Attack on Titan is one of the most popular animes to date in the 21st century; with a well-thought-out plot, fantastic storytelling, memorable characters, and a beautifully crafted world, it’s no wonder it trended amongst anime and non-anime fans alike.
Attack on Titan, otherwise called AOT, abbreviated for the convenience of fans, is an action, dark fantasy, and post-apocalyptic anime.
So, if you are a fan of this genre or want to be immersed in this category, then AOT is just for you.
To date, Attack on Titan has 4 seasons, 5 movies, and 4 OVAs. If it’s your first time watching the series, we’ve made a complete Attack on Titan recommended watch list for your convenience.
Watch Attack on Titan in Chronological Order
It is recommended to watch Attack on Titan in chronological order of events as this allows you to follow the plot seamlessly.
The special episodes (OVAs) add side stories and different character perspectives to the series.
However, the movies act as a recap for the seasons and therefore do not add as much value, but are still worth watching.
Take note of this guide if you are looking to know the events without prior knowledge of the anime as a first-time viewer.
It’s up to you if you want to watch the movies after each season. The movies condense each season’s episodes within two hours.
They provided a refresher back then when the releases were delayed by a year or two, and people had forgotten the events that took place.
| Watch Order | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Attack on Titan Season 1 (2013) |
| 2 | Attack on Titan: Ilse’s Notebook (2013) |
| 3 | Attack on Titan: The Sudden Visitor: The Torturous Curse of Youth (2014) |
| 4 | Attack on Titan: Distress (2014) |
| 5 | Attack on Titan: Crimson Bow and Arrow (2014) |
| 6 | Attack on Titan Season 2 (2017) |
| 7 | Attack on Titan: Lost Girls: Episodes 1 and 2 (2017) |
| 8 | Attack on Titan: The Wings of Freedom (2015) |
| 9 | Attack on Titan Season 3: Episodes 1 to 12 (2018) |
| 10 | Attack on Titan: No Regrets: Episodes 1 (2014) and 2 (2015) |
| 11 | Attack on Titan: Lost Girls: Episode 3 (2018) |
| 12 | Attack on Titan: The Roar of Awakening (2018) |
| 13 | Attack on Titan Season 3: Episodes 13 to 22 (2019) |
| 14 | Attack on Titan Season 4, Part 1 (2020) |
| 15 | Attack on Titan Season 4, Part 2 (2022) |
| 16 | Attack on Titan Season 4, Part 3 (2023) – TBA |
Note: Spoilers ahead!
Season 1 is the world-building stage of the anime, so you should start with it first and foremost.
You will have to deal with important pieces of information being inserted in between episodes, like a transition effect, where viewers can pause to immerse themselves in particular details ranging from gears, worldviews, or events.
You can then watch OVAs 1 to 3 to further understand the happenings in season 1.
Further down, you can watch season 2, then episodes 1 and 2 of the Lost Girls OVA (Annie’s POV).
This is followed by episodes 1 to 13 of season 3 and A Choice with No Regrets OVA, which shows us Levi’s background and his history with Kenny (one of the main antagonists in season 3).
Season 3, episodes 13-22, wraps all the events and should bring to light any confusion regarding the politics within the walls and Grisha Yeager’s involvement with it all.
You can then proceed with Lost Girls: Lost in the Cruel World OVA.
The first part of season 4 gives us a glimpse of life outside the walls. Then, season 4, part 2, is the start of the war and builds up the tension towards the finale.
Where to Watch Attack on Titan (October 2022)
If you are a US resident, the best places to watch all Attack on Titan seasons are on AdultSwim, Hulu, Crunchyroll, and Netflix. Moreover, Netflix Japan has all seasons of Attack on Titan, but you will need a VPN to access the episodes if you live anywhere else.
Crunchyroll offers the best streaming platform for residents of Canada.
Currently, you can watch the OVAs on Netflix. The movies are available on Funimation and Crunchyroll.
| US | Crunchyroll, Funimation, Hulu, Netflix, Adult Swim |
| Canada | Crunchyroll, Funimation, Hulu |
| UK | Crunchyroll, Funimation |
| Australia | Crunchyroll, Funimation |
Read more: All the Titans from Attack on Titan Ranked
Summary of Attack on Titan
| Manga Canon Episodes | 1-21, 23-32, 34-37, 42-87 |
| Manga Canon/ Filler Episodes | 22, 33, 38-41 |
| # of Special Episodes (OVA) | 5 |
| Movies (Recap) | 4 |
Attack on Titan is a television series written and illustrated by “mangaka” artist Hajime Isayama. His rise in popularity is bought upon the manga’s release of its animated version in the spring of 2013, April 7th.
The show first premiered on NHK General TV in Japan, and Aniplus Asia, with the first three seasons animated by WIT studio and later by Studio MAPPA in the fourth season.
Attack on Titan has a total of 87 episodes in the franchise at present. It’s allocated into 4 seasons, and the build-up of the story revealed in each episode has viewers wanting more.
Attack on Titan Complete Seasons Synopsis
1. Attack on Titan Season 1
| Media | Series |
| Original Release | April 17 – September 29, 2013 |
| # of Episodes | 25 |
| Runtime | Approximately 24 minutes per episode |
| IMDb Rating | 9/10 |
Starting off with Season 1, viewers will be introduced to the main protagonist Eren Yeager. Alongside him, are his friends who are equally important to the show’s plot and relevance; Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert.
The little protagonists live behind the safety of the walls, built by a small populace of what’s left of humanity.
The three friends set about doing their routine and living their daily lives as kids. Suddenly, a massive titan kicked a huge hole in the wall, allowing smaller titans to enter and ravage the poor helpless human inhabitants.
In a feast of blood and carnage, Eren’s life would take a turn. Furthermore, his thirst for revenge would ultimately lead him to his fate as humanity’s last hope.
2. Ilse’s Notebook
| Media | OVA |
| Original Release | August 9, 2011 |
| Runtime | 25 minutes |
| IMDb Rating | 8.5/10 |
The episode starts with Section Commander Hange Zoe on her 49th Exterior Scouting Mission alongside her colleagues.
Being reckless at the mention of a titan being spotted in the woods, she saddled up on her horse and went towards danger in excitement at the prospect of capturing the mindless giant.
Upon arriving at the location, they stumbled upon the headless corpse of Ilse Langnar, hidden away inside a tree. They also found her notebook containing information about the titan she spoke with and her life as a soldier.
3. The Sudden Visitor: The Torturous Curse of Youth
| Media | OVA |
| Original Release | April 9, 2014 |
| Runtime | 23 minutes |
| IMDb Rating | 7.6/10 |
An episode starring Jean and Sasha competing in a cook-off after bantering with each other.
In his slightly drunken stupor, Commander Pyxis suggested that the fight be settled with the best dish, with him, of course, being the judge.
4. Distress
| Media | OVA |
| Original Release | August 8, 2014 |
| Runtime | 24 minutes |
| IMDb Rating | 8.1/10 |
Jean and Eren were fighting when a gang of thieves appeared and took away their ODM gears. What’s worse, they brought Christa along with them as a hostage.
In the end, the rival duo decided to put aside their differences and teamed up with the other cadets to get their gears back and save Christa.
5. Attack on Titan Movie 1: Crimson Bow and Arrow
| Media | Movie |
| Original Release | November 22, 2014 |
| Runtime | 1 hr 59 minutes |
| IMDb Rating | 7.6/10 |
The first movie helps refresh your memory of the first episode up until episode 24, which is the Struggle for Trost Arc.
6. Attack on Titan Season 2
| Media | Series |
| Original Release | April 1 – June 17, 2017 |
| # of Episodes | 12 |
| Runtime | Approximately 24 minutes per episode |
| IMDb Rating | 9/10 |
In season 2, antagonists aside from the titans will appear. Eren with the Scouts, or the “Survey Corps”, an organization of military troops that brave the outside of the walls, will come to a horrifying but intriguing discovery that not all titans are mindless as they seem.
With the presence of “Titan Shifters”, humans who can control and materialize a titan’s body, Eren’s journey ahead will be filled with bumpy roads and mountainous obstacles.
7. Lost Girls: Episodes 1 and 2
| OVA Title | Wall Sina, Goodbye | Wall Sina, Goodbye |
| Original Release | December 9, 2017 | April 9, 2018 |
| Runtime | 24 minutes | 24 minutes |
| IMDb Rating | 8.4 | 8.3 |
These OVA features Mikasa and Annie, with Annie taking up the first two episodes and Mikasa the third.
Episodes 1 and 2 show Annie during her time in a Military Police Regiment and was tasked by Hitch to find a missing person named Carly Stratmann.
8. Attack on Titan Movie 2: The Wings of Freedom
| Media | Movie |
| Original Release | June 27, 2015 |
| Runtime | 2 hours |
| IMDb Rating | 7.8/10 |
The second movie condenses episodes 14-25 of season 1.
9. Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 1
| Media | Series |
| Original Release | July 23, 2018 – October 15, 2018 |
| # of Episodes | 12 |
| Runtime | Approximately 24 minutes per episode |
| IMDb Rating | 9/10 |
Season 3 begins less on the action (of killing titans) and more on the political and man vs. man conflict that will leave viewers in awe.
It turns out Eren and the gang’s battle with the titans should be the least of their problems. Moreover, power play, politics, and scandals have threatened the inhabitants and the corps more than the titans.
Corruption, violence, betrayal, character development, family ties, and more will be featured in the episodes.
10. No Regrets: Episodes 1 and 2
| OVA Title | No Regrets: Part 1 | No Regrets: Part 2 |
| Original Release | December 9, 2014 | April 9, 2015 |
| Runtime | 24 | 30 |
| IMDb Rating | 8.9 | 9.5 |
Levi Ackerman, living in the underground during his younger days, was feared by many for his exemplary fighting skills and curt attitude.
After encountering and getting caught by Erwin and the scouts for doing a criminal job with Furlan and Isabel (his partners in crime), the trio was offered to join the Survey Corps.
11. Lost Girls: Episode 3
| Media | OVA |
| Original Release | August 9, 2018 |
| Runtime | 24 minutes |
| IMDb Rating | 8.5/10 |
In episode 3, Mikasa reminisces about the time Armin informed her about Eren’s supposed death.
In her shock, her mind brought her to an alternate reality, where her parents were still alive, and she was but a normal girl.
12. Attack on Titan: Roar of Awakening
| Media | Movie |
| Original Release | January 13, 2018 |
| Runtime | 2 hours |
| IMDb Rating | 8.4/10 |
The third movie recaps the Clash of Titans Arc which run from epsides 26-37 of season 3.
13. Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2
| Media | Series |
| Original Release | April 29, 2019 – July 1, 2019 |
| # of Episodes | 10 |
| Runtime | Approximately 24 minutes per episode |
| IMDb Rating | 9/10 |
After the Colossal and Armored titans had been exposed, the Beast titan emerges and wrecks havoc.
14. Attack on Titan Season 4 Part 1
| Media | Series |
| Original Release | December 7, 2020 – March 29, 2021 |
| # of Episodes | 16 |
| Runtime | Approximately 24 minutes per episode |
| IMDb Rating | 9/10 |
In Season 4, part 1, war is at its peak. Upon discovering that humanity thrived and lived outside the walls, Eren has not been the same.
Seeming to have lost the shine in his eyes, what was once “humanity’s last hope” has ironically lost his hope in humanity.
14. Attack on Titan Season 4 Part 2
| Media | Series |
| Original Release | January 10, 2022 – April 4, 2022 |
| # of Episodes | 12 |
| Runtime | Approximately 24 minutes per episode |
| IMDb Rating | 9/10 |
Having optimal control over his titan powers over the years of hardship and suffering, Eren exacted his revenge, leaving viewers torn with feelings of justice or sympathy.
15. Attack on Titan Season 4 Part 3
| Media | Series |
| Original Release | 2023, Exact date to be announced |
Do I Need to Watch the Attack on Titan Movies?
No, you don’t have to. All the Attack on Titan movies are basically a recap, so watching them is unnecessary if you have finished the series.
You can watch the movies before proceeding to the next season if you want a refresher on the events happening.
Do I Need to Watch the Attack on Titan OVAs?
As new viewers, feel free to watch the OVA episodes. The OVAs are worth watching as they bring the viewers closer to the characters by letting them see their experiences and history.
If you want another perspective on the events, then the OVAs would come in handy.
Moreover, some episodes let you see a glimpse of their daily lives (besides fighting titans) or offer comedic relief from the otherwise dark nature of the show.
Read more: Strongest Human Characters in AOT Ranked