Watch Order Guides

Every Terminator film and series in order

Time travel has split the Terminator story into several timelines. The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day are the heart of it, and the later films each take a different path from there.

This order watches the original timeline first, then the alternate futures, and ends with Dark Fate, the direct sequel to Terminator 2.

9films and series
39hto watch everything
6hfor the 3 essentials

The Terminator watch order

Judgment Day

  1. The Terminator

    Film · 1984 · 1h 48mEssential

  2. Terminator 2: Judgment Day

    Film · 1991 · 2h 17mEssential

  3. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

    Film · 2003 · 1h 49m

  4. Terminator Salvation

    Film · 2009 · 1h 55m

Alternate Futures

  1. The Sarah Connor Chronicles: Season 1

    Series · 2008 · 9 episodes · 6h 37m

  2. The Sarah Connor Chronicles: Season 2

    Series · 2008 · 22 episodes · 16h 26m

  3. Terminator Genisys

    Film · 2015 · 2h 6m

  4. Terminator Zero

    Series · 2024 · 8 episodes · 3h 50m

Dark Fate

  1. Terminator: Dark Fate

    Film · 2019 · 2h 8mEssential

Questions

What order should I watch Terminator in?

Start with The Terminator and follow the list above, which has all 9 Terminator titles in story order. For the shortest route, stick to the 3 essentials.

How long does it take to watch all of Terminator?

About 39 hours for the 9 titles out so far. The 3 essentials take about 6 hours.

Which Terminator movies are canon?

It depends on the timeline. Dark Fate follows on directly from Terminator 2 and ignores the films in between, while Rise of the Machines, Salvation and Genisys each follow their own path.

Do I need to watch Terminator 3, Salvation and Genisys?

No. If you only have time for three, watch The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Terminator: Dark Fate.

Watch Terminator in order with Chronologica

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