Godzilla vs. Gigansaw its titular villain make franchise history with his fight against the King of the Monsters. The kaiju, recognized for his cyborg build and hook-shaped blades attached to his wrists, has crossed paths with Godzilla in a total of three films. After fighting him for the first time in the 1972 movie, Gigan returned inGodzilla vs. Megalon, and unfortunately didn’t make another big screen appearance untilGodzilla: Final Wars.
With only three movies under his belt, Gigan is far from Godzilla’s greatest villain, with that title typically being attributed toeither King Ghidorah or Mechagodzilla. However, the creature is fearsome nonetheless, and arguably one of themost challenging foes Godzilla has ever fought. Not only that, but he holds a record even Ghidorah himself - who preceded Gigan on the big screen by several years - can’t claim.
Gigan Became The First Monster Ever To Make Godzilla Bleed
It Took 19 Years For Godzilla To Bleed For The First Time In The Franchise
Between hisfirst monster fight in 1955 against AnguirusinGodzilla Raids Againand the events ofGodzilla vs Hedorahin 1972, Godzilla engaged in a number of intense, hotly contested confrontations with other kaiju. But despite this, it wasn’t until the following movie - 1973’sGodzilla vs. Gigan- that he faced a creature formidable enough to actually make him bleed. With his bladed hooks and buzzsaw weapon on his stomach,Gigan managed to cut Godzilla several times in their fight. The fact that Ghidorah, who was with Gigan at the time, was arguably the lesser of the two threats to Godzilla, speaks volumes about Gigan’s battle prowess.
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Given that many of Godzilla’s films, includingGodzilla vs. Gigan, enjoyed a family-friendly tone, Godzilla’s bloody appearance in the movie’s final fight was a surprising sight. He had lost fights before, but the battle with Gigan was considerably different, in thatGodzilla was seen taking what could accurately be referred to as a beatdown. A portion of the fight was notably one-sided, with Godzilla having no defense for Gigan, who repeatedly slashed and pierced his skin with his blades for more than a minute.
Gigan Exposed One Of Godzilla’s Biggest Weaknesses
Bladed Weapons Are Now A Common Problem For Godzilla
Despite the struggles Gigan put him through, Godzilla did eventually get his second wind and beat Gigan, but what happened in that fight exposed a major weakness. That’s becauseGodzilla vs. Giganwasn’t ultimately the last time he had this problem; other creatures with the means to cut him have been particularly challenging for Godzilla to fight over the years. As durable as he may be, other monsters since Gigan have had success cutting through Godzilla’s skin and drawing blood.
A small handful of monsters have been able to inflict serious blows on Godzilla in this manner. Mechagodzilla, Megaguirus, and Biollante are all examples of creatures capable of cutting through Godzilla’s flesh. Biollante, for instance, viciously stabbed Godzilla inGodzilla vs. Biollantewith one of her sharp, vine-like appendages. This has been a recurring issue for Godzilla, and one that even carried over tothe Monsterverse’s Godzilla movies.
Gigan’s Brutal Beatdown Of Godzilla Proves How Effective He Could Be As A Monsterverse Villain
Godzilla’s Earlier Monsterverse Fights Signals How Dangerous Gigan Could Be
Even in the Monsterverse, Godzilla has been vulnerable to cutting attacks. The MUTOs were able to wound Godzilla with their claws in the 2014 Godzilla movie, and Kong’s axe was particularly effective against him inGodzilla vs. Kong. In fact, the axe was sharp enough to pierce deep into his flesh. The success in which monsters have been able to cut Godzilla in the Monsterverse is a sign that Gigan’s biggest moment in the Showa era could be replicated on the big screen. If Godzilla shares the same vulnerability to this type of attack in the Monsterverse, then it stands to reason that Gigan could be just as challenging for him as he was inGodzilla vs. GiganandGodzilla vs. Megalon.
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Since Ghidorah’s debut has confirmed that alien Titans do exist in the Monsterverse, it’s not hard to imagine Gigan being out there somewhere. In fact, he could even be the subject ofGodzilla vs. KongandGodzilla x Kong’sRoswell jokes. If it’s true that Monarch is aware of other extraterrestrial monsters, the Monsterverse could use that to facilitate Gigan’s emergence in the modern era. If he has an arsenal that’s anything like his Toho counterpart, he would most likely be a force to be reckoned with, and one that could challenge Godzilla for his title as King of the Monsters.
Godzilla vs. Gigan
Cast
Godzilla vs. Gigan, released in 1972, involves Godzilla uniting with Anguirus to defend Earth from the evil space monsters Gigan and King Ghidorah. Directed by Jun Fukuda, the film follows manga artist Gengo Kotaka, who uncovers an alien plot to conquer Earth using the extraterrestrial creatures. The film is a part of the Shōwa era of the Godzilla franchise and features special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano.
