How to watch
Pacific Rim Movie Watch Order in the correct order
How to watch the Pacific Rim movies in order
Last updated: April 14 2026
Written by: ChronoBob
Pacific Rim delivers giant robots vs. giant monsters on an epic scale, and the two films tell a connected story that rewards watching in order. Here's everything you need to know.
Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim arrived in 2013 as a love letter to kaiju and mecha anime, delivering the most spectacular giant-monster action film Hollywood had ever produced. Set in a near future where colossal alien creatures called Kaiju emerge from an interdimensional portal beneath the Pacific Ocean, humanity's response is to build equally enormous mech suits called Jaegers, piloted by pairs of human soldiers who neurally link with each other. The franchise continued with Pacific Rim: Uprising in 2018, expanding the world and introducing a new generation of pilots.
🕐 Release Order
With only two films in the franchise, release order is also story order — simply watch them in the sequence they came out.
- Pacific Rim (2013)
- Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018)
Pacific Rim: Uprising is set roughly ten years after the original and follows new characters while connecting back to events of the first film. Watching the original is essential to fully understand and appreciate the sequel.
📖 Story Chronology
Story chronology is identical to release order. Pacific Rim is set during the height of the Kaiju War, while Uprising takes place a decade later in the aftermath. There are no prequels, flashback films, or timeline complications.
- Pacific Rim (2013)
- Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018)
Which Order Should You Choose?
Start with the original Pacific Rim — del Toro's direction, the incredible production design, and the sheer spectacle of the Jaeger-vs-Kaiju battles make it one of the most visually inventive blockbusters of its era. Pacific Rim: Uprising shifts tone slightly toward a younger audience but delivers plenty of action and expands the lore in interesting ways. Both films are great popcorn entertainment, and together they form a satisfying two-part story. An animated series, Pacific Rim: The Black, is also available on Netflix if you want to explore the universe further after the films.
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