Few films have been as influential as 1978's Halloween. John Carpenter's spin on the horror formula inspired decades worth of slasher flicks. The film starred Jamie Lee Curtis in her debut role as Laurie Strode, who was launched into horror stardom along with the creepy serial killer villain Michael Myers. Halloween was a gold mine that spawned a long-running franchise of thirteen films touching every generation of moviegoers, with the thirteenth entry, Halloween Ends, having just been released in theaters and on Peacock.

But with so many plot threads, reboots, films of the same name, and alternate timelines it can be tricky to understand what to know when going into each film. This guide will explain the chronology of the Halloween franchise and how the films intertwine.

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Image via Universal Pictures

Related:‘Halloween Ends’ Review: Michael and Laurie Face Off in Middling Film With a Satisfying Conclusion

Halloween Movies in Order of Release Date

1978 - Halloween

1981 - Halloween 2

1982 - Halloween 3: Season of the Witch

1988 - Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers

1989 - Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers

1995 - Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers

1998 - Halloween H20: 20 Years Later

2002 - Halloween: Resurrection

2007 - Halloween

2009 - Halloween 2

2018 - Halloween

2021 - Halloween Kills

2022 - Halloween Ends

Related:'Halloween Ends' Cast and Character Guide

Halloween Movies in Chronological Order: The Original Timeline

Halloween (1978)

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Image via Universal

With a $300,000 budget, John Carpenter's classic earned $47 million when released in the US. Halloween was not without mistakes, but that return made it one of the most successful independent films ever made. The story follows Michael Myers escaping from an insane asylum while his psychiatrist, Doctor Loomis, attempts to hunt him down and kill him. Meanwhile, a babysitter, Laurie Strode, is caught in the violence. Slower-paced than modern slashers, the horror comes from seeing Michael Myers standing in the edge of a frame he isn't supposed to be in. Playing on the paranoia that any ordinary person could be the killer, Halloween truly is a frightening watch even today.

Halloween 2 (1981)

Set immediately after the events of the original, Halloween 2 continues Doctor Loomis' quest to kill Michael while Laurie Strode recovers from her battle with him in the hospital. Banned in various European countries due to graphic violence, the sequel also adds depth to the story revealing Michael Myers and Laurie Strode were siblings who were separated when Michael was incarcerated. Though of a different tone to its predecessor, Halloween 2 seeks to put an end to Laurie Strode's story with a bang.

Related:Power Ranking Every 'Halloween' Movie's Opening Credits

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)

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Image via Galaxy International Releasing

Looking to change things up a bit, Halloween 4, follows Laurie's daughter, Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris), being adopted by a new family and thereafter pursued by Michael Myers, her murderous uncle. Now with a desire to kill his living family, the only people who can save Jamie are her adopted sister and the returning Doctor Loomis. But when Michael's evil proves impossible to control, it turns Jamie into a mindless killer. In an attempt to keep up with new and evolving slasher franchises, Halloween 4 is a fast-paced film with lots of action throughout.

Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)

Following Jamie again as she recovers from the evil that Michael's defeat instilled in her, Halloween 5 also pushes Doctor Loomis' character to the edge as he becomes obsessed with hunting and killing Michael. Going so far as to use Jamie as bait, Doctor Loomis uses elaborate traps, psychology, and great personal risk to ensure Michael is defeated. But in a twist ending, Michael is put back into custody before being broken out again by a mysterious organization. Continuing with the intense action and tone established in Halloween 4, this film can sometimes feel less like horror and more like action.

Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)

Most known for being one of Paul Rudd's earliest films and Donald Pleasance's last, Halloween 6 is undoubtedly one of the franchise's silliest entries. It follows a cult that kidnaps and sacrifices adult Jamie Lloyd to Michael so that he can maintain his evil power. Paul Rudd, playing the role of Tommy Doyle, then teams up with Doctor Loomis to keep Jamie Lloyd's baby safe from Michael before going to stop this cult. The movie ends on a cliffhanger of whether Doctor Loomis will destroy Michael's cult or join it in order to understand him. However, this is never resolved and this timeline's true ending is paying respect to the brilliant Donald Pleasance.

Related:Why It’s Hilarious That Michael Myers Drives Several Cars in the ‘Halloween’ Franchise

The Anthology Timeline

Halloween 3: Season of the Witch (1982)

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Image Via Universal Pictures

After John Carpenter left the franchise at the end of Halloween 2, it was proposed that all subsequent Halloween films be independent horror stories in the form of an anthology series. Halloween 3: Season of the Witch was the first, and only, film to be released to that end before Halloween 4 returned the franchise to its roots. The story of Halloween 3 follows Doctor Daniel Challis (Tom Atkins) unraveling a conspiracy to kill hundreds of children across America using Halloween masks and TV broadcasting frequencies. Though full of as many lows as it has highs, Halloween 3 is the franchise's most distinct entry that has one of the eeriest cliffhangers of the whole series.

The H20 Timeline

Halloween (1978) and Halloween 2 (1981)

As Laurie Strode is the protagonist of this timeline and is still considered to be Michael's sister, the original two films remain part of it.

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)

Halloween H20 depicts an adult Laurie Strode, played by the returning Jamie Lee Curtis, balancing the pressures of running a school and raising a son with overcoming the trauma of being attacked by Michael Myers. But when Michael finally comes back for her, she decides that she's done running and must end Michael once and for all. This is a fascinating choice that makes Halloween H20 a blend of classic and contemporary slashers, taking Laurie's character in a bold new direction. In this exciting epilogue to the original two films a lot of the crew, including Jamie Lee Curtis, had believed this would be the final entry in the franchise, in which Michael Myers was finally slain. They were wrong.

Halloween: Resurrection (2002)

As one of the goofiest entries of the franchise, Halloween: Resurrection sees Laurie Strode killed in the first ten minutes and the rest of the plot revolves around Michael Myers killing teenagers on a haunted house live stream. Looking to cash in on the early rise of the internet, Halloween: Resurrection's attempts to be contemporary are mostly met by laughs with little scary about it. One of the highlights of the film involves the rapper, Busta Rhymes, spin-kicking Michael Myers and shoving electrical wires into his groin.

Related:'Halloween Ends' & 10 Other Horror Finales That Marked the End of an Era

The Rob Zombie Timeline

Halloween (2007)

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Image via Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Rob Zombie's controversial remake of Halloween was one hell of a mixed bag for fans, which streamlined the story of the original two films into one, while providing us with Michael's backstory, and also turning Michael from a creepy stalker into a giant brute. But despite having a bigger emphasis on graphic sex and gore, Rob Zombie's Halloween is mostly a very faithful retelling of a familiar story that clearly has a lot of admiration for what it's adapting. Rob Zombie's desire to mix things up also makes sure this isn't another bland cash-grab remake, keeping viewers on their toes.

Halloween 2 (2009)

Whereas Halloween (2007) had been a remake of the original film, Halloween 2 (2009) couldn't be more different from its 1981 counterpart, except for a short dream sequence set in a hospital on Halloween night. Halloween 2 can be praised for being Rob Zombie's unique vision that analyses Laurie's PTSD and the driving force behind Michael's desire to murder his family, which also reintroduces supernatural elements to the franchise. Reportedly banned in Malaysia, Halloween 2 continues Zombie's brutal and bloody vision for the series that had the guts to finally kill Michael Myers on the big screen for all to see. For this reason, it has the most conclusive ending of all the timelines.

Related:Michael Myers' 10 Best Kills from the 'Halloween' Franchise Before 'Halloween Ends'

The H40 Timeline

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Image via Universal

Halloween (1978)

The rebooted timeline follows Laurie Strode's battle with Michael Myers over forty years, so it also includes the original Halloween. However, Laurie and Michael are not siblings in this continuity so Halloween 2 (1981) is not considered to be part of this timeline.

Halloween (2018)

This is where things get tricky if not using release dates and directors to track continuity. David Gordon Green's Halloween (2018) is a sequel to John Carpenter's Halloween (1978), but NOT a sequel to Rob Zombie's Halloween (2007). Similarly to Halloween H20, the film depicts an older and traumatized Laurie Strode protecting her family after Michael Myers returns to kill again. When Michael's new and insane psychiatrist arranges for him to chase after the Strode family, they must unite and set a trap to defeat him and save their lives.

Halloween Kills (2021)

On the same night as Michael was seemingly defeated in Halloween (2018), he returns to hunt more innocents. Regretting that Doctor Loomis was stopped from killing Michael in 1978, Tommy Doyle (Anthony Michael Hall) leads armed gangs of civilians on a manhunt to kill Michael for good. With Laurie hospitalized after the events of the previous film, it is up to the younger members of the Strode family to help Tommy Doyle defeat Michael in Halloween Kills. This ambitious sequel evolves the Halloween lore and even brings back some classic characters for cameos, which will make long-time fans smile.

Halloween Ends (2022)

Having just been released in October 2022, Halloween Ends is the climactic finale to both the rebooted timeline and the series as a whole. Starting four years after the previous movie, Halloween Ends shows Laurie finally trying to move on from her traumatic past. However, Michael has other ideas for his eternal enemy, all leading to a final showdown between the OG masked killer and final girl. But with so many remakes, reboots, and generations' worth of content, who is really to say if Halloween Ends will actually be the end of Halloween?