Terminator movies in order
Two great films, and four incompatible attempts to continue them. The order matters less than knowing which sequels cancel which.
Updated 4 August 2026 · 8 titles tracked
There is no Terminator timeline. There are branches, all growing from the same two films, and no ordering makes them consistent — because they are not.
The trunk is The Terminator (1984) and Judgment Day (1991). Everything after that is a competing attempt to be the third film.
Every Terminator film and series
Grouped by branch. Each block is internally consistent; the blocks contradict each other.
- 1The Terminator1984 · The Cameron Films · Essential
- 2Terminator 2: Judgment Day1991 · The Cameron Films · Essential
- 3Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines2003 · The Continuations
- 4Terminator Salvation2009 · The Continuations
- 5Terminator Genisys2015 · The Reboots
- 6Terminator: Dark Fate2019 · The Reboots · Essential
- 7Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles2008 · Television
- 8Terminator Zero2024 · Television
The branches, plainly
Once you see the shape, the franchise stops being confusing.
- The trunk — The Terminator, then Judgment Day. Everyone agrees on these two.
- Branch A — Rise of the Machines and Salvation. Argues Judgment Day was delayed, not prevented.
- Branch B — Dark Fate. A direct sequel to Judgment Day that ignores Branch A completely. The only continuation James Cameron endorsed.
- Branch C — Genisys. Goes back to 1984 and rewrites the original film into a new timeline. A dead end.
- Branch D — The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Terminator Zero. Television, each on its own track.
The honest recommendation
Watch The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Then stop.
That is not a joke recommendation. Judgment Day has a genuinely complete ending, and every sequel exists by undoing it. If you want more anyway, Dark Fate is the best of the continuations and the one that respects those two films most.
What each sequel undoes
Rise of the Machines undoes Judgment Day's ending by saying the war was only postponed. Dark Fate undoes Rise of the Machines and Salvation by ignoring them and killing off a central character in its opening scene. Genisys undoes the 1984 original itself. Each film solves the previous problem by deleting it.
Common questions
What order should I watch the Terminator movies in?
Release order, but understand the branches: The Terminator and Judgment Day are shared by all versions. After that, Rise of the Machines and Salvation form one branch, Dark Fate ignores both, and Genisys resets the timeline entirely.
Which Terminator movies are canon?
There is no single canon. Dark Fate is the continuation James Cameron endorsed and treats only the first two films as canon. The other sequels each propose a different continuation.
Can I just watch the first two Terminator films?
Yes, and many people would say you should. Judgment Day has a complete ending, and every sequel exists by undoing it.
Do I need to watch Terminator 3 before Dark Fate?
No. Dark Fate ignores Rise of the Machines and Salvation completely and follows directly from Judgment Day.