Kaiju Movie Trivia
So we can agree giant monsters aka kaiju are awesome right? From the king of the monsters himself, Godzilla to the guardian of the universe Gamera to the eighth wonder of the world himself Kong, giant monsters bring out the wildest parts of our imagination. And in celebration of the colossal beasts, we are gonna test your knowledge!
We’ve curated some of the best and most monstrous kaiju movie trivia questions with their respective answers. From in-universe lore to behind-the-scenes history, we dissect every layer of these cinematic behemoths. Whether it’s for game night, a Godzilla Day celebration, or just wanting a monstrously fun time. Can you prove yourself to be your own alpha titan like the likes of Godzilla, Kong, and King Ghidorah?
RELATED: 20 Essential Giant Monster Movies
What is Godzilla’s Japanese name? In Japan Godzilla’s name is Gojira (ゴジラ), which is a combination of the Japanese words gorira (ゴリラ, “gorilla”) and kujira (鯨クジラ, “whale”).
What real-life tragedy inspired the original Gojira (1954)? Gojira was partly inspired by the Lucky Dragon Incident, where a Japanese fishing vessel was exposed to high levels of nuclear radiation via US atomic testing.
Who was the first actor to portray Godzilla? Haruo Nakajima
Who worked on the special effects for King Kong (1933)? Willis O’Brien
What was the first kaiju film to be released in color? Rodan (1956)
What monster was King Kong originally going to fight that led to the creation of King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)? Frankenstein’s Monster
Which giant monster inspired Lizzie from the Rampage video games? Ymir from 20 Million Miles to Earth
What was the novella that Mothra (1961) was based on? “The Glowing Fairies and Mothra” which was written by Shin’ichirō Nakamura, Takehiko Fukunaga, and Zenei Hotta.
What was Gamera’s original name? Gamera was originally named Kamera as the root word comes from the Japanese word kame (カメ), meaning “turtle. It was decided to swap the “k” for a “g” as Daiei Studios didn’t want the monster to be confused with the English word for camera.
What building instead of the Empire State Building did Kong climbed at the end of 1976 version of King Kong? The Twin Towers
What was the first monster Godzilla has ever fought? Anguirus
Which Ray Bradbury short story inspired both The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms and Howl From Beyond The Fog? The Fog Horn
Heisei Gamera Trilogy actress Ayako Fujitani is the daughter of which action movie actor? Steven Seagal
Where is the location of Ultraman‘s homeworld The Land of Light? Nebula M78
What was the first Ultra Kaiju? Gomess
Which version of Godzilla is the tallest? Godzilla Earth from the Godzilla Anime Trilogy, which stands at 1000 Meters.
RELATED: Godzilla (2014) Review: Dawn Of The Monsterverse
What is the name of the monster from Bong Joon-Ho’s The Host? Gwoemul
What is the literal translation of the word Kaiju? Strange Beast
What was the name of the first kaiju to appear in the Pacific Rim universe? Trespasser
Which comic book universe canonically features Godzilla? The Marvel universe.
Which monster many considered Gamera’s archnemesis? Gyaos
Which tokusatsu series prominently featured Godzilla as a reoccurring guest star? Zone Fighter
What is the name of Ultraman’s signature attack? Specium Ray
Which two kaiju films appeared in the Japanese film magazine Kinema Junpo’s top ten films of the year? Gamera: Guardian of the Universe and Shin Godzilla
What is the name of Godzilla’s forms in Godzilla: Singular Point? Aquatilis, Amphibia, Terrestris, and Ultima
RELATED: Campy Nightmares: The 16 Best B-Horror Movies
Which kaiju was the first to make Godzilla bleed on screen? Gigan
What once lost Korean Kaiju film featured one of the largest gatherings of extras in cinema history? Space Monster Wangmagwi with around 157,000 extras.
Who did Tristar Pictures originally set to direct their US reboot of Godzilla before Roland Emmerich? Jan De Bont
What kaiju film did Brad Pitt had said that inspired his love of films? War of the Gargantuas
What served as the inspiration for Hedorah’s eyes according to Godzilla vs. Hedorah director Yoshimitsu Banno? Female genitalia
What was the name of the artist that designed the original Ultraman? Tohl Narita
Which Star Trek actor originally started his career dubbing various Toho kaiju films? George Takei
Which rock and roll guitarist helped composed the music for Pacific Rim? Tom Morello
What was Godzilla’s first anime appearance? Get Going! Godzilland
What are the names of King Ghidorah’s heads in Godzilla: King of the Monsters? Ichi, Ni, and San aka Kevin
RELATED: Remembering MF DOOM’s ‘Villainous Mac & Cheeze’ Recipe
Who did Mechagodzilla originally fight in the Ready Player One novel? Ultraman
What animal did King Kong co-creator Merian C. Cooper originally intend to use as stand-ins for dinosaurs? Komodo Dragons
What are the names of the Gargantuas from War of the Gargantuas? Gaira and Sanda
Which company created the first Godzilla toys in Japan? Marusan
Which kaiju franchise has the world record for the longest-running continuous film franchise? Godzilla
How was Godzilla’s roar created in the original Gojira? A leather glove covered in pine resin rubbing a stringed instrument.
How many films did Haruo Nakajima portray Godzilla? 12, starting with 1954’s Gojira and ending with 1972’s Godzilla vs. Gigan.
Which Godzilla actor also played the titular monster in the North Korean kaiju film Pulgasari? Kenpachiro Satsuma
What is the name of hip-hop artist MF DOOM’s kaiju-inspired persona? King Geedorah
What was originally intended to be Jet Jaguar’s name? Red Alone
Which kaiju has been featured the most within the Godzilla franchise? Mothra
Which entry of the Ultra series heavily inspired Pokemon creator Satoshi Tajiri? Ultraseven
Peter Jackson featured an easter egg in his 2005 remake of King Kong for which of his early horror films? Braindead
RELATED: Pacific Rim: The Black Season 2 Review – A Colossal Step Forward
Paul Frees, who voiced the villainous Doctor Who in the dub for King Kong Escapes, is known for voicing which Disney character? Ludwig Von Drake
Which kaiju did Mothra and King Ghidorah replace for Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack? Anguirus and Varan
What was the name of the kaiju that had scrapped from appearing in various Godzilla films but did manage to be featured as the final boss for the SNES video game Super Godzilla? Bagan
What is the highest-grossing Japanese Godzilla film in terms of tickets sold? King Kong vs. Godzilla
Which Godzilla movie had a screenplay originally created via a contest held by Toho themselves? Godzilla vs. Biollante
Which comic book publisher held the rights to publish Godzilla, Gamera, and Ultraman comic books? Dark Horse Comics
What is Godzilla’s real-world title within the Japanese government when he was given official citizenship? Tourism Ambassador
RELATED: 55 Horror Movie Trivia Questions (With Answers)
What’s Your Favorite Piece Of Kaiju Movie Trivia?
What’s your favorite piece of kaiju movie trivia? Did one of our questions stump you? Or maybe they were too easy? Let us know your thoughts on social media today.
If you love movie trivia, make sure to check out the rest of our pop culture trivia and quizzes!