is a fictional monster, or ''
kaiju
is a Japanese term that is commonly associated with media involving giant monsters. Its widespread contemporary use is credited to ''tokusatsu'' (special effects) director Eiji Tsuburaya and filmmaker Ishirō Honda, who popularized the ''kaiju'' ...
'', which first appeared as the title character in
Ishirō Honda
was a Japanese filmmaker who directed 46 feature films in a career spanning five decades. He is acknowledged as the most internationally successful Japanese filmmaker prior to Hayao Miyazaki and one of the founders of modern disaster film, wit ...
's ''
1961 film of the same name'', produced and distributed by
Toho
is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...
. Mothra has appeared in several Toho ''
tokusatsu
is a Japanese term for live-action films or television programs that make heavy use of practical special effects. Credited to special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya, ''tokusatsu'' mainly refers to science fiction film, science fiction, War fi ...
'' films, often as a recurring monster in the
''Godzilla'' franchise. She is typically portrayed as a colossal sentient larva (
caterpillar
Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths).
As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder ...
) or
imago
In biology, the imago (Latin for "image") is the last stage an insect attains during its metamorphosis, its process of growth and development; it is also called the ''imaginal'' stage ("imaginal" being "imago" in adjective form), the stage in wh ...
, accompanied by two miniature fairies speaking on her behalf. Unlike several other Toho monsters, Mothra is a largely heroic character, having been variously portrayed as a protector of her own island culture,
['']Mothra
is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', which first appeared as the title character in Ishirō Honda's '' 1961 film of the same name'', produced and distributed by Toho. Mothra has appeared in several Toho ''tokusatsu'' films, often as a recur ...
'' (1961). Directed by Ishirō Honda
was a Japanese filmmaker who directed 46 feature films in a career spanning five decades. He is acknowledged as the most internationally successful Japanese filmmaker prior to Hayao Miyazaki and one of the founders of modern disaster film, wit ...
. Toho
is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...
the Earth
['' Godzilla vs. Mothra'' (1992). Directed by ]Takao Okawara
is a Japanese film director, writer, and producer.
Biography
Most famous for his entries in the Heisei ''Godzilla'' series, Takao Okawara joined Tōhō in 1973, but would not get his first shot in the director's chair until 1980, when he joine ...
. Toho
is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...
and
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
.
['' Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack'' (2001). Directed by ]Shusuke Kaneko
is a Japanese filmmaker.
Life and career
Shūsuke Kaneko was born in Tokyo on June 8, 1955. According to the biography on his official website Kaneko was interested in science fiction, particularly Godzilla and Gamera films, from a young age. H ...
. Toho
is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...
. Mothra's design is influenced by
silkworms
''Bombyx mori'', commonly known as the domestic silk moth, is a moth species belonging to the family Bombycidae. It is the closest relative of '' Bombyx mandarina'', the wild silk moth. Silkworms are the larvae of silk moths. The silkworm is of ...
, their imagos, and those of giant silk moths in the family
Saturniidae
Saturniidae, members of which are commonly named the saturniids, is a family of Lepidoptera with an estimated 2,300 described species. The family contains some of the largest species of moths in the world. Notable members include the emperor m ...
. The character is often depicted hatching offspring (in some cases, twins) when approaching death, a nod to the
Saṃsāra
''Saṃsāra'' (Devanagari: संसार) is a Sanskrit word that means "wandering" as well as "world," wherein the term connotes "cyclic change" or, less formally, "running around in circles." ''Saṃsāra'' is referred to with terms or p ...
doctrine of numerous
Indian religions
Indian religions, sometimes also termed Dharmic religions or Indic religions, are the religions that originated in the Indian subcontinent. These religions, which include Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism,Adams, C. J."Classification o ...
.
Mothra is one of Toho's most popular monsters and second only to
Godzilla
is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that debuted in the eponymous 1954 film, directed and co-written by Ishirō Honda. The character has since become an international pop culture icon, appearing in various media: 33 Japanese films p ...
in her total number of film appearances. Polls taken during the early 1990s indicated that Mothra was particularly popular among women who were, at the time, the largest demographic among Japan's movie-going audience, a fact that prompted the filming of 1992's ''
Godzilla vs. Mothra'', which was the best-attended Toho film since ''
King Kong vs. Godzilla
is a 1962 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd, it is the third film in both the ''Godzilla'' and ''King Kong'' franchises, as well as the first T ...
''.
IGN
''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
listed Mothra as #3 on its "Top 10
Japanese Movie
The , also known domestically as , has a history that spans more than 100 years. Japan has one of the oldest and largest film industries in the world; as of 2022, it was the fourth largest by number of feature films produced, producing 634 fi ...
Monsters" list, while ''
Complex
Complex commonly refers to:
* Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe
** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' listed the character as #7 on its "The 15 Most Badass Kaiju Monsters of All Time" list.
Though Mothra is generally portrayed as female, male individuals of her species have also been featured in the franchise, including Battra in ''
Godzilla vs. Mothra'', and a male Mothra larva who appears alongside his
non-identical twin sister in ''
Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.''
Overview
Name
The name is the suffixation of "-ra" to the English word "moth"; since the Japanese language does not have
dental fricative
The dental fricative or interdental fricative is a fricative consonant pronounced with the tip of the tongue pressing under the teeth. There are several types (those used in English being written as ''th''):
*Voiced dental fricative - as in the ...
s, it is approximated "Mosura" in Japanese. The "ra" suffix follows the precedent set by
Godzilla
is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that debuted in the eponymous 1954 film, directed and co-written by Ishirō Honda. The character has since become an international pop culture icon, appearing in various media: 33 Japanese films p ...
(''Gojira''), which in turn is derived from , which serves to indicate the character's enormous size.
Dican International Pictures entitled the movie ''Godzilla vs. the Thing'', probably to avoid legal action from
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...
, which had released the original ''Mothra''.
Development
Mothra was first conceived in the January 1961
serial ''
The Luminous Fairies and Mothra'' by authors Shinichiro Nakamura, Takehiko Fukunaga and Yoshie Hotta, who had been commissioned by
Toho
is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...
to write the outline of a future film. The character was further developed by
Shinichi Sekizawa
was a Japanese screenwriter noted for his immense contributions to several films by Ishirō Honda, including several classic Godzilla films. He also contributed material to the original ''Ultraman'' series and several Tōei Dōga films such as ...
, whose experiences of starving in the South Pacific islands during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
prompted him to envision a movie featuring an island where mysterious events occurred.
In her
1961 debut, Mothra's adult form consisted of a wire-operated mechanical puppet, while the larva was a
suitmation
Creature suits are realistic costumes used to disguise a performer as an animal, monster, or other being. They are used in film, television, or as costumed characters in live events. Unlike mascots, they are often made with a high degree of reali ...
puppet operated by six stuntmen crawling in single file. In ''
Mothra vs. Godzilla
is a 1964 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd., it is the fourth film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise. The film stars Akira Takarada, Yuriko Hosh ...
'' three years later, the adult Mothra puppet was modified with radio-controlled legs, while the larvae were portrayed via a combination of motor-driven props and hand puppets. The larval Mothra featured in ''
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
is a 1964 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd., it is the fifth film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise, and was the second ''Godzilla'' film produced ...
'' remained largely unchanged from its previous appearance, though the color of its eyes was changed from blue to red. The adult Mothra prop featured in ''Mothra vs. Godzilla'' was reused in ''
Ebirah, Horror of the Deep
is a 1966 Japanese '' kaiju'' film directed by Jun Fukuda and produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd. The film stars Akira Takarada, Kumi Mizuno, Akihiko Hirata and Eisei Amamoto, and features the fictional monster characters Godzilla, ...
'', though previous heavy use had dulled its colors, frayed the fur on the head and damaged the wings.
During the early Heisei era of ''Godzilla ''films, which ignored the continuity established in pre-1984 movies, several attempts were made to develop a Mothra standalone feature. Akira Murao wrote a screenplay in 1990 entitled ''Mothra vs. Bagan'', which revolved around a shape-shifting dragon called Bagan who sought to destroy humanity for its abuse of the Earth's resources, only to be defeated by Mothra, the god of peace. The screenplay was revised by
Kazuki Ōmori
was a Japanese film director and screenwriter.
Career
Born in Osaka, Ōmori studied at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine and held a license to practice medicine. While in school, he began making films independently, with ''Kuraku naru m ...
after the release of ''
Godzilla vs. Biollante'', though the project was ultimately scrapped by Toho, due to the poor box office performance of ''Godzilla vs. Biollante'', as well as the assumption that Mothra was a character born purely out of Japanese culture and thus would have been difficult to market overseas, unlike the more internationally recognized
Godzilla
is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that debuted in the eponymous 1954 film, directed and co-written by Ishirō Honda. The character has since become an international pop culture icon, appearing in various media: 33 Japanese films p ...
. With the success of ''
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah'', Toho sought to continue the series' newfound profitability by reintroducing familiar monsters rather than inventing new ones. Mothra was chosen as Godzilla's next antagonist on account of the character's popularity with women, who constituted the majority of cinemagoers at the time. Special effects head
Koichi Kawakita co-wrote a screenplay entitled ''Godzilla vs. Gigamoth'' in 1991, which would have pitted Mothra against Godzilla and an irradiated Mothra doppelganger called Gigamoth, though this was rejected early on and replaced with the final plotline that was seen in the film ''
Godzilla vs. Mothra''. Kawakita's depiction of Mothra's adult form was given the ability to fire
energy beams, which were rendered via optical effects, and the pollen dust emitted from its wings were given a sparkling effect not seen in prior movies. During the character's transformation from larva to adult, it was initially planned to have Mothra's unfolding wings rendered through
CGI, though this was scrapped on account of it not looking "sensitive" enough. Although the movie was a financial success, the Mothra props were criticized by several authors, who noted that the adult Mothra's brighter colors made it look like a "plush toy" and that its wings flapped less gracefully than in previous incarnations, as they were made of heavy cloth. The Mothra puppet's immobile chicken-like feet and the lack of undulation in the larva prop's movements were also commented on as being inferior to the effects seen in 1960s Mothra movies. Criticism was also leveled at Mothra's altered origin story, which portrayed her as an
extraterrestrial, thus dampening the character's motivation for protecting Earth. The character's newfound popularity nevertheless prompted Toho to produce ''
Rebirth of Mothra'' in 1996.
For ''
Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack'', director
Shūsuke Kaneko
is a Japanese filmmaker.
Life and career
Shūsuke Kaneko was born in Tokyo on June 8, 1955. According to the biography on his official website Kaneko was interested in science fiction, particularly Godzilla and Gamera films, from a young age. H ...
had originally planned on using
Anguirus
is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', which first appeared in ''Godzilla Raids Again'' (1955), the second film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise. Anguirus is the first monster to be shown engaging in combat with Godzilla in a film. Since then, the c ...
as one of Godzilla's antagonists, but was pressured by Toho chairman
Isao Matsuoka
is a longtime studio executive and former chairman of Toho Co., Ltd., serving as Chairman for 14 years until his retirement in 2009. He had previously served as President and worked for the company for over 50 years having joined in 1957.
He c ...
to use the more recognizable and profitable Mothra,
[Ed Godziszewski and Norman England, "Interview with Shusuke Kaneko", ''Japanese Giants'' #9 (June 2002)] as the previous film in the franchise, ''
Godzilla x Megaguirus'', which featured an original and unfamiliar antagonist, was a box office and critical failure.
For 2003's ''
Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.'', special effects director Eiichi Asada sought to model Mothra directly on her appearance in the original 1961 film and to keep optical effects to a minimum. As with ''Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah'', the adult Mothra was given mobile legs, though they were made to constantly move, as it was felt that the prop stopped looking realistic once they became immobile. Creature designer Shinichi Wakasa had initially wanted Mothra's wings to have the angular design seen in ''
Rebirth of Mothra II'', though the prop was ultimately given the wing shape seen in the 1960s movies. In addition, Mothra's twin larvae, one male and one female, were given nicknames by the staff on set - the male, who can be distinguished by his longer tusks and spikes, was nicknamed Taro, while the female was nicknamed Hanako.
Mothra's fairies
Mothra is usually accompanied by tiny twin female
fairies
A fairy (also called fay, fae, fae folk, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, generally described as anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic, found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Cel ...
, which
Shinichi Sekizawa
was a Japanese screenwriter noted for his immense contributions to several films by Ishirō Honda, including several classic Godzilla films. He also contributed material to the original ''Ultraman'' series and several Tōei Dōga films such as ...
termed , meaning "little beauties". The original draft for ''Mothra'' called for four fairies, though Sekizawa reduced the number to two, as twins were comparatively rare in Japan, thus adding to the characters' mystique. Toho also sought to reinforce its links with
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...
, by featuring the singing duo
the Peanuts
were a Japanese vocal group consisting of twin sisters Emi (, ''Itō Emi'') and Yumi Itō (, ''Itō Yumi''). They were born in Nagoya, Japan on April 1, 1941. As identical twins they had voices only slightly apart in timbre, which resulted in t ...
, who had been popularized in America by Columbia Records.
Yūji Koseki
was a Japanese ''ryūkōka'', '' gunka'', march, fight song and film score composer. His real name was also Yūji Koseki, but its kanji
are logographic Chinese characters, adapted from Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script, used in the ...
composed the song ''Mosura no uta'' ("Song of Mothra") for the fairies to sing when summoning Mothra. The song was originally sung in
Indonesian, but there is also a later version, set to the same tune, sung in
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
:
The Peanuts were given an additional song in ''
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
is a 1964 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd., it is the fifth film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise, and was the second ''Godzilla'' film produced ...
'' entitled "Cry for Happiness", composed by Hiroshi Miyagawa. The Peanuts did not reprise their role in ''
Ebirah, Horror of the Deep
is a 1966 Japanese '' kaiju'' film directed by Jun Fukuda and produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd. The film stars Akira Takarada, Kumi Mizuno, Akihiko Hirata and Eisei Amamoto, and features the fictional monster characters Godzilla, ...
'' and were replaced by the singing duo Pair Bambi.
In ''
Godzilla vs. Mothra'', the fairies are renamed the and are played by Keiko Imamura and Sayaka Osawa. This casting move was criticized by Godzilla historian Steve Ryfle, who lamented the fact that the two actresses were not identical and that their singing voices were "paper thin." According to
Takao Okawara
is a Japanese film director, writer, and producer.
Biography
Most famous for his entries in the Heisei ''Godzilla'' series, Takao Okawara joined Tōhō in 1973, but would not get his first shot in the director's chair until 1980, when he joine ...
, the Cosmos scenes were among the hardest scenes he had ever filmed, as the actresses had to synchronize their movements without looking at each other.
In the ''Rebirth of Mothra'' trilogy, Mothra's fairies are called the which consist of Moll, Lora, and their estranged sister Belvera. Moll and Lora contrast with prior adaptations because they possess separate personalities and rarely act in unison. Megumi Kobayashi was cast as Moll for all three films, Sayaka Yamaguchi as Lora for the first two films, Misato Tate as Lora for the third film and Aki Hano as Belvera for all three films.
''
Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack'' does not feature Mothra's fairies, but they are however given a nod in the form of a pair of twin girls wearing white clothes during the scene where Mothra flies over Tokyo. They are played by sisters
Ai and
Aki Maeda
is a Japanese actress and singer. She has an older sister named Ai Maeda.
She is perhaps best known in the west for her role as Noriko Nakagawa in the controversial 2000 film '' Battle Royale'', which she reprised for its sequel '' Battle ...
.
In the anime trilogy directed by
Gen Urobuchi
is a Japanese novelist, visual novel writer and anime screenwriter. He is known for being the co-creator of the highly acclaimed and commercially successful anime series '' Puella Magi Madoka Magica'', which earned him the Tokyo Anime Award for ...
, the fairies are human-sized sisters named Maina and Miana. Their people are the , descendants of humans that evolved through Mothra's influence with both telepathy and an immunity to the assimilative properties of nanometal.
In ''
Godzilla: King of the Monsters'', it's revealed that Monarch researcher Dr. Ilene Chen (played by
Zhang Ziyi
Zhang Ziyi (; ; born 9 February 1979), sometimes credited Ziyi Zhang, is a Chinese actress, known for playing independent and strong-willed characters. Born and raised in Beijing, Zhang was admitted to the Central Academy of Drama in 1996. Th ...
) has an identical twin sister named Dr. Ling Chen, who is also in Monarch and is present at Mothra's hatching. The Chens are part of a family which appears to consist almost entirely of pairs of identical twin sisters, two of whom are shown visiting Infant Island (Mothra's traditional home) in 1961.
The film's director and co-screenwriter,
Michael Dougherty
Michael Patrick Dougherty (born October 28, 1974) is an American writer, director, animator, and producer known for his work in a variety of genre films, both big and small.
Beginning his career as an animator and illustrator, Dougherty’s a ...
, confirmed the twins to be an updated version of the fairies, explaining, "It was important to me to find ways to modernize the ideas that
othrahas followers. Modernize the priestesses.
here
Here may refer to:
Music
* ''Here'' (Adrian Belew album), 1994
* ''Here'' (Alicia Keys album), 2016
* ''Here'' (Cal Tjader album), 1979
* ''Here'' (Edward Sharpe album), 2012
* ''Here'' (Idina Menzel album), 2004
* ''Here'' (Merzbow album), ...
are still certain realms of believability to keep in take. You have to ease people into the more fantastical aspects."
He noted that the twins were a "perfect example" of humans and monsters cooperating and forming a "symbiotic relationship with each other", saying, “The twins are an example of a very successful, long relationship...so I wanted to make sure that we found some way to incorporate them, even if it was a little bit of an Easter egg.”
Dougherty, who is half-Vietnamese, felt the need to retain the twins' Asian ethnicity.
Character biography
Shōwa (1961–1968)

In the Showa continuity, Mothra is depicted as a mystical being that is worshiped by a primitive human culture native to Infant Island. ''
Mothra
is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', which first appeared as the title character in Ishirō Honda's '' 1961 film of the same name'', produced and distributed by Toho. Mothra has appeared in several Toho ''tokusatsu'' films, often as a recur ...
'' has her hatching from an egg after her priestesses are abducted by a Rolisican capitalist hoping to exploit them as media celebrities. The larva Mothra swims to Tokyo and cocoons herself around the
Tokyo Tower
, also known as the Japan Radio Tower (, ) is a Radio masts and towers, communications and observation tower in the district of Shiba-koen in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, completed in 1958. At , it was the List of tallest structures in Japan, tallest ...
. Upon reaching her adult form, Mothra flies to Rolisica's capital and causes widespread destruction until her priestesses are returned to her.
Mothra in this era, most notably the first individual appeared in the 1961 film is the largest incarnation of all, being 180 meters in length with a wingspan of 250 meters and weighed 20,000 tonnes as an Imago, and 135 meters in body length and weighed 15,000 tonnes as a larva. In later films, the size of the Imagoes decreased to 53 meters in 1964 film and 40 meters in body length and 8,000 tonnes in weight in 1968 film respectively, while the size of the larva in 1966 film stayed the same to the 1961 individual.
In ''
Mothra vs. Godzilla
is a 1964 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd., it is the fourth film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise. The film stars Akira Takarada, Yuriko Hosh ...
'', a Mothra egg appears on the coast of Japan, and is exploited as a tourist attraction. Mothra's priestesses attempt to negotiate the return of the egg to Infant Island, but are rebuffed.
Godzilla
is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that debuted in the eponymous 1954 film, directed and co-written by Ishirō Honda. The character has since become an international pop culture icon, appearing in various media: 33 Japanese films p ...
attacks Japan, forcing humanity to beseech an embittered Mothra to intervene. Mothra willingly sacrificed herself whilst fighting Godzilla, but the latter is defeated when two larvae emerge from the egg and encase Godzilla in a cocoon.
['']Mothra vs. Godzilla
is a 1964 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd., it is the fourth film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise. The film stars Akira Takarada, Yuriko Hosh ...
'' (1964). Directed by Ishirō Honda
was a Japanese filmmaker who directed 46 feature films in a career spanning five decades. He is acknowledged as the most internationally successful Japanese filmmaker prior to Hayao Miyazaki and one of the founders of modern disaster film, wit ...
. Toho
is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...
In ''
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
is a 1964 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd., it is the fifth film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise, and was the second ''Godzilla'' film produced ...
'', it is revealed that only one of the larvae survived. The remaining larva attempts to convince Godzilla and
Rodan
is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', which first appeared as the title character in Ishirō Honda's 1956 film of the same name, produced and distributed by Toho. Following its debut standalone appearance, Rodan went on to be featured in numer ...
to join forces with her in order to fight
King Ghidorah
is a fictional dragon-like alien monster, or ''kaiju'', which first appeared in Ishirō Honda's 1964 film ''Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster'', produced and distributed by Toho. The creature was initially created by Tomoyuki Tanaka, Eiji Tsubu ...
, but the two monsters reject her proposal. Mothra is nearly killed attempting to fight Ghidorah alone, but is saved through the intervention of Godzilla and Rodan.
['']Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
is a 1964 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd., it is the fifth film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise, and was the second ''Godzilla'' film produced ...
'' (1964). Directed by Ishirō Honda
was a Japanese filmmaker who directed 46 feature films in a career spanning five decades. He is acknowledged as the most internationally successful Japanese filmmaker prior to Hayao Miyazaki and one of the founders of modern disaster film, wit ...
. Toho
is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...
.
The larva ultimately gains adulthood in ''
Ebirah, Horror of the Deep
is a 1966 Japanese '' kaiju'' film directed by Jun Fukuda and produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd. The film stars Akira Takarada, Kumi Mizuno, Akihiko Hirata and Eisei Amamoto, and features the fictional monster characters Godzilla, ...
'', where she saves a group of slaves taken from Infant Island from a
terrorist
Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...
base on Letchi Island undergoing a self-destruct sequence.
['' Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster'' (1966). Directed by ]Jun Fukuda
was a Japanese film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for directing five entries in the ''Godzilla'' series starting with '' Ebirah, Horror of the Deep'' (1966) as well as the spy films
The spy film, also known as the ...
. Toho
is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...
.
Another larva appears in ''
Destroy All Monsters
is a 1968 Japanese epic ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects directed by Sadamasa Arikawa and supervised by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film, which was produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd, is the ninth film in the ''G ...
'', living alongside other monsters in Monsterland. Along with the other monsters, Mothra is briefly enslaved by the evil Kilaaks, who force her to attack
Beijing
Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
and later join Godzilla in the destruction of Tokyo. The Kilaaks' mind control is ultimately broken and Mothra joins the other monsters in the final battle against King Ghidorah. This was the character's final starring role in the Showa era, although Mothra would later be seen in stock footage from ''Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster'' and ''Destroy All Monsters'' for ''
Godzilla vs. Gigan'' in 1972.
Heisei (1992–1998)
1992's ''
Godzilla vs. Mothra'' portrays Mothra as a guardian of the Earth who presided over an advanced civilization over 12,000 years ago. When the civilization created a device designed to control the Earth's climate, the Earth responded by creating the Black Mothra, Battra, which Mothra defeated, but not before the civilization was wiped out. Mothra's egg is later discovered in 1992 on Infant Island by the Marutomo real estate agency, which seeks to exploit it and Mothra's priestesses for profit. The egg hatches during a fight between Godzilla and a resurrected Battra, and the larva later attacks Tokyo in order to save her priestesses. Mothra forms a cocoon around the
National Diet Building
The is the building where both houses of the National Diet, National Diet of Japan meet. It is located at Nagatachō, Tokyo, Nagatachō 1-chome 7–1, Chiyoda, Tokyo.
Sessions of the House of Representatives (Japan), House of Representatives ta ...
, attains her adult form, then briefly fights Battra before joining forces with him in order to fight Godzilla. Battra dies in the attempt and Mothra pledges to fulfill her fallen comrade's role in preventing a meteorite from devastating the Earth in 1999.
In ''
Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla'', Mothra detected
SpaceGodzilla
is a fictional monster, or kaiju and mutated Cloning, clone of Godzilla that first appeared in Toho's 1994 film ''Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla'' as the main antagonist.
Overview Appearance
SpaceGodzilla largely resembles his earthly counterpart, b ...
's advance towards Earth and sends her priestesses to warn the planet of his arrival.
['' Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla'' (1994). Directed by Kensho Yamashita. ]Toho
is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...
The ''
Rebirth of Mothra'' trilogy is separate from the Godzilla Heisei continuity and portrays Mothra as the last remaining member of a species of giant moths who guard the Elias' civilization. This civilization was destroyed millions of years ago by the dragon Desghidorah, whom Mothra defeated. Mothra lays an egg in modern times, but is too weak to fight Desghidorah once it returns. The egg hatches and the new Mothra, goes to protect her mother, but sadly Mothra is mortally wounded by Desghidorah while the larva is still too weak to combat the dragon. After Mothra dies, the new Mothra metamorphoses into an
adult
An adult is an animal that has reached full growth. The biological definition of the word means an animal reaching sexual maturity and thus capable of reproduction. In the human context, the term ''adult'' has meanings associated with social an ...
, then manages to kill Desghidorah.
['' Rebirth of Mothra'' (1996). Directed by Okihiro Yoneda. ]Toho
is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...
Mothra returns in ''
Rebirth of Mothra II'', where she acquires a new and more powerful form in order to fight the pollution monster Dagahra.
['' Rebirth of Mothra II'' (1997). Directed by Kunio Miyoshi. ]Toho
is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...
In ''
Rebirth of Mothra III'', Mothra is forced to travel backwards through time to the
Cretaceous Period
The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 77.1 million years, it is the ninth and longest geologi ...
in order to retroactively kill the space dragon
King Ghidorah
is a fictional dragon-like alien monster, or ''kaiju'', which first appeared in Ishirō Honda's 1964 film ''Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster'', produced and distributed by Toho. The creature was initially created by Tomoyuki Tanaka, Eiji Tsubu ...
and remove Ghidorah from history. After seemingly defeating Ghidorah's younger form in the Cretaceous period, Mothra hibernates in a cocoon constructed by an ancestral Mothra larvae for 65 million years until the present day, where she defeats Ghidorah's far stronger modern form with a new, equally strong form of her own.
['' Rebirth of Mothra III'' (1998). Directed by Okihiro Yoneda. ]Toho
is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...
Millennium (2001–2004)
In ''
Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack'', Mothra is portrayed as having been one of the three guardians of Yamato, originating 1,000 years before the events of the film. Initially an antagonist, Mothra was imprisoned in
Lake Ikeda
is a caldera lake located south of Kagoshima city; Kyūshū island, Japan. It is perhaps best known to tourists as the location of the purported sightings of a monster named Issie, and as the largest lake on Kyūshū island with a surface area o ...
, only to be reawakened in 2001 to halt Godzilla's destruction of Tokyo. She is defeated, but transfers her spirit to
King Ghidorah
is a fictional dragon-like alien monster, or ''kaiju'', which first appeared in Ishirō Honda's 1964 film ''Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster'', produced and distributed by Toho. The creature was initially created by Tomoyuki Tanaka, Eiji Tsubu ...
.
''
Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.'' has the Mothra from the original 1961 film send her priestesses to demand that Japan dismantle the anti-Godzilla weapon
Kiryu or face destruction, as she considers the cyborg to be against the natural order, having been created using the bones of the first Godzilla. When the second Godzilla lands, Mothra attempts to fight the monster alongside Kiryu, but is killed in the process. Two larvae hatch on Infant Island and reach Tokyo in order to fight Godzilla, whom they encase in a cocoon, which is then transported into the ocean by Kiryu.
['' Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.'' (2003). Directed by Masaaki Tezuka. ]Toho
is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...
.
''
Godzilla: Final Wars'', which ignores the continuity of the previous film, establishes that Mothra protected the Earth 10,000 years ago from the cyborg
Gigan
is a fictional monster, or kaiju, that appeared in the 1972 film, '' Godzilla vs. Gigan''. Gigan is a giant extraterrestrial space monster, resembling a species of reptile, who was turned into a cyborg by the alien race known as the Nebulans. G ...
. In the distant future, Gigan returns, under the control of the Xiliens, and is confronted by Mothra. In the ensuing battle, Mothra catches fire, but manages to kill Gigan by ramming into him and exploding.
['' Godzilla: Final Wars'' (2004). Directed by Ryuhei Kitamura. ]Toho
is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...
. However, in a mid-credits scene, Mothra is shown to be alive after all and flying back to Infant Island to be reunited with the Shobijin.
Reiwa era (2018–2021)
While Mothra never made a physical appearance, she was mentioned in ''
Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle'' to have been killed by Godzilla years prior, though her egg ended up in the protection of the Houtua people, a species of evolved humans who adapted Mothra-like features to survive the now Godzilla ruled Earth. An astral projection of Mothra's unborn child in their adult form appears in ''
Godzilla: The Planet Eater''.
In ''
Godzilla Singular Point
is a Japanese anime television series directed by Atsushi Takahashi and written by Toh EnJoe. Produced by the animation studios Bones and Orange and licensed by Netflix, the series premiered on March 25, 2021, on Netflix in Japan, and on Tok ...
'', dozens of small moths, that bear a striking resemblance to Mothra, appear. (''Visual similarities include: blue eyes, orange and yellow patterns on the wings, a 'false eye' pattern as seen on Mothra as well as other species of
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...
''). These small moths even seem to shed their golden scales, similar to how Mothra has done the same thing in the past. These moths also have a brief interaction with
Jet Jaguar, making it the first on-screen interaction between the two Toho characters (''outside of comics, video games, spin-offs, etc.'').
However, due to this show's nature to rename / rebrand existing monsters as new ones (''For example: A creature that heavily resembles “
Varan
is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that first appeared in Ishirō Honda's 1958 film '' Varan the Unbelievable'', produced and distributed by Toho. The creature is depicted as a giant, dinosaurian, prehistoric reptile capable of gliding flig ...
”, both in its visual design & its sound design, is later revealed to be a different creature''), there is no direct confirmation that this is actually Mothra. One may assume these moths are related to Mothra in some way (''or actually are several Mothras''), but the show does not provide any context as to what they actually are.
Several of Mothra's previous incarnations make cameo appearances in the show's ending credits (''alongside several other Toho properties'').
MonsterVerse (2019–present)
In 2014,
Legendary Pictures
Legendary Entertainment, LLC (also known as Legendary Pictures or simply Legendary) is an American mass media and film production company based in Burbank, California, founded by Thomas Tull. The company has often collaborated with the major stu ...
announced that they had acquired the rights to
Rodan
is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', which first appeared as the title character in Ishirō Honda's 1956 film of the same name, produced and distributed by Toho. Following its debut standalone appearance, Rodan went on to be featured in numer ...
, Mothra and
King Ghidorah
is a fictional dragon-like alien monster, or ''kaiju'', which first appeared in Ishirō Honda's 1964 film ''Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster'', produced and distributed by Toho. The creature was initially created by Tomoyuki Tanaka, Eiji Tsubu ...
from
Toho
is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...
to use in their
MonsterVerse
The Monsterverse (also stylized as MonsterVerse) is an American multimedia franchise and shared universe featuring Godzilla, King Kong, and other characters owned and created by Toho, Toho Co., Ltd. The franchise consists of five films and two tel ...
.
In the
post-credits scene
A post-credits scene (also known as a stinger, end tag, or credit cookie) is a short teaser clip that appears after the closing credits have rolled and sometimes after a production logo of a film, TV show, or video game has run. It is usually ...
at the end of the 2017 film ''
Kong: Skull Island'', Mothra appears in a series of cave paintings depicting other monsters that are known to exist that are shown in the footage to James Conrad and Mason Weaver, along with
Godzilla
is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that debuted in the eponymous 1954 film, directed and co-written by Ishirō Honda. The character has since become an international pop culture icon, appearing in various media: 33 Japanese films p ...
, Rodan and King Ghidorah.
['' Kong: Skull Island'' (2017). Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts. ]Legendary Pictures
Legendary Entertainment, LLC (also known as Legendary Pictures or simply Legendary) is an American mass media and film production company based in Burbank, California, founded by Thomas Tull. The company has often collaborated with the major stu ...
.
A casting call confirmed that Rodan, Mothra, and King Ghidorah would all be featured in ''
Godzilla: King of the Monsters''. Viral marketing for the movie showed that Mothra retained her status as a creature who is deified as an angelic-like goddess, referred to as the Queen of the Monsters. Monarch Sciences, the film's promotional website, identifies the
Yunnan rainforest as Mothra's location (however, Infant Island was referenced within the film, and the name "Mosura" is said to be derived from a small Indonesian island) and states in its adult form to be capable of emitting beta-wave
bioluminescence
Bioluminescence is the emission of light during a chemiluminescence reaction by living organisms. Bioluminescence occurs in multifarious organisms ranging from marine vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as in some Fungus, fungi, microorgani ...
that can be projected through the intricate patterns on its wings and weaponized into destructive and blinding ‘god rays’. Further promotional material also revealed narrower wings, a wider wingspan (at 803 feet or 244.75 meters, it is second only to her original 250-meter wingspan), long
praying mantis
Mantises are an order (Mantodea) of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 460 genera in 33 families. The largest family is the Mantidae ("mantids"). Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate ...
-like forearms and legs as opposed to bird-like limbs and a body design that is more reminiscent of real-life moths, with a smaller body and head. The markings on her wings are said to mark her as the "Queen of the Monsters" and that they apparently link Mothra to Godzilla, the King of the Monsters, since the eye spots on her wings are modeled after Godzilla's eyes. Within the film, she is shown to have a
symbiotic relationship
Symbiosis (Ancient Greek : living with, companionship < : together; and ''bíōsis'': living) is any type of a close and long-term biolo ...
with Godzilla, and temporarily paralyzes Rodan by stabbing him through the chest with a hidden abdominal stinger. These changes make Mothra the most heavily redesigned monster in the series.
Mothra first appears hatching from her egg in her larval state and is calmed by Dr. Emma Russell using the ORCA
bio-acoustics device, becoming docile. When eco-terrorists led by Colonel Alan Jonah arrive soon after and capture Russell, her daughter Madison and the ORCA device, Mothra retreats under a waterfall and cocoons herself, later emerging from her cocoon in her adult form and flying off. During the fight in
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
, Mothra defeats Rodan and is disintegrated by King Ghidorah while protecting a fallen Godzilla. Her power is transferred to Godzilla as a result via her ashes, preventing him from suffering a nuclear meltdown and allowing him to defeat Ghidorah by achieving his burning form. During the credits, a news program speculates about the existence of a second Mothra egg, which the director later confirmed.
Mothra returned in ''
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire''. When the Iwi sense that the tyrannical Skar King is about to come for them, they send a signal to Jia, the sole survivor of the Iwi tribe from Skull Island, so she can find them and re-awaken Mothra to aid Godzilla in battle. After a wounded Kong tells them the Skar King is on his way, Jia successfully reawakens Mothra. Mothra reunites with Godzilla and convinces him to join forces with Kong. Mothra then joins the battle in the Hollow Earth and takes down Skar King's apes, preventing them from reaching the surface. She also aids Godzilla when Shimo, the mother Titan under Skar King's control, almost freezes him. Eventually Godzilla and Kong manage to come out victorious, with Shimo being freed from Skar King's control and starts freezing him over so that Kong can eventually destroy him. Mothra then helps the Iwi rebuild the barrier that protects them and then flies off deep into Hollow Earth.
Appearances
Films
* ''
Mothra
is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', which first appeared as the title character in Ishirō Honda's '' 1961 film of the same name'', produced and distributed by Toho. Mothra has appeared in several Toho ''tokusatsu'' films, often as a recur ...
'' (1961)
* ''
Mothra vs. Godzilla
is a 1964 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd., it is the fourth film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise. The film stars Akira Takarada, Yuriko Hosh ...
'' (1964)
* ''
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
is a 1964 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd., it is the fifth film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise, and was the second ''Godzilla'' film produced ...
'' (1964)
* ''
Ebirah, Horror of the Deep
is a 1966 Japanese '' kaiju'' film directed by Jun Fukuda and produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd. The film stars Akira Takarada, Kumi Mizuno, Akihiko Hirata and Eisei Amamoto, and features the fictional monster characters Godzilla, ...
'' (1966)
* ''
Destroy All Monsters
is a 1968 Japanese epic ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects directed by Sadamasa Arikawa and supervised by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film, which was produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd, is the ninth film in the ''G ...
'' (1968)
* ''
Godzilla vs. Gigan'' (1972, stock footage cameo)
* ''
Bye-Bye Jupiter'' (1984, stock footage cameo)
* ''
Godzilla vs. Mothra'' (1992)
* ''
Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla'' (1994) - as Fairy Mothra
* ''
Rebirth of Mothra'' (1996)
* ''
Rebirth of Mothra II'' (1997)
* ''
Rebirth of Mothra III'' (1998)
* ''
Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack'' (2001)
* ''
Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla
is a 2002 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Masaaki Tezuka, with special effects by Yūichi Kikuchi. Distributed by Toho and produced under their subsidiary Toho Pictures, it is the 27th film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise and the fourth film ...
'' (2002, stock footage cameo)
* ''
Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.'' (2003)
* ''
Godzilla: Final Wars'' (2004)
* ''
Kaiju Bunraku'' (2017)
* ''
Kong: Skull Island'' (2017, cave painting)
* ''
Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle'' (2018)
* ''
Godzilla: The Planet Eater'' (2018)
* ''
Godzilla: King of the Monsters'' (2019)
* ''
Godzilla vs. Kong'' (2021, cave painting)
* ''
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire'' (2024)
Television
* ''
Godzilla Island'' (1997–1998)
* ''
The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
'' (1989–present)
* ''
Godzilla Singular Point
is a Japanese anime television series directed by Atsushi Takahashi and written by Toh EnJoe. Produced by the animation studios Bones and Orange and licensed by Netflix, the series premiered on March 25, 2021, on Netflix in Japan, and on Tok ...
'' (2021)
* ''
Godzilland
, or ''Godzillaland'', refers to a series of Japanese children's educational television series produced by Toho and based on the ''Godzilla'' franchise. The first series, a trivia show titled , aired on TV Tokyo in 1992. The series was inte ...
'' (1992-1993)
* ''Godziban'' (2019-present)
* ''
Chibi Godzilla Raids Again
is a Japanese short anime television series in Toho's ''Godzilla'' franchise. Produced by Pie in the Sky and Toho, the first season aired on TV Tokyo and on YouTube as a web series from April to June 2023 while the second season aired for one ...
'' (2023–present)
Video games
* ''
Godzilla: Monster of Monsters'' (
NES
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...
- 1988)
* ''
Godzilla 2: War of the Monsters'' (
NES
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...
- 1991)
* ''
Kaijū-ō Godzilla'' / ''King of the Monsters, Godzilla'' (
Game Boy
The is a handheld game console developed by Nintendo, launched in the Japanese home market on April 21, 1989, followed by North America later that year and other territories from 1990 onwards. Following the success of the Game & Watch single-ga ...
- 1993)
* ''
Godzilla: Monster War'' / ''Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters'' (
Super Famicom
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, commonly shortened to Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES, is a Fourth generation of video game consoles, 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan, 1991 in No ...
- 1994)
* ''
Godzilla Giant Monster March'' (
Game Gear
The is an 8-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth-generation handheld game console released by Sega on October 6, 1990 in Japan, in April 1991 throughout North America and Europe, and in 1992 in Australia. The Game Gear primarily ...
- 1995)
* ''
Godzilla Trading Battle
This is a chronological list of games based on Toho's ''Godzilla'' franchise .
Since the early 1980s, a variety of video games have been developed and released on various platforms. The majority of these games were exclusively released in Japan, ...
'' (
PlayStation
is a video gaming brand owned and produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), a division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. Its flagship products consists of a series of home video game consoles produced under the brand; it also consists ...
- 1998)
* ''
Godzilla Generations: Maximum Impact'' (
Dreamcast
The is the final home video game console manufactured by Sega. It was released in Japan on November 27, 1998, in North America on September 9, 1999 and in Europe on October 14, 1999. It was the first sixth-generation video game console, prec ...
- 1999)
* ''
Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee'' (
GCN,
Xbox
Xbox is a video gaming brand that consists of four main home video game console lines, as well as application software, applications (games), the streaming media, streaming service Xbox Cloud Gaming, and online services such as the Xbox networ ...
- 2002/2003)
* ''
Godzilla: Domination!'' (
GBA - 2002)
* ''
Godzilla: Save the Earth'' (
Xbox
Xbox is a video gaming brand that consists of four main home video game console lines, as well as application software, applications (games), the streaming media, streaming service Xbox Cloud Gaming, and online services such as the Xbox networ ...
,
PS2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 November, in Australia on 30 November, ...
- 2004)
* ''
World of Warcraft
''World of Warcraft'' (''WoW'') is a 2004 massively multiplayer online role-playing (MMORPG) video game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment for Windows and Mac OS X. Set in the '' Warcraft'' fantasy universe, ''World of War ...
'' (
Windows
Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
- 2004) (reference)
* ''
Godzilla: Unleashed'' (
Wii
The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America, and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, f ...
- 2007)
* ''
Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash'' (
NDS - 2007)
* ''
Godzilla: Unleashed'' (
PS2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 November, in Australia on 30 November, ...
- 2007)
*
Terraria
''Terraria'' ( ) is a 2011 action-adventure sandbox game developed by Re-Logic and published by 505 Games. The game features exploration, combat, crafting, building, and mining inside a procedurally generated 2D computer graphics, 2D world. ...
(
Windows
Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
- 2012) (reference)
* ''
Godzilla: The Game'' (
PS3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It is the successor to the PlayStation 2, and both are part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. The PS3 was first released on ...
- 2014 PS3
PS4 - 2015)
* ''
City Shrouded in Shadow
, known in English as ''City Shrouded in Shadow'', is a 2017 Survival game, survival video game developed by Granzella and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment for the PlayStation 4. The objective of the game is to escape a city ravaged by b ...
'' (
PS4 - 2017)
* ''Godzilla Defense Force'' (2019)
* ''Godzilla Battle Line'' (2021)
* ''
Fortnite Battle Royale
''Fortnite Battle Royale'' is a 2017 Battle royale game, battle royale video game produced by Epic Games. It was originally developed as a companion game part of the early access version of ''Fortnite: Save the World'', a cooperative survival ...
'' (2025)
Literature
* ''The Luminous Fairies and Mothra'' (
serialized novel
In literature, a serial is a printing or publishing format by which a single larger work, often a work of narrative fiction, is published in smaller, sequential instalments. The instalments are also known as ''numbers'', ''parts'', ''fascicu ...
) (1961)
* ''
Godzilla 2000
is a 1999 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Takao Okawara, with special effects by Kenji Suzuki. Distributed by Toho and produced under their subsidiary Toho Pictures, it is the 24th film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise, Toho's 23rd ''Godz ...
'' (1996)
* ''
Godzilla at World's End'' (1998)
* ''
Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters'' (comic 2011-2012)
* ''
Godzilla: Gangsters and Goliaths'' (comic 2011)
* ''
Godzilla: Legends'' (comic 2011-2012)
* ''
Godzilla
is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that debuted in the eponymous 1954 film, directed and co-written by Ishirō Honda. The character has since become an international pop culture icon, appearing in various media: 33 Japanese films p ...
'' (comic 2012)
* ''
Godzilla: The Half-Century War'' (comic 2012-2013)
* ''
Godzilla: Rulers of Earth'' (comic 2013-2015)
* ''
Godzilla: Cataclysm'' (comic 2014)
* ''
Godzilla: Oblivion'' (comic 2016)
* ''
Godzilla: Rage Across Time'' (comic 2016)
* ''Godzilla: Project Mechagodzilla'' (novel 2018)
* ''
Godzilla Rivals'' (comic 2021)
Music
* 'Mothra', song by
Anvil
An anvil is a metalworking tool consisting of a large block of metal (usually Forging, forged or Steel casting, cast steel), with a flattened top surface, upon which another object is struck (or "worked").
Anvils are massive because the hi ...
(
Metal on Metal, 1982)
* 'Mothra', song by
Atomship (
The Crash of '47, 2004)
* 'Mothra', song by
Godflesh
Godflesh are an English industrial metal band from Birmingham. The group formed in 1982 under the original title O.P.D. (later Fall of Because) but did not release any complete music until 1988 when Justin Broadrick (guitar, vocals, programmi ...
* 'Summoning the Moth of Divinity', song by Oxygen Destroyer
Collectible card game
* Luminous Broodmoth (Mothra, Supersonic Queen)
Notes
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
{{Authority control
Female characters in film
Fictional butterflies and moths
Fictional characters who can move at superhuman speeds
Fictional characters with superhuman strength
Fictional goddesses
Fictional monsters
Film characters introduced in 1961
Godzilla characters
Kaiju
Mothra characters
Toho monsters
King Kong (franchise) characters
Monsterverse characters