Out of all the many monsters that theGodzillamovies have featured over the years, few are quite as prolific as the villainous King Ghidorah, the three-headed dragon who’s been Godzilla’s arch-nemesis for decades. Like Godzilla himself, Ghidorah has been depicted in several different incarnations throughout his film career.
Wherever Godzilla goes, King Ghidorah is never far behind, from his first appearance in 1964to his MonsterVerse debut in 2019’sGodzilla: King of the Monsters. Ghidorah has taken on a multitude of forms over the course of the franchise, some of which are more beloved than others. So without further ado, here’s a list of every variation of King Ghidorah, ranked from worst to best.
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The Rebirth of Mothra Ghidorahs
Often forgotteneven by die-hard fans,the 1996-1998Rebirth of Mothratrilogy introduces three unique Ghidorah variations. The first movie features Desghidorah, called Death Ghidorah in some translations, seemingly a relative of the King. Meanwhile,Rebirth of Mothra IIIincludes the genuine article, depicted as both the modern Grand King Ghidorah and the prehistoric Cretaceous King Ghidorah. Unfortunately, these three Ghidorahs bring little new to the table, and as such remain footnotes inGodzillahistory.
GMK King Ghidorah
2001’sGodzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attackis an oddity within the series, featuring a purely villainous Godzilla battling a heroic Ghidorah. The King is reimagined as an ancient guardian of Japan instead of an alien invader, but it seems heroism doesn’t agree with him, as this iterationis potentially the weakeston the list. While most Ghidorahs are too powerful for Godzilla to defeat alone, this one requires Mothra’s aid to put up a fight. He’s not exactly the most kingly Ghidorah.
Heisei King Ghidorah
Ghidorah’s only Heisei era appearance, 1991’sGodzilla vs. King Ghidorah,creates a convoluted new backstory for the classic monster, in which he’s created by a group of time-traveling terrorists to destroy Japan. But even setting that aside, this Ghidorah has less personality compared to other incarnations, and his fight with Godzilla is flashy yet brief. However, this iteration nevertheless receives major points for the film’s finale, in which he’s transformed into the cybernetically enhanced Mecha-King Ghidorahto quell Godzilla’s rampagein a spectacular showdown. What Heisei Ghidorah lacks in substance, he certainly makes up for in style.
Shin King Ghidorah
While 2016’s masterpieceShin Godzillahasn’t received any sequels, its story has continued in other ways. 2019 saw the release ofGodzilla vs. Evangelion: The Real 4-D, a 4D ride at Universal Studios Japan. As the name implies, the attraction is a crossover withNeon Genesis Evangelion, the classic mecha anime created byShin Godzilladirector Hideaki Anno. The ride initiallyfeatures theEvangelioncastfacing off against Shin Godzilla, but things take a turn when the fight is interrupted by the arrival of King Ghidorah, sporting a fresh design and new powers to fit theShin Godzillaaesthetic.
Due to the brief nature of the ride, Shin Ghidorah has little screen time, but he nevertheless manages to leave an impression as one of the most terrifying Ghidorahs yet. The skies turn red and a storm rages all around as Ghidorah takes on Shin Godzilla and the three EVAs all at once. The King’s classic Gravity Beams are reimagined as full-on gravity manipulation, allowing him to levitate skyscrapers and use them as weapons. Even with his brief screen time, Shin Ghidorah’s striking design, innovative powers, and thrilling battle aresure to thrill any fan.
Monster X/Keizer Ghidorah
Keizer Ghidorah is Godzilla’s final enemy in 2004’sGodzilla: Final Wars, appearing at the end of a long gauntlet of kaiju summoned as part of the Xiliens’ alien invasion. First appearing as the humanoid Monster X, this Ghidorah fights Godzilla with an agile, acrobatic fighting style before revealing his true form: a quadrupedal Ghidorah with black and gold scales. This Ghidorah was meant as a stronger evolution of King Ghidorah. Even his name, Keizer, is derived from “kaiser,” the German word for Emperor. But despite his cool design, transformation gimmick, and flashy powers, Keizer Ghidorah is only introduced in the film’s final battle. As such, hereceives far too little screen timeto place any higher on the list.
Showa King Ghidorah
First appearing inGhidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, the original Showa era King immediately made an impact. Not only was he the first alien kaiju in the series, he was the first enemy to force Godzilla to ally with his fellow monsters, heralding his transformation from tragic villain to noble hero. Ghidorah returned only a year later inInvasion of Astro-Monster, in which he spearheaded the alien invasion of the Xiliens.
The Showa era King Ghidorah may seem quaint compared to his successors, but the essential elements of the character are all clearly established from the beginning. He’s a sadistic space invader who travels the stars,leaving destruction wherever he goes,and forms a fierce rivalry with Godzilla. Ghidorah’s signature Gravity Beams and high-pitched, trilling roar have become iconic attributes of the monster, and they started with the original incarnation. He may be dated, but the original Ghidorah has just about everything fans would want from the iconic villain.
Anime King Ghidorah
Despite remaining controversial among fans, theGodzillaanime film trilogy features the boldest reimagining of Ghidorah yet, taking him from an alien invader to an eldritch extradimensional planet-eater. He’s worshiped as a god of destruction by the Xilien-inspired Exif, who sacrifice entire worlds to him. To them, the universe and everyone in it are just food to sate Ghidorah’s hunger. For Ghidorah to be summoned into this dimensionmeans the death of a planet,and thus, all we see of him are his three heads reaching through portals. Even without fully manifesting, Ghidorah nearly kills Godzilla. However, their showdown has little in the way of action, and ends rather anticlimactically. But despite this, anime Ghidorah’s unique design, fascinating lore, and apocalyptic scale make him one of the most memorable takes on the King.
MonsterVerse King Ghidorah
Appearing in 2019’sGodzilla: King of the Monsters, the MonsterVerse’s King Ghidorah was an immediate hit with fans, taking everything that made his Showa incarnation so iconic and elevating it to the next level. He’s deadlier than ever, with his grudge against Godzilla reinterpreted as an ancientrivalry between dueling rulers.His detailed CGI makes him the most expressive Ghidorah to date, emphasizing his vicious personality, and even giving each head its own unique mannerisms. And like his anime counterpart, this Ghidorah is portrayed as a threat of apocalyptic proportions. He’s not just an interstellar destroyer, but a tyrannical conqueror who remakes worlds in his image and commands an entire army of loyal kaiju.
As for fight scenes,KOTM’s final battle is arguably the greatest Godzilla-Ghidorah clash ever, showcasing both Kings at the pinnacle of their power. However, even it isn’t enough to finish Ghidorah off. He’s revived inGodzilla vs. Kongas the will controlling Mechagodzilla, combining Godzilla’s two greatest foes into a single ultimate nemesis. In summary, MonsterVerse Ghidorah perfectly captures the traits that made himsuch an iconic villain,and even iterates on them further for a fresh new take. If any Ghidorah is worthy of the title of King, it’s this one.
