It’s no secret that Godzilla and King Kong are rivals, as these Titans have confronted off in not one, however two separate continuities, together with and particularly the newest MonsterVerse movie Godzilla vs Kong. Whereas the visible spectacle of getting these two behemoths battle it out on the massive display is cause sufficient to pit them in opposition to one another, there’s a far much less meta objective for his or her battle as nicely, and Godzilla’s identify for King Kong explains precisely why their MonsterVerse battle was inevitable.
Within the unique 1962 movie King Kong vs Godzilla, Kong was taken from his dwelling and dropped at Godzilla’s territory with a view to battle the kaiju on behalf of humanity, even though the 2 monsters had by no means heard of one another earlier than and had no cause to battle past proving which one was the strongest. There wasn’t a lot background or motivation for both Kong or Godzilla, however then once more, there didn’t actually must be. Two iconic monsters (yet one more recognizable in Japan, the opposite an American traditional) in a film collectively, combating to see who would win, is enjoyable sufficient as it’s. Within the newly-established MonsterVerse movies, nevertheless, Godzilla and Kong have a deep-seated rivalry that stretches again generations for each their species. That’s why Godzilla and Kong fought in 2021’s Godzilla vs Kong, and that’s why Godzilla had his personal particular identify for Kong earlier than the occasions of that film even passed off: the Rival.
In Godzilla: Dominion by Greg Keyes and Drew Johnson, readers are proven what Godzilla was doing earlier than the occasions of Godzilla vs Kong following his slim victory over King Ghidorah in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. The e book gave followers a bit extra perception into Godzilla’s thought course of, in addition to revealing one other fascinating skill film followers didn’t know he had. Godzilla has the facility to faucet into your entire world, and really feel issues occurring on the planet the identical approach one can really feel one thing on their pores and skin. That is how Godzilla is aware of when there may be battle, or when somebody or one thing is overstepping their boundaries and must be put in place. Greater than that, although, Godzilla can continuously really feel Kong’s difficult presence on his world, with each second Kong continues to exist with out recognizing his supremacy being like an itch Godzilla simply can’t scratch.
Godzilla’s species and Kong’s species used to reside collectively within the Hole Earth, the place remnants of an ideal battle between them have been found in Godzilla vs Kong (and the place Kong acquired that candy Godzilla-killing ax). It’s for that reason that Godzilla instantly acknowledges Kong’s presence on Earth as that of his final, instinctual rival, and why it was inevitable that the 2 would battle. Once more, the problem right here isn’t that Kong didn’t bow earlier than Godzilla like the opposite Titans did in King of the Monsters, it’s that Kong is inherently a risk to Godzilla’s kingship. Add that to the truth that Godzilla can really feel Kong’s each transfer along with his planet-scoping energy, and the last word battle between the 2 was utterly unavoidable.
Fortunately, by the top of Godzilla vs Kong, the 2 have been in a position to work out some form of unstated settlement that may permit each of them to exist on the identical planet on the similar time with out additional battle. Nevertheless, that preliminary battle was needed both approach, whatever the final result, and Godzilla’s names for King Kong explains why.