History Characters / MonsterVerseGodzilla

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/godzilla2014.jpg]]

* OneHundredEight: This version of Godzilla is 108 meters tall, the biggest to date until ''Film/ShinGodzilla.''

For the Toho Godzilla, go [[Characters/GodzillaTheGodzillas here]].

* MightyRoar: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbB9GBykZAA Natch]].

In regards to the merchandise for the series as a whole, this version of the Big G is known as "Legendary Godzilla" to differentiate him from Toho's version, which also serves as a ShoutOut to [[Creator/LegendaryPictures the movie's producer]].

The last known living member of a species of gigantic amphibious beasts that roamed the Earth back when the planet was being bombarded by radiation during the Permian period. The military found out about the creature in 1954, and tried to cover up his existence with several nuclear strikes that were reported as tests - but these failed to have any effect on the monster. He eventually re-emerges in 2014, having a score to settle with the [=MUTO=]s.

The last known living member of a species of giant, amphibious beasts that roamed the Earth back when the planet was being bombarded by radiation during the Permian period. The military found out about the creature in 1954, and tried to cover up his existence with several nuclear strikes that were reported as tests - but these failed to have any effect on the monster. He eventually re-emerges in 2014, having a score to settle with the [=MUTO=]s.

The last known living member of a species of giant, amphibious beasts that roamed the Earth back when the planet was being bombarded by radiation during the Permian period. The military found out about the creature in 1954, and tried to cover up his existence with several nuclear strikes that were reported as tests - but these failed to have any effect on the monster. He eventually re-emerges in 2014, having a score to settle with the M.U.T.O.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/godzilla.jpg]]

* WormSign: He creates a massive swell in the water as he swims, with his dorsal spines protruding from the top. Taken UpToEleven when the act of landfall is preceded by a tsunami.

* GrumpyOldMan: Rather humorously, many viewers have pointed out that Godzilla acts less like a giant reptilian colossus rampaging through the cities of the Earth and more like an annoyed old man. He more or less shambles through the world without much concern for the humans he steps over and constantly displays irritation rather than anger at the people shooting at him with military-grade weapons. [[FridgeBrilliance This makes a whole lot of sense when you recall that Godzilla is literally ''eons'' old in this continuity]], having survived well past the Permian Extinction.

* MeaningfulName: According to [[Film/ShinGodzilla the next Toho film]], ''Godzilla'' (or ''Gojira'') officially means "God incarnate". Considering how he depicted as such, now it makes perfect sense.
* MightyGlacier: While he's not as particularly fast as some of his previous incarnations, Godzilla here keeps true to the Big G's tradition of dishing out massive pain. To bring up his fighting style, when faced the female M.U.T.O., which almost matches his size, his first offensive bout seems to focus on solely overpowering it with sheer brute strength and tenacity. Then once he learns enough about his enemy he starts aiming for weaknesses.

* PersonOfMassDestruction: ''Very'' destructive and tending to take out whole cities in his fights.

* PhysicalGod: He is described as being like a god compared to the M.U.T.O.s.

* {{Kaiju}}: The most famous giant monster of all is back in a new movie.

!Gojira / Godzilla

!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/AndySerkis (motion capture, uncredited)

--->--'''Dr. Ishiro Serizawa'''

!Godzilla

->''"Gojira may be the answer. I believe he's here to restore balance. He can defeat them."''
-->--'''Dr. Ishiro Serizawa'''

!!!'''Species:'''

->'''Appears In:''' ''Film/{{Godzilla|2014}}'' | ''Film/{{Godzilla King of the Monsters|2019}}'' | ''Film/GodzillaVsKong''

->'''Appeared In:''' ''Film/{{Godzilla|2014}}''

* BigDamnHeroes: The M.U.T.O.s seem unstoppable until he pimps into town to show them who's boss. The big reveal in the Honolulu airport suggests this trope, but really it's the final showdown in the San Francisco Bay that best captures it, [[spoiler:after Ford blows up the female M.U.T.O's nest, she attempts to kill him. Cue atomic breath, allowing Ford to escape.]]

* TheCameo: Makes one via cave painting in the post-credits scene of ''Skull Island''.
* TheChosenOne: If the stinger from ''Kong: Skull Island'' is to be believed. Cave paintings depict either a recording of a previous clash between or a prophecy alluding to a forthcoming battle between Godzilla and King Ghidorah. May even double as both.

* CoveredInScars: He is covered in old battle scars, highlighting not only his age, but also showing that he's been "maintaining the balance" for a quite a while.
* ContrastingSequelMainCharacter: In comparison to the previous Godzillas, he does not go out of his way to destroy everything in sight. Some of the damages he causes seems to be ''accidental'' instead of intentional. He does not even bear a grudge against the humans who nuked him in 1954, in stark contrast to his original incarnation who hates humans for what he has become. While he's Heisei Godzilla in personality (as in aggressive fighter), he does not even attack the humans who pulls the trigger at him because he's more focused in defeating the M.U.T.O.s. Previous incarnations will annihilate tank and ship units if they inconvenience him. This thing? Dive under ship units and does not bother attacking tank units on the Golden Gate Bridge. And let's not get into details about Shin Godzilla.

* DangerousForbiddenTechnique: The descriptions for the tie-in toys refer to Godzilla's Atomic Breath as being a powerful last resort due to it [[CastFromLifespan draining his internal radiation supplies]]. The [[VideoGame/{{Godzilla}} 2014 video game]] illustrates this by only giving him two charges and a longer recharge time.
* DentedIron: He's absolutely ancient, and shows it at times, especially after the beating he takes in the final fight. After killing the Male MUTO, he pauses to catch his breath, and once the female's dead he outright collapses.
* DestructiveSavior: Even though he's mankind's only hope against the M.U.T.O.s (this does not necessarily make him a true hero, only in the metaphorical sense), Godzilla leaves a substantial amount of destruction in his wake. He doesn't intentionally destroy stuff, though. It's mostly just a case of him just passing through, as he's ''just that big''. At the end of the film he is hailed (accurately) as the saviour of the human race, making him a ''literal'' Destructive Saviour.
* {{Determinator}}: Chases the M.U.T.O. relentlessly for miles and when he finally catches up to them, continues fighting even as he was being mauled by the two at once while constantly getting back up no matter how severely he's beaten down. Even a skyscraper collapsing on him only slowed him down for a few minutes.

* DynamicEntry: Taken to awesome levels in the airport scene. We get a shot of Godzilla's massive foot, then Godzilla in full view roars at his opponent. He did this again when facing off with the female M.U.T.O.

* GeniusBruiser: Godzilla is rather crafty for a giant reptile. After seeing how his atomic breath only had a minor effect on the female M.U.T.O., he switched to [[spoiler:grabbing her head and firing it down her throat until it decapitated her]]. As for the male M.U.T.O., Godzilla was having difficulty dealing with the male constantly resorting to hit and run attacks from the air. So Godzilla [[spoiler:suckered the male into attacking him from behind by pretending that he didn't know it was there, then giving him a tail attack that knocked the male out of the air into a protruding beam, impaling it.]]

* GlasgowGrin: He has a "born with it" variation, though it's only really visible when he opens his mouth to roar or use his [[BreathWeapon atomic breath]]. Its design seems to be based off the similar "smiles" of many real life reptiles.
* GodzillaThreshold: He seems to have one of his own - the signature Atomic Breath, which he only uses once in ''Awakening'' and a couple of times in the climax of the film.
* GoodIsNotSoft: While he does avoid killing humans on most occasions, he isn't against risking lives by damaging property if it means it will help him take down his enemies. For instance, his first appearance in Hawaii causes a tsunami that kills hundreds. And he gives the M.U.T.O.s themselves no quarter whatsoever -- both their inevitable deaths prove brutal.

* GrumpyOldMan: Rather humorously, many viewers have pointed out that Godzilla acts less like a giant reptilian colossus rampaging through the cities of the Earth and more like an annoyed old man. He more or less shambles through the world without much concern for the humans he steps over and constantly displays irritation rather than anger at the people shooting at him with military-grade weapons. [[FridgeBrilliance This makes a whole lot of sense when you recall that Godzilla is literally ''eons'' old in this continuity]], having survived even past the Permian Extinction.

* ImpossiblyGracefulGiant: Played with. He is a lumbering behemoth who causes a lot of damage just by walking through an area, but he is especially graceful in the water, capable of sneaking up on the M.U.T.O. kaiju just fine, and seems to be trying to weave his way through the cities as much as he can to avoid too much damage unlike the M.U.T.O. He's only walking fast to humans because his strides are so long in comparison.
* ItCanThink: He gives the distinct impression of regarding the protagonist, Ford Brody, at one point when they gaze at each other close up.

* LetsGetDangerous: The look he [[spoiler:gives the male MUTO before tail-whipping it to death]] screams this.

* PersonOfMassDestruction: Very' destructive and tending to take out whole cities in his fights
* NighInvulnerability: Taken to new levels, at least with what is confirmed onscreen. In at least some films, most notably ''Film/TheReturnOfGodzilla'', using nuclear weapons on Godzilla has been suggested but never carried out. In this film it is part of Godzilla's origin: the military tried nuclear as soon as they knew of Godzilla's existence, covering up their attempts as tests known as Operation Castle (Castle Bravo being the best known, and largest, of these tests). Not only did these obviously not kill Godzilla, they appear to have inadvertently caused his mutation and given him his powers, like atomic breath. This new Godzilla might be [[UpToEleven even harder to kill than previous versions]].
* NonMaliciousMonster: He's not particularly interested in fighting with humans and goes out of his way not to fight them even when they are opening fire on him. Like Gareth said, humans are like ants to him. You don't go out of your way to stomp on every ant you see, do you?

* NoSell: He simply doesn't even notice when humans are attacking him.
* OddFriendship: [[spoiler:He seems to form one with Ford, after looking at him and Ford's timely destruction of the M.U.T.O. larvae. Godzilla even goes out of his way to save Ford from the female M.U.T.O. afterward.]]
* OldSoldier: Has been fighting other Kaiju for ''eons.''
* OffhandBackhand: [[spoiler:After he catches on to the male M.U.T.O's hit and run tactics, he uses his tail to do this.]]

* {{Reconstruction}}: Various elements of his design are updated to seem more plausible. His feet are rounder like a sauropod's to support his heavy weight, he has gills on the side of his neck to explain how he can live underwater, his armored hide and arms now look crocodilian. In general he's bulkier, as an animal his size and shape probably would be to support its own weight.

* ShownTheirWork: According to [[http://static2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140118083039/godzilla/images/2/25/Buzz_Sci-Fi_Special_GODZILLA_2014.jpg this news article,]] Creator/GarethEdwards and his crew prepared for the monster fights by studying footage of animals fighting, so Godzilla's fighting style is based off those of real life animals such as bears and komodo dragons.

* TailSlap: [[spoiler:How Godzilla kills the male M.U.T.O., coupled with ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice, since it was slammed into a skyscraper and ''got a support beam through its spine''.]]

* WeaksauceWeakness: His arms are very stubby compared to the rest of him. The male M.U.T.O took advantage of this a couple of times by jumping on his head and stabbing away at him with those long forelegs, with Godzilla having an extremely difficult time dislodging him since he could barely touch the top of his head. They are plenty strong, though, and he uses them to fight the female M.U.T.O.

** DentedIron: He's absolutely ancient, and shows it at times, especially after the beating he takes in the final fight. After killing the Male MUTO, he pauses to catch his breath, and once the female's dead he outright collapses.

The last known living member of a species of giant, amphibious beasts that roamed the Earth back when the planet was being bombarded by radiation during the Permian period. The military found out about the creature in 1954, and tried to cover up his existence with several nuclear strikes that were reported as tests - but these failed to have any effect on the monster. He eventually re-emerges in 2014, having a score to settle with the Muto.

* AccidentalHero: His actions in the final act saved countless lives; killing the Mutos saved what remains of San Francisco and stops what could have been a global epidemic of their species. Humanity honestly didn't seem to mind, and the people of San Francisco, at the very least, seem to have embraced him with open arms, if the loud cheers and visible gestures of goodwill that are shown when Godzilla makes his way out of the city the morning after the battle are any indication.
* AdaptationalHeroism: Unlike most versions of the character who are usually antagonistic (and a huge case with his [[Film/{{Gojira}} original incarnation]], a TragicMonster), but not as much as his Showa incarnation from ''Film/GodzillaRaidsAgain'' through ''Film/DestroyAllMonsters'' who had a hefty dose of CharacterizationMarchesOn. Despite his actions in Hawaii (where he swamps Waikiki beach, the most densely populated area that time of night), he avoids attacking humans as he can and most of his rampages is due to the Mutos posing a threat while maintaining his DestructiveHero status per his previous incarnations.

** The only reason why he hunts the Mutos is not because he wants to stop their destruction, but because their two species are natural enemies; the Mutos are parasites while Godzilla is an apex predator. Yet ultimately his goals end up being in humanity's favor, restoring balance to the world and saving them by destroying the Muto for good. Of course, in the process he destroys two major cities and kills tens of thousands of people. He's a 350 foot tall radioactive creature, finesse is not exactly his strong suit and morality isn't exactly his concern when he has the mind of a wild animal.

* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: Gets his title "King of the Monsters" through defeating the M.U.T.O.

* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: [[spoiler:After his triumph against the Muto, the American media bestows the well-earned title of "King Of The Monsters" upon him.]]

* BigDamnHeroes: The Mutos seem unstoppable until he pimps into town to show them who's boss. The big reveal in the Honolulu airport suggests this trope, but really it's the final showdown in the San Francisco Bay that best captures it, [[spoiler:after Ford blows up the female Muto's egg, she attempts to kill him. Cue atomic breath, allowing Ford to escape.]]

* BreathWeapon: Godzilla has his Atomic Breath, true to the original incarnation of him. Unlike the laser appearance from Toho's Heisei and Millennium eras, this incarnation's atomic breath is similar to the superheated vapor appearance from the Showa era. [[spoiler:He uses it as the ''coup de grâce'' against the female Muto three times, but it's only when he ''force-feeds'' it to her that it has any real effect.]]

* ContrastingSequelMainCharacter: In comparison to the previous Godzillas, he does not go out of his way to destroy everything in sight. Some of the damages he causes seems to be ''accidental'' instead of intentional. He does not even bear a grudge against the humans who nuked him in 1954, in stark contrast to his original incarnation who hates humans for what he has become. While he's Heisei Godzilla in personality (as in aggressive fighter), he does not even attack the humans who pulls the trigger at him because he's more focused in defeating the Mutos. Previous incarnations will annihilate tank and ship units if they inconvenience him. This thing? Dive under ship units and does not bother attacking tank units on the Golden Gate Bridge. And let's not get into details about Shin Godzilla.
* DarkIsNotEvil: Zig-zagged. While he is potentially as dangerous to humanity as the Mutos (if not more so), he also serves as a DestructiveSavior. It is notable that Godzilla does not go out of his way to destroy stuff like he usually does.

* DestructiveSavior: Even though he's mankind's only hope against the Mutos (this does not necessarily make him a true hero, only in the metaphorical sense), Godzilla leaves a substantial amount of destruction in his wake. He doesn't intentionally destroy stuff, though. It's mostly just a case of him just passing through, as he's ''just that big''. At the end of the film he is hailed (accurately) as the saviour of the human race, making him a ''literal'' Destructive Saviour.
* {{Determinator}}: Chases the Muto relentlessly for miles and when he finally catches up to them, continues fighting even as he was being mauled by the two at once while constantly getting back up no matter how severely he's beaten down. Even a skyscraper collapsing on him only slowed him down for a few minutes.
* DisneyDeath: The nuke that was dropped on him in the beginning should've killed him, right? Nope, he lived through it. [[spoiler:This happens twice in the last battle, both times coming out alive but exhausted after a long and brutal fight with each of the Mutos. The first time occurs when he's buried by a skyscraper after crushing the male Muto against it. The second time occurs when he literally collapses to the ground after killing the female Muto, and stays there well into the next day before waking up.]]
* DynamicEntry: Taken to awesome levels in the airport scene. We get a shot of Godzilla's massive foot, then Godzilla in full view roars at his opponent. He did this again when facing off with the female Muto.

** In-universe, Dr. Serizawa believes nature sent Godzilla to restore balance to the world by hunting the Mutos.
* GeniusBruiser: Godzilla is rather crafty for a giant reptile. After seeing how his atomic breath only had a minor effect on the female Muto, he switched to [[spoiler:grabbing her head and firing it down her throat until it decapitated her]]. As for the male Muto, Godzilla was having difficulty dealing with the male constantly resorting to hit and run attacks from the air. So Godzilla [[spoiler:suckered the male into attacking him from behind by pretending that he didn't know it was there, then giving him a tail attack that knocked the male out of the air into a protruding beam, impaling it.]]

* GoodIsNotSoft: While he does avoid killing humans on most occasions, he isn't against risking lives by damaging property if it means it will help him take down his enemies. For instance, his first appearance in Hawaii causes a tsunami that kills hundreds. And he gives the Mutos themselves no quarter whatsoever -- both their inevitable deaths prove brutal.

* HeavySleeper: If the climax is anything to go by, so much so that [[spoiler:when he gets tired and decides to take a nap after defeating the Mutos, the military initially assumes him to be dead]].

* MadeOfIron: He survived being nuked multiple times, and it's implied that this made him '''stronger'''. First nuke he took? Castle Bravo, a 15 megaton hydrogen bomb. It did nothing to him. Artillery attacks, tank shells, and bullets, he doesn't even notice. Missiles? A mild nuisance. He even takes ''a skyscraper'' collapsing on him and manages to get back up. Only attacks from the Mutos put him in any mortal danger. If you know your Godzilla, this is to be expected.

* MightyGlacier: While he's not as particularly fast as some of his previous incarnations, Godzilla here keeps true to the Big G's tradition of dishing out massive pain. To bring up his fighting style, when faced the female Muto, which almost matches his size, his first offensive bout seems to focus on solely overpowering it with sheer brute strength and tenacity. Then once he learns enough about his enemy he starts aiming for weaknesses.
* ManBitesMan: Uses his mouth and teeth quite frequently when fighting the Mutos.

* NominalHero: The only reason he doesn't go out of his way to destroy everything in sight is not because he doesn't ''want'' to, but because he doesn't ''care'' to. Even when humans fire at him or attack him with military-grade weapons, he just shrugs off their attacks and focuses on going for his natural enemy: the Mutos.

* OddFriendship: [[spoiler:He seems to form one with Ford, after looking at him and Ford's timely destruction of the Muto larvae. Godzilla even goes out of his way to save Ford from the female Muto afterward.]]

* OffhandBackhand: [[spoiler:After he catches on to the male Muto's hit and run tactics, he uses his tail to do this.]]
* PhysicalGod: He is described as being like a god compared to the Mutos.
* PostVictoryCollapse: After Godzilla [[spoiler:incinerates the female Muto's innards and rips her head off, he takes a power nap. The military think he's dead until he wakes up the following morning.]]

* RedBaron: The film has a variation on this: [[spoiler:after he has killed the Mutos, a news channel has the headline "King of the Monsters: Savior of Our City?" This indicates the ambivalent attitude humans have toward his DestructiveSaviour status.]]

* SuperPersistentPredator: Godzilla tracks the Mutos from one side of the Pacific to the other.
* TailSlap: [[spoiler:How Godzilla kills the male Muto, coupled with ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice, since it was slammed into a skyscraper and ''got a support beam through its spine''.]]

* WeaksauceWeakness: His arms are very stubby compared to the rest of him. The male M.U.T.O took advantage of this a couple of times by jumping on his head and stabbing away at him with those long forelegs, with Godzilla having an extremely difficult time dislodging him since he could barely touch the top of his head. They are plenty strong, though, and he uses them to fight the female Muto.