Attack on Titan is quite easily one of the most popular anime of all time, and it often is the first anime for many as well. However, after a decade of weird naming conventions and OVA/spinoffs, it might get a little confusing for new viewers to get in.
So, if you’re planning to get into Attack on Titan and are confused about how to navigate through the franchise, or simply curious about how everything fits into the timeline, this article is your final stop. Let’s take a deep dive into the entire watch order of the anime.
| TITLE | Attack on Titan |
| MAL RATING (as of July 5, 2026) | 8.57 / 10 |
| STUDIO | Wit Studio, MAPPA |
| RELEASE DATE | Apr 7, 2013 |
| WHERE TO WATCH | Crunchyroll |
What Is the Best Watch Order for Attack on Titan?
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Credit: MAPPA -
Credit: Wit Studio -
Credit: Wit Studio
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Credit: MAPPA -
Credit: Wit Studio -
Credit: Wit Studio
If you do not care about the chronology of everything being episode-specific and simply want to watch everything in the simplest order, check out the following table. It’s simple, it’s spoiler-free, and it’s how most fans experienced the anime itself. You don’t need to switch between episodes and OVAs, as they can also be watched after you finish the respective season.
| NUMBER | ANIME | MAL RATING (as of July 5, 2026) |
| 1 | Attack on Titan | 8.57 / 10 |
| 2 | Attack on Titan OAD | 7.89 / 10 |
| 3 | Attack on Titan: No Regrets | 8.42 / 10 |
| 4 | Attack on Titan: Lost Girls | 7.83 / 10 |
| 5 | Attack on Titan Season 2 | 8.54 / 10 |
| 6 | Attack on Titan Season 3 | 8.65 / 10 |
| 7 | Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2 | 9.05 / 10 |
| 8 | Attack on Titan: Final Season | 8.79 / 10 |
| 9 | Attack on Titan: Final Season Part 2 | 8.77 / 10 |
| 10 | Attack on Titan: Final Season – The Final Chapters | 8.86 / 10 |
| 11 | Attack on Titan: Junior High | 7.22 / 10 |
How to Watch Attack on Titan in Chronological Order?
Now, if you are someone who cares a lot about watching everything in the exact order of events, no matter when it was released, the following list is for you.
However, the special episodes, movies, and OVAs are not included in this, as their stories sometimes take place mid-season. For those OVAs, you can take a look at the next section.
Spoilers ahead
1. Attack on Titan Season 1
This is where the story of the anime begins. Young Eren sees his mother get eaten by a titan and then enlists in the Survey Corps to take revenge. Soon, he finds out that he is actually a titan himself, and then the whole conflict with the Female Titan happens in this season. This particular season ends with the revelation that there is at least one big titan in the walls, and Annie sealing herself away.
2. Attack on Titan Season 2
We continue straight to season 2, where the mystery starts getting deeper. It is revealed quite early on that there is an ape-like titan that is capable of rational thinking and human speech. Many mysteries are resolved in the anime. For example, it is revealed who the people were who were responsible for the destruction of Wall Maria, which led to Eren’s mother’s death.
3. Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 1
Politics take over for a while, and this is where the entire anime starts showing why it’s one of the best of all time. There’s a coup happening inside the walls; secrets about the royal family are finally revealed, and Historia becomes one of the most important characters in the anime. This season is less about the titans and the action and more about that question: “Who is the real enemy?”
4. Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2
Now that politics is perfectly covered in the previous season, this is where things start getting messy. We get a bunch of lore dump from every side, and the whole conflict with Reiner and Bertholt is finally resolved. If you’re gonna be starting this anime in 2026, consider yourself lucky because it was hard to wait from episode to episode when this season was still airing, as every episode was ending on a cliffhanger.
5. Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 1
This is where viewers start getting confused, as there are multiple entries named “the final season” for this anime. We start with a change of perspective and are introduced to a whole new cast living outside the walls, and it takes a minute to realize how everything connects, since none of the characters we’ve seen before appear at the beginning of this season.
We also get a lot of perspective on Reiner, the character whom the author himself loves so much. This season starts laying the foundation for the thought that Eren might be the real enemy.
6. Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 2
Things go from tense to full-blown chaos in this one. Alliances fall apart, characters we’ve followed for years start making brutal decisions, and Eren’s endgame becomes way clearer and way scarier. This is where it becomes perfectly clear that no one is safe.
7. Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 3
This is where the story finally ends. Every storyline, every character, and every buildup is perfectly resolved in this season, giving us one of the best endings of all time. Without spoiling anything, this is where Eren’s plan fully plays out, and the entire world has to deal with him. There are also movies that you can watch, but they all tell the same story, and watching the finale in this format is much better.
Every Attack on Titan OVA in Chronological Order
OVAs (Original Video Animations) are bonus episodes that never aired as part of the main seasons. None of them are compulsory to watch, but they add a lot of extra character depth if you’re invested in the world. Here’s the order based on when their events actually take place in the story.
1. A Choice with No Regrets
Levi Ackerman, the character who is arguably the coolest in the entire anime, stops being a mystery, as this is the OVA that finally gives us a backstory. It’s all about him and Erwin before Levi joined the Regiment. You get to see his own childhood friends, his dark background, and the reason he actually stays with Erwin to begin with. A bit of a heads-up: this is probably the saddest entry in the entire franchise.
2. Ilse’s Notebook: Notes from a Scout Regiment Member
This one’s a little different since it plays with two timelines at once. In the “present,” Hange and Levi find an old notebook during an expedition. But the notebook itself tells the story of a scout named Ilse from way earlier, and what happened to her out beyond the walls.
It’s short, but it adds some good background on how brutal expeditions can get. This entry is a bit ambiguous, as it’s never confirmed exactly where it takes place in the story, so it can be watched after a few episodes in season 1.
3. A Sudden Visitor: The Torturous Curse of Adolescence
This is the comic relief OVA of the bunch. It focuses on Jean and Sasha in a lighthearted cooking-themed story, nothing world-changing here. If you want a break from all the heavy lore, this is the one to watch. It’s mostly for the characters, not the plot.
4. Lost in the Cruel World
This is the most skippable OVA on the list since it’s not fully canon. It centers on Mikasa,one of the best-written female characters of all time, and takes place in a kind of dream-like alternate reality. It’s more of a “what if” character study than an actual plot point, so don’t worry about missing anything major if you skip it. This can be watched after Eren turns into the titan for the first time.
5. Distress
Another one focused on the cadets during their early training days. This OVA leans into character bonding more than plot, showing us how Eren and his friends dealt with the pressure of becoming soldiers. It’s a quieter episode, but it helps you connect with the cast before things get heavier. You can watch this before the Colossal Titan attacks the wall for the second time, after Episode 3 of the first season.
6. Wall Sina, Goodbye
This two-part OVA is based on the Lost Girls spin-off and focuses heavily on Annie Leonhart. It gives you a much deeper look into her personality and motivations before her identity becomes a bigger deal in the main story. Out of all the side stories, this one probably adds the most useful context.
What to Skip and What Not To? The Filler/Recap Guide
The good news is that if you don’t enjoy filler episodes much, Attack on Titan doesn’t really have any. Every single episode moves the plot forward in some way, so you won’t be wasting time on random side quests that don’t matter. However, it is plagued with recaps, which become a problem if you get confused.
Furthermore, there is one spin-off that is worth checking out if you’re into slice-of-life anime. It’s called Attack on Titan: Junior High, and it puts every character from the anime in a Junior High School setting. It is not a mandatory watch and does not connect to the mainline anime in any way. You can watch it after finishing the story, to reverse the sadness that you get from it.
Where to Watch the Complete Attack on Titan Franchise
Another piece of good news for you is that this anime is widely available on the internet, and you don’t have to think much before starting it. Here’s where you can stream everything, seasons and OVAs included.
| Title | Streaming Platform |
| Attack on Titan (All Seasons) | Crunchyroll |
| Attack on Titan (All Seasons) | Hulu |
| Attack on Titan OVAs | Crunchyroll |
| Compilation Movies | Crunchyroll, Funimation (library on Crunchyroll) |
Are you excited to start your journey? Let us know in the comments.
Attack on Titan is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.
