In Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Godzilla’s decisive defeat of Tiamat, the water dragon Titan, might appear brutal at first glance. However, this action was far from random. As the Alpha Titan, Godzilla operates with strategic purpose, and eliminating Tiamat was a calculated move with significant consequences for the balance of the Monsterverse and the looming threat of Skar King. Godzilla’s confrontation with Tiamat was rooted in her history as a destructive force, his need to amplify his power, and ultimately, his responsibility to safeguard the world.
A History of Conflict: Godzilla and Tiamat’s Past Enmity
The clash between Godzilla and Tiamat in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire wasn’t their first encounter. Monarch had already classified Tiamat as a “destroyer” Titan, a designation highlighting her aggressive and destructive tendencies. Her rebellious nature was such that even Godzilla’s Alpha status did not automatically command her submission. While Tiamat was contained at the Stone Mountain, Georgia outpost before Ghidorah’s call in Godzilla: King of the Monsters freed the Titans, she notably didn’t converge on Boston to acknowledge Godzilla’s supremacy after Ghidorah’s fall.
Their prior animosity is further detailed in the graphic novel Godzilla Dominion, a prequel to Godzilla vs. Kong. This comic vividly portrays their initial battle. Seeking respite after his battle with Ghidorah, Godzilla was instead met with an ambush by Tiamat. Although Godzilla ultimately subdued her, forcing her into submission, it was a hard-fought victory. Tiamat inflicted serious wounds, blinding him temporarily with toxic vapor and lacerating him with her sharp scales. While Tiamat yielded to save herself, this history of conflict established a deep-seated enmity between them, setting the stage for Godzilla’s later, more decisive action in Godzilla x Kong.
Powering Up for the Skar King Threat: Absorbing Tiamat’s Energy and DNA
Godzilla’s attack on Tiamat was not an act of vengeance or uncontrolled aggression. His objective was strategic: to gain access to Tiamat’s unique lair. Located in the Arctic Ocean, Tiamat’s lair was positioned atop a significant reservoir of geothermal and solar radiation, making it an unparalleled energy source. This potent radiation is what imbued both Tiamat and, subsequently, Godzilla with their distinctive pink coloration during their power-ups.
To tap into this massive energy reserve, Godzilla needed to eliminate the fiercely territorial Tiamat. Negotiation was not an option given their history. By defeating and killing Tiamat within her lair, Godzilla achieved two crucial objectives. First, he secured uncontested access to the lair’s concentrated radiation. Second, and perhaps more significantly, he absorbed elements of Tiamat herself. The Godzilla x Kong novelization explicitly mentions that during the process of eliminating Tiamat and entering a cocoon-like state within her lair, Godzilla assimilated portions of Tiamat’s DNA. This DNA absorption is presented as a key factor in his transformation and the shift of his atomic energy from blue to pink, mirroring how he previously absorbed Mothra’s DNA to achieve his Thermonuclear form against Ghidorah. This pattern highlights a recurring theme in Godzilla’s evolution: adapting and absorbing power from other Titans to overcome greater threats.
Necessary Sacrifice: Saving the World from Skar King
Ultimately, Godzilla’s drastic action against Tiamat was driven by a global imperative: to amass sufficient power to confront and defeat Skar King. The lore presented by the Hollow Earth Iwi tribe detailed Godzilla’s historical awareness of Skar King and Shimo as significant threats. Godzilla understood the magnitude of the danger Skar King posed and the power level he would need to reach to stand a chance against him, especially with Shimo under Skar King’s control.
Without the substantial power boost derived from Tiamat’s DNA and the energy of her lair, Godzilla would have been significantly disadvantaged against Skar King and Shimo. Monarch data in Godzilla x Kong emphasizes the scale of this enhancement, noting that Godzilla’s evolved dorsal fins could hold twenty times the energy of his standard form. This massive amplification of power was not merely advantageous; it was essential. Tiamat’s demise, while unfortunate, was a necessary sacrifice in Godzilla’s overarching mission to protect the world from Skar King’s tyrannical ambitions in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Godzilla’s role as Alpha Titan demands difficult choices, and in this instance, his decisive action against Tiamat was a strategic necessity to ensure global safety.
