Harry Potter is one of the biggest fantasy and fiction franchises of recent years, being a success that lasted for more than a decade and brought together thousands of fans around the world. However, the saga came to an end in 2011 and people who want to watch the films for the first time may end up getting confused, as there are 8 films. That's why we've prepared a complete guide to Harry Potter in chronological order!
If you are a reader who wants to know the order of Harry Potter to watch the films correctly, this article will not only help you with the chronology, but will also present the premise of each film and its rating on review sites, such as the renowned IMDb. Let's find out the order of the Harry Potter films!
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)
Starting our list that presents Harry Potter in chronological order, we have “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”, the first film released in 2001 that introduces us to a little boy named Harry Potter. He is a young orphan who lives with his aunt and uncle, receiving very poor treatment and being unhappy with the Dursleys. However, his life is about to change when he receives a letter inviting him to join Hogwarts, a famous school of magic!
After countless attempts to deliver this letter, Hagrid (the Hogwarts gamekeeper) appears to take the boy to the wizarding world and, thus, the story turns into an adventure with new friends: Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. This first film was a milestone and received a positive rating of 7.7 on IMDb!
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
The second Harry Potter film in chronological order is “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”. The film begins 1 year after the first, as the Hogwarts students return from their vacation. Harry, once again, returns to his aunt and uncle's house and, on the eve of the start of his classes, a creature called Dobby (a house elf) appears in his room just to warn him that returning to the wizarding world is a mistake.
After facing the saga's main antagonist in the first film, Harry feels he is ready to take the risk not only to learn more about witchcraft, but also to get rid of the troubled home he lives in in the Muggle world. This was a good sequel and maintained the level of the first film, bringing new adventures and maintaining a positive rating of 7.4 on IMDb.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
This film, which follows Harry Potter in chronological order, is one of the ones that brings the most secrets to be revealed. It takes place, once again, after the holidays and begins with the third school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This time, a new threat emerges: Sirius Black. He was a dangerous prisoner who had been locked up in Azkaban for twelve years, but managed to escape and vowed to avenge his master: Lord Voldemort!
Furthermore, Hogwarts now has some very sinister and dangerous guards, the Dementors, who are after Black, but also seem to be a threat to Harry and his friends. The third film in the saga is one of the fans' favorites and has a 7.9 approval rating on IMDb, showing that the films manage to maintain a level of excellence between one and the other.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
Since this is a saga about a School of Magic, of course an inter-school tournament would happen at some point. Thus, the fourth film in the saga and fourth year of Harry Potter in chronological order shows us how a great tournament between the 3 biggest Schools of Witchcraft and Wizardry takes place. Of course Ron, Hermione and Harry wouldn't be left out of this!
Each participant represents a school and is chosen through the Goblet of Fire. Candidates can sign up and wait for the draw. However, the unexpected happens: Harry's name appears, even though he had not signed up. Now he needs to compete to show that Hogwarts is the best of the best! This was a film that pleased fans and brought together several magical creatures, such as mermaids, being memorable and achieving an average approval rating of 7.7 on IMDb.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
The fifth Harry Potter film in chronological order begins in Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts. Now, the threat of Voldemort is growing and more present, but few parents and students believe he will return. Both Harry and Dumbledore, the institution's headmaster, are being considered crazy for believing in this threat, opening the way for new, sneaky characters to gain ground.
Dolores Umbridge is a great example of this. She is the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and her presence tends to prove how disgusting she can be, especially to Harry. This is another film in the saga that maintains the standard of quality and narrative, bringing new characters and situations, which guaranteed a rating of 7.5 on IMDb.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
Harry Potter in chronological order continues with its sixth film, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”, where Voldemort finally gathers his Death Eaters so that the wizarding world can experience terror and the Muggle world is also in his plans. Meanwhile, Dumbledore tries to ask for help and convinces his long-time friend, Horace Slughorn, to return to Hogwarts as the new potions teacher.
Now, Lord Voldemort has a student infiltrated at Hogwarts: Draco Malfoy. On the other side, we have Harry and Dumbledore working together to find a way to defeat the Dark Lord forever! With a more adult narrative, Harry Potter was a franchise that matured over the years and as the characters grew up. This pleased fans and critics, who gave it an average approval rating of 7.6 on IMDb.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
We've reached the final stretch of the franchise, which was divided into Part 1 and Part 2! Now, the seventh Harry Potter film in Chronological Order shows us the beginning of the journey of Harry, Ron and Hermione who set out alone on a mission to find and destroy the Horcruxes. With the latest events, we discover that Horcruxes exist, which are nothing more than the sources of Voldemort's immortality, in other words: destroying them all is destroying the villain!
But of course, this won't be an easy task, since shadowy forces are always lurking and ready to separate them, making their plans and steps increasingly difficult. The film packed theaters because it was the beginning of the end of this great saga that, by this point, had already become popular and gained fans all over the world. IMDb gave it an average approval rating of 7.7 and maintained the same level as the previous films.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
And finally we come to the last Harry Potter film in chronological order: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2! The final battle has finally begun, the good and evil of the wizarding world are facing off in a brutal battle where only one side can emerge victorious and, unfortunately, we will have countless losses in this final phase. The danger has never been greater and absolutely no one is safe.
With the help of students, parents and teachers, Harry faces the horde of villains commanded by the Dark Lord and is about to finally put an end to his story with Voldemort. The final part surprised the audience and delivered a worthy ending to the entire saga, worth the wait and time for those who followed this story from the beginning. It is no wonder that this became the film in the saga with the highest approval rating on IMDb, totaling 8.1 and with around 990 thousand reviews!
The new saga: same universe, new characters
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
The main story of the saga of JK Rolling It was completed with the eighth film in the saga, however, 5 years later we had the return of the wizarding world, but this time with new characters: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
The first film tells the story of an eccentric magizoologist who travels everywhere with his suitcase full of magical animals that he captures during his numerous trips around the globe. However, when he is visiting New York, his suitcase opens and these creatures end up escaping, which requires him to capture them again.
Despite the new characters, the new saga maintains the quality of the magical world and has an approval rating of 7.2 on IMDb, similar to the ratings of the previous saga.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
The second film in the saga takes place months after the events of the first film, but this time in Paris. Scamander is now summoned by Albus Dumbledore to search for Grindelwald, a villain who talks about “freedom” for wizards and the end of them hiding from Muggles, seeking wizard supremacy.
Despite the slightly more adult premise, the film declined in terms of audience and critic ratings, only receiving a 6.5 on IMDb.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
The third film in the Fantastic Beasts franchise shows us the relationship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald, showing us some moments of the professor during his youth. Scamander is once again called to lead a team of wizards to face Grindelwald's legion of followers. Once again the film declined in ratings, totaling only 6.2 on IMDb.
And this is the correct way to watch Harry Potter in chronological order, from the first film to the new installments of the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them saga. We know that this is a successful franchise and that most people have already watched at least one film, but for those who want to start watching it all, just follow our guidelines and enjoy this magical world to the fullest!
And if you like this type of content, be sure to also check out: 10 Oscar-nominated films to watch at the cinema in 2025 e all disney princesses in chronological order.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will there be any more Harry Potter movies/series in the future?
Yes! There will be a new Harry Potter series! It is scheduled to premiere between 2026 and 2027, and will be available on the Max platform.
In what order should I read the Harry Potter books?
To follow the chronological order in the books as well, just follow the order we indicate in this article.
Is there a ninth film in the Harry Potter series?
No, there is no new Harry Potter film yet. However, a new series and an adaptation of the play titled "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" are planned.
