Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack

Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack

Year: 2001

Runtime: 105 mins

Language: Japanese

Director: Shusuke Kaneko

AdventureHorrorActionFantasy

Godzilla, the God of Destruction, returns to Japan after a U.S. submarine is destroyed, alerting Admiral Tachibana. His estranged daughter Yuri investigates the ancient legend of guardian monsters. As vengeful forces stir within Godzilla, the awakened guardians must rise to protect the nation from a threat rooted in the Pacific war’s suffering.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline – Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001)

Trace every key event in Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

JSDF briefing: missing submarine and dorsal-plate clue

During a JSDF briefing about Godzilla's attacks, Admiral Taizo Tachibana is alerted that an American nuclear submarine has gone missing off Guam. Rescue teams later discover the destroyed sub and capture footage showing the creature's dorsal plates nearby, hinting at a new threat.

During initial briefing Guam region
2

Filming at Mount Myōkō uncovers earthquakes and Baragon

Yuri and her production crew film a docudrama at Mount Myōkō when a mysterious earthquake briefly rocks the area. The tremor recurs that night, burying a biker gang and leaving a lone trucker who witnesses a subterranean monster revealed as Baragon.

During filming; night Mount Myōkō
3

Takeda backs Yuri's monster theory and brings The Guardian Monsters

The next day Teruaki Takeda backs Yuri's theory that a monster could be causing the earthquakes and hands her a book called The Guardian Monsters. His support strengthens the sense that guardian monsters may awaken before Godzilla returns.

The next day
4

Mothra larva attack at Lake Ikeda and cocoon

At Lake Ikeda, Mothra in larval form attacks vandals disturbing her shrine and later builds her cocoon. The encounter marks the early signs of her emergence to confront the other monsters.

Lake Ikeda
5

Isayama explains guardian monsters and awakening

Yuri interviews Hirotoshi Isayama, an enigmatic old man who explains the legend of the guardian monsters and warns they must be awakened before Godzilla destroys Japan. His insights hint at a larger mythic framework governing the monster attacks.

6

Shrine visit reveals souls embedded in Godzilla

Yuri and colleagues visit the guardian monsters' shrine and find a sacred stone. Returning to Isayama, she learns that the souls of soldiers and civilians killed in the Pacific War are embedded within Godzilla and lash out because Japan denies its past.

Guardian monsters' shrine
7

Aokigahara encounter with King Ghidorah

In Aokigahara, a suicidal man accidentally encounters a frozen 1,000-year-old ancient dragon named King Ghidorah. The moment hints at Ghidorah's awakening as a living threat beyond Godzilla.

Aokigahara
8

Hakone battle: Godzilla vs Baragon; Yuri injured

Godzilla and Baragon surface and clash in Hakone, and Godzilla defeats Baragon. Yuri is injured during the fight and continues pursuing Godzilla on her own.

Hakone
9

Yokohama defense line as jets fail

Jets fail to stop Godzilla, so Tachibana establishes a defense line in Yokohama to slow the monster's advance. The city braces for impact as the battle continues.

Yokohama
10

Mothra's imago form joins Ghidorah against Godzilla

Mothra metamorphoses into her imago form and joins Ghidorah in fighting Godzilla, but the trio is overwhelmed. In a decisive moment, Mothra sacrifices herself and imbues her spirit into Ghidorah.

Over Japan
11

Ghidorah revival and missile assault

An empowered Ghidorah injures and drags Godzilla underwater. Tachibana and Yutaka Hirose board miniature submarines to launch D-3 missiles into Godzilla's wound, hoping to end the monster.

Offshore battlefield
12

Yokohama Bay Bridge collapse and Ghidorah revival

From the Yokohama Bay Bridge, Yuri and Takeda report on the fight as the bridge collapses under Godzilla's atomic breath. The shrine stone falls from Takeda's pocket, reviving Ghidorah, who saves Yuri and Takeda as they swim ashore.

Yokohama Bay Bridge
13

Godzilla slain, Tachibana infiltrates its mouth

Godzilla overpowers Ghidorah, and the guardian monsters drag Godzilla underwater. Tachibana enters Godzilla's body through its mouth and fires a D-3 missile at the wound, forcing the atomic breath to escape and build pressure. Godzilla sinks and explodes, and Tachibana escapes.

Inside Godzilla's body
14

Isayama's fate and guardian triumph; reunions

Japan rejoices at victory, but Isayama's records reveal his disappearance and death during the first Godzilla attack. Yuri reunites with Tachibana, who salutes the guardian monsters and the efforts of their allies.

15

Epilogue: Godzilla's heart beats on the ocean floor

On the ocean floor, Godzilla's disembodied heart continues to beat, hinting at the monster's ongoing presence and the fragile peace in Japan.

Ocean floor

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 16:38

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Movies about mythic reckonings with national trauma like Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack

Ancient forces awaken to force a nation to confront its painful history.If you enjoyed the way this film uses kaiju as symbols of war trauma, you'll find similar stories here. These movies, often in fantasy or sci-fi genres, feature ancient guardians or destructive forces that embody a nation's historical suffering, leading to epic confrontations.

mythicsombervengefulepicmelancholicanxiousdestructive

Narrative Summary

These narratives typically begin with the emergence of a threat rooted in a forgotten or suppressed historical event. Investigative characters uncover an ancient legend or truth that explains the current crisis. The story builds towards a climactic, symbolic battle where the fate of the nation hinges on accepting and atoning for its past, often with a bittersweet cost.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their shared theme of using large-scale, mythological conflict as a direct metaphor for processing national or historical trauma. They blend epic spectacle with a somber, reflective tone, creating a unique mix of action and heavy emotional weight.

Movies with destructive spectacle and somber consequences like Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack

Epic battles and massive chaos that leave a bittersweet, haunting aftermath.For viewers who liked the intense monster battles but also appreciated the heavy, thoughtful tone of this film. These similar action and sci-fi movies deliver exciting spectacle while maintaining a serious, often melancholic atmosphere where victories are pyrrhic and the aftermath is haunting.

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Narrative Summary

Stories in this thread follow a pattern of escalating threat and spectacular confrontation. However, unlike purely triumphant action films, the resolution here is tempered by significant loss, sacrifice, or ambiguous outcomes. The focus often shifts to the emotional and physical wreckage left behind, emphasizing the sobering price of the conflict.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their unique balance of high-octane, visually impressive destruction with a consistently dark or bittersweet emotional core. They satisfy a desire for epic scale and excitement but resonate more deeply due to their serious treatment of consequence and loss.

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Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack Summary

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