Top 10 Smart Decisions in Godzilla Movies

“The Return of Godzilla” (1984)
Sometimes you just can’t stop a giant kaiju head-on, but if “Return of Godzilla” is anything to go by, the real solution just involves a little bit of creativity! Though the military has a weapon in their arsenal called Super X to theoretically combat Godzilla, that plan eventually fails. Luckily though, they later utilize a homing device that leads Godzilla all the way into a volcano. Godzilla definitely didn’t think things through did he? Word of advice from us, big guy? You should probably steer clear of lava at all times! Even though Godzilla later gets out in “Godzilla vs Biollante” this was a genius move by the humans!

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#9: Kong Counters Godzilla’s Atomic Breath

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“Godzilla vs. Kong” (2021)
“Godzilla vs. Kong” is a jam-packed blockbuster that sees the two titans face off. And in one of their many fights, Kong pulls off a pretty nifty move. As Godzilla blasts Kong with his iconic atomic breath, he masterfully deflects it with his ax. It’s got to be hands-down one of the most badass ways to counter such a legendary attack. While Godzilla’s arguably the superior fighter, this moment proves that Kong has a few tricks up his sleeve. What makes it even cooler is that he later uses the ax to strike the kaiju down - temporarily. Now that’s making the most with what you’ve got!

“Godzilla vs. Hedorah” (1971)
Godzilla’s the top monster, but you can’t sleep on Hedorah. In “Godzilla vs. Hedorah”, the bizarre alien monster proves to be a real challenge for Godzilla. Due to the toxic fumes it gives off, Godzilla has to get crafty in order to take it down. With the help of two massive electrodes, he’s able to severely dehydrate the extraterrestrial. It’s a neat way for the kaiju to get the advantage, but it’s not just smart, it’s also brutally efficient. He rips Hedorah apart and doesn’t let a single ounce escape exposure to the electrodes. It’s probably safe to say that this did the trick!

“Godzilla Raids Again” (1955)
With “Godzilla Raids Again”, the human ability to adapt on the fly is seriously put to the test. With the scientist who devised the Oxygen Destroyer in the first Godzilla film dead, the humans have to come up with another plan. Luring Godzilla away with flares has limited success. But when the Japan Air Self-Defense Force attacks Godzilla in a mountainous region, they set off a small avalanche that gives them an idea. The target mountaintops around Godzilla, successfully triggering massive avalanches that bury him - taking him out of action, at least for now!

“Godzilla 2000” (1999)
Originating directly from Godzilla’s genetic structure, Orga is a creature that can take a ton of damage and still bounce back. He even tries absorbing Godzilla in their final clash, but that’s where things for Orga finally start going south. Godzilla finds his way inside of Orga’s mouth. And while that might seem like a blunder on ole’ Zilla’s part at first, it’s actually a calculated move. Because once he’s in, Godzilla uses an atomic blast to rip him completely apart. It’s a cunning move by Godzilla that produces some incredibly disastrous results for Orga. It’ll be hard for him to bounce back from that one!

“Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla” (2002)

Sometimes, you have to fight fire with fire and build your own mechanical kaiju to fend off a big monster. In 1994’s “Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla”, an artificial beast actually helped the old lizard out. But a mechanical creation wasn’t so friendly in a 2002 film. During “Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla”, the human protagonists built a massive robot called Kiryu. This titan was dubbed Mechagodzilla in the English version of the movie. But no matter what you call it, this robot was still able to go toe-to-toe with Godzilla. And he proved to be enough of a threat to force him to leave Japan. Sure, creative kaiju strategies are always great, but sometimes sending a giant robot to hurt Godzilla does wonders too!

“Shin Godzilla” (2016)
Toho’s “Shin Godzilla” provides us with one of the most disturbing Godzillas that we’ve ever seen. Forget about the campy Godzillas and the anti-hero Godzillas, this is a pure force of destruction. Led by Rando Yaguchi, a team of scientists find themselves in a race against time, as the UN has threatened to use thermonuclear weapons to stop Godzilla. Fortunately, Yaguchi’s team discovers an alternative. Based on Godzilla’s biology, they develop a coagulant, and manage to freeze him in place. It might not kill him, but it stops him from wreaking any more chaos.

“Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla” (1974)

Every time Mechagodzilla stomps onto the scene, the Big G has to get really creative. That trend started with the epic way our favorite kaiju got ahead in 1974. In order for Godzilla to destroy his robotic adversary, he leans on scientific principles. By creating an electromagnetic field, Godzilla is able to lure the mech towards him. This maneuver also allows his fellow kaiju King Caesar to run in and damage the big bot too. It’s great to see Godzilla get so strategic during such a wild battle. And after demonstrating his smarts, it was equally fun to see him go back to his roots and use brute strength to remove Mechagodzilla’s head from its body.

“Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster” (1964)

As powerful as Godzilla is, another kaiju has managed to rival him - King Ghidorah. He’s so strong that in “Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster”, Mothra convinces Godzilla and Rodan to squash their beef and team up. Though it’s an uneasy alliance, eventually they’re all able to overpower Ghidorah and force him to retreat into the depths of outer space. Godzilla would also end up doing team ups in later movies - like when he faced Ghidorah again in “Destroy All Monsters”. The Big G also allied with Kong to defeat a mechagodzilla that technically only existed thanks to King Ghidorah. At the end of the day, it just goes to show that sometimes the smartest thing you can do is know when to get help!

“Godzilla” (1954)
The first ever “Godzilla” movie is iconic for so many reasons, and one of which is the Oxygen Destroyer. Invented by scientist Daisuke Serizawa, the weapon does exactly what its name entails by destroying oxygen molecules. It’s so dangerous that even Serizawa is fearful of his creation. He burns his research, and after deploying the device underwater against Godzilla, he cuts off his own oxygen supply, ensuring that no one else can ever make such a terrible weapon. Sure enough, Godzilla dies and sinks back down to the ocean floor. The Oxygen Destroyer was a stroke of genius, but at the same time, a horrific weapon of mass destruction - just like the hydrogen bombs that originally woke Godzilla.

Is there an intelligent plan we missed? Let’s all have a rousing discussion in the comments!