Toho Kaiju Popularity Index

Reader survey of kaiju popularity from "Godzilla Magazine" Vol 2 1993 right in the middle of the Heisei aka Versus era. Readers sent in postcards from the first Vol of Godzilla Magazine. The results are just over 900 votes, with Godzilla easily the number 1. Also included was most hated ranking with Jet Jaguar the clear winner. Hedorah the only kaiju to make both lists. 

Favorite Kaiju

1 Godzilla (206). 

2 King Ghidorah (124) 

3 Mothra (108) 

4 Anguirus (84) 

5 Rodan (73) 

6 Mechagodzilla (60) 

7 Battra (56) 

8 Baragon (42) 

9 Biollante (41) 

10 Mecha King Ghidorah (38) 

11 Gorosaurus (21)

11 Gigan (21) 

13 Varan (9)

13 Hedorah (9)

13 King Caesar (9) 

Most Hated Kaiju 

1 Jet Jaguar (59) 

2 Gabara (32)

2 Hedorah (32) 

4 Megalon (28) 

5 Minilla (14)

5 Kumonga (14)

Godzilla Final Wars

Toho decided for Godzilla's 50th Anniversary they would do a big extravaganza again like "Destroy All Monsters". They hired a young up and coming director, chucked it full of daikaiju's and former Godzilla actors. But still had it made in the same short development and shooting time.

Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla (1993) aka Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla II

On the heels of the success of "Godzilla Vs. Mothra", which made even more money then the last three Godzilla films, Toho decided it was time to bring back Godzilla next most popular foe Mechagodzilla, and an updated version of Rodan and Minilla by the end of the next year. The result is Godzilla longest screen time to date, passing Godzilla Vs. Hedorah.

 

Destroy All Monsters

What happens when you try to end a franchise with a huge extravaganza? You end up revitalizing to genre into the next decade. Toho took every useable daikaiju suit and made a couple of new ones and through them together into on epic film that ends the golden age of daikaiju movies.

Invasion of the Astro Monster aka Godzilla Vs Monster Zero

With the sixth entry into the franchise it was decided to mix the sci-fi space invasion theme with daikaiju. The result is a great movie that surprisingly has very little daikaiju screen time, in fact this film has the least amount of Godzilla in the 50's and 60's golden age. But the short screen time is made up for by being some of the best in franchise history.

Ghidorah, The Three Headed Monster

To borrow a term from wrestling, the fifth entry changes Godzilla from the villain, to a tweener. He and Rodan work out their differences across the Japanese countryside. Then Mothra convince them to team up and face the powerful space monster Ghidorah.