Summary

  • Godzilla remains the strongest monster in the Monsterverse, consistently overpowering adversaries.
  • Shimo, a new titan, challenges Godzilla with her size and frost breath abilities.
  • Kong, while young, is powerful, using his ancestral axe and the B.E.A.S.T. Glove, making him a powerhouse.

The Monsterverse is one of the most successful cinematic universes in modern-day pop culture, and with good reason. Because everyone loves the idea of watching gigantic Kaiju duke it out over the fate of humanity and control over the planet. Just ask Attack on Titan fans. And the best thing about the Monsterverse is that it features a diverse roster of big monsters with unique abilities, and that roster is only going to grow as the series progresses.

Monsterverse 7 Monsters That Can Defeat Godzilla
Monsterverse: 7 Monsters That Can Defeat Godzilla

The following monsters are so powerful that they can even challenge the king, Godzilla.

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Of course, like with any other action sci-fi fantasy series, the Monsterverse has its own power scaling, and some monsters are stronger than others, with the iconic Godzilla and Kong headlining the series. Both of these movie monsters have become cult figures and their presence in a shared universe is a big part of the reason the Monsterverse is such a success. Some of the strongest monsters in the series are world-ending threats and have a host of powerful abilities.

8 Godzilla

The Atomic Lizard is the Cream of the Crop in the Monsterverse

Evolved Godzilla emerges from his transformative slumber after defeating Tiamat in Godzilla x Kong The New Empire
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Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
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Release Date
March 29, 2024
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WHERE TO WATCH

Streaming
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Cast
Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Dan Stevens, Kaylee Hottle, Alex Ferns, Fala Chen, Rachel House, Ron Smyck, Chantelle Jamieson, Greg Hatton, Kevin Copeland, Tess Dobré, Tim Carroll, Anthony Brandon Wong, Sophia Emberson-Bain, Chika Ikogwe, Vincent B. Gorce, Yeye Zhou, Jamaliah Othman, Nick Lawler
Runtime
115 Minutes
Director
Adam Wingard
Writers
Terry Rossio, Adam Wingard, Simon Barrett, Jeremy Slater
Prequel(s)
Godzilla, Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla vs. Kong
Franchise(s)
Godzilla, King Kong, Monsterverse
Main Genre
Action
Studio(s)
Legendary Pictures
Distributor(s)
Warner Bros. Pictures

Godzilla has come a long way as the face of the Monsterverse but one thing about him has remained consistent throughout the series. He always finds a way to win. Back when he was introduced in Gareth Edwards's Godzilla (2014), he was introduced as the strongest Kaiju in the series, making a dramatic entrance and instantly overpowering the Femuto. It took the combined efforts of both MUTOs to pin down a weakened, energy-starved Godzilla.

In his latest iteration as Evolved Godzilla in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024), Godzilla is the strongest monster in the Monsterverse, as he goes on a rampage, killing multiple hostile titans and handling the Scar King's army with relative ease. He was trading blows with a mind-controlled Shimo and barely breaking a sweat. In this form, he's far stronger than any other monster that has appeared in the series so far.

7 Shimo

The Powerful Ancient Frost Titan is a Monsterverse Original

Scar King's army bring out Shimo in Godzilla x Kong The New Empire

A new entrant to the Monsterverse and a titan that has never been a part of Godzilla or Kong's individual stories before, Shimo is an ancient Titan that is said to have caused the first ice age. She's like a gigantic quadruped dragon with a spiky back. These spikes look like ice shards. Like the most powerful titans in the series, Shimo has a powerful frost breath beam she fires, which causes Kong's hands to go numb from frostbite, requiring the B.E.A.S.T. Glove to treat it.

In Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Shimo goes toe-to-toe with an evolved Godzilla and even overpowers him using her superior size and bulk. While she doesn't necessarily cause significant damage to him, her focus during that fight was mostly on keeping Kong off the Scar King whenever he overpowered him. It's assumed that she'd give Godzilla a serious run for his money if she were fighting him directly and is in the top echelon when it comes to strength.

6 King Ghidorah

Godzilla's Arch Nemesis is a Three-Headed Menace

King Ghidorah Issues an Alpha Call in Godzilla King of Monsters
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Godzilla: King of the Monsters
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Release Date
May 29, 2019
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Cast
Millie Bobby Brown, Vera Farmiga, Kyle Chandler, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Bradley Whitford, Randy Havens, Charles Dance, Aisha Hinds, Sally Hawkins, Ken Watanabe, Thomas MIddleditch
Runtime
132 Minutes
Director
Michael Dougherty
Writers
Michael Dougherty, Zach Shields, Max Borenstein
Budget
$170–200 Million
Studio(s)
Legendary Pictures, Toho
Distributor(s)
Warner Bros. Pictures

Historically, Godzilla's most famous rival, King Ghidorah's Monsterverse iteration is an absolute menace and arguably the evilest villain in the series. In Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), it's revealed that he battled Godzilla during ancient times, and the outcome of that battle was him being left in a frozen state for centuries. Later, in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, it's clarified that Shimo was the one who froze Ghidorah.

Iconic Godzilla Enemies- Mechagodzilla Godzilla Rodan
Godzilla's 8 Most Iconic Enemies, Ranked

These are some of Godzilla's most noteworthy villains from their clashes with the kaiju.

Ghidorah is an immensely powerful three-headed Dragon with regenerative qualities akin to a Hydra's. Like the most potent Alpha Titans in the series, Ghidorah also has a signature beam attack called Gravity Beams. He was strong enough to survive the Oxygen Destroyer, which nearly killed Godzilla, and his ability to fly and tap into power grids to gain a significant power-up cannot be underestimated. Throughout Godzilla: King of the Monsters, he gains the upper hand over Godzilla multiple times, nearly killing him at one point after dropping him from the stratosphere.

5 Mechagodzilla

A Mechanized Godzilla Powered by King Ghidorah's Head

Mechagodzilla finds Godzilla in Godzilla vs Kong (2021)
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Release Date
March 31, 2021
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Cast
Alexander Skarsgard, Rebecca Hall, Kaylee Hottle, Brian Tyree Henry, Millie Bobby Brown, Julian Dennison, Demián Bichir, Eiza Gonzalez, Shun Oguri, Kyle Chandler, Lance Reddick, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Ronny Chieng, John Pirruccello, Chris Chalk, Conlan Casal, Brad McMurray, Benjamin Rigby, Nick Turello, Daniel Nelson, Priscilla Doueihy, Kei Kudo, Bradd Buckley, John Walton, Daniel Tuiara
Director
Adam Wingard
Writers
Max Borenstein, Eric Pearson, Michael Dougherty, Terry Rossio, Zach Shields
Franchise(s)
Monsterverse
Studio(s)
Warner Bros. Pictures

In an attempt to come up with humanity's answer to the all-powerful titans, Apex built a mechanized Kaiju using one of Ghidorah's severed heads to power it in Godzilla vs Kong (2021). This Kaiju turned out to be Mechagodzilla. Ghidorah's head retained its consciousness and took over Mechagodzilla after it was activated, making it go rogue and wreak havoc on Hong Kong until it ran into Godzilla. Mechagodzilla was built specifically to counter Godzilla, and with Ghidorah powering it, the robotic menace proceeded to go ham on the King of the Monsters.

While Godzilla was exhausted from a prolonged battle against Kong, he could barely land a blow on Mechagodzilla, who proceeded to pummel him and manhandle him through the skyscrapers of Shanghai. It also completely overpowered Godzilla's atomic breath through its proton scream (a beam ability that infuses MUTO Prime's sonic roar into a powerful beam attack) and was about to kill him with it until Kong intervened and saved Godzilla.

4 Kong

With the B.E.A.S.T. Glove Equipped, He's at a Whole New Level

Kong Stands his Ground as Godzilla Roars in his Face in Godzilla vs Kong (2021)

Kong is an interesting case because he's still kind of young relative to the other Alpha titans and has a long way to go. He's already quite powerful, considering this, and has grown significantly in size to be in the same league as the likes of Godzilla and Ghidorah. But his strength and combat prowess don't come from his size or fancy powers and breath attacks. He has opposable thumbs, and that gives him plenty of potential concerning the weapons he can wield. He's also relatable and arguably the face of the Monsterverse.

In Godzilla vs Kong (2021), he makes great use of his ancestral axe to fight Godzilla and later defeat Mechagodzilla. He's physically strong enough to manhandle Mechagodzilla and pull him off Godzilla. And when he gets the B.E.A.S.T. Glove in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, he becomes a powerhouse. He was able to momentarily knock Godzilla down in his evolved state and put up a good fight. He was also more than capable of defeating the Scar King, who had to resort to Shimo's help against him in Rio de Janeiro.

3 MUTO Prime

The Queen Bee of the MUTOs Gave Godzilla a Run For His Money

MUTO Prime Shatters Godzilla's Dorsal Plates with her Sonic Wave in Godzilla Aftershock
  • Comic: Godzilla: Aftershock
  • Year Released: 2019
  • Author: Arvid Nelson
  • Illustrator: Drew Johnson
  • Franchise: Monsterverse

The average Monsterverse fans may not be aware of this titan, but enthusiasts definitely are because while she didn't make an on-screen appearance, she did have a comic book dedicated to her. The MUTO Prime is a much more powerful variant of the Female MUTO, elevated to queen status. The MUTOs were originally a parasitic species that were particularly strong against Godzilla's species, and in Godzilla: Aftershock, it is revealed that the MUTO Prime killed Dagon, a member of Godzilla's species in the past, and planted her eggs in his body. The MUTOs that hatched out of those eggs are the two MUTOs that Godzilla fought in Godzilla (2014).

A collage with some of the best Monsterverse original monsters: Ion Dragon, Scar King and MUTO.
11 Best Monsterverse Original Monsters, Ranked

These original Monsterverse monsters are often just as compelling as their famous peers. These are the best of the bunch.

After Godzilla defeated the MUTOs in 2014, he had to fight the MUTO Prime, and this fight was significantly more challenging for him and nearly cost him his life. The MUTO Prime has a lot more tricks and abilities up its sleeve. During its penultimate fight against Godzilla, she nearly killed him with her sonic roar, which shattered his dorsal fins and left him in grave danger. It took an intervention from the humans for Godzilla to recover and defeat her.

2 Mothra

The Queen of the Monsters is No Slouch Herself

Mothra Sacrifices Herself in Godzilla King of Monsters

Mothra is one of the most iconic Kaiju in Godzilla's universe and shares a strong bond with him. In the Monsterverse, she's a huge fan favorite because of how beautiful and awe-inspiring she is. She shares a symbiotic relationship with Godzilla and is revered as a God by the Iwi people. Mothra is also incredibly powerful in unique ways. She's not imposingly large like Godzilla, Ghidorah, or Kong, and doesn't have the physical strength. But her power stands out in magically unique ways.

In Godzilla: King of the Monsters, she uses her webs to immobilize Ghidorah while simultaneously fighting Rodan. Her fierce battle against Rodan ends in her defeating him with her stinger after intelligently luring him into a trap. Her sacrifice also gives Godzilla the ability to survive his thermonuclear explosion. In Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, after she's reincarnated, she uses her light pulse to knock both Godzilla and Kong off their feet. She also fends off Scar King's army effectively, allowing Godzilla and Kong to chase after Scar King and Shimo to Rio de Janeiro.

1 Rodan

The Flaming Pterodactyl has Incredible Destructive Power

Rodan attacks human aircraft in Godzilla King of Monsters

Rodan is another popular Kaiju that is routinely present in Godzilla's stories. While he's often depicted as an ally to Godzilla, there are times he's been an enemy as well. In Godzilla: King of the Monsters, after Ghidorah issues an alpha call, awakening all the titans around the world, Rodan is among the first to answer the call. He initially clashes with Ghidoraha after the humans lead him to the three-headed Dragon, but he's quickly dealt with and begins serving him.

He then proceeds to battle against Mothra and seemingly has her on the ropes, only to get taken out by her stinger. Nevertheless, he's a force to reckon with, considering his flaming wings cause significant damage to Motra and the sheer destructive potential he possesses.

A collage of some the weakest kaiju in the Godzilla franchise: Anguirus, Ebirah, Gabara and Zilla.
Godzilla: 12 Weakest Kaiju In The Movies, Ranked

In his movies, Godzilla has fought many strong kaiju over the decades, along with a few notoriously weak monsters.