The following contains minor spoilers for all the Despicable Me and Minions films.
While Disney is still king of theatrical animation, and Pixar now has the highest-grossing animated film of all time, with Inside Out 2, the most successful animated movie franchise of all time, is actually from neither studio. It’s Illumination’s Despicable Me films. The four films in the main series, combined with the two Minions films, have made more than $5 billion at the global box office.
The six movies in the series jump around chronologically, so trying to follow the complete story can get confusing. If you’re a Despicable Me fan who wants to rewatch the films in their chronological order, or somebody new to the franchise who just wants to follow a sequential storyline from origins to the current era, here’s a look at how to watch all the movies in the Despicable Me franchise in order, from the beginning of the story to the end,, at least until the next one comes out.
Minions (2015)
Minions is the true start of the franchise, and you can’t go much further back, considering it’s the prequel that explains the evolutionary beginnings of the bumbling yellow characters, and how they have existed since the dawn of time, complete with the desire to serve the most evil humans. Three of the Minions —Kevin, Stuart, and Bob — go in search of a new master to serve, leading them to Villain-Con, where they are first hired by Scarlett Overkill (an absolutely hilarious Sandra Bullock) and her husband Herb (John Hamm).
Minions is an interesting one, as it’s actually the most successful release of the franchise to date when accounting for the global box office, while conversely being viewed as one of the worst in the franchise by critics. It all comes down to just how much of the Minions and their gibberish speech one can take in a single sitting.
Stream Minions On NetflixBuy/Rent Minions on Prime Video
Minions: The Rise Of Gru (2022)
Minions: The Rise of Gru takes place in the mid-1970s, and while the movie may be frontloaded by the Minion branding, it is more of a direct Despicable Me prequel story that sees Gru (Steve Carrell) as a young boy who dreams of becoming a supervillain, with the Minions as his hired…minions. After auditioning to become a member of the antagonist squad the Viscious 6, Gru gets kidnapped by one of their former members, causing the Minions to come together to rescue their master.
The Minions: The Rise of Gru cast is the biggest draw for this entry for older viewers. The various villains comprise a who’s who of Hollywood stars, making it easier for even the biggest Minions skeptics to enjoy.
Stream/Buy Minions: The Rise Of Gru On Prime Video
Despicable Me (2010)
The first proper Despicable Me movie introduces Gru as an adult supervillain whose rival steals one of the pyramids in Egypt, causing Gru to up the ante by trying to steal the Moon. His plot to battle rival supervillain Vector causes Gru to team up and bond with three orphaned girls, leading to the discovery that even this big bad isn’t entirely evil.
The original Despicable Me is still widely seen by fans and critics as the best of the franchise, which makes sense, since this was the movie that had to be good enough to launch an entire franchise. It’s certainly got the strongest heart.
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Despicable Me 2 (2013)
Having retired as a supervillain to be a full-time father, Gru is drafted back into the world of crime by the Anti-Villain League and a woman named Lucy (Kristen Wiig), who wants the former supervillain to help them stop a new supervillain. He agrees, and his new crimefighting partner may turn out to be even more important for Gru on a personal level.
Despicable Me 2 proved to be a strong follow-up to the original, both in the eyes of fans and critics. It was clear from here that we had Illumination’s first true franchise on our hands.
Stream Despicable Me 2 on PeacockBuy/Rent Despicable Me 2 On Prime Video
Despicable Me 3 (2017)
In Despicable Me 3, Gru and Lucy are as happily married as former antagonists get, but after an Anti-Villain League mission goes south, both are fired. Gru and his family are then contacted by Gru’s previously unknown twin brother Dru, where we discover that villainy definitely runs in the family, as their father was once a supervillain himself.
Despicable Me 3 was the first film in the main franchise not directed by Chris Renaud, which may explain its somewhat lackluster response from critics. While it’s the global box office champ of the flagship film series, it’s generally not seen as the best of those releases.
Buy/Rent Despicable Me 3 On Prime Video
Despicable Me 4 (2024)
In July 2024 we got the newest entry in the franchise, and the first Despicable Me movie in seven years. Despicable Me 4 refocused the story on the adult Gru, continuing his adventure with his job working for the Anti-Villan league and her personal life, with an increasingly large family.
Despicable Me 4 saw a former school rival of Gru’s declare vengeance on the former villain after he became the latest bad guy captured by the Anti-Villain League. This led to Gru and his family, which now includes baby Gru Jr. going into hiding and taking on new identities. Despicable Me 4 opened strong at the box office, so this franchise is not losing any steam yet.
How To Watch The Despicable Me Movies In Release Order
If you want to watch all of the Despicable Me movies in chronological order, the above is the way to follow the story from beginning to end. If however, you want to watch all the films as you would have seen them in theaters, then the proper order would be.
- Despicable Me (2010)
- Despicable Me 2 (2013)
- Minions (2015)
- Despicable Me 3 (2017)
- Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022)
- Despicable Me 4 (2024)
There are now six films in the massive franchise, but it’s far from done. Minions 3 was recently announced for a 2027 release. Clearly, this franchise is still massively popular. With Universal Orlando Resort opening an entire Minions Land recently, and another planned for upcoming Universal Kids Resort in Texas, it seems unlikely the movies are planning to stop anytime soon, so long as supervillains aren’t running the studio.