The best way to watch Attack on Titan is in release order. The seasons run straight through from beginning to end, and the only real question is what to do with the OVAs and movies. There are eight OVAs, they vary widely in quality and relevance, and their in-universe chronological order is different from their release order.
This guide covers both orders, ranks the OVAs and movies, and tells you exactly where to slot everything in for a first watch or rewatch. Use the interactive watch order widget below to build your own watch order, or keep reading for the full breakdown.
If you're not sure if you're ready to get into Attack on Titan, read my opinion piece Is Attack on Titan Worth Watching? for a balanced review on whether or not AOT is a good anime for you.
Best Recommendation: Release Order
Attack on Titan doesn't have as much watch order debate as many other animes do. The short answer is to watch the seasons in order, watch the No Regrets OVA between Season 1 and Season 2, and skip all the movies.
Chronological order is a legitimate way to do a rewatch if you want to experience the OVAs exactly where they fall in the timeline, but it isn't recommended for a first watch. Both orders are detailed down below.
Release Order
This is the full release order:
- Season 1
- No Regrets, Parts 1 & 2 (OVA)
- Ilse's Notebook (OVA)
- Wall Sina, Goodbye, Parts 1 & 2 (OVA)
- Distress (OVA)
- A Sudden Visitor (OVA)
- Season 2
- Season 3
- Lost in the Cruel World (OVA)
- Final Season (Season 4)
- Final Chapter Special 1 & 2 (or The Last Attack)
Season 1 (2013) — 25 episodes
Season 1 introduces Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackerman, and Armin Arlert, three childhood friends whose home is destroyed when a Colossal Titan breaches the outer wall. The season establishes the world, the military structure, and the central mystery that will drive the entire series: what are the Titans, and where do they come from?
- Prologue / Fall of Shiganshina Arc (Episodes 1–5): The Colossal Titan destroys Wall Maria. Eren, Mikasa, and Armin survive and enlist in the military.
- 104th Cadet Corps Arc (Episodes 6–9): Training time. The core cast comes together. Jean, Connie, Sasha, Historia, and Reiner are all introduced here.
- Trost District Arc (Episodes 10–16): The first major battle. Eren discovers he can transform into a Titan.
- Female Titan Arc (Episodes 17–25): The 57th Exterior Scouting Mission. A new type of Titan is hunting the Survey Corps from within their own ranks.
Season 2 (2017) — 12 episodes
Season 2 is short and relentless. It picks up immediately after Season 1 and expands upon the themes of the Female Titan arc. The pacing is tighter than Season 1 as the show hits its stride.
- Clash of the Titans Arc (Episodes 1–6): Titans are appearing inside the walls. The Survey Corps investigates while the 104th Cadets face a threat from an unexpected direction.
- Uprising Arc, Part 1 (Episodes 7–12): The truth about the Titans begins to surface. A conspiracy inside the walls proves as dangerous as the Titans outside them.
Season 3, Part 1 (2018) — 12 episodes
Season 3 shifts the tone significantly. The Titans are still present, but the primary conflict becomes political, including a corrupt monarchy, a hidden truth about the royal bloodline, and the Survey Corps operating as fugitives from their own government.
- Uprising Arc, Part 2 (Episodes 1–12): Erwin's plan to expose the monarchy. Levi's squad protects Eren and Historia while the political conspiracy reaches its resolution. Kenny Ackerman is introduced and is one of the best antagonists in the series.
Season 3, Part 2 (2019) — 10 episodes
The return to Shiganshina. Everything Season 3 Part 1 built toward pays off here. This is widely considered one of the finest stretches of the entire series.
- Return to Shiganshina Arc (Episodes 1–10): The Survey Corps reaches Shiganshina District and Grisha Yeager's basement, and the origin of the Titans is revealed.
Final Season, Part 1 (2020–2021) — 16 episodes
The Final Season shifts perspective dramatically. The first four episodes are set in Marley, following characters who were antagonists in the earlier seasons.
- Marley Arc (Episodes 1–8): Four years after Shiganshina. The war between Marley and its enemies. Reiner, Bertholdt, and the Marleyan military are shown from the inside.
- War for Paradis Arc, Part 1 (Episodes 9–16): Eren's plan is set in motion at Liberio as the Survey Corps arrives.
Final Season, Part 2 (2022) — 12 episodes
- War for Paradis Arc, Part 2 (Episodes 1–12): The conflict on Paradis escalates into full internal war. Eren has separated from his former allies and the Survey Corps is now divided against itself. The Rumbling begins.
Final Season: The Final Chapters (2023) — 2 specials
The conclusion. Special 1 covers the full Rumbling and its consequences. Special 2 brings every major character arc to resolution. The ending was divisive among manga readers, but most agree the anime handles the material well. Watch these as two TV specials, or watch The Last Attack instead (see the movies section below).
Chronological Order
The only difference between release order and chronological order is OVA placement. For a rewatch, here is where each OVA falls in the timeline:
- No Regrets Parts 1 & 2 (Levi's backstory, years before Eren enlists)
- Season 1
- Ilse's Notebook, A Sudden Visitor, and Distress (all set between Season 1 eps 3 and 4)
- Season 2
- Wall Sina, Goodbye Parts 1 & 2 (set between Season 2 eps 16 and 17)
- Season 3
- Lost in the Cruel World (set during Season 3 ep 12)
- Final Season (Season 4)
- Final Chapter Special 1 & 2 (or The Last Attack)
The OVAs: Which Ones Matter & Why
There are eight OVAs, and they are not created equal.
No Regrets Parts 1 & 2 (2014)
This is the most important OVA. It's a two-part prequel covering Levi's life in the Underground before he joined the Survey Corps, and how Erwin recruited him. If you want to understand why the Levi and Erwin relationship develops the the way it does in Season 3, watch this after Season 1. It's the closest thing AOT has to a required OVA.
For a deep dive on Levi's backstory and what makes him so compelling as a character, I recommend reading my Levi Ackerman character analysis (the analysis is spoiler-heavy, so read it after you have watched the Final Season).
Ilse's Notebook (2013)
A Survey Corps scout encounters a Titan that speaks. Hange's obsession with understanding Titans starts here. This OVA is short, unsettling, and deepens the central mystery of the series. It's worth watching.
Wall Sina, Goodbye Parts 1 & 2 (2014)
An Annie-centric two-parter set the day before the 57th Exterior Scouting Mission. Annie is tasked with finding a missing person in Stohess District. It's a slower, character-focused story that adds more depth to Annie.
Distress (2014)
This OVA is about the 104th Cadets during a wilderness training exercise when bandits attack. It's light on story, but decent on character interaction. Entirely skippable but enjoyable if you want more time with the main cast.
A Sudden Visitor (2014)
Jean and Sasha compete in a cooking competition. It's a comedy episode with no narrative stakes. This one is skippable unless you want a lighter break from the story.
Lost in the Cruel World (2015)
A Mikasa-centric "what if" episode imagining an alternate timeline where the Titans never attacked. This one is partially non-canon, and it's very skippable. Watch it only if you want to consume absolutely everything AOT-related.
About the Movies
All five AOT movie are compilation recaps, and none of them add new story content.
Crimson Bow and Arrow (2014) recaps Season 1, Part 1.
Wings of Freedom (2015) recaps Season 1, Part 2.
Roar of Awakening (2018) recaps Season 2 and early Season 3.
Chronicle (2020) — recaps Seasons 1–3 in a single film.
The Last Attack (2024) bundles the two Final Chapter specials.
The only one with any distinguishing features is The Last Attack. If you haven't watched the Final Chapter specials yet, The Last Attack is a legitimately good way to experience the ending of the series. The visual and audio remaster is noticeably better, and the theatrical pacing works well for the finale. Bit if you've already watched the specials on TV, there's nothing new here except the post-credits scene, which is a comedic non-canon short.
There are also two live-action films from 2015, but they're entirely separate adaptations with no real connection to the anime. They don't merit inclusion in an AOT watch order.
Short answer: skip all of the films, with a possible exception for The Last Attack.
About Attack on Titan: Junior High
Junior High is a non-canon chibi spinoff set in a school where Titans and humans attend classes together. Eren wants to reclaim his lunch from a Titan who ate it, a direct parody callback to a Titan eating his mother in Season 1. This show is a parody for fans who know the main series well. Watch it after finishing the main series if you want a palate cleanser, but don't watch it before or during. It's funnier and less jarring when experienced separately afterwards.
Where to Watch
Crunchyroll is the best place to watch Attack on Titan. It has the complete series (all seasons, both Final Chapter specials, and all eight OVAs) with sub and dub options. Junior High is on Crunchyroll as well.
While you watch, engage with the show even more by finding out which Attack on Titan character shares your personality in the Attack on Titan Character Quiz.
