A Godzilla Minus One theory suggests the movie’s ending lays the groundwork for one of Godzilla’s strongest villains to appear in a sequel.

Certain moments in Godzilla Minus One have led to speculation that the movie secretly laid the groundwork for one of Godzilla’s most powerful villains to appear in a sequel. Though a follow-up would make sense in light of Godzilla Minus One’s record-breaking success at the box office, Toho has yet to confirm if Godzilla Minus One 2 will happen. Even so, a sequel does appear to be what Godzilla Minus One’s ending was meant to set up.

If Toho’s new interpretation of the King of the Monsters does fully regenerate and return to menace Japan, it’s worth wondering what direction the sequel would take such a conflict. Another standoff with the humans is theoretically possible, but as Godzilla Minus One director Takashi Yamazaki pointed out, Toho has now released two movies following that formula back-to-back, and may now need to look at featuring a second monster. Godzilla Minus One doesn’t appear to offer any direct setup for a kaiju battle, but the tools needed to introduce a specific villain may be hidden in the film.

Noriko’s Infection & Sequel Setup In Godzilla Minus One Explained

At the end of Godzilla Minus One, Koichi makes the shocking discovery that Noriko – despite being caught up in the destruction caused by Godzilla’s atomic breath – is still alive. In an eerie twist, the movie highlighted a strange mark on her neck. The movie’s decision to show it all indicates that it has some level of significance to the story. Since it’s not elaborated on in Godzilla Minus One, it stands to reason that the purpose was to set up a plotline for a potential Godzilla Minus One 2. Since her situation was set in motion by her proximity to the atomic breath, it appears to be a sign that Noriko has been infected with the same radiation that powers Godzilla.

As for what a link to Godzilla would mean for Noriko’s story after Godzilla Minus One, the implications were addressed by the actress who plays her, Minami Hamabe. Hamabe mentioned in Mono Magazine that she might be “the one stepping on and crushing people” if a sequel happens. While this shouldn’t be taken too seriously, the comment clearly references the ending and confirms what it’s meant to suggest about her future. While a human character becoming a monster would be a surprising move, it’s not an unprecedented one – as proven by Godzilla vs. Biollante.

How Noriko’s Godzilla Minus One Story Connects To Biollante

Of all the monster villains Godzilla has faced in 70 years of his cinematic history, only one was born from the DNA of a human. In Godzilla vs. Biollante, a grief-stricken scientist took desperate measures to bring his daughter, Erika, back to life, and believed that Godzilla’s regenerative properties could be the key. After combining some of Godzilla’s DNA – known as G-Cells – with that of his daughter and a rose, the scientist unintentionally created a monster.

Biollante retained aspects of all three lifeforms involved in its origin. It owed its plant-like body structure and abilities to the rose, and its regenerative powers and colossal size to Godzilla. And while it wasn’t always in control, Erika’s consciousness was present in Biollante. Essentially, Biollante represented the tragic rebirth of a human in kaiju form. What Godzilla Minus One seems to be teasing for Noriko is reminiscent of the horrendous transformation Erika goes through because of Godzilla’s DNA in Godzilla vs. Biollante.

Godzilla’s Regeneration Powers Support The Biollante Theory

The regenerative power of G-Cells notably strengthens the connection between Biollante and Noriko. Various scenes in Godzilla Minus One demonstrate that like the Heisei, Millennium, and Shin Godzilla versions of the monster, the new movie’s take on the creature possesses astounding capabilities when it comes to regeneration. This element of the character is integral to Biollante’s origin, and may have already been transferred to Noriko. Her miraculous survival in the face of seemingly impossible odds, and surprisingly healthy condition at the end of Minus One, speaks to the idea that Godzilla’s DNA healed her.

How Noriko Could Become Biollante In Godzilla Minus One 2

If the second movie in the series decides to bring back Godzilla Minus One’s cast of characters, it can pick up where it left off, rather than jump to present-day Japan or another era of Japanese history. If it heads in this direction, it can confirm what Noriko’s markings mean and perhaps take her through a slow evolution into a Godzilla-like monster. Because she’d have Godzilla’s regenerative properties and there’s already been a clue to her possibly having this power, quick healing would most likely be the first indication that something is truly wrong with her.

Similar to how Godzilla vs. Biollante played with the notion that Erika’s spirit resided within the monster, Godzilla Minus One’s sequel would likely follow a similar course, with Noriko’s Biollante not being portrayed as a true villain. One way or another, it’s inevitable that she’d be drawn into a conflict with Godzilla. The battle could be one where there’s no real hero, as both would be destructive forces that risk Japan’s destruction. How much control Noriko has over her actions may determine whether Biollante or Godzilla is the bigger threat.

A Biollante Fight Would Help Godzilla Minus One’s Sequel Avoid A Massive Challenge

Godzilla Minus One’s sequel needing to move beyond the formula of Toho’s last movies and pit Godzilla against a kaiju would be a logical course of action, but also one that comes with huge risks. Bringing in another monster and making Godzilla Minus One 2 a “versus” movie could undermine what made its predecessor a critically acclaimed hit – the human element. Godzilla movies have never been known for great human stories, yet Godzilla Minus One managed to create some truly compelling characters with its narrative and cast. Doing that again could be hard if monster fighting distracts from the human characters.

If a follow-up to Godzilla Minus One is to embark down that road, there may not be a monster better suited for Godzilla’s opponent than Biollante, who helped deliver one of the best-received human stories in Godzilla history. Biollante’s origin would give the film a way to ingrain the monster in its human narrative, given that Noriko is Koichi’s love interest. The psychological impact a monstrous transformation would have on both characters would honor Biollante’s tragic roots and bring back Godzilla Minus One’s best feature at the same time, which was its approach to the emotional journeys of its characters.