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Alien Watch Order: Every Film and the TV Series by Timeline
Four decades of Alien: the Ripley quadrilogy, Ridley Scott's prequels, the Predator crossovers, and the 2024–25 resurgence with Romulus and the Alien: Earth series. The timeline spans 2004 to 2381—wider than most expect.
10 titles · ~25h total · core saga 3 · ~6h · updated 2026-10-14
0 / 10 watched
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1
Alien 异形core
2122—the Nostromo incident
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2
Aliens 异形 2core
Set in 2179
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3
Alien 3 异形 3
Right after Aliens; divisive
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4
Alien: Resurrection 异形 4：浴火重生
2381—the far end of the timeline
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5
Alien vs. Predator 异形大战铁血战士
Set in 2004 and not saga canon
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6
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem 异形大战铁血战士 2：适者生存
Small-town sequel set in 2004
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7
Prometheus 普罗米修斯
2089–2093, the Engineers' origin
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8
Alien: Covenant 异形：契约
2104—direct follow-up to Prometheus
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9
Alien: Romulus 异形：夺命舰core
2142—between Alien and Aliens
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10
Alien: Earth, Season 1 异形：地球 第一季
2120—two years before Alien, the first Earth-set story
Coming up
- Alien: Earth, Season 2
- Romulus sequel
Frequently asked questions
Where do I start with Alien?
With 1979's Alien, then Aliens—two of the greatest sci-fi horror films ever. Continue to parts three and four, or loop back to the prequels, depending on taste.
What's the chronological order?
Both AVP films (2004) → Prometheus (2089) → Covenant (2104) → Alien: Earth (2120) → Alien (2122) → Romulus (2142) → Aliens/Alien 3 (2179) → Resurrection (2381).
Are the AVP films canon?
No—they're Predator crossovers that the mainline films never acknowledge. They sit earliest on the timeline but have zero effect on the saga; skip freely.
Do I need Prometheus and Covenant?
Watch them if you want the origin story—Ridley Scott's prequels about the Engineers and the android David. Pure horror fans can skip them without losing the saga.
How does Alien: Earth fit in?
Noah Hawley's series is set in 2120, two years before Alien—the first story set on Earth, about rival megacorps including Weyland-Yutani. Season 2 is renewed.
What are the essentials?
Alien, Aliens, and Romulus—the 2024 film set between the first two that returns to claustrophobic horror. Core saga mode filters to exactly these.
Sources and further reading: Wikipedia: Alien franchise · 20th Century Studios · FX / Hulu. Titles, dates and rights belong to their owners; this page is a viewing reference only.