Toho has recently announced the "TOHO presents New Monster Election" project, a quest to create a brand-new monster that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the world-renowned kaiju king, Godzilla. The winning monster is slated to star in "Fes Godzilla," a new tokusatsu production set to debut at the annual "Godzilla Fes" event.
Today, the studio officially dropped the designs and detailed backstories for all eight new monster candidates. This project aims to build on the rich history of monsters that have challenged Godzilla, while forging a new legend to be etched into kaiju history.
A public vote will be held to select the winner from these eight candidates. The crowned champion is scheduled to appear in the new tokusatsu work "Fes Godzilla" at a Toho-hosted "Godzilla FES" event in 2027 or later. This new kaiju will have the chance to appear in a future film for an epic showdown with Godzilla himself.
The designs were handled by Shirogumi, the acclaimed VFX studio behind "Godzilla Minus One." Toho and Shirogumi's creators collaborated on the monster concepts, blending Toho's signature kaiju style with fresh, innovative ideas to bring these new contenders to life.
■ The New Monster Candidates
【Ancient Insect Monster・GIGASECT】
Height: 74 meters
Weight: 26,500 tons
An insect monster that has been slumbering beneath the Amazon rainforest for 65 million years. After absorbing nutrients for an immense period as a larva, it grew to a colossal size and pupated. Driven by a powerful combat instinct, GIGASECT sensed a presence even stronger than itself—Godzilla. This prompted its evolution into a mature adult with a tough exoskeleton, and it has now emerged on the surface.
Special Move: Sonic Blade
From its claws, which serve for both predation and attack, it fires a vacuum blade that tears through space-time at the speed of sound. Its destructive power is immense, capable of slicing 50 large oil tankers in half in an instant. Even a near miss is enough to shatter surrounding buildings.
【Waste Monster・CANDYLOY】
Height: 0–55 meters (from microbe to giant form)
Weight: 0–30,000 tons (varies depending on absorbed matter)
Originally a microbe attached to a meteorite from space, it reacted to waste on Earth. It accidentally absorbed a candy wrapper it first came into contact with and underwent an abnormal evolution, growing to about one meter tall.
Initially, CANDYLOY was gentle, merely imitating children at play. However, it began absorbing the garbage and discarded items littering the planet, eventually swelling to a height of about 50 meters. In its continuous search for more energy, it appeared before the mighty Godzilla, leading to an unexpected battle for survival.
Special Move: Particle Cannon
When CANDYLOY raises its arm, some of the matter composing its body is particlized and extracted, forming an energized, blade-like shape. A powerful downward swing unleashes a potent shockwave that can inflict massive damage even on distant targets.
It can adjust its attack power based on the situation, from rapid-fire strikes by alternating arms to a one-hit-kill maximum output released after charging particles to their limit by leaning its upper body far back.
【Planet-Raiding Monster・GILKS】
Height: 70 meters
Weight: 40,000+ tons (varies with absorbed energy)
A ferocious and malevolent space monster that has been attacking and destroying planets since ancient times. It consumes not only natural resources like gas and minerals but also all forms of energy—light, heat, and electricity—turning planets into "death stars."
After annihilating countless worlds, GILKS sensed an unprecedentedly massive power source from Earth: the immense energy within Godzilla. It has flown to Earth to prey on Godzilla's power and the planet's natural resources.
Special Move: Planet Buster Ray
A beam attack fired from its mouth after compressing the energy absorbed by the core on its horn to a high density. The nature and power of its attack change based on the energy it has consumed. For example, absorbing heat results in a ray accompanied by high-temperature flames, while absorbing electricity adds a super-high-voltage shock.
GILKS aims to absorb all of Godzilla's internal energy to complete its true buster ray, a weapon powerful enough to potentially destroy the Earth.
【Drone Carrier Machine・SAGIUS】
Height: 60 meters
Weight: 35,000 tons
An amphibious, multi-legged drone carrier built to counter Godzilla by operating Maser drones. Initially, it could only move on its legs, but an upper body was later added for close-quarters combat against Godzilla.
Its centaur-like appearance, combined with its powerful "Grille-Type Maser Cannon," earned it the name SAGIUS, derived from Sagittarius. It now deploys to vanquish the threat to humanity: Godzilla.
Special Move: Maser Arrow
A powerful energy beam fired from its unfolding abdomen, also capable of wide-area scatter shots. It can also coordinate with its drones in a grid formation to create a pseudo-super-sized Maser cannon resembling a giant "bow and arrow." By concentrating and resonating energy, it can amplify its attack power to the absolute maximum.
【Dimensional Lifeform・XENORPH】
Height: 58 meters
Weight: 45,000 tons
A bizarre lifeform that has appeared from another universe. It uses its octopus-like tentacles to grasp space itself, allowing it to move through the air. This spatial manipulation generates unknown psychic waves that cause hallucinations in any lifeform that comes into contact with them. Godzilla's powerful atomic breath possesses a similar psychic-like wave, which interfered with XENORPH's world, piquing its interest and causing it to manifest in our dimension.
Special Move: Abyss Gaze
XENORPH summons a giant evil eye. Those who are watched by the eye lose their own will in this extremely vicious attack. Once gazed upon, the target is subjected to overwhelming mental pressure, causing its body to rapidly weather and turn to ash.
【Deception Lifeform・MADOM】
Height: 50 meters
Weight: 20,000 tons
A lifeform that has existed on Earth since before recorded history. It possesses high intelligence and can subordinate surrounding lifeforms with a special frequency in its cry, once reigning as the dominant being on the planet's surface. It later entered a periodic deep sleep, spending ages in a state of suspended animation at the bottom of the sea.
However, it has reawakened after sensing the calls of the descendants of the creatures it once ruled. Believing itself to be the absolute sovereign, MADOM harbors a deep hatred for the humans who unknowingly run rampant on the surface. It now approaches Godzilla, intending to bring the equally powerful kaiju under its control.
Special Move: Grand Spore
Two types of invasive weapons launched from its body. The first is a mutant spore that, upon piercing a living being, fuses with microbes and sprouts, turning the target into a subordinate. The second is an attack organism that burrows into an enemy's body and detonates internally.
Both weapons can be activated by MADOM's command, making them terrifying internal weapons that can simultaneously destroy both body and mind once they have infiltrated a host.
【Ancient Machine Beast・MINAKIAS】
Height: 48 meters
Weight: 18,000 tons
A mechanical beast created by a civilization that existed before modern humanity. Originally built as a guardian deity to protect peace, it was repurposed as a weapon by the rulers of the time, ultimately leading to that civilization's demise. MINAKIAS then fell into a long slumber, only to be reawakened after tens of thousands of years by the vibrations from modern weapons development experiments.
At the same time, Godzilla also appeared in response to these vibrations. MINAKIAS mistakenly believes Godzilla is, like itself, a "destructive weapon developed by humans," and sets out to defeat Godzilla as a warning to humanity.
Special Move: Electric Damned
It gathers atmospheric radio waves into its body, amplifying them to an energy level far exceeding natural lightning, and then releases the charge from the tip of its horn. This focused discharge possesses enough power to completely incinerate any target.
When the move is activated, it forcibly hijacks and converts radio waves used by devices like televisions and smartphones into energy, causing widespread secondary effects such as temporary paralysis of communication networks and electronic equipment in the vicinity.
【Striking Dragon Monster・RIGEDO】
Height: 50 meters
Weight: 32,000 tons
A surviving ancient dinosaur that was slumbering in the polar ice. It was awakened by global warming and mutated into a monster by nuclear waste. When it first appeared, it had only one horn, and the research team that witnessed it called it "GERANO." However, it subsequently underwent a dramatic evolution, its dorsal fins growing abnormally large and its horns increasing to three, transforming it into its complete form.
RIGEDO can switch between bipedal and quadrupedal stances in battle, using the immense ramming power generated by its powerful body as a weapon to stand in Godzilla's way.
Special Move: Dino Trident
A technique where it jets energy from its back for rapid acceleration, then charges its target fiercely with its three horns like a spear. When this skill is activated, its horns and dorsal fins glow a burning red, and it smashes its target with overwhelming impact.
With the new monster designs officially out, the voting has begun. The vote is divided into two stages. The first stage, running from September 16 to October 4, will select the top four monsters with the most votes. After an interim announcement, the second voting stage will begin, pitting these four against each other for the top spot. The second stage will run from the day after the announcement until October 25.
The ultimate winner is set to be revealed at "Godzilla FES 2026" on November 3. During the voting period, you can cast one vote per person, per day. For those interested, you can check out the official website for more details.