Summary
Before taking on the villainous Skar King inGodzilla X Kong: The New Empire,Godzilla killed two Titansfrom the surface world, and while his attack on the water dragon Tiamat may have seemed unwarranted, he had multiple valid reasons for putting an end to the highly irradiated monster. As established in previous Legendary Monsterverse movies, as the Alpha Titan, Godzilla is responsible for monitoring the other Titans on the surface to ensure they don’t upset the natural order. Scylla’s attack on Rome inGodzilla X Kongis a good example of him intervening when a Titan challenges his authority.
However,Godzilla sought out Tiamatin her lair, which was located at the top of the planet in the Arctic Ocean. Tiamat had not given any legitimate reason for Godzilla to act aggressively, much less to go as far as killing her. However, it was no random act of violence on the part of the King of the Monsters. Godzilla had multiple reasons for killing Tiamat, with the most significant playing out over the rest ofGodzilla X Kong.
A Startling Detail In GxK Creates The Perfect Setup For Godzilla & Kong’s Hardest Fight Ever
A surprising detail in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire reveals how the Monsterverse can launch Godzilla and Kong’s greatest battle ever.
Godzilla & Tiamat Were Enemies Before Godzilla X Kong
Tiamat was labeled as a “destroyer” Titan
Their showdown inGodzilla X Kong: The New Empirewas not the first time that Godzilla and Tiamat crossed paths. Monarch labeled Tiamat as a “destroyer” Titan due to her aggressive and destructive behavior, andeven Godzilla’s status as the Alpha didn’t deter her. Tiamat was held at the outpost in Stone Mountain, Georgia until Ghidorah unleashed all the Titans inGodzilla: King of the Monsters, but she never made it to Boston to submit to Godzilla once Ghidorah was killed. InGodzilla Dominion, the graphic novel prequel toGodzilla vs. Kong, the story of their first battle is described.
The prequel graphic novelsGodzilla DominionandKingdom Kongchronicle the adventures of the two titular Titans in the years directly preceding the events ofGodzilla vs. Kong, and introduces the Titans Tiamat and Camazotz as rivals to Godzilla and Kong, respectively.
In the aftermath of Godzilla’s battle with Ghidorah, Godzilla seeks out a place to rest, only to be ambushed by Tiamat. Godzilla eventually overpowers her and forces her into submission, but not before she blinds him with toxic vapor and cuts him many times with her scales. Tiamat submitted to him to save her own life, buttheir enmity was well-established by the time Godzilla came after her inGodzilla X Kong.
Godzilla Killed Tiamat To Become More Powerful In The New Empire
It was no random act of rage
Godzilla didn’t kill Tiamat for sport, vengeance, or out of anger; he needed to remove her from her lair. As described inGodzilla X Kong, Tiamat’s lair’s position on the globe made it one of the most expansive stores of radiation on the planet. The lair stores a massive amount of solar radiation, which is part of what givesTiamat and eventually Godzilla the pink coloration. In order for Godzilla to access this store of energy,Godzilla needed to remove the fiercely territorial Tiamat from her lair, and given their history together, there would be no asking nicely.
By killing Tiamat, Godzilla not only gained access to Tiamat’s lair, he accessed her power as well. The movie’s novelization mentions that in the process of killing Tiamat and cocooning himself in her lair,Godzilla absorbed some of Tiamat’s DNA, which is part of the reason that his internal atomic energy changes from blue to pink. It’s actually the second time in the Monsterverse that Godzilla has done this; when Mothra sacrificed herself against Ghidorah, Godzilla absorbed her DNA to achieve his Thermonuclear state, just as he absorbed Tiamat’s DNA to achieve his Evolved state.
Without Tiamat’s power, Skar King may have won
As unfortunate as it is for Tiamat, Godzilla needed to absorb her DNA and the energy from her lair so that he would be powerful enough to put a stop to the threat of Skar King.Skar King’s Monsterverse historyis spelled out by the Hollow Earth Iwi tribe, and tells of Godzilla’s past encounters with both Skar King and Shimo. It’s clear thatGodzilla is familiar with the threat that he will face, and knows what level of power he’ll need to achieve to have a chance at stopping it.
Without the massive power increase he gained from Tiamat’s DNA, Godzilla likely wouldn’t have been able to defeat Shimo, especially with her under Skar King’s control.
That’s why he embarks on his global quest to power up and achieve his evolved state. A Monarch screen inGodzilla X Kongnotes that the dorsal fins ofGodzilla’s Evolved state can hold 20x the energy of his normal state, which shows just how much stronger Godzilla was able to get. Without that massive power increase, Godzilla likely wouldn’t have been able to defeat Shimo, especially with her under Skar King’s control. As unfortunate as Tiamat’s death was inGodzilla X Kong: The New Empire, it was ultimately necessary for Godzilla to save the world from Skar King’s reign.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Cast
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire unites iconic monsters Godzilla and Kong in a colossal confrontation. As these ancient titans clash, humans delve into their shared origins and explore the enigmatic secrets of Skull Island.
