Upon his debut in theaters in 1933, King Kong immediately became a cinematic icon. Though not technically the first movie monster, he was certainly the biggest upon premiere, and the mesmerization that a giant ape would have on audiences around the globe couldn’t have been predicted beforehand. Not only did the success and adoration for King Kong result in imitators around the globe, but it also set the template for films that would follow, like Godzilla and Gamera, and it marked one of the first instances where a feature film character had etched their place in the annals of fiction’s greatest.
Videos by ComicBook.com
The further success of King Kong can be measured not only in the long-lasting appeal of the original version but in how the iconic giant ape has been reinvented over time. As a result, there have been multiple different interpretations of King Kong on the big screen, most of which have taken the idea of a giant ape and decided that the one thing that would make him even better is “What if King Kong was bigger?” Beyond that, some have even equipped Kong with weapons or given him superpowers, meaning there are a ton of different Kongs, and clearly, some of them are stronger than others.
10) Son of Kong
The success of the original King Kong resulted in one of the quickest turnarounds for a movie sequel in history. Naturally, since the big ape fell to his death at the end of the first film, there was a bit of a problem in making that happen. Enter, Son of Kong, a title that tells you everything you need to know. In the film, the titular offspring is significantly smaller than his father, standing only twelve feet tall. Though he clearly has immense strength compared to a man and can fight off the likes of a bear and a dinosaur, he’s the bottom of the Kong barrel.
9) King Kong (1933)
Iconic as he may be, the original King Kong is also not exactly the strongest. The truth of the matter is that even though he can kill a T. Rex and fully uproot a tree with his bare hands, the decades since have only seen Kong get bigger and bigger. Though the original version of the character is clearly still gigantic, even by modern standards, he fails to clear the bar set by the versions of him that would be made in the decades that follow. That said, the blueprint for all of them is still strong, even if he falls here.
8) King Kong 2005
Peter Jackson’s version of King Kong is the closest that any version since has gotten to retaining similarities to the original version of Kong. The biggest difference, and which gives Jackson’s version an edge, is in stature. Though the original Kong stands 33 feet tall, the one in Peter Jackson’s film is slightly shorter, standing 25 feet tall. That said, the ’05 Kong carries himself like a regular gorilla, walking on all four of his limbs and with a similar notion of moving and fighting that harkens to realism rather than fantasy. All that works in his favor, as the Kong in ’05 clearly seems like more of a threat.
7) King Kong (1976)
The first remake of King Kong in 1976 made use of the major enhancements in visual effects that had been brought up in the four decades since the original; as such, they dared to ask: what if King Kong was almost DOUBLE his original height? The result was a Kong that was roughly 55 feet tall. His power ability is on display in the film, though as he rips a snake’s jaws wide open, moves trees with ease, and even manages to escape from an unbreakable cage. Par for the course manuevers for a Kong, but he’s bigger, so he clearly has a higher threshold than others.
6) King Kong Lives
The sequel to the remake saw Kong grow a touch, now standing 60 feet tall, which isn’t the only power upgrade he gets compared to the previous film. King Kong Lives also adds in some explosive set pieces, including a scene where Kong takes repeated gunfire to the chest and, though visibly bleeding, continues to fight like he’s unbothered. He also picks up a tank and hurls it like a shot put. Funny enough, even if this were the last Kong to ever make it to the big screen, he still wouldn’t be the strongest.
5) King Kong Escapes
After King Kong vs. Godzilla, Japanese studio Toho made another film starring the giant ape. Though made after that film, this version of Kong stands shorter, but still shows plenty of signs of immense strength, including defeating a dinosaur that’s the same height, but also acts like picking up a giant rock and hurling it hundreds of feet, destroying a giant snake that’s over a hundred feet in length, plus a confrontation with the military. Furthermore, he ends the movie facing off with and defeating Mechani-Kong, a robotic equivalent to the giant ape. Despite all these feats of strength, the Kong in the film still only stands around 65 feet in height, making him a proper shrimp compared to others.
4) Kong: Skull Island
The 2017 debut of Kong in the Monster-Verse stands at 104 feet tall, one of the tallest of all time, but the version seen in the film comes with a distinct disadvantage: he’s clearly young. Though strong, resilient, and incredibly clever, this Kong has not only the flaw of being shorter than other, more powerful versions of Kong, but one with a youth-fueled arrogance that makes him vulnerable in fights. That said, he’s still big as hell and eats a giant octopus without issue; he’s still a beast.
3) King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
It may be surprising that one of the earliest versions of Kong on the big screen is actually his most powerful, but it’s been true for decades, with only the Monster-Verse version lapping it. Not only is Kong given a tremendous size upgrade in order to stand opposite Godzilla in their first fight (he goes from the paltry 24 feet to over 140 feet tall) he also gets a power upgrade. Unlike Godzilla’s atomic breath, Kong came to the table with no powers, something that was rectified by the film to give him a fighting chance. In the film, Kong feeds off the electrical grid in Tokyo, which enhances his strength and makes him resistant to Godzilla to a degree.
2) Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
Fresh off his appearance in Kong: Skull Island, the version seen in the long-awaited kaiju rematch has tripled in height in the decades since that film was set. Now clocking in at over 330 feet tall, the Kong in Godzilla vs Kong not only has a tremendous size advantage over his predecessors, but also a weaponry one. In the film, Kong discovers a battle axe in the Hollow Earth, created from the bones and pieces of a long-deceased Godzilla ancestor. With the weapon, Kong now stands a passing chance against Godzilla, using the weapon to absorb his energy and deflect an atomic blast. He still ultimately loses his fight with Godzilla, however, needing to be revived via an anti-gravity vehicle’s electrical charge as a giant defibrillator.
1) Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Far and away, the most powerful version of Kong is the most recent, the one seen in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Though he takes a major shilaking from the Skar King, Kong has two major items in his corner, not only his previously noted battle axe but the B.E.A.S.T. Glove, giving him a brace for an injury that actually enhances his punches.
On top of his physical prowess that’s on display throughout the film, Kong goes on to win a few fights despite an initial humiliation, and the version of Kong in The New Empire has graceful movements that indicate a more mature version of the kaiju. With all of his swinging around across the Hollow Earth, it’s clear that this is a Kong that is both in control of the world around him and also fully capable in a fight.
