In recent years, the MonsterVerse has shown the many versions and personalities of Kaiju that exist in their universe. While they’re more animalistic than their Toho inspirations, they offer something else not often seen in past films. Rather than give them more humanoid mannerisms, these films have blended both versions to create animals that could be read by their eyes and expressions; however, their movements are far more primal. In doing so, a new version of Kaiju has been born that has captured the imagination of a new generation of fans.
Two of the best examples of this new style of storytelling could be shown in King Kong and Godzilla. While both are still animals at their core, they display their emotions and motivations differently than Ghidorah or Rodan. Not only do their mannerisms reflect the habits of their species, but they also offer a powerful distinction between them. As a by-product of this style, it’s also more clear that while both are kings, Godzilla is nothing like Kong in terms of heroism.
Godzilla Has to be Disturbed to Fight
King Kong has always been one to take the lead in a battle on Skull Island. While this was partly to assert dominance as its ruler, it was also because he’d rather end the fight than let something happen and escalate into something worse. As a protector, he’s one to end the fights he started or entered. A great example of this was shown in Kong: Skull Island when he saved Mason Weaver from a tentacled Kaiju. Kong wouldn’t readily let a fight continue, and this was why he saved more lives and kept the balance in his home.
On the other hand, Godzilla will likely let a Kaiju wreck at least a bit of havoc before entering the battlefield. This is partly because he’s slower on land, but it’s also because he won’t venture to fight if it’s not a direct problem. For example, for all the battles on Skull Island, Godzilla never traveled there to see what was going on, even though he had a direct path to it. More often than not, Godzilla will stay out of it until the disturbance occurs, investigate and — should the creature become aggressive — retaliate. He’s not likely to recognize a threat like Ghidorah right away and, as a result, has garnered more grudges and allowed more property damage.
King Kong Has a Moral Compass
King Kong’s grasp on friend and foe is more advanced thanks to his primate ancestry, as well. This distinction has also resulted in a more prominent moral compass. For example, when his close friend, Jia, was in danger, he knew that he had to act to protect her. As a result, he’s far more capable of understanding the importance of life and the desire to protect it. That’s why he wasn’t fighting Godzilla for dominance completely, but to protect those he cared for and stop the rampaging monster. Kong also understood, thanks to Jia, that even though he never got along with Godzilla, they had to put aside their difference to stop MechaGodzilla, and he begrudgingly did so.
Godzilla was always an animal first and a force of nature second. Because of this, he would rise and fall like a tidal wave and form and disperse like a tornado when the conditions were right. That said, he still fought to maintain balance in his world, but even though his goal of stopping rival apex predators helped the Earth, he never did so because it was right. For Godzilla, this was, so he remained the top predator in his environment, and being that he was on top, his desire for solitude was the biggest motivator. Godzilla didn’t like to be disturbed, and that’s mostly what has happened to him, but when he did get up, he fought hard and fast, eliminating the threat, so he could return to his peaceful rest, making him different from Kong, who would fight for others if he had to, making him the true hero between them.