The Terminator series has no single storyline. The first two films are watched back to back: The Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). After that the story branches: Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) continues only the second film, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) leads to Terminator Salvation (2009), the series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008–2009) also continues the second film, Terminator Genisys (2015) is a reboot, and the anime Terminator Zero (2024) follows new characters in Japan.
Below you will find US release dates, directors and runtimes, a diagram of the plot branches, spoiler-free summaries, a viewing order and an answer to what is known about new projects. The details were checked against the official Paramount pages and against Wikipedia (Russian and English) as of October 17, 2026. Titles are given in English, and each section also gives the original title.
All Terminator films and series in release order
| Title | US release | Director | Runtime, min |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Terminator | October 26, 1984 | James Cameron | 107 |
| Terminator 2: Judgment Day | July 3, 1991 | James Cameron | 137 |
| Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines | July 2, 2003 | Jonathan Mostow | 109 |
| Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (series) | January 13, 2008 — April 10, 2009 | Josh Friedman (creator) | 2 seasons, 31 episodes |
| Terminator Salvation | May 21, 2009 | McG | 115 |
| Terminator Genisys | July 1, 2015 | Alan Taylor | 125 |
| Terminator: Dark Fate | November 1, 2019 | Tim Miller | 128 |
| Terminator Zero (anime series) | August 29, 2024 | Masaki Kudo (showrunner Mattson Tomlin) | 8 episodes of 26–30 |
Six feature films and two series. Cameron directed and wrote the first two films; after that the directors and studios changed. Cameron produced Dark Fate.
Plot branches: what connects to what
Because of time travel, each new installment either continues the previous ones or discards them and starts its own line. That is why the series has no single chronology; it has several branches that split off after the second film.
| Branch | What is included | How it connects to the rest |
|---|---|---|
| Shared base | The Terminator (1984), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) | The starting point for all branches |
| Dark Fate branch | Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) | A direct sequel to the second film; it ignores the third, fourth and fifth |
| Third-film branch | Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003), Terminator Salvation (2009) | Terminator Salvation takes place after the third film |
| Series branch | Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008–2009) | Continues the second film, ignores the third |
| Reboot | Terminator Genisys (2015) | An alternate reality, a branch off the first film |
| Standalone story | Terminator Zero (2024) | New heroes in Japan, with no connection to Sarah and John Connor |
What each film and series is about, spoiler-free
The Terminator (1984)
Original title: The Terminator. A killer robot from the future (Arnold Schwarzenegger) arrives in 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), the mother of the future leader of the resistance, while the soldier Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) is sent to protect Sarah. Director and co-writer: James Cameron. The film came out from Orion Pictures and grossed about $78 million.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Original title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The machines try again: a more advanced Terminator, the T-1000 (Robert Patrick), is sent after young John Connor (Edward Furlong), while the boy is protected by a reprogrammed Terminator played by Schwarzenegger. Sarah decides to destroy Cyberdyne Systems before it can create Skynet. The film won several Oscars and grossed about $524 million.
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
Original title: Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. Destroying Cyberdyne only delayed Skynet’s takeover of the world. A new Terminator, the T-X, is sent into the past to kill John Connor’s comrades, including his future wife. Director: Jonathan Mostow; the cast includes Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes and Kristanna Loken. The film grossed about $433 million.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008–2009)
Original title: Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. The Fox series continues the second film: Sarah (Lena Headey) and John Connor (Thomas Dekker) try to live unnoticed after the destruction of Cyberdyne. The cast also includes Summer Glau and Brian Austin Green. The series was created by Josh Friedman; two seasons and 31 episodes were made.
Terminator Salvation (2009)
Original title: Terminator Salvation. The action takes place after the third film, when Skynet has already destroyed most of humanity. John Connor is played by Christian Bale and Marcus Wright by Sam Worthington. Director: McG. The film received mostly negative reviews and grossed about $371 million.
Terminator Genisys (2015)
Original title: Terminator Genisys. A reboot with a new cast: Emilia Clarke plays Sarah Connor, Jai Courtney plays Kyle Reese, Jason Clarke plays John Connor, and Schwarzenegger returns as the Terminator. The action takes place in an alternate reality, a branch off the first film. Director: Alan Taylor; the film came out from Paramount Pictures. It grossed about $441 million, but the planned sequels were canceled.
Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)
Original title: Terminator: Dark Fate. A direct sequel to Terminator 2: Judgment Day, bringing back Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The machines send a Rev-9 Terminator into the past to kill young Dani Ramos (Natalia Reyes), and the resistance sends a protector, Grace (Mackenzie Davis), to her. Director: Tim Miller. The planned trilogy did not happen because of weak box office.
Terminator Zero (2024)
Original title: Terminator Zero. A Netflix anime series from Production I.G: the action takes place in Tokyo in 1997, the year of Judgment Day, with new characters. The series was created by Mattson Tomlin, directed by Masaki Kudo, and has eight episodes in total. According to Russian Wikipedia, it is not connected to any part of the film series, but it considers the film series canon. In February 2026, Tomlin said the series had been canceled due to low viewership.
What order to watch in
The simplest route is release order, which shows how the series splits into branches. If you want one connected story, watch The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Terminator: Dark Fate: the last film continues the second one and does not require the rest. Watch the series and Terminator Zero separately, since they are self-contained stories.
- The Terminator (1984)
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
- Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)
Watch the other branches separately, each in its own order:
- Third-film branch: Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003), then Terminator Salvation (2009).
- Series: Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008–2009), after Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
- Reboot: Terminator Genisys (2015).
- Standalone story: Terminator Zero (2024).
If you like watching films in order, we have similar guides: X-Men films, the Marvel movie chronology and all the Fast & Furious films.
Sources and methodology
Analysis of public sourcesChecked 17 October 2026
- Paramount — Terminator: Dark Fate (official page) paramount.com
- Paramount — Terminator Genisys (official page) paramount.com
- Wikipedia — Terminator (franchise) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia (Russian) — Terminator Zero ru.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia (Russian) — Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles ru.wikipedia.org
Frequently asked questions
What order should you watch Terminator in?
In release order: The Terminator (1984), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003), Terminator Salvation (2009), Terminator Genisys (2015), Terminator: Dark Fate (2019). For one connected story, the first two films and Terminator: Dark Fate are enough.
How many Terminator films are there?
Six feature films from 1984 to 2019. Besides them, the series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008–2009) and the anime Terminator Zero (2024) came out.
Do I need to watch the third, fourth and fifth films before Terminator: Dark Fate?
No. Terminator: Dark Fate is a direct sequel to Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Terminator Salvation and Terminator Genisys are not taken into account in it.
Where does Terminator Zero fit in the chronology?
It is set in Tokyo in 1997, with new characters. According to Russian Wikipedia, the series is not connected to any part of the film series, but it considers the film series canon.
When is the next Terminator film coming out?
No date has been set. We did not find an official announcement, and there will be no second season of Terminator Zero: the series was canceled in February 2026.
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