How to watch
Flash Gordon Watch Order in the correct order
How to watch Flash Gordon in order
Last updated: November 13 2026
Written by: ChronoAlice
Flash Gordon is the original space-opera hero, battling Ming the Merciless across serials, TV shows and the gloriously campy 1980 film. Here is how to watch every adventure.
Created by Alex Raymond as a comic strip in 1934, Flash Gordon quickly leapt to the screen with Buster Crabbe starring in three hugely influential movie serials. Those adventures on the planet Mongo later inspired George Lucas when he created Star Wars. The character returned in a 1950s TV series, a 1970s cartoon, the cult 1980 film with its iconic Queen soundtrack and a 2007 TV reboot.
π Release Order
Release order is the best way to see how the franchise shaped decades of science fiction.
- Flash Gordon (1936)
- Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars (1938)
- Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940)
- Flash Gordon (1954)
- The New Adventures of Flash Gordon (1979)
- Flash Gordon (1980)
- Flash Gordon (2007)
Only the three Buster Crabbe serials form a continuous story. Every later version restarts the tale of Flash, Dale Arden and Dr. Zarkov.
π Story Chronology
The serial trilogy runs in sequence, followed by the standalone retellings in the order they were made.
- Flash Gordon (1936)
- Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars (1938)
- Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940)
- Flash Gordon (1954)
- The New Adventures of Flash Gordon (1979)
- Flash Gordon (1980)
- Flash Gordon (2007)
Which Order Should You Choose?
If you only watch one Flash Gordon, make it the 1980 movie. It is a dazzling, campy spectacle with Max von Sydow as Ming and an unforgettable Queen score. Classic film fans should then go back to the 1936 serial to see where it all began, continuing through the other two Crabbe serials. The TV versions are optional extras for dedicated fans who want every take on the hero.
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