Ranking Every Godzilla Incarnation
5. Showa Era
Where it all started. The Showa Era kicked off in 1954, lasting more than two decades. It is by far the longest series in Godzilla's canon with 15 feature length films.
If you asked a regular person to summarize the franchise, they will likely describe the Showa Era. With the exception of a couple entries, these Godzilla movies were campy and comically absurd. Only with this set of films will you find the King of the Monsters dancing, pitching boulders as if they were baseballs and flying through the air to deliver drop kicks.
Along with Godzilla, this era introduced the most noteworthy monsters in Toho's catalog, including Anguirus, Mechagodzilla, Gigan and Hedorah. Godzilla's more infamous company, Rodan, Mothra and King Ghidorah, all debuted in their own self-titled outings.
The Showa Series was a cinematic universe in a way, one that Legendary has surely used for inspiration. Look no further than 1962's King Kong vs. Godzilla, which first pit the two most notorious giants against one another.
Despite its cheesiness, the Showa Era Godzilla remains the most influential iteration to date. Unless you're looking for a B-movie, these flicks probably won't have much entertainment value for anyone other than Godzilla fanatics. However, with the longetvity of its creations and the Monsterverse rebooting some of its signature showdowns, the era will never be forgotten.