In Kaiju No. 8, grotesque monsters called “kaiju” appear and wreak havoc in Japan. These Kaiju take different forms as they attack cities and people around the world, appearing in various shapes and sizes. The one thing every Kaiju has in common is that they possess a “Core”, a vital organ inside their bodies. The Defense Force categorizes the Kaiju into four categories based on their “power level,” and while most Kaiju are unnamed beasts, there are 15 that aren’t.

These numbered Kaiju are mighty daikaiju. These powerful Kaiju take multiple captain-level officers to defeat one, and each has a unique, tailored design for their power and their aesthetic. The best-looking one, however, is one that doesn’t even appear in the modern-day era.

Kaiju No. 10 Shares An Appearance With a Pacific Rim Kaiju

Kaiju No. 10 is an identified Kaiju that attacks Tachikawa Base late in Kaiju No. 8 Season 1. Created by Kaiju No.9, it’s a prototype that is then weaponized into Numbers 10 to be used by Vice-Captain Soshiro Hoshina. Kaiju No.10 is a tall humanoid kaiju with a crimson-colored carapace and a long spiky tail. The skin of the Kaiju is also colored red with a magenta energy flowing through its openings. The magenta innards help break the red of the entire suit for the Kaiju and make it look bloody and demonic.

Kaiju No. 10 is ruthless and intimidating, driven to fight strong enemies and even willing to extend the fights for the sake of it. With a fortitude level of 9.0 in its larger size, it was on par with No.8. Kaiju No.10 takes inspiration from the concept of a character who loves fighting, a character that Naoya Matsumoto is fond of. The Kaiju also shares an appearance with Knifehead, one of the strongest Kaiju from the movie Pacific Rim (2013). After being weaponized, it shares similarities to Venom and Eddie Brock from Marvel, and the weaponization has a tail that moves outside of Hohsina’s will to be symbolic of a dog chasing its tail, thinking it moves on its own, like Sohsiro and No.10’s dynamic.

Kaiju No. 4 Manifests as A Valkyrie

Kaiju No. 4 is an identified Kaiju that has a brief appearance, having been formerly used by Second Division Captain Hikari Shinomiya before being passed down to First Division Officer Kikoru Shinomiya. In its life, the Kaiju was a large flying monster with a flat face, three eyes, and sharp teeth. The body elongates to the point of looking like a centipede, and it has various bug-like wings on its back. Looking like such a grotesque bug is the point of the design and reminds audiences that Kaijus aren’t all standing on two legs and looking humanoid.

The most interesting thing about Kaiju No. 4 is the form it takes when becoming a weapon. As a weapon, No. 4 has a noble look reminiscent of a valkyrie. This reasoning is because Naoya thought about Kikoru inheriting the suit and wanted it to suit both Kikoru and her mother, Hikari, as strong female warriors.

Kaiju No. 2 is the Daikaiju of Destruction

Kaiju No. 2, also known as the Daikaiju of Destruction, is a powerful Kaiju that attacked in 1972, nearly destroying all of Sapporo until the Defense Force defeated it. The Defense Force then repurposes the corpse of the Kaiju as the base for Shinomiya’s combat suit and gauntlets. Kaiju No.2 is an enormous olive-green kaiju with a round body covered in rocky plates and a long, rocky tail with short, thick arms. No. 2 has a white, reptilian-like faceplate, resembling a mask, and fourteen shining yellow eyes.

No. 2 looked amazing in the manga, but it really showed its true strength in the Kaiju No. 8 anime. Primarily, No. 2 takes inspiration from Godzilla, one of the most iconic Kaijus. Naoya Matsumoto likely took inspiration for No. 2’s design from the 1972 film Godzilla vs. Gigan. The large size of No. 2 fits Isao Shinomiya’s larger size both physically and mentally, given his background as the former captain of the First Division. It’s also fitting that Isao Shinomiya, who is one of the oldest and the Director General of the Defense Force, wields a Kaiju that looks like the iconic Godzilla.

Kaiju No. 1 Is the Future Sight Kaiju

Kaiju No. 1 is the Future Sight Kaiju. The monster was the first Kaiju ever identified and ultimately turned into the Numbers Weapon 1 that Captain Gen Narumi currently uses. Kaiju No. 1 is a massive, muscular daikaiju with grey skin and a face similar to Kaiju No. 10. In the crevices of its body, there are numerous pink eyes with cross-shaped pupils to reflect Kaiju No. 1’s power.

Kaiju No. 1 also takes slight inspiration from the “Three Wise Monkeys” in a way. The design of No.1 stitches his mouth together. So it can’t “speak no evil,” and with all the eyes that it has, it can “see all evil.” No. 1 also looks like a jester, fitting Narumi’s personality, which is generally childish and lazy. With the power of No. 1, Narumi became “Japan’s Strongest Anti-Kaiju Combatant.”

Kaiju No. 15 Bears a Resemblance To A Human

Kaiju No. 15 is one of the Kaiju that No. 9 creates for specific tasks. No. 9 specifically tasks No. 15 to defeat Kikoru Shinomiya. No. 15 has the most human-looking appearance, with a shiny and female-looking body. To fit its psychic powers, the Kaiju also has three large brains attached to its head and several around its waist. In its human disguise, the Kaiju looks similar to Kikoru, with the only difference being their hair color. Even in its Kaiju form, its brain on the head has a similar shape to Kikoru’s hairstyle.

No. 15 shares similarities with Kikoru thanks to No. 9’s ability to gain memories of the human it absorbed. Because No. 9 absorbed Isao Shinomiya, Kikori’s father, No. 9 used Isao’s memories to create a Kaiju that’s identical to Kikoru. No. 15 was an innocuous Kaiju, but soon became interested in Kikoru, constantly taunting her. It does have an entirely human reaction when it realizes that No. 9 only sees her as a pawn, not worth loving.

Kaiju No. 14 Symbolizes the Apocalypse and Fear

Kaiju No. 14 is one of the many Kaiju created by Kaiju No. 9. It takes the appearance of a dark-black floating parallelepipedon and four pink human-like faces on its angles. The faces are largely featureless, but they do have an eerie smile. Kaiju No. 14 is mighty.

No. 14 has a monolithic appearance because it is supposed to elicit fear of the apocalypse in the reader. Many media interpret Monoliths as ancient, mysterious, and bizarrely powerful, with some appearing in 2001: A Space Odyssey and Neon Genesis Evangelion. No. 14 appears on a railway because of an experience the author had when watching the front view of the train as a child.

Kaiju No. 9 is the Main Antagonist of the Series

Kaiju No. 9 is a Kaiju that can merge, create, revive, and control various other Kaiju killed by the Defense Force. His goal is to take back the world from humans and destroy the Defense Force. No. 9 has multiple forms thanks to its absorption abilities, with its first improved form being a tall beige humanoid skeletal body, spikes on its shoulders, and a head with two hammerhead shark-like protuberances. The mouth is a jagged, lipless block of teeth. After shedding its skin, No.9 is more muscular and has popping veins.

After fusing with No. 2, No.9 becomes much larger than before and sprouts No. 2’s head near its own and grows additional arms. Matsumoto states that No. 9’s appearance is reminiscent of oyster mushrooms and shares similarities with Slatter from Pacific Rim(2013), not only in appearance, but also in personality, and role in the story as the strongest Kaiju in the world and an antagonist. No. 9 is a fascinating villain that is a perfect counterpoint to No.8.

Kaiju No. 6 Is the King of Kaiju

Kaiju No. 6, also known as “The King of Kaiju,” was an identified Kaiju neutralized ten years ago. No. 6 is a mighty Kaiju and led a destruction of Japan so catastrophic that it not only brought the death of the beloved Hikari Shinomiya, but also is the greatest catastrophe in Kaiju history. No. 6 is so strong that even when converted to a weapon, none could wield it. Even a talented officer like Reno Ichikawa struggles to use it.

Kaiju No. 6 is titled “King of Kaiju” and references Godzilla entirely. But, unlike Showa-era Godzilla, No.6 references a newer Godzilla design found in Shin Godzilla, Godzilla Minus One, and coloration similar to Godzilla Ultimate from Godzilla: Singularity Point. Kaiju No. 6 is a massive dark-purple kaiju shaped like a dinosaur with dorsal plates and four long tails.

No. 8 Is the Protagonist, the Human-Transforming Kaiju Kafka Hibino

After ingesting a small Kaiju, Kafa becomes a Defense Force officer thanks to his ability to transform into the humanoid Kaiju No.8. In his Kaiju Form, he is mainly covered with coal-black scales and plates with cyan energy glowing from between the cracks. His head, spine, and clavicles are made from exposed bone and contrast with his black armor. His head is demonic-like and features two short, hooked horns, a hole for a nose, and sharp, exposed teeth.

Kafka’s Kaiju form takes resemblance to the armor and mask of the fallen warriors in the Meireki-Era, which, considering No. 8’s backstory linking to the Meireki-Era, makes perfect sense. The form also shares some similarities with Kamen Rider, by being a masked transformation that uses the antagonist’s powers against them. The first Kamen Rider, Takeshi Hongo, uses Shocker’s technology to transform into a bug-like cyborg with green and black armor. Kafka also shares the same name as the author of The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka. Like Kafka’s protagonist, Gregor in the book, turns into a giant insect. This narrative writing is why Kaiju No. 8 is so successful.

The Daikaiju of the Meireki Era Is the Most Terrifying Kaiju

The Daikaiju of the Meireki Era is an ancient Kaiju from the year 1657. This Daikaiju rampaged for one hundred days and was the cause of the greatest massacre of Kaiju slayers in history. The entity is a massive amalgamation of Kaiju and consists of different monsters. The main head presents a human face with ten eyes set in three rows and a small mouth at the bottom. These shoulders and arms consist of multiple Kaiju heads and two pairs of arms on its back. When fused into No.9, the creature makes a large vertical opening going from its head to its crotch.

Daikaiju of the Meireki Era is terrifying and is the in-universe cause of the Great Fire of Meireki. This real historical event consists of a fire that burned roughly 70% of Tokyo in 1657. The Daikaiju, unlike the other Kaiju, looks like a being that someone isn’t supposed to see, like an Eldritch being, and really leans on Miyamoto’s monster design skills.