How To Watch Despicable Me: All Of The Minions Movies In Order

Nowadays, it seems like there's always a Minion just around the corner. You know, those little yellow guys with the big eyes and the strange voices? Beginning with 2010's "Despicable Me," Illumination (formerly Illumination Entertainment) unleashed Gru (Steve Carell) and his Minions on the world, and the entertainment industry hasn't been the same since. With every new installment in the series, Gru sheds more of his original villainy and embraces being a hero, both for the sake of his newfound family and the world itself. 

But as popular as these films are, one has to wonder, in what order should one go about watching them? With four "Despicable Me" films and two "Minion" spin-offs (and a third still underway), there are only two ways to chow down on these animated adventures: release order or chronological order. As there are plenty of platforms where you can watch the "Despicable Me" films online, here's what you need to know if you've been wondering how to jump into these movies for yourself.

If release order is more your style, then things are fairly simple. The first "Despicable Me" was released in 2010 with a second, "Despicable Me 2," released only a few years later in 2013. Given the sheer popularity of the first two productions, Illumination soon green-lit the first spin-off film, "Minions," in 2015, which follows the yellow creatures in their own adventure B.G. (aka "Before Gru"). In 2017, we returned to the present for "Despicable Me 3" before the franchise went on a brief hiatus. 

It wasn't until 2022 that we got a new feature film, this time a "Minions" sequel (which is technically still a "Despicable Me" prequel) titled "Minions: The Rise of Gru," which got positive to mixed reviews and sparked new interest in the franchise. In 2024, "Despicable Me 4" blew everyone away at the box office, and reunited our favorite Anti-Villain League family on the big screen. The complete order is listed for convenience below...

• "Despicable Me" (2010)
• "Despicable Me 2" (2013)
• "Minions" (2015)
• "Despicable Me 3" (2017)
• "Minions: The Rise of Gru" (2022)
• "Despicable Me 4" (2024)

Additionally, a third "Minions" feature film is slated to hit theaters sometime in 2027, which will raise the count from six films total to seven.

Of course, sometimes it's better to get the full story in the order that the characters (rather than the audience) experienced it. If you prefer to jump into the "Despicable Me" franchise in chronological order rather than release order, then you ought to start with the first two "Minions" movies. Taking place before the events of the original 2010 film, the first "Minions" explores the creatures' history (primarily in the late 1960s) leading to their first encounter with Gru. The second film, "The Rise of Gru," on the other hand, is set in 1976 as Gru learns to become a super-villain with their help. From there, the "Despicable Me" films can be watched in order. The complete chronological order is as follows...

• "Minions" (2015)
• "Minions: The Rise of Gru" (2022)
• "Despicable Me" (2010)
• "Despicable Me 2" (2013)
• "Despicable Me 3" (2017)
• "Despicable Me 4" (2024)

At this point, we have no idea where the upcoming third "Minions" film will factor into the list. It's likely that, as with previous "Minions" pictures, it will be set in the years prior to the original "Despicable Me." However, it's also entirely possible that it could catch up with the current continuity, following the Minions' adventures with Gru's three girls. But whenever "Minions 3" is released, you can be sure that Gru and the Minions won't fail to entertain.