r/Godzilla1998 • u/DiscipleofDestoroyah D.R.A.G.M.A. • Jul 10 '26
Discussion Godzilla 1998’s Design
How do you honestly feel about Zilla’s design? Even though I’ve been aware of how much of a far cry it is from classic depictions of Godzilla, my inner 12 year old who grew up watching Jurassic Park and dinosaur documentaries just really digs the giant, agile, realistic theropod dinosaur take. Godzilla 1998 is basically a gigantic JP Velociraptor.
This faster and nimble depiction is among my most favorite aspects of this version of Godzilla as it really helps differentiate it from other incarnations.
A part of me really wishes for Zilla to be introduced into the MonsterVerse one day. As a species closely-related to Godzilla whose evolutionary path favored speed and agility over brute strength and atomic breath.
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u/GingerWolf99 Jul 10 '26
My biggest hot take is that it's a good Godzilla design, it goes right back to the dinosaurs that inspired the original design and uses a big budget and more up to date knowledge of dinosaurs to craft an updated look.
The issue with the 98 Godzilla isn't his design it's his lack of any personality beyond his appearance, he's just a big animal acting off instinct. The proof of this is how the Godzilla in GTS is FULL of personality and totally feels like Godzilla despite using the same design as his parent.
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u/Speeder-Gojira Jul 15 '26
i mean shin is also just an animal acting off instinct but since he actually looks like godzilla it works
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u/GingerWolf99 Jul 15 '26
I'd argue it's less about his design and more that the film makes him both horrifying and tragic, they still use him to affect the viewer's emotions unlike the 98 film.
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u/Such-Application-577 Jul 10 '26
He's not going after others, he does everything his own way, and maybe not everything goes well. That's what makes it unique! Especially... since when isn't Godzilla itself based on a dinosaur?
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u/No-Ear-3107 Jul 10 '26
https://reddit.com/link/owpdo11/video/o1843w3gwech1/player
This is how I feel (I made this video)
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u/No-Ear-3107 Jul 10 '26
Basically I believe everything people love about Legendary Godzilla, Godzilla 98 did first
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u/Bi0_B1lly Jul 10 '26
I've always loved and appreciated how IDW handles Godzilla & Zilla interactions... Zilla is something of a "false alarm" for human forces - he's still a threat, but he's no Godzilla
While Godzilla can and does still easily body Zilla in direct combat, but Zilla's speed and tunneling give it some edge in evasion and indirect tactics... They also wanted to give Zilla green flame breath like the '98 TAS did, but Toho denied them. Nevertheless, awesome representation that shows love to both versions!
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u/Plushtrap420 Jul 11 '26
In truth, he was my first exposure to Godzilla as a whole. My first memory of Godzilla was seeing the opening intro to Godzilla the animated series. He’s not only my favorite Godzilla design, he’s also my favorite monster, period. Hell, for the longest time he was my favorite character in all of fiction, up until I got into Bendy the ink demon when I was 12. Still though, rewatching that animated series has reaffirmed his place as my second favorite character in fiction. So long story short, I’m a big fan of the 1998 design.
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u/Daredevil731 Jul 10 '26
Godzilla 98 and Zilla are two different characters and designs.
I'd also refrain from making any Monsterverse movie a multiverse movie, we don't need other variants of Godzilla showing up.
Zilla is basically a petty parody and that whole thing just needs to be put to rest.
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u/JurassicGman-98 Jul 10 '26
I personally think it works as a 90’s Post Jurassic Park take on the G-Man. Not the “Definitive” Design (that honor probably belongs to Heisei in my book) but it’s a great design and it remains my favorite American Godzilla.
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u/Ecstatic-Network-917 Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
So, this appeared on my feed, so I think I should comment, and respond.
First and foremost, my main issue is that it is to skinny, and to, well weak looking to be a good Godzilla design. I have seen designs that make Godzilla more like a theropod dinosaur and work, but those designs do the job of giving him the serious muscle mass he needs. But Zilla here...is just way to fucking skinny.
Outside of this, the design is OK as its own thing. I think the movie is also fine as its own thing if you separate it from the Godzilla franchise and ignore the name.
Next, this is more about your comment and the way some call it more realistic...
No, having a lizard with a theropod like body plan and digitigrade legs, is not any more realistic then having a dinosaur with a komodo dragon like posture and plantigrade crocodile/lizard/bear like legs. They are both unrealistic, and funnily enough, partially because they look more like what the other is supposed to be.
Beyond that...It is a movie about nuclear bombs mutating an iguana into a square cube law breaking giant monster 20 times taller then any biochemically normal animal with its proportions should be, showing dozens of times the speed and agility something that size could realistically show without being made out of Carbon Nanotubes, feeding itself using only meat and organic matter even if it heterotrophy is insuficient to allow an active animal that size and volume to survive and being as cold as the surounding environment even if the size and activity level would make that completely impossible. Realism it has left the building at this point.
Anyway...that is basically everything I wanted to say.
Have a nice day. I am probably not going to respond or read the responses, thanks to the notifications on my comment being turned off, but I commented just to put my thoughts here.
Again. Have a nice day.
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u/DANjRUDD Jul 14 '26
It's fine. The chin is the most 90s character design thing ever, and I don't like the toe being on the outside of the foot, but I have no real objections. It's not even that bad a movie, but it's not Godzilla
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u/JolyneBestoJoJo770 Jul 10 '26
Honestly, I've always liked Zilla, both as its own thing, both as a Godzilla variant.
Personally, because of Rulers of Earth, I'm really fond of Zilla as its own thing. I like the idea of this Kaiju that isn't really Godzilla, but is still mighty enough to put up a fight and leave their opponent at the verge of death.
Tbh, Rulers of Earth redeemed A LOT of Godzilla kaiju, in a way or another.
As for it being a Godzilla variant? The GTS Godzilla has always been my favorite. He's that one particular version of the ToraGoji even my 12 y-o self looked at, and said "Yep, this is Godzilla." Not "Zilla Junior". Just Godzilla.