Terminator Movies in Order: Release Order, Timelines and Where Terminator Zero Fits

Watch the Terminator movies 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 catch is that the later films do not form one straight line. Several of them ignore each other, so the best viewing path depends on which story you want.

This guide gives the release order, explains each timeline branch, covers the TV series and the Netflix anime Terminator Zero, and suggests what you can skip. It is spoiler-free.

Terminator movies in release order

Dates are US release dates as listed on Wikipedia’s franchise and film pages. Availability on streaming services differs by country and changes often, so check your local service rather than assuming one platform carries every film.

Do the Terminator movies share one timeline?

No. The franchise has several continuities, and Wikipedia’s franchise page lists them separately:

Terminator Zero, the 2024 Netflix anime, is a separate case covered below. In short: every path starts with the first two films, then splits.

The essential path

Start here whatever you choose next:

• The Terminator (1984), a 107-minute chase thriller. A cyborg assassin is sent from the future to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor, and a soldier from the future follows to protect her. Wikipedia notes it was selected for the US National Film Registry in 2008.
• Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), a 137-minute sequel that wraps the central story. It is set in 1995 and names August 29, 1997 as Judgment Day, the date machines take over. Our Terminator 2 review covers why it still holds up.

For a closer look at why the same-looking machine switches sides, read our T-800 character explainer.

After those two, pick a branch.

What to watch after T2

If you want the most direct sequel: Terminator: Dark Fate (2019). Wikipedia describes it as set 25 years after T2, with an opening in 1998 and most of the story in 2020. It brings back Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor and Arnold Schwarzenegger as a T-800, and it disregards the three films in between. It has a 128-minute runtime.

If you want the original film run: T3 then Salvation. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) is set mainly in 2003. In it, the 1997 Judgment Day date passes without incident, and the film says earlier events only delayed it. Terminator Salvation (2009) is a sequel to T3 set in 2018, in the post-apocalyptic war, and is the only film in the series without Schwarzenegger in a starring role, though his likeness appears briefly through CGI.

If you want the TV version: Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. The Fox series ran from January 13, 2008 to April 10, 2009 across two seasons and 31 episodes, with Lena Headey as Sarah Connor. It continues from T2 and disregards T3. Fox cancelled it after season two.

If you want an alternate take: Terminator Genisys (2015). The studio called it a “reimagining” of the first two films. It creates an alternate timeline in which a reprogrammed Terminator raised Sarah Connor, and it mostly ignores T3 and Salvation. Two planned sequels were cancelled after its weak box office.

Where does Terminator Zero fit?

Terminator Zero is an eight-episode anime that premiered on Netflix on August 29, 2024. Mattson Tomlin developed it and served as showrunner, and Production I.G animated it, with Masashi Kudō directing. It is set in 1997 Tokyo, the day before Judgment Day, and follows new characters rather than the Connors. Wikipedia says Tomlin has described the series as treating the earlier films as canon, and Wikipedia says it has no ties to Sarah or John Connor, so it works as a stand-alone watch after The Terminator and T2.

Netflix cancelled the series after one season. Wikipedia reports that Tomlin confirmed this in February 2026 and said planned seasons two and three would have covered a future war.

Which Terminator movies can you skip?

This is our viewing suggestion, not a studio statement:

• Short on time: The Terminator and Terminator 2 are the whole core story. Add Dark Fate only if you want a modern follow-up.
• Terminator 3 and Salvation form a separate branch that Dark Fate and the TV series both ignore. Watch them for completeness, not for plot you need.
• Genisys stands in its own alternate timeline, so skipping it breaks nothing.
• Dark Fate underperformed. Wikipedia lists about $261.1 million worldwide against a reported $185–196 million budget and says it was widely considered a box-office bomb. The loss figures are press estimates.

If you like long marathons, similar guides for other franchises include our Alien movies in order, Predator movies in order and Matrix movies in order guides, and our Mission: Impossible movies in order guide.

What is next for Terminator?

There is no confirmed new Terminator film. In a September 2025 CNN interview, reported by ComicBookMovie, James Cameron said he had been “tasked with writing a new Terminator story” but had been unable to get very far. Wikipedia reports that he later said the project would not include Schwarzenegger, and that Schwarzenegger (May 2023) and Hamilton (February 2024) have each said they would not return. No title, director, cast or release date has been announced.

We will update this guide if a studio confirms details. For everything we publish on the series, see the Terminator hub, and check the release calendar for confirmed dates. For more action classics, browse our best action movies of all time list.

FAQ

What order should I watch the Terminator movies 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). Treat everything after T2 as optional branches.

Do I need to watch all the Terminator movies?

No. The first two films tell the core story. The later ones are alternate continuations that ignore each other.

Is Dark Fate a direct sequel to Terminator 2?

Yes. It is set 25 years after T2 and disregards T3, Salvation and Genisys.

Where does Terminator Zero fit in the timeline?

It is set in Tokyo in 1997, the day before Judgment Day, with new characters. Showrunner Mattson Tomlin has said it treats the earlier films as canon, and it can be watched on its own.

Was The Sarah Connor Chronicles cancelled?

Yes. Fox announced on May 18, 2009 that it would not return for a third season, after two seasons.

Will there be another Terminator movie?

Nothing is confirmed. James Cameron has said he is working on a new story, but there is no title, cast or date, and Schwarzenegger and Hamilton have said they will not return.