On the eve of his 70th anniversary following the release of the 1954 original, Godzilla has been a fixture on screens and various forms of media ever since allowing for people to get acclimated to his presence. As a side-effect of that constant influx of new media in films, TV shows, and comics, there’s been a fair amount of change to his looks over the years, for better or worse. Here, then, are our choices for the Top 10 Godzilla Costumes and why.
10. Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975, Ishiro Honda)
This one has always been an overlooked design. Known as the Mekagyakshu Goji, there’s a lot to enjoy with this look. A lot of that is especially in his face which has some nice designs around the eyes which make him look a lot more fearsome than the rest of his 70’s outings. This smaller look fits nicely into Godzilla’s brawler style behavior throughout his appearances and it has quite a lot to like implying a no-nonsense approach to the character. Although it still looks somewhat silly with the over-inflated back plates which look like they’re filled with helium and haphazardly arranged on his back, this is an underrated look that should be mentioned more.
9. Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla (1994, Kensho Yamashita)
Yet another underrated design, the Mogegoji tends to get overlooked because of the film he’s present in which is a shame. However, this is one of the film’s highlights and stands out for good reason. The Heisei face and body still come off impressive and the overall design of the beast is impressive, especially with the scenes of it in action on Birth Island during the first fight as well as the scenes of it marching across Japan to get to Space Godzilla. While it would’ve been cool to see his feature in the film where he can turn his head left to right which is mostly cut out of the finishing product, this is an unnecessarily maligned look that deserves more consideration.
8. Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000, Masaaki Tezuka)
Technically the same as the previous film, this looks strangely better in the follow-up. The animalistic face, expressive eyes, and generally fierce attitude are still employed here, as is the fantastic body bulk which allows for some great scenes depicting the massive creature interacting with humanity in a way never shown before. The large spines, now given a more pronounced purplish color scheme to offset the pointed spiky ends that no other design has ever featured, look far more natural here as it has a hidden ability in battle that’s logically worked into his look. The extra-long snout and cat-like designs integrated into his features are decidedly different from the reptilian look favored elsewhere, but this is still a generally enjoyable design.
7. King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962, Ishiro Honda)
This might be a bit of a surprise to be this high on the list, but the Kingoji costume has several minor detractions. The main thing about it is the hands, which look swollen and misshapen as if he suffered a bee sting before battle. It looks awkward along with the odd look of the face as it’s never all that consistent in appearance. However, there’s still a lot to like here as the large, lumbering body is imposing, when it looks right the face is quite expressive and the increased screentime makes it noticeable how flexible it is so it does look good. Still, it’s not as enjoyable as some of the others.
6. The Return of Godzilla (1984, Koji Hashimoto)
This is an incredibly underrated design and one of the more intriguing designs in the series. The large, evil eyes and a return to more of the original’s design in the face make this quite imposing, offering one of the few dinosaurian touches in his catalog. It doesn’t hurt that the attitude does make a nice comparison that gives this a wholly enjoyable look and feel. While it would be nice to know that the big guy has shoulders, that minor detail is the only hindrance to this costume as this is an enjoyable design.
5. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995, Takao Okawara)
There’s not much to say here, as the Desugoji is the Heisei design. However, the main changes are the molten energy erupting from the chest, thighs, legs, and fins bleeds through the skin while the eyes glow bright red. This is an admittedly impressive visual concept as well as a nice bit of storyline continuity within the series as it’s the final buildup throughout the Heisei run, yet that’s it. It doesn’t do much else and only relies on its impressive visual so while that does earn it some points there are still other, better designs out there.
4. Destroy All Monsters (1968, Ishiro Honda)
One of the most beloved designs, the Shoshingeki Goji is a real winner. With the rounded face, human-like body, and yet overall reptilian features being employed, there’s an innately endearing quality to the costume that gives Godzilla a muppet-like quality. His lovable expression and flexibility to create a wide range of movement have some impressive qualities, and being the design to further the savior of the Earth format the series was going towards is especially important with these features. Though it doesn’t look like he’s all that massive, this is an impressive and enjoyable design.
3. Gojira (1954, Ishiro Honda)
The first, the original, the beginning. It’s almost impossible not to love the Shodaigoji look, with the dinosaurian features, evil expression, and just uniquely original design that creates a memorable impression. The first time it appears in full, at the first attack in Tokyo Bay on through the series of rampage footage showing this lumbering behemoth in action it just creates an indelible impression. Despite the stiffness of the costume as it looks like it takes great energy to bend and twist even just slightly, there’s not much to dislike with this impressive look and it’s one of the best of the series for a reason.
2. Mothra vs. Godzilla (1962, Ishiro Honda)
The Mosuogji look is still one of the series’ best creations. The muzzle look alongside the reptilian features is quite impressive, the evil features on the face are striking, and the body looks like it’s capable of far more violent activities than what was initially shown with a slimmed-down yet still massive frame. The scaled-down fins and hands also come into play here and it creates an incredibly imposing and lovable look, and it also doesn’t hurt that the films in which this costume is featured are among the best in the series.
1. Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989, Kazuki Omori)
And here it is, the most impressive and defining look of the series. The Biogoji design is incredible, with the strong muscled body, an appropriate level of lower-body bulk that doesn’t look awkward, and a truly fearsome face that looks both dinosaurian and serpentine. It’s all enhanced by the incredible special effects used to help bring him to life given all the on-set creations from the puppets to the secondary suit and all the fun setups used to bring it to life. There’s an unduly realism to The Big G that started here and is mostly carried along throughout the rest of the series with so little deviation it’s the best look for the creature.
