Kaiju History: The Ending Of ‘Godzilla vs. Destoroyah’ Was Initially Different, If Only Slightly
2025 is a very special anniversary no one is talking about. This year is a milestone for one of the greatest Godzilla sequels of all time, one that closed out the greatest era in the franchise’s (kaiju) history. (The film I’m talking about is also one of the best kaiju movies ever, in general, period, but I’ll pick my battles.) Yes, Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, if you didn’t know by now, is turning 30!
Released in 1995, The King of the Monsters’ epic clash with the nightmare from hell that was Destoroyah, a creature spawned by the technology invented to kill the former, was his final battle, if only for a few short years. Still, similar to The Death of Superman in the same decade, the impact of killing such an icon was heavy and deeply felt, even without the aftershocks it generated for years to come.
When Toho announced they were sending off their golden goose once and for all, it became international news, and little kids everywhere (including yours truly) were blown away. We couldn’t believe what we were hearing; Godzilla was going to die! And the stakes only got bigger: Godzilla wasn’t only about to die, but he would also lose everything in the process.
Long story short, Godzilla becomes too hot to handle after absorbing more energy than he can manage. Throughout the film, he teeters on the precipice of a meltdown that could endanger the world in a few ways. Making matters worse, breakthroughs in the research of Dr. Daisuke Serizawa from 1954 caused a rapid evolution in some prehistoric crustaceans that were supposed to be extinct. They soon fuse into the larger Destoroyah and goad the ailing Godzilla into a death match for the ages.
The latter’s adopted son, Junior, reached maturity and got pulled into the action, too, starting with a baptism-by-fire kind of fight against Destoroyah. Junior was outmatched but held his own and defeated the freak case of crabs before he/they became his/their ‘best’ self (you might say). However, after reaching his final form, Destoroyah returned the favor by murderously dropping Junior through a coliseum roof.
Godzilla then unleashed unholy retribution on Destoroyah, giving as good as he got. He still needed the help of G-Force and their handy freeze rays, but they got the job done. Destoroyah fell to earth and went boom, leaving nothing behind, and Godzilla was left with the spotlight and his tearful demise to himself – the way it was meant to be.
And does this scene ever hold up as one of the grandest deaths ever put on film. As Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam Wingard put it over a year ago. “The ending of that film, when Godzilla Jr. dies and, subsequently, Godzilla melts to death, is so poignant and also beautiful in the way that they do it. The first time I saw it, it brought tears to my eyes. And part of that is thanks to Akira Ifukube’s grand score that plays in that scene,” he said.
It was definitely perfect, but perfection is far from automatic as it takes practice – meaning it requires more than one attempt. Toho tried an ending that differed slightly from what wound up in the final cut. In it, Destoroyah gets up from his plunge and holds on a little longer while he and Godzilla are peppered with more blasts from G-Force’s mobile cannons.
Destoroyah is seemingly done in by the blasts, whereas Godzilla vaporizes in the surrounding mist without much fanfare or melting. This ending is viewable online in the usual places – YouTube, Instagram, and the like – but it’s raw footage, unfinished without effects laid over. It’s almost like it came from a documentary for DVD and Blu-ray special features.
However, the reason Toho didn’t go with this slightly alternate ending wasn’t because the footage looked bad. Some of it made it into the final film. The studio just thought Destoroyah could be eliminated by his freeze-blast-ridden fall, and Godzilla (diva that he is) should have his somber final bow in a solo performance.
What a concept, and you know? I think they made the right call. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah is good as is and a true classic. Toho brought their best to this one, and it shows. Everything came together in this landmark of Tokusatsu cinema, which still lives up to all the hype generated by the news coverage at the time (in my humble opinion, but again, I’m picking my battles here).
It’s on Tubi with most of its brethren, so please, check it out, show some friends, and remind them that Destoroyah’s 20s are officially behind him.
NEXT: Kaiju History: There Is A Proposal For A ‘Shin Godzilla’ Sequel We Could’ve Gotten Years Ago
