Symphogear watch order
Teenage girls fight the alien Noise in armor powered by their own singing, and every battle doubles as a concert. An original anime by Satelight: five 13-episode seasons from 2012 to 2019 that tell one continuous story, plus chibi comedy shorts.
First time? Watch the five seasons in order: Symphogear, G, GX, AXZ and XV. The Shinai Symphogear chibi shorts are optional extras for after each season.
Story order
Story order is the same as release order: each season is a direct sequel to the one before. The chibi shorts are gags rather than story, so they're listed after the season they came with. Some fan lists slot individual shorts between episodes, but they don't change anything.
- Symphogear
After the idol Kanade dies protecting her, Hibiki ends up with Kanade's Gungnir armor and joins Tsubasa fighting the Noise. Chris starts out as a rival, and the hidden enemy is the ancient priestess Finé. Often called the roughest season, but the rest builds on it, so don't skip it.
- Symphogear G
A group calling itself Finé, led by the singer Maria with Kirika and Shirabe, declares war while the falling moon threatens the Earth. A direct sequel, and widely seen as the point where the show finds its feet.
- Shinai Symphogear (G shorts) (optional)
Two chibi comedy shorts about the cast's daily life (the title means roughly "Symphogear that doesn't sing"), released as bonuses on the Japanese G Blu-ray/DVD volumes. Non-canon gags. Optional.
- Symphogear GX
The alchemist Carol and her doll servants, the Autoscorers, set out to take the world apart, and the gentle homunculus Elfnein joins the heroes.
- Shinai Symphogear (GX shorts) (optional)
Four more chibi gag shorts from the GX Blu-ray/DVD volumes; they were also streamed on the official YouTube channel in Japan. Optional.
- Symphogear AXZ
Now working with the UN as S.O.N.G., the team starts in the war-torn country of Val Verde and runs into the Bavarian Illuminati: the alchemists Saint-Germain, Cagliostro and Prelati, and their leader Adam Weishaupt.
- Shinai Symphogear (AXZ shorts) (optional)
Four chibi gag shorts from the AXZ Blu-ray/DVD volumes. Optional.
- Symphogear XV
Noble Red, a trio of former Illuminati experiments, and Tsubasa's grandfather Fudou go after the power of the ancient being Shem-Ha, with Miku at the center of it. The fifth and final season, which wraps up the story that began in 2012.
- Shinai Symphogear (XV shorts) (optional)
The last set of four chibi gag shorts, from the XV Blu-ray/DVD volumes. Optional.
Release order
One season every two years from 2012 to 2019 (XV was pushed back from spring to summer 2019). The shorts came out on the Japanese home video volumes a few months after each season.
- Symphogear
After the idol Kanade dies protecting her, Hibiki ends up with Kanade's Gungnir armor and joins Tsubasa fighting the Noise. Chris starts out as a rival, and the hidden enemy is the ancient priestess Finé. Often called the roughest season, but the rest builds on it, so don't skip it.
- Symphogear G
A group calling itself Finé, led by the singer Maria with Kirika and Shirabe, declares war while the falling moon threatens the Earth. A direct sequel, and widely seen as the point where the show finds its feet.
- Shinai Symphogear (G shorts) (optional)
Two chibi comedy shorts about the cast's daily life (the title means roughly "Symphogear that doesn't sing"), released as bonuses on the Japanese G Blu-ray/DVD volumes. Non-canon gags. Optional.
- Symphogear GX
The alchemist Carol and her doll servants, the Autoscorers, set out to take the world apart, and the gentle homunculus Elfnein joins the heroes.
- Shinai Symphogear (GX shorts) (optional)
Four more chibi gag shorts from the GX Blu-ray/DVD volumes; they were also streamed on the official YouTube channel in Japan. Optional.
- Symphogear AXZ
Now working with the UN as S.O.N.G., the team starts in the war-torn country of Val Verde and runs into the Bavarian Illuminati: the alchemists Saint-Germain, Cagliostro and Prelati, and their leader Adam Weishaupt.
- Shinai Symphogear (AXZ shorts) (optional)
Four chibi gag shorts from the AXZ Blu-ray/DVD volumes. Optional.
- Symphogear XV
Noble Red, a trio of former Illuminati experiments, and Tsubasa's grandfather Fudou go after the power of the ancient being Shem-Ha, with Miku at the center of it. The fifth and final season, which wraps up the story that began in 2012.
- Shinai Symphogear (XV shorts) (optional)
The last set of four chibi gag shorts, from the XV Blu-ray/DVD volumes. Optional.
Explained
Is season 1 worth sitting through?
The first season is the weakest-looking and slowest, and many fans say G is where it really clicks. But every later season builds directly on the characters and events of season 1, so it can't be skipped. It's only 13 episodes.
Is there a movie or an OVA?
Not yet. Apart from the chibi shorts, the five TV seasons are all the animation there is. A new theatrical film was announced in December 2023 under the name "PROJECT SYMPHOGEAR -next-", but as of October 2026 it had no title, story or release date. The 2025 "SymphoNare" film concert used existing footage, and the mobile game XD Unlimited (now closed) told side stories in parallel worlds; neither is part of the anime's story.
Is XV the ending?
Yes. XV was billed as the fifth and final season and closes the story that started in 2012. The announced film is the only follow-up so far.
Is there an English dub?
No. Symphogear has only ever been released in Japanese with English subtitles. Discotek put out all five seasons on subtitled Blu-ray, and the series streams subtitled on Crunchyroll in the US.
Are the Shinai Symphogear shorts canon?
No, they're chibi comedy bonuses from the Japanese Blu-rays: the cast goofing around between the main story's events. Fun if you like the characters, safe to skip. Season 1 has no shorts; they start with G.