Top 10 Worst Things Godzilla Has Done
#10: Turning on the Gotengo
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"Godzilla: Final Wars" (2004) Humanity has had… let's say a "complicated" relationship with Godzilla over the years. Sometimes, the Japan Self-Defense Forces work in tandem with the Godzilla to try and counteract some greater threat, while other times it's Godzilla who’s the opponent. In the case of "Godzilla: Final Wars," the Gotengo warship is assisting Godzilla as every kaiju under the sun is attacking Earth from all sides. After the threats of Gigan and Keizer Ghidorah are neutralized, Godzilla almost destroys the Gotengo. It's only through the intervention of Godzilla's son Minilla that the humans are spared total annihilation.
#9: Doing a Dropkick
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"Godzilla vs. Megalon" (1973) The latter years of the Shōwa era were known for their humor, often directing their plots at younger audiences. As a result, some fans are divided as to how Godzilla is portrayed in these films, with this next entry on our list not doing the Big G any favors. "Godzilla vs. Megalon" does feature fan-favorite Gigan, but then there's Jet Jaguar… and that infamous dropkick. Yep, Godzilla decides to go full pro wrestling in this entry, doing a death-slide towards Megalon and delivering a kick that's straight out of the WWE. It's a silly and definitely NOT welcome sight if you happen to be a fan of the darker Godzilla films, that's for sure.
#8: Blasting Mr. Shindo
"Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah" (1991) Godzilla's atomic breath may be fiery and deadly, but this next entry is ice cold. A running plot thread throughout 1991's "Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah" is a memory of World War II veteran Yasuaki Shindo, where he recalls a pre-mutated Godzillasaurus saving his life from American soldiers during the conflict. Years later, when a fully grown and atomic Godzilla is rampaging through Tokyo, Shindo stays behind to meet the Tyrant Lizard. The former soldier is convinced that Godzilla will remember him and that it's their destiny to meet again. Well, Shindo gets his wish, as it seems that Godzilla does indeed recognize him… but that doesn't stop Big G from giving Shindo a point-blank blast of atomic breath. Ouch.
#7: Pushing a Building onto Super X
"The Return of Godzilla" (1984) By the end of the original Shōwa era of Godzilla films, the creature was seen basically as the savior of humanity, showing up to battle any beast of the week that might threaten our safety. The Heisei series changed all that in 1984 with "Return of Godzilla," the first in a new wave of films that presented Godzilla in its old, antagonistic role. That said, it sort of makes sense that Big G would drop a skyscraper on top of the Super X since this flying defense fortress is basically trying to save Japan from Godzilla's rampage. That doesn't make G's destruction of the Super X any less impressive or frightening, as it shows once again the same power from the King of the Monsters.
#6: Playing Ball
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"Godzilla: Final Wars" (2004) We've already mentioned the giant monster mash that is "Godzilla: Final Wars," but we gotta admit that the film plays fast and loose with Godzilla's allies and enemies. Sure, the alien antagonists known as Xillens are summoning them to attack via mind control, but we can't help but think that Godzilla has it pretty easy against most of its old enemies. What's worse is that one battle pits Godzilla against its usual ally, Anguirus, who's teamed up with Rodan and King Caesar to deliver a little damage. Godzilla has none of it, swatting away Anguirus’s spiked ball attack with relative ease, and putting the hurt on its former friend. Not cool, Big G. Not cool.
#5: Tough Love for Minilla
"All Monsters Attack" (1969) Our next entry is something of a double-edged sword, as "All Monsters Attack," a.k.a. "Godzilla's Revenge," has a good message at its core. The film serves as a fantasy for a boy who’s picked on as he imagines himself watching Minilla (or Minya, if you prefer) take on an oppressor of its own, a creature named Gabara. Godzilla is determined to have Minilla face its tormentor, even though Gabara is bigger and easily bests Minilla in their first fight. It even kicks at Minya when the little kaiju is trying to run away. The lesson is clear: you gotta face your fears, but Godzilla sure takes its time joining in to save Minilla from a fight that's clearly out of its weight class.
#4: Orphaning Mothra's Spawn
"Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S." (2003) Mothra is one of the few kaiju that's been more or less presented in a heroic light throughout most of her existence. Her destructive rampages are usually only in self-defense or when those she loves are threatened. Case in point? When she sacrifices herself to save her larvae from Godzilla's wrath in 2003's “Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.” As we mentioned earlier, this film takes place during an era when Godzilla was usually presented as an antagonist, and it shows no qualms about blasting Mothra in front of her newly hatched spawn. It's kind of a shock, given that both kaiju had been presented so often in the past fighting alongside each other against greater enemies, like King Ghidorah.
#3: Destroying All the Guardian Monsters
"Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack" (2001) Speaking of shocking, who would've ever thought we'd see King Ghidorah as a hero? That's essentially its role in this film, as one of three Guardian Monsters who are out to stop Godzilla at all costs. Godzilla comes out on top, of course, but it's still unsettling to see it destroy so many iconic monsters in this film, from Ghidorah and Mothra to Baragon. The Baragon fight is particularly troubling, because not only does this cute little kaiju never stand a chance against Big G in a fight, its name doesn't even get mentioned in the title!
#2: Collateral Damage!
"Godzilla" franchise (1954-) It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye. Or a leg. Or their lives. There's been… a lot of collateral damage over the years thanks to Godzilla's rage. Godzilla's rampaged all over the world, destroying buildings and whatnot, much to the delight of fans like us. But what about the people inside? It isn't like all of these buildings are abandoned. There have been estimations that Godzilla has cost anywhere from twenty to eighty thousand lives over the years. We even have some very specific examples showcased in films like "Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack," when Big G uses a tail swipe to take out a hospitalized girl in a cast, JUST when she thought she was safe.
#1: Destroying Tokyo
"Godzilla" franchise (1954-) Tying into our penultimate pick, our number one choice has to deal with one very specific target of Godzilla's wrath: Tokyo. Again, it's been joked about and referenced in songs like Blue Oyster Cult's "Godzilla," but you gotta feel for the citizens of Tokyo. They just can't catch a break. Just when they rebuild from the last Godzilla attack, the King of the Monsters comes back for another round, and down comes the infrastructure. Of course, this also ties into Godzilla's origin as a metaphor for the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, one of the most infamous incidents in history that forever connects the destruction of Tokyo with Godzilla's unpredictable and destructive power.
