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Starship Troopers: How to watch the sci-fi epic in release and chronological order

Want to get started on the Starship Troopers franchise? Here’s how to do it!

Guides by Joshua Lapin-Bertone, Contributing writer

Published on Mon Jan 01 0001

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What happens when you mix military fiction and science fiction? You get Starship Troopers, a science fiction movie that explores the future of warfare. Set hundreds of years in the future, Starship Troopers focuses on the war between Earth’s United Citizen Federation and the alien group known as Arachnids. Based on Robert A. Heinlein’s 1959 novel, the film took things in a different direction, satirizing the author’s over-the-top war glorification. The film spawned numerous sequels, and a television series.

If you’ve ever wanted to get started on the Starship Troopers series, but weren’t sure how, Popverse has you covered! This guide will tell you everything you need to know about the franchise, and how to watch it in release and chronological order!

How to watch Starship Troopers in release order

Are you ready to embark on your Starship Troopers journey? Following the franchise can be a bit confusing, especially since some of the later films aren’t numbered. Plus, there’s the question of where the television shows fit in. Not to worry….if you want to follow Starship Troopers in release order, just use this list!

How to watch Starship Troopers in chronological order

Watching Starship Troopers in chronological order is a bit trickier, but this section breaks everything down. The franchise is divided into three separate continuities. The main continuity covers the films, which is what you will primarily be watching. If you want to explore other corners of the franchise, the 1988 anime and Roughnecks each take place in their own universe. In other words, the events of the anime or Roughnecks have no effect on the storyline you’ll find in the films.

With that in mind, follow this list to watch Starship Troopers in chronological order.

Cinematic continuity

2297: Starship Troopers (1997 theatrical film)
2304: Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation (2004 television film)
2308: Starship Troopers 3: Marauder (2008 direct-to-video film)
2312: Starship Troopers: Invasion (2012 direct-to-video animated film)
2317: Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars (2017 direct-to-video animated film)

Anime continuity

Unknown 23rd Century Dates: Starship Troopers (1988 animated television series)

Roughnecks continuity

Unknown 23rd Century Dates: Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles (1999 animated television series)

Are all the Starship Troopers films and television shows set in the same continuity?

All of the Starship Troopers films are set in the same continuity, but each television series is set in their own universe. The 1988 anime was more faithful to the tone of the original 1959 novel. When the 1997 film was released, it ignored the events and the tone of the 1988 series.

Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles is a tapestry. The animated series borrows from the novel and the films, taking the best elements from both. However, the cartoon takes place in its own little corner of the Starship Troopers multiverse.

It’s pretty easy to remember – all the films are connected, and each television series is its own thing.

Where else can I follow the Starship Troopers saga?

If you want to dive deeper into the Starship Troopers saga, you will have to go beyond television and film. If you’re looking to start from the beginning, then you should check out Robert A. Heinlein’s 1959 novel. Keep in mind, the original Starship Troopers novel has a different tone than the movies. The book has a pro-war stance, which might surprise fans of the film series. In fact, the 1997 film was written as a parody of the novel’s war glorification.

There are a few video games that expand the saga. Starship Troopers: Terran Ascendancy is a Windows strategy game that was released in 2000. The game contains a few timeline and continuity discrepancies, so it isn’t considered canon. Starship Troopers was a Windows XP game released in 2005. The game takes place in 2302, five years after the events of the first movie. Starship Troopers: Terran Command is a 2022 strategy game released for Windows. Its place in the overall timeline is currently unknown. Maybe it’s canon, maybe it isn’t.

Starship Troopers: Extermination is a first-persons shooter that was released in 2023 for next gen consoles. It is set in 2320, approximately three years after the events of Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars.

In 1997-1998, Dark Horse Comics released a series of comics that expanded the continuity of the 1997 film. Those comics were Starship Troopers: Insect Touch, Starship Troopers: Brute Creations, Starship Troopers: Dominant Species, and a movie adaptation. Markosia acquired the license in the mid-2000s, publishing Starship Troopers: Blaze of Glory, Starship Troopers: Dead Man’s Hand, Starship Troopers: Damaged Justice, and an ongoing Starship Troopers series.

In terms of canon, I would recommend taking things with a grain of salt. Like most licensed tie-in media, the general rule is that you should consider it canon, unless something in the main source material (in this case, the movies) contradicts it.

Where can I watch Starship Troopers?

Now that you know how to watch Starship Troopers, let’s go over where you can watch it. The 1997 film is available to stream on Netflix. The sequels aren’t available on any streaming services, but they can be purchased or rented from a variety of video-on-demand platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, and more.

The 1988 animated series isn’t on any video platforms, but the entire series has been uploaded to Internet Archive. Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles can currently be streamed for free on Crackle or Plex. Please note, the availability of these films and television shows may change as streaming licenses expire and new deals are made.

Now you have everything you need to begin watching Starship Troopers! Remember, everybody fights, no one quits!

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Joshua Lapin-Bertone: Joshua is a pop culture writer specializing in comic book media. His work has appeared on the official DC Comics website, the DC Universe subscription service, HBO Max promotional videos, the Batman Universe fansite, and more. In between traveling around the country to cover various comic conventions, Joshua resides in Florida where he binges superhero television and reads obscure comics from yesteryear.