Gurren Lagann watch order
Simon, a timid digger in an underground village, follows his big-brother figure Kamina to the surface, where humans fight the Beastmen's mecha with mecha of their own, and the scale keeps growing from there. An original anime from Gainax, directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi and written by Kazuki Nakashima.
First time? Watch the 27-episode TV series (episode 16 is a recap you can skip), then the two films Childhood's End and The Lights in the Sky Are Stars as a remixed retelling.
First-timer order
The series first, then the two films as an optional retelling. The films move fast and lean on you already knowing the characters, so they're a poor place to start.
- Gurren Lagann (TV series)
The whole story. Episodes 1–15 follow Team Dai-Gurren from Simon's village to the fight against the Spiral King Lordgenome, episode 16 is a recap, and episodes 17–27 jump seven years ahead to a new threat, the Anti-Spirals.
- Gurren Lagann the Movie: Childhood's End (optional)
The first film (Gurren-hen): a 112-minute re-edit of roughly the first 14 episodes with about 20 minutes of new animation and some changed scenes. A retelling, not a sequel; watch it after the series.
- Gurren Lagann the Movie: The Lights in the Sky Are Stars (optional)
The second film (Lagann-hen) retells roughly episodes 15–27 in about two hours, with a large amount of new animation and a longer, bigger final battle than on TV. Usually considered the better of the two films.
Story order
There's only one timeline: the TV series, with the 5.5 episode slotted in after episode 5. The films retell the same events in compressed form and the shorts are alternate-world music videos, so they're left out.
- Gurren Lagann, episodes 1–5
Simon finds the drill-shaped core of Lagann, he and Kamina break through to the surface with Yoko, and Kamina steals a Gunmen of his own: Gurren.
- Gurren Lagann: My Gurren Is Sparkling!! (episode 5.5) (optional)
A 12-minute comedy episode bundled with the Nintendo DS game: jealous of Simon's spotless Lagann, Kamina asks a mysterious girl to clean Gurren. Numbered 5.5, so it goes after episode 5. Optional.
- Gurren Lagann, episodes 6–27
Team Dai-Gurren grows into an army and the first half ends with the battle against Lordgenome (episodes 6–15). Episode 16 is a recap; episodes 17–27 are set seven years later and build to the finale.
Release order
Everything in the order it came out in Japan.
- Gurren Lagann (TV series)
The whole story. Episodes 1–15 follow Team Dai-Gurren from Simon's village to the fight against the Spiral King Lordgenome, episode 16 is a recap, and episodes 17–27 jump seven years ahead to a new threat, the Anti-Spirals.
- Gurren Lagann: My Gurren Is Sparkling!! (episode 5.5) (optional)
A 12-minute comedy episode bundled with the Nintendo DS game: jealous of Simon's spotless Lagann, Kamina asks a mysterious girl to clean Gurren. Numbered 5.5, so it goes after episode 5. Optional.
- Gurren Lagann: Parallel Works (optional)
Eight music-video shorts of about three minutes, each by a different Gainax animator, putting the cast into alternate worlds set to songs from the soundtrack. Not part of the story; watch any time after the series.
- Gurren Lagann the Movie: Childhood's End (optional)
The first film (Gurren-hen): a 112-minute re-edit of roughly the first 14 episodes with about 20 minutes of new animation and some changed scenes. A retelling, not a sequel; watch it after the series.
- Gurren Lagann the Movie: Lagann-hen Special: Viral's Sweet Dream (optional)
A five-minute comedy short tied to the second film: Viral tries to get some sleep but keeps having nightmares. Optional.
- Gurren Lagann the Movie: The Lights in the Sky Are Stars (optional)
The second film (Lagann-hen) retells roughly episodes 15–27 in about two hours, with a large amount of new animation and a longer, bigger final battle than on TV. Usually considered the better of the two films.
- Gurren Lagann: Parallel Works 2 (optional)
Seven more alternate-world music-video shorts by different animators. Not part of the story.
Explained
Series or movies?
Start with the series. The two films retell the same story in about four hours with new animation and some changes, especially in the second half. They work best as a victory lap once you've seen the show, and The Lights in the Sky Are Stars is the one people rave about.
Can I skip episode 16?
Yes. Episode 16 is a recap of the first half, aired just before the seven-year time skip. Nothing new happens in it.
What's the deal with episode 6?
TV Tokyo turned down the finished version of episode 6, a hot-spring episode, so the broadcast version swapped much of it for flashbacks. The uncut cut, titled There Are Some Things I Just Have to See!!, came out on the Japanese DVDs. Either version is fine; the story is the same.
Is there an English dub?
The TV series has had an English dub since its 2008 release, with Yuri Lowenthal as Simon and Kyle Hebert as Kamina. The films got their first English dub for a US theatrical run in January 2024.
Is there more coming?
No new Gurren Lagann anime had been announced as of early October 2026. Director Hiroyuki Imaishi and writer Kazuki Nakashima announced a new original project at Studio Trigger in July 2026, but it isn't a Gurren Lagann sequel.