One Perfect Monster – First Round Recap
Much to the dismay of the hive of Q the Winged Serpent fans on our team, there were few surprises in the first round. Not surprising was the strength of the Godzillaverse monsters (Godzilla and Godzilla-adjacent), who collectively did quite well. Only Hedorah and Rodan are headed home after the first round and both because of very tough draws against Knifehead and Stay Puft, respectively.
As Round 2 begins, this is where things may begin to get more competitive. Check out the matchups below and be sure to vote once the polls are live on Twitter.
One Perfect Monster – Second Round Matchups
Below you will find arguments for every monster in each of the 8 matchups in the Second Round. Twitter polls will be added to this page as they go live.
🚨 Spoiler Warning: Even though all of these monsters appear in movies that are a year old or more, some of these descriptions and images might be considered spoilers. Please consider this your warning.
Matchup 1 – Godzilla vs. Knifehead
The case for Godzilla: Let’s be honest, this entire bracket is Godzilla vs. The Field. We’ve been told over and over again — since its massive frame first towered on the silver screen in 1954 — that this is the King of the Monsters. And we’re about to find out. Godzilla brings size, tenacity, and atomic breath to the table — plus more than six decades of experience stomping on building and punching other monsters. That’s an impressive resume, befitting some kind of King, but will it be enough to be King of This Bracket? We’ll know soon enough. (Neil Miller)
The case for Knifehead: Okay, I don’t even know if I have to write a paragraph for this one. Knifehead? Could there be a more terrifying name for a monster than that? Knifehead made a name for himself in Pacific Rim (2013), where fights heroically in the Kaiju War against the giant robots called the Jaegers. And, between Knifehead’s head, which is shaped like – surprise, surprise – a knife, its rock-hard armor, and the powerful blow-hole on top of its head, it’s pretty hard not to cower in terror just imagining this guy emerging out of the water. Not only does Knifehead have a razor-sharp… head… but he can also outwit pretty much any of his enemies. A mix of crazy weapon-like features and a high IQ? I wouldn’t wanna get in Knifehead’s way. (Aurora Amidon)
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#OnePerfectMonster Round 2:
GODZILLA vs. KNIFEHEAD
Vote below. Read about the matchups here: https://t.co/luzLQqhxhb
— One Perfect Shot (@OnePerfectShot) March 7, 2021
Matchup 2 – Gamera vs. Rancor
The case for Gamera: Could the One Perfect Monster be a giant turtle? I think it’s possible. Especially given the absolutely bonkers nature of Gamera’s story. From the troubled production of its debut film to the part of said film’s story where Japanese scientists try to lure the monster into a rocket and shoot it to Mars, Gamera doesn’t do anything the way you might expect. It’s a giant prehistoric turtle with tusks that was awakened by (you guessed it!) a nuclear explosion. It can also retract its limbs and head into its body and then spin around in its shell and fly like a flying saucer. So as long as no one tries to send it to Mars, I think Gamera has a fighting chance. (Neil Miller)
The case for Rancor: The Rancor was originally imagined as an homage to Godzilla. George Lucas desperately wanted a man in a suit to bring the pain to Luke Skywalker, but the elaborate and incredibly expensive costume failed to elicit reverence or terror. Master monster maker Phil Tippett eventually went to work building the wire-rod frame puppet he initially envisioned. The result was an astonishingly vicious beast and the logical extension of everything Ray Harryhausen invented. In reality, the critter was only 18 inches tall, but the Rancor will forever tower in our imagination. Despite his short stature and runtime, the meaty mass looms large in Star Wars. It’s the kind of design you immediately want molded into plastic and dropped in your toy chest. In our childhood bedrooms, he ruled in ways that Jabba never allowed. (Brad Gullickson)
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#OnePerfectMonster Round 2:
GAMERA vs. RANCOR
Vote below. Read about the matchups here: https://t.co/luzLQqhxhb
— One Perfect Shot (@OnePerfectShot) March 7, 2021
Explore the rest on the next page.
Related Topics: Brackets, One Perfect Monster
