Godzilla Day: Looking Back on 6 TV Shows Featuring the King of Monsters

Calling Godzilla the world’s biggest movie star would seem strange, but it’s also not a baseless statement. Almost everyone these days recognizes this pop culture icon. Why wouldn’t they? For over seventy years, the Big G has remained a fairly regular presence on the big screen. Of course, that sort of longevity entails a lot of revamping.

So while Godzilla’s celebrity status certainly stems from movies, he’s also popped up on television. And not just in recent times, either; Godzilla’s small-screen appearances go as far back as the 1970s. In honor of Godzilla Day, we take a look at six TV series starring the King of the Monsters.

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Zone Fighter (1973)

If you want to get technical, Godzilla was not the star of Zone Fighter. He is definitely the main draw, but most of the time, the legendary kaiju was missing in action. What led to Toho’s creation of this somewhat obscure tokusatsu show was simply the desire to emulate the success of Tsuburaya’s Ultraman and Toei’s Kamen Rider. Television was drawing more eyes than movies at the time, and kids were especially glued to their sets as fantastical superheroes saved the day each week. So, Toho acted on the trend by coming up with the most Ultraman-looking character imaginable.

Aiding Zone Fighter’s namesake from time to time was Godzilla, who appeared in a handful of episodes. By the way, Godzilla wasn’t the only familiar face from Toho’s kaiju collection to guest star; Gigan and Ghidorah also made appearances, although as villains rather than heroes.

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Godzilla (1978)

By 1978, Toho had already stopped making new Godzilla films after Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975); the franchise also wouldn’t be rebooted until The Return of Godzilla (1984). Meanwhile, Toho collaborated with Hanna-Barbera to produce a cartoon in which Godzilla was the headliner. Here, the famous monster had been tamed by a world-traveling crew of scientists, and whenever there was trouble on the high seas, be it a catastrophe or a giant monster, Godzilla’s assistance came at the press of a button.

The show was as formulaic as many things from Hanna-Barbera, but it introduced an assortment of new and bizarre creatures for Godzilla to tangle with; this included a Colossus, a cyborg whale, and a magnetic turtle. In addition to the good guys was Godzooky, a flying Minilla analog who mainly served as the comic relief. Toho has since made the entire series available on YouTube. 

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Godzilla: The Series (1998)

The 1980s were bone dry, as far as Godzilla TV goes. It was only in the next decade that Toho realized the small screen could be used to support the Heisei-era films and advertise merchandise. Adventure! Godzilland (1992) promoted Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992) and Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993), whereas Godzilla Island (1997) was one long advertisement for the coinciding Bandai toys. Another series, Godzilla Kingdom (1996), analyzed the franchise’s monsters and their abilities. And towards the end of the decade, Godzilla: The Series became a redeeming point for the panned 1998 film adaptation. Without “Zilla,” we never would have gotten this beloved show.

In this continuation of Roland Emmerich‘s movie, one of Godzilla’s offspring turns into the not-so-secret weapon of H.E.A.T. (Humanitarian Environmental Analysis Team), an organization that studies and contains other mutated creatures. In ways, this was an update of the Hanna-Barbera series. Sadly, though, this cartoon also ended after two seasons. 

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Godzilla Singular Point (2021)

Shin Godzilla was followed by a trio of animated features produced by Toho and Polygon Pictures: Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters (2017), Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle (2018), and Godzilla: The Planet Eater (2018). The reviews were largely negative, but because of these films, a dramatic anime series about the King of Monsters wasn’t seen as unusual or unexpected once Godzilla Singular Point was first announced. More surprising was the fact that this hadn’t happened sooner.

In this future-set show, one unrelated to the aforementioned three movies, Godzilla and other Showa-era kaiju are wildly reimagined within an ambitious but convoluted sci-fi story. It’s not the easiest anime to grasp and decipher, but in terms of creature redesign, Singular Point is excellent. The animation, courtesy of studios Bones and Orange, is eye-catching, as it blends hand-drawn and computer styles. There’s no official word about an additional season; however, the fans are certainly open to more S.P.

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Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (2023)

With the resurgence of all things Godzilla in the 2010s and onward, it was inevitable that Legendary’s “Monsterverse” would expand beyond the movies. And released between Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024) was the series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. Unlike most of the Legendary films that take place in the present day, Monarch’s story unfolded across half a century.

This time-bouncing show dove into the history of Monarch, the decades-old organization that monitors and, in some cases, captures the Titans. Compared to its cinematic counterparts, Monarch is a slower crawl; however, the greater runtime allows for more emphasis on the human characters. Fret not, there are some new monsters seen along the way, including the Ion Dragon and the Frost Vark. A second season has already been greenlit, so keep an eye out for more Monarch.

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Chibi Godzilla Raids Again (2023)

The internet has been crucial in our ability to see all the lesser-known or underseen parts of the Godzilla franchise. Without it, how would you be able to watch the adorable Chibi Godzilla Raids Again? This still-airing, minisode-centric show is now available (with English subtitles) on YouTube.

As the title would suggest, chibi versions of Godzilla and other kaiju are put on display in this rather surreal comedy. Indeed, it’s far more lighthearted than recent stories about Godzilla, but honestly, it’s refreshing to see such a light take in these times. Don’t be fooled by the childish appearance of this series; the humor welcomes a broad audience.

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