With Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2 set to arrive soon, many fans are catching up on the story so far. The first season of the Apple TV+ series, which premiered on November 17, 2023, expanded the Monsterverse by focusing on the human characters behind the secret monster-tracking organization. This recap covers the key events and character journeys from the ten-episode first season to prepare for the new chapter.
The Story of Two Timelines
The first season of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters tells a story across two different time periods, connected by family secrets and giant monsters.
The modern story begins in 2015, one year after Godzilla’s destructive battle in San Francisco. Cate Randa, a schoolteacher, travels to Tokyo after her father, Hiroshi, goes missing in Alaska. There, she discovers he led a double life, with a second family in Japan. She meets her half-brother, Kentaro, and together they find files linking their father and their grandfather, Bill Randa, to the covert organization Monarch. With help from Kentaro’s tech-savvy friend May, they go on the run from Monarch agents and seek out an aging Army officer, Lee Shaw, for answers.
The historical timeline starts in the 1950s and shows the origins of Monarch. It follows a younger Lee Shaw, scientist Keiko Miura, and cryptozoologist Bill Randa as they investigate early monster sightings. Their partnership lays the groundwork for the organization, revealing how the U.S. military’s desire to weaponize monsters like Godzilla shaped its secretive mission. The connection between these two eras is the Randa family, whose legacy is deeply tied to Monarch’s history.
Main Characters and Their Journeys
- Cate Randa (Anna Sawai): A teacher grappling with trauma from the 2014 San Francisco attack. Her search for her missing father forces her to confront her family’s hidden past and her own place in a world full of Titans.
- Kentaro Randa (Ren Watabe): An artist who learns his father had another family. He joins Cate on a global quest that challenges his understanding of his family and pushes him into a dangerous world of secrets.
- May (Kiersey Clemons): Kentaro’s ex-girlfriend and a skilled hacker. She uses her talents to decrypt Monarch files and becomes a crucial part of the team, though her own mysterious connection to the corporation Apex Cybernetics is revealed.
- Lee Shaw (Kurt Russell & Wyatt Russell): Portrayed by real-life father and son Kurt and Wyatt Russell. The younger Shaw is an idealistic officer in the 1950s who helps found Monarch. The older Shaw, encountered by Cate and Kentaro, is a disillusioned man kept under watch by the organization he helped create.
- Keiko Miura (Mari Yamamoto) & Bill Randa (Anders Holm): The pioneering scientists of the 1950s storyline. Their scientific curiosity and encounters with monsters like the Ion Dragon and Endoswarmers drive the early mission of Monarch. John Goodman also appears, reprising his role as the older Bill Randa from Kong: Skull Island.
Key Monsters and Discoveries in Season 1
While the show focuses on human drama, monsters are a constant presence. The first season introduced new Titans and revisited familiar threats.
In the 1950s timeline, Shaw, Keiko, and Bill encounter several creatures. They face Endoswarmer larvae in Kazakhstan and an Ion Dragon in the Philippines. Their most significant encounter is with Godzilla at Bikini Atoll, where they witness the U.S. military’s attempt to kill the Titan with a nuclear test.
In the 2015 storyline, Cate, Kentaro, May, and Shaw are hunted by a Frost Vark in the Alaskan wilderness, a creature that absorbs heat from its surroundings. Their journey leads them to the discovery of the Hollow Earth, a hidden world within our own where Titans originate. This discovery becomes the central mystery, with Monarch and the shady corporation Apex Cybernetics competing to control its power.
Actor Kurt Russell, who plays the older Lee Shaw, shared his thoughts on the series, noting its focus on the people behind the monster fights.
How Season One Ended and Set Up Season Two
The season one finale brought the two timelines to a dramatic convergence. In the past, Keiko was pulled into a pit by Endoswarmers and presumed dead. In the present, Cate, May, and a miraculously-alive Keiko—who had been trapped in the Hollow Earth where time passes differently—used a portal to escape.
They emerged not in their own time, but two years later, on Skull Island. Meanwhile, Kentaro and Monarch officer Tim found themselves working with Apex Cybernetics, the company whose technology would later lead to the creation of the villainous Mechagodzilla. Lee Shaw sacrificed himself to ensure the others could escape the Hollow Earth.
The season established that the activities of Monarch and Apex have consequences. Research into the Hollow Earth and the opening of dimensional rifts has drawn the attention of new, terrifying threats from beyond.
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Season Two Release Date and What to Expect
Apple TV+ has confirmed that Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2 will premiere on February 27, 2026. New episodes will be released weekly every Friday, with the ten-episode season concluding on May 1, 2026.
The official trailer for the new season reveals a massive new threat. A colossal, aquatic Titan known as Titan X has emerged through a rift. Described as Lovecraftian and larger than both Godzilla and Kong, this monster appears to be heading for Skull Island, where our main characters are located. Cave paintings suggest ancient cultures knew of this beast, which may have been worshipped as a god.
The story will continue to follow Cate, May, Kentaro, and Keiko as they navigate the dangers of Skull Island. They will be joined by Tim and Apex operative Brenda Holland, with new cast member Amber Midthunder joining as a businesswoman named Isabel. While Kurt Russell’s Lee Shaw appeared to die, the actor could return in flashbacks. The trailer also shows that the younger Lee Shaw, played by Wyatt Russell, will have his own encounter with the myth of Titan X in the past.
The first season of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is available to stream in full on Apple TV+.
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