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For a first watch, watch the 12 Friday the 13th films in theatrical release order. If you prefer story chronology, use the approximate alternate order below—but the sequels contradict one another, so there is no single authoritative timeline.
Release order: the best choice for a first watch
Release order preserves the sequence audiences first encountered the films, including their changing ideas about Jason and the franchise’s evolving continuity. Box Office Mojo’s franchise list gives these theatrical release dates and distributors: Friday the 13th franchise.
- Friday the 13th (1980) — May 9, 1980
- Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) — April 30, 1981
- Friday the 13th Part III (1982) — August 13, 1982
- Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) — April 13, 1984
- Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985) — March 22, 1985
- Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986) — August 1, 1986
- Friday the 13th: The New Blood (1988) — May 13, 1988
- Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989) — July 28, 1989
- Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993) — August 13, 1993
- Jason X (2002) — April 26, 2002
- Freddy vs. Jason (2003) — August 15, 2003
- Friday the 13th (2009) — February 13, 2009
This 12-film count includes both the 2003 Freddy vs. Jason crossover and the 2009 film, which shares its title with the 1980 original. Paramount’s 2024 franchise guide also describes the series as 12 movies: Paramount+’s Friday the 13th guide.
Approximate chronological order
For a story-focused run, keep the original continuity’s films in release order through Jason Goes to Hell, then watch Freddy vs. Jason before Jason X. Put the 2009 film separately as a reimagining, rather than treating it as a continuation of the earlier run.
- Friday the 13th (1980)
- Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
- Friday the 13th Part III (1982)
- Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)
- Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)
- Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)
- Friday the 13th: The New Blood (1988)
- Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)
- Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993)
- Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
- Jason X (2002 release; its story moves into the far future)
- Friday the 13th (2009), watched separately
Why Jason X comes after Freddy vs. Jason here
Jason X begins with a prologue set in 2026 and then jumps to 2455, according to the fan-maintained timeline. That far-future setting makes its 2002 release year a poor guide to where its main story belongs. The placement of Freddy vs. Jason before it is a practical chronology choice, not an official studio sequence.
Why this timeline is only approximate
Friday The 13th: The Website’s timeline introduction says, “The timeline of the Friday the 13th films is very difficult to determine because the sequels often contradict the earlier films.” The site’s reconstruction itself includes guesses and discrepancies; use it as a viewing aid, not as authoritative canon: Friday the 13th film timeline.
How to choose your order
| Your priority | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First time through | Release order | It follows the films’ original sequence and avoids presenting disputed story dates as settled facts. |
| Revisiting the story | Approximate chronological order | It places the far-future Jason X after the earlier continuity while acknowledging the timeline’s uncertainty. |
| Watching the 2009 film | Keep it separate | It is commonly treated as a reimagining, not an installment in the original continuity. This is a viewing convention; the cited sources do not establish an official studio continuity statement. |
Where to watch or own the films
Streaming availability depends on country and can change. Paramount+’s October 10, 2024 guide listed the first eight films—from the 1980 original through Jason Takes Manhattan—as available with a subscription at that time; it is historical catalog information, not a guarantee of current availability. Check the service catalog in your region before subscribing.
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Quick Recap
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![Friday the 13th 1-8 Boxset Collection [Blu-ray] [2019] [Region Free]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51npFrR4vtL._SL160_.jpg)
- Polish Release, cover may contain Polish text/markings. The disk has English audio.
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