Essential Toho Tokusatsu

[bigmackdaddy]

What are the films that you feel are essential and must watch?

Here is my list:

Godzilla
Rodan
The Mysterians
Battle in Outer Space
Mothra
King Kong vs. Godzilla
Gorath
Atragon
Matango
Mothra vs. Godzilla
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
Invasion of Astro-Monster
The War of the Gargantuas
Destroy All Monsters

[Kaiser]

Godzilla (1954)
Rodan
The Mysterians
Mothra
King Kong vs. Godzilla
Atragon
Matango
Mothra vs. Godzilla
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
Invasion of Astro-Monster
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla

[tymon]

^Yeah, what he said. I would also add Destroy All Monsters - it's not the greatest movie, but it's kind of an event film of the golden age and it's criminal to skip it if you're into Toho Sci-Fi...

[Mr. Xeno]

Gojira (of course)
Rodan
Ghidorah The Three Headed Monster
Destroy All Monsters
Godzilla Vs. MechaGodzilla
Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah
GMK

And even though they're not Toho, I'd also add the Daimajin and Gamera trilogies.

[KaijuFiend]

Gojira
Rodan
Mothra
Godzilla vs King Kong
Mothra vs Godzilla
GTTHM
Destroy All Monsters
Godzilla vs MechaGodzilla

Outside of the Showa era, I'd also add:
Return of Godzilla
Godzilla vs Biollante
Godzilla vs Destroyah
Godzilla 2000
GMK

[tbeasley]

Anything between Godzilla and Destroy All Monsters, really. Nothing beats the Honda/ Tsuburaya stuff.

[Creature22]

For me, it's basically anything between 1954-1966. Those are the films that I believe were Toho's best, although the later films are fun as well.
For someone new to the genre, however, my list of "must see" films would be:

Godzilla (1954) - both the original and the American edit. They are both very different but well executed.
Godzilla Raids Again (Japanese cut)
Rodan - similar with Gojira, both versions are different and very well executed.
Matango - seriously underrated
The Mysterians (Japanese cut)
King Kong vs Godzilla
Mothra vs Godzilla
Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster
War of the Gargantuas
Ebirah, Horror of the Deep

[Spuro]

Gojira
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Rodan
Mothra
Atragon
King Kong vs Godzilla
Mothra vs Godzilla
Ghidorah: The Three Headed Monster
Monster Zero
Frankenstein vs Baragon
War of the Gargantuas
Destroy all Monsters
Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla
Terror of Mechagodzilla

Optional: Godzilla vs Megalon. Yeah, it's bad, but infamous among the general public at the same time.