File:KK v G trailer (1962).png in King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962). This film attracted the highest Japanese box office attendance figures in the entire Godzilla series to date.{{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}}]]

Godzilla's signature weapon is its "atomic heat beam" (also known as "atomic breath"{{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}}), 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.An Anatomical Guide to Monsters, Shoji Otomo, 1967 Toho's special effects department has used various techniques to render the beam, from physical gas-powered flames{{cite AV media|title=Interview with Haruo Nakajima|work=Godzilla – Criterion Collection 2012 Blu-ray/DVD Release}} 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 in judo and used his expertise to choreograph the battle sequences.The Art of Suit Acting – Classic Media Godzilla Raids Again DVD featurette

Godzilla is amphibious: it has a preference for traversing Earth's hydrosphere when in hibernation or migration, can breathe underwater due to pore-shaped gills 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 regenerate,Godzilla 2000 (1999). Directed by Takao Okawara. Toho. 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.Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters (2017)

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

Godzilla has a distinctive disyllabic roar (transcribed in several comics as Skreeeonk!),Stradley, R., Adams, A., et al. Godzilla: Age of Monsters (February 18, 1998), Dark Horse Comics; Gph edition. {{ISBN|1569712778}}Various. Godzilla: Past Present Future (March 5, 1998), Dark Horse Comics; Gph edition. {{ISBN|1569712786}} which was created by composer Akira Ifukube, who produced the sound by rubbing a pine tar-resin-coated glove along the string of a contrabass and then slowing down the playback. 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.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) 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.{{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}} 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.{{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}}

File:Godzilla (1954) Teizô Toshimitsu.jpg

Godzilla's size is inconsistent, changing from film to film and even from scene to scene for the sake of artistic license.{{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}} The miniature sets and costumes were typically built at a {{frac|1|25}}–{{frac|1|50}} scale{{cite web|url=http://www.gvsdestoroyah.dulcemichaelanya.com/Bsmodels.htm |title=Godzilla |publisher=Gvsdestoroyah.dulcemichaelanya.com |access-date=September 25, 2013}} and filmed at 240 frames per second to create the illusion of great size.{{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}} In 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 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) 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.{{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}} Director 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".{{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}} For Shin Godzilla (2016), Godzilla was made even taller than the Legendary version, at {{convert|118.5|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}.{{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}}{{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}} In Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters (2017), Godzilla's height was increased further still to {{convert|300|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}.{{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}} In 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.{{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}}{{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/}}

File:Godzilla Raids Again (1955) Behind the scenes.gif (1955), with Haruo Nakajima portraying Godzilla on the left]]

Godzilla's appearance has traditionally been portrayed in the films by an actor wearing a latex costume, though the character has also been rendered in animatronic, stop-motion and computer-generated form.{{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}}{{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}} Taking inspiration from 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}}

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. 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. 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.{{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}} 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.Clements, J. (2010), Schoolgirl Milky Crisis: Adventures in the Anime and Manga Trade, A-Net Digital LLC, pp. 117–118, {{ISBN|0984593748}} 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), 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.

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 hydraulically powered mechanical endoskeleton covered in 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), 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.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=337-339}}

In Godzilla (1998), special effects artist Patrick Tatopoulos was instructed to redesign Godzilla as an incredibly fast runner.{{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 }} 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.{{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}} 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 CGI.{{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}}

In 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."{{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}} To create a CG version of Godzilla, the Moving Picture Company (MPC) studied various animals such as bears, Komodo dragons, lizards, lions and 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.{{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 }} 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. Storm reprised the role of Godzilla in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, portraying the character through performance capture.

In Shin Godzilla, a majority of the character was portrayed via CGI, with Mansai Nomura portraying Godzilla through motion capture. In 2024, Godzilla Minus One was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, becoming the first Godzilla film nominated for an Oscar.{{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}} At the 96th Academy Awards ceremony, it won the award.

{{Main|Godzilla in popular culture}}

Image:Godzillastar.jpg]]

Godzilla is one of the most recognizable symbols of Japanese popular culture worldwide{{cite book |last=Sharp |first=Jasper |title=Historical Dictionary of Japanese Cinema |publisher=Scarecrow Press |page=67 |year=2011 |isbn=9780810857957}}{{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}} 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.{{cite AV media |title=Interview with Tadao Sato |work=Godzilla – Criterion Collection 2012 Blu-ray/DVD Release }} Audiences respond positively to the character because it acts out of rage and self-preservation and shows where science and technology can go wrong.{{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}}

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}}{{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}}

Godzilla has been considered a filmographic metaphor for the United States, as well as an allegory of 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.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)

As the series progressed, so did Godzilla, changing into a less destructive and more heroic character.{{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}}{{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}} 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.{{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}} Godzilla has since been viewed as an anti-hero. Roger Ebert cited Godzilla as a notable example of a villain-turned-hero, along with King Kong, Jaws (James Bond), the Terminator and John Rambo.{{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}}

Godzilla is considered "the original radioactive superhero" due to his accidental radioactive origin story predating Spider-Man (1962 debut), though Godzilla did not become a hero until Ghidorah in 1964. 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.{{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}} Godzilla was also voted the most popular movie monster in The Monster Times poll in 1973, beating Count Dracula, King Kong, the Wolf Man, the Mummy, the Creature from the Black Lagoon and the Frankenstein Monster.{{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}}

File:Zilla Compare.jpg's skeletal diagram of Godzilla in a modern dinosaur posture]]

In 1996, Godzilla received the MTV Lifetime Achievement Award,{{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}} 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.{{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}} 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",Beck, Jerry (ed.) (1994). The 50 Greatest Cartoons: As Selected by 1,000 Animation Professionals. Atlanta: Turner Publishing. {{ISBN|1-878685-49-X}}. two episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000"Godzilla Genealogy Bop" – MST3K season 2, episode 13, aired February 2, 1991 and the song "Godzilla" by Blue Öyster Cult.{{cite web|author=Song Review by Donald A. Guarisco |url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/godzilla-mt0004247257 |title=Godzilla – Blue Öyster Cult | Listen, Appearances, Song Review |website=AllMusic |access-date=September 25, 2013}} Godzilla has also been used in advertisements, such as in a commercial for Nike, where Godzilla lost an oversized one-on-one game of basketball to a giant version of NBA player Charles Barkley.Martha T. Moore. "Godzilla Meets Barkley on MTV". USA Today. September 9, 1992. 1.B. The commercial was subsequently adapted into a comic book illustrated by Jeff Butler.Paul Gravett and Peter Stanbury. Holy Sh*t! The World's Weirdest Comic Books. St. Martin's Press, 2008. 104. Godzilla has also appeared in a commercial for 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}}{{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}} Reptilicus of Denmark,{{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}} Yonggary of South Korea,{{sfn|Kalat|2010|p=92}} Pulgasari of North Korea,{{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}} Gorgo of the United Kingdom{{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}} and the Cloverfield monster of the United States.{{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}}

Dakosaurus is an extinct sea crocodile of the Jurassic Period, which researchers informally nicknamed "Godzilla".Gasparini Z, Pol D, Spalletti LA. 2006. An unusual marine crocodyliform from the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary of Patagonia. Science 311: 70–73. Paleontologists have written tongue-in-cheek speculative articles about Godzilla's biology, with Kenneth Carpenter tentatively classifying it as a 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.{{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}}

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 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.[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) 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.[http://www.tokyohive.com/article/2011/02/toho-suing-honda-over-godzilla/ Toho suing Honda over Godzilla], TokyoHive (February 12, 2011) 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.{{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 }} Gojira is the name of a French death metal band, formerly known as Godzilla; legal problems forced the band to change their name.[http://www.thegauntlet.com/bio/1611/Gojira.html Gojira htm Biography and Band at the Gauntlet], The Gauntlet In May 2015, Toho launched a lawsuit against Voltage Pictures over a planned picture starring Anne Hathaway. Promotional material released at the Cannes Film Festival used images of Godzilla.{{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}}

Steven Spielberg cited Godzilla as an inspiration for 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 (1975).{{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 }}{{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 }} 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.{{Cite web |title=Gojirasaurus |url=https://arctos.database.museum/guid/NMMNH:Paleo:4666 |access-date=January 28, 2023 |website=Arctos}} 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. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on July 11, 2018 ({{small|M.P.C. 110635}}). 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."{{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}}

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.{{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}}

In April 2015, the Shinjuku ward of Tokyo named Godzilla a special resident and official tourism ambassador to encourage tourism. 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.{{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}}{{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}}

{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist|refs=

{{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}}

{{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}}

}}

{{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|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=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}}

{{Commons category}}

{{Wikiquote|Godzilla (franchise)}}

• [https://godzilla.com Official Godzilla website] by 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

{{Godzilla|state=expand}}

{{King Kong}}

{{Tokyo Sports Film Award for Best Actor}}

{{MonsterVerse}}

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