Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’.
Monarch: Legacy of Monstersstays true to its name, focusing heavily on a select few that havecontinued Monarch’s missionfrom one generation to the next. While some have engaged with theTitan-centric organizationeagerly, others have fallen into it by happenstance, thanks to the interwoven nature of their family. With the frequency at which the seriesjumps in timeand the breadth of characters from the preceding MonsterVerse films to remember,it can be tricky to keep track of exactly how these characters are related— especially the Randa family.
The Randa family has been with Monarch from the beginning. There’s Bill Randa (played by bothJohn GoodmanandAnders Holm), Dr. Keiko Miura (Mari Yamamoto), Hiroshi Randa (Takehiro Hira), Caroline Randa (Tamlyn Tomita), Emiko Randa (Qyoko Kudo),Cate Randa (Anna Sawai), and Kentaro Randa (Ren Watabe). Let’s make sense of this long list and the extended Randa legacy by breaking down their family tree.
Dr. Keiko Miura
Mother of Hiroshi Randa, Wife of Bill Randa
Although the Randa name starts with Bill Randa (we’ll get to him next),this legacy truly begins with Keiko. Dr. Keiko Miura is as fearless as she is steadfast in her drive. With her first husband, who went unnamed in the series, Keiko had a son, Hiroshi (played byHiro Fodi-NestmanandKelton Sakamotoin his childhood years). After her husband passed away, Keiko studied at UC Berkeley in the United States. When she went to the Philippines to investigate abnormal radioisotope readings, she was accompanied by Colonel Lee Shaw (played by bothKurt RussellandWyatt Russell) of the U.S. Army. Before encountering her first Titan, Keiko and Shaw came upon Bill Randa (Anders Holm), who was on an expedition of his own. Together,the three of them would spearhead the early stages of Monarch. Keiko and Bill Randa would eventually marry, with Bill adopting Hiroshi as his son, giving them the Randa surname.
Bill Randa
Adoptive Father of Hiroshi Randa, Husband of Dr. Keiko Miura
William “Bill” Randa first appeared inKong: Skull Island, played by John Goodman. InMonarch: Legacy of Monsters, he’s played by Anders Holm in his earlier years. Bill was a cryptozoologist, and he met Keiko and Lee when he was chasing the same strange readings. Bill and Keiko would eventually marry, and he’d adopt Hiroshi, Keiko’s son, giving him the Randa family name.
The series begins withan old film reel shot by Bill Randa, showing moments from the 1973 expedition to Skull Island. One of those moments involves Bill’s emotional plea for forgiveness from Hiroshi for all the loss he’s endured. He then tosses a bag containing the film reel and his files into the ocean, hoping it will find its way to his son so that he may continue his legacy, and it does eventually reach Hiroshi. Bill was also formerly a U.S. Navy sailor and the only survivor of the USS Lawton, which wasattacked by a Titan, spurring his interest in cryptozoology.ForMonarch: Legacy of Monsters, this fact seems to have been retconned, with the USS Lawton and Titans being a seemingly brand-new discovery for Bill.
Hiroshi Randa
Son of Dr. Keiko Miura, Adoptive Son of Bill Randa, Father of Cate and Kentaro Randa
Hiroshi Randa, born to Keiko, became the adopted stepson of Bill Randa when Bill and Keiko married. His unnamed father died when he was just an infant. When his motherfell into Axis Mundiand was presumed dead, he was raised by Bill and Lee Shaw, whom he regarded as an uncle. After Lee disappeared during Operation Hourglass and his father, Bill, was killed on Skull Island, Hiroshi had no family left for some time. Hiroshi joined Monarch, continuing his family legacy. Living a secret life with two families,Hiroshi married Caroline in the United States and Emiko in Japan. With Caroline, he had a daughter, Cate. With Emiko, he had a son, Kentaro.
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Caroline Randa
Wife of Hiroshi Randa, Mother of Cate Randa
Caroline Randa was married to Hiroshi for at least 30 years. Together,they had a daughter, Cate. After G-Day in San Francisco, Caroline and Cate were separated from Hiroshi and later informed of his presumed death. Caroline moved on with her life and began dating a “work friend,” James (Charlie Hewson). The two of them spent their time recovering items from the ruins of G-Day, especially family heirlooms. Even after meeting Kentaro and learning of Hiroshi’s infidelity,Caroline did not appear surprised, admitting that Hiroshi was “never really all here.”
Emiko Randa
Wife of Hiroshi Randa, Mother of Kentaro Randa
Emiko met Hiroshi Randa when she was working as a nursein a Monarch facilityin 1982. When Lee Shaw mysteriously returned from Axis Mundi, he acted out in a fit of confusion, roughing Emiko up and holding her hostage. After Hiroshi mediated the situation, he offered comfort to Emiko by gifting her flowers. Although Hiroshi went on to marry Caroline in the United States, he would eventually marry Emiko in Japan, too, and together they’d have a son, Kentaro. After many years and the discovery of Hiroshi’s secret second family following his disappearance after G-Day,Emiko ended her relationship with Hiroshi.
Cate Randa
Daughter of Hiroshi and Caroline Randa, Half-Sister of Kentaro Randa
The daughter of Hiroshi and Caroline Randa, Cate Randa worked as a school teacher in San Francisco until 2014, whenGodzilla’s fight with the MUTOsobliterated the city and left her with debilitating PTSD. After G-Day, her father’s disappearance and presumed death led her to Japan, following leads she had regarding his business in Tokyo. Hoping to find closure and settle his affairs,Cate ended up discovering her father’s second life and the existence of her half-brother, Kentaro. Thanks to Axis Mundi’s effect on the passage of time, Cate was able to meet her grandmother, Keiko, with the age difference between the two being relatively small.
Kentaro Randa
Son of Hiroshi and Emiko Randa, Half-Brother of Cate Randa
Kentaro Randa, born to Hiroshi and Emiko Randa, lived with his mother in Japan. Working as a mixed-medium artist, Kentaro met May (Kiersey Clemons), whom he’d share a relationship with that eventually grew into a partnership in the search for his father. When Cate entered his home in Japan searching for Hiroshi, he learned of his father’s secret life.After some resistance, he and Cate would grow much closeras they navigated the mysteries of their father and Monarch together. After he and his father helped Cate and Keikoescape Axis Mundi, Kentaro met his grandmother, Keiko, for the first time.
The Randas Aren’t the Only Noteworthy Connections in the MonsterVerse
The Randas may be Monarch’s most legacy-heavy family, but they aren’t the only ones with interesting connections. Lee Shaw, for one, may not be blood-related to any of the Randas, buthe’s regarded as a brother to Bill and an uncle to Hiroshi. He even refers to himself as Cate and Kentaro’s “Uncle Lee” when they meet. Thanks to Axis Mundi’stime-stopping effect on his aging, he’s been a key figure in the Randa family for many generations.
Moreover, one ofMonarch’s most noteworthy Easter eggs comes with Michelle Duvall (Elisa Lasowski). We meet her as she’s working as a Monarch operative. Her sister, Sandra Brody (Juliette Binoche), appeared in theMonsterVerse’s first outing, 2014’sGodzilla. Sandra was the wife of Joseph Brody (Bryan Cranston) and the mother of Ford Brody (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). She died at the Janjira nuclear power plant when Titan activity caused a meltdown and collapse of the facility.
Monarch: Legacy of Monstersis available to stream on Apple TV+ in the U.S.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters
Set after the battle between Godzilla and the Titans, revealing that monsters are real, follows one family’s journey to uncover its buried secrets and a legacy linking them to Monarch.
