Summary

  • Godzilla has faced powerful Kaiju like MUTOs, MUTO Prime, and King Ghidorah in the Monsterverse.
  • Mechagodzilla gave Godzilla a tough fight, showing his versatility and need for allies like Kong.
  • Kong, Mothra, and Shimo prove how creativity, teamwork, and unique powers can defeat even the mighty Godzilla.

Godzilla is one of the most iconic figures in pop culture. The powerful atomic titan has a long and illustrious history in cinema, both as a destroyer and threat to humanity, as well as a benevolent protector who fights other titans to protect the Earth. The Monsterverse has led to a resurgence in popularity for the Kaiju King, pitting him against several titans and monsters that pose a threat.

10 Most Powerful Kaiju Godzilla Has Fought Other Than Kong
Godzilla Vs. Kong: Most Powerful Kaiju Godzilla Has Fought Other Than Kong

Godzilla has fought countless Kaiju over the years, some of them even more powerful than King Kong.

Since the release of Godzilla (2014), he's faced several monsters in the Monsterverse and defeated them in different ways. While some of them were quick and easy victories for him, others nearly killed him, and he needed the help of allies to defeat them. So, regardless of how powerful Godzilla is as the King of the Monsters, there are always threats he faces that are capable of defeating him.

This list contains spoilers!

The MUTO Siblings

Working Together, They Nearly Defeated Godzilla

The female MUTO prepares to fight Godzilla in Godzilla (2014)
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Godzilla
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Release Date
May 14, 2014
Runtime
123 minutes
Director
Gareth Edwards
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Cast
Elizabeth Olsen, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Juliette Binoche, Bryan Cranston, Ken Watanabe, Sally Hawkins, Al Sapienza, David Strathairn, James Pizzinato, CJ Adams, Richard T. Jones, Victor Rasuk, Patrick Sabongui, Carson Bolde, Jared Keeso, Luc Roderique, Eric Keenleyside, Primo Allon, George Allen Gumapac Jr., Ken Yamamura, Garry Chalk, Hiro Kanagawa, Kevan Ohtsji, Kasey Ryne Mazak, Terry Chen

The male and female MUTOs are the first Kaiju Godzilla faces in the Monsterverse. Considering his reputation, most viewers expected him to stomp them and claim easy victories, introducing himself to the Monsterverse in triumphant style. However, that wasn't how it went, particularly because this was a Godzilla that had just woken up from a long slumber, starved of radiation and thus much weaker.

Furthermore, the MUTOs (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms) are stated to be specifically capable of defeating Godzilla's species. These creatures feed off and gain power by absorbing electricity, and they release EMP waves, which subdue Godzilla's atomic breath. Despite these advantages, they had to work as a tag team to keep Godzilla pinned down, and it worked until the humans destroyed the Female MUTO's nest, which distracted them and turned it into a 1v1 for Godzilla, who promptly defeated both of them one after the other. Regardless, it's clear that if the fight had continued without human interference, the two MUTOs would have defeated Godzilla.

MUTO Prime

The Queen Bee of the MUTO Species Was One of Godzilla's Toughest Foes

Muto Prime uses her Sonic Wave attack against Godzilla, shattering his dorsal fins in Godzilla: Aftershock (2019)

The MUTO Prime is the queen of the MUTO species and the most powerful one. She appears in the Godzilla: Aftershock comic, which was released in 2019, just before Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Chronologically, the comic takes place right after Godzilla's battle against the MUTO siblings in San Fransisco in 2014. MUTO Prime emerges as a new threat, and it is revealed that the MUTOs that Godzilla killed were her spawn.

MUTO Prime is a significantly more powerful version of the Female MUTO with more abilities and weapons at her disposal. Referred to by the Japanese as Jinshin Mushi, MUTO Prime puts up a strong fight against Godzilla and nearly kills him. Her sonic roar ability released a sound wave so powerful that it shattered Godzilla's dorsal plates. Just like with the MUTO Siblings, Godzilla wouldn't survive this fight without human interference. The comic also reveals that she killed Dagon, one of Godzilla's ancestors, and planted her eggs in him, which eventually grew to become the MUTO siblings Godzilla killed in San Fransisco.

King Ghidorah

Godzilla's Arch-Nemesis Has Got the Better of Him Multiple Times

King Ghidorah performs an alpha roar atop a volcano after Godzilla is seemingly defeated in Godzilla: King of Monsters (2019)
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Godzilla: King of the Monsters
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Release Date
May 29, 2019
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WHERE TO WATCH

Streaming
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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
Studio(s)
Legendary Pictures, Toho

In his biggest challenge yet, Godzilla faced off against King Ghidorah in Godzilla: King of Monsters (2019). Ghidorah has historically been among Godzilla's most famous foes and played the role of an arch-nemesis. In the Monsterverse, he's one of his most powerful iterations yet, and Godzilla really had to up his game to defeat him. The film reveals that Godzilla and Ghidorah are ancient enemies and fought centuries ago.

Iconic Godzilla Enemies- Mechagodzilla Godzilla Rodan
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In Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Ghidorah is released from his ice prison by Emma Russell and immediately confronted by an angry Godzilla. Ghidorah initially seems to have the upper hand in this fight, despite just being released from a centuries-old frozen state. Later, he gains a huge power-up in his fight against Godzilla in Boston by tapping into the city's power grid. In this powered-up state, he flies Godzilla into the stratosphere and drops him toward the Earth, nearly killing him. He then begins to bite into Godzilla's neck repeatedly, further draining his energy.

It takes Mothra to sacrifice herself to distract him and buy just enough time for Godzilla to go thermonuclear and defeat Ghidorah. In their base forms, it's clear Ghidorah had the upper hand when they fought in Antarctica.

Mechagodzilla

A Mechanized Version of Godzilla That Gives Godzilla the Pummeling of his Life

Mechagodzilla Finds Godzilla in Godzilla vs Kong (2021)
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Godzilla vs. Kong
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7 /10
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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
Studio(s)
Warner Bros. Pictures

Mechagodzilla is a mechanized version of Godzilla engineered by Apex in the hopes of having a solution of their own against the Kaiju threat. They used Ghidorah's severed head to control the mechanical titan. Unfortunately for them, this led to Mechagodzilla going rogue, immediately killing Ren Serizawa (The human controlling it) and breaking out of the facility.

Right as it breaks out of the facility, it locks in on Godzilla, who has just emerged victorious after a long battle against Kong. Godzilla is already tired from fighting Kong, and Mechagodzilla is specifically designed to defeat him, with his archnemesis controlling the giant robotic lizard. Mechagodzilla proceeds to overwhelm Godzilla in combat with its superior strength and agility and diverse arsenal of weapons. He's just about to kill Godzilla when Kong emerges to save the day. Godzilla has to work together with Kong, who gets the finishing blow on Mechagodzilla with his axe, which is charged with the G-Man's Atomic breath.

Kong

With the Right Tools and Creativity, Kong Can Defeat the Titan

Kong punches Godzilla in Godzilla vs Kong (2021)

Kong is kind of an outlier here in that he's definitely not strong enough to take on Godzilla in a direct one-on-one fight. However, if there's one thing the Monsterverse proves, it's that he can overcome an insurmountable foe by using the right set of tools. In Kong: Skull Island, he manages to defeat the alpha Skull Crawler by using a chain attached to a boat's propeller. In Godzilla vs. Kong, he uses his parents' axe to put up a good fight against Godzilla and, eventually, defeat Mechagodzilla.

Kong isn't inherently strong enough to fight Godzilla, particularly because he has no powers like Godzilla's atomic breath or Ghidorah's gravity beams. He does have incredibly strong arms and opposable thumbs, which he can use to wield and use weapons creatively. This is also visible in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, where he uses the B.E.A.S.T glove effectively against Godzilla and nearly knocks him out. This is in a fight where he doesn't want to kill Godzilla or defeat him. So, when armed effectively enough, he's capable of beating Godzilla.

Mothra

Often Godzilla's Ally, Her Powers are Uniquely Strong

Mothra Saves Godzilla by sacrificing herself and releasing her essence on him in Godzilla: King of Monsters (2019)

Mothra is often considered a symbiotic partner to Godzilla, and she makes her first appearance in Godzilla: King of Monsters (2019). She demonstrates her powers and combat prowess in this film masterfully by playing a key role in Ghidorah's defeat and also defeating Rodan by herself. She's a powerful titan, but her presence in fights often goes unnoticed because of her beauty and gentle presence.

A collage of Godzilla alongside some of his most trustworthy friends & allies - Kong, Rodan, Mothra and Anguirus
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Godzilla has made a plethora of enemies throughout his existence, but he has also made some truly great friends. Here are his best ones.

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Even historically, outside the Monsterverse, she has a better win rate against Godzilla than many other Kaiju. Her webs effectively immobilize Ghidorah in Godzilla: King of Monsters to give Godzilla the advantage in their battle in Boston. She also takes out Rodan with her Stinger and imbues Godzilla's body with her essence in a final sacrificial attack at Ghidorah. This allows Godzilla to survive going Thermonuclear. In Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, she emits a light pulse that knocks both Godzilla and Kong off their feet. She also effortlessly holds Skar King's army back in Hollow Earth. She has many different powers and is incredibly intelligent, so she tends to come out on top in most of her fights.

Shimo

The Ancient Frost Titan is Much Bigger and Stronger than Godzilla

Shimo emerges from her cave in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)
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Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
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Release Date
March 29, 2024
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Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire finds the titular pair of giant monsters facing a new enemy hidden below the Earth's surface. 

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
Franchise(s)
Godzilla, King Kong, Monsterverse
Main Genre
Action
Studio(s)
Legendary Pictures
Distributor(s)
Warner Bros. Pictures

Shimo is a Kaiju exclusive to the Monsterverse, introduced in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024). She's an ancient titan that is extremely powerful and caused the first ice age. She's the largest titan shown in the Monsterverse so far, bigger than even King Ghidorah, and evidently much heavier than both Godzilla and Ghidorah. It is stated that during Godzilla's battle against Ghidorah in the past, it was Shimo's frost breath that froze Ghidorah.

In Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, she freezes Kong's hand, causing frostbite. She's under Skar King's control, as he uses a shard from her dorsal plates to inflict pain on her. Under his control, she poses a huge threat to even Godzilla. During their fight in Rio De Janeiro, Skar King constantly uses Shimo to keep Godzilla and Kong off him, and she proves to be a challenge for Godzilla to deal with, particularly because of her bulk. This is despite being controlled by Skar King. If she was powerful enough to freeze King Ghidorah, it's clear she'd be strong enough to deal with Godzilla. The main thing about her is that she seems to be more of a benevolent titan than a destroyer, and violence isn't in her nature.

A collage with some of the best Monsterverse original monsters: Ion Dragon, Scar King and MUTO.
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