Watch Order (Release = Chronological)Recommended
0 / 4 watchedFilms in release order, then the optional TV series.
- 1 Conan the Barbarian 1982 original. Start here.
- 2 Conan the Destroyer
- 3 Conan the Adventurer 1997 TV series. Separate continuity, optional.
- 4 Conan the Barbarian 2011 reboot with Jason Momoa. Fresh start.
About Conan the Barbarian
Conan on screen starts with John Milius's Conan the Barbarian (1982): Nietzsche-quoting, Basil Poledouris-scored, and still the definitive take on Robert E. Howard's Cimmerian. Conan the Destroyer (1984) lightens the tone for a quest ensemble, and the 2011 reboot with Jason Momoa starts over with an origin story.
The films share no continuity beyond the character, so release order is simply the order that shows you the evolution. The 1997 TV series Conan the Adventurer with Ralf Moeller sits in its own continuity and is strictly for completists. Red Sonja (1985) technically shares the world and gets a mention, but it belongs to its own corner rather than this list.
Good to know
Watch the 1982 film first no matter what: everything else riffs on it, and Destroyer's lighter tone lands better as a follow-up than as an introduction. The 2011 film is a full reboot, so no prior viewing is needed for it either. The 1997 series is a kid-friendly syndicated take with no connection to the films. No new Conan film had been announced at the last check, despite years of development talk.
