How to Watch Every Despicable Me Movie in Order

Despicable Me is one of the biggest names in children’s animation. The adventures of the ex-supervillain Gru and his horde of Minions have delighted audiences for over a decade, and the franchise is set to continue with the release of Despicable Me 4 sometime next year.

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The Despicable Me series has grown exponentially since the release of the original film. While this means there’s plenty of Despicable Me content for fans to enjoy, it also makes it difficult for new viewers to know where to start. Fortunately, we’ve mapped out the best ways to watch the Despicable Me movies in order, so keep reading if you want to join the fun!

How to Watch the Despicable Me Movies in Order

The Despicable Me franchise has been pumping out content since 2010, and there’s no sign that the series will end anytime soon. As of writing, the series consists of three mainline films, two feature-length spin-off prequels, and a plethora of short films.

As is usually the case with long-running narrative-driven franchises, there are two ways to watch the Despicable Me series: the order in which they were released and the order in which they fall in the series timeline. We’ve listed both options, so keep reading and choose whichever you like!

Related: How to Watch Attack on Titan in Order, including the OVAs

Despicable Me: Release Date Watch Order

Watching the Despicable Me in the order they were released allows you to see how the series grew with time. The original Despicable Me film has stellar animation but later installments up the ante with brighter colors and more extravagant character designs. I’d recommend this watch order to those who want to see how the franchise changed as more films came out and Illumination’s animation style improved.

Here’s how to watch the Despicable Me films in the order they were released.

  • Despicable Me (2010)
  • Despicable Me 2 (2013)
  • Minions (2015)
  • Despicable Me 3 (2017)
  • Minions: The Rise of Gru 2 (2022)

Despicable Me: Chronological Watch Order

Watching the Despicable Me films in chronological order allows you to follow the series’ story as it unfolds. Gru’s slow but steady transformation from a bitter menace to society into a loving family man is the heart of the Despicable Me franchise, and watching the films in the order they take place on the series’ timeline lets the audience follow that change as it happens.

Here’s how to watch the Despicable Me films in chronological order.

  • Minions (2015)
  • Minions: Rise of Gru (2022)
  • Despicable Me (2010)
  • Despicable Me 2 (2013)
  • Despicable Me 3 (2017)

Where can you Watch the Despicable Me Movies?

Despicable-Me-Gru
Image: Universal Pictures

The Despicable Me films can be streamed on several streaming services and websites. These include Amazon Prime, Max, and Netflix.


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Author
Drew Kopp
Drew Kopp has been a writer at Attack of the Fanboy for three months and has covered Baldur's Gate 3, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Ahsoka. He has a Bachelor's in Creative Writing and loves writing about indie games and celebrity gossip. When he isn't writing, he can be found reading fantasy books or rocking out as Bard in Dungeons & Dragons.