These monsters made a BIG impact on cinema. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 30 most awe-inspiring giant monsters to ever grace our movie screens.
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00:00 (dramatic music)
00:02 - Well, there's something you don't see every day.
00:06 - Welcome to WatchMojo.
00:08 And today we're counting down our picks
00:10 for the top 30 most awe-inspiring giant monsters
00:13 to ever grace our movie screens.
00:16 (thunder rumbling)
00:19 - The Balrog.
00:21 The demon of the ancient world.
00:25 - Number 30, the Kraken,
00:27 Pirates of the Caribbean, Dead Man's Chest.
00:29 - Let this day be cost by we who ready to wake.
00:34 (man grunting)
00:36 The Kraken.
00:38 - The last thing that many unlucky sailors saw
00:41 before sinking to a watery grave
00:43 was this fearsome sea beast.
00:45 This version of the Kraken basically exemplifies
00:47 everything that comes to mind
00:49 when we think of a nightmarish underwater Leviathan.
00:52 It's got tons of tentacles, razor sharp teeth,
00:55 and unnatural strength.
00:57 And thanks to imaginative CGI,
01:00 the Kraken looked every bit as horrifying as it sounded.
01:03 Even the craftiest pirates could only manage
01:05 to stall the legendary beast when facing it at sea.
01:09 While the beast was disappointingly killed off screen
01:11 in between films, it still deserved to be feared.
01:15 Each time Davy Jones called upon the Kraken,
01:18 the monster wrecked ships and furthered its fearsome legend.
01:22 - Hello, beastie.
01:25 - Number 29, Gorgo.
01:27 Gorgo.
01:28 - We bring you the arrival of Gorgo.
01:31 This creature, which should have been extinct
01:33 10 million years ago, is truly an awesome sight
01:36 as it is transported through the streets of modern London.
01:39 - After a certain famous kaiju made a cinematic splash,
01:43 plenty of creatures emerged that were eager
01:45 to take their place alongside the king of the monsters.
01:48 Gorgo was one of the most notable monsters
01:50 to burst onto the scene.
01:52 He's a giant lizard with noticeable fins on his head
01:55 and bright glowing red eyes.
01:57 Back in 1961, he was the titular star of a film
02:00 that utilized the United Kingdom as a unique backdrop
02:04 for giant kaiju carnage.
02:06 After Gorgo is forcefully dragged into a circus,
02:08 his massive mother, Ogre, comes ashore to pick him up.
02:12 In the process, quite a few portions of Ireland
02:14 and England are trampled.
02:16 Gorgo's cool design helped him stand out
02:19 in a sea of monsters.
02:21 - She turns back, turns with her young.
02:25 Leaving the prostrate city, leaving the haunts of man.
02:29 - Number 28, Space Godzilla, the Godzilla franchise.
02:33 (roaring)
02:36 While this kaiju may not possess the most original name,
02:46 he does have an eye-catching design.
02:48 This is thanks primarily to the power crystals
02:50 that adorn his back.
02:52 Almost like a pair of exaggerated 1980s shoulder pads.
02:56 The kaiju was a one movie wonder that only appeared
02:59 in 1994's "Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla."
03:02 As the story unfolded, we learned that he was actually
03:05 an alien clone of the Big G.
03:07 And this doppelganger was no mindless antagonist.
03:11 As part of a heinous plot, Space Godzilla kidnaps
03:14 the original Big G's son in the film.
03:17 This established that the new kaiju was intelligent enough
03:20 to set traps and plan big attacks.
03:22 Since this villain has been underutilized on screen,
03:26 we'd love to see Space Godzilla return to a monster-verse.
03:29 (roaring)
03:31 Number 27, The Giant Squid, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
03:39 - We'll be fighting at close quarters
03:40 with the most tenacious of all sea beasts.
03:43 Stay clear of the tentacles, they'll seize anything
03:46 within reach and hang on to the dead.
03:48 - Unlike many movie monsters we're used to seeing,
03:51 this massive cephalopod doesn't feel inherently evil.
03:55 While The Giant Squid is certainly the film's antagonist,
03:58 its actions don't seem intentionally malicious.
04:01 The sea beast feels like an animal just driven
04:04 by curiosity and natural instincts.
04:07 Of course, The Giant Squid's feral nature
04:09 doesn't hamper the film's climactic final battle sequence.
04:13 The big animatronic was simply fantastic for 1954.
04:17 It was so impactful, in fact, that The Giant Squid
04:20 was made the star of a number of Disney attractions
04:23 over the years.
04:24 Not every beast can say that they've become
04:26 a certified theme park smash hit.
04:28 (roaring)
04:31 Number 26, Otachi, Pacific Rim.
04:36 - Engaged.
04:37 - It's easy to lose track of the many kaiju
04:46 that come out of the sea portal within the Antiverse.
04:49 However, Otachi made sure that we'd never forget her.
04:52 Weighing over 2,000 tons and standing at over 200 feet tall,
04:57 she's one of the largest kaiju in the franchise.
05:00 Otachi also has the ability to fly
05:02 if the occasion calls for it.
05:04 Her unique creature construction is bolstered
05:07 by a cool-looking spiny tail and a fearsome attack style.
05:11 As a result, this giant movie monster exists
05:14 as one of the cooler and more memorable threats
05:17 to ever face off against a Jaeger.
05:19 Otachi was such a cool antagonist
05:22 that we were almost sad to see her go.
05:24 (speaking in foreign language)
05:28 Number 25, Rodan, Rodan and the Godzilla franchise.
05:38 - Yes, that's it, the bird that hatched from the egg.
05:40 Look at that waist spread.
05:42 - It didn't take long for Japan
05:43 to develop its second giant monster movie star
05:46 in the form of a gigantic and irradiated pteranodon.
05:50 While it could have easily played second fiddle
05:53 to stars like G-Man or Mothra,
05:55 Rodan endured to the modern day as a true hero and villain.
06:00 Well, it's actually a little complicated.
06:02 Over the years, Rodan has been both friend
06:04 and foe to Godzilla.
06:06 This makes it hard to tell if the winged kaiju
06:08 will help or hurt its rival in any given film.
06:12 And Rodan definitely has the power to do so.
06:15 The wind power generated by its colossal wings
06:18 and its fiery form make it a true threat.
06:21 Rodan is a true assassin of the skies.
06:24 - Local legends call it Rodan, the fire demon.
06:28 - Number 24, Clover, Cloverfield.
06:31 Before moviegoers ever saw a glimpse of this monster,
06:35 a viral video showed them that the beast
06:37 was going to decapitate the Statue of Freaking Liberty.
06:40 - Did you guys see that?
06:43 Did you guys just see that?
06:44 - That image instantly helped build up Clover's reputation
06:47 as an unimaginable threat.
06:49 Throughout the 2008 movie,
06:51 the filmmakers cleverly made it hard to see the giant
06:54 as it carved a path of destruction.
06:57 So when we got to view it head on, it was a big deal.
07:00 Clover was immensely tall,
07:02 had sharp and scary looking claw legs,
07:05 and possessed a bug-like appearance
07:07 that just freaked us out.
07:09 The immense buildup to its full debut
07:11 made this monster one of the most notable creatures
07:14 to arrive in the 21st century.
07:16 (monster growling)
07:20 Number 23, Slattern, Pacific Rim.
07:23 Even the most experienced Jaeger pilots
07:25 might hesitate to face this beast in a one-on-one.
07:29 (monster growling)
07:32 Like many of its fellow kaiju,
07:37 Slattern is tremendously strong and intimidating.
07:40 But the beast isn't just dangerous, it's smart.
07:43 The triple-tailed and spike-wielding behemoth
07:46 is capable of obliterating enemies with ease.
07:49 (monster growling)
07:52 Even the sound of Slattern's roar is enough to do damage.
08:00 What also makes this kaiju cool
08:02 is the hammerhead appearance.
08:03 When that distinctive feature is combined
08:05 with the other design elements,
08:07 it adds up to one true underwater nightmare.
08:10 There's a reason Slattern
08:11 was the absolutely final boss of the film.
08:14 It's a certifiably terrifying titan.
08:17 Number 22, The Host, The Host.
08:20 After a scientist demands that a bunch of dangerous chemicals
08:23 get dumped into a river,
08:25 a deadly creature emerges from the water.
08:27 It kills most anyone it sees with reckless abandon.
08:31 (monster growling)
08:35 And it's tough enough to endure many of man's weapons
08:38 and keep on attacking.
08:39 The Host's resilience and wrath
08:41 help it to serve as a great environmental cautionary tale.
08:45 This creature isn't an ancient threat or alien invader.
08:48 Instead, it's the direct result of man's hubris
08:52 and lack of care for the natural resources of the earth.
08:55 The Host reminds us that sometimes humanity
08:58 can create the worst monsters.
09:00 (monster growling)
09:05 Number 21, The Trolls, Troll Hunter.
09:08 (speaking in foreign language)
09:11 Since it was too hard to pick which of the monsters
09:14 from this found footage favorite we liked best,
09:16 we grouped them all into one entry.
09:19 (monster growling)
09:23 Pulled directly from Norwegian folk myths,
09:29 the trolls encountered in the film
09:30 walk an amazing line between fanciful and terrifying.
09:34 (monster growling)
09:37 Maybe it's the big giant noses.
09:39 They're oddly adorable, even when they're eating people.
09:42 From the triple-headed Tussle Lad
09:44 to the squat and burly Raggle Fan,
09:46 all the way up to the gigantic Jotun,
09:49 these are some of the most interesting
09:50 and unique movie monsters in recent memory,
09:53 making this lesser-known film
09:54 a must-watch for monster fans.
09:57 (monster growling)
10:01 (monster growling)
10:04 Number 20, The Behemoth, The Mist.
10:07 It should say a ton about this monster
10:09 that it managed to make our list
10:11 despite having so little screen time in the movie.
10:13 It's just that awesome.
10:15 - Baby's so good.
10:16 (monster growling)
10:19 - Sergeant Generator.
10:20 (monster growling)
10:23 - This monster is one of many that emerged
10:24 from an otherworldly fog that descends on a New England town.
10:28 Glimpsed briefly by the heroes of the film,
10:30 this monster is absolutely gigantic
10:33 and boasts a body covered in writhing tentacles
10:36 that give us serious Cthulhu vibes.
10:38 It's the presentation that helps this one stand out.
10:41 Half-obscured through the titular mist,
10:43 the creature is equal parts majestic and horrifying,
10:46 so massive and otherworldly
10:48 that it doesn't even spare our heroes a second glance.
10:51 It's a brief but chilling sight.
10:54 Number 19, The Kraken.
10:56 The original "Clash of the Titans"
10:58 and "Clash of the Titans" remake.
11:00 - Release the Kraken.
11:02 - Movie fans of a certain age
11:03 will probably remember the first time
11:05 they saw Ray Harryhausen's sea beast
11:08 first emerge from the depths and onto their screens.
11:11 The special effects legend was a maestro
11:14 at making even the smallest creature possess huge emotions.
11:18 His Kraken's wild-eyed facial features
11:20 perfectly complemented its wild attack approach.
11:23 When the creature returned for the remake,
11:25 it got a cool CGI redesign that made it feel titanic.
11:29 Between its gnarly teeth, fearsome claws, and tentacles,
11:33 it had plenty of ways to kill
11:34 any unlucky heroes that faced it.
11:37 Make sure you have a Medusa head nearby
11:39 if you wanna get anywhere near either Kraken.
11:42 (creature roaring)
11:45 Number 18, The Rhetosaurus.
11:55 The beast from "20,000 Fathoms."
11:58 (rhythmic music)
12:00 The impact of special effects legends
12:09 Ray Harryhausen on genre films cannot be understated.
12:12 And his massive legacy began right here
12:15 with this humble but fearsome dinosaur.
12:17 (dinosaur roaring)
12:20 (woman screaming)
12:25 Awakened by nuclear tests,
12:27 the creature descends upon New York
12:29 to wreak havoc and mayhem.
12:30 As if its titanic size and strength aren't enough,
12:33 the creature also spreads a deadly disease wherever it goes,
12:36 further hampering efforts to kill it.
12:38 (dinosaur roaring)
12:41 While the effects may look antiquated by today's standards,
12:53 this monster gains huge cred
12:54 for helping to kickstart the career
12:56 of one of cinema's finest creative minds
12:58 and inspiring certain other monsters
13:01 that you'll see later in our list.
13:03 Number 17, The Tarantula.
13:05 Tarantula.
13:07 You just can't get more classic
13:08 than a good old fashioned giant spider.
13:10 (tarantula squeaking)
13:13 This particular arachnid is the byproduct
13:18 of a secret laboratory that used radioactive elements
13:21 to create a super nutrient
13:23 intended to help solve world hunger.
13:25 But when you start messing with super science,
13:27 things like giant tarantulas are bound to happen, right?
13:31 (tarantula squeaking)
13:34 The spider descends onto the town of Desert Rock,
13:41 spreading mayhem and probably scarring
13:43 local arachnophobes for life.
13:45 - You think that was lightning we saw over to the west?
13:49 If it was, it's the first time I ever seen lightning
13:51 throw off sparks.
13:53 Maybe one of them college boys
13:54 short-circuited his nice new Geiger counter.
13:57 (laughing)
13:59 What was that?
14:00 - Unlike most monsters on our list,
14:02 this one was actually created using a real tarantula
14:04 for many of its scenes,
14:06 made to look gigantic via some special effects wizardry,
14:09 making for a surprisingly convincing effect
14:12 given the film's vintage.
14:14 (tarantula squeaking)
14:17 (roaring)
14:19 Number 16, the Rancor.
14:25 Star Wars Episode VI, Return of the Jedi.
14:28 Giant monsters are even a problem in a galaxy far, far away,
14:32 as Luke Skywalker learns during his mission to Jabba's palace.
14:36 - Look out, the Rancor!
14:38 - A massive creature native to the planet Dathomir,
14:41 somewhere domesticated and used as mounts
14:43 by the feared Nightsisters.
14:45 (dramatic music)
14:47 One member of the species was acquired by, indeed,
14:57 the ruthless crime lord Jabba the Hutt
14:59 to serve as his pet/garbage disposal,
15:02 devouring anyone unfortunate enough
15:04 to get thrown into its pit beneath Jabba's throne room.
15:07 Unfortunately for Jabba and his pet,
15:09 Jedi tend to put up more of a fight than most meals,
15:12 and the poor beast meets its end
15:13 at the hands of Luke Skywalker.
15:15 (dramatic music)
15:18 Number 15, the 50-foot woman.
15:26 Attack of the 50-foot woman.
15:28 You don't need scales, claws, or even atomic breath
15:31 to make a splash as a giant monster,
15:33 and this entry proves you can go far
15:35 with just height and determination.
15:37 Hey, just ask the big-ass spider.
15:40 - She's loose!
15:43 - She's a root ball!
15:44 - After a chance encounter with an alien spacecraft,
15:48 Nancy Archer begins to grow to a colossal size,
15:51 which allows her to take revenge on her unfaithful husband.
15:55 (dramatic music)
15:57 - She'll tear up the whole town 'til she finds Harry.
16:01 - This is the only fully human creature on our list,
16:04 and by far one of the most sympathetic.
16:06 - Let's get the sheriff.
16:07 (dramatic music)
16:11 (dramatic music)
16:13 - Hey, what's going on?
16:14 - Don't worry, Nancy.
16:15 The people around you may see you as a menace,
16:17 and we understand why,
16:19 but we also see you for the powerful,
16:21 independent boss you are.
16:22 (dramatic music)
16:25 - She's down.
16:28 - Let's take a look.
16:30 - Number 14, the Balrog,
16:32 the Lord of the Rings franchise.
16:35 One of the most feared creatures in all of Middle Earth,
16:37 this ancient terror is scary enough
16:39 to give even a wizard like Gandalf serious cause for alarm.
16:43 - The Balrog,
16:44 the demon of the ancient world.
16:48 - Described by Gandalf as a demonic denizen
16:50 of the ancient world,
16:52 this hulking beast is composed of shadow and flame,
16:55 and wields a flaming sword and whip
16:57 that it frankly barely even needs.
16:59 - You shall not pass!
17:01 (dramatic music)
17:07 - When you're hugely tall and made out of fire,
17:09 weapons just seem like overkill.
17:11 But hey, that evil whip did come in handy.
17:13 Awoken by the dwarves of Moria when they dug too deep,
17:16 the beast is a serious threat to the Fellowship,
17:19 one that Gandalf seemingly makes
17:21 the ultimate sacrifice to overcome.
17:23 (dramatic music)
17:26 Number 13, Talos.
17:38 Jason and the Argonauts.
17:40 Another creature brought to life
17:41 by the great Ray Harryhausen,
17:43 this living statue crosses paths with Jason and the Argonauts
17:47 in the classic 1963 film.
17:50 - It must have been the wind.
17:51 - Placed on the island of Crete by the gods,
17:58 the statue serves as a ward
18:00 and guardian of the island's treasure.
18:02 (dramatic music)
18:05 Normally, this wouldn't be a problem
18:14 for Jason and his friends,
18:15 but the statue mistakes them for pirates
18:17 after Hercules takes a broach
18:19 during their stop on the island.
18:21 - Perhaps Hercules found a woman after all.
18:23 - Beautifully realized by Harryhausen,
18:30 this is one of the most incredible monsters
18:32 in a film packed with incredible monsters,
18:34 and his size and strength presents a challenge
18:37 even for the film's powerful heroes.
18:39 (dramatic music)
18:42 Number 12, Mechagodzilla, the Godzilla franchise.
18:59 Giant radioactive lizard, pretty cool.
19:02 Giant radioactive robot lizard, now we're talking.
19:06 Godzilla's robotic doppelganger
19:14 has taken several forms over the years,
19:17 first appearing in 1974
19:19 as the creation of a race of aliens
19:20 bent on conquering Earth.
19:22 (roaring)
19:24 Later films reimagined it
19:32 as an anti-Godzilla defense system created by humans
19:35 in an attempt to fight off the legendary monster.
19:38 (speaking in foreign language)
19:42 Is it the most practical weapon to fight Godzilla?
19:56 Probably not, but it's still rad.
19:59 Armed with a wide array of lasers, missiles,
20:01 and even a powerful freezing cannon,
20:04 Godzilla's mechanical counterpart
20:05 always gives him a run for his money.
20:08 (roaring)
20:10 Number 11, Sanda and Gyra, the War of the Gargantuas.
20:21 Another two for one.
20:23 The subjects of this entry take sibling rivalry
20:32 to a pretty destructive level.
20:34 The creatures are officially the offspring of Frankenstein
20:37 who appeared as a monster with regenerative powers
20:40 in 1965's "Frankenstein Conquers the World."
20:43 - In the ocean's unfathomable depths,
20:45 a gigantic man-like creature appears.
20:48 (roaring)
20:49 - Papa Frank was defeated,
20:51 but his remains regenerated into two wholly new creatures.
20:55 While the friendly Sanda is an ally to us humans,
20:58 the villainous Gyra hates our collective guts,
21:00 and the two clash in spectacular fashion
21:03 when Gyra attacks Japan.
21:04 (roaring)
21:07 (screaming)
21:09 (roaring)
21:11 The titanic struggle between these two
21:15 is honestly one of the best fight scenes
21:17 in all of classic kaiju cinema,
21:19 and easily earns them a place on our list.
21:22 (roaring)
21:24 Number 10, King Ghidorah, the Godzilla franchise.
21:36 The king of the monsters has had some incredible enemies
21:39 over the years, a few of which are,
21:41 of course, also on this list.
21:43 (speaking in foreign language)
21:47 But without a doubt, his greatest nemesis
21:49 is this appropriately fearsome bad boy.
21:51 (roaring)
21:53 - Oh, shit.
22:01 (screaming)
22:02 - Sporting three heads, two tails,
22:04 wings, and the power to fire lightning-like gravity beams,
22:07 this space kaiju has returned time and time again
22:10 to battle Godzilla, and he's given the big guy
22:13 a tough fight every time.
22:15 (roaring)
22:17 - Is it just me, or has he been working out?
22:25 - Are you kidding me?
22:25 - In most incarnations, he's a space-born monster
22:28 that comes to Earth to cause trouble,
22:30 and is often such a titanic threat
22:32 that multiple monsters need to team up
22:34 just to stand a chance.
22:35 (roaring)
22:37 - Long live the king.
22:43 - Looking at him, it's not hard to see why.
22:46 Number nine, the ants, them.
22:49 There are few sights more iconic
22:50 among atomic-age horror films
22:52 than the giant ants of this 1954 classic.
22:56 (screeching)
22:58 These colossal critters helped kick off
23:03 an entire subgenre back in the day,
23:05 being some of the first of many movie monsters
23:07 to grow to massive size thanks to that pesky atomic energy.
23:11 (screeching)
23:13 While vulnerable to human weapons,
23:24 the ants are numerous and fearsome enough
23:26 to cause plenty of trouble,
23:28 and the military needs to be called in to fight them.
23:30 But you know how it is with ants.
23:32 You just can't get rid of them until you find the nest.
23:34 How hard do you think it would be
23:35 to get a giant can of bug spray?
23:38 (screeching)
23:40 Number eight, the blob, the original The Blob,
23:48 and The Blob remake.
23:49 An amorphous mass of living slime
23:51 brought to Earth on a meteorite,
23:53 this is another classic
23:54 from American horror films of the '50s.
23:56 (screeching)
24:00 (screeching)
24:02 Unlike other monsters,
24:05 who tend to be more on the smashy side,
24:07 this one spreads mayhem by enveloping
24:09 and dissolving anything it comes across,
24:11 growing bigger as it devours more unlucky victims.
24:14 (screeching)
24:28 As these affairs often go,
24:30 the military are unable to combat
24:32 the extraterrestrial menace,
24:34 and the day is only saved by the revelation
24:36 of the monster's weakness.
24:38 - It's cold.
24:40 That's why it didn't come in the icebox after us.
24:41 It can't stand cold.
24:43 - In a rare occurrence,
24:44 the '80s remake of this sci-fi horror classic
24:46 is also worth a watch,
24:48 especially for the fantastic special effects.
24:51 - Paul!
24:52 (screeching)
24:57 (screeching)
24:59 - Number seven, The Graboids,
25:03 the Tremors franchise.
25:05 (screeching)
25:08 Most giant monsters do their wrecking above ground,
25:13 but not these ones.
25:14 - That's how they get you.
25:16 They're under the goddamn ground.
25:18 - A race of giant armored worms,
25:20 these monsters appear to shake the town
25:22 of Perfection, Nevada to its foundations,
25:25 and we mean that quite literally.
25:27 - Come on, come on, come on!
25:29 - Two more, you throw behind him!
25:32 (explosion)
25:35 - The creatures are heavily armored
25:41 and able to move underground at terrifying speeds,
25:43 allowing them to burst out of the ground
25:45 and devour unsuspecting victims whole.
25:48 They also have an array of grasping tentacles,
25:50 from which their name is derived.
25:52 They're not impossible to take down
25:54 if you have a bunker full of firepower on hand,
25:56 but bear in mind that not everyone
25:58 is as well-armed as the Gummer family.
26:01 Number six, The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, Ghostbusters.
26:05 By far the strangest entry on our list,
26:08 this entry nonetheless has us terrified
26:10 beyond the capacity for rational thought.
26:12 - It's the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.
26:15 (screeching)
26:23 - While it looks on the surface
26:25 like a giant marshmallow mascot,
26:26 this monster is even stranger
26:28 when you dig beneath the surface.
26:30 In truth, he's the chosen form of Gozer the Destructor,
26:33 an ancient trans-dimensional entity
26:35 summoned to our plane of existence by a sinister cult,
26:38 with a New York City apartment building
26:40 serving as the gateway.
26:41 - Well, there's something you don't see every day.
26:43 - Its form upon arriving in our world
26:45 is chosen by Ghostbuster Ray Stantz's thoughts,
26:48 which is why New York ends up nearly falling
26:50 to the softest-looking giant monster we can think of.
26:53 (roaring)
26:55 Number five, Mothra, the Godzilla and Mothra franchises.
27:11 - Meet Titanus Mosura, or as we like to call her.
27:15 - Mothra.
27:16 - This divine monster is easily one of the most beloved
27:19 and iconic kaiju to come out of Toho Studios,
27:21 and also one of the friendliest,
27:24 so long as you don't get on her bad side.
27:26 (speaking in foreign language)
27:29 Introduced in a 1961 solo film,
27:47 the Queen of the Monsters is a seemingly magical being
27:50 worshipped as a god by the natives of Infant Island,
27:53 and even has a duo of tiny priestesses
27:55 who can communicate with her via song.
27:57 Shortly after this, she was teamed up
28:11 with Godzilla and Rodan,
28:13 and a partnership for the ages was born.
28:15 One of the more powerful kaiju,
28:17 she has a range of abilities,
28:19 including creating silk to restrain her foes,
28:21 and even energy beams.
28:23 Number four, Gamera, the Gamera franchise.
28:32 While Godzilla was undoubtedly the king of the kaiju boom
28:34 of the '60s and '70s,
28:36 he had a rival in the form of this entry.
28:38 (dramatic music)
28:41 (roaring)
28:44 Able to breathe fire, fly, and even travel through space,
28:53 this giant turtle began as an ancient creature
28:56 mutated by radiation.
28:58 Before transitioning to a more benevolent role,
29:00 a path Godzilla himself would also take.
29:03 (roaring)
29:10 Like his main rival,
29:11 his franchise has also been revived several times,
29:15 to particularly great effect
29:16 with the trilogy of films released in the '90s.
29:19 (roaring)
29:22 Standing in the shadow of the king of the monsters
29:30 isn't easy, but the guardian of Earth
29:32 and friend of all children stands tall and proud.
29:35 - So why would you save my life?
29:37 (dramatic music)
29:39 - Number three, The Cyclops, the seventh voyage of Sinbad.
29:48 We've gushed over Ray Harryhausen
29:50 quite a bit on this list already,
29:52 and we're not quite done yet.
29:54 (roaring)
29:56 - To the boats, quickly!
29:59 - While not the maestro's first creation,
30:01 it was this mythic monster
30:03 that cemented his place in cinema history.
30:05 (roaring)
30:07 Emerging from a cave to menace Sinbad and his crew,
30:14 the creature instantly became one of the most iconic
30:16 and enduring images of Harryhausen's legacy,
30:19 inspiring numerous filmmakers who came after
30:22 and sparking the imagination of countless audience members.
30:25 (roaring)
30:27 Other monsters may be bigger, tougher,
30:33 and are able to fire more,
30:34 which is to say any laser beams,
30:37 but this one lands high on our list
30:39 for being an unsung icon.
30:41 - Farewell, colossal.
30:42 - Number two, King Kong, the King Kong franchise.
30:47 (roaring)
30:49 The number two spot on our list
30:54 goes to the one that started it all,
30:56 the eighth wonder of the world himself.
30:58 A colossal ape native to the remote Skull Island,
31:01 he captured the hearts of cinema goers way back in 1933.
31:05 (roaring)
31:08 Brought to life by effects artist Willis O'Brien,
31:17 the creature was unlike anything audiences had seen before,
31:20 a spectacle previously unimaginable to movie goers.
31:24 As if being an icon of cinema weren't enough,
31:26 he's also one of the toughest monsters around,
31:29 brutally strong and deceptively cunning.
31:31 - Kong, hold his tail.
31:33 (roaring)
31:35 - He's gone toe to toe with Godzilla,
31:40 his own robotic doppelganger,
31:41 and the fearsome Skullcrawlers,
31:43 and beaten them all.
31:45 (roaring)
31:47 Before we continue,
31:53 be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell
31:55 to get notified about our latest videos.
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32:05 and switch on notifications.
32:07 Number one, Godzilla, the Godzilla franchise.
32:11 (roaring)
32:13 The king of the monsters,
32:17 yep, him again,
32:18 has spent over half a century earning his title,
32:20 and who are we to argue?
32:22 (speaking in foreign language)
32:26 Of course, the top spot goes to cinema's
32:30 most iconic giant monster,
32:32 the radioactive Titan,
32:34 who's the benchmark against all which other kaiju
32:36 are measured.
32:37 (roaring)
32:39 From his 1954 debut and subsequent revivals
32:54 throughout the decades,
32:55 it's nearly impossible to keep the big guy away
32:57 from movie screens.
32:59 He has by far the biggest filmography
33:01 of any giant monster on our list.
33:03 He's also the toughest,
33:05 sporting a near impenetrable hide,
33:07 vicious claws and teeth,
33:08 and of course, his iconic fiery atomic breath.
33:12 (roaring)
33:14 So sure, go ahead and tell him he shouldn't be number one.
33:22 See what happens.
33:24 - Well, that was interesting.
33:25 (roaring)
33:27 (explosion)
33:29 - Who's your favorite giant monster?
33:33 Roar about it in the comments.
33:35 (roaring)
33:37 Did you enjoy this video?
33:43 Check out these other clips from WatchMojo
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33:47 to be notified about our latest videos.
33:50 (upbeat music)
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33:57 (upbeat music)