Mechagodzilla is the most misunderstood kaiju in Toho’s library of Godzilla monsters. Mechagodzilla is commonly regarded as one of his greatest villains, but his role in the Godzilla franchise is much more complex than that.
Godzilla’s robotic duplicate, who made his first appearance in 1974’s Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, has gone up against the King of the Monsters five times on the big screen. The two have clashed in the Showa, Heisei, and Millennium series of Godzilla movies. Only King Ghidorah has fought Godzilla more than Mechagodzilla. The two are expected to come to blows yet again in 2021, as Mechagodzilla is about to be adapted to the MonsterVerse in Godzilla vs. Kong, possibly as the main antagonist who the two titular Titans will have to team up against at the end of the film. He hasn’t been officially revealed yet, but his inclusion was spoiled by a toy leak.
Regardless of what his role will be, it’s worth noting that Mechagodzilla’s villainous reputation in the Godzilla franchise doesn’t do him justice. It’s important to keep in mind that he was a true villain in only two of his movie appearances. In Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla and Terror of Mechagodzilla, the monster was a weapon created by aliens to kill Godzilla and conquer the world. With the help of King Caesar, Godzilla thwarted his efforts. In the sequel, Godzilla had to fend off both Mechagodzilla and Titanosaurus at the same time.
Godzilla’s fight with Mechagodzilla and Titanosaurus in 1975 was the last time he was utilized in this way. 1993’s Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II reimagined him as a robot constructed by the Japanese government for the purpose of protecting the country from Godzilla’s rampages. Over the course of the movie, Mechagodzilla battled Rodan and Godzilla, who were both desperate to protect Godzilla’s son. Though he was a major obstacle to Godzilla getting his son back, it doesn’t seem fair to call him a “villain” per se. After all, Mechagodzilla’s objective was to stop Godzilla from destroying the city.
Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla elevated him to the role of a hero when it gave him a new design and renamed him “Kiryu”. In both the 2001 movie and its sequel, Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., Kiryu was the protagonist, with Godzilla himself acting as the antagonist. Viewed as the hero of the Japanese people, Kiryu was regarded as their only hope of standing up to the King of the Monsters. In the end, Kiryu was destroyed, but he ultimately succeeded in his mission. In short, Toho’s Mechagodzilla has been a good guy more than he has a villain. However, this is a fact that often goes unrecognized. As for what the MonsterVerse may do with him, Godzilla vs. Kong could become the first film in almost 50 years to use him as a force for evil. That feels likely, considering that Godzilla isn’t an anti-hero or a villain in the MonsterVerse. There’d be no need for a showdown with Mechagodzilla if they were fighting on the same side.
