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Godzilla watch order

Godzilla movies in order, release and chronological. Updated October 20, 2026.

Toho's Godzilla films come in eras that each restart from the 1954 original. Watch Godzilla (1954) first, then pick an era: Showa (1955 to 1975), Heisei (1984 to 1995, one continuous story from The Return of Godzilla), or Millennium (1999 to 2004), which is mostly standalone films. Shin Godzilla (2016) and Godzilla Minus One (2023) stand alone. The MonsterVerse is a separate American series.

How to watch the Godzilla movies in order: the full guide

All 35 films and series in the Godzilla franchise, in release order and in chronological (story) order. The first in release order is Godzilla (1954); the first in chronological order is Godzilla (set in Tokyo, 1954).

Release order

  1. Godzilla (Movie, 1954): The original: a nuclear allegory nine years after Hiroshima. Watch the Japanese cut, not the 1956 US edit.
  2. Godzilla Raids Again (Movie, 1955): Godzilla fights Anguirus in Osaka; the first sequel.
  3. King Kong vs. Godzilla (Movie, 1962): The first Kong crossover and the most-watched Godzilla film in Japan.
  4. Mothra vs. Godzilla (Movie, 1964): Often called the best Showa film; Godzilla as a pure villain.
  5. Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (Movie, 1964): Godzilla, Rodan and Mothra team up against King Ghidorah; Godzilla starts turning hero.
  6. Invasion of Astro-Monster (Movie, 1965): Aliens from Planet X borrow Godzilla and Rodan.
  7. Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (Movie, 1966): Godzilla against a giant shrimp on a terrorist-run island.
  8. Son of Godzilla (Movie, 1967): Godzilla raises Minilla on a tropical island.
  9. Destroy All Monsters (Movie, 1968): Every Showa monster in one film, set in the future; the end of the Showa story.
  10. All Monsters Attack (Movie, 1969): A lonely boy dreams of Monster Island; mostly reused footage, skippable.
  11. Godzilla vs. Hedorah (Movie, 1971): A pollution monster and a strange, psychedelic anti-smog film.
  12. Godzilla vs. Gigan (Movie, 1972): Godzilla and Anguirus against Gigan and King Ghidorah.
  13. Godzilla vs. Megalon (Movie, 1973): Jet Jaguar, the robot hero, and the campiest Godzilla film.
  14. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (Movie, 1974): The 20th-anniversary film introduces Mechagodzilla and King Caesar.
  15. Terror of Mechagodzilla (Movie, 1975): The last Showa film; Godzilla rested for nine years after it.
  16. The Return of Godzilla (Movie, 1984): A direct sequel to 1954 that ignores every other Showa film; Godzilla is a threat again.
  17. Godzilla vs. Biollante (Movie, 1989): A rose, a scientist's daughter and Godzilla cells.
  18. Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (Movie, 1991): Time travellers from 2204 rewrite Godzilla's origin.
  19. Godzilla vs. Mothra (Movie, 1992): Mothra returns, with her dark twin Battra.
  20. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (Movie, 1993): The UN builds its own Mechagodzilla, and Godzilla gets a son.
  21. Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (Movie, 1994): A crystal-covered clone from space; the weakest Heisei entry.
  22. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (Movie, 1995): Godzilla's heart goes critical; the Heisei finale.
  23. Godzilla (Movie, 1998): TriStar's American remake; its creature returns as Zilla in Final Wars. Optional.
  24. Godzilla 2000: Millennium (Movie, 1999): Godzilla's Millennium return; a standalone story.
  25. Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (Movie, 2000): A black-hole weapon opens a portal for giant insects.
  26. Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (Movie, 2001): Godzilla as the vengeful spirit of the war dead; a standalone fan favourite.
  27. Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (Movie, 2002): Japan builds Kiryu from the 1954 Godzilla's bones.
  28. Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (Movie, 2003): Kiryu and Mothra against Godzilla; a direct sequel to Against Mechagodzilla.
  29. Godzilla: Final Wars (Movie, 2004): A 50th-anniversary monster rally, then Godzilla rested for 12 years.
  30. Shin Godzilla (Movie, 2016): A new Godzilla evolving in real time, and a satire of government red tape.
  31. Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters (Movie, 2017): Part one of the anime trilogy: humans return to an Earth Godzilla has ruled for 20,000 years.
  32. Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle (Movie, 2018): Part two: a living city of nanometal Mechagodzilla.
  33. Godzilla: The Planet Eater (Movie, 2018): Part three: King Ghidorah from another dimension.
  34. Godzilla Singular Point (Series, 2021): A 13-episode anime mystery about time and science; standalone.
  35. Godzilla Minus One (Movie, 2023): A kamikaze pilot who did not die, and Japan with nothing left; won the Oscar for visual effects.

Chronological order

  1. Godzilla (set in Tokyo, 1954): The original: a nuclear allegory nine years after Hiroshima. Watch the Japanese cut, not the 1956 US edit.
  2. Godzilla Raids Again (set in Osaka): Godzilla fights Anguirus in Osaka; the first sequel.
  3. King Kong vs. Godzilla (set in Mount Fuji): The first Kong crossover and the most-watched Godzilla film in Japan.
  4. Mothra vs. Godzilla (set in Infant Island): Often called the best Showa film; Godzilla as a pure villain.
  5. Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (set in King Ghidorah arrives): Godzilla, Rodan and Mothra team up against King Ghidorah; Godzilla starts turning hero.
  6. Invasion of Astro-Monster (set in Planet X): Aliens from Planet X borrow Godzilla and Rodan.
  7. Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (set in Letchi Island): Godzilla against a giant shrimp on a terrorist-run island.
  8. Son of Godzilla (set in Solgell Island): Godzilla raises Minilla on a tropical island.
  9. All Monsters Attack (set in A boy's dreams): A lonely boy dreams of Monster Island; mostly reused footage, skippable.
  10. Godzilla vs. Hedorah (set in The smog monster): A pollution monster and a strange, psychedelic anti-smog film.
  11. Godzilla vs. Gigan (set in World Children's Land): Godzilla and Anguirus against Gigan and King Ghidorah.
  12. Godzilla vs. Megalon (set in Seatopia): Jet Jaguar, the robot hero, and the campiest Godzilla film.
  13. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (set in Okinawa): The 20th-anniversary film introduces Mechagodzilla and King Caesar.
  14. Terror of Mechagodzilla (set in The Showa finale): The last Showa film; Godzilla rested for nine years after it.
  15. Destroy All Monsters (set in Monsterland, 1999): Every Showa monster in one film, set in the future; the end of the Showa story.
  16. The Return of Godzilla (set in 30 years after 1954): A direct sequel to 1954 that ignores every other Showa film; Godzilla is a threat again.
  17. Godzilla vs. Biollante (set in Godzilla cells): A rose, a scientist's daughter and Godzilla cells.
  18. Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (set in Time travellers from 2204): Time travellers from 2204 rewrite Godzilla's origin.
  19. Godzilla vs. Mothra (set in Battra): Mothra returns, with her dark twin Battra.
  20. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (set in G-Force): The UN builds its own Mechagodzilla, and Godzilla gets a son.
  21. Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (set in Birth Island): A crystal-covered clone from space; the weakest Heisei entry.
  22. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (set in Godzilla's meltdown): Godzilla's heart goes critical; the Heisei finale.
  23. Godzilla (set in New York): TriStar's American remake; its creature returns as Zilla in Final Wars. Optional.
  24. Godzilla 2000: Millennium (set in Standalone): Godzilla's Millennium return; a standalone story.
  25. Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (set in Standalone): A black-hole weapon opens a portal for giant insects.
  26. Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (set in Standalone): Godzilla as the vengeful spirit of the war dead; a standalone fan favourite.
  27. Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (set in Kiryu): Japan builds Kiryu from the 1954 Godzilla's bones.
  28. Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (set in A year after Kiryu): Kiryu and Mothra against Godzilla; a direct sequel to Against Mechagodzilla.
  29. Godzilla: Final Wars (set in The 50th anniversary): A 50th-anniversary monster rally, then Godzilla rested for 12 years.
  30. Shin Godzilla (set in Modern Tokyo): A new Godzilla evolving in real time, and a satire of government red tape.
  31. Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters (set in Earth, 20,000 years on): Part one of the anime trilogy: humans return to an Earth Godzilla has ruled for 20,000 years.
  32. Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle (set in Mechagodzilla City): Part two: a living city of nanometal Mechagodzilla.
  33. Godzilla: The Planet Eater (set in Ghidorah): Part three: King Ghidorah from another dimension.
  34. Godzilla Singular Point (set in Standalone anime): A 13-episode anime mystery about time and science; standalone.
  35. Godzilla Minus One (set in Post-war Japan, 1945 to 1947): A kamikaze pilot who did not die, and Japan with nothing left; won the Oscar for visual effects.

Coming next

Common questions

What order should I watch the Godzilla movies in?

Toho's Godzilla films come in eras that each restart from the 1954 original. Watch Godzilla (1954) first, then pick an era: Showa (1955 to 1975), Heisei (1984 to 1995, one continuous story from The Return of Godzilla), or Millennium (1999 to 2004), which is mostly standalone films. Shin Godzilla (2016) and Godzilla Minus One (2023) stand alone. The MonsterVerse is a separate American series.

How many Godzilla movies and shows are there?

There are 35 titles in the Godzilla franchise: 34 films and 1 series, released from 1954 to 2023. 1 more is announced: Godzilla Minus Zero.

How long does it take to watch all the Godzilla movies?

About 61 hours for all 35 titles, counting every episode. The essentials only (33 titles) take about 57 hours.

What is the first Godzilla title in chronological order?

Godzilla, set in Tokyo, 1954. In release order the first is Godzilla (1954).

Which Godzilla titles can I skip?

All Monsters Attack and Godzilla. They are spin-offs, side stories or non-canon entries; the main story holds without them.

What is the next Godzilla release?

Godzilla Minus Zero, out November 6, 2026.