Godzilla has made other Kaiju famous alongside himself. However, there is currently no trace of his first opponent and later best friend.
The Godzilla universe is full of Kaiju, some more and some less known. Monsters like Mothra or King Ghidorah have become part of pop culture just like Godzilla himself. But not all of his opponents or colleagues reach this level.
Ironically, his very first opponent is neglected. He developed into the best friend of the giant lizard – in one of the latest films, he only appeared as a skeleton in the background.
His very first monster opponent
Which Kaiju is it? While Godzilla only had to deal with humans in the first film in 1954, the second film immediately introduced another Kaiju. In Godzilla Returns, not only does a new Godzilla appear, but Anguirus also enters the Earth and fights with the giant lizard.
The design of Anguirus is not particularly imaginative; he looks like an ankylosaurus, about the same size as Godzilla, but moves on all fours. However, for Anguirus, the encounter with Godzilla in the film does not end well. During the final battle, the two not only destroyed parts of Japan, but in the end, Godzilla took down his opponent with his iconic atomic breath.
13 years later, Anguirus returned, or rather a new specimen. In the film Destroy All Monsters, several monsters appear, and Anguirus presents himself here as a friend who befriended Godzilla on Monster Island. Alongside Godzilla, he fought against King Ghidorah along with other monsters. He then appeared as a friendly Kaiju in several films, such as:
- Godzilla vs. Gigan in 1972
- Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla in 1974
- Godzilla: Final Wars in 2004
Most of the time, Anguirus fought on the side of Godzilla. However, in his last appearance in Final Wars, he was controlled by the Xillians and fought against Godzilla. Along with a controlled Rodan and King Caesar, the giant lizard is fought, but the three stand no chance (even though they rely on sporty football moves). At least Godzilla doesn’t kill his actual friends, unlike other monsters in the film.
Where is Anguirus?
Although the ankylosaurus has not been in a major film since 2002, he made an appearance in the 2021 anime series Godzilla: Singular Point.
While other legendary monsters like Mothra, King Ghidorah, or Rodan are featured in Godzilla II: King of the Monsters from 2019, there is only a small Easter egg for Anguirus that probably went unnoticed by most.
In a brief scene, a giant skeleton can be seen that could very well have belonged to Anguirus. Director Michael Dougherty said: that could be Anguirus – or not
. Together with an image of Anguirus, one can assume it to be an Easter egg (via ScreenRant).
It is also possible that a new version of Anguirus will appear in an upcoming film. Considering his quite conventional design, the MonsterVerse in Godzilla x Kong: Supernova will likely feature a more spectacular monster.
At least there is still the sequel to Godzilla: Minus One. Perhaps the new Japanese Godzilla film will find a way to bring back Godzilla’s good old friend.
Do you want more articles about monsters from the Godzilla universe? Who do you want to know more about? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. Looking at Godzilla’s 70-year history, the giant monster seemingly has beef with everyone: One of Marvel’s strongest villains manages to devour Godzilla, but regrets it seconds later
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