Top 10 Giants In Video Games

This game changed up the Resident Evil formula by focusing on action over puzzle-solving, so naturally it needed some memorable monsters for its hero to contend with. El Gigante is memorable simply for his introduction. A group of cultists unleash the beast as a weapon to use against the player, but they quickly regret it as the giant thrashes them like dolls. He's huge, he's mean, and you have to be smart to survive -- especially once he starts swinging trees around. And don’t rest easy once you’ve beaten him, as you’ll soon find out there’s more than one of them.

Obviously giants make great villains. But haven't you ever wanted to play as King Kong or Godzilla? Way back in ’86, Bally Midway mixed things up for arcade-goers: three players at a time could take on the roles of these lovable super-mutants and wreck cities all across North America. You got points for smashing buildings, snacking on helpless civilians, and fighting back against the National Guard. The concept was different and just plain fun. No surprise that Rampage was a staple of arcades for over a decade. Far out.

First off, spoiler warning -- this one describes the final scene of Sanctum 2. The game ends with the player victorious over the Lume, alien creatures trying to wipe out your settlements. After the final battle, you notice the game's credits rolling off in the distance. You move closer to take a look, only to see -- yep, the Titan Lume, a majestic baddie bigger than anything you've faced, making its way toward your home city. Now that's a cliffhanger. I guess you’re just gonna have to buy the DLC if you wanna take him down…

The Souls series is loved for its grungy, apocalyptic take on fantasy, and this twisted baddie really captures the mood. Just look at him. The swords impaled in his back and the column sticking through his chest let you know he means business, or at least did at one point. Yet he doesn’t seem like just another, um, faceless monster. Much like the whole land of Drangleic, the Last Giant poses more questions than he answers, the remnants of a tragedy long forgotten.

This cult classic combined third-person action, strategic thinking, and slapstick humour for a truly unique dose of fun. It also let players take on the role of a teal giant named Kabuto, who was raised by mermaids in captivity before breaking free, and now uses pro-wrestling moves -- including the notorious 'butt drop' -- to smash everything in his path. Yikes. Needless to say, Kabuto is one of a kind, both in his own world and in ours.

There's only one thing that can go through your head when this sucker strolls out from behind a skyscraper: I have to deal with that? The monster's design is full-on nasty: spiders' eyes, entrails hanging everywhere, spit flying as he roars in your face. Worse yet, you'll have to let him pick you up and toss you from rooftop to rooftop if you want to take him down. The battle succeeds at making you feel like a frantic human in a Godzilla movie, just remember to take a bath after.

If we're talking sheer size, it's hard to top a guy bigger than planet Earth. This anime-style action game featured formidable foes from front to back. In fact, Wyzen's original form, big enough to fit Asura in the palm of his hand, might have already made it onto our list. But, this being a Japanese game, Wyzen only reveals his true self after taking a beating, -- and suddenly he's massive enough to crush a continent with his finger. Of course, that finger is apparently his mortal weakness, which may explain was he isn’t higher on this list.

Okay, one of these two is technically mechanical. But we'll give it a pass because his rival isn't, and it's their battle-to-stalemate which serves as a creation story for this game. You see, Xenoblade takes place entirely on the surface of these giants, with the white Bionis representing natural life and the Black Mechonis representing the machines. Civilizations have grown up on their skin while they've been knocked out cold. There's just one problem: what happens when they start to wake up? For giving us a unique fantasy world that clings to the surface of giants, this game definitely deserves a mention.

It takes someone special to make the jacked-up, terrifying god-killer Kratos look puny. Cronos is a classic giant: he belongs to the school of thick-skulled, chained-up monsters out to crush our hero. But we've never seen Fee Fie Fo Fum on this level before. It takes everything Kratos has to make his way up the titan's forearm, all while contending with skeletons, golems, and really nasty fingernails -- and that's just Cronos's exterior. The encounter redefines 'epic', and there's real satisfaction in inflicting dozens of tiny, splattery wounds along the way.

Before we unveil our number-one pick for best giant, here are a few honourable mentions:

Jubileus
"Bayonetta" (2009)

Kraid
"Super Metroid" (1994)

Darkside
"Kingdom Hearts" (2002)

The Necrogiant
"Painkiller" (2004)

The Guardian
"Darksiders 2" (2012)

Was there really a choice? Shadow of the Colossus is considered to be one of the best games ever made, and the giants are its sole focus. No hordes of minions, no side-quests; just a cast of colossi so memorable they could have taken over this list if we'd let them. Instead, we'll tip our hat to Malus, the final colossus. Half giant, half obsidian tower, he provides a darkly atmospheric finale to a game praised for its beauty and challenge. Unique, scary, awe-inspiring: this guy is a classic.
Do you agree with our list? Who's your favourite giant? For more gaming Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.