Top 30 Greatest Giant Movie Monster Fights of All Time

“Jurassic World Dominion” (2022)
Sure, the human drama in this franchise can be entertaining, but what most viewers are here for is the dino versus dino action. Watching these two colossal beasts try to tear each other to pieces as our heroes scurry out of the way was by far the most heart-pounding part of this movie. And we have to admit, we were pretty devastated when we thought Rexy was dead. She has become something of a cinematic icon, after all. The arrival of the Therizinosaurus kicks things up another notch, and together they make quick work of the Giganotosaurus.

“The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” (2003)
This movie wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but you have to admit it has some pretty epic fight sequences. Just like in the original novel, Henry Jekyll drinks a potion to transform into Mr. Hyde, but this version of Hyde is a massive, hulking monster. The villain gets ahold of Jekyll’s formula and starts reproducing it, and one of his henchmen gulps down a huge dose of the stuff. He and Hyde then go toe to toe as the building crumbles around them. Captain Nemo does his best to help his friend, but ultimately, it’s a twist of fate that enables the heroes to escape with their lives.

“The Black Scorpion” (1957)
Aside from a few scuffles between scorpions, there’s only one real monster on monster battle in this movie, and it’s well worth the wait. The scorpions are huge and horrifying, and the excellent stop motion animation makes their movements super creepy. When the protagonists discover the scorpions’ underground nest, they’re treated to a disturbing sight as the arachnids fight and kill a tentacled worm that’s as big as they are. The battle is gruesome and the sound effects are truly chilling. Just as a scorpion is about to feast on its prey, it finds itself on the wrong end of the stinger of an even bigger competitor.

“Pacific Rim: Uprising” (2018)
When interdimensional sea monsters start wreaking havoc on humanity, there’s really only one thing to do…build massive robots piloted by humans to combat them. After the first film ended in spectacular fashion, fans wondered whether or not “Pacific Rim: Uprising” could deliver an equally epic final battle. All skepticism went out the window with the introduction of the Mega-Kaiju. This abomination is three Kaiju rolled into one; held together by thousands of robotic parasites. Powerful beyond belief, it managed to destroy three Jaegers before finally being taken down by Gipsy Avenger.

“The War of the Gargantuas” (1966)
Old school Japanese monster movies had a bit of a weird fascination with Frankenstein – or, more specifically, Frankenstein’s monster. Two humongous versions of the monster meet in this film: Sanda, who was raised by humans before escaping into the mountains as a baby, and Gaira, a clone of Sanda who evolved in the ocean. At first it looks like the two will be buddies, but Sanda is furious when he finds out that Gaira has been attacking and eating people. The pair face off, with the military determined to kill both of them. It’s a unique take on the kaiju genre that has gained quite the cult following.

“The Incredible Hulk” (2008)
After being injected with Bruce Banner’s blood, Emil Blonsky turns into the Abomination, a monstrous creature hellbent on destroying the Hulk. The two wind up duking it out in Harlem, destroying large portions of the New York City neighborhood. While initially outmatched due to Abomination’s overwhelming size and strength, the Hulk gets creative, using a variety of makeshift weapons to turn the tide and ultimately defeat the villain. A slugfest from start to finish, we could watch these two indestructible monsters battle it out all day long!

“Godzilla: Final Wars” (2004)
Short and sweet: that’s the best way to describe this monster battle. In a moment of cinematic vengeance, the original Japanese Godzilla takes on its American counterpart as seen in Roland Emmerich 1998 “Godzilla” film. The latter was heavily criticized upon release for its lack of resemblance to the original, and in “Godzilla: Final Wars”, the original gets its revenge. Godzilla chucks Zilla into the Sydney Opera house before finishing it off with an atomic blast. The entire fight lasts less than a minute and serves as a fitting end to one of the most despised versions of Godzilla ever created.

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” (2012)
In his prolonged trilogy based on Tolkien’s beloved novel, Peter Jackson found room to turn the book’s brief reference to stone-giants into a high stakes action sequence. Well, at least it IS dramatic! High up in the Misty Mountains, Bilbo and co. witness stone-giants engaged in a deadly game of dodgeball. The behemoths chuck enormous boulders at each other during a thunderstorm, heedless of the cowering party below. Although the book described the monsters as having a good time and guffawing, this scene seems more like a full-on battle.

“The Lost World” (1925)
Before he worked on the original “King Kong,” special effects artist Willis O'Brien created groundbreaking stop motion animation for “The Lost World.” This adaptation of the novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle follows a group of explorers in South America who discover a land populated by prehistoric creatures. The most dangerous of these is the Allosaurus, who spends the movie menacing all the other dinosaurs. In this famous fight, it seems like the Allosaurus has met its match in the Brontosaurus, until a crumbling cliff takes the herbivore out of the picture. The stop motion dinos might look quaint by today’s standards, but these early filmmakers paved the way for the epic monster fights we have today.

“Jurassic Park III” (2001)
Poor Alan Grant is caught in the middle of a huge dino fight yet again. After crashing on Isla Sorna and narrowly escaping from the Spinosaurus, he and the group stumble upon a T-Rex feasting on a fresh kill. The Rex inexplicably leaves its meal to pursue the humans, leading to a confrontation with the larger and more powerful Spino. The fight is short but vicious, with the Spinosaurus making quick work of the T-Rex and establishing itself as the dominant dino. Even the mediocre movies in this franchise still produce some delightfully hair-raising fight scenes.

“King Kong vs. Godzilla” (1962)
We have to pay homage to the first time these two titans appeared together on screen. How did King Kong end up in Japan and why is he fighting Godzilla? Does it really matter? The important thing is that we finally get to see these two titans from different worlds duking it out. Kong is almost outmatched, as the boulders he tosses at Godzilla barely faze the giant lizard. When he gets knocked out, it seems like the fight is over, but fortunately an electrical storm hits at just the right moment, reviving Kong with a bolt of lightning. It might not be the best Godzilla movie or the best King Kong movie, but it’s an iconic moment in cinema history.

“Rampage” (2018)
You’ve seen a giant ape fight a giant reptile, but this is the only movie that features a three-way match that also involves a flying wolf. When a shady genetic engineering company accidentally exposes several wild animals to its experimental pathogen, the result is a trio of massive mutated monsters. Now it’s up to George the gorilla and the Rock to stop the other two from completely destroying Chicago before the military is forced to bomb the city. The title of this movie says it all, as once the animals reach downtown, the action and devastation are non-stop.

“The Golden Voyage of Sinbad” (1974)
In one corner we have the centaur: a mythical beast that is half-man, half-horse and all hate for everything good. In other, the griffin: also half-lion with the head and wings of an eagle. For a while, this Guardian of the Good seems to have the upper hand against his one-eyed foe. However, the evil Koura doesn’t play fair and decides to intervene, slicing up the griffin from behind. Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion effects hit their prime in this epic fantasy and though the fight scene is pretty choppy at some points, the overall effect is highly impressive.

“Kong: Skull Island” (2017)
The second entry in the MonsterVerse franchise, “Kong: Skull Island” featured no shortage of epic throwdowns between the King of the Jungle and all manner of oversized opponents. While his fight against the giant squid was entertaining, it was pretty one-sided. That’s why we decided to go with Kong’s climactic battle against the Skull Devil. This one goes down to the wire, with Kong taking his fair share of licks. It’s a vicious, no holds barred battle between two of the nastiest monsters on Skull Island, but in the end, Kong proves he’s the island’s top dog…err, ape.

“Shin Godzilla” (2016)
Long before he was battling other monsters, Godzilla was battling Japan. In this 2016 Toho Pictures reboot, Godzilla is once again pitted against the nation, wreaking havoc at sea and on land. This iteration of Godzilla is especially difficult to dispatch, as it evolves to match whatever weapons are deployed against it. A truly epic battle ensues, with the citizens of Japan ultimately defeating the radioactive behemoth not with nuclear weapons, but with a coagulating substance that freezes it. Beneath its action exterior, “Shin Godzilla” is a well-directed and well written film that’s so much more than just another giant monster movie.

“Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster” (1964)
You know what they say, the enemy of my enemy is my friend! Godzilla and his rivals have to put their quarrels aside in this film to save Earth from the horrifying three-headed dragon King Ghidorah. Eschewing gentlemanly rules of engagement, the three gang up on King Ghidorah all at once and pummel him. Then, they go into what can only be called a team combo. Riding on Rodan’s back, Mothra sprays Ghidorah with silk while Godzilla takes the dragon’s tails and throws him off a cliff. Why can’t giant monsters just get along?

“Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015)
This cinematic battle pits technology against brute strength, with Tony Stark’s Hulkbuster machine squaring off against everyone’s favorite big green rage monster. While this fight is peppered with moments of levity – Tony telling Hulk to go to sleep while punching him in the face immediately comes to mind – it also showcases the destructive power the Hulk possesses. The fight devastates the city of Johannesburg, with Tony’s best efforts to subdue the Hulk met at every turn with a vicious reaction from his out-of-control ally. This one was fun to watch, but horrible to imagine coming to fruition.

“Gamera 3: The Revenge of Iris” (1999)
A giant monster fueled by a young girl’s rage seeks to destroy Gamera. Now that the exposition is out of the way, let’s get to what we really want to see: two mega titans taking each other on in a no-holds-barred brawl to the death. Because the title of the movie starts with the name Gamera, you can place your bets on who’s going to win. Although Iris gets in some pretty good hits, Gamera is victorious with the old fiery fist technique and all of Japan rejoices… until more monsters show up, that is.

“Jurassic World” (2015)
You’d think that humanity would’ve learned by now that cloning dinosaurs isn’t the best idea. Alas, a new park opens in “Jurassic World”, and scientists cook up a new dino called the Indominus Rex. As the Indominus breaks loose and corners our heroes, Claire calls upon the most badass dinosaur that ever lived to save the day. That’s right, the T-REX! If that doesn’t sound awesome enough, the filmmakers also throw a raptor into the mix for a little tag team action. The Indominus Rex bites the dust as the opportunistic Mosasaurus sees dinner, restoring the natural order!

“Godzilla vs. Kong” (2021)
This is the showdown that fans of the MonsterVerse have been waiting for. The two titans first meet in the open ocean, a.k.a. Godzilla’s natural habitat, where the giant lizard has a distinct advantage. He defeats Kong easily, but fortunately the humans are able to intervene and prevent Kong from drowning. When they face off again in downtown Hong Kong, they’re on much more equal footing, plus Kong now has his extremely cool atomic axe. Still, Godzilla is a powerful foe. After a brutal battle that destroys much of the neon lit city, he comes away the victor again, leaving Kong on death’s door.

“How to Train Your Dragon 2” (2014)
The word alpha is used pretty freely throughout this rousing sequel and the Bewilderbeasts are about just as alpha as you can get. This whole sequence draws comparison to a fantasy epic like “The Lord of the Rings” with the Bewilderbeasts at the center of everything. It’s a battle between good and evil as the biggest of dragons compete for the allegiance of all dragon-kind. While the two are almost equally matched, it’s the one belonging to the cruel Drago Bludvist that ultimately reigns supreme. Hiccup and his friends might have lost this battle, but the war is far from over.

“Pacific Rim” (2013)
When his brother is killed in a clash with a Kaiju known as Knifehead, Jaeger pilot Raleigh Becket is paired with a new partner to fight giant monsters. For their first battle, Gipsy Danger battles a monstrous, acid spitting, winged creature dubbed Otachi. The fight is about as grand and realistic as CGI can be as we see the two foes destroy buildings, cars and even a boat. Fortunately, when Gipsy Danger’s pilots realize their robot comes fully equipped with a badass sword, the tables are turned and Otachi is halved mid-air. Hell yeah!

“Godzilla: Final Wars” (2004)
One of the most outlandish entries in the “Godzilla” franchise, “Godzilla: Final Wars” sees the King of the Monsters squaring off against multiple foes. However, his final battle with Monster X is undoubtedly the most intense! Monster X is a straight up badass, using martial arts and atomic blasts against Godzilla amidst the ruins of Tokyo. Just when it looks like Godzilla has defeated Monster X, it transforms into Keizer Ghidorah. A series of vicious attacks leaves Godzilla weakened, but in the end, he finds a way to destroy his foe once and for all!

“Godzilla” (2014)
The finale of this monster movie sees Godzilla squaring off against two MUTOs, or Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms. These ancient species are nothing to scoff at and manage to inflict plenty of damage. However, it doesn’t take long for Godzilla to prove why he got top billing. The King of the Monsters finishes off the winged MUTO by slamming it into a building, before turning his attention to the female. Shockingly, Godzilla decides to let bygones be bygones, and plants a smooch on the creature’s lips. Okay, maybe we didn’t describe that accurately. Truth be told, the real loser in this fight was the city of San Francisco.

“King Kong” (2005)
Peter Jackson makes BIG movies. As such, he was the perfect fit to direct “King Kong”, which takes viewers on a journey to Skull Island and introduces them to dinosaurs, giant bugs, and of course, Kong, the 8th wonder of the world. In order to demonstrate just as tough Kong is, Jackson pits him against not one, but three Vastatosaurus rexes. Oh, and did we mention he has to do it while holding Ann Darrow in one of his giant hands? Taking place across multiple locations and featuring some truly epic CGI that still holds up today, King Kong’s battle against the dinos is the stuff of legends!

“Godzilla vs. Kong” (2021)
What’s better than the king of the lizards fighting King Kong? How about the two of them teaming up to fight an even deadlier enemy? Mechagodzilla was created as a weapon to fight all the giant monsters that keep popping up to terrorize humanity. But of course, his creator immediately loses control over him. Possessed by the consciousness of King Ghidorah, he’s out for revenge against Godzilla. The lizard is no match for Mechagodzilla on his own, but fortunately, our heroes are able to revive Kong, who swoops in to save the day. The MonsterVerse is going to have a hard time topping this battle.

“Godzilla: King of the Monsters” (2019)
For a monster fight that’ll blow your socks off, look no further than 2019’s “Godzilla: King of the Monsters”. The ending of this film sees Godzilla and Mothra going toe-to-toe with King Ghidorah and Rodan, in a battle to decide the fate of the Titans. With three heads to contend with, Godzilla initially appears outmatched. However, with the help of Monarch and Mothra (who sacrifices herself to save her atomic pal) Godzilla emerges victorious! With stunning visuals and an impactful story, “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” proved that monster movies still have a place in the modern cinematic landscape.

“King Kong” (1933)
On Skull Island, it’s kill or be killed since most of the population consists of giant monsters. That can be pretty entertaining, as long as you’re not a damsel in distress. In this scene, King Kong does battle with the most fearsome of dinosaurs, the T-Rex. Because it’s 1933, the result is two stop-motion animated models throwing each other around, with King Kong using a classic judo flip. Then in a brutal K.O. move, he cracks T-Rex’s jaws right open. While Peter Jackson’s updated version of the fight might be more thrilling by today's standards, this was pretty darn great for the ‘30s and is still fun to watch today.

“Destroy All Monsters” (1968)
The filmmakers here really knocked it out of the park when it came to names! When the world decides it’s had enough of cities getting demolished, they ship all their Kaiju to the appropriately named Monsterland. All the usual suspects show up to trade punches, including of course Godzilla. Some aliens get involved and things get a bit wacky, but all the monsters must team up in the end to fight the dreaded King Ghidorah. It’s like Toho's equivalent of “The Avengers,” resulting in one of the greatest giant monster fights of all time.

“Godzilla vs. Destoroyah” (1995)
When ancient organisms are gassed with an Oxygen Destroyer, a new giant monster is born. When will humans learn? This monster, aptly named Destoroyah, meets Godzilla’s offspring and the two have at it. Destroyah comes out victorious and Godzilla senior vows revenge. This is where the real fight begins! Although Destoroyah eventually grows bigger than the king of monsters, that doesn’t bother Godzilla. He uses his atomic breath to weaken Destroyah, allowing the military to step in (and take all the credit!) Godzilla then quietly explodes and his resurrected son continues the family legacy. Doesn’t make a ton of sense, but man, what a battle!