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Roman Numerals in Movies, Games & Pop Culture

March 9, 2026

Why Sequels Use Roman Numerals

When The Godfather Part II arrived in theaters in 1974, its Roman numeral wasn't just a number — it was a statement. The "II" communicated continuity, prestige, and seriousness in a way that "The Godfather 2" simply wouldn't have. This established a template that Hollywood and the gaming industry have followed for decades.

Roman numerals lend an air of gravitas to sequels. They suggest a saga rather than a cash-in, an epic continuation rather than a mere follow-up. The visual weight of characters like III, VII, or XII carries a classical authority that Arabic numerals lack. This is why franchises that take themselves seriously — from Rocky to Star Wars — gravitated toward Roman numerals.

Iconic Franchises and Their Numerals

Rocky / Creed

The Rocky franchise is perhaps the purest example of Roman numeral sequel naming. Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV, Rocky V — each numeral tracked the rise, fall, and redemption of Sylvester Stallone's boxer. The series notably switched to the Creed spinoff without Roman numerals, perhaps signaling a fresh start rather than a continuation.

Star Wars Episodes

George Lucas numbered the Star Wars saga with Roman numerals from the beginning: Episode IV — A New Hope (1977), Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Episode VI — Return of the Jedi (1983). The prequels continued with Episodes I through III, and the sequel trilogy ran from VII to IX. The Roman numerals reinforce Lucas's vision of Star Wars as a serialized epic in the tradition of Flash Gordon chapter plays.

The Godfather

The Godfather Part II (1974) and Part III (1990) set the standard for prestige sequels. Francis Ford Coppola's use of "Part II" with Roman numerals signaled that the sequel was not a lesser work but the next chapter of a literary saga. The Godfather Part II remains one of the rare sequels considered equal to or better than the original.

Final Fantasy

No franchise has committed to Roman numerals as completely as Final Fantasy. Starting in 1987, Square (now Square Enix) numbered each mainline entry with Roman numerals, now reaching Final Fantasy XVI (2023). Unlike most sequel numbering, each Final Fantasy game tells an entirely separate story — the Roman numerals serve as a brand identifier rather than a narrative sequence. The numerals have become so iconic that fans often identify games simply by their number: "Did you play VII?" needs no other context in gaming circles.

Grand Theft Auto

Rockstar Games used Roman numerals for Grand Theft Auto III (2001) and Grand Theft Auto IV (2008) before switching to the Arabic numeral for Grand Theft Auto 5 (2013). The shift was likely a marketing decision — "GTA V" and "GTA 5" both appear in official materials, suggesting the studio valued readability over tradition.

Resident Evil

Capcom's survival horror franchise illustrates the full arc of Roman numeral usage. The series used Roman numerals through Resident Evil VII: Biohazard (2017) and Resident Evil Village, which cleverly embedded VIII in the word "Village" (the letters "VIII" are highlighted in the logo). This kind of creative play with numerals shows how deeply they've become part of franchise identity.

Beyond sequel numbering, Roman numerals have another ubiquitous presence in film: copyright dates. If you've ever watched the end credits roll, you've seen the copyright year displayed in Roman numerals: MCMLXXVII (1977), MMIV (2004), MMXXVI (2026).

This tradition dates back to early Hollywood, when studios used Roman numerals in credits partly for aesthetic reasons and partly because they made it harder for casual viewers to determine a film's age. A movie marked "MCMXCV" doesn't scream "1995" the way Arabic numerals do, which helps films feel less dated during reruns and television broadcasts.

Common copyright years you'll encounter:

YearRoman Numerals
1990MCMXC
2000MM
2010MMX
2020MMXX
2025MMXXV
2026MMXXVI

When Franchises Drop Roman Numerals

Several major franchises have abandoned Roman numerals over time, and the reasons are revealing:

  • Mission: Impossible switched from numbered sequels to subtitles (Ghost Protocol, Rogue Nation, Fallout) — partly because the series rebooted its tone and partly because IV, V, VI felt less marketable than dramatic subtitles.
  • Fast & Furious experimented with various numbering schemes before dropping numbers entirely for subtitles, only to return with "F9" and "Fast X" (using X as both a Roman numeral for 10 and a stylistic choice).
  • Super Bowl briefly abandoned Roman numerals for Super Bowl 50 because the letter "L" alone looked underwhelming as a logo.

The pattern suggests that Roman numerals work best when franchises want to project prestige and when the numeral itself is visually interesting. Single-letter numerals like V or L can feel thin, while complex combinations like VIII or XIII carry visual weight.

Video Games Beyond Final Fantasy

The gaming industry has embraced Roman numerals even more enthusiastically than Hollywood:

  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim — so iconic that many players know the Roman numeral better than the subtitle
  • Civilization VI — Sid Meier's strategy series has used Roman numerals since Civilization II
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops used Roman numerals for its sub-series (II, III, IV)
  • Kingdom Hearts III — the long-awaited sequel carried the weight of its Roman numeral
  • Diablo IV — continuing Blizzard's tradition from Diablo II

In gaming, Roman numerals serve an additional purpose: they distinguish mainline entries from spin-offs, remakes, and expansions. Final Fantasy VII Remake is not Final Fantasy XVI — the Roman numeral creates a clear hierarchy within a franchise's catalog.

Whether they endure or fade, Roman numerals in pop culture fulfill the same purpose they served in ancient Rome: lending authority and structure to things that matter. For the full story of how these numerals evolved, read our history of Roman numerals.

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