The Rocky movies in order

In 1976, the underdog sports drama, Rocky made its debut in cinemas. Directed by John G. Avildsen, and written and starring Sylvester Stallone, the movie followed the story of Rocky Balboa, an Italian-American southpaw boxer who becomes a success story.

Upon release, Rocky became a huge hit with critics and audiences alike. It received ten Academy Award nominations, and picked up three wins for Best Film Editing, Best Director, and the all-important Best Picture.

Due to the overwhelming success of Rocky, the movie spawned multiple sequels, as well as a collection of spin-offs. But how many Rocky movies are there?

For all the details, keep reading!

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The Rocky movies

Rocky (1976)

As noted above, the first entry in the Rocky series landed in 1976. The movie followed the story of Rocky Balboa, as he goes from being an ordinary Joe to becoming one of the most talked about boxers in the industry.

In the movie, southpaw Rocky is pitted against heavyweight boxing world champion, Apollo Creed. The world watches as the underdog gets in the ring for the fight of his life. (119 mins)

Rocky II (1979)

Three years after the release of Rocky, a direct sequel, Rocky II hit cinema screens. Picking up the story following on from Rocky and Apollo’s titanic contest, Rocky is now a huge celebrity, having managed to go the distance against his opponent.

As the story progresses, Rocky marries his girlfriend, Adrian, and they prepare for the arrival of a baby. But it’s not long before Rocky is back in the ring in a rematch with Apollo Creed. (120 mins)

Rocky III (1982)

Continuing the story in Rocky III, Rocky is faced with a new opponent in Clubber Lang. In order to defeat Clubber in the ring, he looks to former adversary (and now friend) Apollo Creed to train him to win. (100 mins)

Rocky IV (1985)

In Rocky IV, Russian boxer Ivan Drago heads to the US, where he is challenged to a fight by Apollo Creed. But when the match ends in tragedy, Rocky steps up to take on Drago for the honour of his friend and his country. (91 mins)

Rocky V (1990)

In Rocky V, although Rocky is financially struggling and could do with the work, he is also suffering from health problems causing him to retire from boxing. Meanwhile, a promising new contender (with a bad attitude) begins to surface. (111 mins)

Rocky Balboa (2006)

Sixteen years after the events of Rocky V, Rocky is in his 60s and running a small Italian restaurant. However, in recent years his life has taken an unexpected turn, as his wife, Adrian has passed away, and he is estranged from his son.

In yet another unexpected turn, he comes out of retirement to take on a new challenger. But can Rocky go the distance all these years on? (102 mins)

Creed (2015)

With the main Rocky series at a natural end, the attention now turned to a Rocky spin-off movie centred around Adonis ‘Donnie’ Johnson, the estranged son of Apollo Creed. In this film, Adonis is an amateur boxer with the potential for greatness, he just lacks the edge to get him where he needs to be.

Step forward Rocky Balboa, who is brought in the help Adonis. Together the pair work hard on getting Adonis into shape, so he can take on World Light Heavyweight Champion ‘Pretty’ Ricky Conlan. (133 mins)

Creed II (2018)

Picking up the story three years after Adonis’ fight with Conlan in 2015’s Creed, former boxer Ivan Drago is looking to regain his former glory. His plan is to pit his son, Viktor agains Adonis. (130 mins)

Creed III (2023)

Six years after facing Viktor Drago in the ring in Creed II, Adonis comes out of retirement to face old pal, Dame Anderson. But can Adonis fight against his former friend? (116 mins)

I Play Rocky (2026)

With nine movies in the series (six Rocky films and three Creed films), the franchise pivoted in a new direction for this next movie, the biographical drama, I Play Rocky. For this film, Anthony Ippolito took on the role of Sylvester Stallone for a story which focused on the making of Rocky.

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The Rocky movies in order

If you wish to watch the Rocky movie series in production order follow this list:

• 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)
• I Play Rocky (2026)

To clear up any confusion, here is how the series breaks down:

The original Rocky series

• Rocky (1976)
• Rocky II (1979)
• Rocky III (1982)
• Rocky IV (1985)
• Rocky V (1990)
• Rocky Balboa (2006)

The Rocky spin-off series

• Creed (2015)
• Creed II (2018)
• Creed III (2023)

The biographical drama

• I Play Rocky (2026)

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Who are the cast of the Rocky movies and are the films the work of the same director?

Notable actors in the Rocky movie series include Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Burgess Meredith, Tony Burton, Joe Spinell, Hulk Hogan, Mr. T, Al Silvani, Dolph Lundgren, Brigitte Nielsen, James Brown, Sage Stallone, Tommy Morrison, Milo Ventimiglia, Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Florian Munteanu, Jonathan Majors, Selenis Leyva, Anthony Ippolito, Matt Dillon, Stephan James, Toby Kebbell, P.J. Byrne, Jay Duplass, Kiki Seto, Robert Morgan, and Scot Teller.

In terms of directors, the Rocky movie series is the work of the following:

• John G. Avildsen directed Rocky and Rocky V
• Sylvester Stallone directed Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV and Rocky Balboa
• Ryan Coogler directed Creed
• Steven Caple Jr. directed Creed II
• Michael B. Jordan directed Creed III
• Peter Farrelly directed I Play Rocky

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And finally, which is the best Rocky movie?

According to IMDb, the Rocky movies are rated as follows:

• Rocky (1976) – 8.1/10
• Rocky II (1979) – 7.3/10
• Rocky III (1982) – 6.9/10
• Rocky IV (1985) – 6.9/10
• Rocky V (1990) – 5.4/10
• Rocky Balboa (2006) – 7.1/10
• Creed (2015) – 7.6/10
• Creed II (2018) – 7.1/10
• Creed III (2023) – 6.7/10
• I Play Rocky (2026) – Not Yet Rated

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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this post about the Rocky movie series. For more posts be sure to check out the recommended reads below.