The Large 7-10

For discussions covering more than one Toho film or show that span across more than one “era.”
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SoggyNoodles2016
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The Large 7-10

Post by SoggyNoodles2016 »

Weird title, I know but let me explain.


We all know who the big 5 are. Rodan, Mothra, MechaGodzilla, Ghidorah, and Godzilla. The most famous monsters in Toho's pantheon, the ones in every movie, the ones even the most basic man on the street knows.

So the question I'm posing here is basically, if this is Toho's A listers, their Avengers, who's the b list? Who are the 5 monsters that aren't the biggest of big names, but are beloved in some way, are recognizable and stand out as the underdogs of the franchise.


For example, my list

1. Minilla/Junior. Yes, it's mainly to dunk on him or his movie but most people are very well aware of the idea of Godzilla's son. Hell, I'll freely admit my mother (a lowkey Godzilla fan from the Creature Feature days) knew Minilla better then Ghidorah.
2. Hedorah. Similar to Minilla, while his name isn't known, the Smog Monster is one of the most well known and oft parodied of Godzilla's opponents. I don't think it's a coincidence after 1971, most blob monsters had a pair of big old eyes ;)
3. Megalon/Gigan. Godzilla vs Megalon was one of the best known Godzilla movies thanks to the 76 campaign and I would say these two are remembered due to this, especially with their unique designs and personalities.
4. Anguirus. As the only Toho kaiju outside of the big 5 to be canonically (as much as that skeleton can legally count) in the MonsterVerse, as well as a beloved ally, Anguirus def counts.
5. Biollante. Iconic monster and design and is well known for her design, as well as that fanart for an MV one, her appearance in Pipeworks games, and lots of MonsterVerse lists.

Honorable mentions: Orga (star antagonist of the best remembered American released Japanese Godzilla) and Jet Jaguar (as I mentioned about vs Megalon as well as being the only monster to more or less star in its own show)
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Re: The Large 7-10

Post by Major sssspielberg! »

Ah, so Toho's Defenders!

Anguirus- well, you know he's the man if you're in the know.

Baragon- despite only two meaningful appearances, he's been referenced countless times in Japanese media and his body created and inspired many Ultra kaiju.

Gorosaurus- this might be more of an American fascination, but we seem to love Gorosaurus over here. He kangaroo kicked Ghidorah right onto his ass!

Battra- I find a lot of people love Battra. Mothra with eye lasers! Even his larva looks like someone you wouldn't wanna mess with. Safe to say Battra made an impression.

Gigan- He's got attitude, a crazy cool design and all three of his Godzilla appearances were memorable.
Last edited by Major sssspielberg! on Sat Jul 24, 2021 8:37 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: The Large 7-10

Post by GodzillavsRayquaza »

Anguirus: Rather blatant.
Baragon: Highly popular, the fact that Toho didn’t kick him out of GMK like Anguirus and Varan makes it clear he has a sizable fanbase.
Hedorah: Being highly influential and unique means most people remember him and he’s definitely got a large amount of fans.
Gigan/Megalon: Godzillla vs Megalon’s one of the most well known Godzilla movies, especially in the west.
Destoroyah: The sheer number of people clamoring for Destoroyah to show up in the MV says enough.
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Re: The Large 7-10

Post by Voyager »

7-10? What do you have against the number 6?




Anguirus
Biollante
Baragon
Gigan
Megalon
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Re: The Large 7-10

Post by mikelcho »

That's right; it should be 6-10, not 7-10. The second figure makes four kaiju, not five.


*Anguirus
*Baragon
*Varan
*Gorosaurus
*Titanosaurus

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Re: The Large 7-10

Post by SpaceG92 »

Ain't no one consider Varan over the below - fan favorite - but nowhere near tops out the first 4 below.

No particular order, all interchangeable to some extent.

Anguirus - The absolute given of this list besides the one below. Popularity and inclusion in just about everything.
SpaceGodzilla - Always been the big bad of like every game moving forward. Especially the Atari Games. To quote Trendmasters, "The Ultimate Enemy"
Destoroyah - If it's not SpaceGodzilla it's angry crab.
Gigan - Some people may argue this, how many appearances has Gigan gotten? Especially in games, comic's and other media? He's usually not far behind King Ghidorah.
Megalon or Biollante - Biollante is a more newer face but Megalon has been pretty solid for a while. When it comes to game's he's appeared in more then Baragon who was gunna make this list over Biollante.

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Re: The Large 7-10

Post by goji89 »

1. Megalon
2. Gigan
3. Anguirus
4.Baragon
5. Biollante

In no particular order
But any of the others could be as well because I consider them to be in the same league.
Last edited by goji89 on Sun Jul 25, 2021 2:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: The Large 7-10

Post by tbeasley »

I remember there was a thread like this awhile back and this breakdown made the most sense to me -

The Big Five - Most appearances, most recognizable -
1. Godzilla
2. Mothra
3. King Ghidorah
4. Mechagodzilla
5. Rodan

The Next Five - You'd be surprised -
6. "Baby Godzilla" (Minilla, Godzilla Junior, etc.)
7. Gigan - Popular with merchandising.
8. Hedorah - Popular with merchandising.
9. Baragon - Popular in Japan. (He's cute.)
10. Anguirus - Popular in America. (He's cool.)

Next batch based on post-Showa appearances -
11. Kumonga, Manda - Appear in both GFW and SP.
12. Ebirah, Kamacuras, Jet Jaguar, King Caesar - 3 in GFW, 1 in SP (JJ).
13. Gorosaurus, Varan, Gabara, Megalon, Titanosaurus - No post-Showa roles.*
* Design references in SP aside.

14. Would finally start seeing Heisei, Millennium and Reiwa monsters.

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Re: The Large 7-10

Post by Showa Gojira »

tbeasley wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 10:33 pm I remember there was a thread like this awhile back and this breakdown made the most sense to me -

The Big Five - Most appearances, most recognizable -
1. Godzilla
2. Mothra
3. King Ghidorah
4. Mechagodzilla
5. Rodan

The Next Five - You'd be surprised -
6. "Baby Godzilla" (Minilla, Godzilla Junior, etc.)
7. Gigan - Popular with merchandising.
8. Hedorah - Popular with merchandising.
9. Baragon - Popular in Japan. (He's cute.)
10. Anguirus - Popular in America. (He's cool.)

^ This is Toho's big ten right here. Anything after that is up for debate, but the ten most famous/iconic isn't really a matter of opinion. Toho themselves recognizes the big five of Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah, and Rodan. As for the rest of the big 10:

"Baby Godzilla": Minya in the Showa series, Baby/Little/Junior Godzilla in the Heisei series, Minya again in the Millennium series, Godzilla Filius in the anime trilogy. Plus you also have Godzooky in the Hanna Barbera cartoon, the babies in G98, and the tail spawn in Shin Gojira. The concept of Godzilla having a child is present in nearly every iteration of the character.

Gigan: Appears in two Showa films, cameo in Zone Fighter, and appears in the Millennium series in a prominent role. Popular with the fans and appears in a lot of merchandise.

Hedorah: Appears in the Showa series and Millennium series. Popular with the fans and appears in a lot of merchandise.

Baragon: Showa and Millennium appearances. Beloved in Japan for his cuteness.

Anguirus: Showa and Millennium appearances, also shows up in SP. Beloved in America for being a scrappy underdog.

Those five Kaiju don't rival the big five but they definitely outdo any other monster in terms of reappearances and overall presence throughout the series. Megalon, Biollante, Spacegodzilla, and Destroyah are all popular but they all have a single film appearance, even if they get a good amount of merchandise and appearances in other media. Manda, Ebirah, Kumounga, Kamacuras, and King Caesar all appear in multiple movies (some of them in SP) but never in prominent roles outside of their first film, they aren't especially popular with the fans and don't get a ton of merchandise. Jet Jaguar only has one film appearance to date but he had a huge role in Singular Point and has his share of fans.

With that I would say that the Big 5 consists of Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah, Mechagodzilla, and Rodan.

The large 5 as SoggyNoodles calls them is made up of Minya, Gigan, Hedorah, Baragon, and Anguirus.

The order of the next 10 is up for debate but includes Jet Jaguar, Megalon, Biollante, Spacegodzilla, Destroyah, Manda, Ebirah, Kumounga, Kamacuras, and Gorosaurus.
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Re: The Large 7-10

Post by Lesko »

For me is the following:

6. Spacegodzilla: Only one lackluster movie and a very lame and generic name yet this wonderful kaiju has caught on and a strong villain to Godzilla in comics, games, and other extended media. The idea of a monster being forged from Godzilla's cells in a black hole with some alien crystal creature is ridiculous yet awesome at the same time. Not to mention his unique powers which are very scary and cool. The only real telekinesis kaiju in the films. He is also downright sinister and how he basically used Little Godzilla as a hostage.

7. Destoroyah: Another one hit wonder that spread quickly throughout the expanded universe. A monster born from the one manmade weapon to successfully kill Godzilla combined with a precambrian crustacean creature. He shoots freakin oxygen destroyer blasts and has a laser horn! What more needs to be said? Unique and iconic villain.

8. Anguirus: Let's face it we all love Angy. Even though he isn't particulary powerful his loyalty and tenacity is very admirable. He ran right into a buzzsaw just to try to help his friend Godzilla and got his jaw broken fighting a far more powerful opponent. Not only that but he hung on to Ghidorah's head stubbornly twice like a vice! Thankfully somewhat newer entries seem to be bringing him in a bit more like in SP. Let's hope this trend continues and expands to make him a major character.

9. Biollante: The Heisei series sure excels in one-off kaiju wonders. Biollante seems to be pretty big. I guess because of the blatant bioengineering undertones of the monster. Mixing Godzilla's cells with a flower seems strange enough at first but at a human's DNA and soul into that and you get a disturbing and hauntingly sympathetic kaiju. What really is intriguing about this kaiju is what didn't happen on screen. Just knowing that a real human's soul is in that creature just send shivers down my spine. All of that aside her abilities are great and the second form that looks like a crocodile mixed with Godzilla mixed with a plant. The wails of the creature are also disturbing and the acid sap is devastatingly powerful.

10. Baragon/Varan: These two have a lot in common. They didn't appear in many Showa entries and when they did they weren't always very long. They are both smaller and four legged kaiju that are lower on the power spectrum but seem to be well recognized and adored by fans including me. They feel like the underdog not only because they aren't so powerful but because they haven't had their time in the spotlight and you want them to have it. Prime example being the original draft for GMK. Seems to be among the most popular of unmade Godzilla movies.

Honourable mention: Bagan: Yeah I know most people have no idea who this creature is but fans certainly do. He's had it even worse than Baragon and Varan. While his power is high up on the power scale he has been scrapped from so many movies and had so many misses with video games it is really sad. Especially given the uniqueness of the creature and how ideas for it have changed over time.

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Re: The Large 7-10

Post by Voyager »

Lesko wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2021 1:01 pm
Honourable mention: Bagan: Yeah I know most people have no idea who this creature is but fans certainly do. He's had it even worse than Baragon and Varan. While his power is high up on the power scale he has been scrapped from so many movies and had so many misses with video games it is really sad. Especially given the uniqueness of the creature and how ideas for it have changed over time.
I’m not sure about the rest of the forum, but I do not like Bagan at all and see no reason why it would be included in a ‘Big Ten’. He’s constantly portrayed in the fandom as ‘Supa Dupa Powaful!!!’ when aside from story ideas and one trashy game, he’s never appeared in anything.

I like my kaiju to appear in movies ;)

Otherwise, I get your other choices. While I don’t agree with a few, I can see why you and others would choose them. Generally, the fan base at large loves them, and that’s awesome!
Last edited by Voyager on Mon Jul 26, 2021 3:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The Large 7-10

Post by Legion1979 »

Yeah, Bagan shouldn't factor into any of this.

And regardless of whether some fans like him or not, I have to agree that Minya has a place in the top 10. Between his cute appearance and kid friendly nature he's always been popular with younger fans. There's a reason the first three Godzilla eras included either Minya or a baby Godzilla.

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Re: The Large 7-10

Post by edgaguirus »

6. Gigan- Has had numerous appearances (film, comics, games, books), and an interesting design.

7. Anguirus- As has been said, he's a popular kaiju in America, and has several appearances.

8. Hedorah- The Smog Monster has been seen on film twice, but also has numerous appearances.

9. Baragon- Though the kaiju has few film roles, Japanese, and others, I'm sure, appreciate the cuteness of Baragon.

10. Jet Jaguar- Most of his recognition in America probably comes from MST3K and their JJ song, but the robot has appeared in other media as well.
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Re: The Large 7-10

Post by Moth »

6. Anguirus
7. Gigan
8. Jet Jaguar
9. Hedorah
10. Biollante/Megalon
Going off basic popularity and merch.
Throw in the concept of a "baby Godzilla" as well but not just specifically Minya or Junior.
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Re: The Large 7-10

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SoggyNoodles2016 wrote: Sat Jul 24, 2021 8:08 pm
3. Megalon/Gigan. Godzilla vs Megalon was one of the best known Godzilla movies thanks to the 76 campaign and I would say these two are remembered due to this, especially with their unique designs and personalities.

Honorable mentions: Orga (star antagonist of the best remembered American released Japanese Godzilla) and Jet Jaguar (as I mentioned about vs Megalon as well as being the only monster to more or less star in its own show)
When I got to your item 3, I was wondering why you didn't include JJ. I'd say he has a lot of name recognition value in the U.S. thanks to Megalon's visibility here, and particularly thanks to MST3K making such a big deal out of him.
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Re: The Large 7-10

Post by goji89 »

eabaker wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 11:27 am
SoggyNoodles2016 wrote: Sat Jul 24, 2021 8:08 pm
3. Megalon/Gigan. Godzilla vs Megalon was one of the best known Godzilla movies thanks to the 76 campaign and I would say these two are remembered due to this, especially with their unique designs and personalities.

Honorable mentions: Orga (star antagonist of the best remembered American released Japanese Godzilla) and Jet Jaguar (as I mentioned about vs Megalon as well as being the only monster to more or less star in its own show)
When I got to your item 3, I was wondering why you didn't include JJ. I'd say he has a lot of name recognition value in the U.S. thanks to Megalon's visibility here, and particularly thanks to MST3K making such a big deal out of him.
Ah crap I'd forgotten about JJ.

I'd agree he deserves a spot on the list.

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Re: The Large 7-10

Post by SoggyNoodles2016 »

eabaker wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 11:27 am
SoggyNoodles2016 wrote: Sat Jul 24, 2021 8:08 pm
3. Megalon/Gigan. Godzilla vs Megalon was one of the best known Godzilla movies thanks to the 76 campaign and I would say these two are remembered due to this, especially with their unique designs and personalities.

Honorable mentions: Orga (star antagonist of the best remembered American released Japanese Godzilla) and Jet Jaguar (as I mentioned about vs Megalon as well as being the only monster to more or less star in its own show)
When I got to your item 3, I was wondering why you didn't include JJ. I'd say he has a lot of name recognition value in the U.S. thanks to Megalon's visibility here, and particularly thanks to MST3K making such a big deal out of him.
I feel while Jet is known in the fandom, the wider audience wouldn't know him like immediately.

Megalon and Gigan on top of being in the movie also have the benefit of American comics and games using them over and over again to put them in head, especially with their unique designs.

Though thinking, Biollante might not have enough exposure for that as I initially stated so I might put him in her spot
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Re: The Large 7-10

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SoggyNoodles2016 wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 11:43 am
eabaker wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 11:27 am
SoggyNoodles2016 wrote: Sat Jul 24, 2021 8:08 pm
3. Megalon/Gigan. Godzilla vs Megalon was one of the best known Godzilla movies thanks to the 76 campaign and I would say these two are remembered due to this, especially with their unique designs and personalities.

Honorable mentions: Orga (star antagonist of the best remembered American released Japanese Godzilla) and Jet Jaguar (as I mentioned about vs Megalon as well as being the only monster to more or less star in its own show)
When I got to your item 3, I was wondering why you didn't include JJ. I'd say he has a lot of name recognition value in the U.S. thanks to Megalon's visibility here, and particularly thanks to MST3K making such a big deal out of him.
I feel while Jet is known in the fandom, the wider audience wouldn't know him like immediately.

Megalon and Gigan on top of being in the movie also have the benefit of American comics and games using them over and over again to put them in head, especially with their unique designs.

Though thinking, Biollante might not have enough exposure for that as I initially stated so I might put him in her spot
It's funny, you talk about comics and games as giving something more mainstream visibility; I tend to think of those as more niche than the movies, and likely mostly of interest to a certain segment of hardcore fans.
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Re: The Large 7-10

Post by GodzillavsRayquaza »

eabaker wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 11:48 am It's funny, you talk about comics and games as giving something more mainstream visibility; I tend to think of those as more niche than the movies, and likely mostly of interest to a certain segment of hardcore fans.
Maybe this is not something most people could relate to, but I played Destroy All Monsters Melee and Godzilla Unleashed well before I watched the vast majority of the movies. The first place I saw a lot of monsters was those games, cause getting the movies wasn’t nearly as easy as it is nowadays.
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Re: The Large 7-10

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GodzillavsRayquaza wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 12:03 pm
eabaker wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 11:48 am It's funny, you talk about comics and games as giving something more mainstream visibility; I tend to think of those as more niche than the movies, and likely mostly of interest to a certain segment of hardcore fans.
Maybe this is not something most people could relate to, but I played Destroy All Monsters Melee and Godzilla Unleashed well before I watched the vast majority of the movies. The first place I saw a lot of monsters was those games, cause getting the movies wasn’t nearly as easy as it is nowadays.
This could be a generational difference. I am literally twice your age! :lol:
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