Wait, Is Shimo Really Stronger Than Godzilla?

Summary

Shimo’s strength hints at being greater than Godzilla’s in Godzilla x Kong, challenging his title as the King of the Monsters.
While Shimo’s raw power outmatched Godzilla in some instances, his speed and atomic breath may still give him an edge in future battles.
The Monsterverse may explore the question of who truly reigns as the most powerful Titan in a potential sequel to Godzilla x Kong.

Certain evidence suggests that Shimo may somehow be stronger than Godzilla in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Introduced as an ancient Titan hidden in the Subterranean Realm, the Monsterverse’s Shimo was utilized as the ultimate weapon of the Skar King and the key to his masterplan. As demonstrated by the reveal that she caused the Ice Age, not to mention the way that she handled herself against the alpha Titan in Godzilla x Kong’s ending, Shimo is undoubtedly one of the strongest Titans in the Monsterverse.

As for the Titan who stands atop the power structure of the Monsterverse, it’s long been presumed that this distinction goes to Godzilla. After all, he’s done well to earn that reputation: he defeated both of the MUTOs, saved the world from King Ghidorah, and gained a decisive win over Kong. Not only that, but Godzilla x Kong confirmed that despite taking heavy injuries, Godzilla beat Skar King’s Great Ape army by sealing them away in the Hollow Earth. But in spite of all this, there’s an indication that his Titan opponent in Godzilla x Kong is possibly stronger than him.

Godzilla x Kong Strongly Implies Shimo Is Stronger Than Godzilla

Moments during Godzilla and Kong’s battle with Shimo and Skar King revealed a lot about the Ice Titan’s raw power. When pushing each other, Shimo got the best of Godzilla, successfully shoving him to the ground during the city battle. On its own, Shimo momentarily overpowering Godzilla doesn’t prove anything, but there were a few instances where Godzilla seemed to be at a disadvantage against Shimo when it came to brute strength.

How the fight played out raised the possibility that Shimo could be physically superior, a notion that the Godzilla x Kong novelization shockingly supported. In the book, it’s noted that from Kong’s perspective, Shimo is the strongest Titan he’s ever done battle with. Considering that Kong has fought Godzilla three times at this juncture in the Monsterverse timeline and lost each of them, such a statement puts Shimo on an extremely high pedestal.

Kong’s evaluation of Shimo’s strength is corroborated by comments from Godzilla x Kong director Adam Wingard. In the “Godzilla Evolved” featurette included with the Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire home video release, Wingard explained that the upcoming fight with Shimo was the reason Godzilla deemed his transformation necessary. According to Wingard, Godzilla knew he would be going up against a monster “stronger” than him and therefore needed the power-up to ensure his victory.

Shimo’s Strength Doesn’t Prove She’d Beat Godzilla

Based on these hints, it certainly seems that Godzilla x Kong has opted to make a new creature the strongest Titan in the Monsterverse. While it’s easy to see this as a decision that unjustly undermines Godzilla’s title as the King of the Monsters, it’s important to keep in mind that even if Shimo truly is stronger, that doesn’t mean she’s the true alpha. After all, she didn’t defeat Godzilla outright and only hurt him, leaving the question of who would win between them in a proper one-on-one fight up in the air.

It shouldn’t be forgotten that much like Shimo, Godzilla has other tools in his arsenal aside from his colossal strength. To be fair, he’s likely not accustomed to not being the strongest Titan in the fight, so not having this advantage would make beating Shimo an unfamiliar challenge, but perhaps not impossible. The Monsterverse’s Godzilla is extraordinarily nimble and fast, more so than most versions of Godzilla. This could be the difference-maker if the fight had continued, considering that Shimo is almost a lumbering creature in the way that she moves due to her large body mass.

There’s also the matter of Godzilla’s atomic breath, his signature attack and his greatest weapon in nearly any battle. Shimo recoiled when being struck by a blast of atomic breath, proving that no matter how strong she may be, she’s still vulnerable to this attack. It’s hard to say what would happen if she were to take several hits from the blast. Admittedly, her frost breath gives her a way of countering it, but it’s known from the fight in the Hollow Earth that Godzilla can break through the ice.

Is Shimo The First Monster With Greater Strength Than Godzilla?

Shimo being stronger than Godzilla (even if it’s only a slight difference) would be unprecedented for the Monsterverse, but perhaps not for the wider Godzilla franchise. Traditionally, Godzilla is regarded as the most powerful kaiju on the planet, but there have been situations in Toho’s movies where Godzilla seemed physically weaker than his opponent. One instance of this stems from Godzilla: Final Wars, which saw Godzilla face a new version of King Ghidorah, Keizer Ghidorah.

After plowing through several classic Godzilla villains with relative ease, Godzilla essentially ran into a brick wall when he fought Keizer Ghidorah, whose overwhelming power level made human intervention necessary. Based on how the fight was going, it was fair to say that Godzilla wouldn’t have won without them. But for the most part, Keizer Ghidorah remained an outlier in that department. Godzilla has gone up against incredibly powerful foes in Biollante, Destoroyah, and SpaceGodzilla, but appeared to be stronger than all three by the end of his battles with them.

Godzilla Vs. Kong 3 Can Confirm The Monsterverse’s Most Powerful Titan

Godzilla and Kong charge into battle in Godzilla x Kong The New Empire

Because Godzilla’s status as the King of the Monsters is so vital to his image, there’s a chance that the Monsterverse will seek to clear up any uncertainties about how he compares with Shimo in the next installment. Such a scenario is plausible since a sequel to Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is on the way. Plus, Shimo was set up as an ally to Kong, meaning that the ice Titan sharing screen-time with them again is likely. If and when that occurs, the Monsterverse can reveal through a rematch or a different battle which monster is most worthy of being called the alpha of the Titans.

If Mothra’s interference in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire didn’t permanently put an end to Godzilla’s beef with Kong, another showdown between the two could lead to Shimo facing Godzilla a second time. Alternatively, Shimo could lose to a Titan villain that Godzilla eventually defeats. This would help ease any doubts created about Godzilla’s position as the apex predator in the planet’s ecosystem.