The 10 Best Godzilla Movies

Godzilla has been wrecking cities and saving humanity (depending on how he feels) since 1954.

In the realm of movie monsters, there's no one bigger--literally--and with Godzilla Minus One on the march, it's the perfect time to look back at some of the biggest and best films the monster also known as Gojira has to offer. So IGN's Godzilla super-fans put our heads together and came up with our definitive ranking of the 10 best Godzilla movies, from the 1954 original to some of the most recent entries in the canon.

ALSO SEE: Godzilla Movies in Order

Whether you're a Godzilla die-hard with a ranking of your own or a newbie to the Japanese genre icon who wants to know where to start with the King of the Monsters, this list is for you.

10. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995)

We all come to Godzilla movies looking for one thing before all others: monster mash madness. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah certainly delivers on that front. Like pretty much all movies in the franchise there's also a little ecological bent as Godzilla transforms into the ultra sick Burning Godzilla due to an explosion of Uranium. He's not the only creature who's been transformed by the mistakes of humans though, as Destoroyah is made up of mutated crustaceans who were changed by the Oxygen Destroyer used in the original Godzilla movie. Basically, humans are bad but cool monsters fighting each other is good, and this is a great example of both!

9. Godzilla 2000 (1999)

Sparking off Godzilla's Millennium era, this is a sci-fi soft reboot that acts as a sequel to the original movie. Though it erases all other continuity, it definitely owes a debt to Invasion of Astro-Monster as the titular terror faces down against an ancient UFO. A great example of just how well Godzilla movies age, this is still a total riot and looks awesome despite being over 20 years old. And pre-Shin Godzilla, this is definitely one of the monster's most fearsome iterations.

8. Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)

One of the most fun movies in Godzilla canon, Final Wars sets up the ultimate global smackdown. When the Xiliens teleport all monsters into space to "protect Earth," suspicions are rightfully sparked. And what begins as an interplanetary peace treaty turns into an all-out kaiju battle royale. This flick also features one of the most hilarious meta-moments of any Godzilla film when the original creature is pitted against "Zilla," the CGI creation from Hollywood's 1998 movie. The real deal quickly dispatches him, utilizing the spiked domes of the Sydney Opera House. We believe that's called justice.

7. Destroy All Monsters (1968)

If you're looking for some all-out monster madness then look no further. Despite the fact that the film establishes a status quo where all the monsters have been captured and secluded on the so-called Monsterland, the creatures get unleashed on the previously peaceful world thanks to some extra-terrestrial shenanigans. Destroy All Monsters features some of Toho's most famed kaiju, including Godzilla, King Ghidorah, Rodan, Mothra, Anguirus, and even Godzilla's cute chill baby named Minilla! So come one, come all, for some seriously awesome kaiju action.

6. Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991)

This fantastical entry in Godzilla canon rewrites the history of the creature, instead imagining that he was a dinosaur discovered by WWII soldiers and mutated by radiation. And that's not even the wildest part of this time travel-heavy entry which takes place over multiple years as humans reckon with the impact of Godzilla and his monstrous friends. Harking back to the anti-nuclear messaging of the original, this is a mashup of both the moral storytelling which inspired Godzilla and the popular science fiction and fantasy movies that were shaping cinema at the time.

5. Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992)

If Godzilla is King of the Monsters, then Mothra is undoubtedly the queen. While her debut in the '60s is a classic, we adore this '90s entry in the series. Harking back to the older eras of the franchise, this is family-focused fun that centers on Mothra and an ancient creature known as Battra as the pair must team up to defeat Godzilla. This is a great example of the adventurous spirit at the heart of some of the best Godzilla movies and showcases the power of Mothra at her best.

4. Shin Godzilla (2016)

This dark reimagining and soft reboot of the classic Godzilla story is the most obviously horror-influenced and is all the more effective for it. It would likely be a little higher up on our list if it wasn't for the fact that this was the first Japanese Godzilla movie to replace suits with CGI. While it makes for a scarier monster, it's missing a little of that iconic, cheesy charm. Story-wise though this is a great bit of social satire taking aim at bumbling bureaucracy and the Japanese government that struggles to deal with the horrific creature before them.

3. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)

Mechagodzilla might be one of the coolest movie monsters of all time, and certainly one of Toho's most iconic creature designs. So how could we not have this awesome entry in our top three? When Godzilla goes on a rampage attacking small villages and his own monstrous allies, the world is thrown into terror. But *spoiler alert* it's actually a robot version of Godzilla known as Mechagodzilla. Of course, the real Godzilla has to battle his new foe, and so one of the great Godzilla antagonists was born.

2. Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965)

While all Godzilla movies are science fiction, none lean in as hard as the sixth entry in the franchise. This is a truly wild deep space adventure as we meet the humanoid aliens known as the Xiliens. It's amazing to see how much the Godzilla series shifted in just a decade, but this is such a fun movie it's hard for it to not be one of our faves. Without spoiling its secrets, just know you get Godzilla, Rodan, and Ghidorah as well as plenty of interplanetary war and politics.

1. Godzilla (1954)

It's hard to overstate the impact of this stunning black and white sci-fi masterpiece. While many of the other movies on our list are over the top or even campy, the original Godzilla is a pared-back parable about the dangers of nuclear power. Not only is it beautifully shot and impeccably well told, but it's a moving and thoughtful feature that is surprisingly somber. If you want to really know what Godzilla is all about, then make sure to check out the original Japanese cut of the 1954 monster movie. This is the kind of searing sci-fi we could all use more of. And aside from all of its gravitas and greatness, it introduced us to Godzilla, one of the greatest movie monsters of all time.

What's your Top 10 Best Godzilla Movies list look like? Let's discuss in the comments!

This list originally ran in February, 2021. It was upated with the latest information on Oct. 27, 2023.