Godzilla – The Two Universes & the Collectibles
The most useful thing before buying: there are two entirely different Godzillas – and two different designs.
Techbox, Thessaloniki
Two universes – and therefore two designs
If you look through Godzilla figures, you will see two very different forms. It is not an error: there really are two separate film series, from two different countries, running in parallel.
The original, since 1954. Recently: Godzilla Minus One and Minus Zero.
Darker, bulkier, with rough hide. The films are dramatic and historical.
Since 2014. The films with King Kong and the other monsters.
More muscular and "heroic". The films are spectacle-driven monster fights.
Practically, for a gift: ask which film they saw. If it had Kong in it, they want the American one. If it was Japanese and dramatic, they want the Toho one.
What 1954 actually meant
The first film arrived in 1954, directed by Ishirō Honda. Nine years after the end of the war.
Godzilla was not simply a monster. He was a metaphor for nuclear trauma – a creature woken by nuclear testing that levels Japanese cities.
That is why the Japanese films carry a weight most monster films do not. And it is why the franchise has lasted seventy years: it is about something real.
What is coming – and it is a lot
Godzilla Minus Zero – November 2026
The sequel to the award-winning Minus One, from the same director. It opens in Japan on 3 November – Godzilla Day – and in North America three days later.
The story picks up two years on, and this time Godzilla reaches New York.
The world premiere takes place at the New York Film Festival in late September.
Godzilla x Kong: Supernova – March 2027
The sixth film in the American Monsterverse, starring Dan Stevens, Kaitlyn Dever and Sam Neill – the professor from Jurassic Park.
Toho is also building its own cinematic universe, with further films around its monsters.
It is not only Godzilla
The franchise has dozens of monsters – the kaiju. The most in demand on merchandise:
The golden three-headed dragon. The principal antagonist.
The mechanical version of him. Very popular in figures.
The giant moth. A protector, not an enemy.
The giant ape – only in the American universe.
What to choose
- Figures: from play figures to large collector statues.
- Funko POP: Godzilla and the other kaiju.
- Apparel: t-shirts with the silhouette – recognisable without a name.
- Films: official editions, both Japanese and American.
- Gifts: posters, mugs, keyrings and metal signs.
See also Jurassic Park – giant creatures, same audience – or Gundam for Japanese giant robots.
Frequently asked questions
- Why do Godzilla figures look so different from one another?
- Because there are two separate universes: the Japanese Toho one – darker and bulkier – and the American Monsterverse, the more muscular version from the Kong films.
- When is the next film out?
- Godzilla Minus Zero arrives in November 2026 – Japan on the 3rd, North America on the 6th. Godzilla x Kong: Supernova follows in March 2027.
- Did Godzilla Minus One win an Oscar?
- Yes – for Best Visual Effects. It was the first Oscar in Godzilla's seventy-year history. And it was made on a budget of just $15 million.
- What age is it for?
- The figures suit children from a young age. The films differ: the American ones are accessible spectacle, while the Japanese ones – Minus One especially – are dramatic, with wartime scenes, and suit older children and adults.
- Where can I find Godzilla collectibles in Thessaloniki?
- At the Techbox store (Al. Papanastasiou 100) and online at techbox.com.gr. You can order online and collect from the store with no shipping cost.
