In chronological order, the giant mecha Jet Jaguar is the first kaiju to appear in the anime (despite not being a monster, it’s still considered a kaiju within the Godzilla mythos). Here, it’s a cobbled together hobby project made by a few engineers in their garage, but the original Jet Jaguar was a sleek robot that resembled something like Ultraman or Mazinger Z. Its design was actually submitted by a fan as part of a 1972 “make a new hero” contest held by Toho, and its first official appearance was a team-up with Godzilla in Godzilla vs Megalon. This anime even pays homage to Jet Jaguar’s in-universe creator Goro Ibuki by giving the head engineer a similar name – Goro Otaki.

These radio-obsessed pteranodons hail the beginning of the kaiju invasion, swarming near populated areas and spreading mysterious red dust everywhere. Rodan originally appeared in its eponymous 1956 film as a mated couple of 50-meter-tall bipedal monsters (unlike the more realistically sized and shaped dinosaurs of Godzilla Singular Point) who had survived the great extinction event and mutated to their current size via nuclear radiation. They desperately wanted to save their eggs and each other, so these Rodan would probably be elated to see how many of their kind are flying around in this anime!

Anguirus is an ankylosaurus-esque kaiju who first appeared in the 1955 film Godzilla Raids Again. It was certainly a fierce fighter, but the original incarnation didn’t have much in the way of special powers, so its precognitive abilities in Godzilla Singular Point are a welcome addition. Using its signature spiky carapace, this Anguirus can briefly predict the future and redirect attacks with carefully timed vibrations. This ties in with the time distortion elements seen elsewhere in the story, which makes Anguirus a vitally important resource for understanding how these kaiju appeared in the first place.

Rodan dominate the skies and Anguirus stalks through the forests, so naturally the water is also riddled with kaiju. Episode 5 of Godzilla Singular Point introduces Manda, a giant sea serpent that resembles an Eastern dragon (complete with long whiskers and short legs). It’s a slightly updated version of the original Manda, who first appeared in the 1963 film Atragon as the guardian of an underwater kingdom called Mu. We haven’t yet seen this anime’s Manda use the constricting attack its predecessor is so well known for, but perhaps it’ll get to show off some more as the series continues!

All hail the most famous kaiju of them all – Godzilla! In its first appearance in the 1954 film of the same name, Godzilla was an amphibious reptile that destroyed Tokyo after atomic bomb testing destroyed its underwater habitat and mutated it beyond recognition. Its Japanese name Gojira even alludes to its mastery of land and sea, as it’s a combination of “gorilla” and “kujira” (whale). The Godzilla seen in this anime takes on several forms, each of which appear to be inspired by past versions of this monster and other kaiju: its Aquatilus form resembles the kaiju Titanosaurus, Amphibia combines elements of Varan with the classic Godzilla design, and Ultima is a clear nod back to the original Showa-era movies. Could it possibly have more forms as the anime goes on...?