Are you a Blue Exorcist anime fan feeling overwhelmed by the series’ branching storylines? Don’t worry, you’re not alone.

With its anime-only content and multiple releases, figuring out the best Blue Exorcist watch order can be a daunting task.

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Fear not, for we’ve mapped out a clear and concise guide on how to watch Blue Exorcist. From the chronological order to the canonical order, we’ve got you covered.

Grab your sword and join us as we look into the world of exorcists, demons, and everything in between.

What is Blue Exorcist about?

Blue Exorcist is a popular anime and manga series that follows the story of Rin Okumura, a seemingly ordinary high school student who discovers he is the son of Satan, the King of Hell.

After his adoptive father is murdered by demons, Rin decides to become an exorcist to fight against the forces of darkness and avenge his father’s death.

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The story unfolds as Rin attends True Cross Academy, a prestigious school for exorcists. He trains alongside his twin brother, Yukio, who is also an exorcist and a teacher at the academy.

Together, they face various challenges and confront powerful demons while unraveling the mysteries of Rin’s demonic heritage.

Blue Exorcist is classified as an action, supernatural, and shonen anime and manga. It combines elements of adventure, mystery, and comedy.

The series was created by Kazue Kato, who began serializing the manga in Jump Square magazine in 2004. The anime adaptation, produced by A-1 Pictures and Studio VOLN, aired from 2011 to 2024, with multiple seasons and OVAs.

Blue Exorcist watch order: Find out how to watch Blue Exorcist

Blue Exorcist manga art of Rin Okumura by Kazue Kato
Credit: Shueisha, Kazue Kato

There are two main ways to watch Blue Exorcist.

Chronological Blue Exorcist watch order by year of release

This follows the order in which the episodes and movies were released.

  1. Blue Exorcist season 1 (2011) – Episodes 1 to 25
  2. Blue Exorcist OVA 1: Kuro Runs Away From Home (2011)
  3. Blue Exorcist: The Movie (2012)
  4. Blue Exorcist season 2: Kyoto Saga (2017) – Episodes 26 to 37
  5. Blue Exorcist OVA 2: Snake and Poison (2017)
  6. Blue Exorcist OVA 3: Spy Game (2017)
  7. Blue Exorcist season 3: Shimane Illuminati Saga (2024) – Episodes 38 to 49
  8. Blue Exorcist season 4: Beyond the Snow Saga (2024) – Episodes 50 to 73
Blue Exorcist protagonist Rin Okumura and his ability, Blue Flames
Credit: Studio VOLN

Canonical Blue Exorcist watch order based on the manga

This follows the original manga storyline as closely as possible.

  1. Blue Exorcist season 1 (2011) – Episodes 1 to 16
  2. Blue Exorcist season 1 (2011) – Episode 17 from the beginning until 18:55
  3. Blue Exorcist OVA 1: Kuro Runs Away From Home (2011)
  4. Blue Exorcist season 2: Kyoto Saga (2017) – Episodes 26 to 37
  5. Blue Exorcist season 3: Shimane Illuminati Saga (2024) – Episodes 38 to 49
  6. Blue Exorcist season 4: Beyond the Snow Saga (2024) – Episodes 50 to 73

It is important to note that some portions of season 1, episodes 16 and 17 in particular, are not based on the manga.

These parts are anime-original additions, created to fill the gap between the manga’s content at the time. This led to the inclusion of non-canonical episodes.

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