Copyright Screen Rant
We're in the middle of a bona fide Godzilla renaissance between the ever-expanding Monsterverse and the triumph of visionary director Takashi Yamazaki's Academy Award-winning Godzilla Minus One. While we won't get a new Monsterverse movie until 2027, the sequel Godzilla Minus Zero is on track to potentially release in late 2026. As speculation flies about what the title of Godzilla Minus Zero actually means, there have been just as many theories about what the plot might entail. Based on clues from Yamazaki himself and his past work, along with Godzilla's own cinematic history, it seems all but certain that Godzilla Minus Zero will feature another monster for Godzilla to square off against. Ever since the immediate sequel to his debut movie (1955's Godzilla Raids Again) Godzilla has frequently been depicted as a destroyer bent on tormenting the Earth or a guardian protecting the planet from extraterrestrial or Earth-based monstrous threats. If Godzilla Minus Zero is going to have Godzilla go into battle, there are a few classic monsters I'd really love to see get a treatment from Takashi Yamazaki. 10 Baragon This is a dark horse candidate to be sure, but Baragon has developed a dedicated cult following in the years since his debut in Toho's 1965 classic Frankenstein vs. Baragon. Baragon is a burrowing monster that was depicted as a predatory villain in his debut, but later went on to be one of Earth's guardian monsters charged with stopping an evil Godzilla in Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack. Baragon would make for a more realistic villain for Godzilla to fight without having to introduce any of Toho's more outlandish go-to plot devices like aliens or robots. He utilized an orange heat ray, which could be an interesting counterattack for Godzilla. While Yamazaki's Godzilla needs time to charge up and deploy his primary atomic heat ray, Baragon's agility and quick-hitting ability could be a great foil, and can be executed with a much more reasonable budget. 9 Megalon Megalon's first appearance in Godzilla vs. Megalon of the Showa Era was almost cartoonish, and while he boasts an intimidating array of weaponry, he was historically dismissed as a minor threat to Big G. Takuya Uenishi's 2023 short film Godzilla vs. Megalon changed the narrative quite a bit, as his version (often referred to as Reiwa Megalon) was a lightning-quick flying menace. A flying monster could be the perfect villain for Godzilla in Minus Zero, especially after watching Shikishima frustrate him with his specially-designed Shinden fighter. Yamazaki could have a ton of fun with Megalon's power set as a response to Godzilla's nuclear blast atomic breath, and as an Earth-based monster he wouldn't have to sacrifice an excellent script to make aliens or robots work. 8 King Caesar King Caesar has always been a favorite of mine, even though he famously didn't manage to accomplish much in either his debut (Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla) or his second appearance (Godzilla: Final Wars). His design, based on the mythological Japanese shisa guardians, is interesting, and his agility and speed are rare among the kaiju that Godzilla has faced. King Caesar is depicted as the guardian monster of Okinawa, which makes it incredibly easy to fold him into the existing universe of Godzilla Minus Zero. There would be no crazy story elements, just a resurgence of Godzilla and a plot device to awaken King Caesar. I think Yamazaki could tell a really great story using King Caesar and his relationship with Japan, and subsequently with Godzilla. 7 Anguirus Godzilla's very first opponent later evolved into a loyal ally of the King of the Monsters, although he did become somewhat of a punching bag for stronger monsters. Yamazaki stuck with a lot of the themes of the original Godzilla for Godzilla Minus One, so it would be pretty natural to continue that trajectory while swapping in the rushed, inaccessible story for Godzilla Raids Again with something more worthy. With a history as both a villain and an ally to Godzilla, Anguirus makes for a nice entry point to pivot Godzilla's allegiance. He may not suddenly be "good" in Minus Zero, but by stopping a rampaging Anguirus he could move closer to neutral. Some theorize that the numerical element of the movie titles could be pointing to exactly that: where Minus One showed Godzilla as a destroyer, Minus Zero could depict him as a neutral party. 6 Rodan Rodan has a rich history in Japanese cinema, as he received a solo movie just two years after Godzilla did. He predates Mothra, Ghidorah, and Mechagodzilla in Toho's lengthy timeline, yet it feels like we haven't seen enough of him. I loved the Monsterverse's version of Rodan, in which he was depicted as a force of nature with magma for blood whose allegiance was to the strongest monster in the yard. Again, a flying monster would be a great challenge for the lumbering Godzilla of Minus One, and the destructive winds of Rodan's flight could be really incredible in Yamazaki's hands. He has the ability to completely devastate large areas, and would certainly necessitate the intervention of Godzilla should he set his sights on Japan. 5 Hedorah Hedorah seems like a very likely candidate for the other monster in Godzilla Minus Zero for a few reasons. First, director Takashi Yamazaki has directly expressed interest in remaking Godzilla vs. Hedorah, and it seems almost certain that he would have a treatment at least loosely fleshed out long before Minus Zero got the green light. Hedorah's abstract design and constantly evolving forms would be playtime for the gifted visual effects artist Yamazaki, which is part of what he's expressed excites him about the idea of remaking a Hedorah movie. There has been some discourse online that the "-0.0" part of the Minus Zero logo looks like Hedorah's gigantic and distinctive eyes, but that's mere speculation for now. Hedorah's lethality and metaphorical gravity also provide Yamazaki with plenty of human drama to play with. While he dealt with heavy post-war Japanese themes in Minus One, he could turn to more modern problems surrounding humanity's relationship with the world for Minus Zero using Hedorah. 4 Gigan There isn't much justification for using Gigan in Minus Zero aside from the fact that I want to see Yamazaki get his hands on the base Gigan design. He is one of, if not the coolest-looking monsters Godzilla has ever faced, particularly the Millennium version of Godzilla: Final Wars. As a cyborg, Gigan's presence would involve the introduction of aliens to the universe of Minus Zero, and it may honestly not be in Yamazaki's best interest to go that drastically unrealistic after the praise lauded on Godzilla Minus One for its human-focused story and realistic, grounded world-building. File this one away in the "probably not, but could you imagine" category for now. 3 King Ghidorah Technically, we have already seen what Takashi Yamazaki's King Ghidorah would look like, or at least a version of it. Yamazaki wrote, directed, and designed King Ghidorah as the main villain for the theater simulator ride Godzilla the Ride: Giant Monsters Ultimate Battle at Seibuen Amusement Park in Tokorozawa City in Saitama, Japan, which put audiences in the middle of a battle between Big G and the three-headed dragon. With a version already built and the depth of history with King Ghidorah, it makes perfect sense that Yamazaki would want to tap him in for the sequel. However, it's possible that King Ghidorah, in his many versions, is sort of played out, and doesn't offer the same range of narrative opportunities that other monsters do. Still, Yamazaki's design is excellent, and as Godzilla's archnemesis, his presence makes sense. 2 Mechagodzilla In early 2025, Yamazaki's second version of the theater simulator ride opened, which this time featured Godzilla doing battle with the celebrated director's vision for Mechagodzilla. There are some similarities to the Monsterverse's Mechagodzilla, although it's noticeably different in the general body and head structure. Godzilla Minus One saw the survivors of Godzilla's first major attack band together to kill Godzilla once and for all, using ingenious science and outstanding bravery to overcome the massive monster. A regenerated and resurgent Godzilla might necessitate more drastic measures from humanity, which could yield the creation of Mechagodzilla. I've loved Mechagodzilla since his origin in 1974 and would love to see Yamazaki's version on the big screen, but based on the technology of the time in Minus One, there would have to be extraterrestrial interference or a pretty significant time jump to bring Mechagodzilla to life. 1 Biollante One of my favorite monsters in Godzilla's history is the criminally underused Biollante, a massive plant beast that was a result of gene splicing. Biollante was created when a scientist joined Godzilla cells with genetic material from his dead daughter and a rose. After Godzilla Minus One dealt with the ethics and dangers of war (particularly nuclear war), Godzilla Minus Zero could pick up the conversation with something more modern in genetic power. Some have speculated that the shifting black bruising along Noriko's neck after she survived Godzilla's attack could be evidence that she will have a psychic connection to Godzilla, a common trope in Godzilla cinema. However, the presence of G-cells (if that is in fact what the black spot on her neck indicates) could link her to Biollante if he's created.
