Birthed from the horrors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, Godzilla represents humankind’s cold indifference in destruction the violence we do to one another and the violence we commit to ourselves and the planet. For as much as the great titan is an unstoppable, existential creature – he is also a being of our own creation. These villains come from a variety of different backgrounds and origins, providing intriguing spins and reflections of Godzilla’s own origin. Which is why over these decades Godzilla has been confronted by an array of extraterrestrial threats – beings matching his mass and threat level, those able to go toe-to-toe with him. Alongside his size and incredible power, it is Godzilla’s indifference that allows him to be so terrifying he is not so much an aid to humankind, extending help only when it benefits his goals, not even acknowledging the small human below him.

Though the mighty King Kong made his debut a couple decades prior to the nuclear dinosaur, Kong’s compassion for humankind is what has kept him at bay from being the top titan. For nearly 70 years, Godzilla has reigned supreme as a primal force of destruction.

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