There’s much aboutGodzillathat, over the many years,has become iconic. His footsteps, his roar, and his protruding dorsal spikes are all examples. But perhaps nothing about him is more iconic (besides people seeing him, screaming his name, and running away) than his atomic breath. His incredibly destructive, bright blue (usually, at least), atomic breath.
It’s one of those things about him that’s (almost) always remained the same. In fact, there’s only been one film where the atomic breath wasn’t used, but we’ll get to that soon. What follows are some facts about Godzilla’s bad breath issue… and like most bad breath, it affects those around the holder more than the holder themselves. From how often he can use it, to coloring, to where it came from, here are seven roar-worthy facts about Godzilla’s atomic breath attack.
7It’s Been Featured in Every Film Besides the 1998 American Reboot
The MonsterVerse is subtly and swiftlybecoming one of the top cinematic universes, and the first good decision it made was having the title character mostly adhere to the Japanese movies' version of physical attributes. But it wasn’t just the monster’s hunched-over frame or roar that was changed: his atomic breath was removed altogether. The closest the film gets is one shot where the monster roars (hard) and blows back a few vehicles which explode midair.
Why Wasn’t It In The Film?
Director Roland Emmerich and producer Dean Devlin considered incorporating it, but only very early on. It was never really in the cards ultimately, and they only added the “power breath” (as it’s called in the script) when fans flipped out. But, all told, it’s as if they added nothing at all.
6It Also Wasn’t Going to Be in Godzilla 2, But it Did Show Up in Godzilla: The Series
If the MonsterVerse continues for years, it’ll be interesting to see ifKaiju-sized offspring are featured. Because, in the franchise’s massive, extended past, it hasn’t always worked out. The sequel to Roland Emmerich’sGodzillawould have sidestepped this issue by essentially having a replication of that film’s full-grown Zilla, but even that one wouldn’t have ended up possessing the title character’s famous power. The semi-popularGodzilla: The Series, however,didgive the beast his breath.
How Was It Used In The Show?
InThe Series, Zilla Junior has a green atomic breath, and it’s used as a defense mechanism in a similar manner to the latter ’60s and ’70s Japanese G-films. There was also the Zilla of the ‘98 film, resurrected as a cyborg and equipped with a blue atomic breath.
5Like Godzilla’s Size, It Was A Product of Nuclear Testing
Godzilla Minus One
Godzilla’s origin is about as iconicas Batman’s. Naturally, the originalGojirais an allegory, a creative way for members of a country to process the real-world devastation of the nuclear attacks on Japan, and it’s incredible how, no matter how many decades and installments pass, that aspect more or less remains the same.
How’d It Happen?
Whether it’s the 1954 original film or Apple TV+’s wonderfulMonarch: Legacy of Monsters, that origin has to do with an American hydrogen bomb test out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Unlike the 1998 film, however, which posited that Godzilla was a big iguana, every other installment has him as a radiated sea creature (perhaps a dinosaur, and certainly a dinosaur inGodzilla vs. King Ghidorah).
4There Are Levels to Its Power
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Even when it’s the standard blue, Godzilla’s atomic breath is, unsurprisingly, devastating. And, throughout the Shōwa era, blue was the only color used. But, towards the end of the Heisei era, a red/orange “spiral heat ray” was introduced, helping him beat the title villains in the third acts ofGodzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II,Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla, and throughoutGodzilla vs. Destoroyah(where his whole body, over-saturated with radiation and on the verge of meltdown, showed orange).
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How Often Has The Red Breath Popped Up?
The red/orange breath may have been a side effect of what was ailing Godzilla throughout the latter half of the Heisei era, but the Big G wasn’t down forever, and neither was the red/orange breath. It would make further appearances inGodzilla 2000: MillenniumandGodzilla vs. Megaguirus(the two films that eventually followedDestoroyah), not to mention an extra powerful version of it in the bonkersGodzilla: Final Wars. 2019’sGodzilla: King of the Monsterstook a page out ofDestoroyah’s book and had Godzilla over-radiated, but instead of breathing out red energy beams, he emits forceful pulses of radioactive energy.
3It Will Be Pink In Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Godzilla vs. Kongdid a lot for the MonsterVerse. 2014’sGodzilladid fine, but was short of spectacular, while 2019’sGodzilla: King of the Monsterswas an outright disappointment. In between,Kong: Skull Islanddid okay, more in line with the firstGodzillathan the second.
But, especially considering the pandemic raging at the time, 2021’sGodzilla vs. Kongdid extremely well (even if it sold fewer tickets domestically than the other three films). Naturally, HBO Max had a little something to do with it gaining increased exposure, but it’s also because of HBO Max that its nearly $500 million worldwide tally is so impressive. And, judging by the first trailer (and the success ofMonarch: Legacy of Monsters),Godzilla x Kong: The New Empireispoised to do even better.
Why Will It Be Pink?
One of the changes the MonsterVerse’s Godzilla is looking at is a change in color. Not so much his body, but his dorsal scales and atomic breath. The question is why. And, while not much is known about the film, much of it will have to do with the Hollow Earth… so it stands to reason the big G is exposed tosomething down there.
Time will tell just what that is, but there’s little doubtGodzilla x Kong: The New Empireis the most hotly-anticipated MonsterVerse film to date, and now that director Adam Wingard has already found success in the cinematic universe once, it’s practically a given he’ll do so again.
2Close-Up Shots in the Original Film Involved a Hand-Operated Puppet
Like in 1984’sThe Return of Godzilla, there are quite a few close-up shots of Godzilla’s face inGojira. And, often, he’s spewing flame in those shots (when he’s not busy roaring). For those shots, it wasn’t just the camera focusing on the man in the suit’s head, but rather a complicated hand-puppet, one that could replicate realistic facial movements and, of course, spew atomic energy.
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What Made the Breath?
To create the look of Godzilla’s dorsal scales containing the ray, the animation simply drew over the film cells. The same goes for wide shots when he uses the breath (in other words, any time he uses itwithoutbeing in a close-up). When it was a close-up shot, those would be streams of mist.
1It Has a Time Limit
Shin Godzilla
Throughout the Shōwa and Heisei eras, there were two lengths to Godzilla’s atomic breath-spewing ability. There were short little bursts (e.g. inThe Return of Godzillawhen he takes out a highway full of cars with a burst of a breath) and elongated bursts (e.g. also inThe Return of Godzilla, when he first makes his landing in Tokyo Harbor and spews a held beam from left to right, destroying every army vehicle sent to stop him in one fell swoop).
What About In Later Films?
In other words, inthe Japanese Godzilla moviesfrom the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, it seemed as though if Godzilla were to keep spewing that atomic energy, it’d kill him, or at least tucker him out. And, this held mostly true throughout the Millennium era for the most part (he tended to spew the beam a little longer then, on average), but it wasn’t untilShin Godzillathat he showed an ability to spew the beam, then just look all around him while still shooting the beam and destroying every last thing in sight.
Not to mention, in that film the beam was thinner, as if all the power was contained in a smaller package, which oddly gives the viewer the sense that it’s even more powerful than G’s usual wide blue beam. It was certainly more destructive.
For more Godzilla trivia, check out this video on some fun facts about Godzilla:
