Since his debut in 1954, Godzilla has become one of the most iconic movie monsters to grace the silver screen. Born out of nuclear fears, the King of the Monsters has since become a cultural icon that has taken on the roles of villainy, heroism and the harsh lesson of human nature. In that time, he has had countless reimaginations, including in comics, video games and television, but certain versions of the kaiju still stand out more than others.
One of Godzilla's most iconic appearances was during the '90s Heisei Era, which sought to make the kaiju more grounded in reality. As the character matured, so did his enemies, and by the close of the Heisei Era, the King of the Monsters was ready to face down his deadliest foe while sporting his most iconic alternate form: Burning Godzilla.
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah was the swan song for the Heisei Era, and the creators wanted to go out with a bang. The film follows Godzilla, who has started to glow orange after being exposed to large amounts of radiation from uranium following a volcanic eruption. This version of the monster gained an enormous power-up, but it was also slowly killing him. While the humans did their best to hold back the creature, this alternate form proved too powerful, and it was set free on the world.
Meanwhile, a new enemy named Destoroyah was born from the same oxygen destroyer weapon that killed the original Godzilla in 1954. Formed from the Precambrian lifeforms on the ocean floor that began to terrorize the surface world, this monster had the unique ability to evolve into multiple forms before growing into a giant flying crustacean.
While in his burning form, nothing could stop Godzilla -- not only was he radiating an orange glow from his muscles, but he also had the power to unleash atomic breath. In this state, Godzilla's body was working in overdrive as he approached meltdown, but this would prove invaluable as Destoroyah was as malicious as he was intelligent.
After coaxing the King of the Monsters to fight by killing his son in front of him, Destoroyah was defeated after Godzilla used the rest of his power to do away with him. As his body finally began to meltdown, the kaiju used his remaining radiation to revive his son. The humans were then able to contain the radioactive discharge by freezing Godzilla.
Burning Godzilla was as powerful as it was risky, and it not only saved Japan but also solidified his place as a legend. This version of the character is the King of the Monster's most iconic form and has been imitated in more recent iterations, and while the homages are always tasteful, none have compared to the sheer power the original had.