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Three heads, a metal doppelgänger, and a monster born from pollution — Godzilla's rogues' gallery is endlessly inventive. Join us as we count down our picks for the King of the Monsters' greatest adversaries, spanning classic Toho films and the MonsterVerse! Which kaiju do you think deserves the top spot? Let us know in the comments below!
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for Godzilla's greatest monster adversaries, from the Japanese films to
00:07the MonsterVerse.
00:08We're considering memorable designs and battles, along with each enemy's place in the franchise.
00:21Number 20. Kamakuras
00:24Picking on a newborn is an effective way to get on Godzilla's bad side.
00:27In Son of Godzilla, a disastrous weather-controlled experiment creates a radioactive storm that makes the island's already oversized mantises
00:35grow even larger.
00:36The creatures dig up an enormous egg and break it open, exposing Manila to a particularly unpleasant welcome.
00:49Their bladed forelimbs make them frightening company for a creature who can barely defend himself.
00:54Godzilla answers Manila's cries, and kills two of the attackers, while the third escapes.
01:00The survivor eventually falls victim to Kumanga.
01:02They're fairly low on the kaiju food chain, but their attack gives Godzilla a very good reason to start throwing
01:07punches.
01:15Number 19. Gabara
01:37Gabara deserves recognition for sheer pettiness.
01:40This wartsy, electrically charged brute spends his time tormenting Manila, who's smaller and frightened of him.
01:46He appears within the dreams of Ichiro, a lonely boy whose real luck tormentor shares the monster's name.
01:52That makes Gabara's nastiness unusually easy to understand.
01:55He enjoys having someone weaker to push around.
01:58Gabara?
01:58Sona kaiju いたかな?
02:01Ijimeっ子の参考だよ!
02:02Haha!
02:03Ano gaki大将が Gabaraってのか?
02:06Daibu ijimeられてるな!今日だって、ぼくのひろってしん空かん取り上げたんだよ
02:12!取り返せばいいじゃないか!
02:16だって、ぼくあいちより弱いんだもん!
02:16With Ichiro's encouragement, Manila finally fights back, and Gabara makes the mistake of taking his frustration out on Godzilla.
02:23The resulting beating is thoroughly deserved.
02:25He may have had somewhat of a limited role, but few Godzilla enemies are so specifically designed to make you
02:30want to get them flattened.
02:31Waii kata kata kata kata!やっぱり
02:35Godzilla cireな! Big bird gabara!
02:42Number 18, Kumanga.
02:43Kumanga. Anyone who's
02:44uncomfortable around an
02:45ordinary spider should probably avoid Sojelle Island. Kumanga has enormously long legs,
02:50webbing strong enough to restrain Godzilla, and a venomous stinger tucked into its mouth.
02:54In Son of Godzilla, it traps both Manila and Akamakuras, then begins feeding on the dead mantis while the baby
03:01monster waits nearby.
03:02Godzilla arrives before Manila becomes the next course, but fighting the spider means getting through its sticky defenses and staying
03:08clear of that stinger.
03:09Father and son finally combine their atomic breath to burn it.
03:12The threat is straightforward. Once Kumanga traps its prey, it can savor the kill at its leisure.
03:18Number 17, Eberra.
03:29The waters around Lechi Island have a particularly aggressive resident.
03:33Eberra is an enormous lobster-like monster whose claws make escape by boat a dangerous proposition.
03:39The Red Bamboo Organization uses a repellent to keep its own vessel safe, while the creature helps keep the island's
03:45prisoners trapped.
03:59That gives Eberra a useful role in the story, before Godzilla ever enters the water.
04:04Their fights are satisfyingly physical, with the crustacean trying to pin down an opponent who can fight back at close
04:10range.
04:11Godzilla eventually tears off its claws, and sends it retreating.
04:15Eberra is a modest threat by this franchise's standards, but those claws make for an undeniably striking first impression.
04:28Number 16, Scar King.
04:46Scar King earns his place through cruelty.
04:48Deep within Hollow Earth, he rules over other great apes, and forces Shimo to obey him through a crystal that
04:54causes her pain.
04:55He is quick to use that to his advantage, when Kong proves difficult to handle.
05:01The combination of his whip and Shimo's freezing breath allows him to threaten opponents who could otherwise overpower him.
05:07His strongest rivalry is with Kong, but his ambitions bring Godzilla into the fight, too.
05:12Watching Zuko destroy the crystal, in turn freeing Shimo to turn on her captor, gives his defeat a welcome sense
05:18of payback.
05:19Every time Scar King abuses his authority, he makes that ending all the more satisfying.
05:23If you're already arguing with our ranking, bring that debate to our 24-7 WatchMojo Pop Culture Livestream.
05:29Join fellow movie fans in the chat, and make your case for the kaiju who deserves the top spot.
05:33Come hang out, and keep the movie debates going with us.
05:38Number 15, Rodan.
05:40You got a catchy name for this one?
05:42Local legends call it Rodan, the fire demon.
05:47That's comforting.
05:49Rodan's loyalties have varied across the films, and he's often fought alongside Godzilla.
05:53His Monsterverse incarnation, though, gives us plenty of reasons to include him here.
05:57We need time to finish the evacuation.
05:59Then you better hurry, because it's closing in fast.
06:02It's not a coincidence that Monster Zero thing is headed here.
06:05It's reacting to Big Bird's cries.
06:08That means it's coming for food, a fight, or a...
06:11Something more intimate.
06:12What do you suggest?
06:13Awakened from a Mexican volcano, he tears through the air with enough force to devastate the city below, then sheds
06:19the aircraft sent to draw him away.
06:21After losing a fight with Ghidorah, he falls in behind the new Alpha, and attacks Mothra during the battle in
06:26Boston.
06:27His Volcanic appearance suits that aggressive behavior, especially when he's bearing down on something much smaller.
06:33Rodan ultimately bows to Godzilla.
06:35Still, he remains a dangerous threat until a clear winner emerges.
06:39Get out of there, he's on your tail!
06:41Get out of there!
06:50Cobra's Ramter is off the team!
06:52Number 14, Batra
06:59The Earth created Batra to punish an ancient civilization for interfering with its climate.
07:04Unfortunately, he became so destructive that Mothra had to intervene.
07:08When he returns in Godzilla vs. Mothra, that hostility makes him a threat to humans and monsters alike.
07:14His armored larval form is particularly intimidating, with its enormous horn and jagged silhouette, while his winged form allows him
07:21to continue the fight overhead.
07:22There's more to him than aggression, though.
07:25Batra eventually cooperates with Mothra against Godzilla, eventually dying while helping carry their opponent out to sea.
07:31His turbulent relationship with Mothra gives their battles some welcome tension, especially when they finally choose to trust each other.
07:54What is it?
08:00Megagiris
08:01An attempt to eliminate Godzilla with a black hole weapon leaves Japan with another monster problem.
08:06A prehistoric insect slips through a temporary wormhole and lays eggs, eventually producing a swarm that feeds on Godzilla's energy.
08:13The survivors deliver that stolen power to their queen, allowing Megagiris to emerge.
08:18She's a fast, vicious opponent, whose stinger can drain energy directly from her target.
08:31Godzilla has to deal with her speed and sudden changes of position, before he can land a decisive hit.
08:36Those tactics give the fight a different rhythm from the usual exchange of laser beams and body blows.
08:41Breaking that stinger finally opens the way for Godzilla to finish her off.
08:52Number 12, Orga
09:07Orga makes borrowing Godzilla's DNA look like the terrible idea it is.
09:11In Godzilla 2000, extraterrestrials seek out the regenerative properties in his cells, but absorbing them instead produces a hulking mutation.
09:19The resulting creature can recover from serious injuries, which makes simply blasting it apart a temporary solution.
09:33Its attempt to become more like Godzilla grows increasingly grotesque, until it opens its mouth wide enough to begin swallowing
09:40him.
09:40Godzilla allows himself to be partially engulfed, then releases a nuclear pulse that destroys Orga from within.
09:46It's an especially unpleasant encounter with an enemy, whose body keeps changing, and that expanding mouth gives the battle an
09:52image you don't easily forget.
09:59Number 11, Titanosaurus
10:17Mechagodzilla had a particularly useful accomplice in his second film, 1975's Terror of Mechagodzilla.
10:23Under the control of scientist Shinzo Mufune, Titanosaurus joins the rebuilt robot in an assault on Tokyo.
10:28Now, Godzilla is going to lead to Titanosaurus.
10:34If they fight, even if they were killed, Godzilla will lose their strength again.
10:42At that time, we will fight Tokyo.
10:45His long neck and broad fins give him a distinctive appearance, and his tail can generate winds powerful enough to
10:51send buildings and opponents flying.
10:53Alongside Mechagodzilla, he helps overwhelm Godzilla until the humans exploit his vulnerability to sonic waves.
11:00Titanosaurus is a controlled creature, which makes his part in the destruction more sympathetic than the robots.
11:05Even so, he's a formidable combatant throughout the film.
11:08A second enemy who can knock Godzilla off his feet, makes Mechagodzilla's arsenal considerably harder to survive.
11:21Number 10, Mutos
11:32Godzilla's first MonsterVerse enemies make a dangerous pair.
11:36The winged male and much larger grounded female feed on radiation and converge on San Francisco to reproduce.
11:42Their electromagnetic pulses disrupt human technology, while their coordinated attacks put Godzilla under serious pressure.
11:56That teamwork is what earns them this position.
11:59He can handle either creature more comfortably when the other isn't attacking his exposed flank.
12:03Their nest also gives the human characters a direct way to influence the fight.
12:07Both monsters receive memorable deaths, especially the female, whose jaws Godzilla pries open before firing atomic breath down her throat.
12:15Their effect of opponents, and defeating them gives this version of Godzilla a spectacular introduction.
12:26Number 9, Monster X and Kaiser Ghidorah
12:35By the time Monster X arrives, Godzilla has already battered his way through much of the Final Wars lineup.
12:42This skeletal-looking alien can actually stand his ground.
12:45His physical strength and gravity beams give Godzilla a sustained fight, even before the transformation into Kaiser Ghidorah.
13:00That enormous four-legged dragon overpowers Godzilla and drains his energy, leaving the King of the Monsters in urgent need
13:07of help.
13:07Ozaki transfers his own power to Godzilla, allowing him to turn the battle around.
13:12The two forms work well together as a final opponent.
13:15Monster X establishes a credible threat.
13:17Then Kaiser Ghidorah makes Godzilla's earlier victories look much easier by comparison.
13:24Number 8, Megalon
13:30Megalon's drill hands let him burrow underground, and batter opponents once he reaches the surface.
13:34He can also fire lightning from his horn, and spit explosive napalm projectiles, giving Sea-topia's insect-like guardian plenty
13:42of ways to wreck a city.
13:45The Sea-topians unleash him after nuclear testing damages their underground kingdom, and then recruit Gigan when their attack runs
13:51into trouble.
13:52The ensuing fight against Godzilla and Jet Jaguar is gloriously unruly, with the villains using their combined attacks to hem
13:59in the heroes.
14:00Megalon can be clumsy and easily led, but that suits the film's broad entertainment value.
14:04Watching him and Gigan get their comeuppance is a large part of the fun.
14:13Number 7, SpaceGodzilla
14:16The shoulder crystals announce that something's gone very wrong with this version of Godzilla.
14:34Scientists theorize that SpaceGodzilla developed from Godzilla's cells carried into space, although the film leaves their route uncertain.
14:41His behavior is easier to judge.
14:43He imprisons little Godzilla in crystals, then establishes a fortress in Fukuoka, using the city's tower to channel energy.
14:52His telekinesis and defensive shield make approaching him difficult, while those crystal structures keep feeding his power.
14:58Godzilla needs help for Mogera to dismantle the stronghold and weaken his occupant.
15:02The elaborate abilities are appealing, but trapping LittleGodzilla is the detail that makes this cosmic rival feel particularly spiteful.
15:15Number 6, Hedera
15:35Industrial pollution gives Hedera everything it needs to thrive.
15:38This alien organism feeds on Earth's waste, growing into a sludge-covered monster, whose presence poisons the surrounding environment.
15:54It's changing form allows it to move through water, over land, and into the air, spreading destruction wherever it goes.
16:01The human casualties are exceptionally grim, and Godzilla suffers badly when he comes into contact with his corrosive body.
16:07Beating Hedera requires figuring out how to dry it out, then making absolutely sure there's nothing left inside.
16:13The environmental warning is built directly into the creature's appetite.
16:16Every smokestack and polluted waterway offers another meal, making humanity's own mess a constant source of strength for Godzilla's enemy.
16:28Number 5, Biolante
16:51Biolante begins with a father who can't accept his daughter's death.
16:54Dr. Shiragami combines Erika's cells with a rose, then adds Godzilla's cells, creating a life-form that grows far beyond
17:00his control.
17:01Her first major form resembles an enormous flower.
17:04When she returns to fight Godzilla again, she's become a sprawling creature with a crocodilian head, and tendrils ending in
17:10hungry mouths.
17:11The scale of that second form is staggering, and its organic movement makes the confrontation deeply unsettling.
17:21Yet Erika's presence gives Biolante a sadness that complicates any straightforward villain label.
17:26As her spores dissipate into the cosmos, and Erika's visage fades into the stars, a grieving father is left with
17:32only his lost daughter's haunting echo.
17:39Number 4, Gigan
17:46Thoroughly unpleasant before he even throws his first punch, Gigan's hooked arms, red visor, and enormous buzzsaw make him one
17:53of Godzilla's most distinctive enemies.
17:55His behavior lives up to that appearance.
17:57He attacks alongside Ghidorah in his debut, then returns to help Megalon, taking advantage of having a partner to keep
18:03the opposition occupied.
18:10He's also perfectly willing to retreat when a fight turns against him.
18:13Final Wars gives him another vicious redesign, and eventually replaces his hooks with chainsaws.
18:18His upgraded weaponry still can't save him from Mothra, but the enthusiasm for excessive violence remains intact.
18:24Gigan's appeal is immediate.
18:26Every part of him looks capable of doing something nasty.
18:33Number 3, Destoroyah
18:35The weapon that killed the original Godzilla leaves behind a horrifying consequence.
18:40Organisms mutated by the Oxygen Destroyer develop into Destoroyah, combining and changing form until they produce an enormous winged monster.
18:48The smaller creatures are disturbing enough when they attack people at close quarters.
18:52The final form can challenge a Godzilla who's already approaching nuclear meltdown,
18:56and it makes their confrontation painfully personal by fatally wounding Junior.
19:00Godzilla's attempt to revive his son gives the fight an emotional weight few monster battles can match.
19:05The military's freezing weapons finally help bring Destoroyah down, shortly before Godzilla succumbs.
19:10By attacking Junior, the creature makes those final hours agonizing for a father, who's desperately trying to protect his son.
19:17Number 2, Mechagodzilla
19:35It's no secret that Mechagodzilla's original introduction is hard to beat.
19:39Disguised as Godzilla, he savagely attacks Anguirus before the real monster exposes the metal beneath his false skin.
19:46Then, the missiles start flying.
20:02The alien machine can attack from several directions at once, forcing Godzilla and King Caesar to survive a barrage before
20:08they can close in.
20:10Later versions have different purposes, including human-built defenders like Kiryu, so they don't all fit the same villainous mold.
20:16For Outright Menace, the 1974 original and the MonsterVerse version make the strongest case.
20:22In Godzilla vs. Kong, the robot brutalizes and exhausted Godzilla so effectively that Kong has to step in.
20:46Always on, always on, always live.
20:47Are you not entertained?
20:50Are you not entertained?
20:50Number 1, King Ghidorah
21:11Three heads, enormous wings, and golden scales give Ghidorah an appearance worthy of Godzilla's greatest rival.
21:18His 1964 debut establishes the size of the problem. Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra have to cooperate to drive him off
21:25Earth.
21:26Across later incarnations, that threat keeps finding new expressions.
21:30The MonsterVerse version generates violent storms, regrows a severed head, and calls other titans into a worldwide rampage.
21:42Even his heads have individual personalities, giving their reactions an unsettling life of their own.
21:47His battles give the series some of its clearest contests for dominance.
21:50When those three heads rise above the destruction, Godzilla has an opponent who's entirely capable of taking his crown.
22:02Is it just me, or has he been working out?
22:05Are you kidding me?
22:06Sarazawa's got that lizard juiced.
22:09Which monster deserves another shot at Godzilla?
22:11Are there any baddies we missed?
22:12Be sure to let us know in the comments.
22:14Be sure to let us know in the comments.
22:18Be sure to let us know in the comments below, do not go out or answer those of these will
22:19run.
22:19Don't consider him as a star-sprupel.
22:19The most important thing is to keep a song with thejekt turned.
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