Lord of the Rings & Hobbit Watch Order

Journey through Middle-earth with a clear, no-spoilers watch order. Choose between release order or the story’s chronological timeline, with quick notes on Extended Editions and where The Rings of Power fits.

Release Order

  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)

Chronological Order

  1. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
  2. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
  3. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
  4. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
  5. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
  6. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Notes
• For a first watch, release order flows best.
• Extended Editions add lore and character beats but increase runtime.
• The Rings of Power (TV) is a Second Age prequel—optional, can be watched anytime as a separate prologue.

Back