The Japanese term kaiju comes from the Chinese word gui shu, meaning "strange beast," as found in an ancient Chinese text on mythical animals. These days, kaiju evokes only one image, and that is of Godzilla. It is little surprising that a creature of such formidable stature has become synonymous with the word in the modern lexicon.

Director Ishiro Honda, who brought the titular character to life in 1954s Godzilla, once said that monsters are tragic beings whose size and strength unfortunately make them villains in the public eye. Over the decades, Godzilla has stomped through the screen, getting bigger and badder with each incarnation. And as the King of the Monsters has grown in size, so has his iconic history.

Fans Saw Godzilla Junior Grow Up

After years of portraying Godzilla as an adorable goofball, the Heisei era of Godzilla brought the King of the Monsters back to his destructive roots.