Why Does Godzilla Hate Kong? The Fictional Feud Explained

The best thing the MonsterVerse has done is to unite two icons of cinema, Godzilla and Kong. Sure, 2014's "Godzilla" and "Kong Skull Island" may have ranked higher on our list of the best MonsterVerse movies, but it was with "Godzilla vs. Kong" that the franchise found its secret weapon — a big ape and a big lizard begrudgingly teaming up. Since then, the MonsterVerse has given us grand entertainment that only an IP-obsessed Hollywood could provide, while also fitting right in with the weirdness and silliness of the Showa era of monster movies.

Alongside its stakes, the MonsterVerse has also grown in mythology, as it introduced the concept of Hollow Earth, a whole unique world with its own lore, locations, and characters. That being said, these movies aren't exactly what you should watch if you want immediate answers to questions about lore of backstories — especially not about the Titans. After all, this is the franchise known for the line "let them fight." So what about Godzilla and Kong? Do they have beef beyond just a cinematic obligation to fight? Well, kind of.

In Greg Keyes and Drew Johnson's comic book "Godzilla: Dominion," a prequel to "Godzilla vs. Kong," we learn that Godzilla has the power to tap into the entire world an feel what is happening across the planet as if it was his skin. This is how Godzilla knows whenever there is a Titan wrecking havoc, and how the kaiju knows where Kong, his rival, is at all times. 

But why does Godzilla consider Kong his rival? The answer, or at least the closest thing to it, is in "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire." This film introduces the idea of Godzilla being alive for millions of years. Even though they were powerful, Godzilla's species was slowly decimated by MUTOs (the creatures from 2014's "Godzilla"), while at the same time they also engaged in war against Kong's species in the Hollow Earth. The film explained that Skar King once led Kong's species, and used the enslaved Titan Shimo to kill many of Godzilla's kind before trying and conquer the surface world. It wasn't until Godzilla himself defeated Skar King and imprisoned him and his army in the Hollow Earth that the surface was saved.

So, no wonder Godzilla would hate every member of the Kong species, as they helped destroy his kind. And yet, it makes sense that Godzilla and Kong are reluctant allies, as Godzilla and Kong are among the last remaining beings from that ancestral war. Their pain, and their might, brings them together as buddies.