In Godzilla: King of the Monsters, long-time Gojira fans and newcomers alike bore witness to the monsters (aka Titans) that populate the world of the MonsterVerse. The sequel to the 2014 reboot confirmed that there are 17 known Titans hiding across the Earth, with many more feared to come out of hibernation as the Alpha predators Godzilla and King Ghidorah fight for dominance.
The sequel’s roster of Titans includes new faces and familiar legends like Mothra and Rodan, leading fans to speculate on who may appear in a potential Godzilla 3. With more than 30 Godzilla movies to reference and almost 60 years’ worth of established lore, director Michael Dougherty (if he returns for the sequel) and the writers have a lot of monsters to choose from. Here are our 10 guesses for which classic Kaijus we think could face Godzilla after his clash with King Kong.
Destoroyah
Godzilla died more than once, but none of his deaths were as legendary as his battle with the devil in the form of Destoroyah. Born from the original Oxygen Destroyer, Destoroyah was originally a bunch of mutated crabs that combined to form the demonic-looking Kaiju who would make a name for itself by killing the King of Monsters.
Though Godzilla’s demise is (currently) not a priority for the MonsterVerse, bringing Destoroyah to cinemas would considerably up the stakes to life-threatening heights for a modern Godzilla and his allies.
Anguirus
When a Titan emerged from beneath a mountain range in the second King of the Monsters trailer, excited fans assumed that this signaled Anguirus’ debut in the MonsterVerse. In reality, said Titan was a new one that looked more like a jacked mastodon named Behemoth rather than Godzilla’s first enemy and eventual ally.
Dougherty said that Anguirus is one of his favorite classic Kaijus, so it won’t be a surprise if the spiked beast returns to the big screen should Dougherty be allowed to helm the potential Godzilla 3.
Gigan
True to his Toho origins, King Ghidorah is revealed to have come from another planet, which opens the door to Godzilla’s other alien rivals. One of the three-headed dragon’s most feared allies is Gigan, a popular antagonist among fans and a personal favorite of Dougherty.
Despite the subpar quality of his debut films, Gigan quickly gained a following thanks to his menacing look and brutality, with him being one of the few Kaijus to make Godzilla bleed. As the MonsterVerse slowly expands its reach to include beasts from beyond Earth, there’s no better time for Gigan to attack.
Megalon
Though not exactly fans’ go-to Kaiju, the towering insect Megalon is a worthy fit for a continuation of the themes presented in the third MonsterVerse movie. Worshiped by the subterranean Seatopians and unleashed as their retaliation against the surface world’s reckless nuclear tests, a revitalized and updated Megalon could not only make this bug more menacing but topically relevant as well.
That, and his appearance could help reintroduce a genuine fan-favorite: Jet Jaguar, the heroic giant mecha who helped Godzilla fight the Seatopian god when he first appeared in Godzilla vs. Megalon.
Hedorah
Godzilla and his fellow Kaijus being lumbering symbols of topical issues is nothing new, but none of them do this better than the smog monster Hedorah. Essentially pollution incarnate, Hedorah is a toxic threat that feels more relevant today than during its 1971 debut.
Given the ongoing and worsening environmental crisis, the MonsterVerse’s thematic direction could greatly benefit from updating Hedorah’s appearance, motivations, and origins. It’s also worth noting that Godzilla vs. Hedorah is considered one of the trippiest Godzilla movies ever made, so seeing its strange visuals and music remade in a modern blockbuster would be interesting.
King Caesar
King of the Monsters revealed that the Titans were worshipped as gods by ancient races — a perfect introductory point for King Caesar. The guardian of the Azumi clan, King Caesar laid dormant in the mountains until his prophecy was to be fulfilled. Also, he can only be awakened by a song number.
If most Kaijus represent environmental issues or social anxieties, King Caesar embodies more religious ideas. His cinematic reintroduction would give the MonsterVerse a nice supernatural spin to the Titans, just as long as his summoning song doesn’t slow the pacing like it did in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla.
Biollante
Biollante may have the strangest origins among Godzilla’s enemies not because it won a monster-design contest organized by Toho, but because it was born from an experiment that spliced Godzilla’s DNA with plant and human genes. The result is a deadly biological nightmare that’s begging to be realized with modern CGI.
Aside from an amazingly horrifying look, Biollante is an appropriate allegory for mankind’s tampering with nature — an idea that works well with the thematic direction of the MonsterVerse. Dougherty also cited this monstrosity as one of his personal favorites, meaning its return to theaters may be inevitable.
Battra
Like Mothra, Battra is a giant moth whose mission is to defend the Earth. But unlike the benevolent goddess of Infant Island, Battra only cares for Mother Nature and is intent on killing the human race, which he sees as a scourge on the planet.
Battra would make a fitting ally or pawn for the radical eco-terrorists introduced in King of the Monsters, who also view humanity’s demise as the Earth’s salvation. The moth could also serve as a foil to the new Mothra, who sacrificed herself to aid in Godzilla’s war for humanity against King Ghidorah.
Mechagodzilla
Whether created by aliens or humans, Mechagodzilla is always made for the same purpose: to stop Godzilla with the power of technology. Given how mankind is always being reminded of how powerless it is in the MonsterVerse, Mechagodzilla could be humanity’s answer to the Titans and a rebuke against its low place in the food chain.
Thematic implications aside, fans have always wanted to see Godzilla fight a mech ever since Pacific Rim proved that giant robots could be brought to life through CGI. Seeing Mechagodzilla fight Godzilla on IMAX would be worth the price of admission.
Mecha-King Ghidorah/Monster X
Let’s be real: King Ghidorah will come back, we just don’t know when and how. What makes this more plausible now is Ghidorah’s new rapid regeneration abilities, ensuring that he’ll live on – even as a severed head currently in the possession of the eco-terrorist Alan Jonah.
Previously, the Golden Demise came back as the time-travelling half-dragon, half-machine Mecha-King Ghidorah and as the mysterious alien Monster X. Some fans even theorize he’s the true villain of Godzilla vs. Kong. Whether or not the MonsterVerse will use his previous forms is unknown, but Ghidorah’s return is only a matter of time.
