Manda (マンダ)
The concept of Manda is cool, and there's no other monster in the Toho line-up like him, but to successfully pull off a snake-like dragon is obviously a difficult task, which perhaps explains his lacklustre appearances.
Battra (バトラ Batora)
Few monsters follow any sort of path of redemption in Godzilla movies, so Battra's story really does stand out. It's too bad Mothra, being the moth she is, hogs all the limelight.
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.
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.
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.
Mothra vs. Godzilla – Japanese re-release poster
This advertisement is far from the usual beautifully rendered information-overload of a typical Godzilla poster. Its almost childlike artwork, reminiscent of the work of Shigeru Mizuki, is as endearing as it is befuddling.
Godzilla – Pakistani poster
Okay, this is easily the most ridiculous poster in my collection — an enormous and absolutely outrageous Pakistani poster for 1984's Godzilla!
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.
Gorosaurus (ゴロザウルス Gorozaurusu)
Gorosaurus ranks highly on many fan lists of monster favourites, including my own. Perhaps it is his no-frills design and sympathetic aura that give him his edge.
Godzilla vs. Gigan – Polish poster
A common complaint about Polish and Czech posters is: "What the hell has this got to do with the movie?" To which I must reply: "Who cares?! The design is amazing. And there's multicoloured stuff coming out of Godzilla's mouth. And there's also a bug."
