‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ Season 2 Review: More of The Same, For Better or Worse

2025 proved to be a somewhat slow year for Godzilla fans. With the exception of the Big G rampaging his way through the comic book medium and the announcements made during Godzilla Day, there wasn’t a whole lot for fans to be hyped about, at least not in terms of visual media. But now, the wheels are in motion, as we will see the release of Godzilla Minus Zero this November, followed shortly by Godzilla x Kong: Supernova in March 2027, and to kick things off, a new season of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters premiering this Friday on Apple TV. The televised tales from the MonsterVerse have returned in full force with new adventures to be had, mysteries to be solved, and plenty of monsters along for the ride.

In addition to the return of the show itself, we are also graced with the return of most of the main players from Season 1. Series lead Anna Sawai reprises her role as Cate Randa, and is again joined by Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe, Joe Tippett, Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto, along with Anders Holm and newcomer Amber Midthunder. Father-son duo Kurt and Wyatt Russell also return, rounding out the cast by both portraying Col. Lee Shaw. While the cast members commit to their roles to the best of their ability, the show struggles to capitalize on the full potential of their talents.

For the most part, we are given the same bland TV writing as before and generic tropes that oftentimes fall short of conveying the gravity of the situations at hand. However, there are improvements made to some of the characters and arcs. Some notable standouts include Joe Tippett’s Tim, who has gone from a supporting character with potential to a more crucial figure in the overall story, and how the emotionally charged actions made by characters in the past continue to affect those in the present.

There’s the human characters… what about the main draw, the monsters? The trailers, advertising material, and the Season 1 finale have led us to believe that Kong would be the main focus of this new season, a creative decision that has not gone over well with some MonsterVerse and Godzilla fans. If you’re one of those fans, I’ve got bittersweet news for you: Kong is not the main focus…but neither is Godzilla, really.

The two do get significant screen time, though it’s very sporadic, and most attention is given to the highly anticipated Titan X. While Godzilla and Kong will share the screen with this new addition to the MonsterVerse roster, a lot of Titan X’s presence is felt through encounters that directly involve the human characters. Now that may sound underwhelming on paper, but surprisingly, these sequences are executed fairly well and deliver high-stakes tension that help break up the monotony otherwise felt in some of the show. 

When it comes to the kaiju on kaiju action, it too is fairly well executed, but not without its shortcomings as fight sequences are few and far between. Much like in Season 1, viewers will be waiting for a number of episodes before Godzilla even starts charging up. And the weight of these titans is nowhere to be found, ultimately leaving us with monsters & fights that are desperate for a little more polish and TLC from the special effects department. One could argue that this being an episodic series and not a tentpole blockbuster movie excuses lower grade CGI (especially with the differences in how the budget is used logistically). However, one could also make the argument that other high profile shows deliver visuals comparable to their big screen counterparts. It’s an argument that’s been done to death, but look at what Godzilla Minus One achieved with a fraction of a Hollywood budget.

As a whole, this season of Monarch improves upon the weaker aspects of the previous one, but it’s merely a few steps in the right direction, rather than leaps and bounds. While it refines things like the lack of monster screen time and uninteresting side plots, Season 2 fails to present anything groundbreaking and delivers on the same structure and formula as Season 1, just with new monsters and stories to tell. Much like before, it continues to effectively bridge the tonal gap between the grounded realism of Godzilla (2014) and the over-the-top, sci-fi spectacle that has defined the MonsterVerse since Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), this time with a few elements of the fantastical (similar to those present in the Heisei Godzilla series) woven throughout.

While there once again is a disparity in entertainment quality in the mid-season episodes compared to the first and final ones, the stories they tell are a bit more engaging, and each episode showcases a titan or nightmarish creature. That being said, brief sequences that feature more disposable monsters felt a bit unnecessary, and the time and resources spent bringing them to life probably could’ve been better used in the aforementioned TLC the larger titans and their fight sequences needed. As a fan of lore and world building, I was pleased to see the return of the timeline set in the past, which explores Monarch’s history with Bill, Lee, and Keiko, but was slightly annoyed with the show’s continuation of noticeable retconning and tampering with the already established lore of the MonsterVerse. I can’t be too specific, but the ending of the final episode definitely had me scratching my head. 

The second season of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is enjoyable despite its flaws, and truthfully, it is indeed a step up from its predecessor. However, it’s just that… a step. It’s a worthy enough entry in the MonsterVerse that it won’t be a waste of time, but I don’t see it standing out amongst the stronger entries in the franchise. I can’t speak for everybody, but whatever your opinion on the first season was, it is likely to repeat here.

Overall Score: 6/10

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters will make its global debut on Apple TV on Friday, February 27, followed by one episode weekly every Friday through May 1.