The Land Before Time Movies in Order: Complete Watch Guide

Looking for The Land Before Time movies in order? Good news: this is one of the rare franchises where release order and story order are the same thing. Every film picks up roughly where the last one left off, following Littlefoot and his friends as they grow up in the Great Valley, so you don’t need a separate “chronological” chart to enjoy it properly.

Created by Don Bluth and executive produced by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, the original 1988 film grossed over $84 million on a modest budget and helped launch an entire generation’s love of movie dinosaurs, spawning 13 direct-to-video sequels, a TV series, and decades of merchandise. Whether you’re revisiting the series with your own kids or just filling in gaps from your own childhood, here’s the full The Land Before Time movies in order, from the theatrical original to the last direct-to-video entry.

Quick Answer: The Land Before Time Movies in Order

Since release order and chronological order match perfectly here, you can watch straight down this list without worrying about flashbacks or timeline jumps tripping you up.

The Land Before Time Movies in Order: The Complete Watch Guide

1. The Land Before Time (1988)

An earthquake separates young Littlefoot from his herd and his mother, forcing him to team up with four other orphaned dinosaur kids — Cera, Ducky, Petrie, and Spike — to find the legendary Great Valley. This was the last Don Bluth film scored by James Horner and the last one distributed theatrically by Universal Pictures before the series moved to home video. It ends with the five friends reaching the Great Valley, setting up the “found family” dynamic every sequel builds on.

2. The Land Before Time II: The Great Valley Adventure (1994)

Six years after the original, this sequel opens with the gang living peacefully in the Great Valley — until they discover a mysterious egg that hatches into a baby Sharptooth they name Chomper. It’s the first entry made without Bluth, Spielberg, or Lucas involved, and the first to introduce the musical format that would define the rest of the series. It also plants the “raising the enemy” theme that recurs whenever Chomper reappears later.

3. The Land Before Time III: The Time of the Great Giving (1995)

A meteorite strike triggers a drought in the Great Valley, and Littlefoot’s crew has to find a new water source while dodging three bullying older dinosaurs. The film won a 1996 Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Home Video Production, one of the series’ few major honors. It’s also the last entry before Roy Allen Smith hands directing duties off, closing out the trilogy of films most tied to the original’s tone.

4. The Land Before Time IV: Journey Through the Mists (1996)

Spike goes missing, sending the gang into the eerie, fog-covered Mysterious Beyond to track him down. This is Roy Allen Smith’s final directing credit on the franchise before Charles Grosvenor takes over for a long stretch of sequels. The shift toward denser, more atmospheric settings here becomes a template for the “quest into unknown territory” plots that follow.

5. The Land Before Time V: The Mysterious Island (1997)

A tidal wave strands the friends on an island cut off from the mainland, where they meet a wise old Longneck who becomes a recurring guest character. This is Charles Grosvenor’s first outing as director, and he’ll stay behind the camera for the next several films. It’s also a rare entry that leans into survival-adventure territory rather than the series’ usual valley-set drama.

6. The Land Before Time VI: The Secret of Saurus Rock (1998)

The gang investigates a spooky legend surrounding Saurus Rock, only to find the “monster” is a lonely, misunderstood dinosaur. It’s one of only two films in the franchise where the characters never leave the Great Valley. The lighter, mystery-adventure tone here signals the series’ full transition into kid-friendly comedy over the darker stakes of the original.

7. The Land Before Time VII: The Stone of Cold Fire (2000)

Littlefoot goes searching for a legendary “stone of cold fire” (a meteorite) after his grandfather is injured, teaming up with a new character named Ali along the way. This is the only script in the franchise written by Len Uhley and the first film to drop the narrator’s opening voiceover. It marks a slight tonal shift toward personal, character-driven quests for Littlefoot specifically.

8. The Land Before Time VIII: The Big Freeze (2001)

An unexpected winter storm blankets the Great Valley, and the friends help a family of visiting dinosaurs survive the cold. This entry introduces a small but persistent continuity quirk — the sun switches from being called “the Bright Circle” to “the Great Circle” for the rest of the series. It’s a slower, more introspective film that sets a cozier tone before the series pivots to bigger migrations next.

9. The Land Before Time IX: Journey to Big Water (2002)

Heavy rains create a new body of water in the valley, and Littlefoot befriends a mischievous Ophthalmosaurus named Mo who leads him toward the ocean. Notably, this is the last film to use any of James Horner’s original score from the 1988 film. Mo’s introduction here pays off directly in the very next movie’s larger, ocean-adjacent migration story.

10. The Land Before Time X: The Great Longneck Migration (2003)

Littlefoot follows an ancestral instinct that pulls all Longnecks toward a distant gathering point, where he finally meets his biological father, Bron, for the first time since the original film’s earthquake. It’s widely regarded by longtime fans as one of the strongest sequels for actually paying off threads from the very first movie. Bron and his adopted son Shorty become recurring family additions for Littlefoot going forward.

11. The Land Before Time XI: Invasion of the Tinysauruses (2005)

After accidentally ruining the valley’s once-a-year “tree sweets” harvest, Littlefoot wrongly blames a colony of newly arrived tiny Longnecks for the shortage. This was the last Land Before Time film released on VHS, marking a quiet format turning point for the series. It also introduces Tria, who becomes a lasting addition to Cera’s family in the next entry.

12. The Land Before Time XII: The Great Day of the Flyers (2006)

Petrie struggles to master a formation-flying ceremony while Cera’s family welcomes a new baby sister, Tricia. This was the first film in the series produced in widescreen, a small but real production upgrade. The family expansions introduced here — Tricia, plus Guido the microraptor — continue into the following film’s ensemble.

13. The Land Before Time XIII: The Wisdom of Friends (2007)

The gang helps three clumsy “yellow bellies” journey safely to a distant valley, in a plot led for the first time by director Jamie Mitchell rather than Charles Grosvenor. It’s also notable for a rare celebrity voice cast, including Cuba Gooding Jr. and Sandra Oh. At the time, many fans assumed this lighthearted entry would be the franchise’s final film.

14. The Land Before Time XIV: Journey of the Brave (2016)

Released nearly a decade after the previous entry, this installment sends Littlefoot and friends on a rescue mission after Littlefoot’s grandfather goes missing, revisiting the migration storyline from Film X. Directed by Davis Doi, it’s the only entry from the 2010s and the last Land Before Time film released as of this writing. It closes out the franchise’s traditionally-animated era with the biggest real-world time gap between any two entries in the series.

Do You Need to Watch All 14 Before the Newest One?

No — but the first film is genuinely required. Because The Land Before Time follows one continuous, linear story with no timeline jumps, later entries do lean on relationships (Littlefoot’s dad Bron, Cera’s stepmother Tria, Chomper) that pay off better with context. Still, each film is written to stand mostly on its own for younger viewers.

Minimum viable watch order:

• The Land Before Time (1988) — establishes Littlefoot, the Great Valley, and the whole found-family setup
• The Land Before Time II: The Great Valley Adventure (1994) — introduces Chomper, essential if you want later Chomper cameos to land
• The Land Before Time X: The Great Longneck Migration (2003) — pays off Littlefoot’s father storyline from the first film
• The Land Before Time XIV: Journey of the Brave (2016) — the most recent entry, directly follows up on Film X

How Many The Land Before Time Movies Are There?

There are 14 Land Before Time movies in total — one theatrical original from 1988 and 13 direct-to-video sequels released between 1994 and 2016. There’s also a short-lived animated TV series (2007) that aired alongside the later films but isn’t part of the main numbered movie list.

All The Land Before Time Movies in Order by Release Date

1. The Land Before Time — November 18, 1988

2. The Land Before Time II: The Great Valley Adventure — December 26, 1994

3. The Land Before Time III: The Time of the Great Giving — December 12, 1995

4. The Land Before Time IV: Journey Through the Mists — December 10, 1996

5. The Land Before Time V: The Mysterious Island — December 9, 1997

6. The Land Before Time VI: The Secret of Saurus Rock — December 1, 1998

7. The Land Before Time VII: The Stone of Cold Fire — December 5, 2000

8. The Land Before Time VIII: The Big Freeze — December 4, 2001

9. The Land Before Time IX: Journey to Big Water — December 10, 2002

10. The Land Before Time X: The Great Longneck Migration — December 2, 2003

11. The Land Before Time XI: Invasion of the Tinysauruses — January 11, 2005

12. The Land Before Time XII: The Great Day of the Flyers — December 6, 2006

13. The Land Before Time XIII: The Wisdom of Friends — November 27, 2007

14. The Land Before Time XIV: Journey of the Brave — February 2, 2016

What’s Next for the Franchise?

As of 2026, there is no officially confirmed new entry from Universal Pictures, the franchise’s longtime rights holder. Periodic viral posters teasing a “new Land Before Time movie” have circulated online, but at least one widely shared 2026 poster was confirmed to be satire, not a real announcement — so treat unverified release-date graphics with a healthy dose of skepticism.

The one genuine project generating buzz is Littlefoot, an independent 3D-animated reimagining of the original film from filmmaker Joey Lever, aiming for a stylized, cartoon-inspired look rather than photorealism. It’s gained attention for test footage and a cast reveal, but it isn’t an official Universal or Amblin production, so its release timeline and canonical status remain unconfirmed. Until Universal makes an official statement, the safest bet is to treat any “Land Before Time 15” announcement as a rumor first.

FAQ

Are the Land Before Time movies in order chronologically the same as release order? Yes. Unlike some long-running franchises, every Land Before Time film picks up after the previous one, so watching them in release order is also watching them in story order.

What is the correct order to watch The Land Before Time movies? Start with the 1988 original and work straight through the numbered sequels (II through XIV) in release order — there’s no need for a separate chronological chart.

Do I need to watch all 14 Land Before Time movies to understand the story? No. The core arc is easy to follow from just a handful of key entries, though watching all 14 fills in recurring characters and running jokes for longtime fans.

Is there a new Land Before Time movie coming out? Nothing is officially confirmed by Universal as of 2026, though an independent fan-led remake called Littlefoot has been generating attention online.

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