Godzilla is one of the most recognizable movie monsters of all time. There’s a good chance you can picture Godzilla right now, but the design has actually changed a lot over the years. In fact, it changed almost every time a new Godzilla movie was made.
The changes were sometimes practical: the suits needed to be more flexible to work with the action in the script. But in one case, the design change was necessitated by the fact someone flat-out stole the suit and it was never recovered. Some changes were relatively minor, while others, like the design for the 1998 Matthew Broderick movie, were bad and should never be revisited.
To celebrate the release of Godzilla Minus One, let’s take a look back at Godzilla’s evolution over the course of 70 years. Head to the slideshow gallery below or scroll down to learn more:
A Visual History of Godzilla
Godzilla (1954)
The first appearance of Godzilla in 1954 set the basic look and tone for all future Godzilla films, with one major exception. This Godzilla has crazy eyes, the kind of eyes you’d expect to see on a radioactive city-stomping monster.
Godzilla Raids Again (1955)
Godzilla Raids Again in 1955 brought a slight redesign to the creature. This change was largely due to the limitations of the original when it came to movement, since this movie features a kajiu battle against Anguirus. The suit is more flexible and has moving, soulless eyes.
King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
In King Kong vs. Godzilla from 1962, the design changed again to give Godzilla a stockier build and smaller head. He also has more human-like eyes. No effort was apparently made for the King Kong costume, which looks like it was rented from a pop-up Halloween store in an old Circuit City.
Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)
In 1964, Godzilla took on Mothra, and the costume was adapted once again. This is one of the most recognizable designs, and probably close to what you think of when you think of Japan’s favorite city-stomper.
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)
The changes made to Godzilla’s appearance for the 1964 Ghidora, the Three-Headed Monster were largely practical. The head was damaged during the last movie, so they just made a few adjustments and called it all day.
Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965)
Invasion of Astro-Monster in 1965 brought another slight adjustment to the Godzilla design. He’s not nearly as stocky in this movie, and his claws are a little more rounded.
Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster (1966)
In 1966’s Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, Godzilla looks like he’s starting to get over his monstrosity, with calmer eyes. The costume is actually an amalgam of other kaiju costumes, some pieces borrowed from the Ultraman television program.
Son of Godzilla (1967)
In 1967, Godzilla had a son, and they made a movie about their capering and called it Son of Godzilla.This is one of the most unsettling of all the Godzilla looks, because he somewhat resembles Robert Barone from the old CBS sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond.
Destroy All Monsters (1968)
In 1968, the mission was clear: all monsters must be destroyed, which is where Destroy All Monsters got its title. Really it’s because the plot of the movie has aliens seizing control of kaiju and using them to destroy humanity. Godzilla’s calm and peaceful eyes are once again tinged with monstrous rage. This design would stay in place for the next several movies, unlike previous films where the design was different every single time.
Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)
For the 1973 Godzilla vs. Megalon, the design was again changed up. The dorsal plates are much less pronounced, and Godzilla stands more upright than previous designs. This version would last until 1984. Godzilla vs. Megalon would also introduce the one-time appearance of Jet Jaguar, perhaps the coolest character in Godzilla-dom?
Godzilla Animated Series (1978)
Hanna Barbera made a Godzilla cartoon in the 1970s and they didn’t even really try. Animation for television was extremely cost-limited, so this Godzilla basically looks like one of those lizard men from that old Star Trek episode, but with a tail and 4 frame animation.
The Return of Godzilla (1984)
In 1984, the world was changing at an unprecedented pace, and Godzilla would join the fray and change up once again. Godzilla had been serving the role of heroic giant monster, and for his return he was made to look and act menacing and evil again.
Godzilla vs Biollante (1989)
This sequel to The Return of Godzilla continued the emphasis on Godzilla as a leaner, meaner monster, with a number of improvements and modifications made to the suit. This version of Godzilla is especially notable for the extra second row of razor-sharp teeth.
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991)
King Ghidora is one of the coolest kaiju Godzilla ever faced, and for the 1991 movie Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, Godzilla was in full beast mode. It looks like he hit the gym pretty hard, but that’s the work you have to put in if you want to defeat a three-headed dragon monster.
Godzilla and Mothra: Battle for Earth (1992)
No, that’s not a scene from 2017’s Blade Runner 2049, it’s from 1992’s Godzilla and Mothra: Battle for Earth. Godzilla has shed some bulk to really get to his fighting weight. The arms have much more flexibility and it’s an overall more sleek design.
Godzilla vs. Barkley Commercial (1993)
A Nike commercial saw Sir Charles Barkley himself dunk over Godzilla, something from which he never fully recovered. Putting on a pair of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar glasses, Godzilla was no match for Barkley, but they were able to remain friends nonetheless.
Godzilla doesn’t always smash cities, sometimes he smashes the glass, too. This comic representation of Godzilla slamming down is a good average of some of the earlier, more recognizable Godzilla designs.
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah II (1993)
With slimmer legs and four rows of dorsal fins, Godzilla’s design changed pretty substantially for the 1993 Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla. The head is a bit wider but he retains that thick bodybuilder’s neck.
Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla (1995)
The biggest change to Godzilla for 1995’s Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla is this is the first suit to feature a mechanical head that could move directions. The legs and thighs are thicc for this battle against one of the coolest kaiju Godzilla ever fights.
Godzilla (1998)
No one likes this Godzilla design. It’s from the 1998 Matthew Broderick movie and it sucks. Godzilla looks more like a dinosaur than a man in a rubber suit, but people watch Jurassic Park to see dinosaurs running amok. This design has not been stricken from the record, and is actually part of Godzilla canon. Known as Zilla, the franchise was able to disavow this movie while at the same time, paying lip service to it.
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1998)
Godzilla is on the verge of a meltdown in the 1998 movie Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. That’s why he looks so cool. He is literally about to explode from radiation. Live by the radiation and die by the radiation they used to say in radiation school.
Godzilla 2000: The Millennium (1999)
Godzilla 2000: The Millennium saw an aggressive redesign to Godzilla. His dorsal plates are more jagged and his head has a flatter, wider, almost crocodilian look to it.
Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001)
For 2001’s Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, the harsh reptilian features of the last design were toned back and Godzilla looked more like one of the classic designs. The head is rounder and the dorsal fins are much less pronounced.
Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla (2002)
In 2002’s Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla, the look is almost a compromise between the previous two designs. The snout is pointed and the dorsal plates are extremely pronounced and jagged. The suit is packed with animatronics to make it one of the more emotive of all the Godzilla designs.
Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)
Godzilla: Final Wars 2004 design tones down the dorsal plates significantly and makes Godzilla much leaner than in previous designs. He almost looks ready to take up marathoning.
Godzilla (2014)
After the disaster of Godzilla 1998, Western filmmakers vowed never again to make such a crappy Godzilla, and for the 2014 Godzilla movie with Bryan Cranston the monster looks franchise appropriate. However, this is an entirely computer-generated monster, so it’s almost like cheating.
Shin Godzilla (2016)
The Godzilla from 2016’s Shin Godzilla is one of the most unusual. His arms are tiny, almost like a T-Rex, but with disconcertingly human-like hands. He’s also stained with red to evoke his radioactive origins.
Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters (2017)
Netflix’s Planet of the Monsters is the first animated film in the long-running series, set 20,000 years after humanity has been driven away from Earth by a rampaging Godzilla. This version of Godzilla turned out to be a major departure from the norm, visually. Its body is covered in dense, almost tree bark-like muscle fiber. The animated trilogy later continued in 2018’s Godzilla: City of the Edge of Battle and Godzilla: The Planet Eater.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters maintains the look of the 2014 version for the most part, while also giving him several classic foes to battle, all in upgraded, modern Hollywood VFX form, including Rodan, Mothra and King Ghidorah.
Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
It was only a matter of time before the Monsterverse brought us to this epic face-off. Godzilla’s revamped American look didn’t really change for this sequel, though King Kong received a major size boost in order to better grapple with the King of Monsters.
Godzilla Minus One (2023)
As the first domestic Japanese Godzilla film since 2016’s Shin Godzilla, Godzilla Minus One marks a return to the franchise’s roots, both tonally and in terms of plot. It’s only fitting that Minus One’s Godzilla design is heavily inspired by the original 1954, albeit amped up to another level with all sorts of spines and rugged textures.
Note: this article was originally published in April 2014 and updated on November 1, 2023 with the latest information about the Godzilla movies.
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