Godzilla is not a small franchise by any means. There are a total of 38 films, with 33 of them being made directly from Toho animations.

It’s no surprise that there are so many movies when you look back on the series’ history. Godzilla first came out in 1954, and movies have been made steadily since then.

Sometimes there are years between the movies, and sometimes there are multiple releases in the same year.

Even some of the most die-hard fans don’t have time to watch all of these movies. Thankfully, to get the true essence of the movie franchise, there are only a couple you have to watch.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

10 Original Godzilla (1954)

     Toho Co

Of course, you can’t be a Godzilla fan without watching the original Godzilla from 1954. The movie was originally spelled Gojira, as that is closer to the actual spelling in Japanese.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

This is the true basis for the franchise and is actually a lot scarier than you might expect if you’ve already seen the other films.

9 Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

Mothra vs. Godzilla is the fourth movie in the Godzilla series, and features one of Godzilla’s major enemies.

That alone makes this movie at the top of the worth-watching list for the franchise, but it is also considered one of the best movies from the whole series by critics and fans alike.

8 Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965)

     Maron Films

The next one on the “must-watch” list is Invasion of Astro-Monster. Though it doesn’t have it in the name, this is a continuation of the Godzilla series.

In this movie, Godzilla, Rodan, and King Ghidorah fight in space above an alien planet. Not only does it feature some key enemies, but the whole tone is fun and exciting.

7 Destroy All Monsters (1968)

Thought having a couple of monsters was fun? What about twelve? Well, you can get that with Destroy All Monsters. It seems that Toho pulled out all the monsters for this one.

This movie isn’t written by the usual screenwriter Shinichi Sekizawa, but still has plenty going for it with a big free-for-all battle and even monster mind control.

6 Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

Ghidorah features in this film. Any fan of Godzilla will know that King Ghidorah is one of Godzilla’s biggest and most threatening enemies. However, it also features a new enemy, Gigan, who is from space.

While this isn’t the best Godzilla movie ever directed, Godzilla vs. Gigan is fun to watch with its entertaining and unique ideas.

5 Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)

Robots became a big thing in Japan around this era. From cute girls turning into or controlling robot mechs to evil robot monsters, you can see plenty of Japan’s media influenced by machinery.

Godzilla is no exception, quickly jumping on the mecha bandwagon with Mechagodzilla. While it’s not one of the usual fights or enemies, it is exciting to watch Godzilla fighting itself in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla.

4 Return of Godzilla (1984)

     20th Century Studios

Return of Godzilla isn’t as filled with action as some of the other movies in the franchise leading up to this point. However, it does touch back to the darker roots that Godzilla originally was meant to have.

Instead of being a savior of Japan or even the world, you can see the dark and evil side of Godzilla, and get a taste again of what he once was.

3 Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991)

     Sony Pictures

If you’ve been wanting to see an epic and long-awaited fight between two enemies, you have to watch Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah. This movie showcases the best fight between them throughout the whole franchise.

It is also a delightful mix between a darker Godzilla and the fun, protective hero that Godzilla came to be in later films.

2 Godzilla, Mothra & Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001)

While the older films are a classic, you can’t overlook the new ones either. While Godzilla, Mothra & Ghidorah: Giant Monster’s All-Out Attack isn’t exactly the newest movie out there, it is a lot closer to recent movies than the 1954 version.

This movie, though still by Toho, does take a lot of liberties away from their original plot lines by making most of the once-enemies of Godzilla now into heroes.

It also makes a lot of progress from the original costume and animation, with pretty good special effects and suit-acting for the time.

1 Shin Godzilla (2016)

Finally, one of the newest movies on Toho’s list, Shin Godzilla is a must-watch. It does well at adapting Godzilla into the modern era, even creating commentary on Japan’s current government.

This one is also funny in its own way, with a monster that looks like it could be a close cousin to Kermit the Frog with its adorably googly eyes.

However, what really makes this one essential is the fact that it truly brings back the O.G. Godzilla by making the monster truly terrifying.

While these are all essential, it doesn’t look like Toho is ready to give up their giant monster either. Be sure to check out the newer movies as they come out as well.