How to Watch Tokyo Ghoul in Order: A Complete Guide

Ready to dive into the dark fantasy/horror anime series Tokyo Ghoul? If you’re a little confused about which season to watch first or where to go once you’re done with season 1, we’re here to help! In this article, we’ll go over the recommended order to watch Tokyo Ghoul, the chronological order, and explain how the live-action movies fit into the puzzle, with help from anime expert Richard Moore. We’ll also tell you where you can watch the series and explain what it’s all about. Keep on reading to learn more!

What’s the correct order to watch Tokyo Ghoul?

Anime expert Richard Moore says the best order to watch Tokyo Ghoul is the order it was released. Start with Tokyo Ghoul Season 1, and then watch season 2 (Tokyo Ghoul √A), the OVAs (Jack and Pinto), and season 3 (Tokyo Ghoul:re). Feel free to watch the live-action movies, Tokyo Ghoul and Tokyo Ghoul S, after Season 1 or at the end of the series.

Section 1 of 6:

Tokyo Ghoul Release Watch Order

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Tokyo Ghoul only has 3 seasons and 2 OVAs (Original Video Animation), making it a super easy watch! Moore recommends watching it in the order the seasons and OVAs were released.^{[1]
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Richard Moore
Anime Expert

Expert Interview} This will give you the best understanding of the show (and match what day-one fans experienced). Here’s the breakdown:^{[2]
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- Tokyo Ghoul Season 1 — episodes 1-12 (2014)
- Tokyo Ghoul √A (“Root A”) — episodes 1-12 (2015)
- Tokyo Ghoul: Jack — OVA (2015)
- Tokyo Ghoul: Pinto — OVA (2015)
- Tokyo Ghoul:re Part 1 — episodes 1-12 (2018)
- Tokyo Ghoul:re Part 2 — episodes 13-24 (2018)
Meet the wikiHow Expert

Richard Moore is an anime expert, rapper, and content creator based in Dayton, Ohio. He's been watching anime for nearly his entire life and has over 6 years of experience creating content.

Section 2 of 6:

Tokyo Ghoul Chronological Watch Order

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The two Tokyo Ghoul OVAs are prequel stories that take place before the main events of the series. So, if you’ve already seen the entire show, rewatching it in chronological order can be a fun way to catch new details. However, watching Tokyo Ghoul in chronological order is not recommended if you haven’t seen the entire show yet, as these stories can seem confusing to new viewers.
- Tokyo Ghoul: Jack — OVA (2015)
- Tokyo Ghoul: Pinto — OVA (2015)
- Tokyo Ghoul Season 1 — episodes 1-12 (2014)
- Tokyo Ghoul √A (“Root A”) — episodes 1-12 (2015)
- Tokyo Ghoul:re Part 1 — episodes 1-12 (2018)
- Tokyo Ghoul:re Part 2 — episodes 13-24 (2018)

Section 3 of 6:

When to Watch the Tokyo Ghoul Movies

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Tokyo Ghoul has been adapted into two live-action movies: Tokyo Ghoul and its sequel, Tokyo Ghoul S. Like the anime, the movies are adaptations of the original manga series. Both movies roughly follow Season 1 of the anime, so there are a few different ways you can watch them:
- After Tokyo Ghoul Season 1
- Before Tokyo Ghoul Season 1 (some fans believe the movies are better adaptations of the manga than the anime!)
- After you complete the entire series (ending with Tokyo Ghoul:re Part 2)
- In the order they were released alongside the show:
  - Tokyo Ghoul Season 1 — episodes 1-12 (2014)
  - Tokyo Ghoul √A (“Root A”) — episodes 1-12 (2015)
  - Tokyo Ghoul: Jack — OVA (2015)
  - Tokyo Ghoul: Pinto — OVA (2015)
  - Tokyo Ghoul — movie (2017)
  - Tokyo Ghoul:re Part 1 — episodes 1-12 (2018)
  - Tokyo Ghoul:re Part 2 — episodes 13-24 (2018)
  - Tokyo Ghoul S — movie (2019)

Section 4 of 6:

Where to Watch Tokyo Ghoul

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Watch all seasons of Tokyo Ghoul on Crunchyroll or Hulu. All three seasons are available to watch on Crunchyroll and Hulu, though you’ll need a subscription to watch the anime on either service. Crunchyroll also has the two OVAS, Jack and Pinto, available to stream.
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Watch the first Tokyo Ghoul movie on Crunchyroll. Currently, Crunchyroll has the first Tokyo Ghoul live-action available to stream (with a subscription). The sequel, Tokyo Ghoul S, doesn’t appear to be streaming anywhere right now. However, you can buy the DVD or Blu-ray on Amazon.

Section 5 of 6:

What is Tokyo Ghoul about?

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Tokyo Ghoul follows Ken Kaneki after he becomes a half-ghoul hybrid.Tokyo Ghoul is a horror/supernatural action series set in an alternate Tokyo, where flesh-eating ghouls hide among humans. The anime is centered around Ken Kaneki, a 17-year-old student, who gets attacked by a ghoul and is transformed into a half-human, half-ghoul hybrid. The series follows him as he adapts to his new lifestyle as a half-ghoul, all while dealing with evil ghouls and the humans who hunt them.^{[3]
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Section 6 of 6:

Tokyo Ghoul Series Breakdown

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Tokyo Ghoul Season 1Season 1 introduces Ken Kaneki, a college student in Tokyo, Japan. At the beginning of the series, he goes on a date with Rize Kamishiro, who turns out to be a ghoul and fatally attacks him. However, Ken is saved when surgeons transplant Rize’s organs into his body, which turns him into a half-ghoul.^{[4]
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- During the season, he meets a group of friendly ghouls who teach him how to eat flesh without harming humans, and he has to deal with hiding his identity from his friends.
- Ken also encounters the Commission of Counter Ghoul (CCG) agency, a group of humans that investigates ghoul crimes, and an evil ghoul organization, which drives a lot of conflict in the show.
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Tokyo Ghoul √A√A (aka “root A”) continues Ken Kaneki’s story as he joins Aogiri Tree, a ghoul organization that fights the CCG. This season, the CCG sets its sights on Ken’s group of ghoul friends at the cafe Anteiku, which Ken and his friends must stop.
- Note: Tokyo Ghoul √A is very loosely based on the manga, and most of the story in this season is original to the anime. The third season (Tokyo Ghoul:re) picks the manga back up where season 1 left off, so much of the second season is actually disregarded in the official canon. This can make this season a bit confusing to watch (which most fans agree with!).
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Tokyo Ghoul:reTokyo Ghoul:re is a direct sequel to Season 1. It takes place 2 years after Season 1 and follows Ken Kaneki, who is now known as Haise Sasaki, after his memory is wiped. He works for the CCG and leads a group of humans with ghoul abilities who battle ghouls. The season deals with Ken regaining his memory and facing the true villains of the series.^{[5]
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OVAs The two OVAs, Jack and Pinto, serve as prequel stories for side characters in the series. Jack follows Kishou Arima and his classmate Taishi Fura in high school as they join the CCG and fight ghouls.^{[6]
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Research source} Pinto follows Shuu Tsukiyama in high school after his classmate, Chie Hori, discovers he’s a ghoul.^{[7]
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Definitely give the manga a try if you want more Tokyo Ghoul content! Start with Tokyo Ghoul (14 volumes) and then read Tokyo Ghoul:re (16 volumes).

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