My first round of Alien viewings was arranged by release date, but the experience totally revamped when I switched to chronological order.
I started with Alien vs. Predator, following Weyland's team as they discovered an ancient pyramid beneath Antarctica's ice.
Next, I moved to Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem to see the aftermath of Xenomorphs in Colorado. Prometheus took me to LV-223, where I tracked the origins of the Engineers.
Covenant led a colonists' mission toward Origae‑6, only to face a synthetic uprising.
Finally, the Nostromo's crew onboard the original Alien connected those threads.
Watching them by their in‑universe dates deepened understanding of how creation, obsession, and survival echo across centuries. Let's get in.
In this article
Alien Movie Timeline Explained
Here's a clear sequence of events—from Alien vs. Predator's 2004 setting to Resurrection in 2379—so you don't miss a beat:
1. Alien vs. Predator (2004)
Watching Alien vs. Predator first revealed how early humanity stumbled into a war it never understood.
- In‑Universe Setting: 2004, beneath Antarctic ice in a buried Predator-built pyramid.
- Key Plot Points: A Weyland-led expedition discovers a temple designed for Predator hunts. When Xenomorphs are released for sport, humans get caught in the middle.
- Themes and Significance: Exposes early corporate recklessness and frames the Xenomorph as a trophy species in a long-standing alien ritual.
- Connection to Other Movies: Establishes Earth's first brush with the Xenomorph threat, which escalates immediately in Requiem.
2. Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
Requiem turns that secret war loose on small-town America—and it's chaos.
- In‑Universe Setting: 2004, picking up right after AvP, in Gunnison, Colorado.
- Key Plot Points: A Predator ship crashes, unleashing facehuggers and a Predalien hybrid. Locals, law enforcement, and a lone Predator get caught in the resulting bloodbath.
- Themes and Significance: Shows how fast Xenomorph threats overwhelm unprepared societies—and how cover-ups erase terrifying truths.
- Connection to Other Movies: Closes the AvP mini-arc and tees up the shift to the cosmic origin story in Prometheus.
3. Prometheus (2012)
Jumping ahead centuries in Prometheus revealed where the nightmare began.
- In‑Universe Setting: 2089–2093, on LV‑223 in a decaying Engineer facility.
- Key Plot Points: Scientists searching for humanity's creators awaken an ancient bioweapon. David, the android, quietly manipulates the crew while experimenting with black goo.
- Themes and Significance: Tackles creation, faith, and scientific hubris. Lays the groundwork for the Xenomorph's evolutionary origins.
- Connection to Other Movies: Introduces David's twisted obsession, which directly shapes the events of Covenant.
4. Alien: Covenant (2017)
Covenant is where David turns mad scientist—and it's chilling.
- In‑Universe Setting: 2104, aboard the colony ship Covenant, diverted to a seemingly habitable world.
- Key Plot Points: After a detour to LV‑223's sister world, the crew discovers the aftermath of Prometheus. David continues his genetic experiments, culminating in the first true Xenomorph.
- Themes and Significance: Contrasts human colonization with synthetic obsession. David becomes the architect of terror.
- Connection to Other Movies: Bridges the myth-heavy prequels with the raw horror of Alien.
5. Alien (1979)
Returning to Alien felt like watching a primal force unleashed—no mythology, just fear.
- In‑Universe Setting: 2122, aboard the Nostromo, rerouted by a mysterious signal from LV‑426.
- Key Plot Points: A facehugger latches onto Kane, leading to the iconic chestburster scene. Ripley emerges as the lone survivor after a brutal standoff.
- Themes and Significance: Corporate neglect, survival in isolation, and the brutal indifference of space.
- Connection to Other Movies: Kicks off Ripley's arc and ties back to David's creations. LV‑426 is ground zero for Aliens.
6. Alien: Romulus (2024)
Romulus introduces a new generation to the same unkillable nightmare.
- In‑Universe Setting: Circa 2142, on a remote frontier colony.
- Key Plot Points: A crashed civilian transport stumbles on a derelict ship. Survivors face a fresh Xenomorph outbreak far from corporate help.
- Themes and Significance: Emphasizes how the Xenomorph threat endures—anywhere, anytime—and how unprepared humanity still is.
- Connection to Other Movies: Acts as connective tissue between Ripley's horror and the militarized response in Aliens.
7. Aliens (1986)
After the eerie prequels, Aliens hits like a thunderclap—guns blazing.
- In‑Universe Setting: 2179, on the terraformed colony Hadley's Hope, LV‑426.
- Key Plot Points: Ripley joins a Marine squad to investigate the colony's silence. They uncover a full-blown hive, battle a Xenomorph Queen, and Ripley bonds with sole survivor Newt.
- Themes and Significance: Explores motherhood, militarization, and trauma. Turns survival into a full-blown war.
- Connection to Other Movies: Sets up the bleak fallout of Alien 3, while deepening Ripley's emotional arc.
8. Alien 3 (1992)
Alien 3 throws all hope out the airlock—and it works.
- In‑Universe Setting: 2179, moments after Aliens, on the prison planet Fiorina 161.
- Key Plot Points: An escape pod crash-lands. Ripley is alone again, this time with inmates and another Xenomorph. She discovers she's carrying a Queen embryo—and chooses death to stop it.
- Themes and Significance: A meditation on sacrifice, despair, and dignity in the face of inevitable death.
- Connection to Other Movies: Her death sets the stage for cloning in Resurrection.
9. Alien: Resurrection (1997)
Resurrection ends the saga with bioethics, black comedy, and body horror.
- In‑Universe Setting: 2379, on the USM Auriga—a military lab vessel.
- Key Plot Points: Scientists clone Ripley and the Queen inside her. Xenomorphs escape. The hybrid Ripley teams up with mercenaries to destroy the ship.
- Themes and Significance: Explores identity, cloning ethics, and humanity's obsession with controlling life, even when it kills them.
- Connection to Other Movies: Closes the loop on Ripley's DNA and the long chain of synthetic meddling that began in Prometheus.
How to Create an Alien Movie Timeline with EdrawMax?
When I first wanted to map out the Alien movie timeline, I tried sketching it on paper, and it got messy real quick. That's when I switched to EdrawMax, one of the best timeline makers I have tested.
It's a comprehensive diagramming tool I use for everything from concept maps to film timelines. Catering to 210+ diagramming needs, it has become my default tool for any structured layout that needs to be both clean and customizable.
Here's what makes it especially useful for timeline creation:
- Drag-and-drop interface with dedicated timeline elements
- Thousands of built-in templates for various timeline needs
- Easy date and label editing for movie release years or in-universe dates
- Custom connectors to show overlaps or prequels/sequels
- Export options to save your timeline as PNG, PDF, or editable files
Here's how I built a professional Alien timeline in minutes:
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Step 1Navigate to Templates in EdrawMax
- Open EdrawMax Desktop and click the Templates section on the left.
- In the template library, use the search bar at the top to type "Alien Movie Timeline" and press Enter.
- Look for one that best suits your vision for the Alien movie timeline. Consider the layout, style, and the number of events it can accommodate. A simple horizontal or chronological timeline template is a good starting point.
- Click on a template to see a larger preview.
- Once you find a template you like, click the Use immediately button to open it in the EdrawMax editing interface.
- Observe the pre-existing elements of the template: the vertical line representing the chronological flow, movie titles on one side and posters on the other, and the connecting lines.
Step 2Add/Customize the Text for Each Movie Event
- Double-click on each title box to replace text.
- Alter the timeline title as you need.
- Use text editing tools to customize the movie's release year or specific in-universe date. For example, next to "Alien vs. Predator," you would add "2004."
- To change the text box shape, use the left side Symbols library. Search for specific symbols in the search bar.
- You can personalize the fill and line color of the text boxes from the right side menu.
Step 3Customize Movie Posters
- Select any movie poster and use the pop-up menu to replace and customize the image.
- For instance, use the Adjust button to modify image Brightness, Contrast, and Transparency.
- Drag the handles from the edges of the image to resize it to a suitable size that fits well with your timeline layout.
- Drag and relocate the poster, aligning it with its corresponding movie title, using the existing connector lines as a guide.
Step 4Refine Connector Lines and Layout
- If the connector lines don't perfectly align with the centers of your movie title boxes and posters, click on a connector line to select it.
- You can then drag the small blue circles (connector points) at each end to reposition them for better alignment.
- Change the color, style, thickness, or type of the connector lines using the formatting options in the pop-up menu if needed.
- Don't forget to try the Instant style button in the lower right corner for quick and automatic layout modification.
Step 5Review, Save, and Export
- Take a final look at your completed chronological timeline to ensure all information is accurate, the layout is clear, and it is visually appealing.
- Go to File > Save As to save your EdrawMax diagram. Choose a suitable file name and location.
- If you need to export your timeline, go to File > Export to Graphics/Export to PDF/Export to Other Formats, and choose your desired format from the multiple available options.
- Configure the export settings and click Export.
Final Words
I used to think the Alien franchise was a loosely connected horror anthology. It wasn't until I lined up the timeline that the long game started making sense.
David's experiments didn't just create monsters—they shaped centuries of fallout. A proper timeline turned a disjointed experience into a legacy-driven narrative.
Creating that timeline in EdrawMax isn't just a fun project—it deepens the dread and makes the story feel real. Give it a try for free to realize how much it is worth.
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