Godzilla vs. Kong has finally arrived. As the fourth entry in Warner Bros. and Legendary's MonsterVerse franchise, it pits two of the most famous monsters in all of cinema against one another. But the biggest question heading into the movie was, which monster would win? Director Adam Wingard stated before the release that he "wanted there to be no more arguments," adding that "one wins, and that's it." Is it really that simple? If so, who won? Let's dive in.

Breaking Down The Fights In Godzilla Vs Kong

Warning: this post contains massive spoilers for Godzilla vs. Kong proceed with caution. The first of two matchups between Godzilla and King Kong comes earlier on in the movie. Kong is being transported from his home on Skull Island and is chained up on a massive boat. Godzilla catches wind of his rival Titan and a massive fight breaks out, right in the middle of the ocean. Kong is at a major disadvantage. Godzilla is at home in the water. Kong is not. Kong is in chains at the start of the fight. Godzilla is not. While Kong puts in a valiant effort, given the circumstances, it is Kong who is defeated. Nearly drowned to death, beaten and bruised. This match went to Godzilla in a walk. It was not even close.

The second match-up comes during the movie's third act. The two beasts meet in Hong Kong. This time, the odds are far more even. Not only is Kong not stuck in the middle of the ocean, but he now has a powerful ax that was discovered during his time in the Hollow Earth. At the same time, Godzilla is in full-on rage mode. He's been attracted to the city by the presence of Mechagodzilla. As a great man once said, let them fight.

Both Titans put up a great fight this time around. The city is leveled. Kong's ax proves to be a useful weapon. So much so that he seems to have the upper-hand at points. Ultimately though, it is Godzilla who winds up with his gigantic foot on Kong's chest, ready to cave in the gigantic ape's rib cage at any moment. Kong is left for dead when Godzilla is called away to fight Mechagodzilla. Were it not for that, Kong seemingly would have been killed right then and there.

The only reason Kong survives at all is because Nathan (Alexander Skarsgard) and Ilene (Rebecca Hall) hatch a plan to revive him, crafting a makeshift kaiju-sized defibrillator out of the ship they used to navigate the Hollow Earth. Kong then fights side-by-side with Godzilla to defeat Mechagodzilla. Godzilla seemed overmatched, perhaps, in part, because he was worn out from his battle with Kong. Together, they were able to take down the robotic Titan created by Apex. Kong gets the last word, ripping the machine to pieces with his charged-up ax. In the end, the two creatures seem to have formed an understanding. Godzilla goes back to the ocean. Kong finds solace in the Hollow Earth.

Which Monster Won In Godzilla vs. Kong?

Back to the question at hand; who won? While we can debate the finer points of each individual fight all day long, Godzilla unquestionably came out on top in both cases. The first time around Kong barely escaped with his life. During the Hong Kong fight, had Mechagodzilla not emerged, and if the humans hadn't intervened, Kong would probably be dead. And he even had a weapon, whereas Godzilla did not. So, even though this will surely be discussed for some time, the simple answer is that Godzilla came out on top. Godzilla vs. Kong is in theaters now as well as on the HBO Max streaming app.