Release OrderRecommended
0 / 7 watchedThe order the films came out. The Minions prequels assume you know Gru, so release order suits kids best.
Main series
- 1 Despicable Me
- 2 Despicable Me 2
- 4 Despicable Me 3
- 6 Despicable Me 4 Gru faces Maxime Le Mal with his son Gru Jr.
Minions prequels
- 3 Minions The Minions bounce through history and land in 1960s London.
- 5 Minions: The Rise of Gru Young Gru teams up with the Minions in the 1970s.
- 7 Minions & Monsters Latest released film. Billed as Minions 3 before release; the Minions invade 1920s Hollywood.
Chronological Order
0 / 7 watchedThe in-story timeline: the three Minions prequels first, oldest setting to newest, then Gru's saga.
Minion prehistory
- 1 Minions & Monsters Earliest setting: 1920s Hollywood.
- 2 Minions Set mainly in the 1960s.
- 3 Minions: The Rise of Gru Set in the 1970s with young Gru.
The Gru era
- 4 Despicable Me
- 5 Despicable Me 2
- 6 Despicable Me 3
- 7 Despicable Me 4
About Despicable Me
Despicable Me (2010) introduced Gru, a supervillain who adopts three girls and slowly turns hero. Three sequels follow his shift to family man and Anti-Villain League agent, ending so far with Despicable Me 4 (2024). The Minions got their own prequels: Minions (2015), Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022) and Minions & Monsters (2026).
Minions & Monsters, first announced as Minions 3, moved up from June 2027 to July 1, 2026 and follows the Minions through 1920s Hollywood. Chronological order starts there, then jumps to the 1960s and 1970s prequels before the main Gru saga. The franchise has grossed over $5.6 billion, the most of any animated series.
Good to know
Title note: Universal lists the 2026 film as Minions & Monsters; press often calls it Minions 3. It premiered at Annecy in June 2026 and opened in the US on July 1, 2026, almost a year ahead of its first announced date.
No eighth film is announced as of September 2026. The status stays ongoing because Illumination has not closed the series and the 2026 entry is fresh.
