Top 10 Kaiju Anime

Script written by Alex Crilly-Mckean

Top 10 Kaiju Anime

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we are counting down our picks for the Top 10 Kaiju Anime.

For this list, we’re going to be looking at the anime that take hulking, massive monsters and put them front and centre, preferably with a whole lot of violence thrown in!

Which kaiju do you wish you had as a pet? Let us know in the comments!

#10: “Dai-Guard” (1999-2000)

Here’s something you don’t see every day – a giant robot taking down space squids with all the cheesiness you could expect, mixed together with real-world bureaucracy. Hey, fitting those giant drill missiles takes time and money! While the idea of a mecha action-fest being grounded in such a way might sound like it loses some of its fun, the rocket punches and abundance of aliens for them to squash ensures that even when having to perform around the clock maintenance, the kaiju kills still hold up!

#9: “SSSS.Dynazenon” (2021)

The spiritual successor to another mecha-filled show we’ll get into later, while this one is still in its infancy, this latest addition to the growing SSSS-verse is doing wonders, especially with its fight scenes. With the return of kaiju users, monsters of every shape threaten to wipe out humanity. Their only hope comes in the form of a rebel user named Gauma, who unites a rag tag crew to help pilot a brand new mecha capable of tearing up every new kaiju that rears its head. We’re expecting great things from you! Don’t drop the ball!

#8: “Darling in the Franxx” (2017)

Teenage love might be this anime’s overarching theme, but it also has mecha and a lot of Kaiju like creatures called the Klaxosaurs. Raised from birth to control the two-man machines known as Franxx, there’s no shortage of monsters for Hiro and his fellow parasites to contend with, what with the earth spitting Klaxosaurs out of the earth like it was going out of fashion. The variety among these blue blooded beasts is all too impressive, and if VIRM hadn’t shown up to ruin the mood, we’d have nothing but praise for the creativity that went into their designs.

#7: “Godzilla” Trilogy (2017-18)

For hardcore fans of the King of Monsters, this might seem like a weird direction to take things, but at the very least everyone can agree on one thing – Godzilla evolving into a thousand-foot behemoth is awesome. With the Earth now dominated by monsters, the trilogy focuses on surviving members of the human race and their efforts to kill Godzilla, with remastered versions of MechaGodzilla and Ghidorah eventually joining the fray. For at least trying to do something different, all three films are still worth a cursory watch.

#6: “Knights of Sidonia” (2014-15)

Don’t be thrown off the use of CGI, any sci-fi that has the balls to have a giant placenta alien tear up earth is worthy of recognition. Fighting a hopeless battle against the repugnant aliens known as the Guana, the spaceship Sidonia stands of the last bastions of humanity, with their only defence being the mechanised suits known as Gardes and their Guana-skewering harpoons. While most of the unease that unfolds comes from within the Sidonia itself, the threat of the space-fairing kaiju can still be felt when they aren’t ripping up worlds with their tentacles.

#5: “Digimon Adventure Movie” (1999)

Remember the western release of the Digimon Movie was an unceremonious mesh of three movies squashed together? While that might have been a mini-disaster, the first segment, based on a short movie released by itself over in Japan, actually had a pretty decent monster brawl. Preluding the first Digimon series, we see a much different Greymon take on Parrotmon in a city-wide showdown that has them blasting fire and lightning everywhere they go. As an isolated viewing experience, it’s actually pretty lit!

#4: “SSSS.Gridman” (2018)

A loving homage to the iconic tokusatsu, this is one of the purest examples of kaiju action you’re likely to find in the modern anime scene, made all the better thanks to Studio Trigger putting their best first forward in the animation department. After being bonded to the mecha known as Gridman, an average student is thrust into a battle against an endless spree of kaijus day in and day out, all while trying to navigate high school drama intrigue.

#3: “Gunbuster” (1988-89)

Cute girls and giant robots, together at last! While it certainly has less darkness when compared to some of its counterparts, this anime makes up for it with good ol’ 80s charm. As a horde of intergalactic threats draw closer to earth, a gaggle of adorable yet gifted gals lock and loadin a powerful mecha known as the Gunbuster, taking the fight to the space monsters from beyond the stars. This is definitely one of the more underrated titles that doesn’t get enough credit for the actions or the weight of its bittersweet narrative, and hey, they do blow up plenty of kaiju!

#2: “Attack on Titan” (2013-)

While the most recent seasons elevated what was originally a blockbuster seinen into an ingenious political thriller, the titular giant monsters are still very much a prominent factor, and when they let loose it's downright magnificent. The Pure Titans remain horrifying in their humanoid appearances and appetites, but the true kaiju glory comes when members of the Nine throw down. Seeing Eren and his Attack Titan trade blows with the Armored and War Hammer Titans still has a sense of scale that few series can measure up to.

#1: “Neon Genesis Evangelion” (1995-96)

There’s a whole lot of Shinji not getting in the robot, Gendo being one creepy SOB, and more Abrahamic symbolism than you can throw a bible yet, but yes, there is indeed plenty of monster mashing to be found in this gloriously contested series. With the arrival of the creatures known as Angels, it falls to a group of traumatised high schoolers to pilot their EVA-Units and beat them back. The battles are retro as hell and make for a great time, just as long as you’re fine with an endless parade of spirit-breaking twists in-between them!