Godzilla (/ɡɒdˈzɪlə/ ɡod-ZIL-ə)[a] is a giant monster, or kaiju, based on Toho Co., Ltd.'s character of the same name, and one of the protagonists in Legendary Pictures' Monsterverse franchise.

This incarnation of Godzilla is depicted as the sole survivor of a prehistoric superspecies, theorized by Dr. Ishirō Serizawa, acting as a force of nature that maintains balance.

Watanabe argued with the producer to have his character refer to Godzilla by his Japanese name, stating, "the important thing is where the icon comes from.

Various sources inspired Godzilla's design: the eyes were modeled after the Skeksis from The Dark Crystal, komodo dragons and birds of prey influenced the hands and regal bearings, and gills were added to explain Godzilla's underwater capabilities.

Dougherty also made the feet and claws "a bit bigger" to reflect Godzilla's predatory nature when attacking prey.

The Burning form was introduced in Toho's Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995) and was treated as an impending doomsday trigger, however, King of the Monsters reinterprets it as a temporary power-up due to Godzilla's increased radiation levels after being directly blasted with a nuclear warhead.

"[23] For Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (2023), VFX supervisor Sean Konrad tried to tie his design and animation to the look established in the feature films.

[25] For the 2014 version, Gareth Edwards designed Godzilla to have a personality that would evoke the "last samurai" archetype, calling him "a lone, ancient warrior who prefers to be left alone until world events force him to resurface.

[32] A statue of DougheGoji's normal state was installed at a Godzilla Exhibition on the 7th floor of the Seibu Shibuya store Movita Building.

[33] A post-credits scene in Kong: Skull Island featured cave paintings of Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra and King Ghidorah.