Magic Knight Rayearth watch order
Three Tokyo schoolgirls on a field trip to Tokyo Tower are pulled into the world of Cephiro and told they're the legendary Magic Knights who must save its princess. CLAMP's 1990s classic mixes magical girls with giant robots. Two TV seasons tell one story, a 1997 OVA retells it very differently, and a new TV adaptation started in October 2026.
First time? Watch the 1994 Magic Knight Rayearth and Rayearth II back to back (they're one 49-episode story), or start fresh with the 2026 series. The 1997 OVA is a separate alternate-universe version for afterwards.
Story order
There's no single timeline. The two 1990s TV seasons are one continuous story. The 1997 OVA and the 2026 series are each separate retellings, so they stand on their own; leave the OVA until you know the characters, since its whole point is how it changes them.
- Magic Knight Rayearth
Episodes 1–20. Hikaru, Umi and Fuu are summoned to Cephiro by Princess Emeraude, armed by the mage Clef and sent to awaken the three Rune-Gods so they can rescue her from the high priest Zagato. Ends with the truth about what the Magic Knights were really summoned to do.
- Magic Knight Rayearth II
Episodes 21–49, picking up soon after the girls return to Tokyo. Cephiro is crumbling without a Pillar, and three neighbouring countries, led by Autozam's Eagle Vision, invade to seize its power. The anime adds two villains of its own, Debonair and Nova, who aren't in the manga. A direct continuation, not a new series.
- Rayearth (OVA) (optional)
Three 45-minute episodes that retell the story in an alternate universe: Cephiro invades Tokyo instead, the girls are about to leave middle school, and relationships and roles are changed (Eagle is Emeraude's brother here). Same director, darker tone. Not a sequel; watch it after the TV series.
- Magic Knight Rayearth (2026)
A new TV adaptation of the manga for the series' 30th anniversary, by E&H production with music by Yuki Kajiura and a new cast. It starts again from the Tokyo Tower field trip, so it needs nothing before it. Airing from October 7, 2026; the episode count hasn't been announced.
Release order
The TV series ran from October 1994 to November 1995 in two seasons, the OVA came out through 1997, and the new series began in October 2026. Release order is also the natural first watch, or start with the 2026 series if you'd rather watch something current.
- Magic Knight Rayearth
Episodes 1–20. Hikaru, Umi and Fuu are summoned to Cephiro by Princess Emeraude, armed by the mage Clef and sent to awaken the three Rune-Gods so they can rescue her from the high priest Zagato. Ends with the truth about what the Magic Knights were really summoned to do.
- Magic Knight Rayearth II
Episodes 21–49, picking up soon after the girls return to Tokyo. Cephiro is crumbling without a Pillar, and three neighbouring countries, led by Autozam's Eagle Vision, invade to seize its power. The anime adds two villains of its own, Debonair and Nova, who aren't in the manga. A direct continuation, not a new series.
- Rayearth (OVA) (optional)
Three 45-minute episodes that retell the story in an alternate universe: Cephiro invades Tokyo instead, the girls are about to leave middle school, and relationships and roles are changed (Eagle is Emeraude's brother here). Same director, darker tone. Not a sequel; watch it after the TV series.
- Magic Knight Rayearth (2026)
A new TV adaptation of the manga for the series' 30th anniversary, by E&H production with music by Yuki Kajiura and a new cast. It starts again from the Tokyo Tower field trip, so it needs nothing before it. Airing from October 7, 2026; the episode count hasn't been announced.
Explained
Are seasons 1 and 2 one series?
Yes. Magic Knight Rayearth II is simply episodes 21–49 of the same TMS production, aired straight after season 1 in 1995. Streaming services split them into two seasons, but you should watch them as one.
Is the OVA a sequel?
No. The 1997 Rayearth OVA is an alternate-universe retelling set in Tokyo, with the same characters in different roles and a much darker tone. AniList and most fans file it as an alternative version. Watch it last, as a curiosity.
What is the 2026 series?
A new adaptation of CLAMP's manga, not a continuation of the 1990s anime. It restarts from the beginning with a new cast (Ayane Sakura, Rumi Okubo and Rie Takahashi as the three knights) and streams on Crunchyroll with an English dub. How many episodes it will run hasn't been announced.
Is the old series dubbed, and where can I watch it?
Yes: the familiar English dub was recorded by Bang Zoom for Media Blasters around 2000, and Discotek now holds the home video rights. In the US the 1994–95 series streams on Crunchyroll, Netflix, RetroCrush and Tubi, among others. The OVA is harder to find legally.