Terminator Movies in Order: Release and Chronological Order
The Terminator movies in order are The Terminator (1984), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003), Terminator Salvation (2009), Terminator Genisys (2015) and Terminator: Dark Fate (2019), and the chronological order is the same list. No seventh film has a date, so Terminator: Dark Fate remains the latest entry in the saga.
Terminator Movies in Order of Release
The Terminator (1984)Directed by James Cameron
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)Directed by James Cameron
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)Directed by Jonathan Mostow
Terminator Salvation (2009)Directed by McG
Terminator Genisys (2015)Directed by Alan Taylor
Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)Directed by Tim Miller
Terminator Movies in Chronological Order: Does the Story Match the Release Dates?
- The Terminator (1984)Directed by James Cameron
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)Directed by James Cameron
- Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)Directed by Jonathan Mostow
- Terminator Salvation (2009)Directed by McG
- Terminator Genisys (2015)Directed by Alan Taylor
- Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)Directed by Tim Miller
About the Release Order
Six theatrical films make up the Terminator movies in order of release, running from 1984 to 2019, and every one of them is a main saga entry rather than a spin-off. Here is the list in the order the films reached US theaters:
- The Terminator (1984), directed by James Cameron (108 minutes)
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), directed by James Cameron (137 minutes)
- Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003), directed by Jonathan Mostow (109 minutes)
- Terminator Salvation (2009), directed by McG (115 minutes)
- Terminator Genisys (2015), directed by Alan Taylor (126 minutes)
- Terminator: Dark Fate (2019), directed by Tim Miller (128 minutes)
The first two films belong to James Cameron, who directed both. The Terminator cost $6.4 million and grossed $78 million worldwide, while Terminator 2: Judgment Day cost $102 million and grossed more than $518 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo and The Numbers. The budget grew roughly sixteen times in seven years, which tells you how quickly the series became a major franchise.
After Cameron, the saga changed directors with every film: Jonathan Mostow made Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, McG made Terminator Salvation, Alan Taylor made Terminator Genisys and Tim Miller made Terminator: Dark Fate. That last film also put Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger back on screen together for the first time in 28 years, according to Fox News.
Some roles travel across the films and others are recast. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays the Terminator in The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and Terminator Genisys, and he returns in Terminator: Dark Fate. Linda Hamilton plays Sarah Connor in The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Terminator: Dark Fate, while Emilia Clarke takes the part in Terminator Genisys. John Connor is played by Edward Furlong, Nick Stahl, Christian Bale and Jason Clarke in turn, and Kyle Reese by Michael Biehn, Anton Yelchin and Jai Courtney. For the full lists, see the Terminator cast and the Terminator characters.
Television sits outside the numbered list. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles is a TV series, and the anime Terminator Zero was cancelled by Netflix after one season, Variety reported in February 2026. Neither is a theatrical film, so neither takes a place in either order.
No seventh film is dated. James Cameron said in December 2025 that he is working on a new Terminator without Schwarzenegger, according to The A.V. Club, but no studio, director, cast, title or release date has been announced. The latest status sits on the new Terminator movie page.
About the Chronological Order
Yes, the Terminator movies in chronological order are the same six films in the same sequence as the release order, so you can follow the list from 1984 to 2019 without reshuffling anything. Here is how each film sets itself up in time:
- The Terminator: 1984 Los Angeles, with the cyborg and Kyle Reese sent back from 2029.
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day: the machine war of 2029 frames the story, and the T-1000 is sent back to kill John Connor while he is a boy.
- Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines: 2003, when the T-X is sent after Kate Brewster and John Connor.
- Terminator Salvation: opens in 2003 with Marcus Wright, then moves to 2018, where John Connor is a leader of the Resistance.
- Terminator Genisys: 2029 first, then 1984, where the past has already changed.
- Terminator: Dark Fate: opens in 1998 in Guatemala, then jumps to 2019 Mexico City, where Grace protects Dani Ramos from the Rev-9.
The opening year of a film does not settle where it belongs: Terminator: Dark Fate opens in 1998 yet follows Terminator Genisys, which runs from 2029 back to 1984. In that 1984, Sarah Connor is already a hardened fighter raised by a reprogrammed Terminator she calls Pops. Terminator Salvation and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines both touch 2003, though they do so from different angles. Placing each film by its setting alone would scramble the saga, which is why the order above follows the sequence in which the stories continue.
The gaps between releases are uneven, and they explain why the films feel so different. Seven years separate The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day, twelve separate Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, six separate Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and Terminator Salvation, six separate Terminator Salvation and Terminator Genisys, and four separate Terminator Genisys and Terminator: Dark Fate. Twelve years is the longest wait. For the story event by event, the Terminator timeline covers how each film treats the ones before it.
Where to Start: How to Watch the Terminator Sequence
Start with The Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), which together tell the core story in 245 minutes, and then watch the other four in release order. James Cameron directed both, they run 108 and 137 minutes, and the later films play better once you know them.
Should you carry on straight away? That depends on what drew you in. If it was Arnold Schwarzenegger's machine and the Connor family, Terminator: Dark Fate (2019), directed by Tim Miller, is the natural next stop, since it brings Linda Hamilton back as Sarah Connor opposite him. If it was scale, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and Terminator Salvation are the larger scale action entries, and Terminator Salvation moves the story to the war years with Christian Bale as John Connor. Terminator Genisys is the one I would save for last, because it returns to 1984 and changes the past, so it lands better when you remember the first film.
The full run is 723 minutes, a little over twelve hours, which is a long weekend at a sensible pace (think of it as a small television series with bigger explosions). I would watch all six in order rather than skip around, since the later films lean on characters introduced earlier.
Ratings matter if you are watching with family. In the US, The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and Terminator: Dark Fate are rated R, while Terminator Salvation and Terminator Genisys are PG-13. In the UK, The Terminator carries an 18, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Terminator: Dark Fate a 15, and the other three a 12A.
Streaming lines change often, so check where to watch Terminator for the current US, UK and Australian lists before you queue the marathon.
Facts
- The Terminator (1984) was released in the US on October 26, 1984. Box Office Mojo, checked 2026-11-03
- The Terminator (1984) had a production budget of $6,400,000. The Numbers, checked 2026-11-03
- The Terminator (1984) grossed $78,371,200 worldwide. The Numbers, checked 2026-11-03
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) was released in the US on July 3, 1991. Box Office Mojo, checked 2026-11-03
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) had a production budget of $102,000,000. Box Office Mojo, checked 2026-11-03
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) grossed $518,868,620 worldwide. Box Office Mojo, checked 2026-11-03
- Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) was released in the US on July 2, 2003. Box Office Mojo, checked 2026-11-03
- Terminator Genisys (2015) was released in the US on July 1, 2015. Box Office Mojo, checked 2026-11-03
- Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) was released in the US on November 1, 2019. TheWrap, checked 2026-11-03
- Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) grossed $261,119,292 worldwide. Box Office Mojo, checked 2026-11-03
- Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) had a production budget of $185,000,000. Box Office Mojo, checked 2026-11-03
- James Cameron said in December 2025 that he is working on a new Terminator film, and no release date has been announced. The A.V. Club, checked 2026-11-03
FAQs
What is the correct order to watch The Terminator movies?
Watch them in release order: The Terminator (1984), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003), Terminator Salvation (2009), Terminator Genisys (2015) and Terminator: Dark Fate (2019). The chronological order is the same sequence, so there is no second route to choose. Together the six films run 723 minutes.
How to watch Terminator sequence?
Start with The Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), which tell the core story in 245 minutes, then continue with Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Terminator Salvation, Terminator Genisys and Terminator: Dark Fate in release order. Because the chronological order matches the release order, the same sequence works either way.
Do you need to watch all the Terminator movies?
No. The Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) tell the core story in 245 minutes, and the other four films are optional continuations.
Is Terminator Zero part of the movie order?
No. Terminator Zero is a Netflix anime series that was cancelled after one season, so it sits outside both film orders.
Is Terminator 6 hit or flop?
Terminator: Dark Fate (2019), the sixth film, is a commercial flop in my opinion. It grossed $261 million worldwide against a $185 million budget, according to Box Office Mojo, the lowest worldwide total of the five sequels. It earned $62 million in the US and $199 million internationally, and the figures for every film are on the Terminator box office page.
Is there a new Terminator movie after Terminator: Dark Fate?
No. No film after Terminator: Dark Fate has a release date. James Cameron said in December 2025 that he is working on a new Terminator film without Arnold Schwarzenegger, according to The A.V. Club, but no studio, director, cast, title or release date has been announced.
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