Godzilla misconceptions

Due to Godzilla being one of the biggest franchises and pop-culture icons in Japan and the world, it is not uncommon for people to believe in and/or create and perpetrate misconceptions and stereotypes about Godzilla. Here is a list of Godzilla-related misconceptions and stereotypes.

What color is Godzilla?
Godzilla is usually either charcoal gray or black. Godzilla being green is a stereotype that started as early as the American poster for the 1956 Godzilla, King of the Monsters!. Godzilla was never green in Japan until the MireGoji and GiraGoji designs on 1999's Godzilla 2000: Millennium and 2000's Godzilla vs. Megaguirus. Godzilla was green in The Godzilla Power Hour, Marvel's Godzilla, King of the Monsters and Dark Horse's Godzilla, King of the Monsters comics. However, all of these were American media.

Still, Godzilla has been represented green in media in Japan and even made by Toho, mostly in video games and promotional stills. Some examples include Gojira-Kun, Godzilla vs. 3 Giant Monsters, and Recommend! Godzilland.

Godzilla Junior, the juvenile Godzillasaurus featured in the films Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla 2, Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla and Godzilla vs. Destoroyah is depicted as green in the final two films of the trilogy. However, in Godzilla Island, Godzilla Junior is shown to be soil-brown-colored.

Is Godzilla a lizard?
Many people often believe Godzilla is a lizard that was mutated by radiation. In several of the films, characters will even mockingly refer to Godzilla as an overgrown lizard. In the original 1954 film and the rest of the Showa series, Godzilla is said to be a type of giant semi-aquatic dinosaur-like creature that was awakened and enhanced by nuclear tests. In the Heisei series, Godzilla is a mutated Godzillasaurus created from atomic radiation. In ' Godzilla, Godzilla is stated to be a member of a species of massive, prehistoric amphibious reptile that feeds off of radiation.

Calling Godzilla a lizard is only correct when referring to the monster from the 1998 American GODZILLA film directed by Roland Emmerich, which is in fact a mutated lizard, specifically, a marine iguana.

Does Godzilla breathe fire?
Anyone who is not familiar with Godzilla would immediately believe that Godzilla has a generic fire breath that may sometimes be blue. However, in the movies, Godzilla's "fire breath" is a much more powerful Atomic Breath which he gained because of the atomic bomb that mutated him (or that he had naturally in Legendary Pictures' Godzilla). Godzilla's atomic breath, sometimes called a heat ray or heat beam, is much more powerful than fire and is typically blue in color, and is usually regarded as stronger when red or orange. In some of the earlier Showa era films, Godzilla's atomic breath was depicted as a whitish mist. In Godzilla: The Series, Godzilla's atomic breath is green in color and resembles a blast of flame.

Some versions of Godzilla such as the Marvel Godzilla and the Hanna-Barbera Godzilla however, do have a normal fire breath. This may also be an influence from the 1954 Japanese and 1956 American posters for the first Godzilla movie. The 1998 Godzilla does not have a fire breath at all, but instead a flammable Power Breath which can cause a fiery explosion.

Is Godzilla intelligent?
Godzilla has been shown to have either semi-sapience or even human-like sapience in a majority of the films. In the Showa era specifically, Godzilla is completely sapient and can think, perform human-like activities, give directions, and even talk in Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, albeit needing Mothra's Shobijin to translate, and Godzilla vs. Gigan. In the Heisei era, Godzilla is able to detect threats and find his son, Godzilla Junior. Godzilla also seems to talk to Junior, warning him and telling him to follow, and uses Telepathy to communicate and understand commands and speech by both his son and Miki Saegusa. Godzilla also expresses feelings when Junior was killed by Destoroyah in the climax of Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. In the Millennium era, Godzilla's sapience level changes between films. In Godzilla 2000: Millennium and Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, Godzilla is a force of nature that protects his home, the Earth, from threats. In Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, Godzilla is able to outsmart, evade and overpower all of the guardian monsters, meaning he was semi-sapient at least. In Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla and Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., Godzilla seemed to lose much of his sapience and became just a force of nature, but still showed expressions of anger, surprise and shock when engaging in battle. In Godzilla: Final Wars, Godzilla is again at least semi-sapient, as he can understand Minilla standing in front of the humans as meaning that they are not threats, and Godzilla also could quickly discover weaknesses or flaws against his opponents that he could use to his advantage. In Legendary Pictures' Godzilla, Godzilla seems to be able to slowly figure out and defeat the M.U.T.O s after several encounters, figuring out the best method to fight them. Additionally, the film depicts him as actively trying to avoid harming humans or damaging buildings, and even ignoring them, as he leaves San Francisco peacefully at the end of the film. In the end, Godzilla is usually semi-sapient in the films.

Is Godzilla indestructible?


Godzilla has weaknesses and is not indestructible — he is only immune to conventional human weaponry. The two most obvious examples of Godzilla's mortality are the Oxygen Destroyer and Meltdown. The Oxygen Destroyer reduced Godzilla to nothing (or to bones in Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla), and Meltdown completely killed Godzilla and could have been catastrophic to the whole planet had it not been for G-Force freezing him as he melted down and Godzilla Junior absorbing the excess radiation. However, there have been more weaknesses Godzilla has had.
 * The Absolute Zero Cannon used by Kiryu in Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla managed to leave a cavity in Godzilla's chest and force him to retreat. Over a year later, the wound had still not completely healed, and proved to be a weak point.
 * Dr. Shiragami's Anti-Nuclear Energy Bacteria managed to lower the radioactivity within Godzilla's body to the point of forcing him to hibernate in the sea for two years. It was only through feeding on a nuclear submarine that Godzilla was able to finally overcome the ANEB.
 * In King Kong vs. Godzilla, Godzilla was weak to strong voltages of electricity, but this weakness eventually faded away, actually becoming a strength for Godzilla in later films.
 * In Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla 2, Godzilla was completely paralyzed from the waist down when Super MechaGodzilla destroyed his second brain. MechaGodzilla would have likely killed Godzilla if Rodan had not intervened.
 * The Full Metal Missile Launchers managed to blast off chunks of Godzilla's skin and visibly cause him pain, although he regenerated the damage almost instantaneously.
 * Curiously, although much of the destruction caused by Godzilla becomes surrounded by fire, in Godzilla vs. Megalon, Godzilla seems to have a very slight aversion to fire, as seen when he cowers behind Jet Jaguar and waits for him to lift him away from the flames.
 * Several of Godzilla's enemies have proved capable of hurting and overpowering him as well, requiring outside help for him to overcome them. Examples include King Ghidorah, Gigan, SpaceGodzilla, and Monster X/Keizer Ghidorah.

What is the origin of Godzilla's name?
It is confirmed that Godzilla's Japanese name, Gojira, is derived from the Japanese words for gorilla, gorira ゴリラ and whale, kujira クジラ. There is no evidence for the existence of a person with that nickname working for Toho Company Ltd., or that Godzilla was named after him.

Is Godzilla female?
This is derived from the fact that Godzilla has sons, and only female reptiles can produce eggs. This is disproven by the fact that Godzilla adopted Minilla and Godzilla Junior. Godzilla has always been referred to as male in the movies and Toho has confirmed that he is male. Godzilla's male gender is further supported by the fact that Godzilla's title is "King of the Monsters." A common source of this confusion is the 1998 American GODZILLA film, where the titular monster laid eggs asexually. However, it too is officially classified as male despite this ability.

The presence of eggs of Godzilla's species suggests that female individuals of his kind existed at some point and may well still exist, but have not been mentioned in any of the films. However, in various non-film media, such as the Godzilla Gameboy game, Godzilland, the story for the unmade film A Space Godzilla, and other media, female members of Godzilla's species have been present, examples being Bijira and Gojirin.

Is Godzilla evil?
Though Godzilla has been the main antagonist in several films, the only time Godzilla has been truly evil is in Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack. Other times, Godzilla is either a destructive force of nature with no true malicious intent, or a heroic monster that saves the planet from greater threats.

Is the 1962 Godzilla the same Godzilla from 1955?
The Godzilla from Godzilla Raids Again and from King Kong vs. Godzilla are the same creature.

This is a minor misconception which stems from Universal's American dub of King Kong vs. Godzilla, which states that Godzilla appeared from the iceberg, having slept in it since the Jurassic Period. In reality, this Godzilla is the same Godzilla which fought Anguirus in 1955, and this misconception is based on the fact that the American dub completely retcons the events of the previous two films out of the Showa continuity.

Does Godzilla die in Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla 2?
Godzilla does not get killed by Super MechaGodzilla in either the Japanese or English dubs of Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla 2. Instead, Super MechaGodzilla merely destroys Godzilla's second brain, paralyzing Godzilla. Fire Rodan then arrives at the call of Baby Godzilla to 'revive' Godzilla's second brain using his energy. After, Godzilla stands up and defeats Super MechaGodzilla.

Godzilla actually was slated to die in the original draft of the film, and then have Baby Godzilla grow to full size and star in the American films, but this was scrapped.

Does Godzilla die in Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack?
Godzilla does not actually die at the end of the film Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack. In this film, Godzilla is said from the start to be an undead beast that is possessed by the restless souls of the people killed by the Japanese military during World War II, and is implied to have completely regenerated from the Oxygen Destroyer over the course of 50 years. At the end of the film, the submarine Satsuma expands a wound in Godzilla's neck, causing his atomic breath to fire through the wound when he uses it. Godzilla attempts to fire his atomic breath one more time, but the power causes him to explode, causing the J.S.D.F. to believe Godzilla is finally destroyed. However, the film's final scene shows Godzilla's disembodied heart still beating continuously on the sea floor, implying that he will regenerate once again and return one day.

Is "God Godzilla" an official Godzilla manga kaiju?
This misconception is derived from the presence of "God Godzilla," or "Almighty Deity Godzilla," a special version of Godzilla who briefly appears in an Ultraseven doujinshi (fan-made manga) created by two experienced Japanese artists. The monster in question is Godzilla, with King Ghidorah-like wings that form a cape. God Godzilla only appears in a single scene, and is shown standing among several Ultra series who are looking up at him, with Ultraseven taking a defensive stance just in front of him. God Godzilla is not considered official due to its status as a fan-made monster. God Godzilla has some similarities in appearance with the monster King Godzilla from Kodansya Comics' Godzilla, King of the Monsters manga, which was officially licensed by Toho, and it is possible that the two are sometimes confused.

Godzilla 1998/Zilla name controversy
The answer to "was the Godzilla in GODZILLA (1998) renamed to Zilla?" is a bit complicated. The simple answer is that the monster from the 1998 film specifically is still Godzilla®, and the current (2004-present) versions of the monster are Zilla™.

To elaborate more: the monster from the 1998 film GODZILLA was originally the same character as Godzilla. Due to fan outrage, Toho trademarked the design of the 1998 creature as "Zilla," claiming it "took the 'God' out of 'Godzilla.'" Because of this legal action, all future incarnations of the 1998 monster will be known as Zilla, but the 1998 version still retains the name and copyright of Godzilla in all media related to and featuring it before 2004. However, the 1998 creature's specific design and characteristics are also likely contained under the Zilla copyright due to the similarities between the two creatures, evidenced by the fact that the image on the copyright icon is an official image of the 1998 Godzilla, and that in the comic series Godzilla: Rulers of Earth Zilla possesses the explicit design and abilities of the 1998 creature. The Godzilla trademark that TriStar had registered has been defunct since about 2001, after the end of the animated series and the subsequent re-absorption of the trademark by Toho. The reason the two creatures are named differently is merely a case of Toho being unable to rebrand a product they do not legally own full rights to; as they would require permission from TriStar to alter the titles and licensing of the 1998 film and the animated series, and most likely would have no interest in doing so. In addition, numerous other companies licensed the 1998 Godzilla's likeness from TriStar for marketing, merchandising, and advertising purposes, and would thus need to be consulted as well. The 1998 design is now under the Zilla trademark (as the two bear too much resemblance to require two separate trademarks), as are its characteristics and abilities (as demonstrated by Zilla's portrayal in Godzilla: Rulers of Earth), however all media relating specifically to the 1998 creature can/will still call it Godzilla.

In short, both "Godzilla 1998" and "Zilla" can be used to describe the same character in different pieces of fiction, but in legal terms the current term for the character is Zilla (due to the Godzilla trademarks associated with the 1998 creature having long since expired, and Zilla having been its seeming replacement since 2004). This is supported by the fact that Toho's original agreement with Sony in 1992 to produce an American Godzilla film allowed Toho to use the American version of Godzilla in their own films and licensed media after Sony's rights to the character expired.

Does Godzilla 1998/Zilla have atomic breath/fire breath?
There is a scene in the 1998 American GODZILLA film that shows the titular monster blowing at a few cars and creating an explosion of fire. Many people have misinterpreted this as the monster breathing fire or even an atomic heat ray. This is actually just the creature blowing his power breath, a flammable breath that ignites flammable objects such as gasoline when enough force is exerted. Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin revealed that they never intended for their Godzilla to have any type of atomic breath, but the power breath was put in the film to please the fans that wanted an atomic heat ray.

In Godzilla: Final Wars, Zilla is shown appearing after two similar explosions dissipate. What exactly this means is unknown, however director Ryuhei Kitamura stated in an interview that Zilla possesses an "acidic flame breath," which although never seen in use may be an instance of the power breath or a similar ability.


 * However, the monster from the 1998 film's son, "Zilla Junior," from Godzilla: The Series, does have a green atomic breath. His parent also was resurrected in the animated series as Cyber-Zilla, and had a blue atomic heat ray, obviously an homage to the Japanese Godzilla. Originally, though, the 1998 monster's son was not going to possess an atomic heat ray in the 1998 film's sequel, GODZILLA 2.

Was Zilla meant to be in Godzilla: Unleashed?
According to an interview with Simon Strange conducted by Chris Mirjahangir from Toho Kingdom, Zilla was in fact considered for the game, but due to lack of popularity from fans who said that "his inclusion would ruin the game," Zilla was scrapped.

Did buy the rights to Zilla from ?
This is a relatively minor misconception relating to Zilla's appearance in Godzilla: Final Wars. Many people believe that purchased the rights to 's American version of Godzilla in order to include it in Godzilla: Final Wars as Zilla. In actuality, Toho did not pay for the rights to TriStar's Godzilla, they were merely exercising an option in their original contract with Sony signed back in 1992, which allowed them to use the American version of Godzilla in their own films and licensed media after Sony's rights to the character had expired. When Ryuhei Kitamura and Shogo Tomiyama discovered that they would be able to use TriStar's Godzilla in Godzilla: Final Wars, they decided to trademark it as "Zilla" and feature it in the film.

Was Zilla Junior officially dubbed "Godzilla Junior" by Toho?
There's a popular rumor saying that Toho honored the monster from Godzilla: The Series by calling calling him "Godzilla Junior," seeing that it was worthy of the Godzilla name. However, it turned out that this rumor was just a misconception created by fans of Godzilla: The Series, and Toho added no comment to the matter.

Is Zilla Junior the same creature as the Zilla from Godzilla: Final Wars?
This is a minor misconception that the last surviving egg from the end of the 1998 film that became the monster in Godzilla: The Series later appeared in Godzilla: Final Wars as Zilla. This is however not true, as Godzilla: The Series and Godzilla: Final Wars each occupy different continuities and are not connected. Both the titular monster from the animated series and Zilla from Final Wars are separate incarnations of the Godzilla 1998/Zilla character and are not the same creature.

Are King Ghidorah and Keizer Ghidorah the same character?
Some people, such as James Rolfe from Cinemassacre.com, believe that the monster King Ghidorah appeared in Godzilla: Final Wars, as a form which Monster X transformed into. However, this is not an incarnation of King Ghidorah, and is instead another monster in the Ghidorah species. Unlike King Ghidorah, Keizer Ghidorah is quadrupedal, and lacks defined scales on its body. This is supported by King Ghidorah and Keizer Ghidorah having two different copyright icons and trademarks each.

Are Grand King Ghidorah and King Ghidorah different characters?
Some people believe that the villain monster from Rebirth of Mothra III is a separate character from King Ghidorah, known as "Grand King Ghidorah." However, the monster from the film is actually just an incarnation of King Ghidorah, as evidenced by the film's Japanese title, Mothra 3: King Ghidorah Attacks!, and the use of King Ghidorah's copyright icon in DVD releases of the film. It is unknown exactly where the name "Grand King Ghidorah" originated, however it is not an official name, and is never used to refer to the monster in the film.

However, this does not mean that the King Ghidorah from Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah is the same individual creature as the 1998 King Ghidorah, as the Heisei Godzilla series and the Rebirth of Mothra trilogy do not exist in the same timeline, and if they were, could potentially cause a major time paradox when Mecha-King Ghidorah is concerned.

Is the Mothra from Rebirth of Mothra the same Mothra from Godzilla vs. Mothra?
It is often believed both among casual viewers and fans of the Godzilla and Mothra series that the Rebirth of Mothra trilogy shares continuity with the Heisei series of Godzilla films, and that the version of Mothra in Rebirth of Mothra is the same Mothra that appeared in Godzilla vs. Mothra. As previously mentioned in relation to King Ghidorah in Rebirth of Mothra III, the Rebirth of Mothra trilogy and Godzilla Heisei series do not share continuity and the versions of Mothra in both films are not the same, evidenced by their different statistics and origins. Also worth noting is that at the end of Godzilla vs. Mothra, Mothra flew into outer space to destroy a meteor destined to strike the Earth in 1999, while in Rebirth of Mothra, which is presumably set in 1996, Mothra is living on Infant Island and according to the Elias has not left the island in many years.

Is Mothra Leo female?
Mothra's son from the Rebirth of Mothra trilogy, Mothra Leo, is sometimes labeled as female. This is due to Omni Productions' English dubs of the films, which refer to Leo as female in the first and third entries of the trilogy. Leo is intended to be a male character, evidenced by his name, his deeper and more masculine roar and his physical features, especially his larger and fan-shaped antennae, which are made to resemble male moths. Official artwork showing ancient members of Mothra's species during the Cretaceous period supports this, as the Mothras all either resemble Mothra herself (the females) or Mothra Leo (the males).

Are Minilla and Godzooky the same character?
Some people frequently confuse Minilla, Godzilla's son in the Showa series and Godzilla: Final Wars, with Godzooky, Godzilla's "nephew" from The Godzilla Power Hour. Despite this confusion, Minilla and Godzooky are entirely separate characters, though Godzooky is likely loosely based on Minilla.

Is Godzilla Junior Godzilla 1999?
Some fans think that Godzilla Junior is the Godzilla in the movie Godzilla 2000: Millennium, due to the ending of the film Godzilla vs. Destoroyah where it is shown that Godzilla Junior is alive and becomes an adult Godzilla after absorbing his father's radiation after he melts down. But, there is no confirmation about Godzilla Junior actually being the Godzilla in Godzilla 2000: Millennium, especially due to the fact that when Junior grows to adulthood, he is shown to look identical to his father, while the Godzilla in Godzilla 2000 looks radically different from the Heisei Godzilla, while only standing a little above half his height. Godzilla.jp confirms that the Godzilla in Godzilla 2000 is the second Godzilla in that film's continuity after the original Godzilla that attacked in 1954, while Godzilla Junior was the third Godzilla in the Heisei continuity.

Is Godzilla Junior Godzilla 2004?
This common theory stems from stock footage of Godzilla Junior's rebirth being shown on top of Godzilla being frozen in ice at the beginning of Godzilla: Final Wars. However, the Heisei series and Godzilla: Final Wars share no continuity and are not connected. Furthermore, it would be impossible for the Godzilla in Final Wars to be Godzilla Junior, as the Godzilla in Final Wars is said to have first appeared in 1954 and was frozen during the 1960's, while Godzilla Junior was not even born until 1994. An early draft for Final Wars did reportedly feature the adult Godzilla Junior as the film's version of Godzilla and Destoroyah as one of his opponents in a rematch, but rewrites to the script removed all connections to the Heisei series, making Final Wars a completely standalone film.

Is Godzilla Junior Godzilla's biological son?
This misconception comes from the observation that Godzilla Junior looks considerably more like his father than Minilla, and from the simple fact that his name is Godzilla Junior, implying that he is Godzilla's biological son. However this is not the case, as it is established in the film Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla 2 that Godzilla Junior is just another Godzillasaurus who is not immediately related to Godzilla and, like Minilla, was simply adopted as a son by Godzilla. Junior's large size and physical resemblance to Godzilla are just byproducts of prolonged exposure to Godzilla's radiation.

Does SpaceGodzilla have two origin stories?
SpaceGodzilla has two separate origin theories. However, neither one is definitively proven even within the context of Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla.

In Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla, where scientists and members of the U.N.G.C.C. debate over SpaceGodzilla's origin. Scientists propose that the Godzilla cells that created SpaceGodzilla either were brought into space by Biollante or Mothra. Whilst two theories are put forward, neither are confirmed, meaning that technically, no definitive origin story is given to SpaceGodzilla in the film. However, there is some evidence in the film suggesting that Biollante is more likely the monster responsible for SpaceGodzilla's creation, as both monsters share many similarities. Both have screeching roars, tusks on the sides of their mouths, and both break apart into energy spores and retreat to space when defeated.

Are SpaceGodzilla and Biollante Godzilla's siblings?
While this theory isn't common among those who are familiar with the films, newcomers to the Heisei era of the Godzilla franchise sometimes refer to SpaceGodzilla as a sort of "brother" to Godzilla, mostly due to the sheer animosity and archrivalry shared by the two, as well as their physical similarity. Literally speaking, SpaceGodzilla is not Godzilla's brother, but rather a non-identical clone who derives a significant portion of his genome from Godzilla, the rest of which is derived from crystalline alien organisms. This same logic can be applied to Biollante as well, whose genome is composed of DNA from Godzilla, a rose, and the human Erika Shiragami. As Dr. Genshiro Shiragami states in Godzilla vs. Biollante, Godzilla and Biollante are "more than just brother and sister. They are made from the same cells. They are the same creature, only one is an animal, and the other is a plant." Therefore, it makes more sense to refer to SpaceGodzilla and Biollante as either "clones" or "genetic counterparts" to Godzilla, rather than siblings.

Did Destoroyah kill Godzilla?
This is a minor misconception that is commonplace in many circles outside of the Godzilla fanbase. Many people are aware that Godzilla dies in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, and that his opponent in the film is Destoroyah, who was spawned by the weapon that killed the first Godzilla, so they often conclude that Destoroyah is responsible for Godzilla's death. This is not true, as Godzilla's death in the film is due to a nuclear meltdown occurring in his heart, which is unrelated to Destoroyah. Destoroyah is responsible for killing Godzilla's adopted son, Godzilla Junior, in the film, but not Godzilla himself. Destoroyah does battle with the dying Godzilla, but is ultimately destroyed by the combined efforts of Godzilla and G-Force, with Godzilla finally dying from his meltdown shortly afterward. This misconception may be strengthened by some suggestive dialogue in Godzilla: The Game that is said when Destoroyah appears; "He took down Godzilla, and humanity is next!"

However, in the manga adaptation of the film, Destoroyah does manage to kill Godzilla, but at the cost of his own life as well.

Is King Kong as big as Godzilla?
While the King Kong vs. Godzilla version of King Kong is 45 meters tall—a bit under the Showa Godzilla's height—every single other incarnation of Kong has him at 20 meters at most. Godzilla's maximum size in film so far is 118.5 meters (in Godzilla: Resurgence), and his minimum so far is 50 meters.

Did Gamera appear in a Godzilla film?
Some people believe that the monster Gamera, one of the most popular Japanese, once encountered Godzilla in a film. They often assume that Gamera either debuted as a Godzilla monster or was featured in a crossover film with Godzilla, due to the popularity and rivalry of both monsters. Individuals unfamiliar with either franchise may sometimes confuse Gamera monsters like Barugon or Zedus for Godzilla, or Godzilla monsters like Anguirus or Kamoebas for Gamera. This misconception is strengthened by foreign releases of some Showa Gamera films, which had Godzilla's name placed in their titles to increase the marquee value. A German bootleg VHS of Gamera vs. Barugon even bears the name "Gamera vs. Godzilla" and features images of Godzilla on the case. Gamera and Godzilla have never officially met in a film, due to always being owned by rival companies. However, both monsters have had figures released in the same toy lines and are both featured in some official artwork and encyclopedic books together, and even clashed in a live stage show in 1970. In June 1979, the Japanese TV Magazine included a special feature called "Godzilla vs. Gamera" comparing the two monsters and discussing who would win in a fight. There are also no shortage of fan-made meetings between the two monsters, and endless debates as to who would win in a fight. Kadokawa, Gamera's current owners, reportedly did approach Toho with a proposal for a Godzilla vs. Gamera film in the 2000's, but Toho declined.

Is Gamera owned by Toho?
Going along with the above misconception, some people believe that Gamera is owned by Toho Company Ltd., the same company that created and owns Godzilla. They often assume that Gamera was acquired by Toho after his original creators, Daiei Motion Picture Company, went bankrupt. Toho was involved with the Gamera series during the Heisei era, when they distributed Shusuke Kaneko's Gamera trilogy while collaborating with Daiei. In the 2000's, all of Daiei's remaining assets were acquired by the Kadokawa Corporation, who retains ownership of Gamera and all of his films to this day. Gamera's toy rights are held by Bandai, who also owns the toy rights to Godzilla, and several toy lines have included both Godzilla and Gamera figures. Despite this, Toho themselves do not hold any ownership over Gamera, and the distribution rights to the Heisei trilogy along with all other Gamera films are now held by the Kadokawa Corporation.

Are the M.U.T.O.s an adaptation of an existing ?
It is commonly believed by those unfamiliar with the Godzilla franchise that the M.U.T.O.s, Godzilla's opponents in the 2014 film, are meant to be an adaptation of an existing, usually either Mothra, Gigan or Rodan. The M.U.T.O.s are actually original monsters created by Legendary Pictures specifically for the film, and not directly based on an existing monster from the Godzilla series, due to Legendary Pictures not holding the rights to any monsters aside from Godzilla himself. Much of the confusion regarding Mothra being a M.U.T.O. comes from the male M.U.T.O.'s winged appearance and emergence from a chrysalis-like structure, as well as a rumored post credits-scene from the film reported by the website KDramaStars, which supposedly featured Mothra leading an army of M.U.T.O.s. The scene in question was a hoax fabricated by the website, while the male M.U.T.O.'s similarities to Mothra are most likely just coincidental. While Mothra has always been depicted as a giant colorful moth that acts as a benevolent guardian, the M.U.T.O.s are hostile parasitic creatures which are not insects and feature bodies almost entirely black in color. The belief that Gigan and Rodan are M.U.T.O.s also stems from some physical similarities between them and the M.U.T.O.s, such as the wings in Rodan's case and hook-like hands and slit-shaped eyes in Gigan's case, as well as two pieces of fan art by the user DopePope on deviantART, which depict Gigan and Rodan as M.U.T.O.s. Both Mothra and Rodan will be appearing in the sequel to Legendary's Godzilla.

Is the unnamed multi-legged monster named "Vishnu?"
The dead unnamed multi-legged monster that appears in the 2012 Comic-Con teaser trailer for Godzilla (2014) is often given the name "Vishnu" by fans, due to Robert Oppenheimer's narration saying this name as the camera pans over the monster's corpse. However, the monster has no official name, due to simply being an early concept for the M.U.T.O.s and a placeholder meant to show that Godzilla would be fighting another monster in the upcoming film.

Another common nickname that is sometimes applied to the monster is "Talaghan." This name was actually a hoax started by a user on a forum site who claimed that this was the monster's official name. This was untrue, as the creature has no official name.

Is Rokmutul the unnamed multi-legged monster?
Some fans believe that the monster Rokmutul, which appears in early concept art for Godzilla (2014), is the unnamed monster that appears in the 2012 Comic-Con trailer. This is due to the fact that Rokmutul is shown fighting Godzilla in some artwork and possesses multiple legs. However, Rokmutul and the SDCC monster are two separate concepts, even in spite of their similarities. Rokmutul only possesses six legs, while the SDCC monster has at least eight. Rokmutul also resembles an ankylosaurus and has spikes on its back, while the monster from the SDCC teaser has no spikes and more closely resembles a tardigrade than a reptile.

Was Godzilla vs. The Devil ever considered?
Godzilla vs. The Devil, also known as Godzilla vs. Satan, was supposedly an unmade Godzilla film proposed by Tomoyuki Tanaka in 1978 as an attempt to revive him after the poor box office performance of 1975's Terror of MechaGodzilla that never got past the planning stages. It supposedly was known that Godzilla would have been pitted against several demon monsters and finally would have squared off against Satan himself in a climactic final battle.

"Godzilla vs. The Devil" was a misconception which got well-known due to Toho Kingdom hosting it for several years. Anthony Romero of Toho Kingdom apologized for hosting this content in the "Toho Busters" article, saying "Toho Kingdom itself is guilty of this as well, as the concept was listed on the site for years. Regardless, the project was not something that Toho had officially considered."

The whole idea came from a misreading of an early script for a Godzilla film in the 80s before The Return of Godzilla. Bagan was originally meant to be in the film, and the codename for the script was 'Godzilla vs the Devil'

Does Godzilla beat King Kong in the Japanese version of King Kong vs. Godzilla?
This is a widely published misconception that plagued American fans of Godzilla who did not have access to the Japanese versions of Godzilla films before the internet was around to disprove this. According to this misconception, there were two endings for the 1962's King Kong vs. Godzilla, one that played in the United States where King Kong surfaces from the water at the end of the film and another that played in Japan where Godzilla is the one who surfaces. This is not the case; King Kong is the monster that triumphs at the end of both versions, the only difference being that in the Japanese version the characters speculate that Godzilla may still be alive, while in the American version they merely state they hope they have seen the last of Godzilla. Even so, this rumor is still heavily believed in by fans and the general public alike and remains one of the most prominent Godzilla misconceptions.

Did the Godzilla from Godzilla 2000: Millennium reappear in Godzilla vs. Megaguirus?
This is a very popular misconception that comes simply from the fact that the MireGoji suit was used both in Godzilla 2000: Millennium and Godzilla vs. Megaguirus. A look at Godzilla vs. Megaguirus disproves this rather quickly. There is no continuity between the two films, the MireGoji suit was slightly modified and renamed GiraGoji, and the only directly connected films of the Millennium Series are Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla and Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.. All other films disregard every other film in the series, save for the 1954 original, which is used as the starting point.

Does the German dub of Godzilla vs. Megalon say Jet Jaguar is King Kong in a robot suit?
The German release of the film only marketed Jet Jaguar under the name "King Kong" for marquee value and never mentioned that Jet Jaguar was King Kong in a robot suit. Despite this, James Rolfe still stated this fact in his review of the film.

Was Bagan going to be in Godzilla: Final Wars?
This misconception originates from a video uploaded to YouTube on June 19th, 2012, which supposedly consists of cut footage of Bagan from Godzilla: Final Wars. The footage is a hoax, showing off the monster called Reizaus from the television show Super Star Fleet Sazer-X, a Tokusatsu series produced by Toho. It should be noted that this misconception is especially popular among younger fans of the franchise, and has resulted in frequent arguments and hostility on social networking websites between inexperienced fans and those who know that said footage is a hoax.

Do all of the Godzilla films share the same continuity?
It is commonly believed among some fans that all of the Godzilla films take place in the same continuity. This is not the case, as there are several distinct continuities that encompass the various films in the series, including some non-Godzilla films.

Many fans also believe that the Heisei series and some of the Millennium series films are part of the same continuity, but this is also a misconception. Each of the Millennium films (except for the two Kiryu Saga films) is set in its own continuity with no connection to the Heisei series or any other previous film, except in some cases the original 1954 film. ===Were the events of Godzilla, The Return of Godzilla, and Godzilla vs. Biollante erased from the Heisei timeline in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah?=== This common misconception comes from the film Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, in which time travelers from the future travel back to 1944 and remove a Godzillasaurus from Lagos Island and place it in the Bering Sea, believing it will prevent Godzilla's creation by the H-bomb test at Bikini Atoll and remove him from history. Because the script is somewhat vague about what really happened, many fans believe that the Futurians' actions erased the events of Godzilla (1954), The Return of Godzilla, and Godzilla vs. Biollante from the timeline, and a new Godzilla was created instead and appeared in the remaining films in the Heisei series.

This is however, not the case, as this film and the ones after it point out. The Futurians' actions did not affect the creation of the first Godzilla that attacked Tokyo in 1954, because this Godzilla was a separate individual from the Godzillasaurus on Lagos Island, and was still killed by the Oxygen Destroyer. The Godzillasaurus in the Bering Sea was exposed to radiation from a nuclear submarine crash and transformed into a new Godzilla, which attacked Japan in 1984, meaning the events of The Return of Godzilla and Godzilla vs. Biollante still happened normally, and the Futurians' actions actually created the Heisei Godzilla in the first place, therefore incurring a predestination paradox  and ensuring that the timeline did not actually change in any large way. This is demonstrated by the fact that the human characters still remember the events of the previous films, and the events of said films are referenced in later entries, which also explicitly point out that the 1954 and Heisei Godzillas were separate individuals. Logically, this explanation also makes sense when applied to current knowledge of temporal events - Had the events of 1984 and 1989 been made non-existent, any human beings who were directly involved in those events would have ceased to exist.

Why was Godzilla (1994) scrapped?
There is a common misconception that the reason 's original 1994 American Godzilla film was scrapped was because demanded that if TriStar's Godzilla were to fight another monster, it had to be one of Toho's monsters rather than an original monster. TriStar, not willing to spend the money for the rights to Mothra or King Ghidorah, supposedly scrapped the draft of the film featuring the Gryphon as Godzilla's opponent for this reason.

That is however not the actual reason the film was not made. Toho did offer to sell TriStar the rights to Mothra and King Ghidorah, however they did not require TriStar to use either monster. TriStar originally intended for King Ghidorah to be Godzilla's opponent in the film, but were informed that the monsters Mothra and King Ghidorah were licensed separately from Godzilla and the other Toho monsters, and decided to create an original opponent for Godzilla instead. The film was ultimately scrapped because director Jan De Bont could not come to a budget agreement with the Sony executives for the film. De Bont dropped out of the project, and Sony desperately searched for a new director for the film, eventually hiring Roland Emmerich, who only accepted on the condition that he could discard the original script and handle the film however he wanted.

Is Godzilla 2000 a sequel to GODZILLA (1998)?
When Godzilla 2000: Millennium was released in the United States, many casual moviegoers mistook the film as a sequel to the 1998 American film. Even today, some people believe that Godzilla 2000 is meant to be a loose sequel to the 1998 film, featuring the monster that hatched from the lone egg at the end of the film as its version of Godzilla. This is not true, as Godzilla 2000 is a standalone film that follows the original 1954 film, featuring a version of Godzilla that had been attacking Japan for some time prior to the events of the film. actually intended for their film to distance itself from the 1998 film, returning the Japanese Godzilla to the big screen in the wake of the widespread fan disappointment caused by TriStar's take on the franchise. The 1998 film itself was planned to have a sequel produced, but it was scrapped and an animated series was made as a continuation of the film instead, while Toho's Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack later briefly referenced the 1998 film.

Is Gamera: The Brave part of the Millennium series?
Many people believe that the film Gamera: The Brave is part of the Millennium series and the only Gamera film released during that era. This is not true, as the Millennium series only applies to the Godzilla series, and Gamera: The Brave is still considered part of the Heisei series despite not sharing continuity with Shusuke Kaneko's Gamera trilogy. This is evidenced by the inclusion of Gamera: The Brave in a book entitled Heisei Gamera Perfection. In Japan, fans often refer to it as the "Shinsei version" 新生版 (Shinsei-ban) to distinguish it from the trilogy.

Why is The Return of Godzilla unavailable in North America?
The 1984 film The Return of Godzilla has not received an official Region 1 home video release since 1997, when Anchor Bay released the film on VHS as part of its Godzilla collection. When New World Pictures, who released The Return of Godzilla in the United States as Godzilla 1985, was acquired by 20th Century Fox in 1997, its library of films released from 1984 to 1991 was acquired for video release by Anchor Bay. However, Anchor Bay's rights to the Godzilla series expired afterward, leaving the film without a U.S. distributor. While the other films Anchor Bay held the rights to were all acquired by a new North American distributor, predominantly Classic Media and Sony, Toho withheld The Return of Godzilla from being available for distribution, citing an unspecified rights issue. The Return of Godzilla would not be available for distribution in North America until this legal issue expired or was resolved, leaving it as the only Godzilla film to not receive a Region 1 DVD or Blu-ray release until 2016. Kraken Releasing, who previously released Ebirah, Horror of the Deep, Godzilla vs. Hedorah and Godzilla vs. Gigan on DVD and Blu-ray in 2014, acquired the rights to release The Return of Godzilla and plans to release it on DVD and Blu-ray on September 13, 2016.

Was Godzilla: Resurgence made as a negative response to Godzilla (2014)?
When Toho announced production of a new Japanese Godzilla film for 2016 after the release of Legendary Pictures' Godzilla, many interpreted it as a sort of retaliation for Legendary's take on the franchise and an attempt by Toho to outdo Legendary and bring back the "real Godzilla," similar to Toho's production of Godzilla 2000: Millennium in the wake of the backlash to GODZILLA (1998). This thinking was only strengthened by the announcement that the new Godzilla would stand taller than Legendary's version and the film's official Japanese title, Shin Gojira, which could be translated as True Godzilla. However, Toho made it clear from the start that it approved of Legendary's film and decided to produce Godzilla: Resurgence to celebrate the new interest the film had generated in the franchise. Toho demonstrated its support for Legendary's Godzilla when it sold the rights to Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah to Legendary and approved the production of sequels to the film, including a crossover with King Kong. The film's co-director and special effects director, Shinji Higuchi, later called Godzilla (2014) a "masterpiece" in an interview. The film's title was chosen because chief director and screenwriter Hideaki Anno saw it as a revival to the franchise and felt that the title could represent various different meanings.

Are the Kaiju suits made out of rubber?
Many people around the world may think the Godzilla suits are only made out of rubber, but this is not the case; most of the suits are made from a method called "foam fabrication." They start as patterns and plans of the creature based on the suit actor and the design. Then, the patterns are converted into sheets of upholstery foam that were are cut, glued and sculpted into the creature's shape. Then, after the foam structure is done, the outside is covered with contact adhesive (a flexible glue used in the industry and used to glue the foam) and then the skin texture in pushed-in with wooden tools. Finally, the suit is sealed with a few coats of liquid latex (natural rubber derived from the latex tree) and a good coat of paint. In the Showa era, the heads were made from baking clay. In conclusion, rubber is used in the construction of most kaiju suits, but it is only one component in a complex process in which several other materials are used as well.

What was Toho's first superhero television program?
Although a seemingly minor topic, an unbelievably widespread misconception is that Warrior of Love Rainbowman was Toho's first superhero television series. Contrary to popular belief, this is not the case, due to the actual first superhero show Go! Godman airing a day earlier during Nippon Television's Good Morning! Kid's Show segment. This error is also sometimes extended even farther, with some saying Rainbowman was Toho's very first television show period. However, this too is easily disproved when it is taken in to account that Toho's drama He of the Sun aired its first episode 5 years earlier, and that Toho had collaborated with Tsuburaya Productions on several episodes of Ultra Q and Ultraman, loaning them the materials, staff and suits for several monsters and episodes.