Chainsaw Man watch order
Broke and in debt to the yakuza, Denji hunts devils with his chainsaw-dog Pochita, until a betrayal fuses the two and turns him into Chainsaw Man, a public-safety devil hunter working for the mysterious Makima. A MAPPA adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto's manga.
First time? Watch the 12-episode TV series, then Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, which picks up right where episode 12 ends.
Story order
The story so far is a straight line: the TV series, then the Reze Arc film. The compilation and the comedy shorts are left out.
- Chainsaw Man (TV series)
Denji joins Makima's Public Safety Devil Hunters alongside Aki and Power, survives the Bat Devil and a hotel trapped by the Eternity Devil, then is caught up in the ambush that starts the fight with Katana Man. Adapts manga chapters 1–38, with no filler.
- Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
The direct sequel to episode 12. After a date with Makima, Denji shelters from the rain and meets Reze, a girl working at a café, and things escalate fast. Adapts the Bomb Girl arc (roughly chapters 39–52). 100 minutes.
Release order
Everything in the order it came out, including the 2025 recap compilation and its bonus shorts.
- Chainsaw Man (TV series)
Denji joins Makima's Public Safety Devil Hunters alongside Aki and Power, survives the Bat Devil and a hotel trapped by the Eternity Devil, then is caught up in the ambush that starts the fight with Katana Man. Adapts manga chapters 1–38, with no filler.
- Chainsaw Man – The Compilation (Parts I and II) (optional)
The whole TV series re-edited into two parts of about 107 minutes each, released for streaming in September 2025 as a refresher before the Reze Arc film. No new story. Skip it unless you need a recap.
- Chainsaw Days (optional)
Five one-minute comedy shorts adapting the manga's bonus pages, released alongside The Compilation. The only new animation from that release. Optional.
- Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
The direct sequel to episode 12. After a date with Makima, Denji shelters from the rain and meets Reze, a girl working at a café, and things escalate fast. Adapts the Bomb Girl arc (roughly chapters 39–52). 100 minutes.
Explained
Is the Reze Arc a movie or Season 2?
A movie. Instead of a second TV season, the story continued as a 100-minute film that opened in Japan in September 2025 and in US theaters on October 24, 2025. It picks up straight after episode 12 and is essential, not a side story. It has streamed on Crunchyroll, subtitled and dubbed, since April 30, 2026.
Do I need The Compilation?
No. It's the 12 TV episodes cut into two long parts, released just before the film for anyone who wanted a refresher. Its only new animation is the five Chainsaw Days shorts, which are short gags from the manga's bonus pages.
Does Chainsaw Man have filler?
No. The TV series adapts the manga's first 38 chapters in order, and the film continues from chapter 39. A fun detail: every TV episode has a different ending song, from twelve different artists.
What's next?
The Assassins Arc, which follows straight on from the Reze Arc, was announced in December 2025 and confirmed in June 2026 as a TV anime from MAPPA, directed by the film's director, Tatsuya Yoshihara. No release date had been given as of early October 2026.