Godzilla x Kong ending explained: how did they beat the Skar King?

The Skar King snarls in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire's big bad Titan, the Skar King. (Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Need the Godzilla x Kong ending explained? With a movie that is this stuffed full of brawls, it wouldn't surprise us if you need a refresher on exactly how our kaiju duo managed to best their latest foe. Be warned though, there are SPOILERS ahead — if you've not seen it yet, here's how to watch Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire near you so you don't have the Titans' latest brawl completely ruined for you.

After duking it out and then teaming up against Mechagodzilla in Godzilla vs Kong, the titular Titans settled in separate territories: Kong was given the run of Hollow Earth, whilst Godzilla remained dormant on the surface, reemerging to defend Earth from other Titans when they appeared.

The latest entry in Legendary's MonsterVerse sees the two Titans forced to team up all over again. Kong stumbles upon the Skar King, an orangutan-esque Titan who rules in a hitherto-uncharted part of the Hollow Earth. This fearsome new foe rules over a group of fellow apes, wields a flexible Titan spine as a weapon, and has enslaved another Titan, Shimo, to do his bidding.

Kong's first encounter with the Titan doesn't go well. After getting an upgrade (courtesy of Monarch's "Project Powerhouse"), Kong emerges on Earth in an attempt to get his former rival's help. Godzilla takes this as a challenge, and a brawl ensues... one which does some serious damage to the Great Pyramids. 

Luckily, Jia and Mothra intervene, stopping the fight before it got out of hand. Then, the pair teamed up to take down their new foe. Here's a recap of exactly how they managed to take down the supersized simian, the Skar King.

Godzilla x Kong ending explained: How did Godzilla and Kong beat the Skar King? 

Godzilla and King Kong running together in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

Godzilla and Kong were forced to work together once again. (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)

After a brawl in zero-gravity, our four titans (plus Suko, aka "Mini-Kong") fell through an access point to the surface, emerging in Rio de Janeiro.

Initially, the Skar King's agility proves a huge boon. With his Titan whip and agility, he manages to dance around a lot of Kong's blows. He also continues to exploit ice Titan Shimo, using the crystal attached to his weapon to direct Shimo to attack Godzilla and Kong. 

During the brawl, Shimo is forced to blast Kong with its breath, freezing Kong's fist. This is the same way the Skar King managed to get the upper hand on Kong during their first brawl in the uncharted area of the Hollow Earth. 

Spotting that Kong is in peril, Godzilla goes after the Skar King. Freshly powered up from his arctic slumber in Tiamat's lair, Godzilla shatters the ape's Titan whip. This sends the crystal flying away from him, and Shimo stops his ice attack. Kong punches free, and both he and the Skar King scramble for the crystal... but another Titan steps in to help at this exact moment. 

Suko stands atop a cliff in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

Suko reunites Kong with his trusty axe to help take down his old ruler. (Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Having sided with Kong, Suko leaped towards the Titan's axe. It had gotten stuck in the rock as Kong fell into the access point, but Suko freed it and brought it through to Rio. With a front flip, the young ape shatters the discarded crystal with Kong's axe, breaking the Skar King's hold over Shimo, and the frost Titan turns on his former master. Shimo freezes the Skar King, and Kong finishes his simian rival off by shattering his frozen form in a final flurry of blows.

With their new foe defeated, Kong, Shimo and Suko return to the Titan ape colony in the Subterranean Area. And with the latest threats to his realm neutralized, Godzilla returns to Rome's famous Colosseum, where he settles down for another nice nap. Meanwhile, our human explorers return to the surface, with Jia in tow after reaffirming she wants to stay with Dr. Ilene Andews. 

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is now in theaters. If you're planning your viewing schedule, don't forget to read our guide to the new movies still to come in 2024. 

Martin Shore
Staff Writer at WhatToWatch.com

Martin is a Staff Writer with WhatToWatch.com, where he produces a variety of articles focused on the latest and greatest films and TV shows. 

Some of his favorite shows are What We Do In The Shadows, Bridgerton, Gangs of London, The Witcher, Doctor Who, and Ghosts. When he’s not watching TV or at the movies, Martin’s probably still in front of a screen playing the latest video games, reading, or watching the NFL.