Godzilla: Showa Continuity Watch Order (1954-1975)

Toho released their anti-nuclear war film Godzilla in 1954, starting a long-running franchise. Godzilla has had multiple separate continuites since his introduction, so this watch order will be focused on his films released during the Showa Era of Japan. These films morph from a reflection on nuclear war into a cheesy heroic comedy and feature a loose, largely unimportant continuity. There are also other films released by Toho during this era that could fit into the timeline, but this watch order will focus on the films featuring Godzilla. Minor spoilers for Godzilla films from 1954 to 1975.

Quality:★★★☆☆ Cohesion:★★★★☆ Accessiblity:★★★★★

1. Godzilla (1954)
• The first film in the franchise ends with Godzilla's death, so all the rest of the films feature a different Godzilla. While being fairly important from a continuity perspective, it is also the farthest from the future films in terms of tone, being much more serious and thematically heavy.
2. Godzilla Raids Again (1955)
• The first film to feature Godzilla battling against another monster, this time Anguirus.
3. Mothra vs. Godzilla (1962)
• The first appearance of Mothra, again pitching Godzilla as an antagonist.
4. Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1962)
5. Invasion of the Astro Monster (1963)
• This King Ghidorah duology is basically two different renditions of the same film, but both see Godzilla pitched as the hero for the first time.
6. Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966)
7. Son of Godzilla (1967)
8. All Monsters Attack (1969)
• After Ebirah, Son of Godzilla and All Monsters Attack serve as a duology with Godzilla's son, Minilla.
9. Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971)
• A one-off film returning to the more ecological themes of the first movie.
10. Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)
11. Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)
• A sort of Gigan duology, with both films giving Godzilla an ally against two monsters, although Gigan plays second fiddle in Megalon.
12. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)
13. Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)
• A duology featuring Mechagodzilla as the antagonist.
14. Destroy All Monsters (1968)
• The last film continuity-wise brings back a whole bunch of monsters. Despite being released earlier, it best fits here and features another climactic showdown with King Ghidorah.