Summary
Godzillahas had many powers since its debut in 1954, butLegendary Pictures' MonsterVerse redefined Godzilla, making it one of the most powerful versions of the monster. The original Japanese Godzilla of Toho’s 1954 movie,Godzilla,was a force of nature, destroying Tokyo indiscriminately. Another movie calledGodzillabrought this character to an American audience for the first time in 1998. Then, a third movie calledGodzillaintroduced America to the MonsterVerse in 2014, throwing itssuperpowered giant Godzillain the ring.
This Godzilla of 2014 would go on to lead the MonsterVerse, an American multimedia franchise that won the complicated rights to King Kong as well as Godzilla, and pitted the two against each other in numerous movies. Utilizing possibly the highest budget out of all theGodzillamovies, Legendary Pictures and distributorWarner Bros. were able to put out an original version of Godzilla with power made for the big screen. Now, five movies, two TV series, and numerous comics and novelizations in, thisGodzilla has shown his powersin excruciating detail.
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10DNA Absorption
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empirewas released in March, 2024, and showeda new side of Godzilla - his ability to absorb the DNA of other titans. Constituting one of the more recent MonsterVerse movies, this high-tech spectacle showed Godzilla powering up from Tiamat.Godzilla defeated Tiamatand used this little-known technique to ingest the dragon’s energy.
Godzilla fought Tiamat in theGodzilla: Dominioncomic.
Godzilla had the upper hand against Tiamat in her own territory, swiftly using this ability to absorb her DNA. This made the atomic light inside him turn from blue to pink, imitating the pink atomic power that Tiamat had.Godzilla’s ability to absorb Tiamat’s DNA resulted in an evolution, signaling that this formidable power goes a long way to confirming Godzilla’s status as King of the Monsters.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Cast
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire unites iconic monsters Godzilla and Kong in a colossal confrontation. As these ancient titans clash, humans delve into their shared origins and explore the enigmatic secrets of Skull Island.
9Energy Absorption
Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
Godzilla fed on radiation in many of its iterations, including MonsterVerse.Godzilla’s sustenance is radiation, and he takes it on in different ways.Godzilla vs Kongtold audiences that Godzilla can absorb energy from other monsters while fighting them. This isn’t Godzilla’s only fuel source - intheGodzilla x Kong: The New Empiremovie, he ingested energy from a nuclear power plant.
This ability is key to Godzilla’s attack modes and survival. Godzilla is able to survive so many eras and outlast so many catastrophes, partially due to his food source. In hibernating deep in the ocean,Godzilla can feed on the earth’s radiation. The beast can also survive nuclear disasters, and thrive on the fallout - radiation only makes him stronger.
Godzilla vs. Kong
The first major crossover event in Warner Bros. monster verse arrives as Godzilla vs. Kong. This blockbuster action film sees the legendary King Kong and Godzilla go head to head in a battle of titanic proportions. Set after the events of Godzilla: King of the Monsters and decades after Kong: Skull Island, the movie sees members of the underground agency known as Monarch dealing with the fallout of a rampaging Godzilla. Monarch relocates Kong to an area that may give them the weapon they need to subdue Godzilla; however, there are greater foes than the King of the Monsters to fear.
8Regeneration
Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
Between the critically-acclaimed 2014Godzillamovie and its sequel, 2019’sGodzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla had evolved. Its appearance had changed, indicating thatGodzilla’s regenerative ability could alter its biology. This was the first time thatMonsterVerse showed Godzilla’s regeneration, which was documented in more detail in the comicGodzilla: Aftershock.
Godzilla’s regeneration was caused by his fight with MUTO Prime in the comic and entailed many changes.Godzilla’s regeneration granted him a bigger overall buildwith greater strength and mobility, longer claws, and new dorsal plates. Godzilla regenerated again after absorbing Tiamat’s DNA inGodzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
In Godzilla: King of the Monsters, crypto-zoological agency Monarch faces off against a battery of god-sized monsters known as the Titians. Among these creatures is the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah.
7Heightened Sensitivity
Godzilla has heightened senses in the MonsterVerse that allow him to find his way in the world, seeking out various other titans, energy sources, or threats. InGodzilla: King of the Monsters,Godzilla used his sensitivity abilities to seek out a new place to live. His amplified senses have been seen to work well underwater as well as on land.
Godzilla’s great sight, hearing, and sense of smell helped him locate a nuclear warheadthat Scylla was interested in, along with various Apex Cybernetics facilities inGodzilla vs. Kong. Despite these examples, Godzilla had this innate power sincethe well-received 2014Godzillamovie- Godzilla saw the ocean as “an extension of himself,” according toGodzilla: Dominion.
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6Durability
Godzilla (2014)
Godzilla’s durability is well-known in theGodzillaworld, including in the MonsterVerse. This is one Godzilla superpower that every version of Godzilla has been able to use, resisting machine gunfire like it was so many paintballs. Godzilla’s durability in the MonsterVerse was first revealed in the franchise’s very first movie from 2014, asGodzilla withstood an onslaught of human weaponry.
Explosives seemed to have very little effect on Godzilla, occasionally presenting an annoyance. Godzilla’s gills seemed to be a weak spot, judging from his reaction when they were hit. Buildings fell and crushed Godzilla towards the end of the 2014 movie, but not even this huge impact could kill the beast or hurt him in the long term - eventually, he got up and walked back to the sea.
Godzilla
Godzilla is a 2014 American reboot of the popular kaiju property and the first film in Legendary’s Monsterverse franchise. The film centers around Ford Brody (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) who travels to Japan after his father Joe (Bryan Cranston) is detained for trying to uncover the truth about his wife’s death 15 years prior. Together they fight to survive as Joe’s conspiracy theory becomes true and giant monsters begin attacking the world.
5Super Strength
Godzilla’s extreme and inhuman durability is linked to his super strength.Godzilla vs. Kongbuilt on the firstGodzillaMonsterVerse movie, establishing the Legendary Pictures' Godzilla as one of the world’s strongest.Godzilla crushed any unfortunate citizens or buildings that stood in his path, and could not only fight parasitic MUTOs but held his own against King Kong.
Bouncing back after Kong’s forceful punch was an easy task for Godzilla, after a brief recovery. Godzilla went on to show his strength fighting the ape and numerous other titans throughout the MonsterVerse.Godzilla’s fins have the potential to cut through human boats, and in the novelization ofGodzilla: King of the Monsters,Ghidorah’s tails.
4Being Amphibious
Godzilla spends a lot of his time underwater in MonsterVerse movies, proving his ability to breathe underwater. Godzilla is a successful amphibian, at equal ease on land and submerged in water.Being amphibious is a key part of Godzilla’s personaand identity in MonsterVerse - he is an ancient titan who hibernates in the ocean until a titanic threat arises.
Godzilla’s power to breathe underwater saw him occasionally tussle with other titans in the sea, resulting in impressive fight sequences. Godzilla fought Tiamat underwater inGodzilla x Kong: The New Empireand Kong underwater inGodzilla vs. Kong. King Ghidorah also experienced Godzilla’s wrath underwater, whileGodzilla’s gills and amphibious lungs both secured his complete comfort in the sea.
3Telepathy
Godzilla Dominion (2021)
Godzilla’s telepathy is a little-known power that takes place all throughout the MonsterVerse. Godzilla’s intelligence as King of the Monsters is obvious, and combined with his super-sensitivity and super strength, it can seem like Godzilla’s ability to be in the right place at the right time is simply genius. However, the comicGodzilla Dominionconfirmed thatMonsterVerse Godzilla does have the power of telepathy.
Godzilla used a “silent call"in the novelization ofGodzilla vs. Kongto induce the other titans to rest. This intriguing addition to MonsterVerse lore cemented Godzilla’s status as King of the Monsters. Not only could he defeat other titans in a fight, he could communicate with them remotely over long distances.
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2Nuclear Pulse
Godzilla’s nuclear pulse is one of his most devastating attacks, first exemplified inGodzilla vs. Destroyah, the 1995 Toho movie. Since then, MonsterVerse added nuclear pulse to its Godzilla inGodzilla: King of the Monsters. This 2019 movie moment saw Mothra assist Godzilla in beating Ghidorah, contributing to the power that Godzilla emitted from its body in nuclear pulses.
Godzilla absorbed radiation from a nuclear power plant in order to have enough strength to use nuclear pulse and beat off attacking drones.
These powerful nuclear waves followed Godzilla’s Burning Godzilla state, likening Godzilla to a nuclear reactor melting down. InGodzilla x Kong: The New Empire,Godzilla absorbed radiation from a nuclear power plant to have enough strength to use nuclear pulse and beat off attacking drones. Thisnuclear absorption culminated in a nuclear pulsefiring outward from his body in a blue explosion.
1Atomic Breath
Godzilla’s atomic breathis Godzilla’s most legendary ability, always used in movies to demonstrate Godzilla’s lethal power.Godzilla first showed off its atomic breath in the 1954Godzilla, and it has been a staple in the franchise ever since. MonsterVerse Godzilla used its atomic breath to destroy the MUTO parasite in 2014’sGodzilla, and used it continuously against other titans in subsequent movies.
Godzilla only appears to weaponize its atomic breath as a last resortin most of the franchise movies, but he used it more often against King Ghidorah and King Kong. These two foes presented a major threat to Godzilla and planet Earth, despite Kong teaming up with Godzilla at some points in MonsterVerse. TheGodzillaatomic ray is unique to Godzilla even among his species, according to theGodzilla vs. Kongnovelization.
The Godzilla franchise, spanning over six decades, follows the adventures of the titular kaiju, a colossal, prehistoric sea monster awakened and empowered by nuclear radiation. Originating in Japan, Godzilla has evolved from a destructive force of nature to a protector of humanity, battling various other giant monsters, including iconic foes like King Ghidorah, Mothra, and Mechagodzilla. The series explores themes of environmental destruction, nuclear anxiety, and human resilience. With numerous films, TV series, and an expanding universe, Godzilla remains a cultural icon, captivating audiences worldwide with its epic battles and compelling narratives.
