Gamera vs. Super Gyaos: How Strong Is Gamera (Heisei)?

Gamera is about to confront Gyaos

Few moments in kaiju cinema capture sheer physical power like the scene where Gamera hurls Super Gyaos across Tokyo with a single, devastating elbow strike. In just seconds, the creature is launched hundreds of meters through the air—an impact so intense it begs for a closer look. How much force would it take to send a kaiju of that size flying? Let’s break down the physics behind one of Gamera’s most brutal feats.

The distance Gyaos is sent flying is roughly six times Gamera’s height, and according to official data, Gamera stands at 80 meters tall. This puts the total travel distance at 480 meters before Gyaos finally crashes into a building. Interestingly, this value aligns well with the average block lengths commonly found in Tokyo, which range between 350 and 400 meters, with the longest reaching about 1.3 kilometers.

This entire distance is covered in just 3 seconds (cinematic time), giving Gyaos an impact velocity of 160 m/s.

According to official sources, Super Gyaos has a mass of 75 tons (75,000 kg)—a key value for calculating the kinetic energy behind Gamera’s strike.

The contact time of the punch is approximately 0.1 seconds, which is a reasonable estimate for how long Gamera remains in physical contact with Super Gyaos before sending it flying across the city.

With this, we can apply the impulse formula to determine the average force delivered by Gamera’s punch:

$$J = F_{\text{avg}} \cdot \Delta t = m \cdot \Delta v$$

Where:

$\mathrm{<b>\Delta </b>}\mathrm{<b>t</b>}<b>=</b>\mathrm{<b>0.1</b>}\text{<b>\hspace{0.17em}</b>}\text{<b>s</b>}$ (contact time)

$\mathrm{<b><br></b>}\mathrm{<b>m</b>}=$ (mass of Super Gyaos)

Δv=160 m/s (launch velocity)

This setup allows us to compute the enormous average force behind Gamera’s strike—turning a simple punch into a city-block–long ballistic launch.

Using the values obtained, the average force of the strike can now be calculated:

$$F = \frac{m \cdot \Delta v}{\Delta t} = \frac{75{,}000 \times 160}{0.1} = 120{,}000{,}000 \, \text{Newtons}$$

That’s 120 meganewtons, equivalent to roughly 12,000 tons of force.
In other words: one incredibly devastating elbow strike, easily powerful enough to send Super Gyaos flying nearly half a kilometer through downtown Tokyo.

This supports the statement presented in “KAIJŪ–KAIJIN DAIZENSHŪ” (published in 1972), which claims that Gamera is capable of lifting more than 50,000 tons—equivalent to roughly 500 meganewtons—using only his arms.

手の力は5万トンをもち上げる —  The strength of his hands can lift 50,000 tons

In the end, Gamera’s strike on Super Gyaos isn’t just cinematic flair—it’s a showcase of raw kaiju physics. A 120-MN blow delivered in a fraction of a second, perfectly aligned with older sources claiming Gamera can lift tens of thousands of tons. Whether through flight dynamics, brute strength, or sheer durability, this scene reinforces why Gamera stands among the heavy-hitters of kaiju lore.