Warning: Spoilers for Godzilla Minus One

Godzilla Minus One’s take on the King of the Monsters has the strongest version of atomic breath ever put to the screen, but there’s just one huge issue with it. Toho’s 2023 reboot of Godzilla’s movies delivered a new incarnation of the Japanese pop culture icon that’s faithful to the 1954 original in a number of important ways. However, there are some noteworthy distinctions between them, not the least of which is how their signature attack works.

Easily one of the strongest abilities in the franchise, Godzilla’s atomic breath has gone through several changes over the years. It’s been blue, red, orange, purple, and as recently as 2024, pink. It also has a few variations, including the red spiral heat ray, which was introduced in the Heisei era. As for Godzilla Minus One, it kept the trademark blue color that’s normally associated with Godzilla, but made a significant change to how it works – and its overall power level. That said, there’s a big catch that comes with it, one that may not make the upgrade worth it.

Godzilla’s Atomic Breath Is Stronger Than Ever In Godzilla Minus One

Godzilla’s New Atomic Breath Can Unleash Widespread Destruction

With his first atomic breath blast in the movie, Godzilla left a lasting impression of the colossal threat he poses. His attack caused a massive explosion that left behind a mushroom cloud. A powerful shockwave went along with it as all, further adding to the destruction Godzilla had set in motion. Clearly, this new interpretation of Godzilla’s atomic breath functions like a nuclear bomb, which is actually quite fitting, given that the King of the Monsters is a creature created by nuclear technology. But not only is it appropriate, it’s also considerably stronger than all other forms of atomic breath.

Arguably the Godzilla with the strongest atomic breath prior to Godzilla Minus One was the Monsterverse iteration. After all, his version was able to puncture a hole that went all the way to the Titans’ Hollow Earth world. However, it’s important to note that his individual blasts don’t cause mass destruction. Whereas he strikes in concentrated areas, Minus One’s Godzilla can wipe out cities with just a single use of his atomic breath.

Godzilla’s Atomic Breath Has A Huge Weakness In Minus One

Other versions of Godzilla don’t have this problem

As powerful as it may be, Godzilla’s new atomic breath has a glaring weakness. In the movie, it was stated by Kenji Noda that Godzilla needs time to charge up his attack before using it a second time. Although there was no proof of his assertion at the time, Godzilla not using his atomic breath to save himself from their trap came across as evidence of Noda’s theory. Based on this, it’s safe to assume that Godzilla’s atomic breath does indeed require recharging. That’s a significant trade-off, considering that this isn’t a normal limitation for Godzilla.

Previous versions of Godzilla, including those in the Showa, Heisei, and Millennium eras, seemingly had no trouble in making frequent use of their atomic breath. It’s not even unusual for Godzilla to fire off consecutive blasts within seconds of each other. This also extends into the Monsterverse; admittedly, Godzilla only used his atomic breath twice in his 2014 debut film, but hasn’t been conservative about it in the least in his subsequent movie appearances. His counterpart in the 2023 film, on the other hand, has to make his shots count. This was on display when he fired upon Koichi’s plane and missed in Godzilla Minus One’s ending.

What Godzilla’s Atomic Breath Change Could Mean For His Monster Fights

Godzilla Would Have To Be More Calculated About Using His Atomic Breath

For now, the possibility of Godzilla making a comeback in a Godzilla Minus One sequel hasn’t been ruled out, which means there’s a chance his atomic breath will eventually get a proper test. And if the rules the movie established for it are any indication, his fighting strategy will have to differ from those employed by earlier incarnations of the kaiju. Atomic breath has always contributed greatly to Godzilla’s versatility; because of it, he can be lethal both from a distance and up close. That could still be true for Minus One’s Godzilla, but not after he fires one shot of his atomic breath.

If it connects, that could be all it takes to defeat his enemy, which could result in some easy victories for Godzilla in a Godzilla Minus One sequel. But the potential consequences of missing the attack could be just as great. It could set up an extremely challenging monster battle where Godzilla is without his greatest weapon. For instance, if Godzilla is fighting another kaiju with a beam ability, like King Ghidorah or Destoroyah, he wouldn’t have a way to counteract it once he’s used his atomic breath. His lack of speed and maneuverability could make this a bigger disadvantage for him, as he could wind up a sitting duck for long-range attacks.