Some of the best movies have been prequels to other popular movies. In fact, all of the movies on this list are prequels to popular franchises. From horror franchises like Alien to sci-fi ones like the Star Wars movies, the following list of prequels are all great nods to a successful franchise.

While all of these prequels have proven successful, the question still poses whether or not fans really like prequels. To some, fans find prequels often fall short of the audience’s expectations and are simply just a means to capitalize on an already popular money-maker. For others, though, prequels offer insights into characters that were not explained within the original franchise. Whether or not prequels are a fan favorite, some, like the Clint Eastwood Western films The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly, are arguably some of the best films ever created. While this is a short version of what could be a very long list, here are some of the best prequel films, ranked.

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10 Prometheus

     20th Century Fox

Prometheus is the prequel to the popular horror franchise Alien. Ridley Scott directed both despite the fact that the movies were filmed 33 years apart. Prometheus follows the story of archaeologists Elizabeth Shaw and Charlie Holloway as they try to discover the origins of humanity. Upon arriving in the distant world, the archaeologists find something that threatens to destroy humanity as opposed to learning from it. The film stars Naomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender as the main archaeologists. While Scott has said the film isn’t necessarily a direct prequel to the Alien franchise, fans can connect similarities within the types of aliens, mention of the Weyland Corporation, and, of course, the same alien bursting from within a human’s stomach.

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9 Red Dragon

     Universal Pictures

Another prequel of a popular horror franchise is Red Dragon, whose storyline takes place before we meet Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs. Both films are based on a novel series written by Thomas Harris. Red Dragon’s plot is similar to that of Silence of the Lambs, only this time Lecter is helping a different agent catch a different killer. FBI agent Will Graham comes out of retirement to convince Lecter, who has since been sent to an asylum after pleading insanity to avoid the death penalty for his murders, to help him capture a new serial killer. Red Dragon served as the lone prequel until 2006 when Harris wrote another novel about Lecter’s upbringing and the reasoning behind his turn to cannibalism. Of the two films, Red Dragon was better received.

8 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

     Paramount Pictures

One of the least well-known prequels is Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Yes, you have definitely heard and maybe even seen the film before, but not many know that the film works as a prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark. The events in Temple of Doom take place only one year prior to that in Raiders of the Lost Ark. In this film, Indiana Jones and his “partner” Shortround are looking for a stolen sacred stone and a bunch of missing village children. The stolen stone is one of five that, if all brought together again, can rule the world. Temple of Doom is often regarded as the darkest film in the Indian Jones franchise and thus perhaps the least popular.

7 X-Men: First Class

     Marvel Entertainment

X-Men: First Class of course is a prequel to the popular X: Men franchise. This film takes a look at some of the original characters and their origin story of how they came to find themselves with Professor X. It is also the only time where we see Erik Lensherr (Magneto) and Charles Xavier (Professor X) as allies and not arch enemies, though the rift starts to settle in by the end of the film. Within First Class, we also learn the reasoning behind why Charles is in the wheelchair. Kevin Bacon plays the villain in this film and tries to start a nuclear war by pitting two countries against each other. Ironically, he ends up bringing Magneto and Professor X together along with a few of the other mutants.

6 Casino Royale

     Sony Pictures Releasing

Another less well-known prequel film is Daniel Craig’s first appearance as James Bond in Casino Royale. The film is a prequel to Die Another Day, another film within the 007 franchise. Casino Royale portrays Bond as a new 007 agent who was just given his government license to kill. The film puts the suave Bond as an undercover poker player sent to stop a man, Le Chiffre, from funding terrorists. It’s also in this film that we meet the first love in Bond’s life, Vesper Lynd, played by Eva Green. Casino Royale is often regarded as one of Craig’s best performances as the iconic character.

5 The Godfather Part II

The Godfather Part II is obviously a prequel to The Godfather. Similar to a few on this list, this franchise is based on a novel series written by Mario Puzo. Part II shows a young Vito as he gradually enters the vicious crime mafia. What sets this movie apart from other prequels on the list is that the film starts as a prequel, but then jumps back to the present time and follows Vito’s third son Michael as he gets acquainted with the family business. Al Pacino plays Michael, and, of course, Roberto Di Nero plays Vito.

4 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

     New Line Cinema

The Hobbit acts as a prequel to The Lord of the Rings franchise. The prequel was so popular that it went on to spawn more films, creating its own Hobbit trilogy. In the film, fans get to see more about Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit from The Lord of the Rings franchise who held on to the One Ring before Frodo was entrusted with it. Bilbo’s adventures bring him face to face with familiar species like Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, and wizards.

3 Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Rise of the Planet of the Apes is essentially a prequel to the original series of the same name. This film follows Will Rodman, played by James Franco, who is the scientist behind a drug that enhances his pet chimp’s intelligence. This enhancement allows the chimp, Caesar, to become self-aware and help his fellow chimps with the same drug. With this power, the chimps attempt to overthrow the humans on the planet.

2 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

     Walt Disney Studios 

Rogue One is one of the few standalone films within the Star Wars franchis. The events in Rogue One take place immediately before A New Hope. The film centers around the mission to steal the plans for the Death Star. Starring Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso, the main character, Jyn must work with unlikely allies to prevent the Death Star from becoming the ultimate destruction weapon for the Empire. When Jyn learns from her father, who was forced to help work on the plans for the Death Star, she joins with the Rebel Alliance as she tries to stop foes like Darth Vader. The film is set to get a prequel of its own in a Disney+ series called Andor. It’s unclear whether Jones will return as Jyn in the series, but Giant Freakin’ Robot reports that the actress is in talks to return as the character in a future Star Wars project.

1 The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

     Produzioni Europee Associati

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly is not only one of the best prequels ever remade, but it is also arguably one of the best films, period. The film precedes the other two movies in The Dollars Trilogy, A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More. Blondie (The Good), Angel Eyes (The Bad), and Tuco (The Ugly) come across a dying man who tells them about buried gold. With each given a different clue, they must work together to get to the treasure before everyone else does.