Throughout the decades, Godzilla has spread destruction and chaos. However, he has also served as a defender of humanity based on the story he appears in, as well as the other Kaiju that often appear.
Special effects director Teruyoshi Nakano explained the reason for Godzilla's change in behavior -- a shift that happened during the Showa era, which saw Japan becoming a constitutional monarchy.
"I believe that without any changes to Godzilla's character, the series would not have been able to continue. If Godzilla had remained a villain, probably only hardcore Godzilla fans would have watched the movies, and not the general audience," Nakano said. "I think it was correct to change Godzilla's character... it was a reaction to the times and the changes in the audience. But myself, I basically like a scary Godzilla, rather than a good Godzilla."
Godzilla was originally created as a response to the nuclear bombs that dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II, so it would make sense that as time went on, he shifted from a looming menace to an occasional ally in his films.
Godzilla has been the subject of many films, both in Japan and America. The next American film to feature the King of the Monsters is Godzilla vs. Kong, directed by Adam Wingard and starring Alexander Skarsgard, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall and Brian Tyree Henry. The film arrives in theaters Nov. 20.