Mothra

**Mothra** (モスラ *Mosura*) is a giant divine moth kaiju who first appeared in the 1961 serialized novel *The Luminous Fairies and Mothra*, which was adapted the same year by Toho into the film *Mothra*. Mothra made her first appearance alongside Godzilla in the 1964 Godzilla film, *Mothra vs. Godzilla*.

Mothra's major distinction among Toho's library of kaiju, aside from being the first female monster in the Godzilla series, is her benevolent nature and relationship to mankind. While other monsters like Godzilla frequently menace humanity with their very existence, Mothra fights to protect humanity from monsters that threaten it. Mothra is accompanied by two miniature twin priestesses named the Shobijin, who speak to humanity on her behalf. However, Mothra has still wrought destruction herself, though this is only to rescue her Shobijin when they are kidnapped or when she is under the control of the Kilaaks.

In Mothra's onscreen debut, she laid waste to Tokyo and New Kirk City in her quest to recover the Shobijin and return them to Infant Island. Mothra returned in *Mothra vs. Godzilla*, where she traveled to Japan to battle Godzilla when he threatened her unhatched egg that had washed ashore there. Mothra was killed in the battle, but two twin larvae hatched from her egg and carried on her battle against Godzilla, eventually triumphing over him. One of the larvae died sometime afterward, but the surviving one took her mother's place as the goddess of Infant Island. Mothra was soon called upon to defend Earth against the evil King Ghidorah, and managed to recruit both Godzilla and Rodan to her cause. Mothra eventually matured into an adult and rescued her people from Letchi Island after they were kidnapped and enslaved by the terrorist group known as the Red Bamboo. By the end of the 20th century, a larval Mothra was contained on Monsterland, only to be released when the Kilaaks took over the island and assumed control of the monsters. Mothra was soon freed from Kilaak control and fought alongside the other Earth monsters to kill King Ghidorah once and for all and defeat the alien menace.

Mothra was reintroduced in the Heisei series film *Godzilla vs. Mothra*, where she fought alongside a dark counterpart named Battra to defeat Godzilla. After the Godzilla Heisei series ended.

abilities

monster call

flight

web spit

film appearances

mothra (1961)

godzila vs the thing (1964)

ghidorah the three headed monster (1964)

godzilla vs the sea monster (1966)

destroy all monsters (1968)

godzilla vs Gigan (1971)

godzilla and mothra: the battle for earth (1992)

godzilla vs spacegodzilla (1994)

godzilla mothra and King Ghidorah: giant monsters all out attack (2001)

godzilla final wars (2004)

kong skull island (2017)

GODZILLA: the planet eater (2018)

godzilla king of the monsters (2019)

comics

* *Godzilla: Gangsters and Goliaths* #1-5 (2011)
* *Godzilla: Legends* #3 (2012)
* *Godzilla: Ongoing* #6, 8-10 (2012-2013)
* *Godzilla: The Half-Century War* #3 (2012)
* *Godzilla: Rulers of Earth* #1, 4, 9, 17-20, 23, 25 (2013-2015)
* *Godzilla: Cataclysm* #1-5 (2014)
* *Godzilla: Oblivion* #1, 4-5 (2016)
* *Godzilla: Rage Across Time* #3, 5 (2016)

Books

GODZILA: project mechagodzilla