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 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 Jordan Iacobucci on February 7, 2024: It's been nearly twenty years since the first Ben 10 series came out, kicking off a franchise that would become a beloved staple of children's television. With creator Duncan Rouleau recently teasing a potential mature remake of his iconic show, the Ben 10 universe may not be finished just yet. As such, fans need to know where they can watch each installment of the epic franchise — and in which order to do so.
Every Ben 10 Series
Ben 10 (2005-2008) Started It All
Ben 10
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
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From the rising influence of anime to the birth of internet animation, these shows exemplify the best in kids' cartoons at the turn of the century.Where To Stream
- Netflix
- Max
- Sling
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.
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. Additionally, the series set the stage for what was soon to become a 20-year franchise.
Ben 10: Alien Force (2008-2010) Jumped Forward A Few Years
Ben 10: Alien Force
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
Where To Stream
- Sling
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.
Ben 10: Ultimate Alien (2010-2012) Evolved Ben's Alien Forms
Ben 10: Ultimate Alien
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
Where To Stream:
- Sling
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.
Ben 10: Omniverse (2012-2014) Followed Two Versions Of Ben
Ben 10: Omniverse
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
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- Sling
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 (2016-2021) Rebooted the Franchise
Ben 10 (2016)
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
Where To Stream:
- Max
- Sling
- Cartoon Network
The Ben 10 rebooted series ran from 2016 to 2021. 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.
The Ben 10 Movie Franchise
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In the 2000s, Cartoon Network followed up on its excellent '90s run by producing new shows such as Samurai Jack and Time Squad.Where To Stream
- Secret of the Omnitrix: Not Available
- Race Against Time: Max
- Alien Swarm: Rent on Prime Video
- Destroy All Aliens: Rent on Apple TV
- 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.
The Ideal Ben 10 Watch Order
The Ben 10 watch order is fairly simple when it comes to the series in the franchise. The movies are mostly considered non-canon, though they do have a place in the timeline.