Summary

• Begin with The Terminator in 1984 to lay the foundation for the franchise's future war and characters.
• James Cameron's films offer a solid viewing order to follow if you want his directorial style.
• Consider watching based on quality, starting with Terminator 2 for the best experience in the series.

With six films released and lots of time travel in the mix, there are several potential options for watching the Terminator movies in order, with the chronological and release order making for different viewing experiences. The Terminator franchise has ed through several directors, with each putting their spin on the future war between Skynet and humanity, taking different approaches and incorporating alternate timelines. The franchise begins with Sarah Connor in 1984 LA. She is approached by Kyle Reese, a man from the future on a mission to protect her from a relentless killing machine known as a Terminator.

The Terminator was sent back from the year 2029 to kill her since she is destined to give birth to a child who will grow up to lead the battle against the Terminators and Skynet. Skynet is an AI program that becomes sentient and incites a nuclear apocalypse known as Judgment Day. John Connor's life is shaped by the past, present, and future, leading him to fulfill his destiny as the leader of the Resistance, but even that changed in the movies. Here is every way to watch the Terminator movies in order.

The Terminator: Release Date Viewing Order

Every Terminator Movie From 1984 To 2019

The most conventional way to watch the Terminator movies is in release order. 1984's The Terminator lays down most of the groundwork needed to understand what is going on throughout the rest of the franchise. This leads into 1991's Terminator 2: Judgement Day and beyond, and it's not until later entries that the lore becomes more intricate. With a solid foundation in place, viewers see the story slowly evolve and progress in some interesting ways.

The one big problem with the release date Terminator viewing order is that the series' original director, James Cameron, exited the franchise after Judgment Day and returned 17 years later to work on Dark Fate. This means other filmmakers stepped in and added their respective directorial spins on their franchise installments, including McG's spin on the franchise with Terminator: Salvation and Alan Taylor's critically panned Terminator: Genisys.

The Terminator: Chronological Viewing Order

The Canon Order Of The Terminator Timeline Differs From The Release Order

Chronology is where the timeline of the Terminator franchise begins to become diluted. The Terminator release viewing order doesn't take chronology into , and the Terminator series skips around in of time and timelines. The best way to watch the Terminator movies in order when looking at the series chronologically would go like this:

The Terminator timeline is an interesting one in that it's fairly straightforward — until audiences arrive at the most recent installments, Genisys and Dark Fate. Time travel has been involved in the Terminator timeline since the first film when Kyle Reese traveled back to save Sarah Connor. Genisys, which is recommended to watch after The Terminator, puts a slight spin on the original film's timeline, which is why audiences should view it right after the initial film.

Salvation and Dark Fate take place in 2018, but they are two very different versions of 2018.

It may require some mental gymnastics to keep straight the alternate timeline it offers. Genisys doesn't introduce many new characters, which would further confuse the plot. The same goes for Dark Fate within the timeline of the film's fictional events. Salvation and Dark Fate take place in 2018, but they are two very different versions of 2018. Salvation follows in the original timeline, while Dark Fate throws a wrench into things, since it continues the story after Judgment Day, ignoring the other movies.

The Terminator: James Cameron Viewing Order

Only The Terminator Movies Helmed By The Original Director

The shortest Terminator viewing order suggestion is one that follows only those Terminator films that have involved the legendary movie director James Cameron. The Terminator viewing order works not only because it focuses just on Cameron's footprint in the franchise, but it also acts as a trilogy within the larger franchise. The Cameron viewing order is:

• The Terminator
• Terminator 2: Judgment Day
• Terminator: Dark Fate

Cameron directed the first two Terminator films and worked as a producer on Dark Fate. The Terminator franchise wouldn't exist without Cameron, so it's only right to focus on a viewing order where his vision as a director and producer shines through. Watching the Terminator movies in order here excludes the events of three other Terminator movies. But, it's already implied a fan of the series has chosen it and wants to stick to the purest version as possible, which means focusing on Cameron's work.

Alternate Terminator Viewing Order

Viewing The Terminator Movies In Order Of Quality

Another recommended Terminator viewing order may include a few surprises, but this one is based upon watching Terminator movies in order from the ones considered the strongest to the weakest. If audiences are going to commit to watching the entire Terminator film franchise, viewers want to make sure it's worth their time.

• Terminator 2: Judgment Day
• The Terminator
• Terminator: Dark Fate
• Terminator: Salvation
• Terminator: Rise of the Machines
• Terminator: Genisys

Judgment Day is often considered the best Terminator film in the franchise, and it provides the necessary backstory a viewer needs to dive right into the world of the Terminator. From there in the Terminator viewing order, move to The Terminator, which will act as a prequel at this point while also providing deeper context on the journeys of Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese. Dark Fate won't be essential to the viewing order, but it's strongly recommended since it's a big part of Sarah Connor and the original Terminator's arcs.

After Dark Fate, Salvation is the way to go with this Terminator viewing order. It continues the story laid out in Rise of the Machines but shows audiences a new time in the Terminator franchise where John Connor is evolving into the Resistance leader and savior he is known to be in earlier films. Finally, just get it over with and watch arguably the two weakest films, Rise of the Machines and Genisys.

The Best Terminator Viewing Order

All things considered, the best option for watching the Terminator movies in order boils down to what viewers are looking to accomplish. If audiences want to see the original timeline play out and get all the core information they need about Sarah and John Connor, Kyle Reese, the Terminator, and Skynet's plans to take over the world, just watch James Cameron's entries:

• The Terminator
• Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Viewing the films in order of their release date is an unbeatable option, though, so viewers should opt for that if they want to keep it simple.

• The Terminator
• Terminator 2: Judgment Day
• Terminator: Rise of the Machines
• Terminator: Salvation
• Terminator: Genisys
• Terminator: Dark Fate

Where To Watch Every Terminator Movie

Most Terminator Movies Are Currently Available To Stream

Thanks to the advent of streaming services, how a person watches the Terminator movies in order has never been easier. Usually, ownership of a franchise determines what streaming services movies are offered on, and more often than not, all the movies of a franchise will appear on one service, making binge-watching that much easier. Unfortunately, this isn't the case with the Terminator franchise, and only a few of the films are available to stream for subscribers, while others must be rented.

• The Terminator — Available to stream on AMC+
• Terminator 2: Judgment Day — Available to stream on AMC+
• Terminator: Rise of the Machines — Rent or Buy on Prime Video & Apple TV+
• Terminator: Salvation — Rent or Buy on Prime Video & Apple TV+
• Terminator: Genisys — Available to stream on Prime Video
• Terminator: Dark Fate — Available to stream on DirecTV

This certainly presents problems for those favoring the James Cameron Terminator viewing order, as audiences have to subscribe to two different streaming services or pay for rentals. The same problem goes for those wishing to view the Terminator movies chronologically, as it requires multiple rental or streaming options. Luckily, rental prices are low, and streaming services usually offer a free trial for those new to the service. Therefore, audiences won't have to spend too much on watching the full Terminator franchise.