The Correct Order To Watch The Despicable Me And Minions Movies
For nearly 15 years, the "Despicable Me" films have been entertaining families around the world. That's not an exaggeration either; it's literally the biggest animated film franchise ever, in terms of global box office. It all started in 2010 when Illumination introduced audiences to Gru and the Minions. Ever since, they've become a staple of not only the big screen, but theme parks, merchandise shelves, and everything in between. They're pop culture fixtures at this point.
For those who might not have watched the films as they came out, or for viewers who might just be looking to revisit the franchise with "Despicable Me 4" hitting theaters, we're here to make that as easy as possible for you. We're going to go over the correct order to watch the movies, laying out both the original release order and the chronological order, depending on one's preference. The important thing to know before diving in is that neither way is wrong, it's just a matter of how you want to go about it. Let's hop to it.
The release order of the Despicable Me and Minions movies
Starting off, we'll go over the release order of the "Despicable Me" movies. As mentioned, the franchise kicked off with the original "Despicable Me" in 2010. That paved the way for a series of sequels, prequels, and spin-offs to follow. The series has only grown in popularity since its inception, with "Minions: The Rise of Gru" helping to save movie theaters in 2022 right alongside "Top Gun: Maverick." The movies didn't just stick with a standard number in the subtitles, so unless you know the year in which they came out, the order isn't obvious. That said, here they are in order by year:
-
"Despicable Me" (2010)
-
"Despicable Me 2" (2013)
-
"Minions" (2015)
-
"Despicable Me 3" (2017)
-
"Minions: The Rise of Gru" (2022)
-
"Despicable Me 4" (2024)
This lineup does not include 2010's "Despicable Me Presents: Minion Madness," which was a DVD released with three short films featuring the Minions. It also excludes the "Minions & More" collections, which were a series of shorts often released as bonus features on the various Blu-ray releases over the years. Those are available to stream on Netflix though, for those who are interested in diving a bit deeper. Theme park enthusiasts can also check out "Despicable Me Minions Mayhem," should you find yourself at Universal Orlando or Universal Studios Hollywood.
The chronological order of the Despicable Me movies
Now, there are select viewers who might prefer to dive in chronologically, seeing how the Minions came to be before they met Gru, and how that alliance formed from the start. This would be like newcomers watching the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy before watching the original trilogy. It's certainly something that can be done and there's a valid reason to want to go about it that way. If that's something you, dear reader, would like to do, here's how to do precisely that:
-
"Minions"
-
"Minions: The Rise of Gru"
-
"Despicable Me"
-
"Despicable Me 2"
-
"Despicable Me 3"
-
"Despicable Me 4"
Again, this truly comes down to preference and there is no wrong way to go about it. The prequels largely fill in gaps, but the "Despicable Me" films operate just fine without knowing those events beforehand. These are movies aimed at kids, after all. Illumination wisely hasn't over-complicated things. Just choose your own adventure and enjoy the ride