This article is about the character. For the film, see Mothra (film). For the web browser, see Mothra (web browser). For the song, see Mothra (song).
Fictional character
Mothra
Godzilla film series character
Mothra as featured in the original 1961 film
First appearance
Mothra (1961)
Created by
Shinichiro Nakamura
Yoshie Hotta
Takehiko Fukanaga
Shinichi Sekizawa
Eiji Tsuburaya
Portrayed by
Haruo Nakajima (caterpillar)[1]
Katsumi Tezuka (caterpillar)[1]
In-universe information
Alias
The Thing
Titanus Mosura
Queen of the Monsters
Species
Giant divine moth
Gender
Female
Origin
Nature's goddess
Mothra (モスラ, Mosura) is a fictional monster, or kaiju, that first appeared in the 1961 film Mothra, produced and distributed by Toho Studios. Mothra has appeared in several Toho tokusatsu films, most often as a recurring monster in the Godzilla franchise. She is typically portrayed as a colossal sentient larva (caterpillar) or imago, accompanied by two miniature fairies speaking on her behalf. Unlike other Toho monsters, Mothra is a largely heroic character, having been variously portrayed as a protector of her own island culture,[2] the Earth[3] and Japan.[4] Mothra's design is influenced by silk worms, their imagos, and those of giant silk moths in the family Saturniidae. The character is often depicted hatching offspring (in some cases, twins) when approaching death, a nod to the Saṃsāra doctrine of numerous Indian religions.[5]
Mothra is one of Toho's most popular monsters and second only to Godzilla in her total number of film appearances. Polls taken during the early 1990s indicated that Mothra was particularly popular among women who were, at the time, the largest demographic among Japan's movie-going audience, a fact that prompted the filming of 1992's Godzilla vs. Mothra, which was the best-attended Toho film since King Kong vs. Godzilla.[6] IGN listed Mothra as #3 on their "Top 10 Japanese Movie Monsters" list,[7] while Complex listed the character as #7 on its "The 15 Most Badass Kaiju Monsters of All Time" list.[8]
^ abRyfle & Godziszewski 2009, 01:03:55.
^Mothra (1961). Directed by Ishirō Honda. Toho
^Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992). Directed by Takao Okawara. Toho
^Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001). Directed by Shusuke Kaneko. Toho.
^Di Giorgio, Gigante & Gordiano 2012, pp. 61–63.
^Kalat 2010, pp. 184–190.
^Hawker, Tom (May 15, 2014). "Top 10 Japanese Movie Monsters". IGN. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
^Josh Robertson, "The 15 Most Badass Kaiju Monsters of All Time", Complex (May 18, 2014)
Mothra (モスラ, Mosura) is a fictional monster, or kaiju, that first appeared in the 1961 film Mothra, produced and distributed by Toho Studios. Mothra has...
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Rebirth of Mothra II (モスラ2 海底の大決戦, Mosura Tsū Kaitei no Daikessen, released in Japan as Mothra 2: The Battle Under the Deep Sea) is a 1997 Japanese kaiju...
incident. Other notable examples of kaiju characters include King Kong, Rodan, Mothra, King Ghidorah and Gamera. Directors Ishirō Honda and Eiji Tsuburaya drew...
Rebirth of Mothra 3 (モスラ 3 キングギドラ来襲, Mosura Surī Kingu Gidora Raishū, released in Japan as Mothra 3: Invasion of King Ghidorah) is a 1998 Japanese kaiju...
character is usually portrayed as the archenemy of Godzilla and a foe of Mothra, though it has had one appearance as an ally of the latter. Despite rumors...
him, Mothra, King Ghidorah, and Godzilla in the footage that is shown to James Conrad and Mason Weaver. A casting call confirmed that Rodan, Mothra, and...
Diego Comic-Con International that it had acquired the licensing rights to Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah from Toho Co., Ltd. and revealed concept footage...
Series. McFarland. pp. 18, 30, 35, 42, 55, 61, 67, 73. ISBN 9780786430994. Mothra Movie Encyclopedia. Yosensha. July 2011. p. 99. ISBN 978-4862487612....
franchise, also produced by Toho, including Destroy All Monsters and Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack. In the film Frankenstein...
various other kaiju in Toho's tokusatsu films, including: Rodan (1956), Mothra (1961) and The War of the Gargantuas (1966) and also appeared in a minor...
and Mothra. Gigan faces Mothra once more and seemingly kills her, but inadvertently decapitates itself with its razor disks before a burning Mothra destroys...
Mechagodzilla II, as the success of Godzilla vs. Mothra and the popularity of its main antagonist Mothra spurred Toho into reintroducing familiar characters...
franchise, and features eleven monster characters, including Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, King Ghidorah, Anguirus, and Minilla. The film stars Akira Kubo...
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