Varan (バラン Baran)
Poor Varan. I feel bad for him. Not only is he needlessly persecuted by twattish scientists, but he's also pretty boring as a monster. Varan the Unremarkable, am I right?! Hahaha! Ahem. Sorry.
Rodan (ラドン Radon)
I've got quite the soft spot for Rodan. Invasion of the Astro Monster the first Godzilla sequel I ever watched and helped spawn my obsession with kaijū cinema.
Agon (アゴン)
Agon doesn't make the best first impression, but, as he receives more screen time, the execution of the monster costume becomes more impressive, especially for a production company without Toho's money.
Good Dog (いい犬 Ii Inu)
Good Dog is not actually a dog. Housing some rather complicated fantasies, he is a human-shaped demon who dresses up in a dog costume so shitty it would offend even the least discerning of furries.
Jiraiya (自雷也)
The Magic Serpent is a tasty mixed grill of 60s Japanese cinema. At its core, it's a tale of revenge. Mix magic-fueled martial arts and a handful of kaijū into that pot of vengeance and you've got yourself something fabulously out of control.
Toho’s King Kong (キングコング Kingu Kongu)
King Kong works better as a stop-motion creation rather than a man in a suit, or at least the suit Toho used. But there's an undeniable charm to Toho's Kingu Kongu. It's hard not to take some pleasure from that frozen expression of joy on his mangy face.
The Gappa Family (ガッパ)
It's a shame Nikkatsu only made this single kaijū film. Gappa, while no masterpiece, has a lot more energy and passion than some of the Godzilla and Gamera efforts that appeared towards the end of the Shōwa era.
Bemlar (ベムラー Bemurā)
Bemlar may not be Ultraman's most exciting adversary, but, in the Ultra series history books, he is perhaps the most important one. Bemlar is the first giant monster to have the living snot beaten out of him by Japan's favourite Protector of Earth and Slaughterer of Mindless Monsters.
Ebirah (エビラ Ebira)
Most Godzilla adversaries are very alien and fantastical in design. King Ghidorah is a three-headed, laser-beam-firing dragon. Hedorah is a giant slab of sludge. Mothra doesn't look like a moth. But Ebirah is a much more earthly monster. He's a giant lobster.
Mecha-King Ghidorah (メカキングギドラ Meka Kingu Gidora)
Mecha-King Ghidorah's design and execution is incredible in its complexity. In presenting Mecha-King Ghidorah, there's much to take into consideration — three separate heads, flight, multiple animated beams — and never does he come across as shoddy.
Gabara (ガバラ)
Gabara is a hateable villain, and that's a good thing. When he receives his inevitable beating, it is almost as satisfying as watching Minilla being electrocuted. Almost.
Zigra (ジグラ Jigura)
Zigra lacks the flat out weirdness of Guiron, the brutish panache of Gyaos, and the creepiness of Jiger, but he is still a fun foe. Zigra's convoluted scheme involves kidnapping a sexy spacewoman from the moon, interrupting radio programs with verbal threats, and crowning himself King of the Sea.
