7 Most Powerful Kaiju That Aren’t Godzilla

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For around 70 years, giant monster movies, known as kaiju films, have entertained audiences, and some monsters are definitely more powerful than others. Godzilla is undoubtedly the king, both in popularity and strength. He’s famous for his atomic breath, towering height (around 400 feet, depending on the movie), and incredibly strong tail, which he uses to destroy cities. While other countries have created their own giant monsters – like Gorgo, Reptilicus, and Yongary – none have come close to matching Godzilla’s success with audiences, or his ability to win in a fight. They simply couldn’t compete with the ‘Big-G’.

We’ve focused on non-mechanical monsters, so characters like Mechagodzilla and Mechani-Kong aren’t included. Gamera also didn’t quite make the list, which some might disagree with. While he’s incredibly durable with his shell and can breathe fire, we felt the other monsters had a slight advantage over him, and even over Godzilla himself.

7) Guilala

Guilala might seem a bit silly – like a bulky, space-age chicken – but just like the movie he’s in, The X from Outer Space, he’s actually a fantastic and often overlooked monster. And he’s seriously strong! When it comes to epic monster battles and city-smashing action, The X from Outer Space is right up there with the classic Godzilla films from the 1960s.

Guilala originated from spores fired by a UFO that landed on Earth. When these spores come into contact with acid, they transform into the massive monster. Despite his clumsy appearance, Guilala is surprisingly fast, and can even turn into a flying sphere, creating destructive winds like Rodan. He can also absorb both nuclear and electrical energy, making most conventional weapons ineffective. Combined with his ability to shoot fireballs, Guilala is a truly powerful foe.

Stream The X from Outer Space on HBO Max.

6) Mega-Kaiju

Though Pacific Rim Uprising isn’t directed by Guillermo del Toro, it still has some strengths. The new characters are more engaging, and the film marks a strong debut for Cailee Spaeny – you’d never guess it was one of her first acting roles.

Overall, the movie struggles with uninspired writing and action scenes that largely consist of robots fighting each other, feeling very similar to a Transformers film. Things get more interesting when Charlie Day’s Dr. Newton Geiszler unleashes the Mega-Kaiju – a massive monster created by combining three others: Raijin, Shrikethorn, and Hakuja. This new creature gains all the powers and physical traits of its components, such as Shrikethorn’s spikes and Raijin’s ability to use stored energy.

Stream Pacific Rim: Uprising on YouTube TV.

5) SpaceGodzilla

SpaceGodzilla is a strong candidate to be the main villain in the new Godzilla x Kong: Supernova movie. He represents the Heisei series’ trend of creating incredibly powerful enemies for Godzilla before it ended. SpaceGodzilla matches Godzilla in strength, but also has unique abilities that Godzilla lacks. It actually took a combined effort from Godzilla and a giant, human-built robot named MOGUERA to defeat him.

SpaceGodzilla is just as strong and durable as Godzilla. Both have incredibly powerful breath attacks – Godzilla’s is atomic breath, while SpaceGodzilla fires a Crona Beam, which is similar in power but travels in a more twisting pattern. SpaceGodzilla also has a unique defense: a Photon Reactive Shield, visible as the crystals on his shoulders, which can deflect Godzilla’s atomic breath. Finally, SpaceGodzilla can fly, a skill Godzilla doesn’t possess.

4) Iris

As a huge fan of giant monster movies, I always thought Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris was a fantastic way to end the Heisei Gamera series – much like Godzilla vs. Destoroyah wrapped up that era of Godzilla films. Both movies featured a monster that dramatically changed forms throughout the fight. But honestly, with Iris, it didn’t really feel like a truly scary kaiju until it hit its final, most evolved stage.

When Iris reaches its final form, its tentacles end in sharp spears and can fire powerful laser beams capable of piercing even Gamera’s shell. It’s also incredibly fast and protects itself with a shield that deflects Gamera’s fireballs, making it very difficult to hit.

Stream Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris on Prime Video.

3) King Ghidorah

King Ghidorah, especially in his mechanical form, is one of the few monsters to ever defeat Godzilla. Even without the mechanical enhancements, he’s consistently presented a serious challenge to Godzilla.

King Ghidorah is a massive creature, and his attacks can easily knock Godzilla down, especially when he’s flying. But his size isn’t his only strength – he has three heads, each capable of firing a powerful Gravity Beam, similar to lightning. This allows Ghidorah to battle multiple opponents simultaneously, which often happens. It’s fair to say Ghidorah usually loses only when overwhelmed by numbers. For example, in Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, he fought Godzilla, Mothra, and Rodan all at once. Invasion of Astro-Monster saw him battling Godzilla and Rodan again, and Destroy All Monsters featured a fight against nearly every monster Toho had created up to that point. While the battles in Godzilla vs. Gigan and Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah might have been more balanced, even those were lengthy, showing how powerful Ghidorah truly is.

Stream Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah on HBO Max.

2) Gigan

If SpaceGodzilla isn’t included in the new movie, Gigan would be a great choice. He first appeared in Godzilla vs. Gigan, which is a really fun film from the older Showa series. While his scary reputation took a hit in Godzilla vs. Megalon, he’s still a powerful and frightening monster.

Gigan is a terrifying kaiju with massive hooks for hands and a chainsaw built into his stomach. He also has a sharp metal beak and a powerful laser beam that shoots from above his single eye. He’s dangerous to other monsters, both up close and from a distance. In Godzilla Final Wars, Gigan received even more dangerous upgrades: he can now launch guided blades from his chest, and his laser beam was enhanced into a wide-range, shotgun-like blast from his eye. To make matters worse, Gigan can fly, meaning there’s nowhere to escape from him.

Stream Godzilla vs. Gigan on HBO Max.

1) Destoroyah

Destoroyah is a compelling monster because his story connects back to the very first Godzilla film. What’s also unique is his ability to transform into different shapes—even his smallest forms, like the tiny crab-like creatures, are intimidating. These begin as Micro and Crawl forms, eventually evolving into a six-legged, pincer-wielding Juvenile.

The Juvenile form of Destoroyah is frightening, especially when fighting normal soldiers – it’s very similar to the creatures in the movie Aliens. However, it’s when Destoroyah transforms into its Aggregate Form, growing extra-long claws on its shoulders, that things get more dangerous. This form is stronger and can fly, and its Micro-Oxygen beam is more powerful. But even that pales in comparison to its ultimate Perfect Form. Reaching a height of 400 feet, the Perfect Form isn’t just on par with Godzilla – it’s superior in every way. If Godzilla hadn’t already been weakened and dying during the events of Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (which gave him a stronger atomic breath), Destoroyah would have certainly won.

Stream Godzilla vs. Destoroyah for free with ads on The Roku Channel.

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2025-11-11 00:41