There are several ways to watch the Alien and Predator movies because they do not form one perfectly unified film series. Alien and Predator each have their own separate storylines, alongside two Alien vs. Predator crossover movies and newer films that extend the timeline both backward and forward. The easiest approach is to decide whether you want to watch them in release order or according to when their stories take place.
For a first viewing, the best option is release order. Start with 1979's Alien, then continue through Aliens, the first Predator, the subsequent sequels and the Alien vs. Predator crossover movies. Only then should you move on to newer prequels and installments such as Prometheus, Alien: Covenant, Prey, Alien: Romulus and Predator: Badlands. This makes it easier to appreciate how the world, atmosphere and connections between the films evolved.
The best viewing order for newcomers
If you have never seen the films before, the most sensible approach is to watch them in release order. This does not always follow the story chronologically, but it reflects how audiences originally discovered the movies in theaters. It also works because the older films gradually establish the foundations later explored through prequels, references and modern sequels.
Release order is also less confusing. If you begin chronologically, you will start with newer films that explain things originally intended to remain mysterious. The unknown is a major part of the Alien series' atmosphere, so it is better to experience the original film as intended.
- Alien (1979)
- Aliens (1986)
- Predator (1987)
- Predator 2 (1990)
- Alien 3 (1992)
- Alien: Resurrection (1997)
- Alien vs. Predator (2004)
- Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
- Predators (2010)
- Prometheus (2012)
- Alien: Covenant (2017)
- The Predator (2018)
- Prey (2022)
- Alien: Romulus (2024)
- Predator: Killer of Killers (2025)
- Predator: Badlands (2025)
This order is also the best way to understand why some films are regarded as classics while others are seen as more divisive sequels. The first Alien is a slow-burning science-fiction horror film, Aliens is more action-oriented, and Predator is closer to survival action with a horror atmosphere. The newer films revisit and combine these styles in different ways, sometimes commenting on them directly.
Chronological order by story
Chronological order is particularly interesting for a second viewing. Instead of considering when each movie was released, you follow the approximate period in which its story takes place. This is easier with Predator because the films are often set in specific historical periods or the modern day. For Alien, the key elements are the future, space travel, Weyland-Yutani and the evolution of the xenomorph.
Keep in mind, however, that the Alien vs. Predator crossover movies are not entirely part of the main Alien continuity. Many fans consider them a separate offshoot because the prequels Prometheus and Alien: Covenant take a different path. Include them if you want a complete marathon of every movie featuring Alien and Predator. If you prefer a cleaner Alien storyline, you can treat them as bonus films.
- Predator: Killer of Killers (2025) – an anthology with segments set in the distant past, feudal Japan and World War II
- Prey (2022) – a story set approximately 300 years before the original Predator
- Predator (1987)
- Predator 2 (1990)
- Alien vs. Predator (2004)
- Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
- Predators (2010)
- The Predator (2018)
- Prometheus (2012)
- Alien: Covenant (2017)
- Alien (1979)
- Alien: Romulus (2024)
- Aliens (1986)
- Alien 3 (1992)
- Alien: Resurrection (1997)
- Predator: Badlands (2025)
One thing is worth noting about Predator: Badlands. The film is officially set in the future on a distant planet, but its precise position in the shared timeline may not matter much to the average viewer. In practice, it makes the most sense to watch it after the newer Predator films because its connections are primarily thematic and expand the world rather than requiring detailed knowledge of every earlier installment.
How to watch the Alien movies without Predator
If you only want to watch the Alien movies, you have two good options. Release order is best for a first viewing because the original 1979 film works most effectively when you still know very little about the xenomorph. Although Prometheus and Alien: Covenant take place before Alien, they explain many things retroactively.
Alien movies in release order
- Alien (1979)
- Aliens (1986)
- Alien 3 (1992)
- Alien: Resurrection (1997)
- Prometheus (2012)
- Alien: Covenant (2017)
- Alien: Romulus (2024)
This is the best option if you want to experience the series as naturally as possible. The first film is a self-contained horror story about the crew of the Nostromo. Aliens expands the scale into a more action-oriented fight for survival, while the following installments explore the consequences of what happened to Ripley. Prometheus and Covenant then broaden the questions surrounding origins, creators and the biological threat associated with the alien.
Alien movies in chronological story order
- Prometheus (2012)
- Alien: Covenant (2017)
- Alien (1979)
- Alien: Romulus (2024)
- Aliens (1986)
- Alien 3 (1992)
- Alien: Resurrection (1997)
This order is better suited to viewers who already know the series. Prometheus and Covenant take place before the original Alien and focus more heavily on where the threat came from. Alien: Romulus is set between Alien and Aliens, making it an excellent bridge between the claustrophobic horror of the 1979 film and its larger-scale 1986 sequel.
How to watch the Predator movies without Alien
Predator is more straightforward than Alien because its original series does not depend on a single character as heavily as the story of Ellen Ripley does. Each movie generally follows a different group of people or a new setting in which a hunter from the extraterrestrial Yautja civilization appears. The series can therefore be watched relatively freely, although release order still works best.
Predator movies in release order
- Predator (1987)
- Predator 2 (1990)
- Predators (2010)
- The Predator (2018)
- Prey (2022)
- Predator: Killer of Killers (2025)
- Predator: Badlands (2025)
The first Predator is the foundation of the series and should not be skipped. Predator 2 expands the mythology, places the hunter in an urban environment and adds several details that fans still discuss today. Prey, meanwhile, is an excellent fresh starting point for new viewers because it requires little explanation and demonstrates that the Predator concept also works outside modern military and action settings.
Predator movies in chronological story order
- Predator: Killer of Killers (2025)
- Prey (2022)
- Predator (1987)
- Predator 2 (1990)
- Predators (2010)
- The Predator (2018)
- Predator: Badlands (2025)
The chronological Predator order is particularly interesting because of Prey and the animated Predator: Killer of Killers. They reveal that Predators visited Earth and hunted formidable opponents long before the events of the original film. Badlands moves in the opposite direction, taking the series into the future and focusing more on the Predator as a character rather than merely an invisible threat in the jungle.
Where do the Alien vs. Predator movies fit?
The Alien vs. Predator films are the main reason the viewing order is so confusing. They were created as a crossover between two famous monsters, but not everyone considers them an equally important part of the main Alien continuity. For a complete movie marathon, watch them after Predator 2 and before Prometheus. If you only want the central Alien storyline, you can skip them without missing much.
2004's Alien vs. Predator works as a standalone science-fiction action horror movie in which humans, xenomorphs and Predators come face to face. Its sequel, Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, continues directly from the first crossover's events but has a markedly darker and more brutal tone. These movies are interesting for fans of both creatures, but they are not required to understand Prometheus, Covenant, Romulus or the original Alien.
It is best to treat them as a bonus branch of the franchise. Watch them if you want to see the two icons fight directly and do not mind a less coherent continuity than the standalone films offer. They should certainly be included in a marathon of everything, but if you want a more focused, higher-quality experience, save them until after the main installments.
Which movies are the most important?
If you do not have time to watch everything, you can create a shorter viewing order covering the essentials from both worlds. The core Alien films are Alien, Aliens, Prometheus, Alien: Covenant and Alien: Romulus. The most important Predator films are Predator, Predator 2, Prey and Predator: Badlands, while Killer of Killers is an excellent addition if you do not mind animation.
The shortest combined marathon could be: Alien, Aliens, Predator, Predator 2, Prometheus, Alien: Covenant, Prey, Alien: Romulus and Predator: Badlands. This gives you the origins of both series, their best-known sequels and the newer movies that show how the franchises have evolved. You can then watch the Alien vs. Predator crossovers separately.
If quality and atmosphere are your priorities, do not skip the original Alien or the first Predator. Both films helped define science-fiction horror and the action-survival genre. You can still follow the plots of the newer movies without them, but you will miss the context behind the xenomorph and Predator becoming such famous cinematic icons.
Is Prey a good place to start?
Prey is a very good entry point to the Predator series, especially if you do not want to begin with an older film from 1987. Its story takes place long before the original Predator and stands on its own, so you do not need to know the previous films. However, you will appreciate certain references more if you have already seen at least Predator and Predator 2.
Prey therefore works as the first movie in a Predator marathon, but for a complete marathon of both series, it is still better saved until after the older films. The reason is simple: the original Predator first establishes the rules of the hunt, the technology and the atmosphere. Prey then demonstrates that the same concept can work in an entirely different historical and cultural setting.
Is Prometheus a good place to start?
Prometheus takes place before the original Alien, but it is not the best first film for a complete newcomer. It is more philosophical and focuses more on the origins of humanity, its creators and a biological threat, but it does not serve as a straightforward introduction to the xenomorph. Beginning with Prometheus lets you follow the timeline from its earliest point, but it also deprives you of the mystery at the heart of the original Alien.
It is better to watch 1979's Alien first and return to Prometheus afterward. This makes the contrast between the unknown threat in the original film and the later attempt to explain the wider universe much more effective. Prometheus and Covenant are most interesting when you already know where the overall story is heading.
Trailers to get you ready for the marathon
Alien: Romulus – Official Trailer
Alien: Romulus is a modern return to the claustrophobic atmosphere of the original Alien, and its story fills the gap between the first film and Aliens.
Prey – Official Trailer
Prey brings the Predator into the past and is one of the most accessible newer films in the entire series.
Predator: Killer of Killers – Official Trailer
The animated film Predator: Killer of Killers expands Predator mythology across several historical periods and works as a standalone anthology.
Predator: Badlands – Official Trailer
Predator: Badlands takes the series into the future and gives the Predator itself a larger role as the story's main character.
The final recommendation
If you want a simple answer, watch everything in release order. It is the clearest and least confusing option, and it shows how separate horror and action films gradually developed into interconnected science-fiction worlds. Save chronological order for a second viewing or a marathon where you already have a general idea of what to expect from each film.
The best all-purpose order is therefore: Alien, Aliens, Predator, Predator 2, Alien 3, Alien: Resurrection, Alien vs. Predator, Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, Predators, Prometheus, Alien: Covenant, The Predator, Prey, Alien: Romulus, Predator: Killer of Killers and Predator: Badlands. This gives you a complete picture of both cinematic icons without making the continuity unnecessarily complicated from the start.
Sources
- 20th Century Studios – Alien
https://www.20thcenturystudios.com/movies/alien - 20th Century Studios – Aliens
https://www.20thcenturystudios.com/movies/aliens - 20th Century Studios – Prometheus
https://www.20thcenturystudios.com/movies/prometheus - 20th Century Studios – Alien: Covenant
https://www.20thcenturystudios.com/movies/alien-covenant - 20th Century Studios – Alien: Romulus
https://www.20thcenturystudios.com/movies/alien-romulus - 20th Century Studios – Predator: Killer of Killers
https://www.20thcenturystudios.com/movies/predator-killer-of-killers - 20th Century Studios – Predator: Badlands
https://www.20thcenturystudios.com/movies/predator-badlands - Space.com – Predator Movies in Order: Chronological and Release
https://www.space.com/predator-movies-in-order
Jana
I like turning curiosity into words, and writing articles is my way of capturing ideas before they slip away — and sharing them with anyone who feels like reading.
