Summary

• Rodan was portrayed as a heroic and selfless beast in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, in contrast to his treatment in the Monsterverse.
• The Monsterverse stripped Rodan of his heroic qualities and instead gave Mothra his big moment in Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
• It’s not too late for the Monsterverse to redeem Rodan and honor his legacy with a truly selfless act alongside Godzilla.

Because of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla III can’t help but think that the Monsterverse has not done Rodan justice. Despite the defeat against Mothra and Ghidorah in Godzilla: King of the MonstersRodan was portrayed as a force to be reckoned with. On top of that, he had a great design and a range of fire powers that lived up to his portrayal in the Heisei era. He’s not as strong as Godzilla, but he could still be one of the strongest Titans in the Monsterverse. That being said, I felt the movie didn’t do as much with him as it should have.

At first I was admittedly a little disappointed that he was used as a secondary villain rather than a hero. But at the same time it was definitely fun to watch Rodan in King of the Monstersespecially since he seemed more dangerous and powerful than ever before. In that regard, I thought the Monsterverse handled him well. But after rewatching one of my favorite Godzilla movies from the 1990s and Rodan continuing to be absent from the Monsterverse movies, I now consider his treatment to be one of the most unsatisfying parts of the Monsterverse.

Rodan has one of the most selfless storylines in the history of the Godzilla franchise

Rodan proved in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II that he is a true hero

Rodan’s role as Ghidorah’s most important servant in King of the Monsters is far from the Kaiju I remember out of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II. After serving as an ally of Godzilla for years in the Showa era, Rodan was reintroduced in the 1993 film as a creature with no existing backstory related to Godzilla. In the film, Rodan was seen as a threat to humanity, but not for the same reasons as most giant monsters that attack civilization. Rather, his motivation was much more understandable – he was trying to save a lost family member.

Rodan was particularly searching for what he believed to be his sibling. It hatched next to another egg that had been nesting next to him for years, not knowing it was Godzilla’s egg. Rodan mistakenly believed this egg to be his brother or sister and worked tirelessly to take it back from the film’s human protagonists, even going so far as to face Godzilla and Mechagodzilla. To protect his sibling, Rodan even sacrificed his own life. Using what was left of his life essence to restore Godzilla’s energy, he prepared the defeat of Mechagodzilla to ensure that his sibling was taken away from the humans.

Obtaining Rodan’s power unlocked one of Godzilla’s most powerful attacks: the red spiral heat ray.

However, this instinct is nothing new considering that Godzilla had already protected his son in Son of GodzillaBut what sets it apart is the scene where Rodan sets his eyes on the newly hatched Godzilla Junior during the big battle. This gives Rodan’s big moment a lot of emotional weight because it means that he knew he was dying for someone who wasn’t even his biological family. The fact that clearing up this misunderstanding didn’t stop Rodan from making the ultimate sacrifice made me see this monster on a human level I didn’t expect.

The Monsterverse robbed Rodan of his heroic qualities (and gave Mothra his big moment)

Rodan is anything but a hero in Godzilla: King of the Monsters

The side of Rodan that I saw in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II was not represented at all in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Based on a mural in the underwater city, a member of Rodan’s species sided with Godzilla against Ghidorah thousands of years ago. But in the film, defeating him leads to Rodan fighting on his side. But after Godzilla kills Ghidorah, Rodan immediately bows down to a new master. Rodan’s focus on self-preservation in King of the Monsters stands in stark contrast to the selfless hero he was Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II.

Worse still is that Rodan’s tragic and heroic end in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II is actually in the movie, but was given to Mothra instead. After he was killed in the fight against King Ghidorah, Godzilla is saved by Mothra, who copies the 1993 version of Rodan by strengthening Godzilla with her remaining life essence. This made her one of the greatest heroines of the Monsterverse; to this day, she is the only Titan to die for the common good. Rodan, on the other hand, never developed beyond the role of the Titan who only switched sides to save his own life.

How the Monsterverse can still do justice to Rodan

It’s not too late to redeem Rodan in the Monsterverse

Although Godzilla: King of the Monsters Rodan’s handling did not meet the high standards of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (or his other roles), there was still room to correct that. But considering that there have been two Monsterverse movies since then and none of them have featured Rodan, I’m not very confident that the Monsterverse has anything more planned for him. But while Godzilla vs. Kong left behind much of what happened in King of the Monsters behind it (including Rodan), Mothra’s return in Godzilla x Kong made me optimistic that the Monsterverse has not forgotten the film’s contribution to the lore.

Rodan appears in Godzilla x Kong’s Sequel or perhaps one of the new TV shows of the Monsterverse is absolutely plausible, as King of the Monsters The ending allows for this. Rodan accepted Godzilla as the new Alpha and moved off-screen to a volcano in Fiji. Presumably he is still there and could reappear at any time. Why he would do this, It is possible that he is summoned by Godzilla. The Godzilla vs. Kong Prehistory to the graphic novel, Godzilla: Dominionconfirmed that he can issue a call that orders all Titans following him to hibernate, suggesting that the opposite should also be true.

This makes a Godzilla-Rodan collaboration something the Monsterverse can easily arrange, possibly in Godzilla vs Kong 3But Rodan’s relationship with Godzilla should not be based solely on his alpha status, as his actions on behalf of Ghidorah in King of the Monsters To preserve the heroic legacy of its Toho counterpart from both Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II and his films from the Showa era, The King of the Skies needs a moment in which he decides to help GodzillaI want to see Rodan fight alongside Godzilla, not out of fear of disobeying the Alpha, but in an act of true selflessness and loyalty.