Godzilla chronological order and eras explained

Right now the Godzilla universe is experiencing a true rebirth. This is evidenced by the very good financial results of Godzilla Minus One, which has placed this film at the top in terms of box office revenue in history. Numerous Godzilla films have been produced over almost 70 years, all of which have been categorized into different eras. The name of each era refers to the emperor who happened to reign in Japan, and below, you'll find out about each era and the films that belong to them.

Showa era

Lasting from 1954 to 1975, the era built the foundation of the entire Godzilla universe. Godzilla went from being the main antagonist to becoming a hero, while the creators presented new gigantic opponents for him. Shows from this era were definitely more childish than later films. In total, the Showa era consists of fifteen titles.

Heisei era

The new era that started in 1984 departed from nearly all the accomplishments of the previous films, except for the first one. We have discovered additional information about Godzilla's origins, and the films had a more serious tone. They addressed these types of topics, discussing ongoing issues like environmental protection and the accelerating pace of technological progress. The Heisei era ended in 1995, closing with the seventh film.

Millennium era

The naming approach had to be changed due to the fact that the same emperor was still alive in Japan during the next chapter in Godzilla's history. Once again, the movies only reference the original, but this time they don't form a cohesive storyline together, with a few exceptions. They resemble distinct narratives connected by the character of Godzilla. The Millennium era lasted from 1999 to 2004 and consists of six films.

Reiwa era

The current era of Godzilla, which has been ongoing since 2016, is the most diverse of all. It consists of live-action and animated shows, the latter of which are available on Netflix. Once again, we aren't dealing with one coherent story, but with separate stories. This era also includes Godzilla Minus One, proving that fans are ready for more films about the iconic monster. At the moment, viewers have the opportunity to explore five productions from this era.

Short films

Japanese series about Godzilla

Godzilla in the West

Godzilla also has its own distinct history in the United States. The western versions of the legendary beast originated there. The first film from 1998 was produced by TriStar Pictures, while Legendary Entertainment was responsible for the following ones. The success of the second studio's Godzilla motivated Toho Studios to revive their universe, leading to Shin Godzilla. There are now five Western Godzilla films, and the latest one is scheduled to premiere in 2024.

Western series about Godzilla

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