The Year of the Dragon: Celebrating King Ghidorah and Manda

Lunar New Year 2024 is almost here, marking the official start of the Year of the Wood Dragon, a sign linked to creativity, ambition, optimism, innovation and growth. And what better dragon kaiju to celebrate than the Godzilla franchise's King Ghidorah and Manda?

King Ghidorah

Thanks to its debut 60 years ago on December 20, 1964 in Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, King Ghidorah isn't just an extraterrestrial dragon, it is also a Wood Dragon according to the Chinese Zodiac.

As one of Godzilla's greatest rivals across its Mecha-King Ghidorah, Monster X, Keizer Ghidorah, and other forms, King Ghidorah has certainly demonstrated ambition and growth in battle.

King Ghidorah isn't necessarily motivated by commerce, but with its traditionally gold hide, it's easy to associate the kaiju's glimmering scales with the Wood Dragon's traditional financial health.

Manda

The original Manda debuted on December 22, 1963 in Toho's Atragon, technically making it a Water Rabbit under the Chinese Zodiac. It's a fitting elemental association given Manda's submersible style and iconic undersea battles.

The second version of Manda (and the first to appear alongside Godzilla) arrived on August 1, 1968 in Destroy All Monsters, which means it's an Earth Monkey. 

Still, there's no denying the sea serpent kaiju's inherent dragon-ness, especially in 2004's Godzilla Final Wars, which features Manda's most menacing design.

Horoscopes vary for both Wood Dragons and Water Rabbits in 2024, but no matter what shakes out this year, every Godzilla fan can be twice as excited with double the dragons.