Blue Exorcist watch order
Rin Okumura learns he is Satan's son and enrolls at True Cross Academy to become an exorcist, alongside his twin brother Yukio, so he can beat the demon who made him. Kazue Kato's manga: a 2011 first season that ends on its own anime-only finale, a film, and four later sagas that follow the manga instead.
First time? Watch Season 1 episodes 1–16, then jump to the Kyoto Saga and carry on through Shimane Illuminati, Beyond the Snow and The Blue Night. Come back for episodes 17–25 and the film later, as an alternate ending.
First-timer order
The manga story first, then Season 1's anime-only ending and the film as a what-if, once you know how the real story goes. If you'd rather not leave anything out, watching all of Season 1 first works too; the Kyoto Saga just carries on from episode 16.
- Blue Exorcist (episodes 1–16)
Rin learns the truth about his father, enrolls at True Cross Academy with the other exwire students, and goes through the training camp, where his demonic flames are exposed to his classmates. This part mostly follows the manga, and the Kyoto Saga continues from here.
- Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga
Picks up from episode 16, with the exwires wary of Rin after his exposure, and adapts the manga's Impure King arc in Kyoto, with Suguro, Shima and Konekomaru's families at its centre.
- Blue Exorcist: Shimane Illuminati Saga
Made seven years after the Kyoto Saga, by a new studio, VOLN. Shiemi is taken by the Illuminati and the exwires go to Shimane to get her back. Covers manga chapters 38–68.
- Blue Exorcist: Beyond the Snow Saga
The fallout from Shimane drives Rin and Yukio apart. Aired as the first half of a two-part run, with The Blue Night Saga straight after. Covers chapters 69–99.
- Blue Exorcist: The Blue Night Saga
Continues straight on from Beyond the Snow. Rin sees the past: the lives of his mother Yuri Egin and Shiro Fujimoto before the twins were born, and the Blue Night itself. Ends at chapter 120, episode 73 overall.
- Blue Exorcist (episodes 17–25)
The anime-only ending. Episode 17 starts on manga material and then turns off on its own; episodes 18–25 build to an original showdown with Satan that the later seasons ignore.
- Blue Exorcist: The Movie (optional)
Optional. An original story: during the academy's once-every-11-years festival, Rin, Yukio and Shiemi deal with a phantom train and meet a child demon, Usamaro. It belongs with Season 1, not the later sagas, so watch it after Season 1.
Story order
The manga story only: Season 1 up to episode 16, then the four later sagas, with the two OVAs as side stories. Season 1's last nine episodes and the film are a separate anime-only branch, so they're left out.
- Blue Exorcist (episodes 1–16)
Rin learns the truth about his father, enrolls at True Cross Academy with the other exwire students, and goes through the training camp, where his demonic flames are exposed to his classmates. This part mostly follows the manga, and the Kyoto Saga continues from here.
- Blue Exorcist: Runaway Kuro (optional)
Optional. A self-contained episode about Rin's cat sidhe Kuro running away, loosely based on a bonus manga chapter. Set during Season 1's school days; it doesn't affect the plot.
- Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga
Picks up from episode 16, with the exwires wary of Rin after his exposure, and adapts the manga's Impure King arc in Kyoto, with Suguro, Shima and Konekomaru's families at its centre.
- Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga OVA (optional)
Optional side stories set after the Kyoto Saga: "Snake and Poison", about Mamushi Hojo and Juzo Shima, and "Spy Game", about Mephisto and Renzo Shima. Sold with manga volumes 19 and 20.
- Blue Exorcist: Shimane Illuminati Saga
Made seven years after the Kyoto Saga, by a new studio, VOLN. Shiemi is taken by the Illuminati and the exwires go to Shimane to get her back. Covers manga chapters 38–68.
- Blue Exorcist: Beyond the Snow Saga
The fallout from Shimane drives Rin and Yukio apart. Aired as the first half of a two-part run, with The Blue Night Saga straight after. Covers chapters 69–99.
- Blue Exorcist: The Blue Night Saga
Continues straight on from Beyond the Snow. Rin sees the past: the lives of his mother Yuri Egin and Shiro Fujimoto before the twins were born, and the Blue Night itself. Ends at chapter 120, episode 73 overall.
Release order
Everything in the order it came out, including Season 1's anime-only ending. Ura Ex came out on the home video volumes during and after Season 1.
- Blue Exorcist (episodes 1–16)
Rin learns the truth about his father, enrolls at True Cross Academy with the other exwire students, and goes through the training camp, where his demonic flames are exposed to his classmates. This part mostly follows the manga, and the Kyoto Saga continues from here.
- Blue Exorcist (episodes 17–25)
The anime-only ending. Episode 17 starts on manga material and then turns off on its own; episodes 18–25 build to an original showdown with Satan that the later seasons ignore.
- Blue Exorcist: Ura Ex (optional)
Skippable. One- to two-minute chibi comedy shorts from the Japanese DVD and Blu-ray volumes, based on the manga's four-panel bonus comics.
- Blue Exorcist: Runaway Kuro (optional)
Optional. A self-contained episode about Rin's cat sidhe Kuro running away, loosely based on a bonus manga chapter. Set during Season 1's school days; it doesn't affect the plot.
- Blue Exorcist: The Movie (optional)
Optional. An original story: during the academy's once-every-11-years festival, Rin, Yukio and Shiemi deal with a phantom train and meet a child demon, Usamaro. It belongs with Season 1, not the later sagas, so watch it after Season 1.
- Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga
Picks up from episode 16, with the exwires wary of Rin after his exposure, and adapts the manga's Impure King arc in Kyoto, with Suguro, Shima and Konekomaru's families at its centre.
- Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga OVA (optional)
Optional side stories set after the Kyoto Saga: "Snake and Poison", about Mamushi Hojo and Juzo Shima, and "Spy Game", about Mephisto and Renzo Shima. Sold with manga volumes 19 and 20.
- Blue Exorcist: Shimane Illuminati Saga
Made seven years after the Kyoto Saga, by a new studio, VOLN. Shiemi is taken by the Illuminati and the exwires go to Shimane to get her back. Covers manga chapters 38–68.
- Blue Exorcist: Beyond the Snow Saga
The fallout from Shimane drives Rin and Yukio apart. Aired as the first half of a two-part run, with The Blue Night Saga straight after. Covers chapters 69–99.
- Blue Exorcist: The Blue Night Saga
Continues straight on from Beyond the Snow. Rin sees the past: the lives of his mother Yuri Egin and Shiro Fujimoto before the twins were born, and the Blue Night itself. Ends at chapter 120, episode 73 overall.
Explained
Why does Season 1 have two endings?
Season 1 aired in 2011 while the manga was still early, so it ran out of story. From episode 17 it tells its own climax, an anime-only showdown with Satan. When the Kyoto Saga arrived in 2017 it ignored all of that and continued the manga story from episode 16. So episodes 17–25 are a what-if: watch them if you're curious, but nothing later depends on them.
Is the movie canon?
No. It's an original story written for the anime and set in Season 1's world. It isn't part of the manga's continuity and the later sagas never mention it. Watch it after Season 1 as a standalone adventure.
Is there an English dub?
Season 1 and the film were dubbed by Aniplex of America. The Shimane Illuminati and Beyond the Snow sagas got English dubs on Crunchyroll while they aired.
Is there more coming?
Nothing had been announced as of October 2026. The anime has adapted 120 chapters; the manga is still running, so start reading at chapter 121 (volume 26) to continue after The Blue Night Saga.