The Alien and Predator Movies Best Watch Order

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With 13 movies in total and three separate ‘series,’ the Alien, Predator, and Alien vs. Predator series are some of the most successful and popular sci-fi movies to date. They’ve spawned countless video games across numerous platforms, comic books, novels, and more. 

If you’re looking to watch the Alien and Predator movies in order, be it chronological or release, we’ve put together a nifty little guide to help. Here’s the best watch order for our beloved Xenomorph and Predator series. 

Alien and Predator Movies in Chronological Order

We’re not going to delve into the plot of every single movie, but here’s the chronological watch order for every movie in both franchises and their crossovers, with a brief explanation as to why it makes the most sense. If you’re looking to just watch Alien, Predator, or Alien vs. Predator in chronological order, scroll down to those sections below. Here’s the best chronological watch order for every film featuring Xenomorphs and Predators. 

• Prey (2022)
• Predator (1987)
• Predator 2 (1990)
• Alien vs. Predator (2004)
• Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
• The Predator (2018)
• Predators (2010)
• Prometheus (2012)
• Alien: Covenant (2017)
• Alien (1979)
• Aliens (1986)
• Alien³ (1992)
• Alien: Resurrection (1997)

Chronologically, the majority of the Predator films are at the beginning of the timeline, while the Alien films make up the back half. Prey starts us off and is set in 1719 on Earth in the Great Plains. It focuses on a Comanche warrior going up against a less-than-usual equipped Predator. After that, we have Predator with Arnold Schwarzenneger, followed by the sequel, Predator 2, with Danny Glover in Los Angeles. 

Once you’ve finished those three, you can finally get introduced to the Xenomorphs in Alien vs. Predator and Alien vs. Predator: Requiem. Following those two, we have The Predator, which doesn’t have a specific date attached to it but is said to be set between Predator 2 and Predators, which follows this film. 

In 2012, we were graced with Prometheus, the fifth installment in the Alien franchise and the eighth film in the chronological timeline. This one serves as a prequel of sorts to Alien and follows a spaceship that inadvertently discovers the Xenomorphs. Alien: Covenant takes place 11 years after Prometheus, making it the next in chronological order.

After Covenant, we finally reach the film that started it all—Alien. We then follow Ripley as she fights the Xenomorphs for the next films: Aliens, Alien³, and Alien: Resurrection, capping both franchises off. 

Best Order to Watch the Alien Movies

If you’d rather just watch the Alien movies and leave out anything involving Predators, follow this quick and easy Alien watch order. 

• Alien vs. Predator (2004)
• Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
• Prometheus (2012)
• Alien: Covenant (2017)
• Alien (1979)
• Aliens (1986)
• Alien³ (1992)
• Alien: Resurrection (1997)

If you’d like to include the Alien vs. Predator movies, then just watch them in the following order. 

Best Order to Watch the Predator Movies

The Predator movies are just as good without any Xenomorphs, so if you’re looking for a chronological watch order for the Predator movies, follow the below order. 

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• Prey (2022)
• Predator (1987)
• Predator 2 (1990)
• The Predator (2018)
• Predators (2010)

To add in the Alien vs. Predator movies, just watch the movies in the following order. 

• Prey (2022)
• Predator (1987)
• Predator 2 (1990)
• Alien vs. Predator (2004)
• Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
• The Predator (2018)
• Predators (2010)

Should I watch Alien vs. Predator before Prey?

No, you should actually watch Prey first if you’re looking to watch them in chronological order. That said, there’s no real connection between the two films. Besides the fact that Prey takes place about two hundred years before Alien vs. Predator, there’s no real reason to watch one before the other. 

Which Alien vs. Predator is first?

The first Alien vs. Predator is, well, Alien vs. Predator. This film takes place before Alien vs. Predator: Requiem and is set in Antarctica in 2004. Meanwhile, Alien vs. Predator: Requiem is set immediately after the events of the first AVP film. These are the only two films in the series, making it easy to watch them in chronological order. 

Is Predator set before Alien?

Yes, Predator predates Alien by a couple of hundred years. Since both films aren’t connected, however, you don’t need to watch Predator before Alien or vice-versa. You can watch the films however you want, but there is a proper chronological order we listed above if you’d rather watch them that way.