Undoubtedly one of the most popular and enduring sports classics, the Rocky film series stands out as the inspirational story of the underdogs. The brainchild of Hell’s Kitchen-born Sylvester Stallone, this emotionally charged tale spans nine films (so far), seven of which were entirely or partially written by Stallone himself. Inspired by the 1975 title fight between Chuck Wepner and Muhammad Ali, Stallone wrote the first draft of the first Rocky movie in less than 4 days. While that’s where the story began, it’s grown into so much more over 40 years, evolving into Michael B. Jordan’s Creed 3.
The Rocky movies are known for increasingly well-made training edits and mostly well-written stories and continue to be exactly that. If you’re wondering how and where to watch all the Rocky and Creed movies, we’ve got you covered with our guide below.
jump to:
How many Rocky movies are there?
There is a total of nine films in the Rocky franchise: five in the main series to begin with, a one-off sequel almost 30 years after the first film, and three Creed movies which serve as a new storyline based on the originals.
Where to watch the Rocky movies in Order Online
1. Rocky (1976)
where to watch: Pluto TV, Paramount+, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
The Story That Started It All: Rocky is the truly inspirational and original story that propelled Sylvester Stallone to Hollywood stardom in a beautiful way. When a local amateur boxer named Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) gets the chance to fight heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), he must train hard so he can achieve his dream of “going the distance.” While the fight at the film’s climax is highly entertaining, the story that unfolds there is an inspiring and heartfelt story worth the wait.
2. Rocky II (1979)
where to watch: Pluto TV (Free), Paramount+, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
The Rocky Balboa story continues with Rocky 2, a long-awaited and welcome sequel to a film with such underdog success. Apollo Creed is eager and persistent to get a rematch to regain his honor, causing emotional turmoil and stress in Rocky’s life as he trains to face him again. Although the plot somewhat resembles the first, it was Stallone who, for the first time, took on the director’s job to complete his screenplay.
3. Rocky III (1982)
where to watch: Pluto TV (Free), Paramount+, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
With a new challenger and a blossoming bromance, Rocky 3 is a fun and entertaining sequel that capitalizes on the success of the first two in a logical way. Rocky has a dangerous new adversary named Clubber Lang (Mr. T) who threatens to inflict unprecedented strength on him, once again causing problems for him in his attempts to live a normal life. While the dialogue gets a little cheesy, this addition to the franchise does a good job of keeping things exciting with several ring scenes throughout the film.
4. Rocky IV (1985)
where to watch: Pluto TV (Free), Paramount+, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
In what some might call a very cheesy, quintessentially ’80s movie, Rocky 4 pushes the story to a wider scope in a time-appropriate way. When an incredibly strong Russian boxer named Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) accidentally kills Apollo Creed in a boxing match, Rocky sees no other way but to fight Drago in a revenge match. As kitschy as it may be, this film takes workout montages to the next level with some more kickass songs that any fan of 80s nostalgia can get into.
5. Rocky V (1990)
where to watch: Pluto TV (Free), Paramount+, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
Although it’s probably the weakest of the Rocky movies in quality, Rocky V is still worth watching. Shaken by his past of violent fights and losses, Rocky steps out of the ring and takes a fierce and promising student under his wing. While it doesn’t follow the same classic Rocky movie formula, it brings a rare quality to the series that delves into the aftermath of a Balboa lifestyle. It is also the first time since the original that John G. Avildsen has directed the image; the second and final time he would direct a film with Stallone.
6. Rocky Balboa (2006)
where to watch: Pluto TV (Free), Paramount+, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
An energetic revival of the series, Rocky Balboa does a good job of reflecting the spirit of the original in a new way. After a virtual simulation victory over new heavyweight champion Mason ‘The Line’ Dixon (Antonio Tarver), Rocky Balboa comes out of retirement to fight one last time. Again directed by Stallone, he helps guide this film to success with his inspired vision and surprisingly emotional performance.
Read our Rocky Balboa review.
7. Creed (2015)
where to watch: HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video
A new era begins with Creed: a modern continuation of the beloved sports classics that sparked a wave of interest upon its arrival. The son born to Apollo Creed after his untimely death, Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) goes from underground boxing to pursuing his career under the training of Rocky Balboa himself. Apart from its impressive performances from all the actors involved, this film also has an emotional and original story that opened the doors to a new and exciting series of films.
Read our creed review.
8. Creed II (2018)
where to watch: HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video
Following in the footsteps of the original saga, Creed 2 successfully uses the formula to its advantage to continue the success of the first film. Challenged by Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), son of Ivan Drago, Adonis must consider his new family and mentor while making this dangerous choice. Fueled by nostalgia in a sort of Cobra Kai fashion, the return of well-known characters and rivalries is an exciting and logical way to expand this new story.
Read our Creed 2 review.
9. Creed III (2023)
where to watch: See Creed 3 schedule
In the all-new Creed 3 directed by Michael B. Jordan himself, emotions run high and a shadow of the past returns to haunt our hero. Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors), a friend from the past, is done with 18 years in prison and eager to prove himself while getting revenge for a perceived betrayal. As the first of those movies that doesn’t star Stallone or anyone from the original franchise, this movie takes a big step out of the shadows of the past and into a bright future.
Read our creed 3 review.
Rocky and Creed movies in order of release date
Although the release order has a fairly consistent numbering system, Rocky Balboa breaks that trend to separate the Rocky and Creed movies.
- Rocky (1976)
- Rocky II (1979)
- Rocky III (1982)
- Rocky IV (1985)
- Rocky V (1990)
- Rocky Balboa (2006)
- Creed (2015)
- Creed II (2018)
- Creed III (2023)
The future of the Rocky and Creed movies
While the future of the Rockyverse isn’t quite clear yet, we got confirmation from Michael B. Jordan that Creed 4 is definitely going to happen. He also mentioned in this interview that other Creed spin-offs might be possible in the future.