Top 20 BIGGEST Kaiju Movie Monsters Ever

“Monster Hunter” (2020)

The word “kaiju,” by definition, can refer to both giant, fictional monsters as well as the films in which they appear. We may typically only associate franchises like “Godzilla” with kaiju, but there are plenty of other worthy examples as well. Take Rathalos from the “Monster Hunter” series of games and movies. This flying beast is an adaptation of the classic wyvern that appears in many European myths, folk tales and stories. Rathalos is a flying, winged and bipedal dragon that approaches a size of nearly forty-six feet, at least according to the “Monster Hunter” film. Elsewhere, Rathalos has also appeared in other franchises as well, including “Final Fantasy” and “Metal Gear Solid.”

“The Suicide Squad” (2021)

Does Starro the Conqueror count as a kaiju? Well, we certainly think so, especially when it comes to the final battle of 2021’s “The Suicide Squad.” This climactic, city-squashing assault feels like it’s straight out of a vintage “Godzilla” flick, albeit with a hive-mind starfish instead of tyrant lizards. Starro grows exponentially before this sequence, growing to 150 feet and providing quite the challenge for our band of mismatched supervillains. Director James Gunn’s horror and exploitation pedigree is set on full display as the scene plays out, balancing both violence and black comedy to outstanding effect.

“MonsterVerse” (2014-)

It’s time for our first, proper Toho monster to enter the fray, and who better to kick things off than the mighty Rodan? He’s an old school titan, straight from the vintage “Godzilla” universe. “Rodan” was actually Toho’s first kaiju film to be shot in color, while his MonsterVerse update is red hot, and not to be messed with. He’s 154 feet of wind-packing power, able to fly at supersonic speeds while serving as both friend and occasional foe to Godzilla and company. If there was a Mount Rushmore for classic kaiju, we’d vote for Rodan to take a prime spot.

“Rampage” (2018)

Did the 1980s arcade classic “Rampage” possess enough plot to merit a full-fledged, silver screen adaptation? No, no it did not. We honestly have no complaints, however, because the Rock could sell us a car with three wheels and we’d still buy it. Lizzie and Ralph don’t exactly have as much screen time as George in the movie, but the former definitely makes her fifty-plus foot frame count whenever she’s on screen. Lizzie serves as the main antagonist during the final battle, with Ralph primarily being a tertiary villain. Yet her speed, viciousness and cunning more than make Lizzie a fearsome match for both George and Davis.

“Pacific Rim” (2013)

The “Pacific Rim” franchise is one that’s captured the imaginations of many film fans. In this way, it serves as connective tissue to the older generation that grew up watching “Godzilla” “Creature Double Features.” Knifehead is one of the most memorable kaiju from the first “Pacific Rim” film, coming in at 315 feet. His design appears to be inspired from one of the “Gamera” franchise’s antagonists, Guiron, thanks to the bladed facial design they both share. Knifehead, however, also possesses a protective shell and a hostile attitude, making it a problem for any Jaeger unfortunate enough to be in its path.

“MonsterVerse” (2014-)

Methuselah may not enjoy a lot of screen time in 2019’s “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t possess plenty of fans. Kaiju maniacs struggled to catch a good look at him during these brief appearances, but came away with one massive impression of Methuselah’s 332-foot proportions. The titan looks like a giant, mossy mastodon of sorts, a mixture of plant and animal matter that’s deep, earthy and powerful. Time will tell how much of a part Methuselah plays in the “MonsterVerse,” but his unique appearance and massive size make it seem a safe bet that we’ll see him sooner, rather than later.

“MonsterVerse” (2014-)

When we met this massive ape, he measured at around 104 feet tall. But in between his battles with Skullcrawlers, we learned that he was a young monster that could get even bigger. We saw the results of his growth spurt in “Godzilla vs. Kong.” While still not quite as tall as Godzilla, he still measures 337 feet tall. That means that if Kong ever decided to visit New York City, he'd be able to look down at the Statue of Liberty. The giant ape’s height is simply... bananas. Let's hope he keeps that staggering size by feeding on kaiju instead of putting humans on the menu.

“Pacific Rim Uprising” (2018)

We return to the “Pacific Rim” universe for our next pick, the giant kaiju known as Raijin. He’s just over 350 feet tall with an electric personality. No, really. Raijin actually possesses an electrified jaw, plastered on that grotesque face that only a mother could love. Meanwhile, his two-legged fighting stance and reptilian appearance lends Raijin physical qualities similar to that of a dinosaur, such as the Tyrannosaurus rex. MegaTokyo suffers a lot of damage from the attack by Raijin and his fellow kaiju, while “Pacific Rim” fans just eat up the monster’s strange design and impressive fighting abilities.

“Shin Godzilla” (2016)

The creature eventually known as Shin Godzilla mutates quite a bit throughout the course of its 2016 film. Eventually, however, this main antagonist grows to almost 390 feet, an apocalypse in physical form. This visual appearance of Shin Godzilla is a far cry from the almost cute-and-cuddly persona of the Shōwa era G-Man. Instead, Shin Godzilla’s protruding teeth, separating jaw and demonic stare represent more of a frightening, horrific side to the franchise. This darker and more intense visual coincides with Shin Godzilla’s immense size and impact, as he demolishes the screen with his atomic breath.

“Godzilla vs. Biollante” (1989)

Biollante has got to be one of the coolest “Godzilla” antagonists that’s only starred in a single film. 1989’s “Godzilla vs. Biollante” showcased the monster’s tragic backstory and unique character design. Biollante initially takes a floral form via DNA splicing between Godzilla cells and those of a woman named Erika Shiragami. These feminine features are retained once Biollante reaches her crocodilian final form, which stands at an impressive 394 feet. Her healing factor is impressive, as is her ability to emit an acidic spit projectile alongside her carnivorous tendrils. Here’s hoping that Biollante can somehow be raised from the grave to once again fight against - or even alongside - Godzilla.

“MonsterVerse” (2014-)

The Godzilla that appears in the MonsterVerse is another example of a kaiju who grew between two movies. While it measured at around 355 feet in 2014, in 2021 he stands at around 393 feet tall. This intimidating height makes him the biggest version of Godzilla to appear in a live-action movie to date. Godzilla backs up his massive size with atomic breath, tremendous strength, and the ability to release thermonuclear blasts under the right conditions. The MonsterVerse Godzilla is both a force to be reckoned with and a kaiju with a massive height. Its technical win against Kong alongside their destruction of Mechagodzilla might make it most accomplished Godzilla ever.

“Attack on Titan: The Movie Part 1” (2015)

Anyone who’s seen the two-part “Attack on Titan” movies knows that the titular creatures are violent, horrifying, and absolutely massive. These gigantic villains were also terrifying to see in live-action. The biggest one of all was appropriately named the Colossal Titan. Towering at around 393.7 feet tall, this monster’s huge size struck fear and resentment into the hearts of the surviving humans. This creature also made itself look more intimidating by radiating immense amounts of heat from its body. While we knew humans were pretty miniscule when compared to these monsters, the colossal titan made its fellow titans seem like small fry.

“Pacific Rim: Uprising” (2018)

While the Jaeger pilots were working hard to fight three Kaiju, a corrupted scientist named Newton Geiszler used technology to fuse the trio of antagonistic creatures together. The abilities and bodies of Raijin, Hakuja, and Shrikethorn were combined to form the Mega-Kaiju. This creature stood at an incredible height of 419 feet. Next to this humongous beast, the Jaegers looked like toy robots. The Mega-Kaiju intelligence, tenacity, and multitude of special abilities made it into a threat that nearly destroyed the world. The most terrifying thing about the Mega-Kaiju is that its species might have an even bigger monster waiting in the wings.

“MonsterVerse” (2014-)

This version of King Ghidorah easily towers over our last entry. After awakening from a long nap in “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” it stretched out its three heads and stood at around 521 feet. This meant 2019’s King Ghidorah was over 120 feet taller than Godzilla. Its humongous frame, gravity beams, and ability to regenerate made it a suitable candidate for the king of the monsters’ throne. But judging how it treated cities and innocent bystanders, it wouldn’t have been a benevolent ruler. Thank goodness Earth didn’t succumb to its tyrannical rule.

“Pacific Rim” (2013)

In the first “Pacific Rim” film, all of the Kaiju emerged from a portal nicknamed the Breach. When the humans try to destroy it, a creature named Slattern comes out to stop them. If this massive creature stood at its full height, it’s estimated that it would stand around 596 feet tall. How does this translate to the real world? Well, if Slattern was in Washington D.C. it would be bigger than the 555-foot Washington Monument. It’s no wonder the Precursors sent this massive kaiju to fight humanity. Unfortunately for them, they underestimated how determined Jaeger pilots were to keep the world spinning.

“Godzilla vs. Destoroyah” (1995)

The makeup of Destoroyah may initially be the result of the colonization of microscopic crustaceans, but this kaiju certainly grows up, FAST. That’s because this colony is mutated by the Oxygen Destroyer that kills the original Godzilla in 1954. This evolution results in Destoroyah reaching an astonishing 755 feet. The monster becomes so big, in fact, that he’s able to wound and nearly kill the Heisei era Godzilla on its own! Much was actually made at the time of Toho killing off the G-Man back in 1995, but don’t worry too much, because Godzilla’s son proudly took up his father’s mantle.

“Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters” (2017)

Although you could debate for days about the best version of Godzilla, there is pretty much no question as to which version of the kaiju did the most damage. In the 2017 animated film, the legendary monster was so destructive that humanity decided to find a new planet to live on. One of the reasons they fled is because this Godzilla is around 1,043 feet tall. And that’s not a typo. It’s indeed twice as big as 2019’s King Ghidorah. This version of Godzilla has all of the usual powers this creature has, with the added ability to terraform the entirety of the earth. We can completely understand why humanity ran away from this impossibly large kaiju.

“Cloverfield” franchise (2008-)

Every monster movie fan remembers where they were when they saw a Clover for the first time. This massive creature made a gigantic impact when it stomped into theaters in 2008. But you may be surprised to learn that the approximately 300-foot creature that appears was just a baby. In 2018’s “The Cloverfield Paradox,” we saw a glimpse of what a Clover could look like when it matures. Although it’s hard to nail down an exact size, fans have estimated that this Clover could be as tall as 6,500 feet. If that number is correct, it would be taller than two Burj Khalifas stacked on top of each other. Let’s hope we never have to find out how big a Clover really is.

“Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy” (2009)

Belyudra may not exactly be a household name to those kaiju fans who aren’t well versed in the “Ultraman” franchise. However, a simple cursory look or bit of research will reveal a kaiju that’s gargantuan in height. Belyudra makes an appearance in 2009’s “Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy” as the combined creation of Ultraman’s most infamous enemies. As a result, Belyudra towers at over thirteen THOUSAND feet. The villain controlling Belyudra behind the scenes may be an evil Ultraman named Belial, but it’s this titanic kaiju that looms high over almost any other giant monster we can imagine.

“Godzilla: The Planet Eater” (2018)

Yes, you heard that correctly. This Ghidorah, nicknamed Void Ghidorah, measures over 65,000 feet long! If Void Ghidorah laid down in Manhattan, one of its necks could span over half of the island. In this film, a human cult wanted this version of the antagonistic monster to take out Godzilla Earth. But as soon as Void Ghidorah arrived, they quickly realized that this was the worst plan they could’ve come up with. This impossibly massive creature had the size and sheer power to destroy worlds, and almost anything standing in its way. Humanity was very fortunate Godzilla made sure this massive monster didn’t completely wreck the earth.