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Terminator watch order

All six Terminator films and the two series, in release order, with the ones you can skip. It is the same order the emberslate app uses for its Terminator saga.

Updated · By emberfold labs

The short answer

Watch The Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day first, then the rest in release order. The two series are optional. The six films take about 12 hours.

Titles
6 films, 2 series
Everything
about 39 hours
Core path
about 12 hours
Films only
about 12 hours

Release order

Terminator in release order

The order they came out. The best way in for a first watch. The series goes after the second film.

  1. The Terminator poster01

    The Terminator (1984)

    Film · 1h 48mCore

  2. Terminator 2: Judgment Day poster02

    Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

    Film · 2h 17mCore

  3. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles poster03

    Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008–2009)

    Series · 2 seasons · 31 episodes · about 23hOptional

    Watch after the second film. Optional.

  4. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines poster04

    Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

    Film · 1h 49mCore

  5. Terminator Salvation poster05

    Terminator Salvation (2009)

    Film · 1h 55mCore

  6. Terminator Genisys poster06

    Terminator Genisys (2015)

    Film · 2h 6mCore

  7. Terminator: Dark Fate poster07

    Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

    Film · 2h 8mCore

  8. Terminator Zero poster08

    Terminator Zero (2024)

    Series · 1 season · 8 episodes · about 4hOptional

    Standalone anime story on Netflix. Optional.

Which sequels count?

The first two films are the heart of the series. Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) is a direct sequel to Terminator 2 and ignores the films in between, so if you want the shortest path, that is the one to take.

Terminator 3, Salvation and Genisys each take the story in a different direction. They are in the list in release order, and you can watch them or leave them.

The series

The Sarah Connor Chronicles picks up after Terminator 2 and sits right after it in the list. Terminator Zero is a standalone anime on Netflix. Both are marked optional.

What you can skip

Anything not marked core can wait. The main story does not need it, so watch it whenever you like.

  • Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles poster

    Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008–2009)

    Watch after the second film. Optional.

  • Terminator Zero poster

    Terminator Zero (2024)

    Standalone anime story on Netflix. Optional.

Track it

Track the Terminator saga in emberslate

The Sagas tab in the emberslate app has this exact order. Mark the next step watched, and see how far through you are. It is free on Android.

Get emberslate on Google Play
The Terminator saga in the emberslate app: 6 films and 2 shows in release order, with The Terminator from 1984 up next and Mark watched and Skip buttons.

Terminator watch order questions

What order should I watch the Terminator movies in?

Release order: The Terminator, Terminator 2, Rise of the Machines, Salvation, Genisys and Dark Fate. The Sarah Connor Chronicles goes after the second film, and Terminator Zero is a separate anime.

Which Terminator movies can I skip?

Terminator 3, Salvation and Genisys. Dark Fate continues straight from Terminator 2, so you can watch the first two films and then Dark Fate.

Do I need to watch The Sarah Connor Chronicles?

No. It is optional. It follows on from Terminator 2 and tells its own story over two seasons.

Is Terminator Zero connected to the films?

It is a standalone anime story on Netflix, so it is optional.

The order and the core, optional and save-for-later marks are the ones the emberslate app uses for this saga. Titles, years and runtimes come from TMDB; series runtimes count aired episodes only and are rounded. First published .