

The Despicable Me franchise centers on Gru, a super-villain (who later becomes a dad and superhero); his yellow-coloured Minions; and his three orphan girls, Margo, Edith and Agnes.
Release order — click any era to expand or collapse. All 4 movies shown below.
3 films released between 2010 and 2017.
1 film released between 2024 and 2024.
Watch the Despicable Me movies in release order, starting with Despicable Me (2010) and continuing through Despicable Me 4 (2024). The series spans 4 films, released between 2010 and 2024. Audiences rate the franchise 6.9/10 on average.
For most viewers, release order is the recommended way to watch Despicable Me. This is how the story was crafted and revealed to audiences — earlier films seed details, callbacks, and twists that pay off in later entries. Watching in release order preserves those reveals and matches the pacing the filmmakers intended.
Despicable Me largely tracks its own in-universe chronology, so release order and chronological order overlap closely. You can use either without losing much, though release order is still the safest first watch.
The Despicable Me franchise centers on Gru, a super-villain (who later becomes a dad and superhero); his yellow-coloured Minions; and his three orphan girls, Margo, Edith and Agnes.
Each film builds on the previous one, rewarding viewers who watch in sequence.
The Despicable Me franchise spans 14 years, from 2010 to 2024.
The highest-rated entry is Despicable Me with a 7.3/10 audience score.
Across all films, the franchise averages a 6.9/10 rating from audiences.
Despicable Me films have collected over 39k audience ratings combined.
Watching all 4 Despicable Me films back-to-back takes well over a full day's viewing commitment.
The most recent entry, Despicable Me 4 (2024), continues a franchise that began 14 years earlier.
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See the original timeline, full stats, and editorial intro on the franchise overview page.
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