Godzilla Cybot

After giving Godzilla a nine-year-long vacation, Toho Producer Tomoyuki Tanaka decided it was time to return Godzilla to the big screen. The last Godzilla movie was 1975's Terror of Mechagodzilla.

Initially, the film was released as Godzilla, but was later re-titled as Return of Godzilla. It was released (heavily-edited) in the United States as Godzilla 1985 with Raymond Burr.


The new movie returned Godzilla to his nuclear metaphor roots with Kenpachiro Satsuma as the Godzilla suit-actor. Toho didn't want to just have Godzilla portrayed by an actor, so they created a 20-foot animatronic cybot Godzilla prop to be used in some scenes. Unfortunately, the cybot had limited screen time (mainly in close-ups) and it bore little resemblance to the Godzilla suit used in the movie.

However, the cybot did garner Toho and the new movie some media attention.

At right, the cybot is displayed in front of the Yurakucho Mullion building in Tokyo.

The Godzilla cybot has made a number of appearances over the following years at publicity events.

Toho has since made smaller animatronic Godzilla props capable of more facial expressions than the original 1984 cybot.