The Familiar of Zero watch order
Louise, a noble at a magic academy nicknamed "Zero" because every spell she casts explodes, summons an ordinary Japanese teenager, Saito Hiraga, as her familiar. J.C.Staff's four seasons follow the two from slapstick romance into the wars of the kingdom of Tristain, based on Noboru Yamaguchi's light novels.
First time? Watch the four seasons in order: The Familiar of Zero, Knight of the Twin Moons, Rondo of Princesses and F. The beach OVA after Rondo episode 6 is optional.
Story order
The recommended order: the four seasons in order, with the beach OVA where it's numbered, after Rondo episode 6.
- The Familiar of Zero
Season 1. Louise summons Saito, he discovers he's the legendary familiar Gandálfr, and the pair get pulled into Princess Henrietta's affairs and the threat from the rebel nobles of Albion.
- The Familiar of Zero: Knight of the Twin Moons
Season 2, a direct sequel. Louise's power as a Void mage comes to the fore as Tristain is drawn into war with Albion.
- The Familiar of Zero: Rondo of Princesses (episodes 1–6)
Season 3, first half. More romantic comedy at the academy as the political trouble around Tristain keeps building. Split here so the beach OVA can go after episode 6.
- The Familiar of Zero: Rondo of Princesses – Seductive Beach (optional)
Optional. A beach fan-service comedy episode released on DVD and never broadcast. It's numbered episode 6.5, so it slots in here.
- The Familiar of Zero: Rondo of Princesses (episodes 7–12)
Season 3, second half, through to the season's finale.
- The Familiar of Zero: Rondo of Princesses Picture Drama (optional)
Optional. Three-minute audio dramas over still images, from the Rondo DVDs. No story weight; watch any time after Season 3.
- The Familiar of Zero F
Season 4 and the final season. It gives Louise and Saito's story a full ending of its own, since the novels weren't finished when it aired.
Release order
How it came out in Japan. The beach OVA arrived on DVD in December 2008, after Rondo had finished airing.
- The Familiar of Zero
Season 1. Louise summons Saito, he discovers he's the legendary familiar Gandálfr, and the pair get pulled into Princess Henrietta's affairs and the threat from the rebel nobles of Albion.
- The Familiar of Zero: Knight of the Twin Moons
Season 2, a direct sequel. Louise's power as a Void mage comes to the fore as Tristain is drawn into war with Albion.
- The Familiar of Zero: Rondo of Princesses (episodes 1–6)
Season 3, first half. More romantic comedy at the academy as the political trouble around Tristain keeps building. Split here so the beach OVA can go after episode 6.
- The Familiar of Zero: Rondo of Princesses (episodes 7–12)
Season 3, second half, through to the season's finale.
- The Familiar of Zero: Rondo of Princesses Picture Drama (optional)
Optional. Three-minute audio dramas over still images, from the Rondo DVDs. No story weight; watch any time after Season 3.
- The Familiar of Zero: Rondo of Princesses – Seductive Beach (optional)
Optional. A beach fan-service comedy episode released on DVD and never broadcast. It's numbered episode 6.5, so it slots in here.
- The Familiar of Zero F
Season 4 and the final season. It gives Louise and Saito's story a full ending of its own, since the novels weren't finished when it aired.
Explained
Which season comes next?
The titles don't say. The order is The Familiar of Zero (2006), Knight of the Twin Moons (2007), Rondo of Princesses (2008) and F (2012). F is the final season, not a spin-off. There's one continuity, so start with the 2006 series.
Does the anime follow the light novels?
Loosely. Every season follows the main novel arcs but adds anime-original episodes, trims side stories and changes some events. F's finale is the anime's own ending, written before the novels were finished.
How did the novels end?
Author Noboru Yamaguchi died in April 2013, after volume 20. He left notes on the rest of the plot, and the publisher had the series completed from them: volume 21 came out in 2016 and the final volume 22 in 2017. Those last volumes were never animated.
Is it dubbed?
Only Season 1, with a dub made for Geneon and later reissued by Sentai Filmworks. Knight of the Twin Moons, Rondo of Princesses and F are subtitled only, so dub viewers have to switch to subtitles after Season 1.