After its successful Renaissance period of back-to-back hits like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin, Disney entered a bit of a dark age in the early 2000s, marked by a series of box-office failures. So, when traditional fairy tales and folk stories no longer did the trick, Disney decided to take a gamble on smaller productions. That is when Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois brought their whacky, out-of-the-box, original concept to life: an alien experiment programmed for mass destruction, transformed into a fluffy, friendly creature through the companionship of a lonely girl. The result was the first animated Lilo & Stitch movie.
The gamble, of course, paid off, launching a wildly successful franchise that grew to include several more movies and TV spin-offs, including the 2025 live-action reboot. Interested in binge-watching all the Lilo and Stitch experiments leading up to the exciting live-action movie? You’re in the right place!
The Correct Order To Watch Every Lilo & Stitch Movie & TV Series
Much like Stitch himself, the watch order for all the Lilo & Stitch movies and TV shows is messy and all over the place, given that some of the movies were released out of order and even dropped in between seasons of the show. Still, if you don’t mind switching back and forth between the movies and TV shows, and want to follow the story in the exact order the world experienced it, here’s the proper release order:
- Lilo & Stitch (2002)
- Stitch! The Movie (2003)
- Lilo & Stitch: Season 1 (2003-2004)
- Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch (2005)
- Lilo & Stitch: Season 2 (2005-2006)
- Leroy & Stitch (2006)
- Stitch! (2008–2011)
- Stitch & Ai (2017)
- Lilo & Stitch (2025)
The best, and only right way to go about the Lilo & Stitch franchise is in chronological order, whether you’re a first-time viewer or a long-time fan coming back for a rewatch. Here’s what that looks like:
Lilo & Stitch (2002)
The original film that started it all, the 2002 animated Lilo & Stitch, serves as the origin story to Lilo & Stitch’s friendship and all the misguided adventures to come, making it the perfect entry point into the franchise, and an essential viewing for anyone who’s new to the world of Lilo & Stitch. The movie paved the way for zany animated movies that leaned into quirky humour like Despicable Me, Chicken Little and Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs.
Lilo & Stitch has a way of sneaking in lessons about the importance of family, kindness, good vs bad, and friendship in between all the fun and mischief, making it a great watch for families with younger kids. The pranks and madcap humour also make it a wildly entertaining experience for all ages. Fans who enjoy movies about found families, Saturday morning cartoons like Looney Tunes and The Flintstones, and anyone who’s nostalgic for the 2D animation style of the early 2000s will find plenty to love here.
Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch (2005)
Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch released directly on DVD after the TV series and Stitch! The Movie, but chronologically this movie acts as a direct sequel to the first film. Stitch Has a Glitch follows Lilo & Stitch as they frantically search for a cure to Stitch’s sporadic glitching before he turns fully evil. It’s a fun companion piece for fans who are looking for bonus Lilo & Stitch content, but narratively this movie doesn’t add much to the larger Lilo & Stitch universe, making it easily skippable.
That said, the film’s short one hour runtime makes it roughly the same duration as two episodes of the TV series, so it’s a quick and easy watch for anyone craving just a little more time with these characters. Also, since the movie is now available on JioHotstar along with the rest of the movies and TV shows from the Lilo & Stitch universe, it’s a lot more accessible than when it had originally released only on DVD.
Stitch! The Movie (2003)
Stitch is Experiment 626, which means there had to be more experiments before him—namely, at least, 625 other experiments. Stitch! The Movie expands on this concept that Disney initially teased in their first movie, introducing us to a lot of the other strange, quirky, and bizarre intergalactic experiments Jumba created before Stitch. Stitch! The Movie would be categorised as essential viewing, given that it adds a considerable amount of backstory to Stitch’s world, and introduces a series of key characters. It also lays the groundwork for Lilo & Stitch: The Series. You can skip Stitch Has a Glitch if you’d like, but make sure you watch Stitch! The Movie in between the original film and the TV series since it seamlessly bridges the two storylines together. Stitch! The Movie is a great watch for anyone who enjoyed the first film and wants to learn more about Stitch’s world. It’s not a great entry point to the franchise, because it continues from where the last film leaves you, which might make you feel lost if you’re not familiar wiht the rest of the characters.
Lilo & Stitch: The Series (2003)
Premiering just a month after Stitch! The Movie, Lilo & Stitch: The Series expands on the adventures of Lilo and Stitch as they travel around trying to rehome the other intergalactic experiments. Filled with chaotic escapades, vibrant new characters, and even unexpected crossovers with other Disney shows like Kim Possible and American Dragon: Jake Long, the series is fun, lighthearted, and full of heart, opening the Lilo & Stitch franchise to a world of new possibilities.
It’s the perfect show for fans of the existing movie as it captures the same tone, wacky humour, and mischievous energy that made the original Lilo & Stitch so fun. It’s also the perfect pick for fans of Saturday morning cartoons, and anyone looking for shorter, bite-sized doses of Lilo & Stitch. The movies may have introduced us to Lilo and Stitch, but it’s the long-running series that truly solidifies their place in Disney’s animated legacy.
Leroy & Stitch (2006)
The fourth feature film in the animated Lilo & Stitch series, Leroy & Stitch, follows Lilo, Stitch, and other experiments as they unite to stop Stitch’s evil twin, Leroy, from destroying the planet. It’s fun, action-packed, and full of the same humour and heart that fans have come to expect from the franchise. Again, I’d put Leroy & Stitch into essential viewing because it serves as a great finale to the Lilo & Stitch franchise’s main storyline, bringing all the characters and plotlines together in a satisfying, high-energy conclusion while still giving it room to expand with other spin-offs or sequels, a lot like what Toy Story 3 did for the Toy Story franchise.
It’s perfect for fans who have kept up with the Lilo & Stitch franchise and want to see the experiments stories wrapped up in a big, entertaining way. It’s especially enjoyable for kids who love fast-paced adventure and comedic antics, and for longtime fans who appreciate seeing the entire ohana together. However, it’s not ideal for viewers new to the franchise, as it assumes familiarity with the previous movies and series to fully understand the characters and stakes.
Stitch! (2008)
Stitch! is a spin-off TV series that takes Stitch outside of Hawaii in search of a new friend after an all grown up Lilo decides to leave for college, landing him all the way in Japan paired up with a new human companion Yuna. Together, the two embark on several fun and chaotic adventures over the course of three seasons, but it isn’t canon to the main movies and TV shows. Instead, Stitch! reboots the story as an anime to appeal to a new set of international audience.
The show’s distinct Japanese animation style makes it a fun watch for fans of anime like Pokemon and Digimon. But if you don’t like anime or love the tropical setting of the main films and TV shows, then feel free to skip this series.
Stitch & Ai (2017)
In 2017, Disney commissioned a donghua (Chinese) spin-off of Lilo & Stitch titled Stitch & Ai. Similar to Stitch!, this animated television series reboots the franchise, this time replacing Hawaii with the mountainous landscapes of rural China, and Lilo with Wang Ai Ying. Stitch & Ai is much closer to Lilo & Stitch’s original animation style and tone, making it an interesting watch for fans who enjoyed the narrative style and emotional beats of the original films and TV series.
But all in all, Stitch & Ai is more for regional fans in China, since it doesn’t add anything to the franchise other than the change in setting as compared to Stitch! which reboots the story using a different animation technique all together.
Lilo & Stitch (2025)
Set in Hawaii, Lilo & Stitch (2025) reimagines the prank-filled early adventures of Lilo and Stitch, right from Stitch’s chaotic crash landing on Earth to their battle against the determined scientists and aliens chasing Stitch’s capture in live action. It’s fun, entertaining, and modern, making it an accessible entry point into the Lilo & Stitch universe for a whole new generation of young kids and early teens, while still hitting the sweet spot for nostalgic Disney adults who are just happy to have more of Stitch.
But as fun as it is to see Stitch in a real world setting, the live-action movie does change a lot of the key plot points from the original animated film which might upset you if you’re a purist who’s expecting the live-action remake to follow the original film beat to beat.
