Monster Complex ™

Ebirah, Horror of the Deep / Godzilla vs the Sea Monster (1966)

Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001)

Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992)

Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994)

Rebirth of Mothra (1996)

Rebirth of Mothra II (1997)

Rebirth of Mothra III (1998)

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

Godzilla: The Planet Eater (2018)

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)

Rodan

First appearance: Rodan (1956)

A colossal, prehistoric, irradiated species of Pteranodon, Rodan has been both a foe and an ally Godzilla. IGN ranked Rodan #6 on their list of “Top 10 Japanese Movie Monsters.” Complex placed Rodan at #15 on its “The 15 Most Badass Kaiju Monsters of All Time.”

Rodan Film Appearances

Rodan (1956)

Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965)

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993)

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)

King Kong

First appearance: King Kong (1933)

The enormous gorilla King Kong has appeared in various media since his debut in 1933. He first appeared in the novelization of the original film, which was released a couple of months before the film’s premiere in theaters. A sequel quickly followed that same year with The Son of Kong, featuring Little Kong. In the 1960s, Toho produced King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) and King Kong Escapes (1967). Kong ranked #12 on Complex’s “15 Most Badass Kaiju Monsters of All Time.”

King Kong Film Appearances

King Kong (1933)

King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

King Kong Escapes (1967)

King Kong (1976)

King Kong Lives (1986)

The Mighty Kong (1998)

Kong: King of Atlantis (2005)

King Kong (2005)

Kong: Return to the Jungle (2006)

Kong: Skull Island (2017)

Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)

Mechagodzilla

First appearance: Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)

Colossal mecha doppelgänger Mechagodzilla debuted as an extraterrestrial villain created by aliens. In subsequent versions, Mechagodzilla is generally a human-made weapon to defend Japan from Godzilla. At one point, its skeleton came from the bones of the original Godzilla. Mechagodzilla ranked #6 on Complex’s “15 Most Badass Kaiju Monsters of All Time.” Mechagodzilla ranked at #4 on IGN’s list of “Top 10 Japanese Movie Monsters.”

Mechagodzilla Film Appearances

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)

Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993)

Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters (2017)

Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)

Gigan

First appearance: Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

A giant, cyborg space reptile, Gigan sports a huge buzzsaw in its abdomen and metal hooks for hands. Gigan, considered one of Godzilla’s most brutal opponents, was the first monster in the series to make Godzilla bleed. Complex placed Gigan at #2 on its “15 Most Badass Kaiju Monsters of All Time.” Gigan appeared in the #5 slot on IGN’s “Top 10 Japanese Movie Monsters.”

Gigan Film Appearances

Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

Hedorah

First appearance: Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971) AKA Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster

Also known as the Smog Monster, the multiple-format monster Hedorah was named for the Japanese word for sludge or garbage. The creature ranked #8 on the “15 Most Badass Kaiju Monsters of All Time.”

Hedorah Film Appearances

Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971)

SpaceGodzilla

First appearance: Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994)

The theory behind SpaceGodzilla’s origins are it was born through Godzilla cells—transported into space either by Mothra or Biollante’s spores—exposed to the radiation of a black hole. The monster placed #11 on the “15 Most Badass Kaiju Monsters of All Time.”

SpaceGodzilla Film Appearance

Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994)

King Ghidorah

First appearance: Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)

King Ghidorah generally appears as a golden, three-headed dragon, but its origins have changed from one appearance to the next. It has been a monster from space, a genetically engineered creature from the future, a guardian of ancient Japan, and a god from another dimension. KG appeared in the #2 slot on “Top 10 Japanese Movie Monsters” and #4 on the “15 Most Badass Kaiju Monsters of All Time.”

King Ghidorah Film Appearances

Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965)

Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001)

Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991)

Rebirth of Mothra III (1998)

Godzilla: The Planet Eater (2018)

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)

Destoroyah

First appearance: Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995)

Destoroyah originated as a colony of microscopic prehistoric crustaceans awakened and mutated in Tokyo Bay when the Oxygen Destroyer was detonated to kill the original Godzilla in 1954. In 1996, the Destoroyahs eventually mature into man-sized creatures, later combine into a flying form, then morphs into an even larger form that is significantly larger than Godzilla. Complex listed the character as #3 on its list of “15 Most Badass Kaiju Monsters of All Time.”

Destoroyah Film Appearance

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995)

Godzilla

First appearance: Gojira (1954)

A worldwide pop culture icon, Godzilla appearing in various media, including dozens of films, video games, novels, comic books and TV shows. An enormous, destructive, prehistoric sea monster awakened and empowered by nuclear radiation, Godzilla was conceived as a metaphor for nuclear weapons. As the film series continued, Godzilla was sometimes a villain, sometimes an antihero, and sometimes even a defender of humanity. In addition to his own gallery of monster friends and foes, Godzilla has also fought characters from other franchises in crossovers, including King Kong, S.H.I.E.L.D., the Fantastic Four, and the Avengers.

Godzilla was voted the most popular movie monster in The Monster Times poll in 1973, beating Count Dracula, King Kong, the Wolf Man, the Mummy, the Creature From the Black Lagoon, and the Frankenstein Monster. In 1996, Godzilla received the MTV Lifetime Achievement Award. Godzilla was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2004 to celebrate the premiere of the 50th anniversary film, Godzilla: Final Wars. Godzilla was ranked #1 on “15 Most Badass Kaiju Monsters of All Time.”

Godzilla Film Appearances

Godzilla (1954)

Godzilla Raids Again (1955)

King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965)

Ebirah, Horror of the Deep / Godzilla vs the Sea Monster (1966)

Son of Godzilla (1967)