Underworld Movies in Order: Chronological & Release Date Guide

There was a time when Hollywood couldn’t get enough of stylish supernatural action. While franchises like Blade leaned into comic book spectacle and Twilight turned vampires into romantic heartthrobs, Underworld carved out its own identity. 

It imagined a world where vampires and Lycans (werewolves) had been fighting a secret war for centuries, wrapping that mythology in blue-tinted visuals, brutal gunfights, and one of the coolest action heroines of the 2000s. 

The franchise never reached blockbuster heights like Resident Evil, but it didn’t need to. It built a loyal fanbase by sticking to its iconic fast-paced action, surprisingly deep vampire lore, and Kate Beckinsale’s unforgettable performance as Selene. 

If you’re planning your first watch or revisiting the series, here’s every Underworld movie in release order and chronological order, including the animated anthology Endless War.

Underworld Movies in Order of Release: The Masterlist

The Underworld franchise never relied on reboots or disconnected spin-offs. With just six entries released over 13 years, the story follows a mostly continuous timeline centered on Selene’s journey. Here’s the complete release order, along with each movie’s runtime, director, and IMDb rating. 

*IMDb scores are subject to change.

Dive Into The Underworld Movies in Order 

1. Underworld (2003) 

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If you’ve never seen Underworld, imagine The Matrix if Neo was a vampire hunting werewolves. That’s obviously an oversimplification, but it captures the movie’s vibe surprisingly well. The action is fast, the visuals are unmistakably early 2000s, and Kate Beckinsale owns every scene as Selene.

The story kicks off when Selene starts investigating a group of Lycans pursuing an ordinary human named Michael. What looks like another mission quickly turns into something much bigger, exposing secrets that neither vampires nor Lycans saw coming. It’s the movie that establishes the rules of this world, so even after all the sequels, there’s no better place to start.

2. Underworld: Evolution (2006) 

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After ending the first movie on a cliffhanger, Evolution wastes no time getting the story moving again. Selene and Michael are still on the run, but they’re no longer just fighting Lycans. This time, the biggest threats come from the vampires themselves, as long-buried secrets about the war finally begin to surface.

Compared to the first film, Evolution spends less time setting up the world and more time exploring it. You learn who started the conflict, why it lasted for centuries, and how Selene fits into a much bigger picture. It adds plenty of lore without losing sight of what made the original fun in the first place.

3. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009) 

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Prequels often exist to fill gaps nobody asked about. Rise of the Lycans is one of the few that actually strengthens the films around it. 

Set centuries before Selene’s story, it focuses on Lucian’s rebellion against the vampire elder Viktor, turning a conflict that once felt black and white into a genuine tragedy. Michael Sheen delivers one of the franchise’s strongest performances, making it easy to understand why Lucian became such a legendary figure. Even though it’s first chronologically, it’s far more rewarding after watching the first two movies.

4. Underworld: Endless War (2011) 

Unlike the rest of the franchise, Endless War isn’t a feature film but a three-part animated anthology. Each short follows Selene hunting the same Lycan brothers across different centuries, expanding the lore without changing the main storyline. It’s by no means essential viewing, but at under 20 minutes, it’s an easy addition for anyone who wants the complete Underworld experience.

5. Underworld: Awakening (2012) 

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After a three-year break, Awakening shakes up the formula in a big way. Humans have discovered the existence of vampires and Lycans, forcing both species out of the shadows for the first time. 

The film leans more into science fiction than gothic fantasy, introducing new experiments, new enemies, and a more isolated version of Selene. The shift divided fans, but it deserves credit for trying something different instead of replaying familiar conflicts.

6. Underworld: Blood Wars (2016) 

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By the time Blood Wars arrived, the franchise had clearly lost some of its momentum. Rather than reinventing the series again, it doubles down on vampire politics and long-running rivalries to bring Selene’s journey to a close. 

It isn’t the strongest installment, and the mixed reviews reflect that, but it still offers enough action and lore to satisfy fans who have followed the story from the beginning. If you’ve made it this far, skipping the finale would feel incomplete.

Underworld Movies in Order of Chronology

If you want to follow the story from the earliest events in the Underworld universe, start with Rise of the Lycans. It’s set centuries before Selene’s story and explains how the vampire-Lycan war began. From there, the timeline is mostly straightforward, with the remaining movies following Selene’s journey in chronological order. 

Note: Underworld: Endless War is an optional animated anthology. While its three short stories take place at different points in the timeline, you can simply watch it after Evolution without affecting the main story.

Should You Watch the Underworld Movies in Order of Release or Chronology?

If you’re watching the franchise for the first time, release order is the clear winner.

The first two movies intentionally keep parts of the vampire-Lycan conflict shrouded in mystery. Rise of the Lycans works because it answers questions the earlier films deliberately leave unanswered. Watching the prequel first removes much of that intrigue and weakens some of the later reveals.

Chronological order is better suited for a rewatch. Once you already know the major twists, it’s fun to see how the centuries-old rivalry unfolds from Lucian’s rebellion to Selene’s final battle.

Dishari Sarkar

Writer. Dreamer. Journalist (maybe?). Anime lover (definitely). I turn curiosity into stories and everyday life into a narrative worth reading.

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