Alien Universe Timeline (with Predator and Blade Runner)

If you ever need your fix of dark science fiction, look no further than the Alien Universe. In addition to the classic space-horror genre, certain franchises like Blade Runner and Predator may also be part of the equation. This is the Alien Universe timeline.

What’s on the Alien Universe timeline?

This timeline includes the primary entries in:

  • The Alien Franchise: Obviously the key part of this timeline is the Alien films and their tie-ins. While much of the old comics and books are no longer canon, much of the newer stuff is (similar to how Lucasfilm rebooted their expanded universe in 2014).
  • The Predator Franchise: First on this list is the Predator franchise, which are largely considered canon in this universe. However, they do often conflict with other pieces of canon in this universe. For example, The Predator should take place only a year before Blade Runner, but the two are obviously in a different place, technologically.
  • The Blade Runner Franchise: Ridley Scott confirmed that the Blade Runner films are part of the Alien Universe, so they are included as well, though as noted earlier, it does conflict a bit with the Predator films. Just roll with it.
  • Alien vs. Predator: While not canon, we do place the Alien vs. Predator films on this timeline just for fun. But keep in mind that they definitely DO NOT fit in the canon, especially since Xenomorphs are only created later in the timeline.
  • Firefly? There is some evidence to suggest that Firefly might take place some 200-ish years after the last entry on this timeline. While not included here, if you want to see it all in order, start with this timeline, then go visit our Firefly timeline.

What is Canon?

The Alien/Predator/Blade Runner franchises are littered with canonical holes and continuity problems. However, it is pretty clear that the primary Alien films, Predator films, Prometheus, and the Blade Runner films are all canon. The Alien vs Predator films are not canon, but I’ve included them anyway, just for fun. There are also a lot of video games, books, and comic books in the series. Most of these are non-canon, but Fox did endorse the recent two Alien video games as canon, so I’ve included those as well as a few more modern comics and books. So hopefully that’s not too confusing.

For those who want to see all of the comics and books that are part of the Alien/Predator timeline, I’m sorry there’s little I can do here, since this timeline focuses just on the canon. Little of the tie-in media has any care for continuity. But with pop culture’s recent glorification of “canon” there are some comics or novels that have become part of this timeline and we can expect more in the future. This timeline does, also, include the novelizations for certain films, so you can enjoy reading those at least. Here’s the Alien Universe story timeline.

6 thoughts on “Alien Universe Timeline (with Predator and Blade Runner)”

  1. hey, what if theres two different timelines: alien/predator and alien/blade runner. It makes since, because all the ties are with alien, so theres nothing directly connecting predator and blade runner. this should remove lots of contradictions. Oh, and since Prometheus is what really ties alien and blade runner, then that would probably fall into the alien/blade runner timeline, along with alien covenant and associated short films. This would also remove most things making alien vs. predator noncanon. hope this helps

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  2. Well, ridley scott does not take into account the 3 alien sequels since ridley scott only takes the first alien movie as canon because it was made by ridley scott even the ridley scott prequels contradict the xenomorphic queens for what the canon of ridley scott that coexist with blade runner, soldier, the ridley scott prequels of alien and the alien movie only the first and there is also the canon of aliens, predator, terminator, etc. in that canon the 3 sequels of aliens occur since the day of the judgment occurred in 2004 which in the alternate ending of alien resurrection show the ruins of paris which does not take into account the ridley scott prequels which are blade runner, soldier and the alien prequels

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