There honestly isn’t a more iconic adventure film series in all of cinema thanIndiana Jones, brought to life by the efforts of the talented and charismatic Harrison Ford, the dynamic storytelling duo of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, and musical composer John Williams. WithTroy Baker voicing Indy in The Great Circle, set within the timeline of the films, it’s time to take a closer look at the order in which you should watch all the films.
Though there aren’t that many films in the franchise compared to Disney’s other properties like theMCUorStar Wars, it can still get confusing to know where to start, especially with how some of the films flip-flop periods.
All of the movies below are available to stream on Disney+.
6The Adventures Of Young Indiana Jones
(1908 - 1920)
If you really want to go all the way back to the beginning and start in chronological order of Indiana Jones adventures, The Young Adventures of Indiana Jones is where you’ll begin. Not a single movie, but instead a compilation of films created as a TV series by George Lucas that ran in the early ’90s, it gives you a deeper glimpse into Indy’s backstory.
The Young Adventures series chronicles three versions of Indiana Jones, with the old Indy played by George Hall in the present-day, the child Indy played by Corey Carrier, and the pre-Temple of Doom Indy played by Sean Patrick Flanery from The Boondock Saints. The episodes cover Indy’s childhood and time in the military during WWI and come with over 90-minute runtimes. Harrison Ford reprises Indy in one of the installments as well.
5Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom
(1935)
Although it was released after Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1984, Temple of Doom is a prequel to the first film in the series and, therefore, chronologically, the first Indiana Jones adventure in cinema. Though not as acclaimed as Raiders or The Last Crusade, this entry introduced some of the most memorable moments and characters.
Who could forget the infamous bridge scene where Indy takes a machete to the ropes that hold it together to send dozens of Mola Ram’s forces flying, the scene where Mola Ram rips out someone’s heart as a human sacrifice to Kali, and the mine cart chase sequence thatundoubtedly went on to inspire Resident Evil 4(even more so in the remake).
Another distinguishing feature of Temple of Doom is the main antagonists not being Nazis like in the original and the story’s focus on Hindu beliefs. Indy also additionally has a child companion going by the name of Short Round, who’s portrayed by actor Ke Huy Quan (Waymond inA24’s Everything Everywhere All At Onceand Data in The Goonies).
The movie’s intense sequences and violent imagery were one of the reasons that led the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) to create an official PG-13 rating.
4Raiders Of The Lost Ark
(1936)
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark was the film that started the Indiana Jones phenomenon and originally didn’t even include the titular hero in its title. This film introduced the world to Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones in his second collaboration with George Lucas and saw Steven Spielberg in the director’s chair.
It was the moments of archeologist Indy fighting Nazis, being terrified of snake pits, running away from a giant boulder, bringing a gun to a knife fight, and using his handy whip for combat and traversal that made him one of the most beloved characters in cinema, and Raiders one of the most iconic movies.
As the name suggests, the key artifact the Nazis are after in this one is the Ark of the Covenant, and Indy has the help of Marion Ravenwood and Sallah when going up against villains like Arnold Toht and archeologist René Belloq. The powers unleashed by the Ark upon the Nazis were also disturbingly unforgettable.
3Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade
(1938)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was the final Indiana Jones movie that was made in the 1980s, and it took a refreshingly different direction than the previous two. Here, he pairs up with his father, Professor Henry Jones Sr., played by none other than Sean Connery. It also sees the return of John Rhys-Davies' Sallah and has a villainous twist for Indy’s female companion, Elsa Schneider.
They’re on the Nazi’s trail once again, this time for the Holy Grail, which leads to more booby traps, clever tricks to outsmart them, and chase sequences. The Last Crusade’s most memorable scenes include the ending by choosing the correct Holy Grail wisely and Indy and his father’s escape from the burning castle.
This movie also featured a younger Indiana Jones in an opening scene taking place in 1912, and he was played by the late actor River Phoenix.
2Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull
(1957)
2011’s Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was the eagerly anticipated return of Indy to the big screen and the farthest jump in the timeline from the pre-WWII era and Nazis to the Cold War era, with Indy now facing off against the Soviets led by Irina Spalko. In the previous film, he was joined by his father, and now Indy is a father and has a son with Marion named Mutt, played by Shia LaBeouf, who accompanies his parents in the adventure.
The Indiana Jones action-packed archeology journeys have always factored in fantasy and supernatural themes, though this one leans very heavily on science-fiction elements with the plot device of interdimensional aliens and their spaceship, and even incorporating the mythology of Area 51 and the Roswell, New Mexico incident.
1Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny
(1944 And 1969)
Although the opening section starts off earlier than Kingdom of the Crystal Skull at the height of World War 2 in 1944, with Indiana Jones rescuing his friend Basil Shaw from a Nazi train and stealing part of the Dial of Destiny without, at first, even realizing its importance, the present-day adventure is set further into the Cold War era in 1969. And Indiana Jones is not in the best state of mind.
The film reveals a lot about what happened to his marriage to Marion and the fate of Shia LaBeouf’s Mutt and sees Sallah return once more to help Indy on the adventure, along with new companions Helena Shaw and Teddy Kumar, who aren’t as helpful. The stakes have never been higher, as the CIA is now involved in helping the Nazi enemy from Jones' past, Jürgen Voller (Death Strandingand Hannibal actor Mads Mikkelsen).
The cool twist with Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is that it’s not just a globetrotting adventure anymore for Indiana Jones,but a time travel adventure, given the properties that Archimedes' Dial is capable of. So, maybe you’ll see Indy venture even further into the past.
