Release Order Recommended
0 / 10 watchedThe order the entries came out in. The Ripley films first, then the prequels as context, which is how most fans and most guides approach it.
Chronological Order
0 / 10 watchedThe in-universe timeline, from the prequels through the far future. The AvP films sit first on dates alone; treat that placement as trivia, not a recommendation.
About Alien
The Alien franchise has nine films and one TV series. Release order starts with Ridley Scott's Alien in 1979, runs through Aliens, Alien 3 and Alien: Resurrection, then reaches the prequels: Prometheus in 2012 and Alien: Covenant in 2017. Alien: Romulus followed in 2024, and Alien: Earth, an eight-episode FX series, aired from August 12 to September 23, 2025.
The debate is whether to watch Prometheus and Covenant before the 1979 original or after the Ripley films. They are prequels by story but were made more than three decades later, and Covenant ends in a spot that never quite connects to Alien. Release order, originals first, is what most guides recommend.
Good to know
Prometheus and Covenant placement is genuinely disputed; some viewers skip them entirely, since the prequels answer questions the 1979 film never asked. The two Alien vs. Predator films are listed for completeness but sit in a continuity Prometheus has retired, so skipping them costs nothing. Alien: Resurrection lands centuries after the rest, which is why the chronological list looks so lopsided.
