The term Kaiju, meaning "strange creature," depicts a monster that typically appears in Japanese literature or film. The king of monsters, Godzilla, is the one Kaiju who personifies this notion the best. Godzilla was inspired by the events of Lucky Dragon #5 in 1945, where a fishing boat was caught in the fallout of the hydrogen bomb near Bikini Atoll after being tested by the American military.
Director Ishiro Honda, having already been traumatized by the events of the atomic bomb during World War 2 in addition to these events, decided to make a film depicting an unstoppable creature made as a result of nuclear warfare. Thus, the Godzilla franchise was born, where the Kaiju would be pitted against other powerful monsters. This list will feature some of the most powerful monsters in the Godzilla universe.
10 Hedorah
Aside from the threat of nuclear warfare, pollution is said to be one of the most threatening conditions to affect the planet. First debuting in Toho's 1971 Godzilla Vs. Hedorah, the monster arrived on a comet where it gradually mutated after feeding on the Earth's pollution. The extraterrestrial Kaiju is an extremely dangerous opponent, as the surrounding area is toxic to most living creatures.
The very touch of Hedorah is harmful and becomes evident after it nearly melts the flesh of Godzilla's hands during their battle. Ultimately, Godzilla had to rely on human intervention and long-range combat with his atomic breath to achieve victory.
9 Gigan
Designed to be the ultimate weapon of the M Space Hunter Nebula aliens, Gigan was bioengineered from a prehistoric creature before being augmented with various weaponry. Later, the Xiliens would upgrade the cyborg to suit their needs better. The Godzilla franchise portrays different alien species devising plans to take over the planet, and that usually meant having the aid of a beast that could stand up to the king.
The Showa and Millennium iterations of Gigan were equipped with similar weaponry, such as a buzz saw running up and down the stomach and enormous hooks for hands. In the Millennium era, he underwent a heavy redesign with new attachments, such as grappling chains added to the arsenal. On multiple occasions, Gigan used these weapons to make Godzilla bleed.
8 Biollante
To preserve the memory of his deceased daughter, Dr. Genichiro Shiragami experimented with Godzilla's genetic code by splicing the monster's cells with a rose that had already been imbued with her DNA. The result was the plant monster Biollante. This Kaiju would be one of many variants that would follow in the Heisei era.
While most other monsters come from an animal-based organism, Biollante's plant-based nature is better suited for Godzilla's regenerative abilities. The first time Biollante engaged Godzilla ended in utter defeat, but after the creature had some time to grow and evolve, it proved more than a match for the king by almost overpowering him.
7 SpaceGodzilla
During the Heisei period, it was speculated that Godzilla's D.N.A. had been cast into space by either Mothra after her previous battle with Godzilla or by Biollante, as her cells dispensed into the sky upon her death. Whatever the case, Godzilla's D.N.A. had mutated into a crystaline life form that gave birth to SpaceGodzilla after a black hole swallowed it.
During their first confrontation, Godzilla was quickly defeated by SpaceGodzilla before Japan's mech M.O.G.U.E.R.A. stepped into the fray to help destroy the latter. Overall, SpaceGodzilla was a sadistic creature that took pleasure in the pain he brought upon his enemies.
6 Mothra
Although Godzilla is depicted as a savior of humankind, he is often portrayed as a destroyer, and not many monsters would willingly stand up against him for humanity. Mothra is the divine goddess of Infant Island and protector of Earth. Throughout their battles, spanning from the Showa to the Millennium, Mothra has proved victorious against Godzilla. Despite his sheer size and the destructive nature of his atomic breath, Godzilla has had difficulty fending against her, considering her multiple advantages.
Mothra has proven to be faster than most other flying Kaiju, and with the assistance of her larva, they can beat back the king of the monsters. If Godzilla is the king of the monsters, then Mothra's power makes her the queen.
5 Destoroyah
In 1954 after failing to kill the first Godzilla, the Japanese government pleaded to Dr. Daisuke Serizawa to use his creation which he dubbed the oxygen destroyer, to help kill the monster. This weapon proved more dangerous than any Kaiju, as it wiped out Godzilla and all life within a certain proximity. Though successful, the bomb gave rise to the abomination Destoroyah after mutating Precambrian crustaceans.
The monster would have made the planet uninhabitable if not for the intervention of Godzilla, who died amid combat from a self-meltdown. His ranking should be no surprise, as he is the physical embodiment of the weapon that took the first Godzilla’s life.
4 Monster-X/ Kaiser Ghidorah
During the events of Godzilla: Final Wars, the Xiliens summoned the Gorath asteroid to Earth to destroy Godzilla after he defeated all the other monsters. Out of the ashes of that asteroid came Monster X. This demonic creature engaged the king in battle as the former began hammering into the ground while shrugging off any attack Godzilla could land.
They eventually fought to a standstill until Monster X transformed into his proper form, dubbed Kaiser Ghidorah. The Ghidorah subspecies was on the verge of executing Godzilla before the humans intervened by blasting him in the back of the dorsal fins to power him up from the Gotengo. Despite his first and last appearance, Monster X is among the few to manhandle Godzilla.
3 Godzilla
It all started with a freight ship that had disappeared near Odo Island. The only message the mainland could make out from their distress signal was about a flash of blinding light before absolute silence. Godzilla is arguably one of the most powerful monsters in the Kaiju genre. The king of the monsters has proved his superiority repeatedly with his numerous victories over multiple opponents. Godzilla has proven extremely powerful by taking on opponents physically larger than him.
Due to his unique regenerative abilities and tough exterior, he is difficult to damage. However, his atomic breath has shown to be his greatest weapon, as it has severely injured and killed many of his enemies. Despite his impressive win record, two other monsters are more powerful than Godzilla.
2 King Ghidorah
Throughout the franchise, Godzilla has bested some of the most powerful monsters, but there has always been one Kaiju he has needed help against on multiple occasions. King Ghidorah is Godzilla’s main rival, as the battles between these two titans have been fought over forty years. King Ghidorah, one of the few monsters to completely tower over Godzilla, has been the bane of the king’s existence, battering him to the ground through various films.
Except for the GMK variant, Godzilla has always needed the help of other Kaiju to defeat the tri-headed dragon, and even then, it was no easy feat. From his gravity beams to his intimidating presence, Ghidorah has earned the right to be crowned the king of the cosmos.
1 Mechagodzilla
Godzilla's threat did not go unnoticed by the various governments and alien species that dwell in the franchise, so to fight a monster, they built one. Next to King Ghidorah, Mechagodzilla is one of the few monsters to brutalize Godzilla. The Simians built the first iteration of the mech in the Showa era for long-range combat, equipped with various missiles and lasers to strike down its organic counterpart.
The second version was built from the remains of Mecha-King Ghidorah and nearly succeeded in killing off Godzilla if not for the intervention of Rodan. The third incarnation, dubbed Kiryu, was bioengineered from the bones of the first Godzilla and bested his descendant on two occasions. Fans of the legendary series will remember the absolute thrashing that Godzilla received before being aided by Kong.