Watch ‘Lord Of The Rings’ And ‘Hobbit’ Movies In Order

While we’re certainly not limited in options when it comes to larger than life action and adventure films, few stories have even come close to matching the epic scale and immense cultural hold of director Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” movies.

With meticulously recreated fantasy landscapes, endearing characters struggling and overcoming impossible challenges, and a core story highlighting the power of the good and noble against the forces of evil, this fantasy saga based on the classic works of J.R.R. Tolkien continues to capture the popular imagination.

However, with such an expansive saga crossing decades and separate trilogies, it may be daunting, especially for the newcomer, to understand how each part connects to the next. The official film franchise currently has six titles, including both “The Lord of the Rings” main trilogy as well as the “The Hobbit” prequel trilogy.

Let’s walk through how the films connect in chronological order (and release order) so you’ll never need to worry about getting lost during your trek through Middle-earth.

Release Dates For ‘Lord Of The Rings’ And ‘The Hobbit’ Movies

Let’s begin with the films in order of their release years, listed below.

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
2. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
3. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
4. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
5. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
6. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)

All six films are currently streaming on Max.

How To Watch ‘The Lord of the Rings’ And ‘The Hobbit’ Movies In Chronological Order

Each trilogy’s order is simple on its own, but things can get confusing when watching all six movies together. This is because although “The Hobbit” movies came out 10 years after “The Lord of the Rings” movies, “Hobbit” films take place earlier. So, chronologically, you should watch “The Hobbit” trilogy first.

There is no harm, though, in choosing to watch the movies in release order. In fact, going through them this way would allow you to experience the films how fans did in theaters. You’ll just need to keep in mind where the major time jump occurs and where you are in the timeline.

But below, let’s step through the movies chronologically.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

The grand story begins when the wizard Gandalf visits the hobbit Bilbo in the Shire and recruits him to join a company of dwarves along their mission. The dwarves, led by Thorin, seek to reclaim their kingdom beneath The Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug, and could use Bilbo’s skills in their perilous journey.

Along the way the group encounters several foes including the Orc leader Azog, while Gandalf learns of a potential coming threat from a feared enemy. Separately, by chance, Bilbo meets someone named Gollum and from him acquires a mysterious ring.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)

The second film picks up right after and sees the company fend off more foes including giant spiders and, again, Azog. They also find unexpected allies in the elves Legolas and Tauriel. Eventually, the group reaches a lake town near The Lonely Mountain, and then enters the mountain to reclaim it from the titular Smaug.

However, chaos breaks out when the battle against Smaug unexpectedly ends with the dragon flying off towards the lake town in a fury.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)

The epic conclusion to the trilogy begins with a showdown against Smaug. But then, as Thorin grows mad with greed in his reclaimed kingdom, the people of the lake town, an elf army, and the dwarf army all face off against two orc armies in a deadly confrontation.

By the story’s end though, Bilbo is able to safely return home. However, he keeps the ring he found a secret from everyone, even as he begins to understand that something isn’t quite right about it.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

And now we step into the main trilogy set about sixty years later. Here, as Bilbo celebrates his 111th birthday, he passes down his belongings to his cousin Frodo, including the ring. However, Gandalf then warns Frodo that the Dark Lord Sauron held the ring before and is sending forces to attack for it.

So Frodo leaves the Shire with his friend Samwise and then eventually allies with Legolas (returning from the “Hobbit” trilogy), Aragorn, Boromir, Merry, Pippen, Gimli, and Gandalf on a mission to destroy the ring at Mordor before Sauron can get to it. Ultimately though the group splits apart, with Frodo and Sam continuing to Mordor on their own.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

The second entry in the trilogy picks up right after and sees Frodo and Sam stumble upon Gollum (returning from the “Hobbit” trilogy), who becomes their guide. Meanwhile, the other members of the fellowship, along with an even more powerful Gandalf, work to save the nation of Rohan from Saruman, who is working for Sauron.

These events ultimately lead to an epic battle at Helm’s Deep where our heroes fend off Saruman’s orc forces in one of the most famous parts of the trilogy.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

And in the epic conclusion to the entire story, our heroes first engage in a spectacular battle against Sauron’s forces at Gondor, the kingdom to which Aragorn is heir. Meanwhile, Frodo and Sam finally make it into Mordor, but find themselves battling with Gollum who wants the ring for himself.

Ultimately, the other members of the fellowship aid in clearing the way for Frodo and Sam, allowing Frodo to reach his destination and complete the mission he’d set out for in the climactic final move against Sauron.

And that wraps the current, complete canon of films in this continuity. However, there may still be more to watch from here.

Where Do The New Lord of the Rings TV Series and Animated Movie Fit in?

While these six films are still re-watched and beloved today, much of the reason why J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy world is talked about currently is because of Amazon Studios’ new series The Rings of Power. And in addition to that, Warner Brothers Discovery has already announced a new movie set to release in the coming year.

So where, if at all, would these newer entries fit into the watch order?

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022)

Amazon’s buzzy new series The Rings of Power, from showrunners J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay, is a prequel taking place thousands of years before the films. The first season of the show is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video, and met mixed reviews from critics and fans.

The show features younger versions of characters familiar from the films, such as Galadriel, as they seek to prevent the coming threat of Sauron. However, the show is not intended to share a continuity with the movies. And, controversially, the series takes much greater departures from Tolkien’s writings than the films did. This means that while the show offers additional insight into the mythology, it would not have a place in the official chronological watch order.

Season 2 for the series has already wrapped filming. And while there is no official release date yet, we may see new episodes sometime in late 2024. From there, the showrunners have said that the plan is to go on for as many as five seasons.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim (2024)

The War of Rohirrim is a new animated film slated for December 13, 2024 and directed by Kenji Kamiyama. While a standalone project, the prequel does sit in the films’ chronology, 183 years in the past, meaning it will become the first title in the order. The film will release theatrically, but then is expected to stream on Max.

The story centers on Helm Hammerhand, a famed king of Rohan, and the namesake for the area Helm’s Deep seen in the films. The movie also sees Miranda Otto reprising her character Éowyn from the original trilogy.

But while this film does not seem to be the beginning of a new trilogy, Warner Bros. Discovery WBD  CEO David Zaslav did announce earlier this year that the company is planning multiple future films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s world. So, this is likely the first of many new adaptations.

If you’re binging the films, prepare for over seventeen hours of adventure across two hobbits’ lives. Along the way you can stop by the TV series and eventually more titles to come. But with each entry you’ll dive into a world of adventure that has entertained for years, and will do so for many more.