Godzilla has showcased several different abilities throughout his many big-screen appearances, but among all Godzilla powers some are unique to certain versions of the character. Known as the King of the Monsters since the 1950s, the Japanese pop culture icon has clashed with humanity and other giant monsters on multiple occasions and has lived to tell the tale most of the time, making him a nearly invincible force of nature. Most of what makes Godzilla such a tremendous threat to human civilization and his fellow kaiju is his size, ruthlessness in combat, and immense strength, but Godzilla is also supported by a number of powers that can aid him in battle.
Godzilla’s powers have largely depended on the movie and the series they’re from, considering that there are so many different interpretations of the character. The most prominent versions of Godzilla are the ones that appeared in the Showa (1954-1975), Heisei (1984-1995), and Millennium (2000-2004) eras, in addition to Hollywood’s latest take on him, the MonsterVerse Godzilla. Not every godzilla power is consistent because filmmakers have a tendency to reimagine Godzilla every few years. When that happens, he gets a new look and a slight change to his physical capabilities. Many of Godzilla’s characteristics have remained constant through the decades, such as his association with nuclear weapons and overall design, but there are other aspects that have been introduced in one movie and abandoned in the next. With at least two more Godzilla movies on the way before the end of 2024, Godzilla is still getting new powers almost 70 years later.
Atomic Breath
Among all Godzilla powers, the most famous is his iconic “atomic breath”, an ability that he’s had since the original 1954 film. Godzilla’s atomic breath — which should never be confused with fire — has been used by every version of Toho’s Godzilla, as well as the MonsterVerse’s version. It’s an incredibly powerful beam attack that normally resembles a blast of blue fire. Godzilla creates it by gathering the radioactive energy within his body and emitting it from his mouth. It’s much hotter and more dangerous than fire, as it can easily melt through almost any structure or enemy kaiju that Godzilla targets.
An official Godzilla guidebook has stated that the atomic breath has a temperature of 500,000 degrees Celsius, and the Godzilla vs Kong title sequence confirms his atomic breath has an energy yield of 3.15 x 1014 joules (10 to the 14th power), which means its power is comparable to an atomic bomb or a small meteor. The only caveat of Godzilla’s atomic breath in the MonsterVerse is its inability to affect Kong’s axe, which is presumably made from a piece of the spine of one of Godzilla’s ancestors. However, the continuous nature of this Godzilla attack makes it much more powerful than any real-life explosion or impact, as it can be directed and concentrated on a specific point for as long as Godzilla wishes.
Spiral Heat Ray
Both the Heisei and Millennium versions of Godzilla have access to the spiral heat ray, one of the most powerful of all Godzill powers. It made its first appearance in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah when Godzilla hit the three-headed monster with a blue beam that was surrounded by a lightning bolt-shaped spiral. While charging up the attack, his back spikes sparkled with blue lightning. In 1993’s Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, Godzilla was on the brink of death when Mechagodzilla used an electrified harpoon-like weapon to attack Godzilla’s real weakness: his second brain. Since the brain-controlled Godzilla’s movement, he was paralyzed and gravely wounded. He was revived after Rodan arrived and provided him with what was left of his life force. Rodan’s energy reconstructed Godzilla’s brain and completely rejuvenated him.
Unfortunately for Mechagodzilla, Rodan’s power had an unexpected, positive side effect: it created a new Godzilla new beam attack. It was visually similar to what he used in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, except it was red instead of blue. The red spiral heat ray is the most powerful attack Godzilla has in his arsenal. It was because of the red spiral heat ray that Godzilla was able to defeat three of his most powerful foes ever: Mechagodzilla, SpaceGodzilla, and Destoroyah. It made a return to the Godzilla franchise when it was used it to save the Earth from an asteroid in Godzilla: Final Wars.
Flight
Godzilla’s atomic breath is good for blowing up Japanese jets and keeping enemies like King Kong at bay, but like all Godzilla powers it has other uses that are worth mentioning. In 1971’s Godzilla vs. Hedorah, the Showa series Godzilla was in hot pursuit of his enemy and needed to travel a great distance to catch him. To accomplish this, he directed his atomic breath at the ground. The force of the blast propelled him into the air, allowing Godzilla to fly. Godzilla kept using his atomic breath in this manner until he reached his destination, in a moment that reflects the more cartoonish feel of the later Showa Godzilla movies. This ability hasn’t been used since.
Metal Manipulation
In 1974’s Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, the King of the Monsters was up against his robotic counterpart, who proved to be quite a challenge. Godzilla and King Caesar were struggling to beat him until a thunderstorm erupted. After being repeatedly bombarded with lightning, Godzilla somehow turned into a magnetic force. Godzilla was able to magnetically pull numerous metal objects to his body. He was even able to reel in Mechagodzilla, who was incapable of escaping Godzilla’s magnetic pull. Thanks to this strange and unexplained power, Mechagodzilla was swiftly defeated. This was the only time Godzilla has made use of this power.
Regeneration
Quick healing has been one of the most common of all Godzilla powers, but his ability to heal actually became a major plot point in the 1990s series. It was said that Godzilla’s cells — known as G-Cells — have regenerative qualities that allow his body to quickly repair itself. The injuries that Godzilla sustains in battle generally stick around for the remainder of the fight, but are gone in time for Godzilla’s next battle. His G-Cells were later used to create both Biollante and SpaceGodzilla.
Nuclear Pulse
The atomic bomb is what created Toho’s Godzilla, mutating him and filling him with radioactive power. Godzilla releases this energy through his atomic breath, but Godzilla vs. Biollante revealed that he can emit it in other ways. The monster can charge up and release Godzilla’s “nuclear pulse”, which is an attack that unleashes a wave of atomic energy from his body. This wave obliterates anything in the vicinity. Originally, this ability was exclusive to the Heisei Godzilla, but that changed in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. After a power-up from Mothra transformed him into “Burning Godzilla,” he used two nuclear pulse attacks to finish off Ghidorah. The second blast was so powerful that it destroyed Ghidorah’s body, leaving nothing behind but the head.
Atomic Rays
Shin Godzilla went beyond atomic breath and presented audiences with a drastically different version of Godzilla who had more abilities than all previous versions. This Godzilla is capable of shooting atomic rays out of all multiple parts of his body, not just his mouth, depending on what form Godzilla takes. He can fire several atomic rays at once from both tip of the tail and his back spikes.
Godzilla Can Transform His Body
Godzilla went through several transformations in Shin Godzilla. At one point, he actually resembled a giant eel. His body was able to adapt to certain situations and evolve as the movie went on. After going through a few forms, he finally resembled a creature that could be recognized as Godzilla. It was said in the movie that if Godzilla continued to evolve, he could have grown wings. This ability defied the conventions of the franchise and is unlikely to make another appearance, especially since Toho is moving on from Shin Godzilla.
When Is The Next Godzilla Movie Coming Out?
Of course, beyond all Godzilla powers the monster’s impressive strength, endurance, and sheer size are formidable powers on their own. The King of the Monsters is also able to withstand atomic blasts himself and thrive in chaotic conditions. Although each version of the Titan is slightly different, there’s no doubt Godzilla is the most powerful and resilient kaiju to ever appear on the big screen.
Godzilla’s powers will continue to be on display in a pair of upcoming movies. Toho will release the first Japanese-language live-action Godzilla since 2016 this year. While no title has been announced, it has been announced that the film will be directed and written by Takashi Yamazaki and take place in postwar Japan, meaning that it won’t be a direct Shin Godzilla sequel. This movie will be releasing in Japanese theaters on November 3, 2023, with a Stateside release likely soon to follow.
Legendary Pictures will also be continuing their “MonsterVerse” series with a follow-up to 2022’s Godzilla vs. Kong, which is slated for release on March 15, 2024, and could show off any and all Godzilla powers. This movie also doesn’t have a title but will feature Godzilla nd Kong teaming up against a new threat and further explore the universe’s lore. There is also an upcoming Apple TV+ series set in Legendary’s MonsterVerse. All of these upcoming projects could include new powers for Godzilla as the modern franchise continues to redesign what cinema’s most prolific monster is capable of.
