How To Watch The Pacific Rim Movies And TV Show In Order - And What To Expect Next

The Pacific Rim franchise launched in 2013 when Guillermo del Toro dropped one of the coolest Kaiju pictures out there. "Pacific Rim" introduces us to a universe that centers on an interdimensional "Breach" in the Pacific Ocean, opening the door for countless giant monsters (Kaiju) to come through. In response, humanity has banded together, building enormous Jaeger mech suits to battle these creatures. But with a few installments out there, how does one hop into this battle royale between monsters vs machines? It's simple actually, watching these projects chronologically and by release date are one and the same.

"Pacific Rim" kickstarts the series, followed only five years later by the Steven S. DeKnight-directed sequel, "Pacific Rim Uprising." But instead of continuing the series on the big screen, the franchise pivoted to streaming. In 2021, the two-season "Pacific Rim: The Black" was released on Netflix, which opened the door for longform Kaiju stories in this unique world. But what happens in the Pacific Rim franchise? Is it all just countless monster vs robot fights? There's a lot more to this series than just that, so let's gear up and get ready for some giant monster madness.

The first "Pacific Rim" starts in 2013, when a rift opens up and releases Kaiju into our world. These monsters prove an enormous threat to mankind, and so the world bands together to craft their own response: Jaegers. These enormous battlebots are almost like the next evolution of the Megazord from "Power Rangers," and only work when two pilots are connected via a process known as "Drifting," a mental link that allows them to share their thoughts and actions as one. But the narrative quickly jumps forward to 2020, where brothers Yancy (Diego Klattenhoff) and Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam) pilot their Jaeger, Gipsy Danger, against a Kaiju threat, only for Yancy to die in action.

The movie jumps another five years to 2025, where the effectiveness of Jaegers is being debated. All remaining battlebots are then transferred to Hong Kong under the leadership of Marshal Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba), who recruits an unsure Raleigh for his skill in piloting a Jaeger solo after Yancy was killed. Although, this time, Raleigh is tasked with piloting the refurbished Gipsy Danger with a new co-pilot, Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi), Pentecost's adopted daughter. The plan is to bomb "The Breach" and seal it forever, though it turns out that's easier said than done. As the first venture into the Pacific Rim universe, this movie marks the turning point of the Kaiju war, and it's only the beginning.

Taking place another decade after the Battle of the Breach from "Pacific Rim," 2018's "Pacific Rim Uprising" picks up in 2035 with Stacker Pentecost's son, Jake (John Boyega), who gets caught stealing Jaeger parts for black market sale. In order to avoid incarceration, Jake is persuaded by his adoptive sister, Mako, to become a Jaeger instructor for the Pan-Pacific Defense Corps, and is quickly partnered with his old Gipsy Avenger co-pilot Nate Lambert (Scott Eastwood). The two are forced to prove the Jaeger program's continued worth, as the new Shao Corporation aims to replace the traditional battlebots with drones — but that's not the only threat they face.

Sadly, Raleigh doesn't return this time around, but Mako continues to serve in the PPDC without her co-pilot. Well, until her untimely death. After Mako is assassinated by a rogue Jaeger called Obsidian Fury — which, as it turns out, is being piloted by a synced Kaiju brain — Jake gets on the offensive, leading the charge in what is later called the Uprising War. Taking the franchise in a new direction, Steven S. DeKnight expanded the franchise with this sequel, and proved that the Kaiju could be more creative than anyone gave them credit for.

The third installment in the Pacific Rim franchise, the Netflix-based anime series, "Pacific Rim: The Black," picks up at an unspecified time after the end of "Pacific Rim Uprising." Some have theorized that "The Black" occurs in 2040, while others consider it taking place far later. Either way, the anime follows siblings Taylor (Calum Worthy/Yusuke Kobayashi) and Hayley Travis (Gideon Adlon/Yui Shimodaya) as they travel across the Kaiju-invaded Australia in the abandoned Jaeger Atlas Destroyer to find their missing parents. The show expands the franchise lore by introducing audiences to a human-like Kaiju named only Boy (Ben Diskin), challenging everything we thought we knew about these interdimensional creatures.

"Pacific Rim: The Black" — which was developed by Greg Johnson and Craig Kyle — ran for two seasons on Netflix, each consisting of seven episodes. It concluded in 2022. While not essential viewing as far as the live-action films are concerned, "The Black" is arguably the most ingenuitive and emotionally rich installment in the Kaiju franchise. If the two feature films only whet your Jaeger-sized appetite, then "Pacific Rim: The Black" is the series for you.

But what's next for the Pacific Rim franchise? Well, there have been rumors for years about a third Pacific Rim movie, but nothing has yet to break through the breach. Following the release of "Pacific Rim Uprising," director Steven S. DeKnight revealed that he had a story in the works for another sequel, one that would've revealed that the Kaiju were the key to a greater multiverse. "That ending would also have tied into the [MonsterVerse] with Legendary, so you could have crossovers with the Pacific Rim franchise and the Kong and Godzilla franchises.," DeKnight told SyFy in 2024. For years, fans have hoped to see a Pacific Rim and MonsterVerse crossover, but the poorly received "Uprising" didn't do the series any favors.

At this point, neither Guillermo del Toro nor Steven S. DeKnight seem confident that a traditional sequel will be made, but that doesn't mean Pacific Rim is dead in the water. In August 2024, "Arrival" scribe Eric Heisserer was hired by Legendary Television and Chronology Entertainment to helm a new Pacific Rim-based television prequel. This series is set to revisit the origins of the Kaiju invasion from the first film, though we have no other details. Though, at this point, any news feels like good news.