Godzilla Watch Order: How To Watch the Kaiju Franchise Chronologically

As the iconic 500-foot-tall monster Hollywood has known for years, Godzilla has yet to stomp his last step in the franchise.

With Godzilla Minus One right around the corner, you may be wondering if there are any previous installments you should be watching before the latest flick on the big screens.

Well, here’s a complete Godzilla watch order on where to start the Kaiju franchise!

RELATED: Is Godzilla Minus One a Sequel, a Spinoff, or a Reboot?

There are two ways to watch the entire Godzilla franchise: by their order of release date or by following the Eras where they belong.

Luckily, the two categories go hand-in-hand. Each era is defined by the year and Japanese era in which the Gojira films were released, and how they possibly connect one right after the other.

Before we start, it is worth mentioning that there are two distinctions in watching the Godzilla franchise: the Japanese and American versions.

It would be preferable to start off with the Japanese since the movie came originally from them, plus Godzilla Minus One is under Japan, too.

The Showa Era (1954-1975)

Credit: Toho Studios

The entire Godzilla franchise would not have been made possible if it weren’t for the first phase of the series. Beginning in 1954, we were introduced to the rise of the giant monster from the depths of the sea.

This classic period marks the transition of the horrific monster into later on becoming more comedic and geared towards family-friendly themes about the Godzilla protecting Japan from other monsters attempting to destroy it.

• Godzilla/Godzilla: King of the Monsters (1954),
• Godzilla Raids Again (1955),
• King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962),
• Godzilla vs. The Thing (1964),
• Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster (1964),
• Godzilla vs. Monster Zero (1965),
• Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster (1966),
• Son of Godzilla (1967),
• Destroy All Monsters (1968),
• Godzilla’s Revenge (1969),
• Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971),
• Godzilla on Monster Island (1972),
• Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973),
• Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974),
• and lastly, Monsters From an Unknown Planet (1975)

The Heisei Era (1984-1995)

Credit: Toho Pictures

As expected, Godzilla Minus One is not the only flick in the franchise that got its own reboot.

The Heisei Era was when the first reboot happened, where the films removed every single Godzilla that came after the original 1954 one, as The Return of Godzilla (1984) came as a direct sequel to the Kickstarter of the franchise.

• The Return of Godzilla (1984),
• Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989),
• Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991),
• Godzilla vs. Mothra: The Battle for Earth (1992),
• Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993),
• Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994),
• and Godzilla vs. Destroyer (1995)

The Millennium Era (1999-2004)

Credit: Tristar Pictures

Coming out as yet another continuity reboot, each film listed under the Millennium Era, like what the Heisei Era beheld, is closely tied in as sequels for the original 1954 Godzilla film.

Every movie here is considered a reboot standalone, except for Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., which is the direct sequel to Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla.

• Godzilla 2000: Millennium (1999),
• Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000),
• Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monster All-Out Attack (2001),
• Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002),
• Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003),
• Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)

The Reiwa Era (2016-2023)

Credit: Toho Pictures

Despite the huge gap years between each Era, the current one is the Reiwa Era, in which the first Godzilla was released in 2016, Shin Godzilla, a standalone film.

The only difference here is that this Era is still under development as Godzilla Minus One will not be the last motion picture set to end the franchise altogether.

• Shin Godzilla (2016),
• Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters (2017),
• Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle (2018),
• Godzilla: The Planet Eater (2018),
• Godzilla Minus One (2023)

The MonsterVerse (2014 to Present)

Credit: Legendary Pictures

Thanks to the global success of the Godzilla franchise, American filmmakers adapted a few and put their own spin on the classic Kaiju icon with a twist.

Instead of having standalone films like Japan did, Legendary Pictures built their very own MonsterVerse, in which the films are interconnected with one another.

By the use of recurring characters and storylines, the MonsterVerse featured other additional giants such as King Kong and King Ghidorah.

Of course, the difference here is that the list is not only a roster of movies, but Godzilla’s own series, as well. You can check out the list below:

• Kong: Skull Island (2017)
• Skull Island (2023)
• Godzilla (2014)
• Godzilla and the Titans (TBR)
• Godzilla 2/Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
• Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
• Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)

Now, whether or not you decide to watch these by release date order or by chronological order as suggested is entirely up to you.

Since the majority of the Godzilla films are technically standalone, it’s an option to blatantly ignore the old films.

Binge-watching the classics would be a mere suggestion for broadening your knowledge about its rich historical contribution to Hollywood.