Godzilla Minus Zero: King Ghidorah Confirmed, 97% on RT
What Is Godzilla Minus Zero?
Godzilla Minus Zero — stylized in Japan as Godzilla -0.0 — is the latest entry in Toho's Godzilla franchise and a direct sequel to the 2023 hit Godzilla Minus One, picking up the story of the Shikishima family two years after that film's events. Director Takashi Yamazaki returns to write, direct, and oversee the visual effects, with Ryunosuke Kamiki and Minami Hamabe reprising their lead roles. The film runs 135 minutes and adds more kaiju to the cast than its predecessor. Akibato ships Godzilla figures and Ichiban Kuji prizes from Japan if you want something to hold while the countdown to release continues.
Critics Are Calling It Even Better Than Minus One
Godzilla Minus Zero's first reviews landed on September 27, 2026, and Rotten Tomatoes reported a 97% Tomatometer score from the initial batch. Critic Edward Douglas wrote that the film is "even better than Godzilla Minus One in every way," and other reviewers praised the scale of the action and visual effects as a step up from the Oscar-winning original, while noting the sequel leans further into spectacle.
King Ghidorah Is Confirmed for the First Time in This Era
At the film's premiere, Yamazaki confirmed that King Ghidorah appears in Godzilla Minus Zero — the three-headed space monster's first appearance in the continuity that began with Godzilla Minus One. Speaking about the decision, Yamazaki said: "After 55 years, I was able to feature the King Ghidorah I've envisioned since childhood." The quote places the idea's origin in his boyhood, decades before he ever directed a Godzilla film, and both Mediadogs and Mantan Web reported the same remark independently.
King Ghidorah has appeared across multiple eras of the franchise since its 1964 debut, but this marks its first confirmed role in the "Minus" films, which until now had kept Godzilla as the sole kaiju on screen.
The World Premiere Happened in New York, Not Tokyo
Godzilla Minus Zero held its world premiere on September 26, 2026 (September 27 in Japan) at the 64th New York Film Festival, screened in the festival's Spotlight Gala section at Alice Tully Hall to an audience of more than 1,000. It is the first time any Godzilla film has been selected for NYFF. Director Yamazaki attended alongside stars Kamiki and Hamabe, and the screening closed with a standing ovation; Mantan Web reported that viewers audibly reacted when Godzilla first appeared on screen.
Why November 3 Is the Release Date
Godzilla Minus Zero opens in Japan on November 3, 2026 — a date Japanese fans call "Godzilla Day" because the original 1954 Godzilla premiered on that same date. The film also opens in North America on November 6, 2026 through Toho and GKids, making it one of the fastest Japan-to-US turnarounds a Japanese-produced Godzilla film has had, rather than the months-long gap that is typical for the series.
The November 2026 Ichiban Kuji: Collecting Godzilla Across Four Eras
Collectors get their own release date to watch: BANDAI SPIRITS' "Ichiban Kuji Godzilla: Kaiju Ranbu -Zero no Kodo-" goes on sale November 13, 2026, at 850 yen per draw. Rather than tying every prize to the new film, the lineup spans four different Godzilla eras in one lottery — a structure that rewards collectors who already own figures from earlier releases.
| Prize | Figure | Era / Source Film | Approx. Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Godzilla (2026) MONSTERLISE | Godzilla Minus Zero (2026) | ~18cm |
| B | Godzilla (2023) MONSTERLISE, Heat Ray ver. | Godzilla Minus One (2023) | ~18cm |
| C | Godzilla (2016) Second Form MONSTERLISE | Shin Godzilla (2016) | ~27cm |
| D | Gaigan (1972) MONSTERLISE | Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972) | ~18cm |
| E | Monster head magnets (5 types, random) | Mixed | ~4-5cm each |
| F-H, Last One | Not yet announced | — | — |
Hobby Dengeki and Dengeki Online both reported that the A and B prize sculpts come from creature sculptor Yuuji Sakai's "ultra-detailed sculpting" line, while the C and D prizes were produced by Kokoryu Workshop, a Yamagata studio known for high-end garage kits. Fan reaction to the first prize photos, covered by Magmix, centered on the sculpt quality relative to the price — several collectors called the detailing some of the best the Ichiban Kuji line has produced. Prizes E through H and the Last One Prize had not been announced as of this writing.
What You Can Already Collect While You Wait
You do not have to wait until November 13 to start a Godzilla shelf. Akibato currently stocks the previous Ichiban Kuji wave, Godzilla -Scariest Kaiju King Chronicle-, an 8-tier lottery built around SOFVICS Godzilla figures: the A Prize is a Godzilla (2001) SOFVICS in its Owakudani-appearance pose, the Last One Prize is a Godzilla (2001) Night Battle SOFVICS in its heat-ray pose, and the lineup also includes a Battra larva figure, a Godzilla Junior figure, and several smaller goods. If the new Kaiju Ranbu kuji sells out fast in Japan the way most high-profile Godzilla lotteries do, having already worked through this wave gives you a head start rather than a gap in the shelf.
How Collectors Outside Japan Can Get These Figures
Both Ichiban Kuji lines are sold through Japanese convenience stores, hobby shops, and the official Ichiban Kuji online shop, none of which ship internationally on their own. Akibato lists Godzilla Ichiban Kuji prizes and capsule toys as individual purchases, so you are buying a specific prize rather than a blind draw, and the figures ship from Japan. Browse the Godzilla collection at Akibato for what is currently in stock, and check back as the Kaiju Ranbu wave starts shipping after its November 13 Japan release.
FAQ
Is King Ghidorah definitely in Godzilla Minus Zero?
Yes. Director Takashi Yamazaki confirmed it directly at the film's New York Film Festival premiere, describing it as the fulfillment of an idea he has held since childhood.
Do I need to have seen Godzilla Minus One first?
Godzilla Minus Zero is a direct sequel set two years after Minus One and follows the same Shikishima family, so watching Minus One first will make the returning characters and stakes land harder, though Toho has not framed the sequel as requiring it.
When does the new Godzilla Ichiban Kuji go on sale?
BANDAI SPIRITS has scheduled Kaiju Ranbu -Zero no Kodo- for November 13, 2026, in Japan, at 850 yen per draw.
Can I choose which prize I get in an Ichiban Kuji?
No. Every Ichiban Kuji draw is random by design. Sellers like Akibato that list individual prizes as separate products are the way to get a specific figure rather than a blind draw.
Is this the first time Godzilla has played at the New York Film Festival?
Yes. Cinema Today reported that Godzilla Minus Zero's selection for NYFF's Spotlight Gala section is the first time a Godzilla film has been chosen for the festival.
Why does the movie open on November 3 specifically?
November 3 is the anniversary of the original 1954 Godzilla's Japanese release, a date fans and Toho refer to as "Godzilla Day."
The Bottom Line
- Godzilla Minus Zero is a direct sequel to Godzilla Minus One, directed by Takashi Yamazaki, releasing November 3, 2026 in Japan and November 6 in North America through Toho and GKids.
- Early reviews gave it a 97% Tomatometer score, with critics calling it even better than its Oscar-winning predecessor.
- King Ghidorah is confirmed to appear — its first role in the Minus-era continuity — after Yamazaki described it as a childhood ambition realized "after 55 years."
- The film's September 26, 2026 world premiere at the New York Film Festival was the first time a Godzilla film played at NYFF, closing to a standing ovation.
- A new Ichiban Kuji, Kaiju Ranbu -Zero no Kodo-, launches November 13, 2026, spanning Godzilla figures from 2026, 2023, 2016, and 1972.
- Akibato already stocks the prior Godzilla Ichiban Kuji wave and ships individual prizes from Japan, so collectors do not have to wait for the new wave to start building a shelf.
If the New York reaction and early reviews are any indication, Godzilla Minus Zero is shaping up to be one of the franchise's biggest moments in years — and between the film and the Kaiju Ranbu kuji, November 2026 is a good month to be collecting. Browse Akibato's Godzilla collection for the figures and kuji prizes currently in stock.
Sources
- Cinema Today — Godzilla -0.0 film information
- Cinema Today — Godzilla -0.0 world premiere at NYFF, first in series history
- Mantan Web — Yamazaki reveals King Ghidorah at NYFF premiere
- Mediadogs — King Ghidorah confirmed after 55 years, Yamazaki quote
- Rotten Tomatoes — Godzilla Minus Zero first reviews
- Dengeki Hobby Web — Ichiban Kuji Godzilla: Kaiju Ranbu -Zero no Kodo- prize lineup
- Dengeki Online — Kaiju Ranbu -Zero no Kodo- release date and prizes
- Magmix — fan reaction to the Kaiju Ranbu figure sculpts