Is Godzilla Truly King? These Monsters Might Be Scarier
We're in the midst of a Godzilla renaissance. The big guy stole the show in 2023 with the critically acclaimed "Godzilla: Minus One," then appeared on the Apple+ TV series "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters," and battles King Kong once more on the big screen in Adam Wingard's "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire." We haven't even mentioned Netflix's "Godzilla" animated series or the slew of unique takes on the character released over the last decade, including the terrifying "Shin Godzilla." It's a great time to be a Gojira fan!
Of course, Godzilla enjoys the moniker "King of the Monsters" and with good reason: he's hard to stop. Since his debut in 1954, our hulking, spiky-tailed, nuclear pal has bought the farm only four times and typically wins his epic confrontations with other Kaiju. That's not to say he doesn't lose a fight, but more often than not, Godzilla runs slowly walks home with the trophy, even if it takes quite a bit of luck (and help) to save the day.
While we in no way question Godzilla's well-earned title, we ponder whether any of his monster foes might deserve the crown. As stated, Godzilla has faced death on several occasions and only miraculously pulled through thanks to intervention from a friend or the last-minute discovery of some hidden power. Here are 15 monsters we think might be as scary — or scarier — than Godzilla.
Gigan (Godzilla vs. Gigan)
One look at Gigan, and you know this guy means business. If the sight of its red visor and sharp pincers doesn't scare you, its loaded lasers, razor-sharp arms, and supersonic flying ability will surely do the trick. Oh, and he also has a buzzsaw protruding from his torso. He's pretty rad.
The one knock against Gigan is that he's controlled by a race of cockroach-like beings known as the Space Hunter Nebula Aliens, meaning he's essentially a giant vehicle with no personality. So long as you stop the driver, you stop Gigan, which makes him far less dangerous than, say, the maniacal King Ghidorah. Also, Gigan typically teams up with more powerful allies and avoids one-on-one combat.
Then again, all it took was one well-timed nuclear blast to the face for Godzilla to take Gigan down in 2004's "Godzilla Final Wars." Before that, in films such as 1972's "Godzilla vs. Gigan" and 1973's "Godzilla vs. Megalon," the robotic monstrosity retreated as soon as the fight turned against him. In the video game, "Godzilla Saves the Earth," Gigan also ranks in the lower tier of villains, so he's not exactly A-list material.
Still, visually, he looks sharp (pun intended), and he does give Godzilla a run for his money whenever the two meet. I'd love to see a modern version of this bladed baddie.
Megalon (Godzilla vs. Megalon)
Ostensibly a less powerful knockoff of Gigan, Megalon still packs quite the punch and looks like something ripped out of an H.R. Giger nightmare. An assortment of different insects — notably a grasshopper and a Japanese rhinoceros beetle — Megalon boasts super strength, durability, and the ability to fly. Unfortunately, the nasty only appeared in 1973's "Godzilla vs. Megalon," which was during the franchise's campier days, but he's most memorable for this legendary fight sequence.
Even so, Megalon presents plenty of promise, should a filmmaker utilize him appropriately. Seatopia's undersea people consider him a god and pray for his assistance. Imagine seeing a beast like that emerge from the ocean, guided by a population of angry, vengeful religious zealots. Terrifying! Megalon can also burrow underground and swim fast, giving him a few advantages in the right circumstances. He and Gigan nearly take out Jet Jaguar before Godzilla intervenes, and that has to count for something, right? Even then, the battle between the foursome is more or less evenly balanced. While the results are primarily campy, a kernel of potential exists for Megalon to kick some major Kaiju tail.
Destoroyah (Godzilla vs. Destoroyah)
If you thought Megalon looked weird, wait until you check out Destoroyah. According to Godzilla mythology, the Oxygen Destroyer chemical weapon that killed the original Godzilla in 1954 contributed to Megalon's formation. The chemicals impacted a colony of deep-sea crustaceans and caused them to mutate into crab-like beings capable of merging to form a massive, terrifying force of nightmare fuel. This sucker can morph in six different ways, sprouts wings, walks like a crab, and boasts a dark red design that only adds to his Hellish appearance.
Even more horrifying, Destoroyah acts on his own accord and gleefully performs mass destruction. Creatures like Megalon and Gigan get a pass in this regard because they're not inherently evil; they're just controlled or manipulated by the wrong beings. Not Destoroyah. This guy nearly kills Godzilla's kid in 1995's "Godzilla vs. Destoroyah," mercilessly attacking the lad with his sharp limbs before pumping Micro-Oxygen into his flailing corpse with a Xenomorph-like second mouth. Destoroyah transforms into his perfect form, battles Godzilla, and nearly wins, but a nuclear overdose gives Godzilla an immense amount of energy, allowing him to stroll away with his crown.
Destoroyah's ability to transform and break apart into smaller versions of himself, coupled with his grotesque design, makes him one of Godzilla's most noteworthy adversaries.
Mechagodzilla (Godzilla v Kong)
As a kid, Mechagodzilla was the villain I often looked forward to seeing. As cool as Godzilla was, his robot alternative took the cake. Equipped with rockets, lasers, guns, and a foreboding design, Mechagodzilla ranks high on the list of things you don't want to see in real life. The big metal lug is downright terrifying and nearly unstoppable.
However, as with Gigan, there is a catch to his awesomeness — he's not really a monster. He's a robot controlled and operated by a driver whose vital functions are tied directly to a power source. So, again, if you want to destroy Mechagodzilla, you need only find the aliens/humans/power source pumping him full of juice. In "Godzilla v Kong," the mechanical beast is brought to life from a piece of King Ghidorah's skull and piloted by a man named Ren Serizawa. Somehow, Ghidorah manages to psychically take over the robot from beyond the grave and almost destroy King Kong and Godzilla. Thankfully, our human characters pour water on Mechagodzilla's circuit board and cause him to malfunction long enough for the good guys to take control of the situation.
In other films, Mechagodzilla short circuits or falters under Godzilla's powerful atomic breath. Mechagodzilla has what it takes to be the king, but he needs a better pit crew to push him past the finish line.
Mutos (Godzilla 2014)
Gareth Edwards' 2014 "Godzilla" is a visually sumptuous Hollywood spectacle that brings the King of the Monsters to the United States far more memorably than Roland Emmerich's similarly titled 1998 debacle. That said, Edwards misses out on an opportunity to make an emphatic man versus monster story and instead presents Godzilla as humanity's savior or a creature that surfaces when other monsters appear to rebalance the equation. In this case, two dangerous "Mutos" appear and proceed to wreak havoc, forcing Godzilla to awaken from his slumber and engage in a battle to save the planet.
The Mutos aren't the most ferocious foes Godzilla has faced throughout his tenure, but they present a formidable challenge and might have taken over the world had our reptilian pal not risen from the depths. Godzilla certainly struggles to take down these scary-looking villains, as he loses multiple skirmishes before a group of humans led by Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Lieutenant Ford intervenes long enough for him to land a killing blow. Godzilla unleashes a formidable burst of atomic breath in the pinnacle moment, solidifying his victory once more. Exerting such effort drains Godzilla of his energy, leading to a temporary state of unconsciousness, highlighting the challenge posed by the Mutos as adversaries. King (and Queen) of the Monsters? They've got my vote!
Battra (Godzilla vs. Mothra)
More than a few Godzilla fans will walk away from this list puzzled at the exclusion of Mothra, one of Godzilla's greatest foes. The problem is that Mothra looks too cute and often teams up with our scaly friend to take down more significant threats. I can't imagine anyone freaking out at the sight of a giant moth and imagine it would be more of an inconvenience than an outright moment of terror.
However, Battra is a monster that has abilities similar to Mothra, but it looks much more intimidating while performing those abilities. Battra can fly, shoot prism beams from its eyes, and attack with a massive horn. Despite being foreboding, Battra only appeared in one Godzilla film called "Godzilla vs. Mothra" in 1992. According to Godzilla lore, Battra nearly decimated Earth but was stopped after a great battle with Mothra.
Intriguingly, Battra and Mothra form a capable duo and even defeat Godzilla, though the fight costs Battra his life. Kudos for bringing down the big guy, but to carry the mantle of King of the Monsters, you've gotta, you know, stay alive.
SpaceGodzilla (Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla)
The Godzilla movies can get pretty strange, but that's one of the reasons why people love them. Each presents a unique take on legendary characters with varying results. While the plots mostly follow the same beats, the visual spectacle always gives viewers a slightly different experience.
In the case of 1994's "Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla," some of Godzilla's cells are exposed to radiation from a black hole, giving birth to, you guessed it, SpaceGodzilla. (Ironically, there's no space in his name.) This darkly tinted monster heads straight for Earth and immediately picks a fight with Godzilla. Cue more mass carnage and destruction.
In terms of powers, SpaceGodzilla essentially functions as a more robust version of Godzilla. It takes a robot known as a Mobile Operations Godzilla Universal Expert Robot Aero-type (M.O.G.U.E.R.A.) and a fatal blast of Godzilla's atomic breath to bring him down. Visually, he's imposing enough, with his red eyes, enormous spikes, and mutated form. Imagine Godzilla, albeit exaggerated in every possible way.
Therefore, I'm keen to suggest SpaceGodzilla as an optimal recipient of the King of the Monsters title. He's more powerful than Godzilla and lacks his benevolence. Earth always seems to have a chance whenever Godzilla rolls into town. SpaceGodzilla, on the other hand, would likely stand victorious over any of man's weapons or a majority of the kaiju tossed his way. Long live the King!
Rodan (Godzilla: King of the Monsters)
Rodan may be nothing more than a giant pterodactyl in most Godzilla films, but his appearance in "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" deserves recognition. Packing mighty wings, a killer beak, and wicked sharp talons, Rodan emerges from a volcano in Mexico and wipes out an entire city merely by flying above it. He's like a giant nuclear bomb with wings, and while he doesn't boast lasers, atomic breath, or robotic weaponry, Rodan is mighty enough to keep his enemies on their toes during a skirmish.
Could this winged foe take the King of the Monsters crown from Godzilla? Perhaps. However, Rodan doesn't appear interested in conquering Earth or sitting on any throne. In "King of the Monsters," he awakens, causes havoc, and vanishes without a trace, only popping in at the end to aid King Ghidorah against Godzilla. In previous films, he typically joins the bad guys to fight Godzilla but rarely takes on anyone alone. A cowardly tactic or cunning survival skill? You be the judge.
Rodan remains a popular Godzilla foe and appears in a dozen films, including the 1956 creature feature "Rodan." He's a rockstar. If I were to turn on the news and see that a colossal dinosaur capable of destroying entire cities with a single flap of its wings was heading toward my neighborhood, I would tuck tale and run faster than you could say dinosaur.
Titanosaurus (Terror of Mechagodzilla)
One of the main reasons Godzilla remains King of the Monsters is that he willingly leaps into battle alone, endures brutal punishment, and eventually wins. As stated, his victories occur by teaming up with allies that overwhelm the enemy. Yet, Godzilla teams up as a last resort. Even then, his mates follow him into battle because they respect him. That's a commendable attribute for a king.
Meanwhile, monsters like Titanosaurus only face Godzilla with backup. In "Terror of Mechagodzilla," this tall, creepy-looking dinosaur confronts our spiky-tailed hero in Tokyo with Mechagodzilla 2 in tow. As expected, the fight is very one-sided. Whenever Godzilla launches an attack at Titanosaurus, Mechagodzilla nails him with a flurry of missiles. Eventually, Godzilla destroys his mechanical counterpart and drives Titanosaurus into the sea, reminding us why he stands atop the pyramid after all these years.
Yeah, I just spent 140 words explaining why Titanosaurus sucks. But this beastie still packs quite the punch and could quickly ascend to the throne without Godzilla. He's big, mean, as strong as Godzilla, amphibious, and can shoot sonic waves from his mouth. He may not rank high on the cool factor, but this prehistoric villain matches Godzilla beat-for-beat. He just doesn't have the fins to take on the King of the Monsters alone.
Anguirus (Godzilla Raids Again)
Like Rodan, Anguirus remains a famous Godzilla foe (and sometimes ally), even if he doesn't exactly rise to the level of King Ghidorah. A terrifying exaggeration of ankylosaurus, Anguirus looks and behaves very much like a sidekick. He's capable in battle thanks to his ability to tuck and roll over opponents and weaponize his spikey outer layer in dreadful ways. Could he rise to the top of the list and command the other monsters like Godzilla? Maybe.
For all his physical deficiencies and lack of weapons, Anguirus' greatest attribute is his loyalty. Originally conceived as a villain, this suped-up roly-poly eventually became Godzilla's pal and helped him fend off some mighty opponents. The fact that Godzilla trusts him speaks volumes, and Anguirus' ability to take a lick and keep kicking is a worthwhile trait that only the strongest monsters possess.
I'd be terrified if Anguirus ever decided to flip to the other side. Imagine an indestructible bowling ball with spikes rolling over your town — not a pretty picture, right? So, while this particular monster may hail from the Joe Pesci school of tough-talking, occasionally problematic pals, he's also the type of bad guy you don't want sitting on the throne. Watch your back, Godzilla!
Hedorah (Godzilla vs. Hedorah)
Consider Godzilla's most formidable adversary: Hedorah, an extraterrestrial organism that thrived on Earth's pollution. This unique sludge-like creature proves nearly unstoppable, its coercive skin capable of melting enemies and expelling sulfuric acid. Even when blown into bits, these fragments mutate into deadly mini-versions of Hedorah, while the creature's body contains particles that repel energy. Additionally, Hedorah possesses the ability to fly.
While lacking the intelligence of King Ghidorah, Rodan, or Mothra, Hedorah's menacing traits present a significant challenge, particularly in comparison to his portrayal in "Final Wars." Despite his seemingly limited intelligence, this sludge monster is undeniably frightening, prompting mass panic. The prospect of Godzilla reigning supreme on the throne pales compared to the terror induced by this soulless, ferocious blob.
However, Hedorah's power diminishes with reduced pollution, leaving him vulnerable to attack. Every monster has weaknesses; the true test lies in whether they can overcome them.
King Kong (Godzilla v Kong)
Ok, so King Kong is a tad on the nose. The name says it all. Still, the giant, hulking gorilla earned his title throughout his various movies. Kong stands alone at the top of Skull Island for a reason: he's a tough, hard-nosed fighter capable of fending off dinosaurs, evil humans, and more significant threats like Godzilla. His weakness is blond women, who always get him in trouble. Unfortunately, he also has a conscience that prevents him from going — pardon the expression — totally ape s***.
Kong's bouts with Godzilla typically end in a draw. Even when he loses, as in "Godzilla v Kong," he still does enough to earn the respect of his enemies. That's high praise, particularly for a creature whose only power is super strength. So I can see Kong taking the mantle from Godzilla and ruling for decades as a benevolent king, rather than presiding over the Earth like a tyrant. No, that's not as cool as a monster lizard reigning supreme under threat of nuclear annihilation, but Kong still boasts enough ferocity to strike fear into the hearts of every living beast on the planet. Thankfully, he mainly stands on our side. Plus, he's fluffy. Who doesn't want a fluffy king?
Biollante (Godzilla vs. Biollante)
As a Godzilla/plant hybrid boasting deformities that would make the creature in John Carpenter's "The Thing" envious, Biollante stands out in the realm of weirdness. Emerging from a surprisingly tragic backstory, this mutated organism takes a prominent place as one of the series' most memorable villains, particularly in my personal favorite Godzilla film, "Godzilla vs. Biollante." Dark, brooding, and tinged with sadness, this sequel to "Godzilla 1985" combines compelling human drama with thrilling monster encounters.
What sets Biollante apart for the crown? Contrary to typical monsters, this curious specimen houses the soul of Erika Shirigami, the deceased daughter of a scientist who resurrected her through a series of bizarre experiments, resulting in a giant, walking rose. Consequently, Biollante doesn't pose a significant threat to anyone unless they intend harm. While she does cause harm to a few early on, it's only in defense of her father. Otherwise, she resides peacefully by a lake until Godzilla's arrival lures her into combat.
Nevertheless, her peaceful nature doesn't diminish the terror she instills. Biollante, though not winning any awards for beauty, becomes especially menacing when sprouting a Godzilla-like head and deadly vine-like arms. If she had survived her encounter with Godzilla, Biollante might have ascended to the throne. However, Godzilla vaporizes her insides, releasing Shirigami's soul.
King Ghidorah (Godzilla: King of the Monsters)
King Ghidorah would easily stand at No. 1 if this were a rankings list. Why? The three-headed dragon has displayed his moxy multiple times and is often considered Godzilla's most dangerous enemy. Recently, in "Godzilla: King of the Monsters," Ghidorah brought the heat and nearly eviscerated the planet after laying waste to Godzilla and commandeering Earth's monsters. Rodan meekly submitted to his rule, and other monsters were en route to join him. Humanity had no answer outside of Godzilla. Thankfully, our nuclear brother-in-arms recharged and rejoined the fight, eventually defeating Ghidorah in Boston, but only after a much-needed upgrade from Mothra that turned him into a walking bomb.
Ghidorah also looks the part of a king, albeit an evil one. The top of his three heads even resembles a crown. At one point in the film, he raises his wings in a glorious display of his power, spraying energy into the sky. I imagine other monsters would try to upend him due to his cruelty. Good luck. Ghidorah flies, shoots gravity beams, and can heal himself. "King of the Monsters" gives him a hurricane to hide inside. He's nigh unstoppable.
"Monster Zero" always put up a good fight in earlier iterations. In "Destroy all Monsters," Ghidorah takes on a legion of foes, including Godzilla, by himself. That's kingly material right there.
King Caesar (Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla)
Finally, King Caesar is another scary-looking monster in the Godzilla series that arrives with the "king" title attached to his name. This scruffy, primate-looking villain may look like nothing more than a guy in a cheap costume, but the character has it where it counts. King Caesar possesses a unique and powerful ability to absorb energy from his adversaries. This remarkable trait sets him apart and establishes him as a valuable ally, especially in confrontations against formidable foes like Mechagodzilla. The ability to absorb energy not only showcases his adaptability in battle but also positions him as a strategic asset, countering the devastating attacks of his enemies with resilience and strength.
In other words, he's not just here for show. His role in battling Mechagodzilla underlines his importance in the ongoing monster saga. It's a reminder that the King of the Monsters club isn't an exclusive VIP section reserved for Godzilla alone; Caesar's earned his spot, too.