11/14/2025
On November 3, during Godzilla Day 2025, fans were treated to a massive lineup of new kaiju-themed merchandise released both online and at Godzilla Fest in Tokyo. Among the biggest surprises were a new figure and matching T-shirt for a certain creature known as Giant Condor. Most kaiju fans can easily recognize iconic monsters like Rodan, King Ghidorah, and Mechagodzilla, but Giant Condor? That name left even longtime fans doing a double take.
Giant Condor is truly a deep cut from the Showa-era Godzilla films. It appears briefly in the 1966 film Ebirah, Horror from the Deep (also known as Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster), where it swoops toward a sleeping Godzilla, only to be quickly blasted out of the sky by the Big G’s signature heat ray after a short skirmish. In total, Giant Condor’s screen time amounts to little more than one minute of glory.
According to Godzilla film lore, Ebirah, Horror from the Deep was originally designed to be a King Kong movie, and Giant Condor was intended as a tribute to the pterodactyl that attacks Kong in the 1933 film. When the filmmakers swapped Kong for Godzilla, many elements from the original script remained, and Giant Condor managed to stay in. The bird monster model for Ebirah was modified from a Rodan miniature made for 1964’s Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster and the rest is history. Stock footage of Giant Condor also appeared in 1969’s All Monsters Attack (known as Godzilla’s Revenge in the USA), where the creature is referred to as a Giant Eagle.
Over the last few years, Giant Condor has made a mini comeback of sorts, appearing in the web series Godziban (episode 108) and most recently in Godziburst (episodes 1 and 6). With the debut of the new Giant Condor figure and T-shirt, it looks like this once obscure kaiju is now back in the spotlight. But how did it happen?
The Giant Condor figure’s debut on Godzilla Day was no accident. It was the result of a global fan vote organized by Bandai as part of its Movie Monster Series. For the first time, international fans were able to participate, and to everyone’s surprise, the obscure bird monster from Ebirah, Horror from the Deep soared to victory.
The reveal took place on the main stage at Godzilla Fest 2025 in Tokyo, Japan. After months of anticipation, the results of the fan vote were finally made public. Giant Condor faced tough competition, including Orga from Godzilla 2000: Millennium, Moguera from The Mysterians, and even Toho’s original flying monster, Rodan. Against all odds, Giant Condor claimed victory and earned the honor of a new figure. Master of Ceremonies Shinsuke Kasai doubled over with laughter on stage as the audience erupted in wild cheers. While Giant Condor may have fallen to Godzilla in 1966, this time it won the day.
Now fans can celebrate the classic legacy of Giant Condor with both the new Movie Monster Series figure and a commemorative T-shirt, both available exclusively at the Godzilla Store! The figure captures the creature’s distinct look from Ebirah, Horror from the Deep, right down to its wingspan and piercing beak, while the T-shirt design highlights its unexpected rise from forgotten foe to fan favorite. For longtime collectors and newer fans alike, it serves as a reminder that in the world of Godzilla, even the most unlikely kaiju can make a triumphant return to the spotlight.
