The Best Watch Order for the Ben 10 Franchise (2024)

Beginning in 2005, the Ben 10 Franchise has spanned nearly 2 decades with 5 television series, 5 movies, and dozens of video games, comic books, and external appearances. The show follows the adventures of Ben Tennyson, a boy who gets a watch that allows him to transform into different alien species in their prime. He travels the world, universe, and occasionally timelines, all on his quest to stop the forces of evil.

Ben 10 had a continuous through-line in the first 4 series in the classic timeline. In 2016, Cartoon Network relaunched the franchise with a reboot of the same name that redid many of the plot elements of the classic timeline, though at a much faster pace. With so many series and movies to watch, it can be hard to figure out the best Ben 10 watch order.

Updated by Mayra Garcia on June 2nd, 2024: After several different series, half a dozen films (some in live-action), and even a reboot, the Ben 10 franchise has established itself as a staple of children's television. Now that Duncan Rouleau has announced the possibility of a more mature take on this hero's adventures, some viewers will want to get ready and check all Ben 10 series. This list covers the Ben 10 franchise watch order so fans can watch it all before any new project comes out.

Every Ben 10 Series

Ben 10 (2005-2008) Started It All

Where To Stream

• Netflix
• Spectrum

The original Ben 10 series that launched the franchise in 2005 follows Ben, Gwen, and Grandpa Max Tennyson as they road trip across the country, saving people along the way. After Ben finds the Omnitrix he can transform into 10 different aliens, including Heatblast and Four-Arms, though he adds more as the series continues. This gadget makes him one of the most powerful cartoon heroes out there.

Gwen and Max help out with magic and technology, respectively. Featuring over 20 distinct alien transformations by the end of the series, the original Ben 10 series was universally well-received, particularly praised for its unique lore, its voice acting including renowned voice actors Tara Strong and Richard Steven Horvitz, and even its sense of humor. This series set the stage for what was soon to become a 20-year franchise.

Ben 10

TV-Y7

Superhero

Sci-Fi

The story of Ben Tennyson, a typical kid who becomes very atypical after he discovers the Omnitrix, a mysterious alien device with the power to transform the wearer into ten different alien species.

Release Date

December 27, 2005

Creator

Man of Action

Cast

Dee Bradley Baker , Steven Blum , Tara Strong , Paul Eiding

Main Genre

Action-Adventure

Seasons

4

Ben 10: Alien Force (2008-2010) Jumped Forward A Few Years

Where To Stream

• Spectrum

Set 5 years after the events of the original series, Ben 10: Alien Force followed the now-teenaged Ben and Gwen Tennyson return to action after Grandpa Max goes missing. Joining them is the villain-turned-hero from the original series Kevin Levin, an alien tech dealer who can absorb any material akin to Marvel's Absorbing Man.

Ben 10: Alien Force reintroduced the Omnitrix in an upgraded form and featured 10 new aliens, including Swampfire and Humongousaur. The sequel series also introduced a genocidal alien species called the Highbreeds (who sought to purge all other life forms) and the Plumber’s Children who assisted Ben in stopping the Highbreeds. The members of this race consider themselves superior to others, but this is also their biggest weakness. Due to decades of inbreeding, they're dying out and turning sterile. Ben 10: Alien Force stands out in the franchise in great part thanks to the Highbreeds story, which makes them some of the most iconic cartoon villains ever.

Ben 10: Alien Force (2008)

TV-Y7

Action-Adventure

Fifteen-year-old Ben Tennyson must utilize the Omnitrix yet again in order to locate his missing Grandpa Max, accompanied by his cousin Gwen and former enemy Kevin 11.

Release Date

April 18, 2008

Cast

Yuri Lowenthal , Dee Bradley Baker , Ashley Johnson

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

3

Ben 10: Ultimate Alien (2010-2012) Evolved Ben's Alien Forms

Where To Stream:

• Spectrum

At the end of Alien Force, Ben turns on the Omnitrix’s self-destruct sequence to stop his long-time foe Vilgax from using it. Luckily in Ben 10: Ultimate Alien, Ben takes a new version of the Omnitrix called the Ultimatrix, allowing him to access new forms of his Aliens, which takes their DNA to its highest evolutionary status. Besides the new powers granted by the Ultimatrix, Ben, Gwen, and Kevin have to deal with their secret identities being exposed, as well as the attention and threats that inevitably follow. Ben 10: Ultimate Alien featured the first crossover with Generator Rex.

Although it isn't exactly a mature series, Ultimate Alien puts Ben and his allies in the middle of a media controversy. As the heroes' identities are revealed, the villains aren't their only problems, which makes for a more complex storyline than previous entries of the franchise. If there's a Ben 10 adult reboot, this should definitely be a topic in the series.

Ben 10: Ultimate Alien

TV-Y7

Sci-Fi

With his secret identity now revealed to the world, Ben Tennyson continues to fight evil as a superhero with the help of the newly acquired Ultimatrix.

Release Date

April 23, 2010

Cast

Yuri Lowenthal , Ashley Johnson , Dee Bradley Baker , Paul Eiding , John DiMaggio

Main Genre

Action-Adventure

Seasons

3

Creator

Man of Action

Ben 10: Omniverse (2012-2014) Followed Two Versions Of Ben

Where To Stream:

• Spectrum

When Gwen and Kevin head off for college, Ben goes off on his own set of adventures alongside his Plumber-In-Training partner, Rook. Portrayed as a buddy-cop series, the pair tackle crime and bad influences in a secret alien city known as Undertown. Omniverse includes two versions of Ben, one 11 and another 16 years old, each with alternating split storylines.

Unlike the previous series, Omniverse had a completely different aesthetic style thanks to the art team's direct involvement with story meetings and the art being hand-drawn, save for some CGI elements. This series featured a crossover with The Secret Saturdays, confirming that both series exist in the same universe.

Ben 10: Omniverse

TV-Y7

The continuing adventures of Ben Tennyson (Yuri Lowenthal) and his new partner, Rook Blonko (Bumper Robinson).

Release Date

August 1, 2012

Cast

Yuri Lowenthal , Bumper Robinson , Paul Eiding , Tara Strong , Dee Bradley Baker , John DiMaggio

Main Genre

Action-Adventure

Seasons

8

Creator

Man of Action

Ben 10 (2016-2021) Rebooted the Franchise

Where To Stream:

• Max
• Spectrum

The Ben 10 rebooted series ran from 2016 to 2021 and soon established itself as a success. This show reset the idea of the original series where Ben, Gwen, and Grandpa Max travel across America on a road trip. Many aspects from all 4 of the previous seasons were worked into the reboot, including several Aliens from the later seasons appearing within the first season of the reboot. Besides including more aliens, the previously explored aliens boasted new forms thanks to armors, enhancements, and amalgamations.

The finale of the Ben 10 reboot brings all the past Bens from the classic timeline together to face a dimension-hopping villain. This series featured crossovers with several Cartoon Network shows in the form of a crossover event called Crossover Nexus, in which Ben’s Omnitrix allows him to transform into dozens of Cartoon Network characters including Finn from Adventure Time, Gumball Watterson from The Amazing World Of Gumball, Chowder from Chowder, and Captain K’nuckles from The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack. This was a treat to fans worldwide who have followed Ben throughout his time on Cartoon Network.

Ben 10 (2016)

TV-Y7

Superhero

Sci-Fi

Ben 10 is the fifth iteration of the Ben 10 franchise. It serves as a reboot of the television series loosely based upon the original series.

Release Date

October 1, 2016

Cast

Tara Strong , David Kaye

Main Genre

Action-Adventure

Seasons

4

Creator

Man of Action

Network

Cartoon Network

The Ben 10 Movie Franchise

Where To Stream

• Secret of the Omnitrix: Not Available
• Race Against Time: Not Available
• Alien Swarm: Not Available
• Destroy All Aliens: Not Available
• Versus the Universe: The Movie: Rent on Apple TV

There have been 5 movies in the Ben 10 franchise, with two of them being live-action. Secret of the Omnitrix follows Ben after he activates a self-destruct sequence on the watch and has to find Azmuth, the creator. Race Against Time is a live-action movie where Ben returns home at the end of summer and attempts to return to a normal life while being hunted.

Alien Swarm follows the 16-year-old Ben of Alien Force in a live-action romp against a nanotech-controlling foe. Destroy All Aliens is the only CGI movie of the franchise, taking place 1 year after Secret of the Omnitrix, in which Ben is hunted by an evil Way Big. The final movie, Versus the Universe: The Movie connects to the reboot and sends Ben into space after Vilgax attacks the Earth. Although some of the Ben 10 films are live-action and others are animated -- some of them not even sharing cast or not being part of the canon --, they all obey a chronology.

The Ideal Ben 10 Watch Order

The Ben 10 watch order is fairly simple when it comes to the series in the franchise, with most of the series watchable in order of release. The movies are mostly considered non-canon, though they do have a place in the timeline. Thus, fans should have an easy time catching up with the franchise before any new Ben 10 content is released in the future.

The Complete Ben 10 Watch Order