The Evolution Of Godzilla's Atomic Breath Explained

When we first met Godzilla in the 1954 Japanese picture "Gojira," our favorite giant monster's atomic breath had yet to be fully realized. But make no mistake, Godzilla still carried his signature heat ray, though it looked more like a thin mist with a smoky feel rather than the traditional blue beam we know today. Because the first two films were in black-and-white, Godzilla's original atomic breath generally looked white or translucent, not unlike the atomic bomb itself, which Toho intended to comment on with their giant monster.

The King of the Monster's atomic breath mimicked the bomb's destruction, and, despite its smoggy texture, it was hot enough to melt and warp power cables and set Tokyo ablaze. It might not be as well defined as future versions of his atomic breath, but the original Godzilla's heat ray was just as formidable. No atomic bomb would stop Godzilla, and that's part of what made him so frightening to begin with. This continued to be the look of Godzilla's signature move throughout the first batch of films of the Shōwa Era, including the sequel "Godzilla Raids Again." However, the usual blue look wasn't far behind.

It wasn't until 1967's "Son of Godzilla" that the atomic breath mutated from a concentrated radioactive smog into the laser-like heat ray we know today. In this eighth installment, Godzilla adopts the kaiju Minilla (yes, Godzilla has a son) and teaches him how to use his atomic breath. Though Minilla only gets a few puffs out at first, which appear as rings of nuclear energy, he eventually takes his adoptive father's lessons to heart and blasts a blue heat ray of his own. Though the beam still has a foggy note to it, the concentrated effect, now highlighted with an electric blue, pushed Godzilla into a new age. 

This look remained relatively the same throughout the next four monster epics, where Godzilla bested some of the most notable kaiju in Toho's catalog. That is, until "Godzilla vs. Megalon," (yes, the one with that scene) where the series introduced an atomic blue beam that looked more fiery than misty. The next installment, "Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla," continued this atomic blue look, though the fifteenth and final picture in the original "Godzilla" series, "Terror of Mechagodzilla," took it a step backward by emphasizing more white in the blast than blue.

With the Heisei Era, Godzilla was completely rebranded. The 1984 film "The Return of Godzilla," which was released nearly a decade after "Terror of Mechagodzilla," erased all of the original sequels from its canon, with only the 1954 film considered a part of the story. Re-edited and released as "Godzilla 1985" in the United States, this Godzilla reboot used rotoscoping to create the atomic breath effect (which remained a light blue here). This beam was stronger, longer, and more powerful than ever, as "The Return of Godzilla" was meant to be a darker film that echoed the socio-political commentary of the original.

But by 1991's "Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah," the King of the Monsters upgraded our hero's atomic breath into the famed spiral heat ray that fully decapitated one of Ghidorah's heads. The spiral heat ray looks just like Godzilla's traditional blue-hued atomic breath but is coiled with an electric purple signature that gives it a bit more power. This was the first major departure from the traditional atomic breath that Godzilla frequently used throughout his decades-long film career, but it certainly wouldn't be the last.

Of course, the most notable time Godzilla's atomic breath turned red was in the final installment of the Heisei Era, "Godzilla vs. Destoroyah." Meant to conclude the seven "Godzilla" productions released between 1984 and 1995, "Godzilla vs. Destoroyah" took the red atomic heat ray another step further. Instead of just recoloring Godzilla's atomic breath and adding an electrical spiral, this time, Godzilla melts down. In the Heisei films, Godzilla's heart doubles as a nuclear reactor, hence his atomic breath in the first place, but what happens when a kaiju melts down from the inside? Burning Godzilla is the answer.

Along with the red-orange glow of his atomic breath, this Godzilla glows from the inside out as his body breaks down. After absorbing too much energy from uranium deposits, Burning Godzilla is born, and his fiery appearance lies in stark contrast to the King of the Monster's usual look. Eventually, Burning Godzilla defeats Destoroyah, but at the cost of his own life. Each time Godzilla uses his atomic heat ray while in meltdown, it negatively contributes to the process, ultimately leaving him in radioactive ashes. Though, Godzilla Junior is reborn just after his father's death, so at least there's that.

In 1999, the Millennium Era of "Godzilla" began when Toho's answer to Hollywood's "Godzilla" arrived in the form of "Godzilla 2000: Millennium." Counting only the original 1954 feature as canon, "Godzilla 2000" revived the character by staying true to what made longtime fans passionate about kaiju in the first place — with some minor changes. This rebooted Godzilla uses an orangish atomic breath when battling his enemies, and his dorsal plates continue to glow now even as the monster fires his atomic breath.

This beam proves so powerful that it cuts through a UFO like butter, and seriously wounds its kaiju opponent Orga. What made this orangish atomic breath so interesting was that rather than being a power-up that Godzilla absorbed from another monster, this was introduced as the standard from the beginning of this reboot. However, when you consider that the original "Gojira" is technically canon to this film, then it's more than likely that the "Godzilla 2000" character absorbed enough energy between 1954 and 1999 to upgrade himself. This look continued into the next film, "Godzilla vs. Megaguirus."

At the end of the Millennium Era, Toho released "Godzilla: Final Wars," which was meant to be the official finale of the "Godzilla" franchise. Ignoring all previous installments (including the original), Godzilla's trademark atomic breath is the usual blue color and beam-like consistency here at first, though it gets an upgrade as the film goes on. After using his standard blue heat ray for the majority of the film, Godzilla switches things up in the finale. 

To save the world from an impending meteorite, Godzilla charges his atomic breath to create a new variant of the spiral heat ray able to blow the asteroid apart (even though it still destroys a good chunk of Tokyo). But that's not all. In the final battle with Keizer Ghidorah, Godzilla is given a supercharged burst of energy from Shinichi Ozaki (Masahiro Matsuoka) which allows him to emit a burning G-spark heat ray. This ray sent Ghidorah into space and officially ended the kaiju invasion, allowing Godzilla and Minilla to return home to the ocean.

In 2016, Toho launched the Reiwa Era of "Godzilla" with "Shin Godzilla" leading the charge, the studio's first Godzilla film in over a decade. This time around, Godzilla's atomic breath is a novel electric purplish-pink color that some take to mean that Godzilla's atomic breath is off the charts on the electromagnetic spectrum. In "Shin Godzilla," the King of the Monsters' craggy spine begins to glow before he opens his mouth and unattaches part of his jaw so his mouth can open wider. From there, black smoke is released from his mouth, followed by a burst of flame before the final beam emerges, decimating everything in sight. The first time this monster uses its atomic breath in "Shin Godzilla" is probably one of the spookiest scenes in "Godzilla" history.

To make matters worse, this Godzilla can even fire an atomic beam from the tip of his tail as well as from the spines on his back, which makes his atomic heat ray all the more powerful. Easily a stand-out film in the franchise, "Shin Godzilla" has made Godzilla more terrifying than earlier incarnations would have us believe, and there's no denying that this version of the King of the Monsters has a lot of potential. Sadly, we haven't seen the "Shin Godzilla" version again since he was frozen solid, but there's always hope he could return.

Last but certainly not least, Toho returned to making live-action "Godzilla" movies with 2023's "Godzilla Minus One." Another complete reboot, "Godzilla Minus One" takes place in the mid-1940s just after World War II, reinterpreting the King of the Monster's origins in light of post-war Japan. After Godzilla is mutated by America's nuclear tests, the monster heads toward Japan, and the results are horrifying. The atomic breath in this film is incredible, not to mention utterly devastating. Like previous installments, the atomic blue hue is present here, but with an explosive quality that best resembles a nuclear bomb.

Much like the original "Gojira," "Godzilla Minus One" acts as a commentary on the use of atomic weapons in World War II, and the filmmakers were able to make Godzilla's trademark weapon into something pretty close. "Postwar Japan has lost everything," director Takashi Yamazaki explained in an official press release (via SciFi Japan). "The film depicts an existence that gives unprecedented despair. The title 'Godzilla Minus One' was created with this in mind." Even how Godzilla's spine protrudes as he powers up, almost resembling the cocking of a gun, feels like an intentional choice made to evoke fear in the viewer.