All 4 Descendants Movies in Order
The Descendants franchise is a musical fantasy adventure-comedy television film created for the Disney channel. It was created by Josann McGibbon and Sara Parriott. The franchise is set in the world of Disney animated classic movies, where each movie follows the lives of the teenage children of four Disney Villains who start their new life in the kingdom of Auradon at the request of the teenage son of Queen Belle and King Beast.
The Descendants franchise follows Mal, played by Dove Cameron, daughter of Maleficent, as she tries to leave her evil ways to win the heart of Prince Ben, played by Mitchell Hope, son of Belle and the Beast. Along the way her misfit friends help her; Carlos, the son of Cruella de Vil, played by the late Cameron Boyce; Evie, the daughter of the Evil Queen, played by Sofia Carson; and Jay, the son of Jafar, played by Booboo Stewart. Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s see how many Descendants movies are there and what is the best way to watch them.
How many Descendants movies are there?
There are four Descendants movies so far. The original trilogy launched with ‘Descendants’ in 2015 and concluded with ‘Descendants 3’ in 2019. Five years later, the franchise relaunched with a new generation of characters in ‘Descendants: The Rise of Red’, which debuted exclusively on Disney+ on July 12, 2024, before airing on Disney Channel on August 9, 2024.
Descendants movies in order (at a glance)
The first movie, Descendants, on its premiere night, received 6.6 million viewers, becoming the most-watched broadcast on the network in 2015. This was the highest-rated broadcast on the network since 2013. Here are all Descendants movies in order:
- ‘Descendants’ (2015)
- ‘Descendants 2’ (2017)
- ‘Descendants 3’ (2019)
- ‘Descendants: The Rise of Red’ (2024)
These movies are praised for their amazing songs and showstopping dance numbers. This is no surprise because the Descendants franchise was directed and choreographed by Kenny Ortega, who has previously worked on the High School Musical trilogy.
What is the best way to watch Descendants movies?
The best way to watch all three Descendants movies is in their release order. All the movies take place immediately after the other, so it is best to follow these movies’ in their release order.
Descendants movies in order (by release date)
1. Descendants (2015)
Director: Kenny Ortega
Writer: Josann McGibbon, Sara Parriott
Runtime: 1h 52m
Synopsis: In the United States of Auradon, Belle and Beast rule as king and queen, they united the settings of many Disney animated films, and banished all villains to the Isle of the Lost. Ben, the son of the king and queen, announces a program to invite four children from the Isle of the Lost to live in Auradon, away from the influence of their villainous parents: Carlos, son of Cruella de Vil; Jay, son of Jafar; Evie, daughter of the Evil Queen; and their gang’s leader Mal, daughter of Maleficent. Maleficent tells the children to steal the Fairy Godmother’s magic wand to help her conquer Auradon. But, the four outcasts find themselves enjoying Auradon more than they anticipated. When the barrier is inadvertently brought down, Maleficent attacks Ben’s coronation and transforms into a dragon. What will Mal choose- her old or new life?
2. Descendants 2 (2017)
Director: Kenny Ortega
Writer: Sara Parriott, Josann McGibbon
Runtime: 1h 51m
Synopsis: Mal is trying to adjust to her new celebrity life as Ben’s girlfriend, secretly using magic to maintain this lifestyle. But, this doesn’t last, and Mal decides that she does not belong in Auradon. She returns to the Isle, where gang leadership has fallen to her old rival, pirate captain Uma, who is Ursula’s daughter. Evie, Jay, and Carlos agree to help Ben find Mal, but Mal rejects him. Mal is now certain she belongs on Auradon. Uma sees her chance, and she captures Ben and demands the Fairy Godmother’s wand in exchange for his life. In a crucial moment, Mal finds out Ben commissioned a portrait that depicts her as she was before she changed herself with magic, she accepts the act of love and kisses Ben, and saves him. Uma and Mal have a final battle, transforming into an octopus and a dragon, respectively. In the end, they come to an agreement to bring more children from the Isle to Auradon, this connects these two places even more.
3. Descendants 3 (2019)
Director: Kenny Ortega
Writer: Sara Parriott, Josann McGibbon
Runtime: 1h 46m
Synopsis: Ben proposes to Mal. Things get complicated when Uma, Mal’s father Hades, and Ben’s ex-girlfriend Audrey join forces to bring Mal down. Now, Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos are trying to recruit a new generation of villain kids. Meanwhile, Hades is trying to breach through the barrier, and Audrey steals Maleficent’s crown and the scepter and she becomes an evil version of herself. The original gang has to return to the Isle of the Lost to retrieve Hades’ ember and with the help of Uma, Harry and Gil, they need to stop Audrey from destroying Auradon.
4. Descendants: The Rise of Red (2024)
Director: Jennifer Phang
Writer: Dan Frey, Ru Sommer
Runtime: 1h 34m
Synopsis: Uma, Ursula’s daughter and former Villain Kid, is now headmaster of Auradon Prep. She extends an invitation to Red, the rebellious daughter of the Queen of Hearts from Wonderland, to join the school. When the Queen of Hearts launches a coup against Auradon, Red and Chloe, the perfectionist daughter of Cinderella and Prince Charming, are forced to team up and travel back in time using the White Rabbit’s pocket watch. Their mission is to undo the traumatic event that set Red’s mother down her villainous path, racing to save Auradon before the past becomes irreversible.
Do you need to watch Descendants movies in order?
Yes, it is best to watch all three Descendants movies in order. In the first movie, our original gang is vastly different from where we leave them at the end of the third movie. Their behavior, beliefs, and alliances vastly change throughout the three Descendants movies.
Are Descendants movies connected?
Yes, ‘Descendants’, ‘Descendants 2’, and ‘Descendants 3’ are all tightly connected, with the original cast returning across all three films. Through the trilogy, we follow Mal and the other villain kids on a journey from rebellious outcasts to architects of a new alliance between Auradon and the Isle of the Lost.
‘Descendants: The Rise of Red’ marks a generational shift. None of the original core VKs, Mal, Evie, Jay, or Carlos, appear in the fourth film, which instead centers entirely on new protagonists Red and Chloe. Uma serves as a connective thread between the two eras of the franchise, now occupying the headmaster’s office at Auradon Prep rather than leading a rival gang.
Will there be more Descendants movies?
The franchise’s fourth installment, originally developed under the title ‘Descendants: The Pocketwatch’, was released as ‘Descendants: The Rise of Red’ on Disney+ on July 12, 2024. Directed by Jennifer Phang, the film stars Kylie Cantrall as Red, the daughter of the Queen of Hearts, and Malia Baker as Chloe, the daughter of Cinderella, as its two lead protagonists. China Anne McClain returns as Uma in a supporting capacity, now installed as headmaster of Auradon Prep rather than as the story’s central character.
The adult cast brought significant new star power to the franchise, with Rita Ora playing the Queen of Hearts and Brandy playing Cinderella. The film arrived as a record-breaker, pulling in 6.7 million views in its first three days on Disney+, making it Disney Branded Television’s most-viewed Disney Channel Original Movie premiere ever on the streamer, according to Deadline. Over its first twelve weeks of release it accumulated more than 33 million viewing hours, per The Wrap.
The success of ‘The Rise of Red’ was fast enough to trigger a fifth installment. Disney Branded Television confirmed ‘Descendants: Wicked Wonderland’ in February 2025, with Kylie Cantrall and Malia Baker reprising their roles as Red and Chloe. Directed by Kimmy Gatewood and written by Tamara Chestna alongside returning writers Dan Frey and Ru Sommer, the film is set primarily in Wonderland and deals directly with the consequences of Red and Chloe’s time-traveling adventure. Brandy, Rita Ora, Paolo Montalban, and Melanie Paxson are all returning, with Paxson becoming the only performer to appear in all five Descendants films.
‘Descendants: Wicked Wonderland’ is scheduled to premiere on Disney Channel on July 16, 2026 and on Disney+ on July 17, 2026.
