With over 70 years under its belt, Toho’s Godzilla saga is the longest-running film franchise in history. And, with 33 films throughout four eras, it’s been necessary to bring other monsters into the fold outside titular monster. The Shōwa era (1954-1975) brought in monsters from a few solo Toho movies that were released in the wake of Gojira‘s success, but it also crafted antagonists who debuted in Godzilla movies. The Heisei era (1984-1995) brought back familiar faces from the past but also brought new monsters into the fold. The same goes for the Millennium era (1999-2004) and The Reiwa era (2016-present), which includes Shin Godzilla, three animated films, and Godzilla Minus One.
So, what are the best Toho monsters created by the company that are not Godzilla himself? Any of them were subject to inclusion. This means monsters from solo films who were later brought into Godzilla films, Godzilla film originals, and Toho one-offs that remained as such. The only monsters we’re not counting originated in Legendary’s Monsterverse franchise, so no Skar King or Shimo.
1) Anguirus
The giant Ankylosaurus Anguirus was the first monster Toho created to fight Godzilla, in the rushed and often boring Godzilla Raids Again. And, in that film, Godzilla killed Anguirus.
But, once Godzilla changed his ways from mean-spirited antagonist to protagonist, he needed some buddies to stand by his side when things got particularly tough. Anguirus was always the number one choice for that gig. He didn’t return until the monster mash that was Destroy All Monsters, but after that he was a frequent presence in the later Shōwa era films. He was the one who stood by Godzilla and fought King Ghidorah and Gigan in Godzilla vs. Gigan, he has a very brief cameo in Godzilla vs. Megalon, and he nearly dies at the hands of the fake Godzilla in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (a scene so heartbreaking it makes you realize that, over time, Anguirus had become the most lovable character of the franchise).
2) Rodan
If there’s a Toho kaiju movie that falls outside of the Godzilla umbrella and is remarkably solid, it’s Rodan. It makes sense that this Pteranodon kaiju was brought back into the fold for a few Godzilla movies.
Specifically, Rodan was a co-antagonist alongside Godzilla in Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, before they received a stern talking to from Mothra. He then was the co-protagonist in Invasion of Astro-Monster, once more facing Ghidorah. Rodan then appeared in Destroy All Monsters, and was shown via stock footage in Godzilla vs. Gigan, Godzilla vs. Megalon, and Terror of Mechagodzilla. Then, in the Heisei era’s Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, we got Fire Rodan (which finally gave him an energy beam of his own to go with his classic supersonic speed).
Rodan is also another one the Monsterverse has adapted, for Godzilla: King of the Monsters, where his arc wasn’t so different from what was in the Toho films. He started out as an antagonist alongside Ghidorah before pledging fealty to Godzilla in the end. It’s doubtful the Monsterverse is done with Rodan just yet. Let’s hope not.
3) Mothra
The voice of reason of Monster Island, Mothra is the kaiju who keeps everybody else in line. Well, at least in Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster. Like Rodan, Mothra received her own solo film before moving into a Godzilla movie. And, when she did come back in Mothra vs. Godzilla (released three years after Mothra), the result was arguably the best Godzilla movie besides Gojira.
Also like Rodan, she’s been a steady presence in Godzilla movies ever since. Specifically, the aforementioned Ghidorah, Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (AKA Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster) and Destroy All Monsters from the Shōwa era, the Heisei era’s Godzilla vs. Mothra and Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla, the Millennium era’s Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, and Godzilla: Final Wars, and the Monsterverse’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. In other words, outside Godzilla himself, she is easily the most consistent presence in Godzilla movies, Toho or otherwise.
4) Ghidorah
One of the great movie monsters, be it from Toho or otherwise, King Ghidorah is arguably the most iconic creature to come from the Big G’s films outside perhaps only Mothra. With a dragon-like appearance and gold scales, he sticks in one’s memory. Each one of his three heads can shoot out beams of electricity, so he typically has little trouble going through big cities and leaving them as rubble.
Ghidorah was also put to good use in the Monsterverse. He was still an alien, as he was in the Toho films, but he also had an interesting “Who’s the real king of the monsters” rivalry with Godzilla that helped keep him fresh as a character. Then there’s Mecha-King Ghidorah, who would make a great fit into the Monsterverse now that they’ve already established the deceased Ghidorah can be used to create, well, Mechagodzilla.
5) Hedorah
The title antagonist of what is by far the most bizarre Godzilla movie, Godzilla vs. Hedorah (or Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster, if you will), Hedorah is essentially the result of humanity’s poor treatment of the Earth. With acidic sludge and a released sulfuric acid mist when he’s flying, Hedorah was one of the tougher monsters for Godzilla to fight.
This is mostly because, every time he got a punch in, he got his hand covered in that aforementioned acidic goop. We’ve only seen Hedorah twice, once in the 1971 film and then for just a few moments in the cluttered Godzilla: Final Wars. It would be great to see him in the Monsterverse. It’s not as if humans have taken better care of the Earth since 1971.
6) Gigan
There’s been speculation that the upcoming Godzilla x Kong: Supernova will be somewhat cosmic in nature. They’ve already done King Ghidroah, so he’s out, but what about Gigan?
With a robotic bird appearance, Gigan is certainly a memorable looking kaiju. And, with hooks for hands (chainsaws in Godzilla: Final Wars), a buzzsaw on his belly, and a cluster of lasers emitting from his eye (again only in Final Wars), Gigan is the second-most intimidating adversary Godzilla has ever fought after Destoroyah. But more on Destoroyah later.
7) Mechagodzilla
Like King Ghidorah and Rodan, Mechagodzilla is a Toho kaiju whose iconic on his own by this point. Of all the kaiju Steven Spielberg could have put in Ready Player One, he chose Mechagodzilla.
Mechagodzilla has also drastically changed in terms of origin throughout the franchise. First, it closed out the Shōwa era (in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla and Terror of Mechagodzilla) as a tool of the Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens. Then, in the Heisei era’s Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, it was a tool of humanity’s to combat Godzilla. That continued through the Millennium era with Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla and Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, but with the added twist that it was somewhat sentient. It was then in two of the three animated Reiwa films and, in 2021, it served as the main villain of Godzilla vs. Kong, which carried over that sentient twist (though this time it was because it was crafted using the deceased King Ghidorah).
8) Biollante
Thanks to its recent addition to the Criterion Collection library (both on Max and the Criterion Channel and via a stunning 4K Blu-ray), Godzilla vs. Biollante is now, finally, easy to watch. For the longest time, that wasn’t the case, much like the film that directly precedes it: The Return of Godzilla.
At the center of this 1989 film (which is the only one that retains the tone of Return) there’s a moving tale of a father who lost his daughter in a terrorist attack and finds himself just wandering through life. He uses a rose, his daughter’s cells, and Godzilla’s cells to try and bring some part of her back to life, but the result is a massive, hideous plant monster. Now, this monster does carry his daughter’s consciousness, but it also carries Godzilla’s. It’s not a sibling or relative of any type to the Big G, it’s a clone of sorts. Biollante has the most interesting backstory of any Toho kaiju, and its two designs are truly phenomenal.
9) Battra
Battra is a villain who isn’t really a villain. The creature was created by Earth itself 12,000 years ago when an advanced civilization built a climate controlling device. In the words of the Cosmos (the two miniature twin women as iconic as Mothra herself), this “offended the Earth” so it created “The Black Mothra” to save itself from danger. But Battra didn’t want to stop there, he wanted to eliminate all of Earth’s human population so they could never create such a device again, at which Mothra stepped in and beat him in a battle that resulted in his being trapped in the Arctic Ocean.
1992’s Godzilla vs. Mothra has a meteor hit Earth, which awakens Battra, who then seeks to continue his destructive quest. And, considering the people of Earth are still valuing their wallets over the health of the planet, one is forced to question whether Battra was right or Mothra was. It’s a little bit of both, in truth. And, by film’s end, Mothra convinces Battra to help her take down Godzilla, who is the greatest threat of all. The result of this battle is Battra’s death. It says a lot about these movies that it can take a big rubber suit and give it a full-on character arc. Toss in a killer design, and Battra is easily one of the best parts of the Heisei era.
10) Destoroyah
Biollante and Battra are great, but Destoroyah is the ultimate villain to come from Godzilla’s Heisei era. The gargantuan, mutated crustacean is the toughest kaiju Godzilla has ever had to face.
Each one of Destoroyah’s stages is uniquely terrific. The Crawl Form is a creepy looking little crab, the Juvenile Form is the even more intimidating version of a Xenomorph (the scene where the soldiers take on the Juveniles is awfully reminiscent of James Cameron’s Aliens), the Aggregate Form (pictured above) is a larger version of the Juvenile Form with two new claws and two lengthy arms protruding from its back, and the bipedal Perfect Form comes equipped with four wings and a tail that ends in a pincer. He’s a death machine. If Godzilla were not overradiated and extra powerful in the film (ironically that extra power would kill him), Destoroyah would have won.
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