Over the years, the various heroes and villains in Godzilla’s universe have engaged in a number of heated kaiju battles. Seven decades of cinematic history for the King of the Monsters has yielded dozens of monster match-ups, some of which being fights that didn’t include Godzilla himself. Whether it’s because he hadn’t arrived on the scene yet, the fight was happening in a spinoff, or he was in no shape to get involved, multiple battles have been waged between other monsters tied to the Godzilla franchise.
With Godzilla at their side, fan-favorites like Rodan, Mothra, and Anguirus have managed to score victories against kaiju as powerful as King Ghidorah. Of course, in several of these situations, such as the one that played out in Godzilla vs. Gigan, it was Godzilla who did most of the heavy lifting. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that monster fights tend to turn out quite differently when, for one reason or another, Godzilla isn’t on hand. Sometimes, they prove that they can win with or without Godzilla. In other instances, the battle goes in the other monster’s favor.
10 Moguera vs. SpaceGodzilla (Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla
Result: SpaceGodzilla wins
Though originally built as the humans’ best defense against Godzilla, Moguera wound up being a weapon against SpaceGodzilla. Though it ultimately played a role in Godzilla’s win at the end of Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla, it was shown to be severely outmatched in a fair fight. A space battle between the two, which was more of a series of fly-by attacks than a true slugfest, resulted in a fairly easy win for SpaceGodzilla. When Mogeura squared off against it on the ground, it was once again unable to defend against SpaceGodzilla’s overwhelming power. It took Godzilla’s involvement for the fight to become contested in any way.
9 Megalon vs. Jet Jaguar (Godzilla vs. Megalon)
Result: Undecided
In some ways, Jet Jaguar was the real star of Godzilla vs. Megalon. Created by two human scientists, the heroic robot faced off with Megalon before Godzilla and Gigan turned it into a two-on-two showdown. Showcasing Megalon’s mobility in the air and digging power, the fight challenged Jet Jaguar, but despite Megalon’s unique skills, the robot impressively held his own. However, the battle didn’t last long enough for a conclusive winner, though Jet Jaguar did seem to have the upper hand when Gigan arrived. When he did, the battle quickly became one-sided (until Godzilla showed up to even the odds).
8 Mothra vs. Battra (Godzilla vs. Mothra)
Result: Undecided
Prior to the scene where they put aside their ancient rivalry to focus on Godzilla in Godzilla vs. Mothra, Mothra and her evil counterpart were battling it out in Japan. History dictated that Mothra would win, as it had been established earlier on that Mothra won their original fight thousands of years ago. But in the modern-day rematch, it was Battra who was shaping up to be the victor. The fight was proving to be an epic battle between ancient rivals, but the sudden arrival of Godzilla cut it short and forced a reluctant team-up between the two.
7 Anguirus vs. Mechagodzilla (Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla)
Result: Mechagodzilla wins
Mechagodzilla’s movie debut came in the form of a battle with Anguirus in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla in 1974. Disguised as the real Godzilla, Mechagodzilla came across Anguirus, who recognized that something was different about the King of the Monsters. What followed was one of the most brutal scenes ever to occur in the history of the franchise. Anguirus endured a torturous amount of injuries during the fight, in which he stood no chance. The bloody wounds Godzilla’s lovable kaiju ally sustained from Godzilla’s robotic counterpart served as a testament to Mechagodzilla’s power level and capacity for evil.
6 Rodan vs. Ghidorah (Godzilla: King Of The Monsters)
Result: Ghidorah wins
King Ghidorah’s first win in a Godzilla movie occurred at Rodan’s expense in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. After waking up and clashing with the humans, Rodan flew into battle with Ghidorah. As the King of the Skies, Rodan likely would have been a match for nearly any other Titan in an air battle, but Ghidorah’s larger size and greater strength made it an impossible situation for the classic kaiju. That said, he put up a good fight for as long as he could, and it’s hard to imagine many monsters surviving an up-close encounter with Monster Zero in the sky.
5 Mothra vs. Ghidorah (Rebirth of Mothra III)
Result: Mothra wins
Though Mothra has won her fair share of fights, she’s typically regarded as weak in comparison to most Godzilla monsters due to her frail frame. However, Mothra Leo, the version of the kaiju who headlined the Rebirth of Mothra trilogy, managed to obtain a clear-cut win against one of Godzilla’s strongest opponents. Throughout Rebirth of Mothra III, Ghidorah was clearly the more powerful of the two kaiju, but the ending saw the tide turn when Mothra transformed into “Armor Mothra.” Courtesy of its new power-up, Mothra was able to destroy Ghidorah with a powerful laser beam attack, making for an exciting finish.
4 King Kong vs. Gorosaurus (King Kong Escapes)
Result: King Kong Wins
King Kong Escapes featured a battle between two kaiju who would eventually become allies of Godzilla. Ahead of his appearance in Destroy All Monsters where he helped Godzilla and the others take down Ghidorah, Gorosaurus was introduced as an enemy to King Kong. While Gorosaurus wasn’t Kong’s opponent for the finale (this role went to Mechani-Kong), his inclusion helped deliver a fun action sequence. Gorosaurus’ signature kangaroo kick move made beating him a tough challenge for the King of Skull Island.
3 Rodan vs. Mechagodzilla (Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II)
Result: Mechagodzilla wins
Two Godzilla icons – Rodan and Mechagodzilla – had their first and only meeting in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II. Fueled by the humans’ theft of the Godzilla egg Rodan had falsely identified as his brother, the monster went up against Mechagodzilla in the hopes of getting it back. Sporting new fire powers and aided by the advantage of flight, Rodan made for a unique adversary for Mechagodzilla but ultimately wasn’t strong enough to prevail. But even though Mechagodzilla’s victory was never really in doubt, the emotional element of the fight – Rodan’s instinctive desire to save his brother – added something special both to the scene and his sacrifice at the end of the film.
2 Mothra vs. Gigan (Godzilla: Final Wars)
Result: Mothra wins
Rather than ending in a dramatic clash between Godzilla and his main villain, Godzilla: Final Wars gave both the King of the Monsters and Mothra rivals to overcome. Whereas Godzilla was pitted against Keizer Ghidorah, Mothra had to contend with an upgraded Gigan, whom Godzilla had killed earlier in the movie. Gigan’s new cyborg body and menacing new design instantly made Mothra the underdog. The odds being against her made it all the more thrilling when Mothra, after seemingly dying, decapitated Gigan in a shocking display of her prowess.
1 Kong vs. Mechagodzilla (Godzilla Vs. Kong)
Result: Kong wins
Godzilla may have been the winner of Godzilla vs. Kong’s central conflict, but it was Kong who emerged victorious in the film’s final battle. After getting revived by an electric shock from APEX’s aircraft, Kong saved Godzilla from Mechagodzilla and amazingly outperformed Godzilla himself in their battle. Kong’s agility, combined with his Godzilla-powered axe and a little aid from the human characters, helped him land what is arguably his most impressive win to date.
