Godzilla Movies - Watch Order: Mothra Films

1961 - 201911 Films18h 29m4 Average

This watch order follows Mothra, the divine moth kaiju who serves as Earth's guardian and Godzilla's most frequent ally. Beginning with her solo debut where she protects her tiny fairy companions, Mothra becomes a symbol of nature, rebirth, and hope throughout the franchise. Her appearances span multiple eras and continuities, from the colorful Showa Era to the modern MonsterVerse.

Mothra's films showcase her unique role as one of the few benevolent kaiju, often sacrificing herself to protect humanity or convince other monsters to defend Earth. This order highlights her evolution from mystical island deity to cosmic protector, featuring her most significant battles and transformations across nearly 60 years of kaiju cinema.

1
Mothra poster

Mothra

19611h 41m4.2
Director: Ishirō Honda
Cast: Frankie Sakai, Hiroshi Koizumi, Kyōko Kagawa, Jerry Itō, Ken Uehara

Shipwreck survivors found on the presumably uninhabited Infant Island leads to a scientific expedition that discovers a surviving native population along with the Shobijin, tiny twin fairy priestesses of the island's mythical deity called Mothra. After the fairies are kidnapped by an exploitative businessman named Clark Nelson, Mothra sets out to rescue them.

AdventureScience FictionFantasy
2
Mothra vs. Godzilla poster

Mothra vs. Godzilla

19641h 29m4.1
Director: Ishirō Honda
Cast: Akira Takarada, Yuriko Hoshi, Hiroshi Koizumi, Yū Fujiki, Kenji Sahara

Journalists Ichiro Sakai and Junko cover the wreckage of a typhoon when an enormous egg is found and claimed by greedy entrepreneurs. Mothra's fairies arrive and are aided by the journalists in a plea for its return. As their requests are denied, Godzilla arises near Nagoya and the people of Infant Island must decide if they are willing to answer Japan's own pleas for help.

DramaActionScience Fiction
3
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster poster

Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster

19641h 32m4
Director: Ishirō Honda
Cast: Yōsuke Natsuki, Yuriko Hoshi, Hiroshi Koizumi, Takashi Shimura, Emi Ito

After a meteorite unleashes a three-headed beast upon Tokyo, Mothra tries to unite with Godzilla and Rodan to battle the extraterrestrial threat.

Science FictionActionFantasyThriller
4
Invasion of Astro-Monster poster

Invasion of Astro-Monster

19651h 36m3.9
Director: Ishirō Honda
Cast: Nick Adams, Akira Takarada, Keiko Sawai, Kumi Mizuno, Jun Tazaki

Astronauts Glenn and Fuji investigate Planet X and encounter mysterious aliens known as the Xiliens, who ask Earth's people to help save their world from "Monster Zero". In exchange for borrowing Godzilla and Rodan, the Xiliens offer a cure for cancer. As Glenn investigates, he develops a romance with Miss Namikawa and uncovers the Xilien's true intentions.

Science FictionAction
5
Ebirah, Horror of the Deep poster

Ebirah, Horror of the Deep

19661h 27m3.5
Director: Jun Fukuda
Cast: Akira Takarada, Kumi Mizuno, Akihiko Hirata, Jun Tazaki, Hideo Sunazuka

Searching for his brother, Ryota stows away on a boat belonging to a criminal alongside two other teenagers. The group shipwrecks on Letchi island and discover the Infant Island natives have been enslaved by a terrorist organization controlling a crustacean monster. Finding a sleeping Godzilla, they decide to awaken him to defeat the terrorists and liberate the natives.

Science FictionActionFantasy
6
Destroy All Monsters poster

Destroy All Monsters

19681h 29m3.9
Director: Ishirō Honda
Cast: Akira Kubo, Jun Tazaki, Yukiko Kobayashi, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Chōtarō Tōgin

At the turn of the century, all of the Earth's monsters have been rounded up and kept safely on Monsterland. Chaos erupts when a race of she-aliens known as the Kilaaks unleash the monsters across the world.

Science FictionAction
7
Godzilla vs. Mothra poster

Godzilla vs. Mothra

19921h 42m4
Director: Takao Okawara
Cast: Tetsuya Bessho, Satomi Kobayashi, Takehiro Murata, Saburo Shinoda, Akiji Kobayashi

Mothra's dark counterpart, Battra, emerges to eliminate humanity on behalf of the Earth. Two tiny fairies called the Cosmos offer their help by calling Mothra to battle the creature. Unfortunately a meteorite has awoken a hibernating Godzilla as a three way battle for the Earth begins.

ActionAdventureFantasyScience Fiction
8
Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack poster

Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack

20011h 45m4.4
Director: Shusuke Kaneko
Cast: Chiharu Niiyama, Ryudo Uzaki, Masahiro Kobayashi, Shirō Sano, Takashi Nishina

Godzilla has become a distant memory for Japan when the destruction of a US submarine raises alarms for Admiral Tachibana. His estranged daughter Yuri investigates the legend of the guardian monsters, who must rise to protect Japan against the vengeful spirits within Godzilla that seek to destroy both the nation and its people for the suffering they inflicted in the Pacific conflict.

ActionAdventureHorrorFantasyScience Fiction
9
Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. poster

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.

20031h 31m4.2
Director: Masaaki Tezuka
Cast: Noboru Kaneko, Miho Yoshioka, Mitzuki Koga, Hiroshi Koizumi, Tsutomu Kitagawa

Mothra and her fairies return to Japan to warn mankind that they must return Kiryu to the sea, for the dead must not be disturbed. However Godzilla has survived to menace Japan leaving Kiryu as the nation's only defense.

ActionFantasyAdventureScience Fiction
10
Godzilla: Final Wars poster

Godzilla: Final Wars

20042h 5m4.1
Director: Ryûhei Kitamura
Cast: Masahiro Matsuoka, Rei Kikukawa, Don Frye, Maki Mizuno, Kazuki Kitamura

Humanity finally rids themselves of Godzilla, imprisoning him in an icy tomb in the South Pole. All is peaceful until various monsters emerge to lay waste to Earth's cities. Overwhelmed, humanity is seemingly saved by a race of benevolent aliens known as Xiliens. But not all is what it seems with these bizarre visitors. If humanity wishes to survive, they must reluctantly resurrect their most hated enemy, Godzilla.

ActionAdventureScience FictionFantasyThriller
11
Godzilla: King of the Monsters poster

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

20192h 12m3.8
Director: Michael Dougherty
Cast: Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Ken Watanabe, Zhang Ziyi

Follows the heroic efforts of the crypto-zoological agency Monarch as its members face off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah. When these ancient super-species, thought to be mere myths, rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity's very existence hanging in the balance.

Science FictionAction