Godzillais have it off   as the unplanned byproduct of   atomic testing in the 1950s , but this is n’t the only version of Godzilla ’s origin . Over the last six decades , there have been multiple iterations of the Japanese pa culture ikon , and not all of them have the same origin chronicle .

Godzilla has star in 32 live - action movies(including the 1998 American adjustment ) . For the most part , Toho ’s Godzilla franchise can be broken up into three unlike ERA : Showa ( 1954 - 1975 ) , Heisei ( 1984 - 1995 ) , and Millennium ( 2000 - 2004 ) . Each series of movies had its own version of the King of the Monsters , all with their own somewhat unique plan . The 1990s Godzilla , for instance , was designed to be scarier than the Showa serial publication Godzilla , while the monster introduced inGodzilla 2000had empurpled back spikes and red atomic breath . Other interpretations of Godzilla ’s story have been assure as well , and they all put up their own take on the dear character .

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MostGodzillamovies only make small alterations to Godzilla , as there are certain adorable aspect of the case that are kept unceasing . Godzilla is typically present as a almost unstoppable force that inhabit in the depths of the ocean near Japan . Godzilla can usually be recognise by his dinosaur - like visual aspect , iconic holler , andblue atomic breath . How Godzilla became so powerful is traditionally associated with atomic weapons , but not every interpretation of Godzilla was create in the same way . Here ’s every origin fib the King of the Monsters has had in the movies .

Godzilla (1954)

Godzilla exists as a metaphor of the pain and destruction have by the nuclear bomb that were dropped on Nagaski and Hiroshima during World War II . In the Nipponese 1954 picture , Godzilla , it was explain that the lusus naturae was a prehistoric reptile of some sort who was mutate by radiation from a nuclear test carry on by the United States armed services in the Pacific Ocean . The large amount of radiation sickness absorb by the reptile caused it to grow to gigantic proportions . cite " Godzilla , " the creature set on Japan but was ultimately killed by a equipment holler theOxygen Destroyer . The continuation , Godzilla Raids Again , revealed that two of these reptilian creatures were actually impacted by the atom bomb calorimeter tryout . The first was killed in 1954 , but the 2nd survive . This reading of Godzilla returned in the Toho film that followed .

Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991)

Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah , the third installment in the Heisei series ofGodzillafilms , expanded on his classic origin account by diving deep than ever into the incident that created him . It was revealed that on an island in 1944 , a group of Japanese soldier happen a dinosaur who deliver them from the U.S. military . It was believe that the puppet - who was reach the name"Godzillasaurus " - was the same reptile that was transform by the atom bomb test into Godzilla .

A squad of aliens used time travel to go back to 1944 and wipe off Godzilla from existence . They moved the Godzillasaurus to a different positioning , that way he would n’t be affected by the radiation . The noncitizen switch Godzilla with three small creature who were mutated intoKing Ghidorah . Later , the Japanese make up one’s mind that Godzilla ’s macrocosm was necessary to beat Ghidorah , so they decided to find the Godzillasaurus and hit him with enough radiation sickness to renovate his original transformation . To make this come about , they bombarded him with radiation , unaware that in the 1970s , the Godzillasaurus found a sunken , Russian nuclear submarine and had already been mutating as a result . Getting tally with a second , even prominent venereal disease of radiation made Godzilla more powerful than he ever was before .

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Godzilla (1998)

Sony ’s universally knock version ofGodzillain 1998 offer a drastically dissimilar interpreting of the monster . This version of Godzilla was born when an common iguana was caught in a nuclear trial in Polynesia in 1968 . The actinotherapy in his organic structure led to a slow phylogeny into the lizard - same wight seen running loose in New York City during the events of the film . The transformation take place over a 30 - class time period . As this variant ofGodzilla was ill - receive by audiences ( and Toho ) , Toho effectively retconned him into a different monster by having himface off against therealGodzilla inGodzilla : Final Wars .

Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001)

Godzilla , Mothra , and King Ghidorah : Giant lusus naturae All - Out Attackstands out as a movie whereGodzilla is a truly vicious , supernatural entity . It also exists in a separate continuity from all otherGodzillafilms , but does playact as a continuation of the 1954 film . In the film , Godzilla was indeed killed by the Oxygen Destroyer in 1954 , but his consistency was n’t destruct . It became possessed by the souls of the the great unwashed who died in the Pacific Ocean during World War II .

Godzilla (2014)

Legendary’sGodzillakept the connectedness to the nuclear incident of 1954 , but altered the circumstances of the consequence and what it meant for Godzilla . It was cite in the 2014Godzillathat the military ’s " test " in 1954 was actually an attempt to belt down Godzilla , an ancient creature that had lived for grand of class . Godzilla hold out the nuclear bombs , however , and returned in 2014 to combat the M.U.T.O.s . The MonsterVerse completelychanged the meaning of Godzillaby progress to him a force of nature , rather than a merchandise of humanity ’s mistakes .

In the MonsterVerse , Godzilla is one of several Titans , enormous creatures who feed in off of radiation sickness . Most of them hibernate deep within the Earth and in secret hugger-mugger tunnel called the Hollow Earth . Godzilla ( the last known penis of his species)exists to preserve the balance of nature by protecting the major planet from threats like Ghidorah .

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Shin Godzilla (2016)

Toho’sShin Godzillarebooted the franchise and help as the magnanimous deviation from the traditional story ever produced by the studio apartment . The monster draw inShin Godzillawas a villainous , grotesque animate being that own a phone number of brand Modern power . Originally a prehistoric ocean - dwelling brute , it was somehow exposed to atomic waste product in the sea , leading it to mutate into a unusual , eel - like creature . It run through several horrific forms before in the end evolving into a monster with the distinguish forcible characteristics of Godzilla . In its first two forms , it did n’t even have ramification .

This is without a doubt the most unusual portrayal of Godzilla in a Toho moving-picture show - but it wo n’t be see again . Toho does have plan tomove forwards with theGodzillafranchise , but the next installing will be yet another reboot . When that happens , Toho may insert a new take on Godzilla , complete with a Modern origin .

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Godzilla Versions

The original Godzilla film featuring Godzilla walking past a water bridge while fires burn in the background

Godzilla vs King Ghidorah

Godzilla walking between buildings in the 1998 movie.

Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah artwork from 2001’s Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack

Godzilla 2014

Shin Godzilla with glowing red skin.

Movies

Godzilla