When people look back on Godzilla, one of the prevailing aspects of the character is that Godzilla fights other giant monsters on a regular basis. This didn’t happen in the first movie released in 1954. In that film, Godzilla rose and attacked Tokyo, a representation of the world after the first atomic bomb was dropped in World War II. While this was a science fiction film with a deeper meaning, the sequels made it more of a spectacular monster movie franchise where giant creatures battled each other throughout populated cities.

For the monster-loving public, Godzilla’s enemies have become almost as famous as the giant kaiju in the 70 years since his introduction. While King Kong existed long before Godzilla, he was only the second monster he fought. After Kong, Godzilla fought famous monsters like Mothra, Ghidorah, Hedorah, Megalon, and Mechagodzilla. However, the first monster that he ever fought was Anguirus. This also happened very quickly. Godzilla fought another giant monster for the first time in the franchise’s second film, Godzilla Raids Again.

Godzilla Had His First-Ever Monster Fight In Godzilla Raids Again

Godzilla’s First Monster Enemy Was Anguirus

While there were more famous monsters to come later in the series, the first time that Godzilla faced another giant monster was in the second franchise film, Godzilla Raids Again. The movie also wastes no time. The first time anyone sees Godzilla in this movie, he is already fighting this second monster, kicking off this new adventure. The monster is referred to as an extinct armored dinosaur called the ankylosaurus, and the authorities immediately named it Anguirus. They also called Godzilla “Gigantis” in this movie.

Anguirus has several horns on its head and one single horn on its nose. He also has long, serrated teeth and tusks on his jaw. His tail is covered with spikes and is longer than his regular body, making it a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly weapon. He is also quicker than most monsters since he has five brains, each controlling a part of his body. This also wasn’t the only time that Anguirus appeared in Godzilla movies, as a version of it returned in five more films as an enemy and an ally and in comic books and video games inspired by Godzilla.

Godzilla Raids Again Is A Must-Watch Godzilla Classic

Godzilla Became An Icon Thanks To His Monster Vs. Movies

Any Godzilla fan needs to find and watch Godzilla Raids Again. The good news is that it is available on Amazon Prime Video and plays an integral part in the evolution of Godzilla. In Godzilla Raids Again, the kaiju morphs slightly from a monster intent on destruction to one who fights other monsters. Here, Godzilla is not fighting Anguirus to save the people in the populated cities but to prove his status as the alpha in its species.

This is important in later movies when the monsters become even more dangerous. Soon, Godzilla is fighting to save humanity from monsters. However, Godzilla Raids Again still portrays Godzilla as a force of nature who exists only to destroy, and he is still an enemy of humankind.

The film is not as polished as later efforts, as there is too much narration and not enough giant monster action. However, when Godzilla and Anguirus fight, these scenes are still masterfully done and prove entertaining as the first look at what made Godzilla popular in the decades to come. The film also tries to make the humans sympathetic, which is something later movies often lose track of. However, Godzilla Raids Again is all about introducing monster-on-monster fight action, making it a can’t-miss for kaiju movie lovers.