The adventures of Asterix and Obelix have delighted readers for decades with their humor, action, and clever references. While many fans enjoy trying to place the stories in chronological order, it becomes quickly apparent that Goscinny and Uderzo did not follow a strict timeline. Instead, they prioritized storytelling, jokes, and artistic continuity over historical or chronological precision.

Clues Across the Series

Despite the lack of a formal timeline, attentive readers can spot clues about the relative order of some adventures:

• The adventures of Asterix and the Golden Sickle and Asterix and the Goths clearly are in chronological order.

• Objects and souvenirs: In Asterix in Britain, Asterix’s house contains souvenirs from previous adventures—a golden sickle, a Gothic helmet, a Gladiator helmet, and a sphinx—suggesting some stories happened before this one.

• Returning characters: Some albums bring back characters from earlier adventures. For example, Asterix in Corsica features Winesanspirix (The Chieftain’s Shield), Pépé and his parents (Asterix in Spain), Petitsuix (Asterix in Switzerland), the Gaulish innkeeper (Asterix the Gladiator), Jolitorax and some Britons (Asterix in Britain), and villagers from Asterix and the Banquet. Similarly, Panacea is introduced in Asterix the Legionary and reappears in later adventures.

• Plot connections: In Asterix and Son, the village is burned by Brutus. In the following story, Asterix and the Magic Carpet, the villagers celebrate life in a rebuilt village. Such plot continuity offers hints about relative order.
• Introduction of Dogmatix: Dogmatix first appears in Asterix and the Banquet, so the four previous adventures clearly take place before his introduction.

In a previous article we talked about the connection between the magic potion and rock oil in Asterix and the Black Gold and Asterix in Lusitania. In that last album we also see the return of Randomaxess, the formerly unnamed slave from Lusitania whom we met in Mansions of the Gods.

These clues show that the authors sometimes returned to established events, characters, or objects, but these references were used selectively and creatively rather than systematically.

Inconsistencies Are Part of the Fun

As noted by Comedix.de, there are numerous chronological inconsistencies in the series. For example:

• Dogmatix appears earlier or later than his “first introduction” in some references.
• Characters like Geriatrix have inconsistent ages across albums.
• Historical events, like Caesar’s campaigns, do not always match the timing of Asterix’s adventures.

These inconsistencies are not mistakes—they reflect the playful and episodic nature of the series. Goscinny and Uderzo were more interested in creating humorous, engaging stories than in keeping a strict internal chronology.

The Value of a Flexible Timeline

Rather than seeing these inconsistencies as problems, they can be viewed as part of the charm of Asterix. The stories are designed to be enjoyed individually or collectively, with recurring characters and references offering rewards to observant readers, but without requiring rigid chronological thinking. Fans can still trace relative sequences—like Dogmatix’s introduction, or the village burning in Asterix and Son—without needing to place every album perfectly.

Conclusion

The Asterix series demonstrates that a comic can be internally rich, interconnected, and highly enjoyable without adhering to a strict timeline. Clues from objects, returning characters, and plot events provide some sense of order, but inconsistencies and playful deviations are part of the fun. Goscinny and Uderzo’s focus was storytelling, humor, and imagination, not historical or chronological precision—something that has helped make the adventures of Asterix and Obelix timeless.

Sources:

Except for the albums, the German website comedix.de was of great help in putting this article together. They have a timeline where they also keep the full moons that are visible in the albums into account.