Starship Troopers Movies in Order (Including Roughnecks Series)
When Robert A. Heinlein wrote his Starship Troopers novel back in 1959, little did he know that it would mark the start of a cult sci-fi franchise that consists of several movies, animated movies, and television series. The adaptations began with the anime series in 1988, but it was Paul Verhoeven’s 1997 movie that really did it for the franchise.
In this article, we are going to bring you all the Starship Troopers movies and series in the proper chronological order. Alongside the chronological order, we are going to bring you some additional info on the movies and the whole franchise, mainly through answering some burning questions, but also through the production info about the movies you’re going to receive.
How Many Starship Troopers Movies and Series Are There?
As of November 2021, the Starship Troopers franchise consists of three live-action movies, two animated movies, and two animated series, i.e., a total of seven works. They are as follows:
| Film | Release date | Director(s) | Screenwriter(s) | Producer(s) |
| Starship Troopers | October 25, 1988 – December 17, 1988 | Tetsurō Amino | Tsunehisa Ito Shō Aikawa | Hironori Nakagawa Minoru Takanashi |
| Starship Troopers | November 7, 1997 | Paul Verhoeven | Edward Neumeier | Jon Davison Alan Marshall |
| Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles | August 30, 1999 – April 3, 2000 | Various | Richard Raynis Duane Capizzi Jeff Kline | Audu Paden |
| Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation | April 24, 2004 | Phil Tippett | Edward Neumeier | Jon Davison |
| Starship Troopers 3: Marauder | August 5, 2008 | Edward Neumeier | Edward Neumeier | David Lancaster |
| Starship Troopers: Invasion | August 28, 2012 | Shinji Aramaki | Flint Dille | Joseph Chou |
| Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars | August 21, 2017 | Shinji Aramaki Masaru Matsumoto | Edward Neumeier | Joseph Chou Max Nishi Tomi Hashimoto |
Starship Troopers Franchise in Chronological Order
This section is going to list the Starship Troopers franchise in the proper chronological order. The order doesn’t coincide with the actual release order, but we’ve opted to go with the plot as a relevant factor.
Starship Troopers (1988)
Original Run: October 25, 1988 – December 17, 1988
Number of Episodes: 6
The anime is actually an adaptation of the original novel, split into six episodes. It is a fairly faithful adaptation of the original material.
Starship Troopers (1997)
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Writer(s): Edward Neumeier
Release Date: November 7, 1997
Running Time: 129 minutes
In the distant future, the countries of Earth have come together in the Federation, a world government. This Federation then embarked on the conquest of space. Earthlings colonize planets and explore new planetary systems.
They also come into contact with extraterrestrial civilizations. Little by little, they find themselves threatened by one of them, the bellicose civilization of the Arachnids. Indeed, this race of giant insects launches occasional attacks from its Klendathua 1 system. Within the Federation, the earthlings are divided into two very distinct groups.
Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles (1999-2000)
Original Run: August 30, 1999 – April 3, 2000
Number of Episodes: 36 + 4 clip shows
In 2078, when the colony of Pluto is stormed by the extraterrestrial species of Arachnids, the Federation, the human world government, launches “Operation Pest”: through the Intervention the Strategically Integrated Coalition of Nations, it sends its armed forces to defend the research bases installed on Pluto, believing in a simple infestation.
But it quickly turns out that the Arachnids are much smarter and more organized than mere giant insects, leading the Federation to engage in the “First Interstellar War.”
Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation (2004)
Director: Phil Tippett
Writer(s): Edward Neumeier
Release Date: April 24, 2004
Running Time: 92 minutes
The Bravo 6 company of soldiers takes refuge in an abandoned outpost in the Anvil of Satan region after a battle with the Arachnids. Hundreds of enemies surround them, but a powerful electric fence separates the insects from the soldiers. The group of soldiers is quickly joined by a captain imprisoned for killing his superior and by three miraculously surviving soldiers from other units.
An agonizing closed-door session then begins. One of the soldiers, Lei Sahara, is revealed not only to have psychic powers but also to be pregnant. This state considerably increases his psychic capacities and allows him to sense something abnormal in certain soldiers.
Starship Troopers 3: Marauder (2008)
Director: Edward Neumeier
Writer(s): Edward Neumeier
Release Date: August 5, 2008
Running Time: 105 minutes
The war between insects and humans continues: new species of insects appear on the battlefield, so much so that one wonders if victory is still possible or not. There is no place for those who think otherwise or for soldiers who disobey orders, are judged instantly as traitors, and hanged.
John Rico, colonel of the Mobile Infantry, is now on the agricultural planet of Roku San, grappling with increasingly tenacious and aggressive Arachnoforms that attack the forts defended by a lethal electrified fence.
Starship Troopers: Invasion (2012)
Director: Shinji Aramaki
Writer(s): Flint Dille
Release Date: August 28, 2012
Running Time: 89 minutes
After the attack on the Fort Casey outpost by the Arachnids, the Alésia ship was sent there to reinforce the John A. Warden and evacuate the survivors. On the way back, the John A. Warden – requisitioned by Carl Jenkins, Minister of Paranormal Affairs, for a covert operation – disappears from radar. General Johnny Rico sends Alesia on a rescue mission.
There, the team discovers that the John A. Warden is invaded by Parasites and that they have taken control of the ship. Managing to use the weapons, the insects pulverize the Alesia and start the engines.
- RELATED: 50 Best Invasion Movies of All Time
Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars (2017)
Director: Shinji Aramakim Masaru Matsumoto
Writer(s): Edward Neumeier
Release Date: August 21, 2017
Running Time: 88 minutes
After the events of Invasion, Johnny Rico was again used as a scapegoat and then demoted to colonel and transferred to a Martian satellite to train a new group of soldiers. However, these troopers are the worst that Rico has ever trained, showing no war spirit as Mars has not yet been involved in the war against insects and indeed, is pushing for pacification.
Due to their relaxed attitude, the inhabitants of Mars are therefore taken by surprise by the attack of the insects. Meanwhile, in great secrecy, Air Marshal Amy Snapp puts forward her plans to seize power.
Do You Need to Watch the Starship Troopers Movies in Order?
The timeline of the Starship Troopers franchise is already confusing, even if you don’t think about the sequels and their place in the timeline. This is why we wholeheartedly advise you to follow the order we’ve given you in this article, as it is the best way to understand the whole story.
Will There Be More Starship Troopers Movies?
So far, there has been no official news about a potential new Starship Troopers movie. In 2011, a reboot of the franchise was announced, and in 2016, Mark Swift and Damian Shannon were hired to write a new adaptation of the original novel, but nothing could be heard about this since.