10 Super Monsters in the Godzilla Universe

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Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire2024

If you ask me about any recent thrilling movies, the only one that comes to mind is "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire." It's the kind of movie that gets your blood pumping and adrenaline rushing. Compared to its predecessor, this one has received much better reviews, jumping from 6.7 to 7.5 on Peliplat. The reason is simple: there are more monsters and more fights, while human roles have been reduced to almost unnecessary positions.

In this 115-minute film, there are a total of 9 battles, featuring 8 monsters besides the two main characters, Godzilla and Kong. From nameless giant wild dogs to Scylla, which stands at a towering 105 meters tall and also having appeared in the previous installment, to the powerful Shimo who even injured Kong's arm, and the true antagonist, Skar King...these titanic monsters left me mesmerized.

Compared to the Marvel Universe and DC Universe, the Monster Universe — though building through many films by Legendary Pictures — has never quite reached the same level of popularity. It's uncertain if there will be any sequels after this film, which I find rather regrettable.

No matter what, there are plenty of powerful monsters in the Monster Universe. In this article, I've listed 10 that left a lasting impression on me, with the last one being the most mysterious and the one I'm most interested in.

1. Godzilla

The first one is absolutely the protagonist, Godzilla. Standing at 393 feet tall, it is known as the "guardian of nature." Looking like a walking lizard, though, it's ferocious in combat. Apart from typical physical attacks like claw swipes and tail sweeps, the most formidable is the blue flame it spews out — a high-temperature, scorching flame. In "Godzilla x Kong", its flame has turned pink, further enhancing its power.

2. Kong

Standing at 337 feet tall, Kong is the "protector of humanity." Though slightly shorter than Godzilla, it's more agile and capable of taking on Skullcrawlers alone. Kong is proficient in sign language and is depicted with a mechanical glove in this film, venturing into the Hollow Earth to find his kind and fighting to reclaim his throne. In this installment, Kong maintains his status as the most important monster. With the axe he acquired from Hollow Earth and a mechanical arm crafted by humans, Kong has greatly upgraded his battle power.

3. The Skar King

Like Kong, it's one of the giant apes of the Hollow Earth and a leader of a tribe. Standing at 318 feet tall, it carries a sharp bone whip made from Titan spines, ruling the fiery depths of the Hollow Earth. The Great Apes under its rule bear red palms as marks of enslavement. While it may not match Kong in sheer strength, it boasts rich combat experience — or rather, cunningness. It employs tactics like feigned retreats and tampering with weapons to attack its enemies in dirty ways.

4. Shimo

Among the monsters introduced so far, it's the largest, towering over 1500 feet tall. Its origins are shrouded in mystery. No one knows its backstory, nor any myths recording its existence. It’s said that before the birth of Earth, as the universe expanded after the singularity explosion, a primordial energy was conceived, spreading throughout the universe. After billions of eons, this energy had birthed life on various planets. Among them, the weakest energy entity arrived on primitive Earth and eons later formed into a god-like progenitor monster — Shimo. With just one freezing skill, it repelled the battle-hardened Kong, who had to join Godzilla to barely contend with it.

5. Mothra

Mothra stands at a mere 50 feet tall when crawling, but its wingspan exceeds 800 feet when spread, like a colossal butterfly. Its life cycle includes egg, larva, cocoon, pupa, and adult stages. In battle, Mothra can attack with its forelimbs and has venomous stingers capable of piercing armor on its abdomen — the latter is Mothra's ultimate weapon. In previous Japanese films, Mothra often appeared as a protagonist, and so does it in the Godzilla universe. While not the most formidable monster, Mothra is undoubtedly the most beautiful.

6. Muto

It's Godzilla's archenemy. Muto and Godzilla once coexisted in the same era; both are ancient giants that fed on radiation. As Godzilla possesses organs capable of producing radiation, Muto would lay eggs inside Godzilla, with the hatchlings killing their host. Male Mutos are smaller than Godzilla but can fly, while female ones cannot fly but are slightly larger than Godzilla. They are the first monsters to appear in the Godzilla universe, and both were defeated by Godzilla in the end.

7. Ghidorah

Standing at 520 feet tall with a wingspan of 1700 feet, Ghidorah surpasses Godzilla and Kong in size, second only to the super monster Shimo. Known as "Monster Zero," Ghidorah descended to Earth from outer space in ancient times, capable of surviving without oxygen and immune to many Earthly rules. With trace amounts of gold on its skin serving as a conduit for storing bio-electricity, Golden electricity can be discharged from its body, known as "Gravity Beams." Ghidorah's mouths serve as offensive weapons, and its three heads are regenerative, each thinking independently with varying levels of intelligence as a result of different frontal lobe density. Although the three heads are independent, they can telepathically communicate with each other.

8. Rodan

A flame-spewing giant bird mutated from a pteranodon, with a wingspan ranging from 265 to 266 meters and a height of around 47 meters. Rodan is a fickle monster in the Godzilla series, often wavering between different monster factions, sometimes appearing as a good monster and other times turning bad. Rodan's body can absorb and release various forms of energy, including nuclear energy, electricity, and flames. Rodan's attacks include emitting heat rays from its mouth, launching wind blades from its wings, and engaging in close combat with its claws and tail. Rodan is incredibly fast in flight, easily evading enemy attacks.

9. Behemoth

Known as the king of the tropical rainforest, its height is very close to Godzilla's, reaching 354 feet. Covered in long fur and featuring two enormous tusks along with a brown appearance, it resembles a king of ancient mammoths. It's a herbivorous Titan who also absorbs natural radiation. Generally docile, it won't attack humans unless threatened or controlled by Ghidorah. Behemoth is a benign protector almost symbiotic with its environment, bringing life into previously barren landscapes. Its copious excretions serve as nutrient-rich fertilizer, facilitating the regeneration of entire rainforests, restoring ecological balance, and strengthening the Earth's ecological immune system.

10. Mini Kong SUKO

SUKO is a bad-tempered, combative, and mischievous little warrior living in the Hollow Earth, with an average height of 149 feet. Its origins remain a mystery, with no information found in either the movie or past materials. I speculate it might be the son of the main antagonist, the Skar King, as it shares striking resemblance to the Skar King in color and shape. Among the 100-plus Kongs in the Skar King's cave, SUKO is the only one of its kind. If there are further films in the Kong series, it's likely they'll delve into its rise to prominence. What do you think?

Catch you later for more movie musings!