Warner Bros. is continuing to expand on its MonsterVerse with the release and ongoing box office susccess of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, marking a decade of this shared Kaiju universe being around! Today, we’re taking a look at our favorite characters from the human side of the MonsterVerse over the years!

SPOILERS AHEAD for Godzilla (2014), Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and Godzilla vs. Kong!

Joe Brody - Godzilla

Though he doesn’t make it past even the 40-minute mark, Bryan Cranston leaves a huge impression on us throughout the rest of the film after he’s gone. Cranston nails the way Ford expresses devastation over the loss of his wife and later fury at the hiding of dark conspiracies he’s attempted to discover for years.

Dr. Ishirō Serizawa - Godzilla and Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Without Dr. Serizawa, we wouldn’t have the iconic “Let them fight” meme that lived on for years. Ken Watanabe gave wisdom and authority to these films as a man who understands the MUTOs most deeply, ultimately becoming a part of their fate.

Preston Packard - Kong: Skull Island

Though he represents the arrogant side of humanity that thinks they can take a giant monster on, Samuel L. Jackson makes Packard an entertaining character and a hardcore Colonel who wants to avenge his fallen men.

Mason Weaver - Kong: Skull Island

On the other side of the human ensemble of this film is Weaver. A photographer, she shows the most empathy for Kong and is protected by him in the final battle against the Skullcrawlers. We hope she and Tom Hiddleston’s character were well off after the events that unfolded on Skull Island!

Hank Marlow - Kong: Skull Island

Probably the most entertaining character in the entire film, we open the film with a younger Hank, who is stranded on Skull Island during WWII, and is found years later. It was the right choice to end the film on the most emotional note as we see Hank finally come home and reunite with his family.

Madison Russell - Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Godzilla vs. Kong

Madison is the daughter of Bill and Emma Russell, and her brother was among the casualties of the battle of San Francisco in 2014. She always manages to have a solid escape plan in motion, and Millie Bobby Brown also makes a great conspiracy debunking team with Julian Dennison and Brian Tyree Henry!

Jia - Godzilla vs. Kong

Jia is the main source of empathy in this film, serving as Kong’s best friend and most trusted ally. She’s the bridge between the monsters and humans as she guides Kong to work together with the humans and stop what’s to come.

Bernie Hayes - Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

Probably the funniest character in all of these movies, and that’s especially thanks to Brian Tyree Henry’s spectacular charm. Bernie is a conspiracy theorist who is glad that his works are finally agreed upon, as he teams up with Madison and Josh to prove his life’s work to be true.