Movies Fantasy Movies

The Correct Order To Watch The Highlander Franchise

Highlander 1986 20th Century Studios
By Witney Seibold/

There can be only one. Or, in the case of the "Highlander" franchise, there can be only six movies, three TV shows, and a web series, not to mention nine tie-in novels, two comic book titles, a card game, and a video game for the Atari Jaguar.

The mythology of the "Highlander" movies started pretty simply, spinning centuries-old tales of knight-errantry into a modern fable of magical immortality. Russel Mulcahy's 1986 original laid out the rules clearly: hiding among ordinary humans is a species of magical immortals who can only be killed by decapitation. When one Immortal decapitates another, they absorb their victim's life energy, becoming stronger and more exhilarated. The legend goes that when there is only one Immortal remaining on Earth, they will be granted a wish called The Prize. The central Immortal of the series, a 16th century Highlander named Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert), wishes more than anything to grow old. His rival, the Kurgan (Clancy Brown), wished for sinister things.

The mythology immediately gets muddied by the events of Mulcahy's 1991 follow-up "Highlander II: The Quickening," which explains that Immortals are actually mind-wiped space aliens from the planet Zeist. That film takes place in the near future and involves a high-tech sci-fi story about a planet-wide shield that protects Earth from solar radiation. "The Quickening" is not terrible in itself, but many "Highlander" fans hate how weird it is.

And things only got more complicated thereafter. New characters were introduced in the ultra-successful six-season "Highlander" TV series — notable Duncan MacLeod played by Adrian Paul — and the show would eventually cross over with the movies. There is even an anime spinoff that is definitely worth a look.

Read below for a detailed lineup of all the films, TV shows, and web series in one place.

The release order

Highlander II: The Quickening InterStar

Here is the "Highlander" series in the order of its release. The films are in bold:

  • "Highlander" (1986)
  • "Highlander II: The Quickening" (1991)
  • "Highlander: The Series" (1992-1998)
  • "Highlander: The Animated Series" (1994-1996)
  • "Highlander: The Final Dimension" a.k.a. "Highlander III: The Sorcerer" (1994)
  • "Highlander: The Raven (1998-1999)
  • "Highlander: Endgame" (2000)
  • "The Methos Chronicles" (2001)
  • "Highlander: The Search for Vengeance" (2007)
  • "Highlander: The Source" (2007)

Because Immortals can only die by decapitation, most of them tend to carry swords or blades, and there is a lot of swordfighting throughout the series. "The Search for Vengeance" finally answers the question of what happens when you slice an Immortal through the head lengthwise, and not through their neck; it seems that they won't die unless it's proper decapitation.

As long ago as 2008, there have been plans for a "Highlander" remake and/or reboot. Justin Lin was once attached to a film called "Highlander: The Reckoning" back in 2011. In 2012, there was a version floating around with Ryan Reynolds as the star. Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, the director of "The Huntsman: Winter's War" was working on a "Highlander" reboot for a second. Chad Stehlski was subsequently attached in 2016, and that version, starring Henry Cavill, still seems to be working its way forward ... verrry slowly ... through the Hollywood machine. Time will tell if a reboot actually happens.

"Highlander: The Series" made the franchise's mythology much more complex, eventually going so far as to reveal the magical, near-godly source of the "one wish" that Immortals are granted. It also details the cults and sects among Immortals, each one equipped with its own agenda.

Highlander: The Chronology

Highlander: The Series Rysher Entertainment

Of course, since the characters in "Highlander" are all immortal, their story takes place over many, many centuries, and the films are presented a little out of order. As mentioned, "Highlander II" takes place in the future, making most of the following films prequels. It might be wisest to watch the "Highlander" series in its release order; that would be the best way to keep track of the mythology, and it will certainly help to have seen "Highlander: The Series" before one tries to understand "Endgame" or "The Source." Those films are utterly inexplicable without at least a little TV research and use a lot of inter-mythology lingo that will sound alien to most ears.

But if one is already familiar with "Highlander" and all its weird interlocking stories, then here is the way to watch the franchise more or less chronologically. Note that the TV series features many flashbacks and allusions to ancient times, predating the events of the first film:

  • "Highlander" (1986)
  • "Highlander: The Final Dimension" a.k.a. "Highlander III: The Sorcerer" (1994)
  • "Highlander: The Series" (1992-1998)
  • "Highlander: The Raven" (1998)
  • "The Methos Chronicles" (2001)
  • "Highlander: Endgame" (2000)
  • "Highlander: The Source" (2007)
  • "Highlander II: The Quickening" (1991)
  • "Highlander: The Search for Vengeance" (2007)
  • "Highlander: The Animated Series" (1994)

"Highlander II" takes place in the distant future year of 2024. "The Search for Vengeance" is a high-tech sci-fi thriller set mostly in 2187 (although there are flashbacks to AD 125). "The Animated Series" is a post-apocalyptic series set sometime in the 27th century. "Highlander" may very well be the single fantasy franchise that takes place over the broadest swath of human history, "Dune," "Foundation," and "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" notwithstanding.

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