Godzilla is one of the most famous movie characters of all time. The giant kaiju — “strange creature” in Japanese — has appeared in 38 movies since the first film debuted in 1954. The great reptile is so famous that he even has a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame like Marilyn Monroe and Walt Disney.
6 Underrated Godzilla Movies
There are a ton of movies that make up the Godzilla franchise, but these entries weren’t given the credit they deserve, and are worth another look.
With such a huge filmography and enduring legacy, it is no wonder that decades of writers, directors, and other creators have been inspired by the legendary monster. While the list of characters inspired by Godzilla is nearly endless, some stand above the crowd of monsters.
While some of these monsters are very clearly inspired by Godzilla, others are based on speculation due to major similarities.
11 Killer Croc
As Seen In Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants
- First appeared in Batman #357 (1983)
- Character in comic books, TV shows, movies, and video games
Batman is perhaps better known for his rogues’ gallery than his allies. Since famous villains like The Joker, The Penguin, and Catwoman are known to even the most casual fans, it can be easy to overlook some of Batman’s lesser-known but still vicious foes. Killer Croc, born Waylon Jones, is one of these villains. He was born with a genetic condition that gave him a reptilian appearance and super strength, and he has gone toe to toe with Batman many times since his first appearance in the early ’80s.
In Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs Mutants (2016), Killer Croc teams up with several other villains and becomes a towering version of himself with ice breath. He looks and acts much like Godzilla (whose breath is an atomic beam) and is only defeated after Batman fights him in a giant mech suit, which is very similar to multiple Godzilla movies. Clearly, the King of Monsters inspired this iteration of Killer Croc.
10 Lizzie
Giant Lizard in Rampage Who Destroys Cities
- First appeared in Rampage (1986)
- Video game character
Rampage is a series of video games released from the 80s to the early 2000s where players control giant monsters as they wipe out the great cities of the world. Lizzie is actually a woman who was mutated into a giant lizard form, although the backstory changes somewhat from game to game.
As a giant lizard who destroys cities, the similarities with Godzilla are obvious from the first time a player takes over and starts tearing down buildings with her giant claws. The game Rampage: World Tour even has a special nod to her in Tokyo, which further strengthens her connection to Godzilla. Even though she was originally modeled after a different monster — Ymir from 20 Million Miles From Earth — players and even the director of some Rampage games can’t help but link her with Godzilla.
9 Gigozaur
Board Game Version Of Godzilla
- First appeared in King of Tokyo (2011)
- Board Game Character
King of Tokyo brings all the fun of destroying cities to the tabletop as a board game that the whole family can play together. Each player chooses a giant monster, and then there is an all-out brawl until only one kaiju is left standing. This game is full of frantic, dice-rolling combat where players get to eliminate each other.
Most of the monsters are based on famous creations; the Kraken is based on Cthulhu, The King is based on King Kong, etc. The most famous monster inspiration from the 1st edition’s original six monsters is, of course, Godzilla. Godzilla fans can play as Gigozaur to live out their fantasy of controlling the famous reptile.
8 Tyrannomon
Dragon-Type Digimon Inspired By
- First appeared in C’mon Digimon (1997)
- Character in manga, anime, movies, and video games
The Digimon franchise started as a masculine version of Tamagotchi virtual pets and blossomed into a full world of its own with manga, anime, video games, and comics. Tyrannomon is one of the titular creatures that live in a digital world. It is a Dinosaur Digimon that appeared in the first manga released about Digimon in 1997. It is easy to tame, which makes it a great choice for beginning tamers.
Tyrannomon’s appearance is similar to a fusion of a T-Rex and Godzilla, with its other forms such as Dark Tyrannomon becoming even more similar to the great kaiju.
7 Baxcalibur
Dragon-Type Pokemon Who Looks Similar To Godzilla
- First appeared in Pokemon: Scarlet and Violet (2022)
- Video game character
Baxcalibur is the third and final form of Frigibax, evolving from Arctibax at Level 54. It is a Dragon/Ice Pokemon that was introduced in the ninth generation with the release of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Baxcalibur is considered a pseudo-legendary Pokemon because its base stats total 600.
10 Pokemon Based On Godzilla & Other Kaiju
Pokemon designs can be inspired by pretty much anything, but many take their visual cues from these legendary Kaiju.
As a reptilian Pokemon that stands on hind legs and has a tall torso and neck, its design is clearly reminiscent of Godzilla’s. Players can train Baxcalibur to use Ice Beam as a stand-in for the kaiju’s famed Atomic Breath, making it the closest thing to controlling the famous monster.
6 Megadon
Playable Kaiju Character
- First appeared in Dawn of the Monsters (2022)
- Video game character
In Dawn of the Monsters, the world has been invaded by giant otherworldly creatures. Humanity puts all of its hope for the future in four giant monsters of its own. Players take control of one of these four titans to save the world as they fight enemies in arenas made up of fully destructible cities.
Megadon is one of the four playable characters and greatly resembles Godzilla. Like the movie monster before him, Megadon has to fight on behalf of humanity when Earth is faced with threats from the stars.
5 Godzillo
Pro Hero In My Hero Academia
- First appeared in My Hero Academia: Two Heroes
- Manga and Anime character
In My Hero Academia, the majority of people have random mutations and superpowers called quirks. Some of these quirks cause the person to mutate into a humanoid version of an animal, such as Selkie the sailor who looks like a humanoid seal.
Godzillo is a hero with a mutant quirk that caused him to become Godzilla. He has the appearance, powers, and even voice of the Heisei-era Godzilla. While he only got a few seconds on screen, Godzillo left quite an impression on fans of the popular series.
4 Reptar
A Nod To Godzilla From Nickelodeon
- First appeared in Rugrats episode “At the Movies”
- TV Show character
Reptar is a character from a fictional movie series within the 90’s show Rugrats. The main characters love to watch Reptar, with Tommy Pickles in particular going so far as to look up to the reptilian monster. In the Rugrats world, Reptar is as popular with children as Mickey Mouse is in the real world, despite being a fire-breathing lizard that causes rampant destruction.
Reptar has the same back spikes as Godzilla and behaves much the same way as him, making him an obvious copy of the famed Japanese monster. Reptar has become something of an icon for Nickelodeon outside of this, however, since he has appeared in multiple video games and even had a rollercoaster named after him at Universal Studios.
3 Bowser
Mario’s Reptilian Nemesis Becomes A Kaiju
- First appeared as Giga Bowser in Super Smash Bros Melee (2001)
- Video game character
Bowser has been kidnapping Princess Peach and terrorizing the Mushroom Kingdom since his first appearance in 1985. After being featured in 69 different video games to date, one could argue that Bowser is as iconic as Godzilla.
Super Smash Bros. Game Tier List
Every Super Smash Bros. title has been praised in its time, but some have managed to stand the test of time better than others.
Bowser and Godzilla share similarities beyond their fame since they are both villainous reptiles from Japan. In Super Smash Bros, Bowser takes on a unique form that very clearly draws inspiration from the King of Monsters. As Giga Bowser, he towers over his opponents and his proportions are very similar to the build that Godzilla has in many films.
2 “Rexy”
Jurassic Park’s Monster-Turned-Savior
1 
- First appeared in Jurassic Park
- Movie character
Jurassic Park is a beloved sci-fi franchise that has wowed audiences for several decades. In the original film, dinosaurs escape their enclosures and rampage across the island at the same time as a hurricane hits. The T-Rex, nicknamed “Rexy” during production, has multiple iconic appearances throughout the movie. It attacks the group of main characters in a chilling scene, prompting the group to split up to survive. At the end of the movie, Rexy shows up again but ends up saving the humans from the velociraptors chasing them around the park’s headquarters. This mirrors the way that Godzilla typically shows up as an attacker before eventually saving humanity from the threat of a different giant monster in many Godzilla movies.
Steven Spielberg was excited to make Jurassic Park into a movie after being hooked on the idea that dinosaurs could be resurrected with modern technology. He cited the original Godzilla movie as an inspiration, hoping that his work could go beyond the typical monster movie in the same way that the original kaiju film did before him.
Best Japanese Godzilla Movies For Beginners
The Godzilla franchise of films, made in Japan by Toho, is one of the longest movie franchises in history. Here are some great places to jump into it.
