Despicable Me & Minions Movies in Order

Why this order?

The Despicable Me universe is one of animation's biggest money-makers, and it splits into two interlocking strands: the four numbered Despicable Me films starring reformed supervillain Gru, and the two Minions spin-offs that follow his little yellow henchmen. For almost everyone, release order is the best way in. It's the order the studio designed the jokes and callbacks for, and it lets you meet Gru, his adopted daughters, and the Minions exactly as audiences did in 2010 before the spin-offs filled in their backstory.

Release order runs Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2, Minions, Despicable Me 3, Minions: The Rise of Gru, and Despicable Me 4. Note that Minions (2015) actually arrived between the second and third main films, so it's woven into the numbered series rather than tacked on at the end.

Chronological order is where the gotcha lives. Minions (2015) is a prequel set largely in the 1960s and 70s, following the Minions across history long before they ever meet Gru. Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022) jumps to 1976 and shows Gru as an eleven-year-old wannabe villain teaming up with the Minions for the first time. So in story time the sequence is Minions, then The Rise of Gru, then Despicable Me 1 through 4. Watching this way is fun on a rewatch, but it front-loads two prequels and slightly spoils how the Minions and Gru first connect.

If you enjoy this style of family animation, the same studio (Illumination) also made Sing and The Secret Life of Pets, while DreamWorks' Shrek and Madagascar scratch a similar comedic itch. Start with release order, then revisit chronologically once you know the gang.