With more than 30 movies to his name, there’s no shortage of Godzilla content to consume, but for those who enjoy kaiju movies, it’s important to note that he’s not the only source of giant monster action. There’s obviously King Kong, of course, but he’s not a true kaiju, nor does his Hollywood films outside the Monsterverse compare to what Godzilla’s movies offer. Rodan and Mothra also count as options, but the number of solo movies they have is limited, with Mothra having four and Rodan having only one. The Gamera series, on the other hand, consists of a dozen films.

Gamera may not have the same level of popularity as the King of the Monsters, but his franchise has certainly enjoyed its fair share of success. That fact is evidenced by its longevity and continued relevance. After all, Gamera’s movie franchise spans multiple decades, beginning in 1965. At a time when Toho’s Godzilla movies were being pumped out quite frequently in Japan, the King of the Monsters found a box office rival in Gamera. Not unlike Godzilla himself, Gamera has experienced breaks and slumps in his franchise, but the series has persisted nonetheless, with his most recent outing being in 2006.

All 12 Gamera Movies Can Be Streamed On Prime Video

Only 2 Of Gamera’s 12 Movies Are Missing

The entirety of the Gamera series is available to be streamed on Prime Video. It begins with Gamera, the Giant Monster, the movie that spawned the franchise and introduced the viewer to the core concepts regarding the series. It’s the franchise’s equivalent to the 1954 Godzilla movie in that it’s the most essential viewing for the series, even if it’s not set in the same continuity as some of the other movies.

In addition to his origin story movie, the series also boasts a number of “versus” movies and the 1995 reboot, plus its two sequels. Finally, there’s the franchise’s most recent entry, 2006’s Gamera the Brave, which never received a sequel. Fortunately, there are no holes in Prime Video’s lineup, allowing the series to be viewed from start to finish.

The Viewing Order & Continuities Of The Gamera Movies Explained

Gamera Has 3 Different Continuities

Similar to how the Godzilla franchise works, the Gamera franchise features reboots, meaning that not all of its films occupy the same timeline. The story that began in 1965’s Gamera, the Giant Monster persisted across several installments, totalling eight movies. The series took a near-decade break after 1971’s Gamera vs. Zigra, but despite being nine years apart, the 1980 movie Gamera: Super Monster is still part of that series. Gamera: Super Monster serves as the conclusion to what became an eight-movie saga for the original version of Gamera.

The franchise was rebooted with the release of Gamera: Guardian of the Universe in 1985. The second incarnation of Gamera doesn’t have the long-running series of films that his predecessor had, but he does get two more adventures in the form of Gamera 2: Attack of Legion and Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris.

The twelfth and final Gamera movie, Gamera the Brave, is the only movie in the franchise to exist in its own continuity. Because the 2006 kaiju film never received a sequel, it’s basically a standalone Gamera movie and can technically be watched independently of the other movies.

The Gamera Movies Are Perfect For Fans Of Godzilla’s Classic Movies

Gamera Movies Are Reminiscent of Godzilla’s Showa Era Films

It’s hard to find a long-running monster movie franchise more comparable to the Godzilla series than Gamera. That’s not surprising, considering the timing of Gamera’s debut. He was created at a time when Japanese monster movies – particularly Godzilla’s – were becoming increasingly popular. However, that’s not to say Gamera is a clone of Godzilla; his films may have been inspired by Godzilla’s success, but Gamera is different enough from the King of the Monsters to justify having his own fanbase.

Whereas Godzilla has the appearance of a monster with dinosaur-like qualities, Gamera looks more like a turtle, but with extra-long teeth extending off the sides of his face, almost like tusks. A turtle kaiju may not seem menacing on paper, but the movies succeed in portraying Gamera as a force to be reckoned with thanks to the abilities he possesses. It’s established in the Gamera films that the true source of Gamera’s strength is fire; Gamera is attracted to fire, and when he feeds on it, he becomes stronger. He can also weaponize this energy source by shooting it out of his mouth.

Gamera’s fire breath obviously draws more comparisons to Godzilla and his atomic breath, but there’s one tool in the turtle monster’s arsenal that sets him apart from Godzilla. Gamera comes equipped with a jet-powered turtle shell, enabling him to fly as he pleases, whether it’s to gain an advantage in combat or simply as a form of quick transportation.

Much like Godzilla, Gamera comes complete with his own rogues’ gallery and a handful of “versus” movies that focus on his conflicts with specific monsters. He’s fought all manner of kaiju over the years, with his biggest and most frequent enemy being Gyaos. And with the majority of his battles, there’s a clear sense that Gamera is the hero, which creates a vibe reminiscent of Godzilla’s Showa era films. However, the Gamera movies actually go a bit further with this theme than the Godzilla franchise, with the series going to great lengths to emphasize Gamera‘s status as a force for good.