Summary
TheMonsterverseis 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 askAttack on Titanfans. And the best thing about theMonsterverseis that it features a diverse roster of big monsters with unique abilities, and that roster is only going to grow as the series progresses.
Of course, like with any other action sci-fi fantasy series, theMonsterversehas 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 theMonsterverseis such a success. Some of the strongest monsters in the series are world-ending threats and have a host of powerful abilities.
Godzilla has come a long way as the face of theMonsterversebut one thing about him has remained consistent throughout the series. Healwaysfinds a way to win. Back when he was introduced in Gareth Edwards’sGodzilla (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 inGodzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024),Godzilla is the strongest monster in theMonsterverse, as he goeson a rampage, killing multiple hostile titansand 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.
7Shimo
The Powerful Ancient Frost Titan is a Monsterverse Original
A new entrant to theMonsterverseand 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.
InGodzilla 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.
Historically, Godzilla’s most famous rival,King Ghidorah’sMonsterverseiterationis an absolute menace and arguably the evilest villain in the series. InGodzilla: 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, inGodzilla x Kong: The New Empire, it’s clarified that Shimo was the one who froze Ghidorah.
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. ThroughoutGodzilla: 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.
In an attempt to come up with humanity’s answer to the all-powerful titans,Apex built a mechanized Kaijuusing one of Ghidorah’s severed heads to power it inGodzilla 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.
4Kong
With the B.E.A.S.T. Glove Equipped, He’s at a Whole New Level
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 arguablythe face of theMonsterverse.
InGodzilla 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 inGodzilla 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.
3MUTO Prime
The Queen Bee of the MUTOs Gave Godzilla a Run For His Money
The averageMonsterversefans 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 inGodzilla: 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 inGodzilla (2014).
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.
2Mothra
The Queen of the Monsters is No Slouch Herself
Mothra is one of the most iconic Kaiju in Godzilla’s universe andshares a strong bond with him. In theMonsterverse, 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.
InGodzilla: 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. InGodzilla 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.
1Rodan
The Flaming Pterodactyl has Incredible Destructive Power
Rodan is another popular Kaiju that isroutinely 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. InGodzilla: 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.
