With the release of the Netflix animated series Terminator Zero on the horizon, there's no better time to revisit the iconic Terminator franchise. From time-traveling cyborgs to the battle against Skynet, the guide below offers you a comprehensive look at the Terminator movie and shows in chronological and release order. We also show you how and where you can stream this franchise online!
How to watch the Terminator franchise in chronological order
To watch the Terminator movies and shows in chronological order, there are many ways to go about it. While The Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) are directly connected to each other, the sequels and spinoffs from thereon can complicate the franchise. These are a few timelines that you can check out.
The original Terminator timeline
- The Terminator
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day
- Terminator Zero
- Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
- Terminator: Salvation
The reboot timeline
The Dark Fate timeline
The Sarah Connor Chronicles timeline
In almost all timelines, start with James Cameron’s 1984 hit The Terminator, the film that launched the franchise. The film introduces the core premise: a cyborg assassin, the T-800 (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger), is sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor, the mother of the future leader of the human resistance, John Connor.
Next, dive into Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day, widely considered the best in the series. Here, Schwarzenegger’s T-800 returns, but this time as a protector for the young John Connor. The film’s exploration of fate, free will, and humanity’s battle against technology is central to the franchise’s themes.
Originally, the sequel to T2 was Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) which continues the story, with a new, more advanced Terminator, the T-X, sent to kill John Connor. If you decide to watch this film, the next sequel is Terminator: Salvation, a more dystopian adventure that’s set in the future with an older John Connor leading the revolution against the machines.
But in 2015, the franchise received a reboot called Terminator: Genisys. While it brought back Arnold Schwarzenegger as a friendly T-800 robot, it is largely considered to be a standalone film and didn’t receive any direct sequels.
In another timeline, Terminator: Dark Fate is considered as the direct sequel to T2 (ignoring the events of Terminator 3 and Salvation). This movie notably brought back not just Schwarzenegger but also Linda Hamilton who played the hot-headed robot-killing rebel Sarah Connor.
Coming to the TV shows in the Terminator franchise, the first and only live-action option is the short-lived but acclaimed series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-2009). Acting as a sequel to Terminator 2, this TV series offers a deeper dive into the lives of Sarah and John Connor. While it explores alternate timelines, it also provides valuable insights into Sarah Connor's relentless fight against Skynet.
On the animated front, the Netflix original Terminator Zero expands the series further offering another follow-up chapter to Terminator 2. Set in the year 1997, the anime-influenced show focuses on the scientist Malcolm Lee as he plans on creating another Artificial Intelligence system to rival Skynet.
How to watch the Terminator franchise in release order online
The list below shows you how and where you can stream, buy or rent all the Terminator movies and TV shows in order of their release date on streaming platforms in India!
