So, you’re standing in front of your TV or scrolling through a streaming service, and you see a tiny wooden man with a hook and a knife for hands. You think, "Hey, I remember that guy from the 90s." Then you see another one. And another. Suddenly, you're looking at a franchise that has more entries than most slasher icons could ever dream of. Honestly, if you're trying to figure out how many Puppet Master movies are there, you've probably realized that "it's complicated" is an understatement.
Most franchises stop at three. Some push it to ten if they're lucky. The Puppet Master series, birthed from the brain of Full Moon Features founder Charles Band, just keeps going. It's like the little puppets themselves; you think they’re gone, but then they crawl out from under the bed with a new sequel.
The Short Answer: The Magic Number
Let's get right to it. As of early 2026, there are 15 official films in the Puppet Master universe.
✨ Don't miss: Parker Lewis Can't Lose: Why the 90s Weirdest Sitcom Still Matters
That number covers the main series, the prequels, the weird spinoffs, and that one reboot everyone has an opinion on. It doesn’t count the "noir" re-releases or the endless clip-show collections that Full Moon loves to put out to save a buck. If you want to sit down and watch every unique story in this universe, you are looking at fifteen distinct movies.
Breaking Down the Main Timeline
The core of this franchise is a mess of sequels and prequels that jump around time like a broken VCR. You've got the original 1989 Puppet Master, which basically set the standard for "killer toy" horror before Child's Play really took over the mainstream.
- Puppet Master (1989): The one where we meet the psychics at the Bodega Bay Inn.
- Puppet Master II (1990): Toulon comes back from the dead, and he’s... kinda gross.
- Puppet Master III: Toulon’s Revenge (1991): Generally considered the best one. It’s a WWII prequel.
- Puppet Master 4 (1993): The puppets become the good guys. Sorta.
- Puppet Master 5: The Final Chapter (1994): Spoiler: It wasn't the final chapter.
After those first five, things got weird. Full Moon hit some financial bumps, and the quality started to vary—wildly. You had Curse of the Puppet Master (1998) and Retro Puppet Master (1999), the latter of which features Greg Sestero. Yeah, the guy from The Room.
Then there’s Puppet Master: The Legacy (2003). To be blunt, it's mostly archival footage. If you've seen the other movies, you've seen 80% of this one. It's a "clip show" movie, but it's still counted in the official list.
The Crossovers and Spinoffs
You can’t talk about how many Puppet Master movies are there without mentioning the stuff that doesn't quite fit the numbered sequels.
First, you have Puppet Master vs Demonic Toys (2004). This was a SyFy Channel original movie. Full Moon didn't actually produce it, so some hardcore fans try to pretend it doesn't exist. But it's got the puppets and the toys, so it’s on the list.
Then we got the "Axis" trilogy. This was Charles Band's attempt to go back to the WWII roots that people loved in Part III.
- Puppet Master: Axis of Evil (2010)
- Puppet Master X: Axis Rising (2012)
- Puppet Master: Axis Termination (2017)
These movies are low-budget, even by Full Moon standards, but they tell a continuous story about the puppets fighting Nazis. It’s exactly what you think it is.
The Modern Era and the "Reboot"
In 2018, everything changed with Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich. This wasn't a Charles Band production; it was written by S. Craig Zahler (Bone Tomahawk). It’s a reboot. It’s mean, it’s incredibly gory, and it’s very different from the campy vibe of the originals.
✨ Don't miss: Rita Hayworth and the Cast of Miss Sadie Thompson: Why This 1953 Technicolor Risk Still Works
Since then, the series has moved into "Solo" territory. We got Blade: The Iron Cross in 2020 and Puppet Master: Doktor Death in 2022. These are standalone stories focusing on individual puppets.
Wait, what about the 16th movie?
If you're a regular on horror forums, you've probably heard whispers about Puppet Master: Furnace Leech Woman. It was announced a while back, meant to follow up on the events of the second movie. As of right now, it's still in the "coming soon" limbo that many indie horror projects fall into. Until that gets a wide release, we stay at 15.
Why the Count is So Hard to Track
Part of the confusion comes from how Full Moon handles their library. They have released "Noir" versions of the Axis trilogy—basically the same movies but in black and white. They also have "The Primevals" and other crossovers that feature cameos.
If you count every time Blade or Jester pops up in a "Full Moon Universe" movie (like Evil Bong or Gingerdead Man cameos), the number would be closer to 40. But for the actual Puppet Master movies? 15 is your number.
The Best Way to Watch Them
Don't watch them in order of release. Honestly, you'll get a headache. The timeline is a zigzag.
If you want the best experience, start with Puppet Master III: Toulon’s Revenge. It gives the puppets a soul—literally. Then go back to the 1989 original. If you find yourself enjoying the "Axis" trilogy, you're a true fan. If you prefer the high-budget (relatively speaking) gore, skip straight to The Littlest Reich.
Just know that if you decide to marathons these, you're in for about 22 hours of tiny plastic people committing mayhem. It's a lot, but for many of us, that's exactly the point.
Your Next Step
If you're ready to dive in, start by checking out the original 1989 Puppet Master and Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge. Most of these are currently streaming on the Full Moon Features app or Tubi. Just grab some popcorn and keep your feet off the floor—you never know who's under the couch.