Published May 11, 2026, 9:00 PM EDT
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Warning: Spoilers for Monarch: Legacy of Monsters season 2, episode 10
Godzilla has proven more than once that he is the rightful King of the Monsters in Legendary's Monsterverse. Kong has accomplished some incredible feats, having defeated the likes of Mechagodzilla, Skar King, and the giant Skullcrawler in Kong: Skull Island. But despite the prowess he's shown, there's still an unmistakable gap between him and Godzilla, whose status as the Monsterverse's alpha Titan is undisputed.
Prior to Godzilla vs. Kong, the only onscreen battles to have occurred between the two monsters were in thei iconic 1961 Toho crossover film, King Kong vs. Godzilla. Although Godzilla had the advantage through most of the fighter, Kong was ultimately declared the winner, as only he emerged from the water after both fell in at the end of the movie. The ending has since been the subject of debate, with many feeling that Kong's victory was unearned. After all, Kong is traditionally much smaller than Godzilla.
The Monsterverse has taken a markedly different approach to Godzilla and Kong's conflict. Ahead of Godzilla vs. Kong, there was once again much debate over who should - and would - triumph over the other. In the end, it was Godzilla who got the win. And what's more, it was a decisive one.
Kong has since had his fair share of positive moments in the Monsterverse, but the franchise has made it clear through repeated reminders that as strong as he may be, he isn't taking away Godzilla's crown.
Godzilla Was Declared The Only Titan Who Could Beat Ghidorah
Even before Godzilla and Kong first came to blows in the Monsterverse, there was already a sign that Kong would be the underdog in their battle. In Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Diane Foster asks if any Titan is capable of defeating King Ghidorah, prompting Dr. Ishiro Serizawa to respond with, "only one," meaning Godzilla. The absence of any mention of Kong is noteworthy, considering that the Titan is referenced in the film and absolutely a creature Monarch is well familiar with.
After first encountering Kong in the 1970s, Monarch built an outpost on Skull Island and has since been keeping a close eye on the monster. So there's no doubt that Monarch has a complete profile on the Titan and his physical capabilities. Were he strong enough to possibly be a match for Ghidorah, it stands to reason that at least one of the scientists present would have floated the idea of Kong challenging Monster Zero.
In hindsight, it's fair to say that Monarch was right about Godzilla and Ghidorah. Kong is indeed powerful, but Ghidorah's gravity beams and multiple heads make him a force to be reckoned with that may have proven too much for Kong to handle. Ghidorah came closer to killing Godzilla than Kong ever did, and is arguably in a higher position of the power structure in the Monsterverse.
Godzilla Could Have Killed Kong In The First Minute Of Their Fight
Godzilla vs. Kong wasted no time in demonstrating Godzilla's superiority over Kong in battle. It was apparent from the first fight when they battled over the aircraft carrier in the ocean. Godzilla overpowered Kong with limited difficulty, forcing the human characters to step in and save him. They concocted a plan to make Kong seem dead so that Godzilla would leave.
While this was a total victory for Godzilla, in fairness to Kong, it's worth noting that Godzilla had the kaiju equivalent of homefield advantage. Much of the fight took place in the water, where Godzilla spends the majority of his time. But, Godzilla was winning even before the two fell into the water; after delivering a strong punch to Kong's jaw, Godzilla countered with one of his own. Godzilla was merely staggered by Kong's blow, but Godzilla's put Kong on his back.
And had the humans not intervened, Godzilla would have finished off Kong with his atomic breath.
Despite Many Disadvantages, Godzilla Defeats Kong In The Rematch
The circumstances for the rematch were considerably different. Being in a city, Kong had room to fully utilize his agility, dodging Godzilla's bursts of atomic breath. And while Kong was likely tired himself, Godzilla had just blasted a hole all the way through to the Monsterverse's Hollow Earth, which presumably drained a large portion of his energy. And most importantly, Kong had a weapon: an axe that could absorb the energy from Godzilla's atomic breath.
Kong handled himself much better for this fight, wounding Godzilla with the axe and landing a number of hits on the King of the Monsters. But Kong's momentum didn't last, resulting in a scene where Godzilla triumphantly towers over a beaten Kong, roaring in his face to assert his dominance, which was finally no longer in question.
Godzilla Beats Kong Again In Egypt
Another opportunity to defeat Godziilla arose in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire when the two Titans clashed in Egypt. Similar to the situation with the axe in Godzilla vs. Kong, Kong required a weapon to even the playing field with Godzilla. The BEAST Glove turned out to be a formidable weapon, with Kong pummeling Godzilla into unconsciousness, albeit very briefly. However, this was not the end of the fight, as Godzilla almost immediately woke up.
Kong fought back, but was unable to keep with Godzilla's relentless onslaught of attacks. Again, Godzilla's superiority was on full display; Godzilla's brute strength won out over Kong's agility and intelligence. Godzilla overpowered Kong for the final time and nearly killed him. The only thing that stood in the way of Kong's death this time was Mothra, who convinced them to stop fighting. This was the second fight where it was necessary for a third party to intervene against Godzilla on Kong's behalf.
Kong Almost Loses To Titan X
Godzilla and Kong have never crossed paths in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, and yet, the series delivered yet another moment where it was made clear that Godzilla is more powerful than Kong. Both engaged in showdowns with Titan X, a massive, aquatic monster with physical similarities to Biollante. Against Godzilla, Titan X held her own impressively well, although there was never any real sense of danger when it came to Godzilla.
Titan X escaped relatively unharmed, with the human characters coming to the conclusion that she survived simply because Godzilla had no intention of killing her. Rather, he was more interested in driving her away from where she wasn't supposed to be.
The battle between Kong and Titan X had notably higher stakes. Kong and Titan X engaged in a heated battle that culminated in the giant ape finding himself in dire straits - until she caught sight of her egg. Granted, Kong's struggles can be at least partially attributed to the fact that the show's human antagonist, Isabel Simmons, was using technology to stir aggression in Titan X.
That said, any advantage this handed Titan X should have been offset by the location. The battle took place on land, in Kong's native environment. Titan X almost won even when she was out of her element, an outcome that never would have come close to occurring in a fight with Godzilla.
First Film Godzilla
Movie(s) Godzilla, Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla vs. Kong, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
English (US) ·