Watch The Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) first; they are the core story. Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) is the direct sequel to T2, while Rise of the Machines, Salvation and Genisys are alternate timelines you can skip.
- Titles
- 8
- Films
- 6
- Series
- 2
- Watch time
- 39 hours
- Box office
- $2.10 billion
- Avg IMDb
- 7.1
Terminator movies in release order
Here is every Terminator title in the order it came out, 1984 to 2024: 6 films and 2 series. Optional entries are marked; you can skip them on a first watch.
| # | Title | Year | Type | Runtime | IMDb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Terminator | 1984 | Film | 1h 48m | 8.1 |
| 2 | Terminator 2: Judgment Day | 1991 | Film | 2h 17m | 8.6 |
| 3 | Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines optional | 2003 | Film | 1h 49m | 6.3 |
| 4 | Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles optional | 2008 | Series | 23h 3m | 7.6 |
| 5 | Terminator Salvation optional | 2009 | Film | 1h 55m | 6.5 |
| 6 | Terminator Genisys optional | 2015 | Film | 2h 6m | 6.3 |
| 7 | Terminator: Dark Fate | 2019 | Film | 2h 8m | 6.2 |
| 8 | Terminator Zero optional | 2024 | Series | 3h 50m | 6.9 |
Terminator timeline: movies in chronological order
The same titles in story order, by when they take place, with the year or era each one is set in.
| # | Title | Set in | Released |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Terminator | 1984 | 1984 |
| 2 | Terminator 2: Judgment Day | 1995 | 1991 |
| 3 | Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines | 2004 | 2003 |
| 4 | Terminator Salvation | 2018 | 2009 |
| 5 | Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles | 1999 & 2007 | 2008 |
| 6 | Terminator Genisys | 1984 & 2017 | 2015 |
| 7 | Terminator: Dark Fate | 2020 | 2019 |
| 8 | Terminator Zero | 1997 & 2022 | 2024 |
Release or chronological: which order is best?
Release order and story order disagree on 2 titles here. In release order you start with The Terminator (1984); in story order you start with The Terminator, set in 1984.
First time through, watch in release order. That is how the twists, returning characters and callbacks were built to land, and later entries assume you have seen the earlier ones. On a rewatch, try story order. It turns Terminator into one continuous story and makes the prequels play as setup instead of backstory.
Terminator also runs 5 separate continuities: Rise of the Machines, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Genisys, Dark Fate, and Terminator Zero. Each has its own line on the timeline, so you can watch them on their own without breaking the main story.
Where to start
Start with The Terminator and go in release order, skipping the 5 optional titles on the first pass.
The essentials are 3 titles and about 6 hours, 84% less than the full run.
The three highest rated: Terminator 2: Judgment Day (8.6), The Terminator (8.1), and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (7.6).
Every Terminator 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 · 1984 · Film · 1h 48m
The Terminator
In the post-apocalyptic future, reigning tyrannical supercomputers teleport a cyborg assassin known as the "Terminator" back to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor, whose unborn son is destined to lead insurgents against 21st century mechanical hegemony. Meanwhile, the human-resistance movement dispatches a lone warrior to safeguard Sarah. Can he stop the virtually indestructible killing machine?
Why it matters: A T-800 hunts Sarah Connor; the place to start.
- Starring
- Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, and Linda Hamilton
- Director
- James Cameron
- Box office
- $78 million on a $6 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 8.1 · Rotten Tomatoes 90%
No. 02 · 1991 · Film · 2h 17m
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Ten years after the events of the original, a reprogrammed T-800 is sent back in time to protect young John Connor from the shape-shifting T-1000. Together with his mother Sarah, he fights to stop Skynet from triggering a nuclear apocalypse.
Why it matters: The direct sequel and the franchise high point.
- Starring
- Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, and Edward Furlong
- Director
- James Cameron
- Box office
- $518 million on a $102 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 8.6 · Rotten Tomatoes 90%
No. 03 · 2003 · Film · 1h 49m · optional
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
It's been 10 years since John Connor saved Earth from Judgment Day, and he's now living under the radar, steering clear of using anything Skynet can trace. That is, until he encounters T-X, a robotic assassin ordered to finish what T-1000 started. Good thing Connor's former nemesis, the Terminator, is back to aid the now-adult Connor … just like he promised.
Why it matters: Judgment Day arrives in an alternate timeline; optional.
- Starring
- Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, and Claire Danes
- Director
- Jonathan Mostow
- Box office
- $435 million on a $200 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.3 · Rotten Tomatoes 70%
No. 04 · 2008 · Series · 23h 3m · 5th in story order · optional
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
The series picks up four years after the events of Terminator 2: Judgment Day with John and Sarah Connor trying to stay under-the-radar from the government, as they plot to destroy the computer network, Skynet, in hopes of preventing Armageddon.
Why it matters: A TV sequel to T2 that ignores T3; optional.
- Starring
- Lena Headey, Thomas Dekker, and Summer Glau
- Creator
- Josh Friedman
- Scores
- IMDb 7.6 · Rotten Tomatoes 84%
- Episodes
- 31 across 2 seasons
No. 05 · 2009 · Film · 1h 55m · 4th in story order · optional
Terminator Salvation
All grown up in post-apocalyptic 2018, John Connor must lead the resistance of humans against the increasingly dominating militaristic robots. But when Marcus Wright appears, his existence confuses the mission as Connor tries to determine whether Wright has come from the future or the past -- and whether he's friend or foe.
Why it matters: The future war, after T3; optional.
- Starring
- Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, and Moon Bloodgood
- Director
- McG
- Box office
- $371 million on a $200 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.5 · Rotten Tomatoes 33%
No. 06 · 2015 · Film · 2h 6m · optional
Terminator Genisys
The year is 2029. John Connor, leader of the resistance continues the war against the machines. At the Los Angeles offensive, John's fears of the unknown future begin to emerge when TECOM spies reveal a new plot by SkyNet that will attack him from both fronts; past and future, and will ultimately change warfare forever.
Why it matters: A timeline reboot; optional.
- Starring
- Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Clarke, and Emilia Clarke
- Director
- Alan Taylor
- Box office
- $441 million on a $155 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.3 · Rotten Tomatoes 26%
No. 07 · 2019 · Film · 2h 8m
Terminator: Dark Fate
Decades after Sarah Connor prevented Judgment Day, a lethal new Terminator is sent to eliminate the future leader of the resistance. In a fight to save mankind, battle-hardened Sarah Connor teams up with an unexpected ally and an enhanced super soldier to stop the deadliest Terminator yet.
Why it matters: The direct sequel to T2, with Linda Hamilton back as Sarah.
- Starring
- Linda Hamilton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Mackenzie Davis
- Director
- Tim Miller
- Box office
- $261 million on a $185 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.2 · Rotten Tomatoes 70%
No. 08 · 2024 · Series · 3h 50m · optional
Terminator Zero
A warrior from a post-apocalyptic future travels to 1997 to protect an AI scientist being hunted by an unfeeling — and indestructible — cyborg.
Why it matters: An anime series in its own timeline; optional.
- Starring
- Yuuya Uchida, Hiro Shimono, and Saori Hayami
- Creator
- Mattson Tomlin
- Scores
- IMDb 6.9 · Rotten Tomatoes 87%
- Episodes
- 8
Terminator box office and budgets
The 6 Terminator films with reported numbers have grossed $2.10 billion worldwide on about $848 million in combined budgets, roughly 2.5 times what they cost. The biggest is Terminator 2: Judgment Day at $518 million, 25% of the franchise's total on its own, followed by Terminator Genisys ($441 million) and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines ($435 million).
Measured against what it cost, the best return belongs to The Terminator, which made 12 times its $6 million budget. The weakest was Terminator: Dark Fate at 1.4 times its $185 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 Terminator movies
Across 8 rated titles, Terminator averages 7.1 on IMDb. The top of the list is Terminator 2: Judgment Day at 8.6, then The Terminator (8.1) and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (7.6). At the bottom: Terminator: Dark Fate (6.2) and Terminator Genisys (6.3).
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day8.6 · RT 90%
- The Terminator8.1 · RT 90%
- Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles7.6 · RT 84%
- Terminator Zero6.9 · RT 87%
- Terminator Salvation6.5 · RT 33%
- Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines6.3 · RT 70%
- Terminator Genisys6.3 · RT 26%
- Terminator: Dark Fate6.2 · RT 70%
Who appears in the most Terminator movies
Arnold Schwarzenegger leads with 5 appearances as Terminator and The Terminator, ahead of Linda Hamilton (3) and Earl Boen (3). Counted from each title's top-billed cast.
| Actor | Role | Titles | First and latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arnold Schwarzenegger | Terminator / The Terminator | 5 | The Terminator (1984) to Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) |
| Linda Hamilton | Sarah Connor | 3 | The Terminator (1984) to Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) |
| Earl Boen | Silberman / Dr. Silberman | 3 | The Terminator (1984) to Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) |
Terminator directors and creators
7 filmmakers have directed or created Terminator; James Cameron has the most, with 2.
- James CameronThe Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
- Jonathan MostowTerminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
- Josh FriedmanTerminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008)
- McGTerminator Salvation (2009)
- Alan TaylorTerminator Genisys (2015)
- Tim MillerTerminator: Dark Fate (2019)
- Mattson TomlinTerminator Zero (2024)
How long it takes to watch every Terminator movie
All 8 titles add up to 39 hours: 12 hours of film and 27 hours of series, counting every episode. That is about 20 two-hour evenings, or 4 days of ten-hour binges. The essentials cut it to 6 hours. The longest film is Terminator 2: Judgment Day at 2h 17m.
The 4 best rated films: Terminator 2: Judgment Day, The Terminator, Terminator Salvation, and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.
Everything takes about 6 weeks; the essentials about 7 days.
Track what you've watched on the timeline and it counts the hours left.
Which Terminator movies can you skip?
5 titles can go without losing the main story. They are side stories, spin-offs or entries the later films ignore. Dropping them saves 33 hours.
- Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines2003 · Film · 1h 49m · optionalJudgment Day arrives in an alternate timeline; optional.
- Terminator Salvation2009 · Film · 1h 55m · optionalThe future war, after T3; optional.
- Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles2008 · Series · 23h 3m · optionalA TV sequel to T2 that ignores T3; optional.
- Terminator Genisys2015 · Film · 2h 6m · optionalA timeline reboot; optional.
- Terminator Zero2024 · Series · 3h 50m · optionalAn anime series in its own timeline; optional.
Common questions
What order should I watch the Terminator movies in?
Watch The Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) first; they are the core story. Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) is the direct sequel to T2, while Rise of the Machines, Salvation and Genisys are alternate timelines you can skip.
How many Terminator movies and shows are there?
There are 8 titles in the Terminator franchise: 6 films and 2 series, released from 1984 to 2024.
How long does it take to watch all the Terminator movies?
About 39 hours for all 8 titles, counting every episode. The essentials only (3 titles) take about 6 hours.
What is the first Terminator title in chronological order?
The Terminator, set in 1984. In release order the first is The Terminator (1984).
Which Terminator titles can I skip?
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Terminator Salvation, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Terminator Genisys, and Terminator Zero. They are spin-offs, side stories or non-canon entries; the main story holds without them.
What is the best Terminator movie?
By IMDb score, Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) at 8.6, followed by The Terminator at 8.1.
What is the highest-grossing Terminator movie?
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), with $518 million worldwide. Terminator films have made $2.10 billion in total.
Who has appeared in the most Terminator movies?
Arnold Schwarzenegger, in 5 of them as Terminator.
What is the longest Terminator movie?
Terminator 2: Judgment Day, at 2h 17m.
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