Some franchises get bigger with every sequel. Rocky got older, and that’s why it’s so good.
Across nine movies, you’ll watch a nobody become a champion, a champion become a mentor, and a mentor quietly realize his greatest achievement wasn’t winning titles at all. Boxing is the hook, but it’s never been the whole story.
One movie feels like a gritty indie drama, another turns the Cold War into a heavyweight title fight, and years later, the franchise somehow reinvents itself through Apollo Creed’s son without feeling like a cynical reboot. So, if you’re ready to step into the ring, here’s exactly how to watch all Rocky and Creed movies in order.
Rocky and Creed Movies in Order: The Complete Masterlist
One of the franchise’s biggest strengths is that it never hits the reset button. Characters age, relationships evolve, victories have consequences, and even the weaker entries matter because they shape what comes next. Start with Rocky (1976), keep going in release order, and you’ll experience one of Hollywood’s most satisfying long-form character journeys.
| Order | Movie | Release Year | Runtime | Director | IMDb Score* |
| 1 | Rocky | 1976 | 2h | John G. Avildsen | 8.1 |
| 2 | Rocky II | 1979 | 1h 59m | Sylvester Stallone | 7.3 |
| 3 | Rocky III | 1982 | 1h 39m | Sylvester Stallone | 6.9 |
| 4 | Rocky IV | 1985 | 1h 31m | Sylvester Stallone | 6.9 |
| 5 | Rocky V | 1990 | 1h 51m | John G. Avildsen | 5.4 |
| 6 | Rocky Balboa | 2006 | 1h 42m | Sylvester Stallone | 7.1 |
| 7 | Creed | 2015 | 2h 13m | Ryan Coogler | 7.6 |
| 8 | Creed II | 2018 | 2h 10m | Steven Caple Jr. | 7.1 |
| 9 | Creed III | 2023 | 1h 56m | Michael B. Jordan | 6.7 |
*IMDb scores are subject to change.
Begin Your Journey with the Rocky Era (1976–2006)
It’s tempting to call these six movies a boxing saga, but that undersells them. They’re really about what happens before the big break, after the dream comes true, and long after the crowd has stopped chanting your name. Rocky changes with every film, which is why marathoning this era never feels like watching the same story on repeat.
1. Rocky (1976)
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| Release Year | Runtime | Director | IMDb Score |
| 1976 | 2h | John G. Avildsen | 8.1 |
Everyone knows the image of Rocky sprinting up the Philadelphia Museum steps. The funny thing is that that version of the movie barely exists for the first hour.
Instead, you get a painfully ordinary guy collecting debts, talking to his turtles, and wondering if life has already passed him by. That’s what makes his shot at Apollo Creed feel so rewarding.
It isn’t about becoming a champion overnight but finally believing he deserves to be in the room. Even after nearly 50 years, it’s still one of the rare sports movies where the final score isn’t the point.
2. Rocky II (1979)
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| Release Year | Runtime | Director | IMDb Score |
| 1979 | 1h 59m | Sylvester Stallone | 7.3 |
In Rocky II, Rocky has recognition, a little money, and absolutely no idea how to navigate either. The rematch with Apollo is there because neither man can live with how the first one ended.
Their rivalry also becomes something richer here. You can already see the respect that eventually turns one of cinema’s best rivalries into an even better friendship.
3. Rocky III (1982)
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| Release Year | Runtime | Director | IMDb Score |
| 1982 | 1h 39m | Sylvester Stallone | 6.9 |
If the first two films are about chasing success, Rocky III is about surviving it. Rocky has become famous, comfortable, and just a little too convinced he’ll stay on top forever.
Enter Clubber Lang, who doesn’t bother with mind games because his fists do all the talking. But the real twist is that the new villain is Apollo Creed.
Watching yesterday’s biggest rival become Rocky’s toughest coach feels completely natural, and it changes the franchise more than any championship belt ever could. Also, yes, this is where “Eye of the Tiger” permanently rented space in pop culture.
4. Rocky IV (1985)
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| Release Year | Runtime | Director | IMDb Score |
| 1985 | 1h 31m | Sylvester Stallone | 6.9 |
If Rocky started life as a character drama, Rocky IV is what happens when that drama spends too much time in the gym during the ’80s. Everything is bigger, especially Ivan Drago, who somehow became one of cinema’s most memorable villains while saying about fifty words.
The movie turns a boxing match into a Cold War showdown and somehow convinces you that’s a perfectly reasonable idea. Is it subtle? Not even remotely. Is it ridiculously entertaining? Absolutely.
5. Rocky V (1990)
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| Release Year | Runtime | Director | IMDb Score |
| 1990 | 1h 51m | John G. Avildsen | 5.4 |
Every franchise has that one movie that fans warn you about before you press play. For Rocky, it’s this one. The criticism isn’t completely unfair, but it has overshadowed what the film is actually trying to do.
After saving the world one montage at a time in Rocky IV, bringing Rocky back to the streets of Philadelphia and making him a mentor was a surprisingly grounded choice. The execution is uneven, but there’s something refreshing about seeing the series remember that Rocky’s greatest strength was always lifting other people up.
6. Rocky Balboa (2006)
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| Release Year | Runtime | Director | IMDb Score |
| 2006 | 1h 42m | Sylvester Stallone | 7.1 |
Long before Hollywood discovered the phrase “legacy sequel,” Rocky Balboa quietly showed everyone how to make one. It doesn’t pretend Rocky can fight like he’s thirty again, and that’s exactly why it works.
Instead, it asks what happens when someone who’s spent their whole life moving forward suddenly runs out of mountains to climb. The answer is unexpectedly moving.
By the time Rocky laces up the gloves one last time, you’re rooting for him simply because he found the courage to try again. Somehow, after six movies, that still feels inspiring.
Advance to the Creed Era (2015–2023)
On paper, the Creed movies sound like the kind of spin-off Hollywood makes when it’s out of ideas. In reality, they managed to expand the Rocky story without living in its shadow. Rocky is still around, but he no longer has to carry the franchise. Instead, the spotlight shifts to Adonis Creed.
7. Creed (2015)
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| Release Year | Runtime | Director | IMDb Score |
| 2015 | 2h 13m | Ryan Coogler | 7.6 |
Reboots usually ask you to forget the past. Creed reminds you why the past mattered in the first place.
Adonis Creed could’ve coasted on his father’s name, but the movie makes it clear that’s the last thing he wants. His journey is all about proving he deserves to stand on his own.
Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone have the kind of effortless chemistry that makes their mentor-student relationship feel earned rather than obligatory, while Ryan Coogler injects a fresh energy into the boxing scenes. It feels like a franchise restarting and more like the story naturally finding its next lead.
8. Creed II (2018)
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| Release Year | Runtime | Director | IMDb Score |
| 2018 | 2h 10m | Steven Caple Jr. | 7.1 |
The premise practically sells itself: Apollo Creed’s son versus Ivan Drago’s son. It could’ve been pure nostalgia bait, but Creed II is smarter than that.
Instead of treating the Dragos as cartoon villains again, the film asks what decades of failure and regret would actually do to a father and son. Suddenly, the rivalry evolves into two families still carrying the weight of a fight that happened years ago.
9. Creed III (2023)
Watch it on Amazon Prime Video
| Release Year | Runtime | Director | IMDb Score |
| 2023 | 1h 56m | Michael B. Jordan | 6.7 |
Creed III proves that the franchise can survive without Rocky in the corner. Instead of looking backward again, the story pits Adonis against Damian, a childhood friend whose life went off the rails while Adonis got the future they both dreamed about.
That’s a conflict the series hadn’t explored before. Jonathan Majors brings enough vulnerability that Damian never feels like a stock sports-movie villain, and Michael B. Jordan’s anime-inspired direction gives the final fight a visual identity unlike anything else in the franchise. By the end, Creed finally stops being “Rocky’s successor” and confidently becomes its own series.
Is It Worth Watching Rocky and Creed Movies in Order?
Absolutely! The real joy of this franchise is watching decades of relationships evolve.
Apollo Creed goes from cocky champion to Rocky’s closest friend. Rocky transforms from the guy nobody believed in to the mentor everyone turns to. Then Adonis Creed steps into the spotlight without making Rocky feel obsolete.
Those moments only land because you’ve been on the journey with them. Nine movies might sound like a commitment, but this is one of the rare long-running franchises where each era has its own personality.
Watch them in order, and you’ll see something even rarer than a great sports saga. You’ll see characters who actually grow older with their audience.
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