Summary

• Godzilla's ability to rapidly evolve in Shin Godzilla's 5th form is what makes it so scary and terrifying.
• The kaiju mutates into several different forms throughout the movie, each time adapting effectively to its surroundings.
• While some fans and critics hail this version of Godzilla as the most terrifying yet, there is controversy surrounding its 5th form and its departure from the traditional Godzilla image.

Part of what makes Anno and Higuchi’s Shin Godzilla 5th form so scary is Godzilla’s ability to rapidly evolve. Released in 2016, Shin Godzilla is the 29th installment in Toho’s Godzilla franchise and the 31st Godzilla film overall, counting the American movie released in 1998 and the MonsterVerse version released in 2014. Co-directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi, Shin Godzilla serves as the third reboot of Toho’s franchise and features what some fans and critics have hailed as the most terrifying version of Godzilla yet.

Throughout Shin Godzilla, the kaiju mutates into several different forms, each time adapting effectively — and terrifyingly — to its surroundings. When the creature first makes landfall in Tokyo, it’s tadpole-like in appearance and crawls on all fours and while the kaiju leaves a trail of destruction in its wake, it’s still somewhat benign-seeming by Godzilla standards. Soon enough, however, the creature evolves and starts walking upright and, before long, is more like the Godzilla fans know and love; a gnarly, hulking behemoth that fires atomic rays from its mouth and destroys everything in its path.

How Did Shin Godzilla Take His 5th Form?

Some Theories Suggest Goro Maki Merged With Godzilla

Towards the end of Shin Godzilla, it’s discovered Godzilla’s blood acts as a cooling system, so the Japanese government and a bunch of scientists hatch a plan to inject it with a coagulant that will freeze the creature and render it immobile. The plan works and humanity is saved, but the final scene in Shin Godzilla shows the kaiju in the process of transforming into a 5th and final form. A camera pans up Godzilla’s frozen form and reveals several humanoid forms emerging from its tail.

Shin Godzilla’s 5th form is truly horrifying. Sometimes referred to as “manzillas” by the Godzilla fandom, the creatures somewhat resemble Alien’s xenomorphs. It’s implied that humans — that is, the scientists and the Japanese government — banded together to defeat Godzilla. The monster responded by evolving into a batch of humanoid kaiju. Some Godzilla fan theories even speculated that Goro Maki — the scientist who discovered Godzilla and was presumed dead — had merged with the creature, explaining Shin Godzilla’s humanoid 5th form (via Reddit).

The Controversy Of Shin Godzilla's 5th Form

The Next Stage Of Godzilla's Evolution Wasn't Very Godzilla

The potential reasons for Shin Godzilla’s 5th form are interesting, but many fans disliked the idea of an army of humanoid Godzillas being the next logical step in the kaiju’s evolution. Godzilla purists felt the 5th form creatures were too un-Godzilla-like and that any future Shin Godzilla sequel might replace Godzilla with its humanoid hellspawn. With Toho stating Shin Godzilla wouldn’t get a sequel, traditionalists can rest assured they won’t see an army of humanoid Godzillas taking over Tokyo anytime soon. However, between the MonsterVerse and Toho's latest Godzilla Minus One, there’s always a chance Shin Godzilla’s 5th form could resurface.

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  Shin Godzilla

  Summary:

  The 2016 kaiju action movie Shin Godzilla reboots the franchise with the titular monster rampaging through Tokyo. Produced by Toho, the film was a box office success in Japan and preceded the reboots Shin Ultraman and Shin Kamen Rider.

  Director:

  Shinji Higuchi

  Release Date:

  2016-07-19

  Cast:

  Hiroki Hasegawa

  Writers:

  Hideaki Anno

  Rating:

  r

  Runtime:

  120minutes

  Genres:

  Horror, Sci-Fi

  Budget:

  $15 million