Giant lizard James Bond, Godzilla. As your drunkest buddy shows up to the Super Bowl party with 17 packets of macaroni cheese dust and tap water in his “queso dip” crockpot, it’s been seven decades since his initial emergence from the ocean’s depths.
This monster-king has featured in more movies than any other British spy in the decades since his debut in 1954.
We’ve compiled a handy timeline of the Godzilla movies in order (The King of the Monsters) almost 70-year existence. A few reboots, a dozen or so named monsters, and a few recurring themes have made the series seem more complicated than it really is.
Most of the Godzilla movies can be found on HBO Max. If HBO Max is not available in your region use the best HBO Max VPN to bypass the geo-restriction and enjoy buffer-free streaming.
With so little overall continuity, each new part is essentially a stand-alone film. There are times, though, when it necessitates a passing acquaintance with multiple characters and events, even if all you need to know is that “that’s Godzilla” when you point at the screen.
To that end, we’ve laid out how to watch Godzilla movies in order, both by their release date and by the chronological order in which they occurred.
The Right Order To Watch Godzilla Movies In order
If you are a lover of monster movies, you may have heard of or seen the Godzilla films. The first film in the franchise was released in 1954, and since then, more than thirty films have been produced in the series.
It’s interesting to note that Godzilla films have been made in a variety of nations throughout the course of five decades, with Japan, the United States, France, and Australia being just a few examples.
So, are you wondering how to watch Godzilla movies in order? You may watch Godzilla movies in chronological sequence from the comfort of your own home and take pleasure in the entertainment that comes with it.
Chronological Order
- Godzilla
- Godzilla Raids Again
- Godzilla, Kings of the Monsters
- King Kong Vs. Godzilla
- Mothra Vs. Godzilla
- Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster
- Invasion of Astro-Monster
- Ebirah: Horror of the Deep
- Son of Godzilla
- Destroy all Monsters
- All Monsters Attack
- Godzilla Vs. Hedorah
- Godzilla Vs. Gigan
- Godzilla Vs. Megalon
- Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla
- Terror of Mechagodzilla
- The Return of Godzilla
- Godzilla 1985
- Godzilla Vs. Biollante
- Godzilla Vs King Ghidorah
- Godzilla Vs. Mothra
- Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla II
- Godzilla Vs. SpaceGodzilla
- Godzilla Vs. Destoroyah
- Godzilla 2000: Millenium
- Godzilla Vs. Megaguirus
- Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah, Giant Monsters All-Out Attack
- Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla
- Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S
- Godzilla: Final Wars
- Godzilla
- Shin Godzilla
- Godzilla: Planet of Monsters
- Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle
- Godzilla: The Planet Eater
- Godzilla: King of Monsters
- Godzilla Vs Kong
Release Order
- Godzilla (1954)
- Godzilla Raids Again (1955)
- Godzilla, Kings of the Monsters (1956)
- King Kong Vs. Godzilla (1962)
- Mothra Vs. Godzilla (1964)
- Ghidorah, The Three Headed Monster (1964)
- Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965)
- Ebirah: Horror of the Deep (1966)
- Son of Godzilla (1967)
- Destroy all Monsters (1968)
- All Monsters Attack (1969)
- Godzilla Vs. Hedorah (1971)
- Godzilla Vs. Gigan (1972)
- Godzilla Vs. Megalon (1973)
- Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)
- Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)
- The Return of Godzilla (1984)
- Godzilla 1985 (1985)
- Godzilla Vs. Biollante (1989)
- Godzilla Vs King Ghidorah (1991)
- Godzilla Vs. Mothra (1992)
- Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993)
- Godzilla Vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994)
- Godzilla Vs. Destoroyah (1995)
- Godzilla 2000: Millenium (1999)
- Godzilla Vs. Megaguirus (2000)
- Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah, Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001)
- Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)
- Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S (2003)
- Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)
- Godzilla (2014)
- Shin Godzilla (2016)
- Godzilla: Planet of Monsters (2017)
- Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle (2018)
- Godzilla: The Planet Eater (2018)
- Godzilla: King of Monsters (2019)
- Godzilla Vs Kong (2021)
So, without further ado, let’s jump into the list of Godzilla movies in order to watch this weekend:
1. Godzilla (1954)
Director: Ishiro Honda
Writer: Takeo Murata
Cast: Momoko Kôchi,Akira Takarada, Akihiko Hirata
Runtime: 1h 9mins
IMDb Rating: 6.3/10
The original Godzilla is a very serious metaphor about the horrors of the atomic era, made by the only nation in history to have endured a nuclear assault, in stark contrast to the happy entertainment that the franchise would come to exemplify.
For the first time, we get a glimpse of our beloved big monster, who was roused and transformed by undersea hydrogen bomb testing. No amount of gory imagery or historical subtext can hide the fact that the film’s central antagonist is a man in a rubber dinosaur suit.
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2. Godzilla Raids Again (1955)
Director: Motoyoshi Oda
Writer: Takeo Murata
Cast: Momoko Kôchi, Koji Kobayashi, Minoru Chiaki
Runtime: 1h 9mins
IMDb Rating: 6.3/10
There are various returning characters and allusions to the events of the first Godzilla movie, making Godzilla Raids Again a direct sequel. This Godzilla, on the other hand, is a fresh member of the same species, rather than the radioactive lizard we saw in 2013.
Godzilla’s first encounter with Anguirus, a strange hybrid of a turtle and an ankylosaurus that would feature in numerous more films in the series, occurs in this film.
3. Godzilla, King of the Monsters (1956)
Director: Ishiro Honda
Writer: Shigeru Kayama
Cast: Takashi Shimura, Raymond Burr, Momoko Kôchi
Runtime: 1h 9mins
IMDb Rating: 6.3/10
King of Monsters was published in 1956 as a shortened version of Godzilla, which was first released in 1954 (1954). After hearing some frightening news about what’s transpired in Japan, a publishing mogul sets out to investigate.
After that, he learns that a monster by the name of Gojira is wreaking havoc on the world around him. This is the best of all Godzilla movies in order.
4. King Kong Vs. Godzilla (1962)
Director: Ishiro Honda
Writer: Shinichi Sekizawa
Cast: Kenji Sahara, Tadao Takashima, Mie Hama
Runtime: 1h 34mins
IMDb Rating: 5.8/10
When the huge gorilla escapes from captivity in Japan and squares up to the recently thawed lizard, King Kong and Godzilla engage in an epic battle of the beasts.
Godzilla’s first encounter with our sultry beauties occurred at a rather early point in the monster’s career. If you’ve ever wondered what it might be like to face up against Godzilla, here is the movie for you. Unlike Godzilla Raids Again, this film from the list of Godzilla movies in order opens with Godzilla locked on an iceberg.
5. Mothra Vs. Godzilla (1964)
Director: Ishiro Honda
Writer: Shinichi Sekizawa
Cast: Yuriko Hoshi, Hiroshi Koizumi, Kyoko Kagawa
Runtime: 1h 28mins
IMDb Rating: 6.5/10
When the beneficent giant bug Mothra makes an appearance in this film, Godzilla takes on the role of adversary once again as the two battle it out for Mothra’s hatchlings’ protection. After King Kong vs. Godzilla, you might claim that Mothra vs. Godzilla landed ashore and started its assault as soon as the lizard awoke.
Ichiro Sakai, a news reporter, and Junko Nakanishi, a photographer, photograph the destruction left by a typhoon. They come across a strange bluish-gray object in the debris and have no idea what it means. A gigantic egg is discovered on the beach later that day. The egg is salvaged by the local villagers, and Kumayama, the owner of Happy Enterprises, purchases it.
6. Ghidorah, The Three Headed Monster (1964)
Director: Ishiro Honda
Writer: Shinichi Sekizawa
Cast: Yosuke Natsuki, Akiko Wakabayashi, Hiroshi Koizumi
Runtime: 1h 33mins
IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
King Ghidorah, the most recognizable antagonist of the series, makes his feature film debut in this picture, when he falls from space and engages Godzilla, Mothra, and Rodan in combat.
As far as we can tell, Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster does not seem to share any overarching continuity with the other films, save from a grasp of who the key monster characters are. (It’s almost like these movies were made to be viewed in a random sequence on cable.) This is the first time ever that Godzilla is shown as a heroic character, and that is how he will be portrayed for the rest of the series.
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7. Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965)
Director: Ishiro Honda
Writer: Shinichi Sekizawa
Cast: Nick Adams, Akira Takarada, Jun Tazaki
Runtime: 1h 41mins
IMDb Rating: 6.2/10
It takes place one year after the events of King Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster in the Invasion of Astro-Monster. Earthlings are being asked for aid by the extraterrestrial residents of Planet X because King Ghidorah has continued to disturb other worlds in our solar system after being booted off of Earth by Godzilla and allies.
To their surprise, it turns out to be an elaborate plan to employ mind control on Godzilla, Mothra, and Rodan in order to take over the world. This is one of the best films from the list of Godzilla movies in order.
8. Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966)
Director: Jun Fukuda
Writer: Shinichi Sekizawa
Cast: Akira Takarada, Akihiko Hirata, Kumi Mizuno
Runtime: 1h 27mins
IMDb Rating: 5.5/10
Toho Co., Ltd. produced and distributed Ebirah, Horror of the Deep, a 1966 Japanese kaiju film directed by Jun Fukuda and produced by Toho Co., Ltd. Akira Takarada, Kumi Mizuno, Akihiko Hirata, and Eisei Amamoto featured in the picture, which contains the fictional monsters Godzilla, Mothra, and Ebirah.
A giant lobster called Ebirah challenges Godzilla in this sequel, which has some small consistency with the previous picture due to Godzilla’s recent battle with King Ghidorah being referenced. His feud with Mothra is also mentioned throughout the film, which leads to the two beasts clashing once again at its conclusion.
9. Son of Godzilla (1967)
Director: Jun Fukuda,
Writer: Shinichi Sekizawa
Cast: Hiroshi Koizumi, Akira Kubo, Yuriko Hoshi
Runtime: 1h 26mins
IMDb Rating: 5.2/10
As a matter of course, every movie sequel needs to have a cute baby for the villains. Introducing Minilla, Godzilla’s son who he saves from an island of deadly insects is the Son of Godzilla. A big spider and a swarm of praying mantises are no match for Godzilla and Minilla, who learn how to fight by being bullied.
This is the only rendition of “Cats in the Cradle” we’ll ever hear. Aside from the fact that it asks you to identify Godzilla from a line-up, Son of Godzilla doesn’t appear to have any connection to the previous films.
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10. Destroy all Monsters (1968)
Director: Ishiro Honda
Writer: Ishiro Honda
Cast: Akira Kubo, Tadao Takashima, Yukiko Kobayashi
Runtime: 1h 29mins
IMDb Rating: 6.4/10
Basically, Destroy All Monsters is Godzilla’s version of the Avengers. Every monster from the previous films, as well as a handful from other Toho franchises, is brought together in a great fight against King Ghidorah in this film.
For all intents and purposes, it serves as an all-new beginning for Monster Island, where all of Earth’s kaiju reside in relative peace and harmony after a long period of conflict. You don’t need to know anything about Minilla or Anguirus to understand what’s going on in this video.
Destroy All Monsters is often referred to as one of the finest kaiju flicks, and with good reason.
11. All Monsters Attack (1969)
Director: Akira Kubo
Writer: Shinichi Sekizawa
Cast: Tomonori Yazaki, Ichiro Urashima, Machiko Naka
Runtime: 1h 10mins
IMDb Rating: 3.9/10
No clear narrative ties between All Monsters Attack and previous Godzilla films, which is a good thing since viewing it makes you never want to watch another rubber monster movie again. An adaptation of Son Of Godzilla, the film follows a young kid called Ichiro, who has a psychic dream relationship with Minillla, a monster from the previous films in the series.
Ichiro has recurring nightmares about Minilla and Godzilla fighting on Monster Island. This gives Ichiro the courage to stand up to his own bullies, but it’s not clear whether Ichiro was really watching events on Monster Island or if it was all simply a figment of his wild imagination. This is one of the best films from the list of Godzilla movies in order.
12. Godzilla Vs. Hedorah (1971)
Director: Yoshimitsu Banno
Writer: Yoshimitsu Banno
Cast: Toshie Kimura, Akira Yamauchi, Hiroyuki Kawase
Runtime: 1h 9mins
IMDb Rating: 6.3/10
In one of the series’ most iconic battles, Godzilla faces up against an amorphous blob of sentient pollution in Godzilla vs. Hedorah. Godzilla’s hand melting off in Hedorah’s corrosive assaults is eternally etched into my mind from this film, which I witnessed as a young child.
Even though Godzilla vs. Hedorah is yet another stand-alone adventure in the Godzilla series, it does share some of the original film’s environmental and social DNA with the sequel.
13. Godzilla Vs. Gigan (1972)
Director: Jun Fukuda
Writer: Takeshi Kimura
Cast: Hiroshi Ishikawa, Tomoko Umeda, Yutaka Hayashi
Runtime: 1h 32mins
IMDb Rating: 5.6/10
When Gigan makes his debut appearance in Godzilla vs. Gigan, he’s one of the most interesting-looking characters in Godzilla’s array of supporting characters. Only Godzilla and his BFF Anguirus can halt King Ghidorah’s aggressive takeover effort when he comes to Earth.
This film, like others in the series, is essentially a new episode of the Godzilla television program, save for the fact that Monster Island really exists.
14. Godzilla Vs. Megalon (1973)
Director: Jun Fukuda
Writer: Jun Fukuda
Cast: Yutaka Hayashi, Rumi Hattori, Kenji Sahara, Isao Yamagata, Yoshio Tsuchiya
Runtime: 1h 21mins
IMDb Rating: 4.8/10
The Godzilla films have a history of casually making big offers, and Godzilla vs. Megalon may be the pinnacle of this trend. The film starts with a nuclear test so intense that it sends Godzilla’s Monster Island companions Rodan and Anguirus into the Earth’s core, a direct sequel to Godzilla vs. Gigan.
Tests on what is basically Atlantis result in a massive invasion of the surface world by Megalon, a beetle enforcer dispatched by the underwater dwellers to wreak havoc on the surface world.
Apparently resenting their loss by Godzilla and Anguirus, the aliens from the previous film send Gigan back to Earth to aid Megalon. Also significant is the appearance of Jet Jaguar, a robot kaiju made by a young fan as part of a promotional contest.
15. Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)
Director: Jun Fukuda
Writer: Jun Fukuda
Cast: Katsuhiko Sasaki, Akihiko Hirata, Tomoko Ai
Runtime: 1h 32mins
IMDb Rating: 6.2/10
In order to take on the alien robot pretender Mechagodzilla, Godzilla allies up with a dog gremlin dubbed King Caesar. Every civilization in the galaxy has the same goal: conquering Earth with the help of an evil cyborg sent by an unknown species of ape-like aliens.
Godzilla’s recent good deeds and long-standing partnership with Anguirus are mentioned in this film’s light continuity.
16. Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)
Director: Ishiro Honda,
Writer: Yukiko Takayama
Cast: Katsuhiko Sasaki, Tetsuya Uozumi, Kojiro Hongo, Tomoko Ai
Runtime: 1h 23mins
IMDb Rating: 6.1/10
In Terror of Mechagodzilla, the Simeons recreate Mechagodzilla with the assistance of a crazy scientist, which is a direct sequel to Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla. Because the same crazy scientist is equally committed to the Titanosaurus mystery, he joins forces with the aliens’ monster in an attempt to destroy civilization.
Terror of Mechagodzilla was the last Godzilla film of the Shwa period, and the big man would not appear in any official Toho effort for over 10 years because of declining box office revenues.
17. The Return of Godzilla (1984)
Director: Koji Hashimoto
Writer: Fred Dekker
Cast: Yosuke Natsuki, Ken Tanaka,, Jun Tazaki, Yasuko Sawaguchi
Runtime: 1h 9mins
IMDb Rating: 6.3/10
As a straight follow-up to the original 1954 picture, The Return of Godzilla also functions as a reboot, starting from scratch and disregarding the events of all previous films in the Shwa period. It’s really sad for Minilla.
As a result, the Godzilla of this picture is once again a metaphor for the world’s rapidly developing nuclear weapons. To keep up with current events, a Soviet missile is destroyed using an SDI system that is plainly supposed to resemble the much-maligned SDI system, derisively dubbed the “Star Wars programme.” This film has been one of the most rated films from the Godzilla movies in order.
18. Godzilla (1985)
Director: Koji Hashimoto
Writer: Reuben Bercovitch
Cast: Ken Tanaka, Hideo Nakamura, Yasuko Sawaguchi, Yosuke Natsuki
Runtime: 1h 43mins
IMDb Rating: 7/10
An enormous monster erupts from an eruption on a neighbouring uninhabited island and attacks the Japanese fishing vessel Yahata Maru as it tries to find its way to shore in a terrible storm. Reporter Goro Maki discovers the spacecraft and its only survivor, Hiroshi “Kenny” Okumura, a day later.
A new weapon is being developed by a team of scientists who believe it has the potential to benefit mankind. When they learn of Godzilla’s existence, they see it as their ideal chance to conduct experiments on him, which results in Japan’s destruction once again.
19. Godzilla Vs. Biollante (1989)
Director: Kazuki Omori
Writer: Shinichiro Kobayashi
Cast: Wataru Mimura, Kunihiko Mitamura, Hiroyuki Kawase Kenji Sahara, Yoshiko Tanaka, Tokuma Nishioka
Runtime: 1h 29mins
IMDb Rating: 6.5/10
After the events of Godzilla vs. Biollante, the tale of the Heisei period continues with Godzilla confined within a volcano. Biollante, a huge plant-like monster created by a scientist experimenting with Godzilla’s DNA, includes the DNA of the scientist’s deceased daughter.
While Biollante is one of Godzilla’s most famous adversaries in the film, its ugly look as well as its origins are incredibly uncomfortable to see. Biotechnology and genetic engineering are again featured prominently in this film, with Godzilla again acting as a cautionary tale about the risks of unregulated scientific discovery rather than an enemy in this episode.
20. Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah (1991)
Director: Kazuki Omori
Writer: Kahzuri Omori
Cast: Wataru Mimura, Mayako Nigo, Masanobu Takashima, Shinji Takagi, Akira Nakao
Runtime: 1h 18mins
IMDb Rating: 6.7/10
In the Godzilla Era, King Ghidorah would not be complete without his numerous guises. When the wicked space dragon reappears in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, a group of time-travelers claims to be from a future in which Godzilla has devastated the earth and returned to modern-day Japan with a new background.
A young Ghidorah in the past is able to take Godzilla’s place when they fool their modern counterparts into letting them kill him before the hydrogen bomb experiments in 1954 alter him forever.
Ghidorah has grown into a full-fledged monster, and only Godzilla can stop the evil time lords from using him to take the world.
21. Godzilla Vs. Mothra (1992)
Director: Takao Okawara
Writer: Wataru Mimura
Cast: Wataru Mimura, Shinji Takagi, Mayako Nigo, Akira Nakao
Runtime: 1h 32mins
IMDb Rating: 6.1/10
Only one storyline detail is necessary for understanding the events of Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah: The Final Battle: Godzilla defeated Mecha-King Ghidorah and concluded the previous film once again at sea’s bottom.
The semi-heroic Godzilla of the previous two films is replaced by the “grumpy shithead” of this film, which made him famous in the first place. In this film, Godzilla fights Mothra and Battra for no apparent reason (see “grumpy shithead,” above), killing Battra and becoming imprisoned in an underwater cave once more.
22. Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993)
Director: Takao Okawara
Writer: Yutaka Izubuchi
Cast: Wataru Mimura, Takeshi Shirato, Mayako Nigo, Akira Nakao
Runtime: 1h 32mins
IMDb Rating: 6.5/10
In spite of its name, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II technically follows Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991) rather than Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla from 1974. Remains of Ghidorah are used by the United Nations to produce Mechagodzilla and Garuda following their defeat by Godzilla in Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah. Rodan and Baby Godzilla make their Heisei period debuts in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II.
23. Godzilla Vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994)
Director: Takao Okawara
Writer: Kanji Kashiwa
Cast: Wataru Mimura, Takeshi Shirato, Mayako Nigo, Akira Nakao
Runtime: 1h 37mins
IMDb Rating: 5.6/10
This is the first time SpaceGodzilla has appeared in a Godzilla film, making him one of the most bodacious characters in the series. SpaceGodzilla falls to Earth sometime after Godzilla vs. Biollante and Godzilla vs. Mothra, as a consequence of spores that Biollante and Mothra had hurled into space.
As the interplanetary bad guy approaches, Godzilla and Baby Godzilla join forces with the UN’s follow-up to the shattered Mechagodzilla: M.O.G.U.E.R.A. SpaceGodzilla is a standout among the Heisei era’s newcomers because of its dynamic power set and amusing character design.
24. Godzilla Vs. Destoroyah (1995)
Director: Takao Okawara
Writer: Kaoru Kamigiku
Cast: Wataru Mimura, Takeshi Shirato, Mayako Nigo, Takuro Tsasumi
Runtime: 1h 17mins
IMDb Rating: 6.3/10
Destoroyah, a horde of mutated crabs, threatens Godzilla in the last film of the Heisei period. If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if Godzilla’s heart was like a nuclear reactor, you’ll be pleased to learn that it would ultimately meltdown.
Godzilla Junior, now dubbed Godzilla Junior, absorbs all of his father’s explosive energy to become the new Godzilla, saving the Earth from a catastrophic catastrophe. The rising and setting of the sun.
25. Godzilla 2000: Millenium (1999)
Director: Takao Okawara
Writer: Hiroshi Kashiwabara
Cast: Takehiro Murata, Takeshi Shirato, Takeshi Shirato, Hiroshi Abe, Naomi Nishida
Runtime: 1h 48mins
IMDb Rating: 6/10
In Godzilla 2000: Millennium, every film from the Heisei and Shwa periods, save 1954 original, is retconned. Returning to his beginnings, Godzilla is once again an uncontrollable radioactive behemoth that rises from the deep to wreak havoc on coastal communities during kaiju season.
But this time aliens have come to take Godzilla’s regenerative DNA so that they may live forever and dominate the Earth. Finally, the aliens clone their own godlike creature, Orga, from the 1998 Roland Emmerich-directed American picture Godzilla, with the help of DNA. Orga eventually faces off against Godzilla in the conclusion.
26. Godzilla Vs. Megaguirus (2000)
Director: Masaaki Tezuka
Writer: Hiroshi Kashiwabara
Cast: Misato Tanaka, Shosuke Tanihara, Masato Ibu
Runtime: 1h 52mins
IMDb Rating: 6.1/10
An experimental anti-Godzilla weapon that generates micro black holes, Megaguirus, AKA Yoked Mothra, makes its appearance in this film as the giant queen of a race of interdimensional insectoid beings. The events of Godzilla 2000 are completely ignored in Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, despite the fact that it is the second film in the Millennium period.
27. Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001)
Director: Shusuke Kaneko
Writer: Keiichi Hasegawa
Cast: Ryudo Uzaki, Masahiro Kobayashi, Chiharu Niiyama
Runtime: 1h 45mins
IMDb Rating: 7/10
Baragon, the dopey-looking horned bat rhinoceros from Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, appears in the film. Interestingly, King Ghidorah is reimagined as a benign Earth guardian who must team up with Baragon and Mothra to stop Godzilla’s rampage. Like its predecessor, this film is a direct continuation of the events that transpired in the year 1954.
To make things even more confusing, this entry claims that Godzilla is infused with the spirits of all those who died in World War II’s Pacific theatre.
28. Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)
Director: Masaaki Tezuka, Takao Okawara
Writer: Wataru Mimura
Cast: Shin Takuma, Yumiko Shaku , Kana Onodera
Runtime: 1h 28mins
IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
Reimagining Mechagodzilla in the form of a Voltron-style huge robot piloted by a squad of human pilots, Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla relaunches the brand to erase everything except the 1954 original from the history books.
While Mechagodzilla is defeated in the film’s end, Godzilla maintains his nemesis position that he’s had throughout the Millennium period thus far.
29. Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S (2003)
Director: Masaaki Tezuka
Writer: Masahiro Yokotani
Cast: Miho Yoshioka, Takenori Emoto, Mickey Koga
Runtime: 1h 31mins
IMDb Rating: 6.5/10
In an all-out fight for domination, Godzilla, Mothra, and Mechagodzilla threaten to reduce Tokyo into toothpicks.
Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla continues the story one year after the events of the previous film and sees the Japan Self Defence Force (JSDF) devise a strategy to lure Mothra into the fight against Godzilla while repairing the damage Mechagodzilla received in the previous film’s final battle.
30. Godzilla Final Wars (2004)
Director: Ryuhei Kitamura
Writer: Wataru Mimura
Cast: Roi Kikukawa, Masahiro Matsuoka, Don Frye
Runtime: 2h 5mins
IMDb Rating: 6.3/10
Even though the original 1954 Godzilla picture isn’t a part of the Godzilla canon, Godzilla: Final Wars doesn’t appear to be connected to it at all. It’s like seeing an all-star game including the best actors from the past decades of films, including Godzilla, Minilla, King Ghidorah (referred to as Monster X here), Anguirus, Rodan, Mothra, King Caesar, and Hedorah. Before Godzilla returns to the water, he wreaks havoc on the world with his wacky youngster in tow.
31. Godzilla (2014)
Director: Gareth Edwards
Writer: Max Borenstein
Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bryan Cranston, Elizabeth Olsen
Runtime: 2h 3mins
IMDb Rating: 6.5/10
Fans eagerly awaited the return of Godzilla after a decade. It reunited the original crew of Pacific Rim to produce what many consider to be one of the greatest films ever filmed. Ignoring all that has come before, the film begins over with Godzilla’s storyline.
For the first time, Godzilla isn’t simply wreaking havoc on cities for no apparent purpose; his actions have real-world repercussions, making him all the more horrifying. There’s also a look at how politics may get in the way of doing what’s right when people are faced with situations they don’t comprehend.
32. Shin Godzilla (2016)
Director: Hideaki Anno
Writer: Hideaki Anno
Cast: Hiroki Hasegawa, Yutaka Takenouchi, Satomi Ishihara
Runtime: 2h
IMDb Rating: 6.8/10
In order to take on the alien robot pretender Mechagodzilla, Godzilla allies up with a dog gremlin dubbed King Caesar. Every civilization in the galaxy has the same goal: conquering Earth with the help of an evil cyborg sent by an unknown species of ape-like aliens.
Godzilla’s recent good deeds and long-standing partnership with Anguirus are mentioned in this film’s light continuity.
33. Godzilla: Planet of Monsters (2017)
Director: Kobun Shizuno
Writer: Gen Urobuchi
Cast: Mamoru Miyano, Tomokazu Sugita, Takahiro Sakurai
Runtime: 1h 28mins
IMDb Rating: 6/10
Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters, the series’ first animated picture, takes place millennia in the future when mankind has abandoned Earth to Godzilla. The film follows a shipload of colonists as they seek to return to Earth and recover the world from Godzilla.
Due to its anime roots, this is one of Godzilla’s most complex films, but it doesn’t seem to have any connection to any other Godzilla movie, making it a stand-alone feature. There is a twist at the conclusion of the film that nearly immediately leads to the following one.
This film is one of the best films on Netflix.
34. Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle (2018)
Director: Kobun Shizuno
Writer: Gen Urobuchi
Cast: Mamoru Miyano, Tomokazu Sugita, Takahiro Sakurai
Runtime: 1h 41mins
IMDb Rating: 5.8/10
They find a secret facility storing nanomaterials that were used to make Mechagodzilla after regrouping after their catastrophic assault on Godzilla at the conclusion of the previous film. Only a live host (voluntary or not) is required for the nanometal to act against Godzilla – the only catch is that the nanometal has to absorb living hosts to work.
As expected, the nanometal is a more devastating threat to the Earth than Godzilla, leading to a genuine Empire Strikes Back-style conclusion that previews the following film’s plotline.
35. Godzilla: The Planet Eater (2018)
Director: Kobun Shizuno
Writer: Gen Urobuchi
Cast: Mamoru Miyano, Tomokazu Sugita, Takahiro Sakurai
Runtime: 1h 31mins
IMDb Rating: 5/10
Godzilla: The Planet Eater is a 2018 computer-animated Japanese kaiju film directed by Kbun Shizuno and Hiroyuki Seshita, written by Gen Urobuchi, and produced and animated by Toho Animation and Polygon Pictures in collaboration with Netflix.
King Ghidorah returns as the series’ main nemesis in the third and final part of the Planet of the Monsters trilogy. The continuity established by the previous two animated features is concluded with a satisfyingly goofy reflection on why we can’t all simply share the earth and live together in peace in this direct sequel.
36. Godzilla: King of Monsters (2019)
Director: Michael Dougherty
Writer: Max Borenstein
Cast: Vera Farmiga, Kyle Chandler, Millie Bobby Brown
Runtime: 2h 12mins
IMDb Rating: 6/10
Godzilla: King of the Monsters, which takes place five years after the events of 2014’s Godzilla, is essentially a reboot of Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, pitting Godzilla and Mothra against Rodan and the perpetual shitheel King Ghidorah. Godzilla: King of the Monsters is currently in theatres.
In addition to being a direct sequel to Godzilla, the film features allusions to the precursor film Kong: Skull Island.
37. Godzilla Vs. Kong (2021)
Director: Adam Wingard
Writer: Terry Rossio
Cast: Alexander Skarsgard, Rebecca Hall, Millie Bobby Brown
Runtime: 1h 12mins
IMDb Rating: 6.3/10
This is the new Godzilla movies in order. Since 1962’s King Kong vs. Godzilla, our beautiful boys have faced off against each other for the second time. Godzilla, the titular regal lizard, starts attacking people for no apparent cause two years after the release of Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
When the enraged kaiju, who may or may not be controlled by unseen powers, attacks, Kong is called in as a ringer to try to prevent him, the situation becomes complicated.
Godzilla vs. Kong is a must-watch film and this film is the last one from Godzilla movies in order.
Wrapping Up
After everything is said and done, the Godzilla movies in order are a must-see for anybody who likes kaiju or action movies in general. For you to stream movies and participate in these activities, it is essential that you have high-quality audio and video equipment in place.
Use the best VPNs for streaming so that you can access the geo-restricted platform easily in your region and watch the movies from the comfort of your couch.
Let us know in the comment section which one of the Godzilla films is your favorite.