Godzilla is easily one of cinematic history's greatest monsters and one of its most long-lasting. The still ongoing franchise is, in terms of Japanese movies, broken up into eras, with the first being called the Shōwa era.
The era spanned from the first movie in 1954 to the final entry from original director Ishirō Honda in 1975, though not every entry is as beloved as the others. Here are the 10 best movies from the era according to the scores averaged by Rotten Tomatoes.
Godzilla vs. Hedorah - 58%
Also known as Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster, Godzilla vs. Hedorah may not be one of the better reviewed of the original Shōwa movies better it has lived on in fans' memories more distinctly than many Godzilla movies in general.
Pitting Godzilla against a metamorphizing monster made out of pollution, the environmentalist message is quite clear throughout the movie but, overall, its events are quite conventional despite its odd, eerie, tone.
Invasion of Astro-Monster - 60%
The sixth Godzilla movie bears a number of similarities to its predecessor, which we'll come to later on in the list, but is nonetheless a fairly beloved and hugely enjoyable chapter in the franchise's history.
Invasion of Astro-Monster introduced antagonistic aliens that would go on to become a staple of the franchise in general but it was also Godzilla's first major team-up movie and an important introduction to one of his most long-lasting and significant foes.
Godzilla Raids Again - 60%
Godzilla Raids Again was the second Godzilla and the first to show him fighting another monster. Anguirus takes the honor of being Godzilla's first sparring partner and would go on to be featured in many more Godzilla movies over the decades.
Released only 5 months after the original movie, Godzilla was still quite a way away from his more heroic persona now but the sequel did its job and sold the monster as an icon with a long road ahead of it.
Son of Godzilla - 60%
Though typically one of the lesser-loved Godzilla movies by fans, Son of Godzilla is an interesting development in the franchise if only for debuting the titular son of Godzilla, Minilla.
It's also more of a bright and comedic adventure than is typical in Godzilla movies overall, being very indicative of the style of the era's second most prolific director, Jun Fukuda.
Godzilla vs. Gigan - 67%
Fukuda's return to the franchise after Son of Godzilla was similarly well-received by critics and again contains one of the Shōwa era's wackier plots.
Centering on one of the more memorable iterations of the random alien antagonists seen in Invasion of Astro-Monster as they plot world domination via a plot that involves building a theme park, the movie is a fun example of the era's various formulas and also stands out to fans as the last of Godzilla actor Haruo Nakajima's epic 12-movie run playing the iconic monster.
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla - 71%
Jun Fukuda's final Godzilla movie would again feature a strange version of the alien antagonist set up as well as introducing one of the most famous names in the franchise's overall history.
The movie also marked the first appearance of the kaiju King Caesar, himself one of the weirder monsters to appear in the series, which really is saying something.
Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster - 75%
One of the most complete Godzilla experiences of the Shōwa era or any other, Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster introduced what may be the big G's most iconic foe ever with other famous kaiju Mothra and Rodan appearing also.
Critics agree that the movie was an impressive landmark in the genre, a feat made all the more impressive by the fact that it was not the only landmark entry into the franchise released that year.
Destroy All Monsters - 75%
The real Avengers of the Shōwa era and perhaps monster movies in general, Destroy All Monsters saw a huge number of Toho's most successful kaiju coming together for one extravaganza of a movie.
Critics seem to agree that the monster mash brings out some of the best aspects of the period's simpler side and produced some of the franchise's most memorable battles.
Mothra vs. Godzilla - 92%
Released in Japan just seven months before Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, Mothra vs. Godzilla is a staunch favorite with both fans and critics alike.
The first movie to pair the two beloved Toho creations, it encapsulated most of the qualities that fans have come to associate with the Shōwa era with its mixture of moralistic themes and silly humor.
Gojira/Godzilla (1954) - 93%
The Godzilla fandom is very similar to Fight Club in the sense that it only really has two rules and they're both the same. In this case, it's 'you do not disrespect the original and you do not disrespect the original'.
One of the most enduringly well-known and fascinating of Japanese cinema's expressions of postwar grief and anxiety, the original Godzilla gave the movies perhaps their greatest monster ever.