Across all eras of the franchise, Godzilla has engaged in a long list of brutal encounters with other kaiju. Monster violence is a staple of the Godzilla franchise that goes all the way back to the early days of the franchise in 1955. Ever since his second movie, Godzilla Raids Again, battles between giant monsters have been an expectation for nearly every installment in the series.
Although quality tends to vary, most of Godzilla’s films have lived up to this standard, delivering all sorts of exciting kaiju matchups. Several of these fights have actually led to peaceful resolutions, such as the time Godzilla and Rodan put aside their differences to beat Ghidorah. Others have concluded with the villain getting away. But in the cases of some, the fighting went too far for one to simply walk away unscathed. Even in some of his earliest movies, the franchise has been known to feature some truly bloody slugfests. Here’s a breakdown of the 10 most brutal fights in Godzilla history.
10 Godzilla Raids Again – Godzilla vs. Anguirus
Unfortunately for the kaiju, Anguirus was on the losing end of more than one brutal battle in the Godzilla franchise. His first came in his debut movie, Godzilla Raids Again, which saw the creature fight Godzilla years before Toho decided to reimagine them as friends. In retrospect, watching Godzilla ruthlessly kill his future sidekick with a bite to the neck makes for a surprising viewing experience.
9 Godzilla 2014 – Godzilla vs. The MUTOs
His first fight in the MonsterVerse in the 2014 Godzilla movie put the King of the Monsters in a difficult position, as he had to go up against two members of the MUTO species at the same time. As his individual fights with the male and female MUTOs later proved, neither was any match for him alone, but together they were able to overwhelm Godzilla, viciously slicing and biting at him incessantly until he finally went down. The thrashing he endured from the two MUTOs was so rough that Godzilla collapsed in the middle of the city from exhaustion after all the fighting had ended.
8 Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla – Godzilla & King Caesar vs. Mechagodzilla
As evidenced by the blood on Godzilla’s body in 1974’s Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, the first incarnation of Mechagodzilla was one of Godzilla’s most challenging adversaries. His robotic counterpart didn’t hold back in his showdown with Godzilla and King Ceasar, easily besting the latter and landing some devastating hits on the King of the Monsters with his missiles. His impressive arsenal of cannons allowed him to ruthlessly bombard Godzilla with his firepower, setting up an epic finale where a bloodied Godzilla unleashed his new magnetic powers to finally kill Mechagodzilla.
7 Destroy All Monsters – Godzilla & His Allies vs. King Ghidorah
In spite of the losses he suffered fighting Godzilla and Rodan, King Ghidorah managed to escape in both Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster and Invasion of Astro Monster. However, the luck that kept him alive through the two films was nowhere to be found in his next appearance, Destroy All Monsters, where he had to contend with a small army of giant monsters all at once. With so many monsters on his side, Godzilla had little difficulty toppling Ghidorah. Even after securing the win, the monsters seemingly reveled in Ghidorah’s defeat, with Godzilla repeatedly stomping on the kaiju’s necks.
6 Godzilla vs. Destoroyah – Godzilla Junior vs. Destoroyah
A few years after his birth in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, Godzilla Junior was almost fully grown in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, where he was finally able to take part in a full-fledged monster fight. Naturally, the young Godzilla stood no chance against Destoroyah, considering the villain was already evenly matched with the adult Godzilla. The scene of a beaten and helpless Godzilla Junior getting killed by Destoroyah was especially tragic, due in large part to how the monster had already endeared himself to audiences as the innocent baby Godzilla from the other Heisei era films.
5 Godzilla vs. Kong – Godzilla vs. Kong (Final Round)
Never shying away from gripping Titan-on-Titan action, Godzilla vs. Kong raised the intensity as the final battle between the two titular monsters came to a close. The ending forced Kong to suffer through immense pain, as a merciless Godzilla pulled Kong’s arm out of socket with an audible snap. This was followed by the scene of Godzilla crawling on the ground, repeatedly scrapping at Kong’s chest with his claws in an animalistic display of superiority. Kong’s likability made him easy to sympathize with during these moments, even for those rooting for Godzilla.
4 Godzilla vs. Kong – Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
The fight between Godzilla and Kong in the 2021 MonsterVerse movie wasn’t the only brutal action sequence in the film. The movie actually stepped the violence up a notch when it pitted Godzilla against Mechagodzilla, whose viciousness in the fight honored both his Toho counterpart and his in-universe connection to Ghidorah. Unrelenting in his attacks, Mechagodzilla gave Godzilla the harshest beating he’s ever had to endure onscreen in the MonsterVerse. Had Kong not stepped in, Godzilla would have died to the same “Kiss of Death” move he used to kill the female MUTO in the 2014 movie.
3 Godzilla, Mothra, And King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack – Godzilla vs. Baragon
One of the saddest beatdowns in the long history of the franchise came at the expense of Baragon, the four-legged kaiju once shown to be an ally to Godzilla in Destroy All Monsters. Decades after his cameo in the 1968 film, Toho brought him back to save the world in 2001, only for him to be ruthlessly killed in battle by an evil take on Godzilla. In 2001’s Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, Godzilla briefly struggled against Baragon before gaining the upper and proceeding to kick and beat the downed, defenseless kaiju.
2 Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla – Anguirus vs. Mechagodzilla
Arguably one of the most brutal battles ever to occur in the franchise didn’t actually involve Godzilla himself. Rather, it featured a monster disguised as Godzilla. In an opening fight that sent a clear and shocking message regarding Mechagodzilla’s power level, the villain provoked and attacked a grossly outmatched Anguirus. The robot breaking the beloved kaiju’s jaw made for a heartbreaking scene and one that solidified Mechagodzilla’s reputation as one of Godzilla’s most evil villains.
1 Godzilla vs. Gigan – Godzilla & Anguirus vs. Gigan & King Ghidorah
In addition to its legacy as the movie that debuted Gigan and made Anguirus Godzilla’s sidekick, Godzilla vs. Gigan is also remembered as the first movie to make Godzilla bleed. Shortly after cutting into Anguirus with his hook-like blades, Gigan took on Godzilla, and actually got the best of him initially. Godzilla vs. Gigan demonstrated the depth of Gigan’s cruelty by showing him hit and cut Godzilla over and over again, resulting in a surprisingly long and grueling fight sequence that was largely one-sided. Taking place during an era in which Toho was trying to make Godzilla appeal to younger audiences only enhanced the scene’s shock value.
