The Terminator saga has 6 released films, 11 hrs 56 in total, spread from 1984 to 2019.
That comes to 6 evenings of two hours — the median film runs 117 minutes, so an evening swallows one, rarely two.
In release order
- 1984 — The Terminator — 1 hr 48
- 1991 — Terminator 2: Judgment Day — 2 hrs 17
- 2003 — Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines — 1 hr 49
- 2009 — Terminator Salvation — 1 hr 48
- 2015 — Terminator Genisys — 2 hrs 06
- 2019 — Terminator: Dark Fate — 2 hrs 08
And the chronological order? There isn't a single one. The films are set between 1984 and 2029, but each reboot rewrites the timeline: sorting them by internal date would produce a sequence that contradicts itself from one film to the next. So the useful question isn't "in what order" but "which continuity" — see below.
Which order should you pick?
Release order — but with a warning few articles give. This saga was rebooted three times, and each reboot cancels earlier films: the fifth ignores the third and fourth, the sixth ignores everything except the first two. Following release order therefore means watching one story contradict itself three times. That is not your mistake, it is the state of the franchise — and knowing it stops you thinking you missed something.
Is Terminator worth the marathon?
Eleven hours fifty for six films, six evenings. Thirty-five years of production, and a solid consensus: the first two films are the good ones, the next four each try to restart from there. This is a saga that never managed to top its second entry, and spent three decades trying — which is a curious object in itself.
Who it is for
It speaks to anyone wanting to see two films that became references and to understand what a franchise becomes when it outlives its good idea. For anyone who accepts six evenings. If you want clear continuity, there is none: three versions of the same story coexist, and none wins.
The three continuities, and what to watch depending on which you pick
Saying "three reboots" doesn't help you decide what to start tonight. Here are the four routes that actually exist, with their running times:
- The short route — The Terminator + T2: 4 hrs 05. The story closes, and it's the firmest consensus in the saga.
- The Dark Fate route — The Terminator + T2 + Dark Fate: 6 hrs 13. The sixth film is written as the direct sequel to the second and ignores films 3, 4 and 5. It's the most recent continuity.
- The classic route — The Terminator + T2 + T3 + Salvation: 7 hrs 42. The sequence as it stood before the reboots.
- _Genisys_ — on its own. A standalone reboot that rewrites the first film's events; it connects to nothing.
In other words: nobody "has to" watch all six. Picking one continuity and sticking to it gives you a coherent story; watching them all in release order gives you three competing versions of the same tale.
The show that film articles forget
_Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles_ (2008-2009) runs 2 seasons and 31 episodes. It picks up right after T2 and ignores T3 — making it a fourth continuity, and by far the longest in watch time.
It's almost always missing from "what order to watch Terminator" articles, which only ever discuss films. If you take the short route and want more without switching continuity, that's where to go — not to the third film.
FAQ
What order should I watch Terminator in? Release order; know that three successive reboots cancel earlier films.
What is the total length? 11 hrs 56 for six films, six evenings of two hours.
Can I stop after the second? Yes: it closes the story, and consensus backs that.
Last updated: September 24, 2026 — TMDB data verified.