Watch Blade in release order, which is also story order: Blade (1998), Blade II (2002), then Blade: Trinity (2004). Blade: The Series (2006) continues afterward with a new lead, and Wesley Snipes returns as Blade in Deadpool & Wolverine (2024). The 2011 Marvel anime is a separate continuity.
- Titles
- 5
- Films
- 3
- Series
- 2
- Watch time
- 20 hours
- Box office
- $415 million
- Avg IMDb
- 6.5
Blade movies in release order
Here is every Blade title in the order it came out, 1998 to 2011: 3 films and 2 series. Optional entries are marked; you can skip them on a first watch.
| # | Title | Year | Type | Runtime | IMDb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blade | 1998 | Film | 2h 1m | 7.1 |
| 2 | Blade II | 2002 | Film | 1h 57m | 6.7 |
| 3 | Blade: Trinity | 2004 | Film | 1h 53m | 5.8 |
| 4 | Blade: The Series | 2006 | Series | 9h 39m | 6.2 |
| 5 | Blade optional | 2011 | Series | 4h 36m | 6.5 |
Release or chronological: which order is best?
For Blade, release order and story order are the same thing: every film picks up after the one before it. There is no prequel to slot in early and no flashback to reshuffle, so the list above is the only order you need.
Where to start
Start with Blade and go in release order, skipping the 1 optional titles on the first pass.
The essentials are 4 titles and about 16 hours, 23% less than the full run.
Every Blade movie, explained
One entry per title in release order: what it is about, why it matters to the bigger story, who is in it and how it did.
No. 01 · 1998 · Film · 2h 1m
Blade
The Daywalker known as "Blade" - a half-vampire, half-mortal man - becomes the protector of humanity against an underground army of vampires.
Why it matters: Blade against Deacon Frost; the place to start.
- Starring
- Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, and Kris Kristofferson
- Director
- Stephen Norrington
- Box office
- $131 million on a $45 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.1 · Rotten Tomatoes 59%
No. 02 · 2002 · Film · 1h 57m
Blade II
Blade forms an uneasy alliance with the vampire council in order to combat the Reapers, who are feeding on vampires.
Why it matters: Guillermo del Toro's sequel; Blade allies with vampires against the Reapers.
- Starring
- Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristofferson, and Ron Perlman
- Director
- Guillermo del Toro
- Box office
- $155 million on a $54 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.7 · Rotten Tomatoes 57%
No. 03 · 2004 · Film · 1h 53m
Blade: Trinity
For years, Blade has fought against the vampires in the cover of the night. But now, after falling into the crosshairs of the FBI, he is forced out into the daylight, where he is driven to join forces with a clan of human vampire hunters he never knew existed—The Nightstalkers. Together with Abigail and Hannibal, two deftly trained Nightstalkers, Blade follows a trail of blood to the ancient creature that is also hunting him—the original vampire, Dracula.
Why it matters: Blade joins the Nightstalkers against Dracula; the end of the trilogy.
- Starring
- Wesley Snipes, Jessica Biel, and Ryan Reynolds
- Director
- David S. Goyer
- Box office
- $129 million on a $65 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 5.8 · Rotten Tomatoes 24%
No. 04 · 2006 · Series · 9h 39m
Blade: The Series
Blade is a half-man, half-vampire who employs his extraordinary powers in a crusade to save mankind from the demonic creatures who walk the night. Set in Detroit, Blade investigates the vampire house of Chthon. Along the way he forms an uneasy alliance with Krista Starr, a former military veteran who becomes entrenched in the world of vampires while investigating the murder of her twin brother.
Why it matters: A TV continuation with Sticky Fingaz as Blade; one season.
- Starring
- Sticky Fingaz, Jill Wagner, and Nelson Lee
- Creator
- David S. Goyer
- Scores
- IMDb 6.2 · Rotten Tomatoes 50%
- Episodes
- 12
No. 05 · 2011 · Series · 4h 36m · optional
Blade
Legendary half-vampire, half-human vampire hunter Blade is tracking Deacon Frost, a very powerful and influential vampire who killed his mother and who heads Existence, a secretive vampire organization that operates in Southeast Asia.
Why it matters: A separate Japanese continuity from the Marvel Anime line.
- Starring
- Akio Otsuka, Maaya Sakamoto, and Tsutomu Isobe
- Scores
- IMDb 6.5
- Episodes
- 12
Blade box office and budgets
The 3 Blade films with reported numbers have grossed $415 million worldwide on about $164 million in combined budgets, roughly 2.5 times what they cost. The biggest is Blade II at $155 million, 37% of the franchise's total on its own, followed by Blade ($131 million) and Blade: Trinity ($129 million).
Measured against what it cost, the best return belongs to Blade, which made 2.9 times its $45 million budget. The weakest was Blade: Trinity at 2.0 times its $65 million budget. As a rule of thumb, a film needs about two and a half times its budget at the box office to cover marketing and the theaters' cut.
The best and worst rated Blade movies
Across 5 rated titles, Blade averages 6.5 on IMDb. The top of the list is Blade at 7.1, then Blade II (6.7) and Blade (6.5). At the bottom: Blade: Trinity (5.8) and Blade: The Series (6.2).
- Blade7.1 · RT 59%
- Blade II6.7 · RT 57%
- Blade6.5
- Blade: The Series6.2 · RT 50%
- Blade: Trinity5.8 · RT 24%
Who appears in the most Blade movies
Wesley Snipes leads with 3 appearances as Blade, ahead of Kris Kristofferson (3). Counted from each title's top-billed cast.
| Actor | Role | Titles | First and latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wesley Snipes | Blade | 3 | Blade (1998) to Blade: Trinity (2004) |
| Kris Kristofferson | Whistler | 3 | Blade (1998) to Blade: Trinity (2004) |
Blade directors and creators
3 filmmakers have directed or created Blade; David S. Goyer has the most, with 2.
- David S. GoyerBlade: Trinity (2004) and Blade: The Series (2006)
- Stephen NorringtonBlade (1998)
- Guillermo del ToroBlade II (2002)
How long it takes to watch every Blade movie
All 5 titles add up to 20 hours: 6 hours of film and 14 hours of series, counting every episode. That is about 11 two-hour evenings, or 3 days of ten-hour binges. The essentials cut it to 16 hours. The longest film is Blade at 2h 1m.
The 3 best rated films: Blade, Blade II, and Blade: Trinity.
Everything takes about 3 weeks; the essentials about 3 weeks.
Track what you've watched on the timeline and it counts the hours left.
Which Blade movies can you skip?
1 title can go without losing the main story. They are side stories, spin-offs or entries the later films ignore. Dropping them saves 5 hours.
- Blade2011 · Series · 4h 36m · optionalA separate Japanese continuity from the Marvel Anime line.
Common questions
What order should I watch the Blade movies in?
Watch Blade in release order, which is also story order: Blade (1998), Blade II (2002), then Blade: Trinity (2004). Blade: The Series (2006) continues afterward with a new lead, and Wesley Snipes returns as Blade in Deadpool & Wolverine (2024). The 2011 Marvel anime is a separate continuity.
How many Blade movies and shows are there?
There are 5 titles in the Blade franchise: 3 films and 2 series, released from 1998 to 2011.
How long does it take to watch all the Blade movies?
About 20 hours for all 5 titles, counting every episode. The essentials only (4 titles) take about 16 hours.
What is the first Blade title in chronological order?
Blade, set in An unnamed American city. In release order the first is Blade (1998).
Which Blade titles can I skip?
Blade. They are spin-offs, side stories or non-canon entries; the main story holds without them.
What is the best Blade movie?
By IMDb score, Blade (1998) at 7.1, followed by Blade II at 6.7.
What is the highest-grossing Blade movie?
Blade II (2002), with $155 million worldwide. Blade films have made $415 million in total.
Who has appeared in the most Blade movies?
Wesley Snipes, in 3 of them as Blade.
What is the longest Blade movie?
Blade, at 2h 1m.
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