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King of the Monsters or straight-up villain? Join us as we count down the most shocking, brutal, and downright unforgivable things Godzilla has ever done! From killing beloved kaiju to devastating entire cities, Big G has racked up quite the rap sheet over the decades. Is he Earth's protector or its greatest threat? Let us know in the comments!
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 worst crimes perpetrated by the King
00:06of the Monsters.
00:08Expect spoilers.
00:16Number 20. Killing Tiamat in her own home. Godzilla Kong, The New Empire.
00:22As the King of the Monsters, we understand Godzilla has kingly duties to perform, but sometimes it seems like he
00:28takes it too far.
00:30For instance, his treatment of Tiamat in Godzilla Kong, The New Empire.
00:43With a new threat approaching, Godzilla needs more radiation to power up, and Tiamat happens to guard a rich energy
00:50source in her underwater lair.
00:52She's fiercely territorial, but there was no indication she posed an immediate threat to humanity.
00:57Godzilla invades her home, fights her in her own territory, and kills her before absorbing the radiation.
01:03Sure, he was preparing to protect the planet, but killing another titan simply to take what she guarded made his
01:09kingship look more like tyranny than leadership.
01:15Number 19. Attacking the Apex Cybernetics Facility. Godzilla vs. Kong.
01:21Ever wonder what Godzilla would do if he had a replacement? You already know.
01:25In 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong, Apex Cybernetics secretly builds Mechagodzilla,
01:31a mechanical titan designed to replace the natural titans as Earth's dominant force.
01:47When its test activation sends out a signal, Godzilla tracks it to Apex's Pensacola facility and tears the place apart,
01:55killing many people.
01:57No warning, no hesitation.
01:59Apex's motives were hardly noble, but imagine if Mechagodzilla had been built to protect people instead.
02:05Godzilla would have destroyed it anyway, out of sheer rage.
02:08Even worse, when he reaches Hollow Earth, he blasts through it, not caring who gets hurt.
02:25Sometimes Earth's protector looks less like a guardian and more like a dangerous monster on the loose.
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03:43Number 18.
03:44Wrecking the Kong Naval Fleet.
03:46Godzilla vs. Kong.
03:48When Godzilla is out to get you, he doesn't care what stands in his path.
03:52This time, his target is Kong.
03:54While Monarch moves the Titan away from Skull Island, Godzilla senses a rival in his territory.
04:12Like a crazed beast, Godzilla tears through the entire naval escort,
04:17smashing warships apart, not caring who gets hurt or killed.
04:20Trapped between two monsters, terrified sailors scramble to defend their vessels
04:25while initially keeping Kong restrained.
04:27Once released, the two engage in a fierce battle.
04:31Godzilla only stops once the crew tricks him into thinking they'd all been destroyed.
04:35Now we're playing.
04:37Now we're making him think that he's won.
04:39Number 17.
04:40Noriko's Radiation Poisoning.
04:42Godzilla Minus Zero.
04:44Godzilla's attack on Ginza in 1947 appeared to end when the monster left the devastated district.
04:49But the damage was far from over.
04:57In Godzilla Minus Zero, we learn that several survivors exposed to Godzilla's cells developed mutations.
05:04Those cells initially helped their bodies regenerate, but the changes became fatal.
05:09One by one, the other victims died, leaving Noriko as the only known survivor.
05:14Even she carries visible signs of the infection, including a spreading black mark, scales, and a discolored eye.
05:21As if that isn't enough, those G-cells make her a target for the U.S. government, who want to
05:26use her as a lab rat.
05:28Noriko may never have a normal life, all because Godzilla went on a rampage.
05:32If you think Godzilla's rampages are something else, there's plenty more to debate.
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05:43While the damage was largely contained to the U.S. headquarters of Apex Cybernetics,
05:48governments around the world aren't taking any chances after the first substantiated Titan sighting in over three years.
05:54Number 16.
05:56Nearly starting another world war.
05:58The return of Godzilla.
05:59As if Tokyo hadn't suffered enough from Godzilla, the monster returns 30 years later,
06:05announcing his presence by attacking a fishing vessel and then a Soviet submarine.
06:23Japan's government initially keeps his return secret to prevent public panic,
06:28but the submarine attack changes everything.
06:30With the Soviets blaming the United States,
06:33the incident nearly turns the already tense Cold War into a nuclear confrontation.
06:38Japan is forced to reveal what it knows,
06:40while both superpowers consider using nuclear weapons against Godzilla.
06:47Imagine returning from a 30-year absence and nearly starting World War III without even trying.
06:53But Godzilla isn't here to make peace.
06:55He's back to wreak havoc, and Tokyo is once again in his sights.
07:00Number 15.
07:01Unleashing Chakras.
07:02The return of Godzilla.
07:04Imagine you're out fishing, trying to make a living,
07:07when a giant monster destroys your boat and leaves your crew fighting for survival.
07:11That is how terrifying Godzilla can be.
07:14Decades after it devastated Tokyo,
07:16Japan was still living with the memory of his destruction when he resurfaced.
07:30A fishing vessel was among his first victims.
07:33First, Godzilla attacked the boat.
07:35Then, the radiation he left behind mutated a sea louse into a giant creature called Chakras,
07:41which attacked the surviving crew.
07:42It didn't just kill them.
07:44It sucked their body fluids until they were little more than dried-out remains.
07:48By the time help arrived, only one fisherman remained alive.
08:07These were not people provoking Godzilla.
08:09They were ordinary fishermen paying the price for his return.
08:13Number 14.
08:15Annihilating Ginza.
08:16Godzilla Minus One.
08:17In post-war Japan, the last thing people needed was another catastrophe.
08:22But in Godzilla Minus One, that nightmare begins on Odo Island in 1945.
08:27When a mechanic shines a spotlight on the creature,
08:30Godzilla storms the garrison, killing almost everyone there.
08:40After nuclear testing in the Pacific mutates him into something far more powerful,
08:45he heads for Tokyo.
08:46In Ginza, he crushes fleeing civilians, hurls train cars,
08:50and unleashes an atomic breath that levels the district,
08:54leaving black rain falling over the survivors.
09:15But what exactly set him off?
09:17Was it the nuclear testing?
09:19His mutation?
09:20Or simply his instinct to destroy?
09:22Whatever the reason, Tokyo was left to suffer another catastrophe,
09:26with Godzilla showing no sign of restraint.
09:29Number 13.
09:31Killing Batra.
09:32Godzilla vs. Mothra.
09:33Even when he's beaten, Godzilla doesn't know when to quit.
09:37In 1992's Godzilla vs. Mothra,
09:39when Godzilla heads for Yokohama,
09:42Mothra and Batra, her dark twin, reunite to stop him.
09:56Together, they finally subdue Godzilla and start carrying him out to sea.
10:01Weakened, Godzilla refuses to back down.
10:03He bites into Batra's throat and fires atomic breath straight into the wound,
10:08killing him.
10:09Without Batra, Mothra can't carry Godzilla any further and drops him into the ocean.
10:22More noble than Godzilla,
10:25Batra spends his final moments protecting people he'd once despised.
10:28Godzilla, meanwhile, shows no mercy even to the creature who had given everything to stop him.
10:34Apparently, defeat is something he simply cannot accept.
10:38Number 12.
10:39Forcing Humans to Abandon Earth.
10:41Godzilla Anime Trilogy.
10:42Most Godzilla stories see humanity fighting to survive.
10:46In this anime trilogy, humanity loses so badly, it abandons Earth.
10:51Near the end of the 20th century, giant monsters begin overrunning the planet.
10:55But Godzilla emerges as the ultimate threat.
11:11Military forces, nuclear weapons, and even advanced technology developed with alien allies fail to stop him.
11:18After decades of devastating battles, humanity finally gives up.
11:21In 2048, only a select few survivors wander space.
11:26When they eventually return, nearly 20,000 years have passed.
11:30Godzilla has transformed Earth's ecosystem, becoming the dominant life form on a planet no longer recognizable to humanity.
11:37He didn't just defeat humanity, he took over the world.
11:54Number 11.
11:55Killing a Hospitalized Lady.
11:57Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah.
11:59Giant monsters all out attack.
12:02Call it whatever you want or defend it all you like, but you cannot deny the sheer brutality of Godzilla's
12:07actions here.
12:07In this 2001 entry, Godzilla is possessed by the souls of soldiers and civilians killed during the Pacific War,
12:14who are seeking vengeance against Japan.
12:26After surviving his initial attack, an injured woman is recovering in a hospital.
12:31He taunts her first, then he passes her building, making it seem like she's finally safe.
12:36To her surprise, his tail swings straight into her hospital room, killing her without a second thought.
12:49Sure, it isn't instinct or random destruction.
12:52It's malice, driven by the rage of countless dead.
12:56Somehow, that makes it even worse.
12:59Number 10.
13:00Turning on the Gotengo.
13:02Godzilla Final Wars.
13:07Humanity has had, let's say, a complicated relationship with Godzilla over the years.
13:12Sometimes, the Japan self-defense forces work in tandem with the Godzilla to try to counteract some greater threat.
13:19While other times, it's Godzilla who's the opponent.
13:21In the case of Godzilla Final Wars, the Gotengo warship is assisting Godzilla as every kaiju under the sun is
13:28attacking Earth from all sides.
13:33After the threats of Gigan and Kaiser Ghidorah are neutralized, Godzilla almost destroys the Gotengo.
13:39It's only through the intervention of Godzilla's son Manila that the humans are spared total annihilation.
13:57The latter years of the Showa era were known for their humor, often directing their plots at younger audiences.
14:03As a result, some fans are divided as to how Godzilla is portrayed in these films.
14:08With this next entry on our list, not doing the big G any favors.
14:17Godzilla vs. Megalon does feature fan-favorite Gigan, but then there's Jet Jaguar in that infamous dropkick.
14:30Yep, Godzilla decides to go full pro-wrestling in this entry, doing a death slide towards Megalon and delivering a
14:37kick that's straight out of the WWE.
14:39It's a silly and definitely not welcome sight if you happen to be a fan of the darker Godzilla films,
14:45that's for sure.
14:50Number 8. Blasting Mr. Shindo. Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah.
14:55Godzilla's atomic breath may be fiery and deadly, but this next entry is ice cold.
15:06A running plot thread throughout 1991's Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah is a memory of World War II veteran Yasuaki Shindo,
15:14where he recalls a pre-mutated Godzilla-saurus saving his life from American soldiers during the conflict.
15:29Years later, when a fully grown and atomic Godzilla is rampaging through Tokyo, Shindo stays behind to meet the tyrant
15:36lizard.
15:36The former soldier is convinced that Godzilla will remember him, and that it's their destiny to meet again.
15:42Well, Shindo gets his wish, as it seems that Godzilla does indeed recognize him.
15:47But that doesn't stop Big G from giving Shindo a point-blank blast of atomic breath.
15:52Ouch.
15:57Number 7. Pushing a building onto Super X. The Return of Godzilla.
16:02By the end of the original Showa era of Godzilla films, the creature was seen basically as the savior of
16:08humanity,
16:08showing up to battle any beast of the week that might threaten our safety.
16:16The Heisei series changed all that in 1984 with Return of Godzilla,
16:20the first in a new wave of films that presented Godzilla in its old antagonistic role.
16:34That said, it sort of makes sense that Big G would drop a skyscraper on top of the Super X,
16:39since this flying defense fortress is basically trying to save Japan from Godzilla's rampage.
16:44That doesn't make G's destruction of the Super X any less impressive or frightening,
16:47as it shows once again the same power from the King of the Monsters.
17:00Number 6. Playing Ball. Godzilla Final Wars.
17:04We've already mentioned the giant monster mash that is Godzilla Final Wars,
17:07but we gotta admit that the film plays fast and loose with Godzilla's allies and enemies.
17:17Sure, the alien antagonists known as the Exillians are summoning them to attack via mind control,
17:23but we can't help but think that Godzilla has it pretty easy against most of its old enemies.
17:34What's worse is that one battle pits Godzilla against its usual ally, Anguirus,
17:39who's teamed up with Rodan and King Caesar to deliver a little damage.
17:43Godzilla has none of it, swatting away Anguirus' spiked ball attack with relative ease
17:47and putting the hurt on its former friend.
17:57Not cool, Big G. Not cool.
17:59Number 5. Tough Love for Manila. All Monsters Attack.
18:03Our next entry is something of a double-edged sword,
18:07as All Monsters Attack, aka Godzilla's revenge, has a good message at its core.
18:12The film serves as a fantasy for a boy who's picked on,
18:15as he imagines himself watching Manila, or Minya if you prefer,
18:19take on an oppressor of its own, a creature named Gabara.
18:30Godzilla is determined to have Manila face its tormentor,
18:34even though Gabara is bigger and easily bests Manila in their first fight.
18:38It even kicks at Minya when the little kaiju's trying to run away.
18:50The lesson is clear. You gotta face your fears.
18:53But Godzilla sure takes its time joining in to save Manila
18:57from a fight that's clearly out of its weight class.
19:04Number 4. Killing Mothra in front of her spawn.
19:08Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S.
19:09Mothra is one of the few kaiju that's been more or less presented
19:13in a heroic light throughout most of her existence.
19:16Her destructive rampages are usually only in self-defense,
19:19or when those she loves are threatened.
19:22Case in point, when she sacrifices herself to save her larvae
19:25from Godzilla's wrath in 2003's Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S.
19:37This film takes place during an era when Godzilla was usually presented as an antagonist,
19:42and it shows no qualms about blasting Mothra in front of her newly hatched spawn.
19:47It's kind of a shock, given that both kaiju had been presented so often in the past
19:51fighting alongside each other against greater enemies like King Ghidorah.
20:01Number 3. Destroying all the Guardian Monsters.
20:05Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah.
20:07Giant monsters all out attack.
20:10Speaking of shocking, who would have ever thought we'd see King Ghidorah as a hero?
20:20That's essentially its role in this film, as one of three Guardian Monsters who are out
20:24to stop Godzilla at all costs.
20:26Godzilla comes out on top, of course, but it's still unsettling to see it destroy so many
20:31iconic monsters in this film, from Ghidorah to Mothra and Baragon.
20:42The Baragon fight is particularly troubling, because not only does this cute little kaiju
20:47never stand a chance against Big G in a fight, its name doesn't even get mentioned in the title.
20:52Number 2. Collateral Damage.
20:54The Godzilla franchise.
20:56It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye.
20:58Or a leg.
21:00Or their lives.
21:07There's been a lot of collateral damage over the years, thanks to Godzilla's rage.
21:12Godzilla's rampaged all over the world, destroying buildings and whatnot, much to the delight of
21:17fans like us.
21:23But what about the people inside?
21:25It isn't like all of these buildings are abandoned.
21:35There have been estimations that Godzilla has cost anywhere from 20 to 80,000 lives over
21:41the years.
21:42As we mentioned earlier, we even have some very specific examples showcased in films like
21:47Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah, Giant Monsters All Out Attack, when Big G uses a tail swipe
21:53to take out a hospitalized girl in a cast just when she thought she was safe.
22:02Number 1. Destroying Tokyo, the Godzilla franchise.
22:13Tying into our penultimate pick, our number 1 choice has to deal with one very specific target
22:19of Godzilla's wrath, Tokyo.
22:32Again, it's been joked about and referenced in songs like Blue Oyster Cult's Godzilla, but
22:36you gotta feel for the citizens of Tokyo.
22:38They just can't catch a break.
22:40Just when they rebuild from the last Godzilla attack, the King of the Monsters comes back
22:44for another round.
22:45And down comes the infrastructure.
22:51Of course, this also ties into Godzilla's origin as a metaphor for the atomic bombings of
22:56Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, one of the most infamous incidents in history that forever
23:01connects the destruction of Tokyo with Godzilla's unpredictable and destructive power.
23:25Is Godzilla Earth's greatest protector or its biggest threat?
23:28Drop a line in the comments.