3. Mothra
Hailing from Infant Island, Mothra is a protector of Earth and a messenger for its woes. Having first appeared in her own movie in 1961, Mothra rose to popularity in the Godzilla franchise after starring alongside the King of the Monsters in 1964’s Mothra vs. Godzilla (or Godzilla vs. The Thing). She would then go on to feature in a number of movies in the Showa, Heisei and Millennium eras, cementing herself as one of the most popular characters in the franchise.
So popular was Mothra that she was the only character to get their own spin-off series following the end of the Heisei era in 1995. Plans for a Mothra solo movie were in place in 1990, but following the box office failings of Godzilla vs. Biollante, they were scrapped in favour of Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah. But after Godzilla vs. Destroyah, Mothra would star in the Rebirth of Mothra trilogy which ran until 1998.
You may think she’s just a giant moth, but her strong wing span can keep an opponent grounded and her deadly pollen can be fatal when it needs to be. Mothra is so tough that, even in Larval form, it can go toe to toe with The Big G.
Originally published October 27, 2014. Updated April 13, 2018.
