The rise of the MonsterVerse in cinema has introduced a new kind of cinematic universe that involves giant monsters instead of the usual superheroes we see in most films. Of course, the two most popular monsters of the MonsterVerse are Godzilla and King Kong. Godzilla is known as the first Kaiju in Japan and referred to as a Titan in the MonsterVerse, but what about King Kong? So, is Kong a Kaiju or a Titan?
King Kong is referred to as a Titan in the MonsterVerse, although he may also fit the description of a Kaiju in Japan. Nevertheless, because Kong has always been a Western product and is rarely mixed up with Godzilla and other Kaiju in Japan, we can’t really say that he is a Kaiju.
What needs to be understood here is that the terms Kaiju and Titan aren’t too different when we talk about their actual meanings. Nevertheless, they are different in terms of how they are used in film. As such, let’s look at why King Kong is more of a Titan than a Kaiju.
What Are Kaiju?
One of the most groundbreaking genres in the film is the Kaiju genre, which introduced large monsters that attack and destroy cities. Basically, Kaiju refers to monsters from ancient Japanese legends, and this word has become synonymous with the giant monster genre that we often see in Japan. As such, the Kaiju genre often refers to films about monsters that attack and destroy entire cities, and Godzilla is said to be one of the foundational monsters in the Kaiju genre.
As such, when we talk about Kaiju, it is tough not to include Godzilla in the mix because he was the one that allowed the Kaiju film genre to become successful for decades. While the Kaiju term was almost always used to refer to giant monsters in the Japanese media world, it has made its way to the West, where it was used in Pacific Rim to refer to the giant alien monsters that invade Earth and have to be killed using the Jaeger robots.
But Godzilla has always been the poster boy of the Kaiju world as there are no other Kaijus that tend to be as iconic as he is. As such, when people think of Kaiju, Godzilla is likely the monster that pops into their heads. Outside of Godzilla, the Kaiju term may also refer to giant monsters that are threats to entire cities all over the fictional world.
What Are Titans?
The word “Titan” refers to the primordial beings that gave life to the Greek gods in Greek mythology. Before there were Greek gods, gigantic beings called the Titans ruled the world before the Greek gods, led by Zeus, overthrew them. As such, when we think of the word “Titan,” it often refers to gigantic creatures that have godlike powers.
In cinema, the Titan term has found new life in the MonsterVerse, which refers to the gigantic monsters living on the planet for countless years as Titans. Of course, the reason why they are called Titans can be linked to Greek mythology, as these creatures were probably the “Titans” that the Ancient Greeks were referring to when they were inspired to write about the different stories of their mythological gods.
And the ones in charge of watching over these creatures and studying their behavior are the people of Monarch, a group of scientists that have been observing and keeping track of the Titans of Legendary Pictures for generations.
Is King Kong a Kaiju or a Titan?
So, when we talk about the different monsters in the world of the MonsterVerse, Godzilla often comes into mind because he is currently the strongest gigantic beast. In the realm of the MonsterVerse, Godzilla is called a Titan, as this is the term often used to describe these gigantic beings. However, let’s not forget that Godzilla was a Kaiju before he was even called a Titan, as he is the poster boy of the Kaiju world in Japanese media. But what about King Kong?
Let’s establish how the words “Kaiju” and “Titan” are used in cinema. As mentioned, Kaiju often refers to the giant monsters we see in Japanese movies. This term was also used in the world of Pacific Rim, which is a Western production. On the other hand, Titan refers to the giant monsters of the MonsterVerse of Legendary Pictures.
Returning to King Kong, we know that this giant ape has almost always been a Western product, as he often ends up in American films instead of Eastern ones. So, while he may be a Kaiju in terms of what the word (giant monster) means, we can’t really say that he is a Kaiju because he isn’t often portrayed in Japanese media.
Meanwhile, as far as the realm of the MonsterVerse is concerned, King Kong is a Titan because he is a giant monster from an ancient species of gigantic apes that have been walking the planet for millions of years. That means that the Legendary Pictures version of King Kong is a Titan.
Of course, he still fits the adopted meaning of “Kaiju” because he is a rampaging giant monster who can destroy cities. But because Kaijus are often Japanese monsters with origins traced to ancient Japanese legends, it is tough to call Kong a Kaiju.
