Every King Ghidorah Movie Appearance To Watch Before ‘Godzilla Minus Zero’

Godzilla may not be in the title, but Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster (1964) is every bit the epic crossover you would expect from a Godzilla film. The story introduces audiences to an alien who warns Earth of a kaiju-sized threat coming in the form of Ghidorah. 

When the three-headed dragon appears, it leads to a failed attempt by Mothra to force a reluctant Godzilla and Rodan to team up with her to try to stop Ghidorah. What makes this movie a must-watch is that it's our first introduction to the villain, but it also shows how powerful he can be and how other monsters have to unite to beat him.

Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965) is one of the rare Toho films where the human story takes precedence over the monsters. That said, this film isn't afraid to deliver great monster action. Two astronauts discover an alien race called the Xiliens, who say they want to borrow Godzilla and Rodan to defeat King Ghidorah in exchange for a cure for cancer.

Of course, the aliens aren't as benevolent as they seem, and the film concludes with a battle between the three creatures as the Xiliens are defeated. This film feels like a building-block movie, but nothing compared to Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster. It should be watched, but it definitely shouldn't be held to the same standard as what came before or after.

Destroy All Monsters (1968) is one of the Showa Era's most ambitious films, giving us one of the largest collections of kaiju at that time. The movie introduces an alien race that uses mind control to force monsters to attack major cities worldwide. They also use King Ghidorah to protect them.

No matter how powerful Ghidorah was, the combined force of all the monsters made him an easy enemy to defeat. Destroy All Monsters is a perfect film to turn your brain off, and it features some great fights between the monsters. This is one of the first major crossovers in the Godzilla franchise, and what makes it such a crucial watch is that it's the first time we see Ghidorah defeated easily.

Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972) sees King Ghidorah working with a new monster, Gigan, as yet another alien race controls them. Only Godzilla and Anguirus can stop them, and it becomes a brutal battle as the new foe seriously wounds Godzilla before they finally defeat their enemies.

This film is one of the most memorable of the Showa Era and also introduced us to a great new villain: Gigan. This is also the first time we see King Ghidorah working with another kaiju, which rarely, if ever, happens.

Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991) is the first time we see the villain in the Heisei Era and finally gives the monster some agency rather than being controlled. The film is a time-travel romp where aliens and humans travel to the past so the former group can manipulate time to create Ghidorah.

The present timeline sees Godzilla take on the dragon in a battle that transforms the villain into Mecha-King Ghidorah, who’s one of the most iconic of this era. This is also one of the most important movies to watch, as the Heisei Era defined how terrifying he could be while also solidifying how dangerous he is both as a monster and as a mechanized one.

The Rebirth of Mothra series is one of the most successful franchises of the Heisei Era, though few still talk about it. Rebirth of Mothra III (1998) caps off the trilogy and gives Ghidorah his most evil motivation yet: to capture the children of the world and trap them in a dome. With the help of time travel and a new form, Mothra and friends take on the three-headed dragon.

This film has all the lofty hope and fun of a Mothra film, but also hard-hitting action to match the might of King Ghidorah. While this film doesn't feature Godzilla, it's still a must-watch: it shows him at his most villainous yet and gives Mothra a much-needed spotlight.

Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001) is the first time we see King Ghidorah in the Millennium Era, and it is quite the introduction as it changed everything we knew about the character. In this film, Godzilla is an outright villain, and Ghidorah is a Legendary Monster and ‘God of the Sky’ for Earth.

We see Ghidorah try to fight off Godzilla before being defeated, and the spirits of the Earth defeating Godzilla as a collective. However, even though the film completely changes the character's lore, it's still a fun watch. The fact that this is the first and only time we see Ghidorah as a heroic character makes this a one-of-a-kind watch and a far cry from Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster.

The final part in an animated trilogy of Godzilla films, Godzilla: The Planet Eater (2018), sees a massive form of the kaiju known as Godzilla Earth being challenged by a human race trying to reclaim the planet he took centuries ago. But we learn that the real threat is the coming force of King Ghidorah, who is even dangerous in the form of a cloud.

The film completes an ambitious trilogy that many longtime fans didn't connect with upon release. However, it does give us a look at the monsters that we've never seen before, and that alone makes it worth it. This trilogy is meant to explore the final forms of Toho's monsters and see them at their most godly point, making this worth watching to see Ghidorah at his strongest.

Legendary Pictures' MonsterVerse was the first time since 1998 that the West has had a chance to give a new perspective on Godzilla. But unlike the first time, this attempt worked out better than any other and Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) felt like a celebration. The film sees Godzilla and Mothra face threats from Rodan and King Ghidorah in an epic battle.

King Ghidorah is a powerful force of nature in this film, surrounded by a massive hurricane, and it takes Godzilla getting a massive boost in power to defeat the intergalactic enemy. The film doesn't hold back on making Ghidorah as villainous as possible, and it works. If you want a surefire way to know why you should be scared of King Ghidorah, Godzilla: King of the Monsters is the film for you.