Godzilla (SG)

"So... That's Godzilla."

- Rando Yaguchi

Godzilla ゴジラ (Gojira) is a created by  that first appeared in the 2016 film Shin Godzilla.

Name
During the events of the movie, the name Gojira comes from Goro Maki's referral to him as such. At his home of Odo Island, this term means "Incarnation of God". On top of the Japanese native name given to the newly discovered creature, Maki also gave him the English name of "Godzilla".

This English translation was adopted by the Department of Energy, and was referred to as the "DOE's codename".

Throughout the film's running time, Godzilla's multiple forms are never given specific names, and are just referred to by numbered titles, such as the "fourth form".

Appearance
Godzilla's appearance changes multiple times over the course of them film.

The first form only shows its tail during the beginning of the movie. It's large, and very much resembles the second form's tail in regards to aesthetic, being yellow-hued, with a frayed end. The first form did not have the physical nor physiological conditions to withstand being on land as many sea creatures are often crushed by their own weight if they even attempt to make landfall, including mammals such as whales.

The second form is very much reminiscent of a moray eel, having a long body, neck, and tail, while also possessing stubby, undeveloped hind legs for land movement, and stubs on its chest that are shown to be underdeveloped arms. Unlike Godzilla's later forms, this form possesses a sickly yellow complexion, with red, exposed muscle on its back and shark-like gills that frequently bleed, showing that it struggles to breathe outside the water. The of this design are underdeveloped, much like its other body parts. The eyes of this design are also very large in relation to its body, almost resembling that of the colossal squid in appearance. Too weak to stand up, it moves by wriggling on its belly, pushing itself forward with its stubby hind legs and thrashing its tail.

The third form of Godzilla is very much like traditional incarnations in regards to appearance. This form is bipedal, with stronger, more developed hind limbs and the ability to assume a stance much like modern Godzilla, possesses small forelimbs and a long neck in relation to its body. Unlike his second form, which possesses a sickly yellow skin tone, the change in appearance for this form altered the skin tone of Godzilla to a dark orangey-red, with exposed muscle changing from a red, to a glowing orange. The scutes of the design also become more defined and larger with this evolution. In this form, heat can be visibly seen from its fins, meaning its mutation consumed much energy and produced a lot of heat. Its gills also have shrunk and closed up, suggesting that this form has now adapted to breathe on land.

The fourth and final form of Godzilla is very much akin to other traditional designs, being fully bipedal, with a fully developed row of dorsal spines, and a much taller height in comparison to his prior form. The shade of skin for this form is a much darker black color, with red, glowing highlights around exposed areas of the body, such as his neck, back and legs.

This form's head possesses countless uneven rows of jagged, shark-like teeth, a pronounced nose with large round nostrils, small white seemingly-lidless eyes and his jawline extends widely all the way to the sides of his head. He has no cheeks or lips, and multiple rows of jagged, gnarly teeth protrude out of the skin around his mouth. His lower jaw is similar to that of a snake, and on top of being able to open widely to more than 90 degrees is also able to split open when Godzilla uses his iconic atomic breath during the movie.

Adding to the differences is his arm to body ratio, with small arms that barely reach out past his chest and remain mostly immobile in the movie, bar a few movements from his fingers.

Unlike most Godzillas prior to this one, this Godzilla's tail is very long, and consistently hangs around and above his head. Inside his tail is a giant set of human-like jaws and his tail also happens to be where he spawns multiple copies of his next evolutionary form.

Godzilla's fifth form take on an eerily human shape, with Godzilla-like dorsal plates running up their spines. Maquettes for the evolution show they lack eyes, despite concept art of the design originally possessing them, and a large divide runs down their cranium.

Like its predecessor form, the humanoid forms aren't muscular, and appear to be very emaciated, with a large hole present in their chests.

Roar
Godzilla's roar in this film changes based on his form, however, not all forms are able to, or do roar. The first and second forms are silent, vocally (likely due to the fact that at this point it still is unable to breathe on land). The third form possesses the roar of the 1954 Showa era Godzilla, and the fourth form utilizes the roar of the 1962 to 1975 Showa era Godzilla. Upon the culmination of Yaguchi's "Operation: Yashiori" in Godzilla's final seconds, he lets out the 1984 roar of the Heisei era Godzilla.

Personality
This Godzilla's personality is pretty different in regards to those coming for it, especially coming off the heels of Legendary's Godzilla. Rather than being openly heroic, antagonistic, or some shade of gray in between, Godzilla in this movie is outright detached from everything in the movie, emotionally. (An exception may be the second "Kamata-kun" form, which appears to be trying to explore its new surroundings and testing out its abilities.)

Over the course of the film and his raids on the multiple cities he travels through, Godzilla shambles forward slowly, but methodically, almost ignoring everything in his way, be it civilians, buildings, or the fire from a combined force of Japanese helicopters and tanks. With this, he shows no outright intentional hostile expressions. It is possible that this Godzilla is a mindless force of destruction, with no course of thought, emotion, or intent. Alternatively, it is also possible that it is in a constant state of agony from its mutation and disfigurement, fitting the description that Godzilla "is equally a victim of the atomic bomb".

Godzilla's zombie-like demeanor is only broken when bunker busters dropped onto his back physically harm him, resulting in a focused and enraged reaction towards his attackers. The same expression of reaction is also present when Operation: Yashiori's enacted, where Godzilla reacts in this manner towards the force attacking him once more, ultimately leading to his defeat.

Origins
The Godzilla in Shin Godzilla features a radically different origin story than its predecessors despite still originating from prehistoric creatures. Rather than being a prehistoric reptilian creature prior to being exposed to nuclear radiation, Godzilla is proposed to be an entirely new form of super-organism evolved from some kind of prehistoric marine animal that surrounded itself with nuclear waste dumped into its habitat on the sea floor.

As said creature became irradiated by the nuclear waste, it mutated to the point of developing the ability to withstand and even consume the radioactive material and evolved into a gigantic creature. The end result of this evolution was Godzilla, though other forms that this super-organism developed beforehand included an eel-like aquatic form and a bipedal theropod-like form. Even after Godzilla's seeming defeat, a new evolved form of his arose, being human-like in appearance, taking after the same organisms that defeated it in the first place.

History
As the Japanese coast guard investigates an abandoned yacht in Tokyo Bay, something in the water attacks their boat. Soon afterwards, the Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line is mysteriously flooded and collapses. After seeing a viral video showing a massive entity moving in the area, Japan's Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Rando Yaguchi is convinced that the incident was caused by a living creature. His theory is initially dismissed but later confirmed when news reports show a massive tail coming out of the ocean. Later, a massive eel-like creature makes landfall, emerging from the water and causing havoc as it struggles to drag itself along the streets of Tokyo. Before evacuations can be done, the creature destroys everything in its path, causing major casualties, and suddenly begins to mutate, evolving into a form that stands on two legs before returning to the sea.

The top government officials focus on military strategy and civilian safety, while Yaguchi is put in charge of a task force to research the creature. Due to high radiation readings, the creature is theorized to be energized through nuclear fission. The US sends a special envoy, Kayoko Ann Patterson, who reveals that a disgraced zoology professor, Goro Maki, had been studying mutations due to radioactive contamination and theorized the appearance of the creature but the US covered it up. The yacht abandoned in Tokyo Bay had belonged to Maki and he had left his investigative notes there before disappearing. From those notes, it was revealed that the creature was originated from ancient micro-organisms that merges into singular superorganism due to surrounded by nuclear wastes.

The creature, now named Godzilla (呉爾羅 Gojira) after Maki's research, reappears, now twice its original size, and makes landfall near Kamakura en route for Tokyo. The Japanese Self Defense Forces are mobilized, but their attacks have no effect on Godzilla and they suffer major casualties. The US offers their intervention in exchange for full access to study the creature, and the Japanese government reluctantly agrees. B-2 bombers sent by the US attack Godzilla with GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), but it is barely injured and responds with highly destructive atomic rays fired from its mouth and dorsal fins. The battle destroys a major part of Tokyo, along with both the US bombers and helicopters carrying most of the Japanese government officials. After depleting its energy, Godzilla enters a dormant state and becomes immobile.

Yaguchi's team discovers that Godzilla's fins and blood work as a cooling system, allowing them to theorize that through the use of a coagulating agent, they could trigger a reaction and cause Godzilla to freeze. Furthermore, after analyzing tissue samples, they find that Godzilla is able to survive as long as air and water are available due to both required as sustenance to synthesize radioactive isotope that provided him with energy, and that the creature is able to reproduce asexually due to Godzilla's regenerative ability so potent that any pieces that fall from his body would regrow into new Godzillas. The UN, headed by the US government and unaware of this weakness, informs Japan that the use of thermonuclear weapons against Godzilla is inevitable. Unwilling to see nuclear weapons detonated in Japan again, Patterson decides to use her political connections to buy Yaguchi's team as much time as possible to finish the plan, even if it puts her own career at stake.

Against international pressure and the lack of faith from the interim government, the team manages to procure enough coagulant and enacts their plan. They provoke Godzilla into using its atomic breath until depleted. The team then detonates explosives in the nearby buildings, knocking Godzilla down and giving the tankers full of coagulant access to inject into Godzilla's mouth. Though many people are killed in the process, the team's plan succeeds and Godzilla is frozen solid.

In the aftermath, the international community agrees to call off the nuclear strike, but have the new Japanese government agree that, in the event of Godzilla's reawakening, a thermonuclear bomb will be launched at it. As Yaguchi ruminates on the future, the scene shifts to several human-like skeletal creatures protruding from the end of Godzilla's tail, implying that in its defeat it had begun to evolve once again.

Amphibious lifestyle
In this continuity, Godzilla began as a prehistoric sea creature that fed on nuclear waste on the sea floor, causing it to evolve rapidly. When Godzilla finally came onto land, he possessed gills on the sides of his neck. When Godzilla initially came ashore, these gills leaked red fluid, possibly his blood, likely suffocating in the air like a landed fish or a beached whale would. The gills closed and decreased in size as Godzilla grew and evolved further, but are still present and could be seen glowing whenever he charges his atomic breath. While the third form managed to solve the problems of breathing and locomotion on land, it still had not evolved a countermeasure to over-heating.

Godzilla was not truly amphibious until its fourth form was reached due to its underdeveloped "cooling system". When it went to land, its body produced too much heat and it had to retreat to the sea to cool itself down.

Atomic breath
In Shin Godzilla, Godzilla's atomic breath changes according to how he uses it and indicates how much power he has used up on firing it. He first calls upon the ability after being injured by American air strikes, much of his body begins to radiate a distinct bright red, that transitions into a violet-purple hue that is brightest at his dorsal plates, following which, he "vomits" a dark cloud of atomic smoke, that is spewed toward the ground that quickly spreads around the city.

Eventually, Godzilla ignites the atomic ashes with pure fire that results large portions of Tokyo are engulfed in flames. The atomic fire then slowly turns into a focused, purple beam than has overwhelming destructive power that doesn't just simply crumble nearby buildings, but is powerful enough to slice through multiple skyscrapers into two on a whim. After noticing the American planes coming back for another bombing run, he also transfers his energy through his back, emitting several purple rays of similar destructive capacity, targeting both incoming bombs and close aircraft.

Later in the film, after Godzilla has been reawakened from a dormant state, drones are sent with the goal of distracting Godzilla and depleting some of his atomic energy. Godzilla responds to the drones with another volley of atomic rays from his back, this lasts for a short while before he transfers the energy back through his mouth, and the tip of his tail, allowing both to fire independently. Before petering out, the rays briefly shift into a less intense stream of flame, signaling his gradual loss of energy.

The ray has a destructive power similar to the one seen in the Heisei series, albeit with less concussive force, not producing any explosions on impact but rather penetrating and vaporizing most of it's targets outright. It is very narrow and focused, almost identical to the sonic beams of Gyaos and able to easily and neatly slice through buildings. It was also explained in the movie that when he uses his spinal rays, he can "control" or "direct" them to any target he desires due to Godzilla possessing "something like a built-in phased array radar" to "instinctively intercept approaching objects" so he won't have to waste too much energy to attack moving targets around him.

Durability
In the movie, Godzilla's regenerative ability proved to be very potent that any pieces of his flesh that broke off his body grew into starfish-like creatures. This enables him to reproduce asexually through either fission or even self-mutilation.

Godzilla is also immune to virtually all conventional weaponry, barely seeming to notice when he is attacked. However, Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs that struck Godzilla directly on his exposed back were able to injure him and cause him to bleed, albeit the loss of blood didn't seem to impact his performance.

Energy absorption and projection
In Shin Godzilla, Godzilla's capability to manipulate nuclear energy for offensive purpose is far more advanced than his predecessors, as he not only fires atomic breath from his mouth, but also through his dorsal fins in form of a salvo of atomic lasers and the tip of his tail as a means to attack multiple foes at the same time.

Flight
Although not shown, the scientists in Shin Godzilla mentioned if given the proper motivation, it could potentially grow wings to fly due to its large genome.

Shrinking
It was also mentioned it can also shrink in size if given the proper motivation. Also its fifth and final form seems to be comprised of much smaller, human-sized creatures.

Blood-freezing coagulant
During the events of the movie, the protagonist of the film, Rando Yaguchi and his team postulate that since he's a nuclear creature, Godzilla has to cool down his "nuclear reactor" somewhere in his body, and "rapid cooling of his blood may not kill him, but can immobilize him" leading to the team's conclusion that they can freeze Godzilla's blood, with the beast freezing as well, using a "Blood Coagulating drug".

Yaguchi's team had some difficulties in making the formula but later in the film, they figure out how to make said drug and start production to make the preparations for "Operation: Yashiori", the plan to put the Coagulant in Godzilla and render him frozen and immobile indefinitely. After producing enough coagulant, "Operation: Yashiori" was initiated. The operation takes place during the final battle of the film, where after a multiple phase approach intended to weaken and lay Godzilla to the ground, a team of crane arms finally put the blood coagulant into the beast's mouth. The first attempt at applying the coagulant failed, due to Godzilla secretly having spare power, which he used to blast the first team with his atomic breath.

Their efforts were not in vain however, as the 20% of their available supply they managed to inject drastically slowed his movements. The second attempt was successful in putting the remaining 80% of the coagulant in Godzilla. Initially, Godzilla rose again, but following a loud roar, Godzilla abruptly freezes, unable to move.

Yaguchi's team later on discovers that Godzilla's isotope has a half life of 20, and remarks that it will be gone completely in "two or three years" which spells good news for Tokyo citizens and aids greatly in moving residents back to their homes. Yaguchi later on states that "now man must co-exist with Gojira" and since Godzilla will not be frozen forever, states that "Now's not the time to quit, and things are still far from settled".

Limited radioactive energy
Unlike previous incarnations, this Godzilla seems to have a limit to how much nuclear energy he can use before he must enter a dormant state to restore his powers. For example, using his atomic breath in its focused purple beam seems to quickly deplete his radioactive power, requiring him to enter his dormant state.

This dormant state forces Godzilla into an immobile, statue-like form, which can also be his downfall as he can freeze in locations where his enemies can take advantage of the environment against him. If he fully depletes his energy, he must remain dormant for roughly 15 days to fully restore his energy. Although he doesn't seem to remain dormant for the entire 15 days. Once Godzilla accumulated enough energy, its skin will start to glow red and its eyes will open, although it may elect to remain immobile to speed up its recovery process.

Slow speed
As Godzilla trundles along sluggishly, it takes a long time to traverse greater distances, allowing the human forces to predict its direction and evacuate in advance.

Lack of intelligence
Unlike other versions of Godzilla, this incarnation seems completely a mindless zombie-like brute, with no higher orders of thought except a single, focused instinct for survival. As such, it stomps onward aimlessly, and while highly adaptable, appears to have little to almost no cognitive intelligence whatsoever.

Trivia

 * At 118.5 meters in height, this incarnation of Godzilla is the tallest one so far, surpassing the Legendary version (previously the biggest) by about 10 meters in height.
 * The height increase makes Shin Godzilla only about a head taller, however, mostly due to its more upright stance and longer neck. Legendary Godzilla is still bulkier in terms of build, however.
 * Its focused atomic ray is very similar to that of Gyaos from the Gamera films, being thin and powerful enough to neatly slice a building in half.
 * The 'Kamata-kun' form is reminescent of the Newborn Kaiju from Pacific Rim.
 * This version of Godzilla is unusually silent compared to other incarnations, which instead of roaring and stomping about instead quietly and slowly marches onward in a path of destruction.
 * This Godzilla may be seen as the polar opposite of the Legendary Godzilla:
 * The Legendary Godzilla is designed to look noble, mighty, and regal, while the Shin Godzilla is designed to look gruesome, twisted and horrifyingly deformed.
 * The Legendary Godzilla is portrayed as a bringer of order and a primordial balancing force of nature, while the Shin Godzilla is portrayed as a bringer of chaos and an abominable by-product of violation against nature.
 * The Legendary Godzilla is more benevolent and peaceful compared to most portrayals of Godzilla, while the Shin Godzilla is more malevolent and destructive than most Godzilla depictions.
 * The Legendary Godzilla's appearance and powers were designed to be more "believable" and "realistic", while the Shin Godzilla exaggerates the features and abilities of a supernatural monster.

Films

 * Shin Godzilla

Video games

 * Shin Godzilla (PlayStation 4 VR Demo)