Godzilla

Godzilla is a giant monster, or daikaijū, first appearing in Ishirō Honda’s 1954 film Godzilla. Usually depicted as a colossal amphibious prehistoric reptilian or dinosaurian creature, it was awakened and empowered by nuclear radiation and testing. The character became an international pop culture icon through Japanese and American films and other media. Godzilla has been portrayed as a nuclear-weapons metaphor, an antihero, and a defender of humanity.

First appearance

The 1954 film Godzilla, directed by Ishirō Honda

Epithet

King of the Monsters

Typical depiction

A colossal, amphibious prehistoric reptilian or dinosaurian monster