Godzilla has earned the title of King of the Monsters time and time again, but how powerful is he really? The answer to that question varies, considering that so many different versions of Godzilla exist in the movies. That being said, depictions of Godzilla are generally consistent in most areas; most share his atomic breath, basic design, and association with nuclear weapons.
Toho has been making Godzilla movies since 1954, so 32 movies released across a period of 65 years have naturally introduced various portrayals of Godzilla. Over the years, how Godzilla appears has evolved a great deal. Some incarnations of the Japanese pop culture icon have starred in a long list of movies, such as the ones that Toho used in the Showa and Heisei years. Others, however, only received one movie before being pushed aside - either because they was poorly-received or simply because Toho wanted to focus on a different take on Godzilla.
One thing that most filmmakers tend to keep when reinventing Godzilla is his reputation. There isn’t any one right answer when it comes to whether or not Godzilla is a hero or a villain, but his status as the King of the Monsters is an incredibly important aspect of the character that largely goes unchanged. For this reason, in nearly every era Godzilla is physically superior to his challengers.
Showa Series Godzilla
In the Showa series (1954-1975), there are two different versions of Godzilla, but they seem to be identical in terms of their power and size. The first Godzilla was killed in the 1954 film by the Oxygen Destroyer, and the second emerged in Godzilla Raids Again. Godzilla can’t be killed or even injured by conventional weapons. Missiles and tanks only succeed in irritating him. With his strength, he can lift up and throw opponents as large as King Ghidorah (who outweighs Godzilla by a significant margin). His atomic breath can obliterate any man-made structure and greatly wound his fellow kaiju (except Rodan). It’s worth noting that despite everything he can do, it’s possible that the Showa Godzilla isn’t as formidable as later versions, based on the fact that he needed more help fighting other monsters than his counterparts.
Heisei Series Godzilla
Introduced in Return of Godzilla, the Godzilla used in the Heisei series (1984-1995) is much larger and meaner than his kid-friendly predecessor. At one point, he was confirmed to be stronger than the Godzilla who was killed by the Oxygen Destroyer. Also, he has abilities that the original lacked, such as the nuclear pulse attack (which was later given to the MonsterVerse’s Godzilla), and different variations of the atomic breath. In Godzilla vs. Meachgodzilla II, Rodan gave his remaining life essence to Godzilla, gifting him with a brand-new power. Thanks to Rodan’s energy, Godzilla developed a devastating red blast called the spiral heat ray, which became even more destructive in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. In this movie, he was at the peak of his power after attaining the short-lived Burning Godzilla form. Additionally, this Godzilla was capable of regeneration at a remarkably fast rate.
Godzilla Junior
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II introduced Godzilla’s son, who became the new Godzilla in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah after his dying father gave him what was left of his life force. Godzilla died after the radiation building within him became too much to take. Even after growing up, he wasn’t as strong as Godzilla, but that presumably changed after Godzilla’s sacrificial act infused Godzilla Junior with radioactive energy. Godzilla Junior was never given a chance to hold the spotlight as the protagonist of his own movie, but it can be assumed that due to his transformation, his power is now on par with the Heisei Godzilla.
1998 Godzilla
Hollywood’s first Godzilla adaptation presented audiences with what is without a doubt the most underwhelming version of the iconic kaiju. This Godzilla is the weakest of them all, as he can be hurt (and even killed) by guns and missiles. Toho demonstrated the differences between him and their Godzilla by putting him in Godzilla: Final Wars. He was effortlessly defeated by the Millennium series Godzilla, making it clear that Toho didn’t regard Sony’s take on him as the “true” Godzilla.
Millennium Series Godzilla
After the failure of the 1998 movie, Toho restarted the franchise with Godzilla 2000, which became the first installment in the Millennium series (2000-2004). At first, the only meaningful differences between the Millennium and Heisei versions were visual ones. This Godzilla had purple spikes and red atomic breath. He also retained the 1990s Godzilla’s healing factor. But in Godzilla: Final Wars, Toho made it clear that this was strongest Godzilla had ever been. Monsters that gave him trouble in the past, like Hedorah and Rodan, were no longer a challenge for him.
MonsterVerse Godzilla
The MonsterVerse made sure Godzilla lived up to the reputation established by the Showa, Heisei, and Millennium portrayals of the character by once again depicting him as superior to his opponents. Godzilla ultimately did need help from Mothra to take down Ghidorah in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, but it was revealed in the middle of the movie that Godzilla was indeed capable of killing him on his own. As expected, Godzilla is impervious to missiles and possesses immense, seemingly unrivaled strength.
Shin Godzilla
The monster that appeared in Toho’s Shin Godzilla is the strangest version of Godzilla ever introduced, but also one of the most powerful. His ability to adapt his body to different situations made it possible for him to gain new abilities over the course of the film. All other incarnations of Godzilla can fire atomic breath from their mouths, but this one could shoot numerous atomic beams of energy from his back spikes and tail. With so many weapons at his disposal, he could bring harm to any enemy, but his biggest weakness would of course be his atypically short arms. This design would have been a huge disadvantage if he ever had to engage another monster in physical combat.
Mechagodzilla
Godzilla’s robotic nemesis is arguably his most dangerous enemy. In some of Toho’s movies, he gave Godzilla a tougher fight than King Ghidorah himself. Mechagodzilla, armed with all sorts of high-powered missiles and laser cannons, was capable of pushing Godzilla to his limit. He nearly killed Godzilla in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II when he unleashed a weapon that pierced Godzilla’s second brain. That being said, Godzilla is usually able to beat Mechagodzilla without assistance.
SpaceGodzilla
As formidable as Mechagodzilla is, his power isn’t on the same level as the titular villain of Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla, a creature that was created from Godzilla’s DNA after it was mutated by a black hole. SpaceGodzilla, who boasts a wide array of abilities, proved to be more powerful than the Godzilla from the Heisei series. In their first fight, Godzilla failed to bring down SpaceGodzilla. It was only after getting help from Moguera that it became possible for SpaceGodzilla to be destroyed.
