Friday the 13th in chronological order: every movie, series, book, comic and game in story order
Friday the 13th in chronological order by story date, from the 1958 prologue to Jason X in 2455, with the movies, the TV series, games, novels and comics, and where Freddy vs. Jason fits.
The Friday the 13th movies run in story order almost exactly as they were released, with two swaps: Freddy vs. Jason (2003) happens before Jason X (2001), because Jason X is set in the year 2455, and the 2009 film is a separate reboot. This guide lists every movie in story order, with posters, and explains where the TV series, games, novels and comics fit, or why they do not. It is published on a Friday the 13th, November 13, 2026.
Friday the 13th movies in story order
- Friday the 13th (1980), story year 1979
- Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981), story year 1984
- Friday the 13th Part III (1982), story year 1984
- Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984), story year 1984
- Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985), story year 1989
- Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986), story year 1990
- Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988), story year 1997
- Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989), story year 1998
- Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993), story year 2003
- Freddy vs. Jason (2003), story year 2003
- Jason X (2001), story year 2455
Separate continuity: Friday the 13th (2009).
The timeline, film by film
The story starts before the first film. A boy drowns at Camp Crystal Lake in the 1950s, and the first film opens in 1958 with the murder of two counselors. Everything after that follows the camp, the lake and the Voorhees family.
Friday the 13th (1980)
Story year: 1979 in most guides, on a Friday, June 13. New counselors reopen the camp and are hunted one by one. Sources disagree about the exact year, because the film's on-screen date card does not give one clearly.
Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
Story year: 1984 in most guides, about five years after the first film. A new group of counselors trains near the old camp, and Jason steps into the series.
Friday the 13th Part III (1982)
Story year: 1984, the day after Part 2. Jason moves to a lakeside house, and this is where he gets the hockey mask.
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)
Story year: 1984, right after Part III. Tommy Jarvis, a boy who loves horror makeup, arrives in the series. The film was sold as the last chapter.
Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)
Story year: 1989 in most guides, a jump of about five years. An older Tommy Jarvis is staying at a halfway house. Some guides say 1990.
Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)
Story year: about 1990. Tommy tries to make sure Jason stays buried, and Camp Crystal Lake has been renamed Camp Forest Green.
Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)
Story year: 1997 by the usual count. A girl with telekinetic powers goes to the lake with her family.
Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)
Story year: 1998 by the usual count. Jason leaves the lake and boards a cruise ship headed for New York City.
Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993)
Story year: about 2003 by the usual count. The FBI hunts Jason, and the film shows a new way for him to return.
Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
Story year: after Jason Goes to Hell, in Springwood, Ohio, with no date on screen. Freddy Krueger brings Jason back to scare the town, in the crossover with A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Jason X (2001)
Story year: a prologue in the early 21st century and the main events in 2455, 455 years later. Jason is frozen and wakes up on a spaceship. It was released in 2002 in the United States.
What is outside the main story line
- Friday the 13th (2009): a new version of the story with its own continuity, so it does not fit in this timeline.
- Friday the 13th: The Series (1987 to 1990): a TV series about cursed antiques. It does not feature Jason and is not linked to the movies, even though it shares the title.
- Games: the home computer game (1985), the NES game (1989) and Friday the 13th: The Game (2017) are not part of the film continuity.
- Novels: novelizations of some of the films and later novels such as Hell Lake, Church of the Divine Psychopath, Carnival of Maniacs, Hate-Kill-Repeat and the Jason X novels have no official place in the timeline.
- Comics: books from the 2000s such as Bad Land and Abuser and the Abused, and crossovers like Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash and Jason vs. Leatherface, are placed by fans between films, with no official order.
- Fan film: Never Hike Alone (2017) is a fan film and not part of the official story.
How sure are these dates?
- Stated in the films: the 1958 prologue, the five-year gap before Part 2 and before A New Beginning, and the 455-year jump in Jason X.
- Inferred: the exact years for Part VI through Jason Goes to Hell come from counting the gaps between films, and guides disagree by a year or two.
- No official calendar: the studios never published one, so this is the most common reconstruction, not a rule.
Frequently asked questions about Friday the 13th chronology
What is the chronological order of the Friday the 13th movies?
The order is the release order with one swap: after Jason Goes to Hell comes Freddy vs. Jason (2003), and Jason X comes last because it takes place in 2455. The 2009 reboot is separate.
Are the Friday the 13th movies in chronological order?
Almost. The release order matches the story order up to Jason Goes to Hell, but Jason X (2001) was released before Freddy vs. Jason (2003) and happens after it in story time.
In what order should I watch the Friday the 13th movies?
For a first watch, release order works well and is almost the same as story order. Watch Freddy vs. Jason before Jason X if you want the exact story order.
When is the first Friday the 13th movie set?
Most guides place the first film in 1979, with a prologue in 1958. The film's own date card does not clearly state the year, so sources disagree.
Where does Freddy vs. Jason fit in the timeline?
It comes after Jason Goes to Hell and before Jason X. It is set in Springwood, the town from A Nightmare on Elm Street, and has no date on screen.
Where does Jason X fit in the timeline?
It is the last film in story order. After a prologue in the early 21st century, it jumps to 2455, 455 years later.
Is the 2009 Friday the 13th a remake or a sequel?
It is a reboot that retells the early story with its own continuity, so it is not part of the timeline of the other eleven movies.
Is Friday the 13th: The Series connected to the movies?
No. The TV series of 1987 to 1990 is about cursed antiques and does not feature Jason. It only shares the title.
Is Friday the 13th: The Game canon?
The 2017 game has no official place in the film continuity. It uses versions of Jason from several of the movies in a multiplayer game.
When is the next Friday the 13th?
This post is published on Friday, November 13, 2026. The next Friday the 13th after it is August 13, 2027.
Rate every Friday the 13th movie
Which one is your favorite? On Rankiew you can rate every film, write reviews and build your own list of horror movies, from Camp Crystal Lake to 2455.
Sources: JustWatch, Slashfilm, Screen Rant.
