7 Sequels That Changed Everything We Thought We Knew About The Villain

The original Godzilla from 1954 was a walking atomic bomb. Almost literally. His city level destructive power was conceived as a metaphor for the devastation Japan felt at the hands of the two atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War 2.

Godzilla’s design has remained par for the course across his 30 cinematic outings. However, Godzilla became such a titanic figure in Japanese culture and worldwide cinema icon, that over time the sequels transformed him from less of an unstoppable aggressor to more of an anti-hero, to even a proud father.

Although his appearance and powers never really changed (we don’t talk about the 1998 Godzilla), Godzilla has flipped from Armageddon incarnate to a reluctant saviour of the earth over the years.

He might still destroy San Francisco, but nowadays it’s for the right reasons.