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How Many Terminator Movies Are There?

There are a lot. But you don't need to see all of them to get the story as James Cameron originally intended.

The Terminator

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The first Terminator movie to hit theaters came out in 1984. The most recent aired 35 years later, in 2019. The sci-fi series, with its central narrative device of time travel, has been tied together over the course of every film. In the most recent addition, 2019’s Terminator: Dark Fate, however, the producers worked to retroactively change the timeline of the films following Terminator 2. This is because the film’s original director, James Cameron, left the project following the second film and only made his return in its latest entry.

If you’re a hardcore fan, or someone looking to experience Skynet for the first time then here is a list of all the Terminator films you’ll want to dive into.

How many Terminator films are there?

In total there are six films in the franchise with The Terminator starting things off in 1984 and Terminator: Dark Fate being the latest addition to the action in 2019. Here are all six films.

  • The Terminator (1984)
  • Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
  • Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
  • Terminator Salvation (2009)
  • Terminator Genisys (2015)
  • Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

There are a few ways to go about watching this series of films, the most simple is to watch all six in chronological order. Some fans may choose to only watch the first two films followed by Dark Fate to experience the series how Cameron intended. Either way, you’re going to get a solid fix of sci-fi action.