MonsterVerse’s ancient Titan War explains why Kong lost in Godzilla vs. Kong. Despite being depicted as the movie’s loveable underdog hero, victory just wasn’t in the cards for the King of Skull Island. Kong suffered two crushing defeats at the hands of Godzilla in the fourth MonsterVerse installment.
It was made clear from the onset that winning was always going to be an uphill battle for Kong. Though the ape struck the first blow in Godzilla vs. Kong, it was demonstrated early on that Godzilla had him beat in a contest of raw power. His atomic breath put Kong at an even greater disadvantage. Acquiring the axe helped even the odds a bit and gave him a fighting chance against Godzilla, but while it certainly helped, it ultimately wasn’t enough. In the end, Godzilla unleashed his wrath and overwhelmed his ancestral rival. By winning, Godzilla held on to his crown and cemented his status as the King of the Monsters.
What’s known about the original battle between their ancestors reveals Kong was fated to lose. In the movie’s novelization, a deep dive into the Iwi myths provides an account of the ancient Titan War. Apparently, the Kongs banded together to take down Godzilla thousands of years ago and failed to beat him. As a result of their defeat, the Kongs were forced to flee the Hollow Earth for Skull Island. This, as well as what the movie established about Kong’s species, indicate that not unlike real-life gorillas, the Kongs functioned as a group and didn’t act solo. That’s in contrast to Godzilla, who apparently took on many of the apes on his own. What all this means is that beating Godzilla is supposed to be a team effort, which just wasn’t possible in Godzilla vs. Kong.
While Kong’s axe being created from a Godzilla’s spikes proves that the King of the Monsters didn’t fight the apes without help, what’s said in the novelization supports the idea that the numbers were on Kong’s side. It appears that it took multiple Kongs to beat one Godzilla at a time. In other words, the events of the original Titan War set a precedent for Kong to fall to Godzilla. As a member of a species that’s physically superior to Kong, Godzilla will always be the favorite in a one-on-one match-up with Kong.
However, it should be noted that Godzilla isn’t invincible. After all, he nearly died to Mechagodzilla and struggled against the MUTOs and Ghidorah. What this means is that Godzilla can be beaten; it’s just that defeating him isn’t something Kong could accomplish alone in Godzilla vs. Kong. Taking down the most powerful Titan in the MonsterVerse may require a team-up with other monsters if a rematch happens in Godzilla vs. Kong 2.