Rodan

Name: Rodan
First Appearance: Rodan

Like Anguirus and Godzilla, Rodan is a giant prehistoric monster awakened from a time long ago. Unlike Godzilla though, Rodan was not altered by radiation, having more in common with the ankylosaurus-like monster Anguirus than Godzilla. However, Rodan starred in his own movie before he crossed over into the Godzilla series. He would become one of Godzilla's closest allies and would fight alongside Anguirus, Mothra, and Varan.

The original Rodan possess no beam weapons or
special weapons of any kind. Instead, Rodan relies on his natural talents and abilities, using his claws and beak to attack his opponents. He can fly at super-sonic speeds, destroying planes, buildings, and creating hurricane like winds in his wake. With a flap of his wings he can blow down the strongest structure and even hold back the great King Ghidorah. On many occasions Rodan fought along side Godzilla, waging war on Earth and Planet X. Although a friend of Godzilla, Rodan became his enemy later on. However, Rodan would be reborn as Fire Rodan, more powerful than ever with a uranium beam capable of halting the King of Monsters in his tracks. Eventually, Fire Rodan would sacrifice himself to save Godzilla to protect the young baby Godzilla that he cared for in his nest.

Rodan shares a rich and deep history with Godzilla. A fan favorite for all time, Rodan is the opposite of Godzilla-a quick and nimble flyer. The duo is unstoppable, able to bring down MechaGodzilla, Gigan, and King Ghidorah. Loyal and true, Rodan is brave and strong and makes appearances throughout Godzilla movie history.

The Art of Suitmation

The Goodzilla, the Bad, and the Ugly

I think the first thing that is asked by every person I meet when Godzilla comes up in conversation is whether Godzilla is good or bad. That's a really complicated question. I could go film by film (yes, all 29) and tell you what stance Godzilla took, but when you look at the series as a whole Godzilla really stands out as a neutral force. He isn't on any one side, and if it appears as if he is, well, lucky for the human race then.

If we start back in 1954, Godzilla was created by humankind from a nuclear blast. He attacked fishing boats, villagers, and finally Tokyo Bay and Tokyo, killing hundreds and leveling the city. Does this make Godzilla evil. Not in my opinion. As explained before, Godzilla is just a giant animal. He can't control what happened to him nor can he really watch where he steps. The landscape is foreign, everything is different, and on top of it all, Godzilla can shoot a radiation beam from his mouth. As any animal would react, he is angry and afraid. We don't call a lion evil for killing its prey. How is Godzilla any different? Tokyo just happened to be in the way when he got angry.

Once we move to the Showa era, Godzilla begins to look more kid friendly. However, that doesn't
necessarily make him a good guy. I would say superficially on the outside Godzilla happens to do good deeds that benefit mankind. However, in most of the Showa era Godzilla must defeat some unstoppable monster from space, under the sea, or alien creature. Most of the time he is protecting his own territory or a challenger. Godzilla does make friends with Anguirus, Rodan, and Mothra during the Showa era and teams up with them on a number of occasions. However, they are just protecting the Earth rather than human kind. Once again, Godzilla is playing the neutral part.

We reach the Heisei era next where Godzilla is bigger, meaner, and badder than ever. The creatures he encounters are more dangerous than ever before and most are coming back from Godzilla's past. In both series, Godzilla gets abducted by aliens and is used for their own good. They use Godzilla's aggressive nature to fight the likes of King Ghidorah, the most famous of Godzilla's foes. Godzilla is mainly left alone by human kind and only emerges when another kaiju marches on his territory or steals his young. Once again, Godzilla is protecting his offspring like any animal would, and actual must battle his friends Rodan and Mothra in this series. He has no allegiance to anyone or anything. The Heisei era shows an independent Godzilla but still neutral.

Finally, we move to the Millenium series, where Godzilla gets a makeover and an edgier look. However, this
Godzilla does set out to destroy all sources of nuclear power, forcing Japan to switch to alternate sources of energy. Evil? Hardly. Godzilla is protecting the earth from humankind and the evil they create, destroying the earth without knowing it. Taking the original Godzilla's bones from the ocean floor and creating Kiryu upsets Millenium Godzilla and he tries to destroy Kiryu, but with just cause, it's made from his relatives bones. Even Final Wars, Godzilla is merely protecting the earth. Neutral.

Gareth Edwards states many times that the new Godzilla is a force of nature, keeping in line with the vision that original series held on to. Good, bad, or ugly? Godzilla is none of these things. He is an animal, acting like an animal would in a world he doesn't understand.

What does Godzilla Eat?

It has been long debated what Godzilla actually eats. Based on his anatomy and double set of teeth, forward facing eyes, and large mass, Godzilla would be an apex predator. However, we've never actually seen Godzilla eat anything in any of the 29 movies. Baby Godzilla in Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla II does eat vegetables and is said to be a herbivore, but I would disagree when you're born with a mouth full of sharp teeth.

Light has been shed on the debate and there is no argument that Godzilla's diet mainly consists of Snickers and Fiats. Enjoy!

Godzilla is...

All of the Above

Selfin Dragon

1. A giant radioactive iguana.
A member of the Iguanidae family (Tatopoulos said the design is based off of his pet Selfin Dragon), Godzilla of 1998 (hereby referred to as Zilla) would be born from the blast of radiation from nuclear testing. This would be the only similarity Zilla would share with the origins of Classic Godzilla.

Nuclear blast from Hiroshima

2. An allegory for the bomb.
The original Godzilla emerged as a representation of the horrors that the Japanese people experienced at the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Godzilla would become a symbol of the bomb, seeing as how the Japanese never tested nuclear weapons, but were only the victims of an unstoppable force. Godzilla became that unstoppable force, destroying Tokyo overnight, and leveling the city like the bomb had done to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The fear of the invisible killer, radiation, was real to the Japanese audience and Godzilla presented the opportunity to make that fear visible. He was given a radioactive beam, a character trait that would become iconic with Godzilla.

Godzillasaurus

3. A Godzillasaurus
In order to revive the series and give Godzilla a new look, the writers would go back and change Godzilla's origin. Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991) would have Time-travelers from the future come back and move the 1944 Godzillasaurus on Lagos Island to the Bearing Sea, therefore avoiding creating the original Godzilla at all. However, the Godzillasaurus was exposed to radiation from a nuclear submarine and is reborn bigger, stronger, and meaner than ever. Godzillasaurus resembles a typical theropod but with a double set of teeth, which is later reflected in Godzilla from the Heisei series.

4. A Force of Nature.
Godzilla has been and always will be a force of nature. Looking at any of Godzilla's origin stories, he is still an animal. Transformed into a towering force, imbued with radioactive properties, and being the last of his kind, Godzilla faces a world that he can never be a part of. Acting like any animal would, Godzilla is merely defending his territory. He is neither good, nor bad, but a neutral force (this topic will be discussed in later days).

What is Godzilla?

How well do you know Godzilla? Answer the question below and tomorrow I will discuss the answers!

14 Days

A Brief Introduction to Godzilla

A Brief History of Godzilla

Godzilla 2014

The original Godzilla was born in 1954 off the Bikini Atoll during a radiation blast. The citizens of Odo island considered it a god and prayed for the beast to go back to the depths from which it came. However, the beast destroyed ships and left radiation trails in its wake. After attacking Tokyo Bay and defeating the Japanese army, Dr. Serizawa creates the Oxygen destroy and sacrifices himself to kill the beast beneath the waves. Like, I said, this is a brief history of Godzilla.

Godzilla with his star, joining
Kermit the Frog & Mickey Mouse.

However, the history of Godzilla ranges 60 years, 29 movies, 2 animated series, incalculable collectibles, a star on the walk of fame, and a loyal fan base.  Who knew he would join the ranks of Kermit the Frog and Mickey Mouse as one of the worlds most beloved and well-known characters. When Americans were asked to fill out a survey of famous people they knew of from Japan, Godzilla was at the top of the list. His friends range from Mothra, the goddess of the Earth from Infant Island, Rodan, the flying terror, and Anguirus, the living ball of spikes. You can find his image on t-shirts, mugs, toilet paper dispensers (yes, you read that right), posters, watches, toys, rulers, candy, etc. While not even able to say a word or be understood, somehow Godzilla is able to connect with audiences of all ages.

Join us tomorrow for an in-depth look at what Godzilla is when we continue our countdown to the release the new Godzilla on the 16th.

15 days!