The Top 10 (Other) Most Powerful Movie Monsters Ever

At the end of March, two of the most potent movie monsters in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will hit theaters. To add to the “Titan-ic” festivities, we get two more powerful movie monsters in Skar King, the brutal, crotchety old man chimpanzee in the trailer, and the mysterious force of nature, Shimo.

Who is that? “Shimo” is Japanese for “frost” or “frigid.” Not too scary? The beast has ice-fire breath and could be the one to finally give King of the Monsters the biggest challenge of his long nuclear lizard life.

In Hollow Earth, Skar King looks like the man, but Shimo appears to be the monster Godzilla never knew came in from the cold. Kong has his paws complete for that pink balding monkey, but Shimo looks scary.

As my dad used to say, “If that doesn’t light your wood, your wood is wet.” HO-LEE-CRAP, that looks awesome. That stream of ice-cold fire from the skies. Those eyes from behind the lava. And all that snowy hell in the city. Shimo could be added to this list, but we’ll see!

All Kaiju nerds, geeks, and dorks will fill movie theaters for this natural disaster. Godzilla and King Kong are the most popular movie monsters in cinematic history, but are they the most dangerous? Are they the scariest opponents for any 50-foot-tall beasts? Godzilla will always be the King. Kong will always be his wingman. But what about the rest of the movie monsters throughout cinematic history?

These are the Top 10 (other) most powerful movie monsters ever based on strength, brute force, powers, and dominance.

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10. Cloverfield Monster

“Clover,” as J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves’ enigmatic monster from Cloverfield is lovably called, was a devastating beast–about 300 feet tall and 1,200 feet long. Her amphibious form and wild temper were a sight to behold once we finally got the look through shaky-cam.

The problem is that Clover, or the “LSA” (i.e., large-scale aggressor), was only a baby, although supposedly alive for a few thousand years. Forget the “lane” or “paradox.” This praying mantis on crack needs to return!

9. The Thing

If you haven’t seen the 1982 John Carpenter classic, turn around and watch this now! The Thing is about a changeling monster parasite that attaches to a host and demolishes anything in its path. This parasitic alien has the ability to morph into any host and mimic everything down to its cellular structure.

Imagine if The Thing was able to connect to the atomic iguana. All that strength, power, and attitude, all because he attaches himself like gum on the bottom of your shoe. The Thing could destroy any creature ever.

8. Xenomorphs

If you had seen Alien, then you would have known that these impervious exoskeletons make the Terminator look like a tin can. They are ruthless parasites, and their attack tongues are the things of legend (and Gene Simmons’ most lovely dreams).

These extraterrestrial wall climbers can manipulate acid, disease, and any biological clouds of death. These things are terror on all fours and can annihilate just about anything in their path with razor claws or its scorpion on steroids tails.

7. King Ghidorah

Arguably, King Ghidorah (or Monster Zero) is Godzilla’s most famous foe since the three-headed torchbearer has been in more Gojira movies than any other–12 in all. Beating down Godzilla twice is impressive in any universe.

What else would you expect from a 450-foot-tall nuclear beast that flies at Mach 3?! In some Wiki pages, the (other) King is 250 million years old. And still gets around like that? We need to get on that workout plan.

6. Mechagodzilla

In the Toho/Warner Bros. universe, Mechagodzilla has been in five movies–and beaten Godzilla in three. That’s a considerable track record against the King of all movie monsters. In the Toho movies, he looked like, “What if Godzilla were to wear a knight’s armor?”

In the MonsterVerse, Mechagodzilla looks like a 500-foot-tall android from hell. Nothing or no creature has whooped up on Godzilla more and saved Japan in the process, so the big bad Apex Titan should have a firm position on this list.

5. Balrog

Before the complaints come to The Cinema Spot, unless The Mecha has a nuke attached to its bionic fingers, Balrog would melt anything sent in his direction. With the spirit of a maimed, malevolent spirit using whips of fire, the Balrog (known as “The Demon of Might”) can destroy just about any powerful movie monster out there.

Of course, hell-bent warlocks can beat down the thing, so there’s that. Anything within a close radius becomes flames. And anything else in its path is usually a broiled roast in seconds. Few things could match this power.

4. Otachi

As seen in Pacific Rim, Otachi is among the most grueling and massive Kaiju ever. That’s 250 feet and nearly 26,000 tons of pure rage. There’s no cause, no path–only reason and destruction. He’s close to being invulnerable. The strength is unlike any other. And the ability to jump into dimensions makes it difficult for him to pin down and kill.

Otachi’s power and pure aggression would make a terrible match-up against Godzilla or other powerful movie monsters. Also known as a “bio-engineered beast,” he has caustic blood and acidic breath. Good luck with all that if you’re a Titan or an enormous robot. You’re going to need it.

3. Kronos

Once known as the “King of the Titans,” Kronos required Zeus and other gods to thrash him back into the depths of Hades in the darkest place in the universe called Tartarus. He is as big as Mount Kilimanjaro–that’s 19,340 feet–and made of nothing but lava.

A single wave of his arm could instantly devastate an entire city with tornadic hellfire and engulf it in flames. If the flames of hell obeying his whims isn’t enough, then Kronus is a regenerating force and can absorb powers, so folks are pretty much toast when facing him. (See what we did there?)

2. Cthulhu

If you spend any time reading H.P. Lovecraft’s demented and devilish books, you know the dude has some issues with theology, ideology, and just about any other -ology out there. The Cthulhu Mythos is so terrifying and complex that it has yet to be given a serious cinematic treatment.

This creature can bend reality and make the brains of any creature, Titan or anything less, into some melted Cream of Chicken soup. Medusa can suck it. Looking at Cthulhu is known to drive people or creatures into suicidal madness only by looking at him. He regenerates after battles and has cosmic powers of telepathy, so have fun trying to kill this thing. You can’t. Like ever!

1. Space Godzilla

Of course, a Godzilla had to lead this prestigious list of powerful movie monsters, but this could be the biggest brute you’ve never heard of among monsters. Meet Godzilla’s mutant half-brother with one nasty attitude, Space Godzilla. Godzilla’s DNA was cloned in outer space, which concocted this menace and penultimate baddie of the Heisei era.

Those Washington Monument crystals on his shoulders imbue him with intergalactic power unseen by any Titan. Space Godzilla did the accessible business of the most feared among the Kaiju. Created in 1994, he looks like the technology of 1794. He has everything, Godzilla, plus a stronger desire to throttle anything in his way. Godzilla needed help to beat him. Even then, it barely worked.

His powers are literally otherworldly. Godzilla’s atomic breath is there, but so is a “corona beam,” which comes through his mouth or those obelisks from a Black Hole. Space Godzilla also has telekinesis, but for him, it’s called a “Gravity Tornado.” He can also conjure crystal darts from the ground and send them anywhere (think Queen Mera with water in Aquaman).

And if all that isn’t enough, Space Godzilla can also create this Photon Reactive Shield, which can deflect Godzilla’s fire like it was just bad breath. This remarkable beast needs a real cinematic presence, and thankfully, the MonsterVerse isn’t dying anytime soon as the big bad among powerful movie monsters!