If you have ever tried getting into the Tokyo Ghoul franchise and got confused by the weird naming patterns for the seasons and OVAs that do not seem to even involve Kaneki Ken, the protagonist, you’re not alone. Furthermore, unlike a lot of 2010s anime, the confusion actually comes from the fact that the anime departed from its own source.
However, there is still some good news. Once you understand a few key points, the watch order for this anime is surprisingly simple. Let’s take a look at the proper watch order for this anime, while also covering where you can watch the entire show.
| TITLE | Tokyo Ghoul |
| RELEASE DATE | Jul 4, 2014 – Dec 25, 2018 |
| STUDIO | Studio Pierrot |
| MAL RATINGS (as of July 31, 2026) | Season 1: 7.79 / 10 √A: 7.03 / 10 re: 6.37 / 10 re Season 2: 6.47 / 10 |
| STREAMING | Crunchyroll |
What Is the Best Watch Order for Tokyo Ghoul?
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Credit: Studio Pierrot -
Credit: Studio Pierrot -
Credit: Studio Pierrot
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Credit: Studio Pierrot -
Credit: Studio Pierrot -
Credit: Studio Pierrot
The answer is simple: watch the entire anime in release order. Tokyo Ghoul (Season 1) is a fairly faithful adaptation of the early manga. √A (Season 2), however, is where the anime starts telling its own anime-original story instead of following Sui Ishida’s manga. A lot of the fans prefer the manga version of the story.
Tokyo Ghoul:re then adapts the manga’s true sequel, which assumes you know how the manga’s first arc ended rather than how √A ended; hence, anime-only viewers can feel like they missed a step between seasons. They didn’t; the source material just changed under the show’s feet.
The following table offers the simplest and most straightforward watch order for this anime:
| Order | Title | Year | Episodes |
| 1 | Tokyo Ghoul | 2014 | 12 |
| 2 | Tokyo Ghoul √A | 2015 | 12 |
| 3 | Tokyo Ghoul: “Jack” (OVA) | 2015 | 1 |
| 4 | Tokyo Ghoul: “Pinto” (OVA) | 2015 | 1 |
| 5 | Tokyo Ghoul:re | 2018 | 12 |
| 6 | Tokyo Ghoul:re 2nd Season | 2018 | 12 |
A Complete Season-by-Season Breakdown of the Tokyo Ghoul Anime
To make sure you don’t get confused, here’s what each entry actually covers, so you know what you’re getting into before you start watching the anime.
1. Tokyo Ghoul (2014)
Ken Kaneki is a quiet and shy, yet ordinary student. One day, he manages to secure a date with a girl he likes. However, it turns out that she is a ghoul, which is a race of flesh-eating monsters who look like humans and are hunted for the danger they possess. While Kaneki manages to get out of the situation alive, he does end up receiving a transplant that turns him into a half-ghoul.
Now, there is a deep psychological conflict. He is a human at heart, but his body won’t let him eat normal human food, and he craves human flesh. This season’s end is actually the high point of the franchise in anime, as it offers one of the best revenge moments in anime ever.
2. Tokyo Ghoul √A (2015)
This is where things get a bit messy overall. This season moves away from the manga story, and many fans consider this one of the reasons why the anime seemingly failed. After escaping captivity, Ken Kaneki accepts that at the end of the day, he is a ghoul, and he must not change that. Furthermore, as a big twist, he joins the Aogiri Tree organization, which consists of the very people who practically kidnapped him. This, of course, confuses his friends a lot.
Meanwhile, the Japanese Government is starting to put more and more focus on their efforts against ghouls, and the Commission of Counter Ghoul, the government’s specialized anti-ghoul agency, is starting to find and kill every single ghoul one by one. Amongst all this, Kaneki faces many battles, making this season one of the action-heavy ones.
3. Tokyo Ghoul: “Jack” (OVA, 2015)
This entry in the franchise doesn’t feature any of the primary characters from the main storyline. Instead, it turns the focus on Fura Taishi during his younger days. One day, he encounters a ghoul who injures one of his friends and eats another. He himself is saved by Kishou Arima, the very badass who we saw in √A, as part of the Commission of Counter Ghoul.
Together, they hunt for this ghoul called Lantern, who hurt Fura’s friends, while clearing out the 13th ward. This entry can be watched right before √A if you want more insight into the Reaper of CCG or simply want a more chronological order.
4. Tokyo Ghoul: “Pinto” (OVA, 2015)
This is yet another prequel entry. It shows the high school days of Shuu Tsukiyama, the ghoul we saw in Episode 3 of the first season. One night, he was about to enjoy the meal after his hunt for a human when his first bite was interrupted by a sudden flash.
It turned out that the flash was from a camera of a girl who actually studied in the same school as he did. She showed him the photo, showcasing his true nature as a ghoul. He doesn’t want the secret to be out, but there is also a sense of curiosity in him for this strange girl who is not afraid of him.
This is a refreshing yet disturbing arc of this franchise that you can watch at any moment in the story, or simply before the season 1 episode 3 if you want more insight into Shuu before his interactions with Kaneki.
5. Tokyo Ghoul:re (2018)
Set some time after the events of Season 1’s manga arc, this season introduces Haise Sasaki, a CCG investigator with no memory of his past. While it is not hard to tell, he is actually Ken Kaneki himself without the memories. It adapts the manga sequel of the same name and largely leaves √A’s anime-original detours behind.
6. Tokyo Ghoul:re 2nd Season (2018)
This season is the story’s endgame, tying off Kaneki’s identity, the CCG’s war against ghouls, and the fates of the original Anteiku cast. It’s a faster, more compressed adaptation than earlier seasons, cramming a large chunk of manga into 12 episodes.
Should You Watch the Tokyo Ghoul Live-Action Films?
This anime happens to have two live-action movies. They were released in Japan in 2017 and 2019. They aren’t part of the TV anime continuity and aren’t necessary to understand any of the anime seasons. Treat them as an optional curiosity for fans who want to see the material reinterpreted, not as a required stop on the watch order.
| MOVIE | RELEASE DATE | IMDb RATING (as of July 31, 2026) | STREAMING |
| Tokyo Ghoul | July 29, 2017 (Japan) | 5.7 / 10 | Crunchyroll |
| Tokyo Ghoul ‘S’ | July 19, 2019 (Japan) | 5.4 / 10 | N/A (Blu-ray can be purchased) |
Are the Tokyo Ghoul OVAs Worth Watching?
Both Jack and Pinto are prequels that run about 30 minutes and 24 minutes, and neither touches the main Kaneki storyline directly. They work best after Season 1, once you already care about the wider cast of ghouls and investigators they’re built around.
However, if you really want to stick to the chronological order, watch the OVAs before watching the first season of the anime.
Anime vs. Manga: What Should You Know Before Starting?
Because √A breaks from the source material, a lot of longtime fans recommend switching to the manga after Season 1 for the “true” version of the story, then picking the anime back up at :re (or skipping straight to the :re manga).
Neither route is wrong, as the anime-only path is coherent on its own. But if a character’s fate in √A feels abrupt or unresolved, that’s the anime-original detour showing, not something you missed.
Where to Watch the Complete Tokyo Ghoul Franchise
The good news for international fans is that if you have a Crunchyroll subscription, which is one of the biggest anime streaming platforms, you won’t need to look anywhere else, as the entire anime, including the OVA, is available to stream.
| Title | Streaming |
| Tokyo Ghoul | Crunchyroll |
| Tokyo Ghoul √A | Crunchyroll |
| Tokyo Ghoul: “Jack” | Crunchyroll |
| Tokyo Ghoul: “Pinto” | Crunchyroll |
| Tokyo Ghoul:re | Crunchyroll |
| Tokyo Ghoul:re 2nd Season | Crunchyroll |
So, how far are you in your Tokyo Ghoul journey? Let us know in the comments.
Tokyo Ghoul is streaming on Crunchyroll.
