View source for Mothra

{{Short description|Fictional monster, or kaiju}}
{{About|the character|the 1961 film|Mothra (film)|the web browser|Mothra (web browser)|the Godflesh song|Mothra (song)|the star|Mothra (star)}}
{{Redirect|Mosura|text=For the extinct arthropod named after the character, see [[Mosura fentoni]]}}
{{Infobox character
| origin = Nature's goddess
| name = Mothra
| series = [[Godzilla (franchise)|''Godzilla'' film series]]
| image = Mosura trailer - Mothra flying.png
| first = ''[[Mothra (film)|Mothra]]'' (1961)
| last = 
| creator = {{Plainlist|
* [[Shinichiro Nakamura]]
* Yoshie Hotta
* Takehiko Fukanaga
* [[Shinichi Sekizawa]]
* [[Eiji Tsuburaya]]
}}
| portrayer = {{Plainlist|
*[[Haruo Nakajima]] (caterpillar){{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2009|loc=01:03:55}}
*[[Katsumi Tezuka]] (caterpillar){{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2009|loc=01:03:55}}
}}
| alias = {{Plainlist|
*The Thing{{Efn|American version of ''[[Mothra vs. Godzilla]]''.|name=MvG|group=lower-alpha}}
*Titanus Mosura
*Queen of the Monsters
}}
| species = Giant divine [[moth]]
| caption = Mothra as featured in the original 1961 film
| gender = Female
}}
{{Nihongo|'''Mothra'''|[[Japanese language|Japanese]]: モスラ|[[Hepburn romanization|Hepburn]]: Mosura}} is a giant monster, or ''[[kaiju]]'', which first appeared  in [[Ishirō Honda]]'s [[Mothra (film)|1961 film of the same name]], produced and distributed by [[Toho]]. Mothra has appeared in several Toho ''[[tokusatsu]]'' films, often as a recurring monster in the [[Godzilla (franchise)|''Godzilla'' franchise]]. She is typically portrayed as a colossal sentient larva ([[caterpillar]]) or [[imago]], accompanied by two miniature fairies speaking on her behalf. Unlike several other Toho monsters, Mothra is a largely heroic character, having been variously portrayed as a protector of her own island culture,<ref name="mothra1961">''[[Mothra (film)|Mothra]]'' (1961). Directed by [[Ishirō Honda]]. [[Toho]]</ref> the Earth<ref name="GvM">''[[Godzilla vs. Mothra]]'' (1992). Directed by [[Takao Okawara]]. [[Toho]]</ref> and [[Japan]].<ref name="GMK">''[[Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack]]'' (2001). Directed by [[Shusuke Kaneko]]. [[Toho]].</ref> Mothra's design is influenced by [[silk worms|silkworms]], 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]].{{sfn|Di Giorgio|Gigante|Gordiano|2012|pp=61–63}}

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]]''.{{sfn|Kalat|2010|pp=184–190}} [[IGN]] listed Mothra as #3 on its "Top 10 [[Japanese movie|Japanese Movie]] Monsters" list,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/05/15/top-10-japanese-movie-monsters?page=2|title=Top 10 Japanese Movie Monsters|last=Hawker|first=Tom|work=IGN|date=May 15, 2014|access-date=May 17, 2016}}</ref> while ''[[Complex (magazine)|Complex]]'' listed the character as #7 on its "The 15 Most Badass Kaiju Monsters of All Time" list.<ref>Josh Robertson, [http://uk.complex.com/pop-culture/2014/05/most-badass-kaiju-monsters-of-all-time/ "The 15 Most Badass Kaiju Monsters of All Time"], ''[[Complex (magazine)|Complex]]'' (May 18, 2014)</ref>

Though Mothra is generally portrayed as female, male individuals of her species have also been featured in the franchise, including Battra in ''[[Godzilla vs. Mothra]]'', and a male Mothra larva who appears alongside his [[non-identical twins|non-identical twin]] sister in ''[[Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.]]''

==Overview==
===Name===
The name {{nihongo|''Mothra''|モスラ}} is the suffixation of "-ra" to the English word "moth"; since the Japanese language does not have [[dental fricative]]s, it is approximated "Mosura" in Japanese. The "ra" suffix follows the precedent set by [[Godzilla]] (''Gojira''),{{sfn|Di Giorgio|Gigante|Gordiano|2012|p=64}} which in turn is derived from {{nihongo3|"[[whale]]"|{{ruby|鯨|クジラ}}|kujira}}, which serves to indicate the character's enormous size.

[[American International Pictures|Dican International Pictures]] entitled the movie ''Godzilla vs. the Thing'', probably to avoid legal action from [[Columbia Pictures]], which had released the original ''Mothra''.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=109}}

===Development===
Mothra was first conceived in the January 1961 [[serial (publishing)|serial]] ''[[The Luminous Fairies and Mothra]]'' by authors Shinichiro Nakamura, Takehiko Fukunaga and Yoshie Hotta, who had been commissioned by [[Toho]] to write the outline of a future film.<ref>[http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2007/07/30/jerry-ito-a-swonderful-life/ "Jerry Ito: A S'Wonderful Life"], ''Sci-Fi Japan'' (July 30, 2007)</ref> The character was further developed by [[Shinichi Sekizawa]], whose experiences of starving in the South Pacific islands during [[World War II]] prompted him to envision a movie featuring an island where mysterious events occurred.{{sfn|Kalat|2010|pp=51–54}}

In her [[Mothra (film)|1961 debut]], Mothra's adult form consisted of a wire-operated mechanical puppet, while the larva was a [[suitmation]] puppet operated by six stuntmen crawling in single file. In ''[[Mothra vs. Godzilla]]'' three years later, the adult Mothra puppet was modified with radio-controlled legs, while the larvae were portrayed via a combination of motor-driven props and hand puppets.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|pp=108–110}} The larval Mothra featured in ''[[Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster]]'' remained largely unchanged from its previous appearance, though the color of its eyes was changed from blue to red.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=116}} The adult Mothra prop featured in ''Mothra vs. Godzilla'' was reused in ''[[Ebirah, Horror of the Deep]]'', though previous heavy use had dulled its colors, frayed the fur on the head and damaged the wings.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=137}}

During the early Heisei era of ''Godzilla ''films, which ignored the continuity established in pre-1984 movies, several attempts were made to develop a Mothra standalone feature. Akira Murao wrote a screenplay in 1990 entitled ''Mothra vs. Bagan'', which revolved around a shape-shifting dragon called Bagan who sought to destroy humanity for its abuse of the Earth's resources, only to be defeated by Mothra, the god of peace. The screenplay was revised by [[Kazuki Ōmori]] after the release of ''[[Godzilla vs. Biollante]]'', though the project was ultimately scrapped by Toho, due to the poor box office performance of ''Godzilla vs. Biollante'', as well as the assumption that Mothra was a character born purely out of Japanese culture and thus would have been difficult to market overseas, unlike the more internationally recognized [[Godzilla]].{{sfn|Kalat|2010|pp=179–183}} With the success of ''[[Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah]]'', Toho sought to continue the series' newfound profitability by reintroducing familiar monsters rather than inventing new ones. Mothra was chosen as Godzilla's next antagonist on account of the character's popularity with women, who constituted the majority of cinemagoers at the time. Special effects head [[Kōichi Kawakita|Koichi Kawakita]] co-wrote a screenplay entitled ''Godzilla vs. Gigamoth'' in 1991, which would have pitted Mothra against Godzilla and an irradiated Mothra doppelganger called Gigamoth, though this was rejected early on and replaced with the final plotline that was seen in the film ''[[Godzilla vs. Mothra]]''. Kawakita's depiction of Mothra's adult form was given the ability to fire [[Directed-energy weapon|energy beams]], which were rendered via optical effects, and the pollen dust emitted from its wings were given a sparkling effect not seen in prior movies. During the character's transformation from larva to adult, it was initially planned to have Mothra's unfolding wings rendered through [[Computer generated imagery|CGI]], though this was scrapped on account of it not looking "sensitive" enough.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|pp=279–285}} Although the movie was a financial success, the Mothra props were criticized by several authors, who noted that the adult Mothra's brighter colors made it look like a "plush toy" and that its wings flapped less gracefully than in previous incarnations, as they were made of heavy cloth. The Mothra puppet's immobile chicken-like feet and the lack of undulation in the larva prop's movements were also commented on as being inferior to the effects seen in 1960s Mothra movies.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|pp=279–285}} Criticism was also leveled at Mothra's altered origin story, which portrayed her as an [[Extraterrestrial life|extraterrestrial]], thus dampening the character's motivation for protecting Earth.{{sfn|Kalat|2010|pp=184–190}} The character's newfound popularity nevertheless prompted Toho to produce ''[[Rebirth of Mothra]]'' in 1996.<ref>David Milne, [http://www.davmil.org/www.kaijuconversations.com/okawar3.htm "Takao Okawara Interview III"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160227045509/http://www.davmil.org/www.kaijuconversations.com/okawar3.htm |date=2016-02-27 }}, ''Kaiju Conversations'' (December 1995)</ref>

For ''[[Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack]]'', director [[Shūsuke Kaneko]] had originally planned on using [[Anguirus]] as one of Godzilla's antagonists, but was pressured by Toho chairman [[Isao Matsuoka]] to use the more recognizable and profitable Mothra,<ref name="kaneko">Ed Godziszewski and Norman England, "Interview with Shusuke Kaneko", ''Japanese Giants'' #9 (June 2002)</ref> as the previous film in the franchise, ''[[Godzilla x Megaguirus]]'', which featured an original and unfamiliar antagonist, was a box office and critical failure.{{sfn|Kalat|2010|pp=238–242}}

For 2003's ''[[Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.]]'', special effects director Eiichi Asada sought to model Mothra directly on her appearance in the original 1961 film and to keep optical effects to a minimum. As with ''Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah'', the adult Mothra was given mobile legs, though they were made to constantly move, as it was felt that the prop stopped looking realistic once they became immobile. Creature designer Shinichi Wakasa had initially wanted Mothra's wings to have the angular design seen in ''[[Rebirth of Mothra II]]'', though the prop was ultimately given the wing shape seen in the 1960s movies.<ref>"Godzilla X Mothra X Mechagodzilla: Tokyo SOS production report – The men behind the monsters discuss the latest Godzilla film", ''Uchusen'' #108 (Asahi Sonorama) (October 22, 2003)</ref> In addition, Mothra's twin larvae, one male and one female, were given nicknames by the staff on set - the male, who can be distinguished by his longer tusks and spikes, was nicknamed Taro, while the female was nicknamed Hanako.<ref name="GMMGSCW">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/00010-00011|title=Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. Super Complete Works|year=2004|publisher=[[Shogakukan]]|page=46|isbn=9784091014931}}</ref>

===Mothra's fairies===
{{Infobox character
| name = Shobijin
| series = Mothra/[[Godzilla (franchise)|Godzilla film series]]
| image = File:Mosura trailer - shobijin.png
| caption = 
| first = ''[[Mothra (film)|Mothra]]'' (1961)
| last = ''[[Chibi Godzilla Raids Again]]'' (2023)
| creator = {{Plainlist|
* [[Tomoyuki Tanaka]]{{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2009|loc=33:44}}
* [[Shinichiro Nakamura]]
* [[Yoshie Hotta]]
* [[Takehiko Fukanaga]]
}}
| portrayer = <small>Emi Itō and Yumi Itō{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=101}}<br />Yuko Okada and Yoko Okada{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=137}}<br />Keiko Imamura and Sayaka Osawa{{sfn|Kalat|2010|p=184}}<br />Megumi Kobayashi<ref name="RoM"/><ref name="RoMII"/><ref name="RoMIII"/> and Sayaka Yamaguchi<ref name="RoM"/><ref name="RoMII"/>/Misato Tate<ref name="RoMIII"/><br />[[Masami Nagasawa]] and [[Chihiro Otsuka]]{{sfn|Kalat|2010|p=247}}{{sfn|Kalat|2010|p=249}}<br />[[Zhang Ziyi]]<ref name="2019Twins" /><ref name="SRTwins" /></small>
| alias = Cosmos<br />Elias
}}
Mothra is usually accompanied by tiny twin female [[Fairy|fairies]], which [[Shinichi Sekizawa]] termed {{nihongo4|'''Shobijin'''|小美人}}, meaning "little beauties". The original draft for ''Mothra'' called for four fairies, though Sekizawa reduced the number to two, as twins were comparatively rare in Japan, thus adding to the characters' mystique. Toho also sought to reinforce its links with [[Columbia Pictures]], by featuring the singing duo [[the Peanuts]], who had been popularized in America by Columbia Records.{{sfn|Kalat|2010|pp=51–54}} [[Yūji Koseki]] composed the song ''Mosura no uta'' ("Song of Mothra") for the fairies to sing when summoning Mothra.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=109}} The song was originally sung in [[Indonesian language|Indonesian]], but there is also a later version, set to the same tune, sung in [[Japanese language|Japanese]]:

{|border="0"
|+'''Mothra's Song'''
|-
! Malay/Indonesian|| Translation || Japanese || Translation
|-
| ''Mosura ya Mosura'' || Mothra oh Mothra || ''Mosura ya Mosura'' || Mothra oh Mothra
|-
| ''Dengan kesaktian indukmu'' || with the power of your ancestor || ''Tasukete yo to yobeba'' || if we were to call for help
|-
| ''Restuilah doa hamba hamba mu yang rendah bangunlah dan'' || grant the prayer of your lowly servants, arise and || ''Toki o koete, umi o koete, nami no yō ni'' || over time, over sea, like a wave
|-
| ''tunjukkanlah'' || show || ''Yatte kuru'' || you'd come,
|-
| ''kesaktianmu'' || your power! || ''Mamorigami!'' || our guardian angel!
|}
The Peanuts were given an additional song in ''[[Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster]]'' entitled "Cry for Happiness", composed by Hiroshi Miyagawa.{{sfn|Kalat|2010|p=75}} The Peanuts did not reprise their role in ''[[Ebirah, Horror of the Deep]]'' and were replaced by the singing duo Pair Bambi.{{sfn|Kalat|2010|p=96}}

In ''[[Godzilla vs. Mothra]]'', the fairies are renamed the {{nihongo4|'''Cosmos'''|コスモス|Kosumosu}} and are played by Keiko Imamura and Sayaka Osawa. This casting move was criticized by Godzilla historian Steve Ryfle, who lamented the fact that the two actresses were not identical and that their singing voices were "paper thin."{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|pp=279–285}} According to [[Takao Okawara]], the Cosmos scenes were among the hardest scenes he had ever filmed, as the actresses had to synchronize their movements without looking at each other.{{sfn|Kalat|2010|pp=184–190}}

In the ''Rebirth of Mothra'' trilogy, Mothra's fairies are called the {{nihongo4|'''Elias'''|エリアス|Eriasu}} which consist of Moll, Lora, and their estranged sister Belvera. Moll and Lora contrast with prior adaptations because they possess separate personalities and rarely act in unison. Megumi Kobayashi was cast as Moll for all three films, Sayaka Yamaguchi as Lora for the first two films, Misato Tate as Lora for the third film and Aki Hano as Belvera for all three films.

''[[Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack]]'' does not feature Mothra's fairies, but they are however given a nod in the form of a pair of twin girls wearing white clothes during the scene where Mothra flies over Tokyo. They are played by sisters [[Ai Maeda (actress)|Ai]] and [[Aki Maeda]].

In the anime trilogy directed by [[Gen Urobuchi]], the fairies are human-sized sisters named Maina and Miana. Their people are the {{nihongo4|'''Houtua'''|フツア|Futsua}}, descendants of humans that evolved through Mothra's influence with both telepathy and an immunity to the assimilative properties of nanometal.

In ''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019 film)|Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]'', it's revealed that Monarch researcher Dr. Ilene Chen (played by [[Zhang Ziyi]]) has an identical twin sister named Dr. Ling Chen, who is also in Monarch and is present at Mothra's hatching. The Chens are part of a family which appears to consist almost entirely of pairs of identical twin sisters, two of whom are shown visiting Infant Island (Mothra's traditional home) in 1961.<ref name="2019Twins">{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/herocomplex/la-et-hc-godzilla-mothra-twins-20190603-story.html |title='Godzilla: King of the Monsters' director explains that Mothra Easter egg |last=Brown |first=Tracy |date=June 3, 2019 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=June 6, 2019}}</ref> The film's director and co-screenwriter, [[Michael Dougherty]], confirmed the twins to be an updated version of the fairies, explaining, "It was important to me to find ways to modernize the ideas that [Mothra] has followers. Modernize the priestesses. [There] are still certain realms of believability to keep in take. You have to ease people into the more fantastical aspects."<ref name="SRTwins">{{cite web |url=https://screenrant.com/godzilla-2-king-monsters-michael-dougherty-interview/ |title=Michael Dougherty Interview – Godzilla: King of the Monsters |last=Quizon |first=Justin |date=June 3, 2019 |website=[[Screen Rant]] |access-date=June 6, 2019}}</ref> He noted that the twins were a "perfect example" of humans and monsters cooperating and forming a "symbiotic relationship with each other", saying, “The twins are an example of a very successful, long relationship...so I wanted to make sure that we found some way to incorporate them, even if it was a little bit of an Easter egg.”<ref name="2019Twins" /> Dougherty, who is half-Vietnamese, felt the need to retain the twins' Asian ethnicity.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/29/movies/mothra-godzilla-king-of-the-monsters.html |title=Mothra: Yin to Godzilla's Yang |last=Ito |first=Robert |date=May 29, 2019 |website=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=June 6, 2019}}</ref>
{{clear}}

==Character biography==
===Shōwa (1961–1968)===
[[File:Mosura trailer - Mothra attacks.png|thumb|Mothra attacks New Kirk City (a [[stand-in]] for [[New York City|New York]]) in the original film.]]
In the Showa continuity, Mothra is depicted as a mystical being that is worshiped by a primitive human culture native to Infant Island. ''[[Mothra (film)|Mothra]]'' has her hatching from an egg after her priestesses are abducted by a Rolisican capitalist hoping to exploit them as media celebrities. The larva Mothra swims to Tokyo and cocoons herself around the [[Tokyo Tower]]. Upon reaching her adult form, Mothra flies to Rolisica's capital and causes widespread destruction until her priestesses are returned to her.<ref name="mothra1961"/>

Mothra in this era, most notably the first individual appeared in the 1961 film is the largest incarnation of all, being 180 meters in length with a wingspan of 250 meters and weighed 20,000 tonnes as an Imago, and 135 meters in body length and weighed 15,000 tonnes as a larva. In later films, the size of the Imagoes decreased to 53 meters in 1964 film and 40 meters in body length and 8,000 tonnes in weight in 1968 film respectively, while the size of the larva in 1966 film stayed the same to the 1961 individual.<ref>{{cite book |title=モスラ2超全集 |language=ja |trans-title=Complete Mothra 2 |date=1997 |edition=Kindle |editor=てれびくん編集部 |page=38 |asin=B00MTHKOB2}}</ref>

In ''[[Mothra vs. Godzilla]]'', a Mothra egg appears on the coast of Japan, and is exploited as a tourist attraction. Mothra's priestesses attempt to negotiate the return of the egg to Infant Island, but are rebuffed. [[Godzilla]] attacks Japan, forcing humanity to beseech an embittered Mothra to intervene. Mothra willingly sacrificed herself whilst fighting Godzilla, but the latter is defeated when two larvae emerge from the egg and encase Godzilla in a cocoon.<ref name="MvG">''[[Mothra vs. Godzilla]]'' (1964). Directed by [[Ishirō Honda]]. [[Toho]]</ref>

In ''[[Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster]]'', it is revealed that only one of the larvae survived. The remaining larva attempts to convince Godzilla and [[Rodan]] to join forces with her in order to fight [[King Ghidorah]], but the two monsters reject her proposal. Mothra is nearly killed attempting to fight Ghidorah alone, but is saved through the intervention of Godzilla and Rodan.<ref name="GTHM">''[[Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster]]'' (1964). Directed by [[Ishirō Honda]]. [[Toho]].</ref>

The larva ultimately gains adulthood in ''[[Ebirah, Horror of the Deep]]'', where she saves a group of slaves taken from Infant Island from a [[terrorist]] base on Letchi Island undergoing a self-destruct sequence.<ref name="GvSM">''[[Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster]]'' (1966). Directed by [[Jun Fukuda]]. [[Toho]].</ref>

Another larva appears in ''[[Destroy All Monsters]]'', living alongside other monsters in Monsterland. Along with the other monsters, Mothra is briefly enslaved by the evil Kilaaks, who force her to attack [[Beijing]] and later join Godzilla in the destruction of Tokyo. The Kilaaks' mind control is ultimately broken and Mothra joins the other monsters in the final battle against King Ghidorah.<ref>''[[Destroy all Monsters]]'' (1968). Directed by [[Ishirō Honda]]. [[Toho]].</ref> This was the character's final starring role in the Showa era, although Mothra would later be seen in stock footage from ''Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster'' and ''Destroy All Monsters'' for ''[[Godzilla vs. Gigan]]'' in 1972.

===Heisei (1992–1998)===
1992's ''[[Godzilla vs. Mothra]]'' portrays Mothra as a guardian of the Earth who presided over an advanced civilization over 12,000 years ago. When the civilization created a device designed to control the Earth's climate, the Earth responded by creating the Black Mothra, Battra, which Mothra defeated, but not before the civilization was wiped out. Mothra's egg is later discovered in 1992 on Infant Island by the Marutomo real estate agency, which seeks to exploit it and Mothra's priestesses for profit. The egg hatches during a fight between Godzilla and a resurrected Battra, and the larva later attacks Tokyo in order to save her priestesses. Mothra forms a cocoon around the [[National Diet Building]], attains her adult form, then briefly fights Battra before joining forces with him in order to fight Godzilla. Battra dies in the attempt and Mothra pledges to fulfill her fallen comrade's role in preventing a meteorite from devastating the Earth in 1999.<ref name="GvM"/>

In ''[[Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla]]'', Mothra detected [[SpaceGodzilla]]'s advance towards Earth and sends her priestesses to warn the planet of his arrival.<ref name="GvSG">''[[Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla]]'' (1994). Directed by Kensho Yamashita. [[Toho]]</ref>

The ''[[Rebirth of Mothra]]'' trilogy is separate from the Godzilla Heisei continuity and portrays Mothra as the last remaining member of a species of giant moths who guard the Elias' civilization. This civilization was destroyed millions of years ago by the dragon Desghidorah, whom Mothra defeated. Mothra lays an egg in modern times, but is too weak to fight Desghidorah once it returns. The egg hatches and the new Mothra, goes to protect her mother, but sadly Mothra is fatally wounded by Desghidorah while the larva is still too weak to combat the dragon. After Mothra dies, the new Mothra metamorphoses into an [[imago|adult]], then manages to kill Desghidorah.<ref name="RoM">''[[Rebirth of Mothra]]'' (1996). Directed by Okihiro Yoneda. [[Toho]]</ref>

Mothra returns in ''[[Rebirth of Mothra II]]'', where she acquires a new and more powerful form in order to fight the pollution monster Dagahra.<ref name="RoMII">''[[Rebirth of Mothra II]]'' (1997). Directed by Kunio Miyoshi. [[Toho]]</ref>

In ''[[Rebirth of Mothra III]]'', Mothra is forced to travel backwards through time to the [[Cretaceous Period]] in order to retroactively kill the space dragon [[King Ghidorah]] and remove Ghidorah from history. After seemingly defeating Ghidorah's younger form in the Cretaceous period, Mothra hibernates in a cocoon constructed by an ancestral Mothra larvae for 65 million years until the present day, where she defeats Ghidorah's far stronger modern form with a new, equally strong form of her own.<ref name="RoMIII">''[[Rebirth of Mothra III]]'' (1998). Directed by Okihiro Yoneda. [[Toho]]</ref>

===Millennium (2001–2004)===
In ''[[Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack]]'', Mothra is portrayed as having been one of the three guardians of Yamato, originating 1,000 years before the events of the film. Initially an antagonist, Mothra was imprisoned in [[Lake Ikeda]], only to be reawakened in 2001 to halt Godzilla's destruction of Tokyo. She is defeated, but transfers her spirit to [[King Ghidorah]].<ref name="GMK"/>

''[[Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.]]'' has the Mothra from the original 1961 film send her priestesses to demand that Japan dismantle the anti-Godzilla weapon [[Mechagodzilla|Kiryu]] or face destruction, as she considers the cyborg to be against the natural order, having been created using the bones of the first Godzilla. When the second Godzilla lands, Mothra attempts to fight the monster alongside Kiryu, but is killed in the process. Two larvae hatch on Infant Island and reach Tokyo in order to fight Godzilla, whom they encase in a cocoon, which is then transported into the ocean by Kiryu.<ref name="GTSOS">''[[Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.]]'' (2003). Directed by Masaaki Tezuka. [[Toho]].</ref>

''[[Godzilla: Final Wars]]'', which ignores the continuity of the previous film, establishes that Mothra protected the Earth 10,000 years ago from the cyborg [[Gigan]]. In the distant future, Gigan returns, under the control of the Xiliens, and is confronted by Mothra. In the ensuing battle, Mothra catches fire, but manages to kill Gigan by ramming into him and exploding.<ref name="GFW">''[[Godzilla: Final Wars]]'' (2004). Directed by Ryuhei Kitamura. [[Toho]].</ref> However, in a mid-credits scene, Mothra is shown to be alive after all and flying back to Infant Island to be reunited with the Shobijin.

===Reiwa era (2018–2021)===
While Mothra never made a physical appearance, she was mentioned in ''[[Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle]]'' to have been killed by Godzilla years prior, though her egg ended up in the protection of the Houtua people, a species of evolved humans who adapted Mothra-like features to survive the now Godzilla ruled Earth. An astral projection of Mothra's unborn child in their adult form appears in ''[[Godzilla: The Planet Eater]]''.

In ''[[Godzilla Singular Point]]'', dozens of small moths, that bear a striking resemblance to Mothra, appear. (''Visual similarities include: blue eyes, orange and yellow patterns on the wings, a 'false eye' pattern as seen on Mothra as well as other species of [[Lepidoptera]]''). These small moths even seem to shed their golden scales, similar to how Mothra has done the same thing in the past. These moths also have a brief interaction with [[Jet Jaguar]], making it the first on-screen interaction between the two Toho characters (''outside of comics, video games, spin-offs, etc.'').

However, due to this show's nature to rename / rebrand existing monsters as new ones (''For example: A creature that heavily resembles “[[Varan]]”, both in its visual design & its sound design, is later revealed to be a different creature''), there is no direct confirmation that this is actually Mothra. One may assume these moths are related to Mothra in some way (''or actually are several Mothras''), but the show does not provide any context as to what they actually are.

Several of Mothra's previous incarnations make cameo appearances in the show's ending credits (''alongside several other Toho properties'').

===MonsterVerse (2019–2024)===
[[File:Мотра.jpg|thumb|right|MonsterVerse Mothra]]
{{Main|Monsterverse}}

In 2014, [[Legendary Entertainment|Legendary Pictures]] announced that they had acquired the rights to [[Rodan#Monsterverse (2019)|Rodan]], Mothra and [[King Ghidorah#MonsterVerse (2019–2021)|King Ghidorah]] from [[Toho]] to use in their [[Monsterverse|MonsterVerse]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Jeffries |first=Adrianne |url=https://www.theverge.com/2014/7/26/5940259/godzilla-2-confirmed-with-director-gareth-edwards |title=Gareth Edwards returns to direct 'Godzilla 2' with Rodan and Mothra |publisher=The Verge |date=July 26, 2014 |access-date=2014-08-19}}</ref>

In the [[post-credits scene]] at the end of the 2017 film ''[[Kong: Skull Island]]'', Mothra appears in a series of cave paintings depicting other monsters that are known to exist that are shown in the footage to James Conrad and Mason Weaver, along with [[Godzilla (Monsterverse)|Godzilla]], Rodan and King Ghidorah.<ref name="KSI">''[[Kong: Skull Island]]'' (2017). Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts. [[Legendary Pictures]].</ref>

A casting call confirmed that Rodan, Mothra, and King Ghidorah would all be featured in ''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019 film)|Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/232097/three-kaiju-appear-confirmed-godzilla-king-monsters/|title=These Three Kaiju Appear to Be Confirmed for Godzilla: King of the Monsters|last=Barkan|first=Jonathan|work=Dread Central|date=May 31, 2017|access-date=May 31, 2017}}</ref> Viral marketing for the movie showed that Mothra retained her status as a creature who is deified as an angelic-like goddess, referred to as the Queen of the Monsters. Monarch Sciences, the film's promotional website, identifies the [[Yunnan|Yunnan rainforest]] as Mothra's location (however, Infant Island was referenced within the film, and the name "Mosura" is said to be derived from a small Indonesian island) and states in its adult form to be capable of emitting beta-wave [[bioluminescence]] that can be projected through the intricate patterns on its wings and weaponized into destructive and blinding ‘god rays’.<ref>{{cite web|last=Shaw |first=Hannah |url=https://screenrant.com/godzilla-2-monarch-site-every-secret/ |title=Godzilla 2's Monarch Website: Every Image & Reveal |publisher=Screen Rant |date=2018-07-18 |access-date=2020-03-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.monarchsciences.com |title=Monarch Sciences |publisher=Monarch Sciences |access-date=2020-03-01}}</ref> Further promotional material also revealed narrower wings, a wider wingspan (at 803 feet or 244.75 meters, it is second only to her original 250-meter wingspan), long [[Mantis|praying mantis]]-like forearms and legs as opposed to bird-like limbs and a body design that is more reminiscent of real-life moths, with a smaller body and head. The markings on her wings are said to mark her as the "Queen of the Monsters" and that they apparently link Mothra to Godzilla, the King of the Monsters, since the eye spots on her wings are modeled after Godzilla's eyes. Within the film, she is shown to have a [[Symbiosis|symbiotic relationship]] with Godzilla, and temporarily paralyzes Rodan by stabbing him through the chest with a hidden abdominal stinger. These changes make Mothra the most heavily redesigned monster in the series.

Mothra first appears hatching from her egg in her larval state and is calmed by Dr. Emma Russell using the ORCA [[Bioacoustics|bio-acoustics]] device, becoming docile. When eco-terrorists led by Colonel Alan Jonah arrive soon after and capture Russell, her daughter Madison and the ORCA device, Mothra retreats under a waterfall and cocoons herself, later emerging from her cocoon in her adult form and flying off. During the fight in [[Boston]], Mothra defeats Rodan and is disintegrated by King Ghidorah while protecting a fallen Godzilla. Her power is transferred to Godzilla as a result via her ashes, preventing him from suffering a nuclear meltdown and allowing him to defeat Ghidorah by achieving his burning form. During the credits, a news program speculates about the existence of a second Mothra egg, which the director later confirmed.<ref>{{cite tweet|author=Mike Dougherty |user=Mike_Dougherty |number=1136555493412024321 |title=To lay her egg. <Butterfly><Egg> #GodzillaMovie |date=2019-06-06 |access-date=2020-03-01}}</ref>

Mothra returned in ''[[Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire]]''. When the Iwi sense that the tyrannical Skar King is about to come for them, they send a signal to Jia, the sole survivor of the Iwi tribe from Skull Island, so she can find them and re-awaken Mothra to aid Godzilla in battle. After a wounded Kong tells them the Skar King is on his way, Jia successfully reawakens Mothra. Mothra reunites with Godzilla and convinces him to join forces with Kong. Mothra then joins the battle in the Hollow Earth and takes down Skar King's apes, preventing them from reaching the surface. She also aids Godzilla when Shimo, the mother Titan under Skar King's control, almost freezes him. Eventually Godzilla and Kong manage to come out victorious, with Shimo being freed from Skar King's control and starts freezing him over so that Kong can eventually destroy him. Mothra then helps the Iwi rebuild the barrier that protects them and then flies off deep into Hollow Earth.

==Appearances==
===Films===
* ''[[Mothra (film)|Mothra]]'' (1961)
* ''[[Mothra vs. Godzilla]]'' (1964)
* ''[[Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster]]'' (1964)
* ''[[Ebirah, Horror of the Deep]]'' (1966)
* ''[[Destroy All Monsters]]'' (1968)
* ''[[Godzilla vs. Gigan]]'' (1972, stock footage cameo)
* ''[[Bye-Bye Jupiter]]'' (1984, stock footage cameo)
* ''[[Godzilla vs. Mothra]]'' (1992)
* ''[[Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla]]'' (1994) - with Fairy Mothra
* ''[[Rebirth of Mothra]]'' (1996)
* ''[[Rebirth of Mothra II]]'' (1997)
* ''[[Rebirth of Mothra III]]'' (1998)
* ''[[Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack]]'' (2001)
* ''[[Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla]]'' (2002, stock footage cameo)
* ''[[Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Godzilla: Final Wars]]'' (2004)
* ''[[Kaiju Bunraku]]'' (2017)
* ''[[Kong: Skull Island]]'' (2017, cave painting)
* ''[[Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle]]'' (2018)
* ''[[Godzilla: The Planet Eater]]'' (2018)
* ''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019 film)|Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]'' (2019)
* ''[[Godzilla vs. Kong]]'' (2021, cave painting)
* ''[[Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire]]'' (2024)

===Television===
* ''[[Godzilla Island]]'' (1997–1998)
* ''[[The Simpsons]]'' (1989–present)
* ''[[Godzilla Singular Point]]'' (2021)
* ''[[Godzilland]]'' (1992-1993)
* ''Godziban'' (2019-present)
* ''[[Chibi Godzilla Raids Again]]'' (2023–present)

===Video games===
* ''[[Godzilla: Monster of Monsters]]'' ([[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] - 1988)
* ''[[Godzilla 2: War of the Monsters]]'' ([[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] - 1991)
* ''[[Kaijū-ō Godzilla]]'' / ''King of the Monsters, Godzilla'' ([[Game Boy]] - 1993)
* ''[[Godzilla: Monster War]]'' / ''Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters'' ([[Super Famicom]] - 1994)
* ''[[Godzilla: Giant Monster March|Godzilla Giant Monster March]]'' ([[Game Gear]] - 1995)
* ''[[Godzilla Trading Battle]]'' ([[PlayStation]] - 1998)
* ''[[Godzilla Generations: Maximum Impact]]'' ([[Dreamcast]] - 1999)
* ''[[Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee]]'' ([[GameCube|GCN]], [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]] - 2002/2003)
* ''[[Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee|Godzilla: Domination!]]'' ([[Game Boy Advance|GBA]] - 2002)
* ''[[Godzilla: Save the Earth]]'' ([[Xbox (console)|Xbox]], [[PlayStation 2|PS2]] - 2004)
* ''[[World of Warcraft]]'' ([[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] - 2004) (reference) 
* ''[[Godzilla: Unleashed]]'' ([[Wii]] - 2007)
* ''[[Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash]]'' ([[Nintendo DS|NDS]] - 2007)
* ''[[Godzilla: Unleashed#PlayStation 2 version|Godzilla: Unleashed]]'' ([[PlayStation 2|PS2]] - 2007)
*[[Terraria]] ([[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] - 2012) (reference)
* ''[[Godzilla: The Game]]'' ([[PS3]] - 2014 PS3 [[PS4]] - 2015)
* ''[[City Shrouded in Shadow]]'' ([[PS4]] - 2017)
* ''Godzilla Defense Force'' (2019)
* ''Godzilla Battle Line'' (2021)
* ''[[Fortnite Battle Royale]]'' (2025)

===Literature===
* ''The Luminous Fairies and Mothra'' ([[serialized novel]]) (1961)
* ''[[Godzilla (Marc Cerasini series)|Godzilla 2000]]'' (1996)
* ''[[Godzilla (Marc Cerasini series)|Godzilla at World's End]]'' (1998)
* ''[[Godzilla (comics)#IDW Publishing|Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters]]'' (comic 2011-2012)
* ''[[Godzilla (comics)#IDW Publishing|Godzilla: Gangsters and Goliaths]]'' (comic 2011)
* ''[[Godzilla (comics)#IDW Publishing|Godzilla: Legends]]'' (comic 2011-2012)
* ''[[Godzilla (comics)#IDW Publishing|Godzilla]]'' (comic 2012)
* ''[[Godzilla (comics)#IDW Publishing|Godzilla: The Half-Century War]]'' (comic 2012-2013)
* ''[[Godzilla (comics)#IDW Publishing|Godzilla: Rulers of Earth]]'' (comic 2013-2015)
* ''[[Godzilla (comics)#IDW Publishing|Godzilla: Cataclysm]]'' (comic 2014)
* ''[[Godzilla (comics)#IDW Publishing|Godzilla: Oblivion]]'' (comic 2016)
* ''[[Godzilla (comics)#IDW Publishing|Godzilla: Rage Across Time]]'' (comic 2016)
* ''Godzilla: Project Mechagodzilla'' (novel 2018)
* ''[[Godzilla (comics)#IDW Publishing|Godzilla Rivals]]'' (comic 2021)
* ''[[Godzilla (comics)#IDW Publishing|Mothra: Queen of the Monsters]]'' (comic 2025)

=== Music ===
* 'Mothra', song by [[Anvil (band)|Anvil]] ([[Metal on Metal]], 1982)
* 'Mothra', song by [[Atomship]] ([[The Crash of '47]], 2004)
* 'Mothra', song by [[Godflesh]]
* 'Summoning the Moth of Divinity', song by Oxygen Destroyer

=== Collectible card game ===
* Luminous Broodmoth (Mothra, Supersonic Queen)

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
* {{cite book|last1=Di Giorgio|first1=Davide|last2=Gigante|first2=Andrea|last3=Gordiano|first3=Lupi|year=2012|title=Godzilla: Il re Dei Mostri – Il Sauro Radioattivo di Honda e Tsuburaya|publisher=Associazione Culturale Il Foglio|language=it|isbn=9788876063510}}
* {{cite book|last=Kalat|first=David|year=2010|title=A Critical History and Filmography of Toho's Godzilla Series - Second Edition|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9780786447497}}
* {{cite book|last=Ryfle|first=Steve|year=1998|title=Japan's Favorite Mon-Star: The Unauthorized Biography of the Big G|url=https://archive.org/details/japansfavoritemo0000ryfl|url-access=registration|publisher=ECW Press|isbn=1550223488}}
* {{cite AV media|first1=Steve|last1=Ryfle|first2=Ed|last2=Godziszewski|title=Mothra Audio Commentary|type=DVD|publisher=Sony|year=2009}}

{{Mothra}}
{{Godzilla}}
{{MonsterVerse}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Mothra]]
[[Category:Female characters in film]]
[[Category:Fictional butterflies and moths]]
[[Category:Fictional telepaths]]
[[Category:Fictional characters who can move at superhuman speeds]]
[[Category:Fictional characters with superhuman strength]]
[[Category:Fictional goddesses]]
[[Category:Fictional monsters]]
[[Category:Film characters introduced in 1961]]
[[Category:Godzilla characters]]
[[Category:Kaiju]]
[[Category:Mothra characters]]
[[Category:Toho monsters]]
[[Category:King Kong (franchise) characters]]
[[Category:Monsterverse characters]]
[[Category:Fictional animal deaths]]
[[Category:Fictional resurrected characters]]
[[Category:Fictional characters who use magic]]
[[Category:Fictional characters with air or wind abilities]]
[[Category:Animal superheroes]]
[[Category:Japanese mascots]]
[[Category:Fictional queens]]