10 Movie Franchises Where The Villain Became A Hero

7. Godzilla - Most Of The Series

Godzilla original
Toho

In the original movie, Godzilla was a walking metaphor for the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and his destructive trek through the country is basically a way for the filmmakers to broach a sensitive topic as subtext. He’s started in a lot of movies since then, and while he can paddle back and forth he’s generally considered a hero.

Whenever a nasty new monster arises he’ll appear and smack them into submission. In some of earlier movies, Godzilla is essentially a superhero trying to save lives, while in others he’s an anti-hero who’ll fight a nasty threat, but he doesn't really care about the collateral damage caused.

It’s this version who appeared in the 2014 American version; sure he came to defeat the MUTOs and restore nature's balance, but he’s not worried about the puny humans he stomps on. Still, humanity doesn’t hold a grudge since they cheer his resurrection at the end. We’ll have to wait and see which side of the coin he falls on in the forthcoming Godzilla Vs. King Kong.

Contributor
Contributor

Handsome. Charismatic. Intelligent. Noble. Witty. I'm none of these things, but I'm a half decent writer, I guess.