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Although Mothra isn't exactly renowned for her power level, her fights in the Godzilla franchise have yielded her an impressive accomplishment. Over the years, Mothra has clashed with an interesting assortment of kaiju associated with Godzilla. In addition to the King of the Monsters himself, Mothra has also done battle with two of Godzilla's kaiju villains in Toho's movies, King Ghidorah and Gigan. And thanks to the Monsterverse, she's even had a fight with Rodan, the monster considered by many to be Godzilla's greatest ally.
With those monsters - plus Godzilla - as opponents, it's no surprise that Mothra has died as many times as she has. Mothra has met her end in multiple movies, including her Monsterverse debut in Godzilla: King of the Monsters and her first film with Godzilla, Mothra vs. Godzilla. However, that's not to see that she hasn't fared well in monster fights. Despite her lack of raw power, Mothra has amassed an extraordinary win total, both as one of Godzilla's monster allies and as an enemy.
Mothra Has 9 Wins Against Other Kaiju In Godzilla's Movies
Between 1962 and 2024, Mothra won a long list of fights against other kaiju. Her first-ever victory came in the ending of Mothra vs. Godzilla; Godzilla famously won the matchup the film was marketed around, but was ultimately taken down by her two larvae, who managed to subdue him with their silk webbing. After being reimagined as a Godzilla ally, she partook in two of his victories, actively helping him beat Ghidorah in both Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster and Destroy All Monsters. In between those appearances, Mothra successfully drove off Godzilla in Ebirah, Horror of the Deep.
More than a decade later, Mothra picked up two more wins in her only Heisei-era Godzilla movie, Godzilla vs. Mothra. After beating Battra in their larve forms, Mothra teamed with her ancient rival to fight Godzilla. Though Battra died in the process, the fight ended with Mothra flying away the victor and Godzilla sealed away in the ocean.
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Mothra had a lot more to do in the Millennium era. Similar to what happened in her first Godzilla film, Godzilla: Tokyo SOS saw the elder Mothra die and her larvae work together to beat their mother's killer. But this time, it was Mechagodzilla who did most of the fighting; that said, beating Godzilla may not have been feasible without Mothra's help. Mothra also appeared in the follow-up movie, Godzilla: Final Wars, where she was granted a heated showdown with classic kaiju villain Gigan. Mothra, who apparently beat Gigan centuries ago offscreen, defeated him again toward the end of the movie.
As for the Monsterverse version of Mothra, she too has at least one win to her name. In Godzilla: King of the Monsters' ending, Mothra made a valiant effort in her fight against the seemingly more powerful Rodan, and with the new stinger weapon that the Monsterverse added to her design, she was able to land a winning blow against the Titan.
Mothra Scored 3 More Wins In Her Spinoff Movies
And One Of Them Is Against King Ghidorah
Mothra's battle record is made even better by her three-movie spinoff franchise. Each film in the Rebirth of Mothra trilogy pitted the titular kaiju against a different villain. The first called for Mothra to fight - and defeat - Desghidorah, a creature clearly intended to serve as a variant of Godzilla's archnemesis. In the second installment, Mothra had to go up against a sea monster called Daghora. In this movie, it took two transformations for Mothra to win against the creature.
The fact that Ghidorah is usually a monster that Godzilla needs help to beat underscores the notion that it's one of the greatest wins in her 62 years of cinematic history.
For her third movie, Mothra was given one of her best wins to date. That's because her opponent this time was the true King Ghidorah, and not just a kaiju sporting a similar appearance and powerset. Mothra was initially outmatched by Ghidorah, but obtaining her Armor Motha form enabled her to easily eradicate the monster. The fact that Ghidorah is usually a monster that Godzilla needs help to beat underscores the notion that it's one of the greatest wins in her 62 years of cinematic history.
Only 1 Monster Has A Chance Of Topping Mothra's Winning Record
Kong Is Quickly Closing In On Mothra's Record
Of course, Mothra's record of wins is easily eclipsed by Godzilla, who has more than 40 at this point. But, Mothra is ranked second when it comes to kaiju wins with 12 total victories, and for now, it's not even close. As it stands, it's unlikely that any of her fellow Toho monsters will ever take place. After all, the monster with the closest record to that is Mechagodzilla, who has won six fights in the franchise. Even Ghidorah has little chance of catching her, considering that he's been in a multitude of movies and yet still only has two wins.
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From the looks of things, there's only one monster with a reasonable shot at topping Mothra's record. Prior to the creation of the Monsterverse, Kong had only three kaiju victories (against Godzilla, Gorosaurus, and Mechani-Kong). This has changed considerably since the debut of the Monsterverse's Kong, who has now beaten Mechagodzilla, Skar King, the Skullcrawler alpha, and more. Depending on what happens in Godzilla x Kong's sequel and beyond, Kong could eventually overtake Mothra as the monster with the second-highest number of wins in the Godzilla franchise.
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Godzilla
The Godzilla franchise, spanning over six decades, follows the adventures of the titular kaiju, a colossal, prehistoric sea monster awakened and empowered by nuclear radiation. Originating in Japan, Godzilla has evolved from a destructive force of nature to a protector of humanity, battling various other giant monsters, including iconic foes like King Ghidorah, Mothra, and Mechagodzilla. The series explores themes of environmental destruction, nuclear anxiety, and human resilience. With numerous films, TV series, and an expanding universe, Godzilla remains a cultural icon, captivating audiences worldwide with its epic battles and compelling narratives.
Created by Tomoyuki Tanaka , Akira Watanabe
First Episode Air Date November 17, 2023
English (US) ·