Mechagodzilla first appeared as Godzilla's mechanical counterpart in the 1974 Toho film Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, built in the story as a weapon designed to mimic and destroy Godzilla. The character has returned in several later films, including 1990s and 2000s Toho entries and the 2021 Hollywood film Godzilla vs. Kong, each time keeping its cold, machine-like presence. Online, clips of its roar are reused in kaiju edits, versus battles and robot reveals because the sound instantly tells viewers a technological threat, not a natural monster, has arrived.