First introduced in 1954, Godzilla was an immediate threat to the world and a titan of the big screen. It’s funny to consider that in his first appearance that Godzilla stood a scant 50 meters tall, something that would only continue to be dwarfed by every new version of the creature that made its way to movie screens, television, comic books, and video games. As time has dictated that Godzilla must get bigger, stronger, and sometimes meaner, it has given way to versions of the character that make his first appearance feel like child’s play, a shocking development given the allegorical nature of the original movie.
With over 70 years of history at his giant, pointy fingers, Godzilla has run the gamut of powers, size, and abilities depending on whatever the story is at the center and who is telling it. Not only has the big G gone from being an antagonist to a world-saving hero, and sometimes back to an antagonist, he’s managed to take on different shapes and sizes throughout his time on Earth (and in space). Countless different Godzillas exist in the multiverse, but these eight are the versions of the character that are far and away the most superior, with one clear winner.
What was at one point the actual conclusion of Godzilla’s cinematic history, the version of the kaiju seen in Godzilla: Final Wars ranks among one of the most powerful versions ever seen. In the film, Godzilla sticks to being the hero, spending much of the film repelling an alien invasion of Earth and fighting countless other kaiju, including Rodan, Caesar, Anguirus, Ebirah, Hedorah, and even the Godzilla from the 1998 reboot.
This is where the expression of his power is most clear; not only does he have several notches on his belt from defeating other major kaiju, but it’s how he does it that makes him so formidable. In the final minutes of the film, he uses a spiral heat ray on the biggest monster of the movie, Keizer Ghidorah, flinging the beast into space from the sheer power of his breath alone.
Legendary’s version of Godzilla started off incredibly powerful in the 2014 feature film, though he made audiences wait to see the might of his atomic breath. In the time since, the MonsterVerse Godzilla has only continued to evolve in his look, but most importantly in his powerset. Naturally, this Godzilla comes equipped with an atomic breath that can destroy anything in its path, but, when needed, Godzilla is also capable of storing and releasing waves of nuclear energy. He goes thermonuclear in Godzilla: King of the Monsters to incinerate King Ghidorah, ripping the alien kaiju’s skin from its bones.
In the pages of a short-lived 1990s manga, a very unique version of the king of the monsters makes his debut with King Godzilla. Equipped with the body, tail, and head of Godzilla, the wings of Batra, and two of King Ghidorah’s heads instead of arms, King Godzilla is perhaps the most unique take on the character that has ever been created but also one that has a totally unique powerset. To make him even more formidable, he has a piece of another kaiju hidden within him as the head of Biollante is tucked behind his chest and ready to snap. This is a weird Godzilla, but not one to take lightly.
The Godzilla seen inside of the Netflix anime series is easily one of the most terrifying across the kaiju’s history. What makes him stand out from others is that he doesn’t have one distinct look; instead, he evolves over the course of the series and taking on new forms and evolving to become even more destructive. A key secret this Godzilla has over others is that he is also functionally immortal, though he can die, and does; he always comes back, and with a horrifying new look.
Despite being a hero for many years at this point, the 2001 reboot of Godzilla not only took the kaiju back to being a villain but one with a distinctly sinister streak. In the continuity of this film, Godzilla is born from the souls of World War II soldiers that are restless in the afterlife, his destruction wrought by their wraith.
This version of Godzilla may be more susceptible to attack than others, but his sheer strength and abilities make him one of the most fearsome versions. He also comes equipped with an upgrade to his atomic breath, at one point absorbing a gravity beam from King Ghidorah and sending it back at him mixed in with his traditional power. This is a distinct version of Godzilla from any others, and he also belongs to one of the best movies in the series.
Though aesthetically this version of Godzilla drew criticism prior to the film’s release, Shin Godzilla‘s version of the kaiju is frightening. As the creature evolves over the course of the movie, so does his power. When he finally lets out his atomic breath, it begins as a puff of smoke before evolving into a ferocious avalanche of fire that continues to refine itself until it becomes a distinct, singular beam of radioactive energy that slices through buildings. What makes this Godzilla even more distinct from others is that his atomic breath isn’t limited to his firing from his mouth, as he is capable of charging it and firing it from his back too, causing levels of destruction that no other Godzilla could dream of achieving in one moment.
Even if the version of Godzilla seen in the pages of Marvel’s Godzilla vs Thor hadn’t achieved his final form, he would still find his way onto this list because he begins the story in an incredibly powerful manner. Resurrected by the ninja death cult, The Hand, Godzilla (modeled after the version seen in GMK above) fights Thor to a standstill, only becoming frozen after a portal to Jotunheim is opened.
From there, The Hand makes him even more powerful, enfusing him with the power of All-Black the Necrosword, the weapon forged by the Symbiote god Knull and wielded by Gorr the God Butcher. As a result, he becomes Godzilla the God Butcher, quickly destroying every other god in Asgard in order to get Thor’s attention. The pair battle it out across the nine realms, ripping holes through space and achieving Ragnarok. Even after perishing, this Godzilla fights Thor with every new day in Hel, making him one of the most powerful monsters in all of fiction.
Standing 318 meters tall, nearly triple the size of the next closest version of Godzilla, the version of the kaiju seen in the trilogy of animated movies is a 20,000 year old version that has evolved to the point that he has shaped the entire planet into his own image. What makes this Godzilla the most powerful version, though, is that, unlike many of the others, he has achieved such a distinct godhood-like place that he doesn’t even need to fight any battles.
After becoming so powerful that most of humanity and civilization as we know it was completely obliterated, there wasn’t much else for him to do but stand guard over his territory, the entire planet Earth. Even as threats make themselves known to him and the last vestige of humans attempt to defeat him once and for all, he is never defeated.
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