Starring in 30 films across six decades, Godzilla knows how to get around. Awoken by atomic bomb testing in the Pacific in the years following World War II, Godzilla would begin as destruction incarnate. An uncaring beast spewing radiation and causing death all around him, Godzilla was metaphor for the horrors of the atomic bomb endured by the Japanese people.
After his debut, however, Godzilla moved away from his status as a bringer of death and instead became a superhero of sorts, a defender of Earth against all manner of other giant creatures and evil aliens bent on world domination.
While he may have become a good guy, that doesn't change the fact that he is a gargantuan beast who shoots explosive beams of radiation out of his mouth, meaning there is always going to be some collateral damage. It should be no surprise then that in his long career Godzilla has destroyed more than his fair share of iconic landmarks the world over. Whether it's on his home turf of Japan or over here in the U.S., Godzilla is best known for the massive amount of rubble he always leaves in his wake.
Godzilla returned to U.S. shores once again earlier this year thanks to director Gareth Edwards, and this time it was San Francisco that would be the battleground for a royal rumble between the King of the Monsters and his enemies. In honor of "Godzilla" officially landing on Blu-ray and DVD today, we take a look at some of the iconic landmarks Godzilla has smashed over the years in his many incarnations, starting with his origins demolishing Tokyo before bringing his signature brand of destruction once more to America.
