Franchise Chronology An In-Universe Timeline Analysis
The Terminator series isn't just a saga of machines vs humanity. It's a battle of timelines, reboots, and paradoxes. What began in 1984 as a lean, relentless thriller about a cyborg sent back to kill Sarah Connor soon evolved into a dense web of alternate futures, divergent timelines, and time loops. Each new installment reshapes or erases what came before, sometimes literally.
This table organizes the Terminator films and the 2024 animated series Terminator Zero into a chronological order based on in-universe events, not by release date. Where relevant, major timeline resets or reboots are noted. Keep in mind: there’s no single canon. The franchise splinters into at least three major continuities, each with its own version of Judgment Day and its own final war.
| Title | In-Universe Time Period | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Terminator Zero (Netflix Anime) | 1997, 2022 | Set in Japan on the eve of Judgment Day (August 29, 1997) and in a dystopian 2022. Introduces new characters and suggests an alternate timeline branching off from Skynet’s rise. |
| Terminator | 1984, 2029 | The original time loop. A T-800 is sent from the future to kill Sarah Connor. Kyle Reese travels back to protect her and becomes John Connor’s father. |
| Terminator 2: Judgment Day | 1995, 2029 | John is a young boy protected by a reprogrammed T-800. The destruction of Cyberdyne delays but does not prevent Judgment Day. |
| Terminator: Dark Fate | 1998, ~2020, 2042 | Direct sequel to T2. Skynet no longer exists, but Legion emerges as a new AI threat. John Connor is killed, and Dani Ramos becomes humanity’s new hope. |
| Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines | 2004, 2032 | Judgment Day is inevitable and occurs in 2004. John and Kate Brewster survive in a bunker as Skynet activates globally. Sets up the war against machines. |
| Terminator Salvation | 2018 | Entirely post-apocalyptic. John Connor battles early Skynet forces. Introduces Marcus Wright, a cyborg-human hybrid who aids the Resistance. |
| Terminator Genisys | 1973, 1984, 2017, 2029 | A fractured timeline: Sarah is raised by a T-800, Kyle arrives in a changed 1984, and they leap to 2017 to stop Genisys (a new version of Skynet). Entirely separate continuity. |
While the Terminator franchise splintered into multiple timelines, Terminator: Dark Fate was developed as a direct sequel to Terminator 2: Judgment Day, deliberately ignoring the events of Rise of the Machines, Salvation, and Genisys. This reset allowed the story to continue from the moment Skynet was defeated, imagining a world where humanity’s meddling still leads to a new AI threat: Legion. Dark Fate repositions Sarah Connor, now a rogue hunter of Terminators, and introduces a new protagonist, Dani Ramos, as the future leader of the Resistance. This approach aimed to recapture the tone and legacy of Judgment Day while updating the franchise for a new generation.
Not that that worked...
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