As the King of Monsters, Godzilla is arguably the most impressive Kaijū, capable of bringing almost any of his opponents to their knees. However, two have managed to defeat the giant lizard forever.
Since 1954, Godzilla has haunted the world, sometimes as a threat, sometimes as a savior of humanity. Throughout his over 70-year history, the giant lizard has defeated numerous Kaijū, no matter how tough it became.
But Godzilla is not invincible. Several of his opponents have been able to defeat the King of Monsters, but only two have succeeded in killing him for good: humanity and his perfect rival: Destoroyah.
Even in the upcoming Minus One, humanity must fend off Godzilla:
Godzilla’s death is an irony of fate
How did Godzilla ultimately die? Even in the first film from 1954, Godzilla was taken down. This time, however, by humans. The giant lizard, which suddenly wreaks havoc in Japan, seems invincible, but then Dr. Daisuke Serizawa enters the picture. As a researcher, he developed the Oxygen Destroyer.
This is a powerful weapon that can decompose oxygen and destroy all living things within a certain area. However, Serizawa fears this remarkably impressive weapon, as it is even more effective than the atomic bomb, the very weapon that created Godzilla in the first place. Therefore, he initially does not want to make it public.
Amid all the despair that Godzilla spreads in Japan, it comes to pass that he uses the Destroyer. He submerges himself to ignite the weapon, and indeed, Godzilla dies. In the process, Serizawa sacrifices himself, wishing to bury his knowledge with his death.
The most tragic ending of a Godzilla film embodies a depressing view of the world at that time. Godzilla was created as a way of processing the trauma caused by the atomic bombs dropped by the U.S. Godzilla, as a reflection of this trauma, can only be defeated in the film thanks to an even stronger weapon of mass destruction – a sad, ironic ending. Read more about Godzilla and his significance here: Everyone knows Godzilla, but few know what he really is
Ironically, his very first film was also the end for the first Godzilla. Humans succeeded in eliminating their self-created problem. At least for one year. In 1955, the monster returned in Godzilla Returns. This time, however, it was a different creature that fought against the monster Anguirus, which resembles an ankylosaurus.
After that, Godzilla survived quite a long time against his fiercest battles until he faced his arguably worst opponent in 1995.
You can see an image from the first Godzilla here:
The consequences of the Oxygen Destroyer
When else did Godzilla die? In 1995, Godzilla had to confront his possibly most powerful opponent in the film Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. The film was the finale of the Heisei era, and Destoroyah is not just a new alien or ancient monster; it is the living Oxygen Destroyer.
Under Tokyo Bay, a microscopic crustacean colony lived for over 2.5 billion years. Due to the Oxygen Destroyer, these crustaceans mutated over more than 40 years. When they were released due to the construction of a bridge, they began to feed on other organisms and gradually evolved.
Throughout the film, Destoroyah reaches several forms, culminating in its perfect form. Its very existence is completely dangerous, which is also due to its abilities:
- Even though Destoroyah has a physically large form, it consists of trillions of small organisms, which allows it to regenerate.
- It is incredibly resilient and physically strong. In addition, it was able to withstand Godzilla’s atomic breath and its extreme temperatures.
- Based on its origin, it can unleash an Oxygen Destroyer beam.
Through its beam, Destoroyah manages to kill Godzilla’s child (Godzilla Junior) in the film. In its grief, Godzilla’s rage increases, making it struggle in battle. Godzilla’s temperature rises more and more, and with a heat wave, it manages to severely injure Destoroyah. As this one tries to flee, humans assist it, and ultimately, it explodes due to Godzilla’s immense power.
Godzilla himself, however, does not survive the battle. His body gets too hot, and humans must shoot him with ice weapons to prevent him from destroying the Earth. Godzilla dies but simultaneously manages to revive his child, Godzilla Junior, who now follows in his father’s footsteps.
Almost dead, yet revived
Were there other times? Indeed, Godzilla dies in the US film Godzilla in 1998 as well, but since it is a completely different interpretation of the iconic lizard, we will leave his death out of this.
Another debatable incident occurs in the 1993 film Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II. There, Godzilla seemingly gets killed by Mechagodzilla, but the flying monster Rodan sacrifices itself and gives Godzilla its energy, allowing him to awaken again.
According to ScreenRant, the MUTOs, the antagonists from the 2014 US film Godzilla, are responsible for several of Godzilla’s ancestor’s deaths. The MUTO ancestors laid eggs in Godzilla’s ancestors. This is also supposed to be confirmed in the prequel comic Godzilla: Aftershock, in which Dagon (a representative of Godzilla’s species) was killed by MUTO Prime.
Aside from that, Godzilla survives the majority of his encounters with other monsters, earning his title as king. Nevertheless, he faced quite a number of monsters in his history that put him through the wringer: The 10 most powerful opponents of Godzilla in the power ranking
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