1
Bungo Stray Dogs
Start here. Atsushi joins the Armed Detective Agency and runs into the Port Mafia. 12 episodes.
9 titles
Updated Sep 18, 2026
Bungo Stray Dogs Watch Order (2026 Guide)
Kicked out of his orphanage and close to starving, Atsushi Nakajima pulls a stranger out of a river. The man is Osamu Dazai of the Armed Detective Agency, a group of ability users in Yokohama who take the cases the police won't touch, and the man-eating tiger they are hunting turns out to be tied to Atsushi himself.
Recommended Order
Quick answer
- Bungo Stray Dogs
- Bungo Stray Dogs 2
- Bungo Stray Dogs: DEAD APPLE
- Bungo Stray Dogs 3
- Bungo Stray Dogs 4
- Bungo Stray Dogs 5
Plus 3 optional extras.
6 titles · 60 episodes + 1 movie · ~25.5 hours
Watch the five TV seasons in order, with the movie DEAD APPLE between Season 2 and Season 3. The Walking Alone OVA takes place during Season 3, so save it until after that season. The WAN! chibi shorts are optional and can be watched any time.
2
Bungo Stray Dogs 2
Opens with a four-episode flashback to Dazai's time in the Port Mafia, then returns to the present for the fight with the Guild. 12 episodes.
3
Bungo Stray Dogs: DEAD APPLE
Set after Season 2. Ability users around the world are dying in apparent suicides, and the Agency goes after the man behind it, Tatsuhiko Shibusawa. The story was co-written by the manga's creator, Kafka Asagiri.
4
Bungo Stray Dogs 3
The first three episodes go back to how a 15-year-old Dazai met Chuya in the Port Mafia. The rest of the season returns to the present. 12 episodes.
5
Bungo Stray Dogs 4
Opens with a three-episode flashback to how the Armed Detective Agency was founded, then continues the present-day story. 13 episodes.
6
Bungo Stray Dogs 5
Continues directly from Season 4, which aired earlier the same year. 11 episodes.
⚠ This season caught up with the manga. No sixth season has been announced.
Optional Extras
7
Bungo Stray Dogs 2: Walking Alone
A one-episode OVA centered on Kunikida, adapted from chapter 40 of the manga. It takes place during Season 3, so watch it after that season.
⚠ First released in Japan with a limited edition of manga volume 13.
8
Bungo Stray Dogs WAN!
Chibi comedy shorts based on a separate gag manga, with the cast in everyday skits. 12 episodes, aired in 2021.
9
Why This Order
Bungo Stray Dogs tells one continuous story across five TV seasons, so the seasons go in order with no shortcuts.
The movie, DEAD APPLE, goes between Season 2 and Season 3. It is set after the events of Season 2, and its story was co-written by Kafka Asagiri, the creator of the original manga. It also includes a flashback to the Dragon Head Conflict, a war in Yokohama six years before the main story, when Dazai was still in the Port Mafia.
Walking Alone is a one-episode OVA that first came with a limited edition of the manga's 13th volume in 2017. Because it was released after Season 2, it is often listed right after that season, but it adapts chapter 40 of the manga, which takes place in the middle of Season 3. Watching it after Season 3 keeps it in the right place.
Several seasons open with a flashback arc before returning to the present, including Season 2, Season 3 and Season 4. These are part of the main story, adapted from Asagiri's own light novels, so do not skip them.
WAN! and WAN! 2 are chibi comedy spin-offs based on a separate gag manga. They are separate from the story.
How Many Episodes and Seasons Does Bungo Stray Dogs Have?
Bungo Stray Dogs has 5 seasons and 1 film in the main run — 60 episodes altogether.
Main Run
| Title | Type | Episodes | Aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bungo Stray Dogs | TV Series | 12 episodes | April 2016 |
| Bungo Stray Dogs 2 | TV Series | 12 episodes | October 2016 |
| Bungo Stray Dogs: DEAD APPLE | Movie | March 2018 | |
| Bungo Stray Dogs 3 | TV Series | 12 episodes | April 2019 |
| Bungo Stray Dogs 4 | TV Series | 13 episodes | January 2023 |
| Bungo Stray Dogs 5 | TV Series | 11 episodes | July 2023 |
Optional Extras
| Title | Type | Episodes | Aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bungo Stray Dogs 2: Walking Alone | OVA | 1 episode | August 2017 |
| Bungo Stray Dogs WAN! | TV Short | 12 episodes | January 2021 |
| Bungo Stray Dogs WAN! 2 | TV Short | 12 episodes | July 2026 |
6 titles · 60 episodes + 1 movie · ~25.5 hours
Source Material
Manga
Ongoing
Bungo Stray Dogs
Bungo Stray Dogs Spin-offs and Side Stories
Only spin-offs that tie into the main story are listed here — anthologies, fan books and the like are left out.
Bungo Stray Dogs: Osamu Dazai and The Dark Era
Side Story Novel
Bungo Stray Dogs: The Untold Origins of the Detective Agency
Side Story Novel
Bungo Stray Dogs: Dazai, Chuuya, Age Fifteen
Side Story Novel
Bungo Stray Dogs: Wan!
Spin-off Manga
Kafka Asagiri and Sango Harukawa's manga is still ongoing, and Season 5 caught up with it. The flashback arcs in Seasons 2, 3 and 4 come from Asagiri's light novels: Osamu Dazai and the Dark Era, Dazai, Chuuya, Age Fifteen, and The Untold Origins of the Detective Agency. Yen Press publishes the manga and the light novels in English.
Bungo Stray Dogs Watch Order FAQ
Where should I start with Bungo Stray Dogs?
Start with Season 1 from 2016. It introduces Atsushi, the Armed Detective Agency and the Port Mafia, and every later season builds on it.
What is the correct order to watch Bungo Stray Dogs?
Season 1, Season 2, Bungo Stray Dogs: DEAD APPLE, Season 3, Season 4, then Season 5. The Walking Alone OVA fits after Season 3. The WAN! chibi shorts are optional and can be watched any time.
Do I need to watch Bungo Stray Dogs: DEAD APPLE?
It is worth watching between Season 2 and Season 3. The movie is set after Season 2, its story was co-written by the manga's creator Kafka Asagiri, and it includes a flashback to the Dragon Head Conflict, a war in Yokohama six years before the main story.
Where does Walking Alone fit?
After Season 3. Walking Alone was released in 2017 with a limited edition of the manga's 13th volume, so it is often placed after Season 2, but it adapts chapter 40 of the manga, which takes place in the middle of Season 3.
Why do some seasons jump back in time?
Season 2, Season 3 and Season 4 each open with a flashback arc adapted from Kafka Asagiri's light novels. In story order they go: the founding of the Agency (Season 4), Dazai and Chuya at 15 (Season 3), and Dazai's last days in the Port Mafia (Season 2). Watch them where they appear. They are part of the main story.
Is there an English dub?
Yes. Funimation dubbed the series with Max Mittelman as Atsushi and Kaiji Tang as Dazai, and both returned for the Season 5 dub on Crunchyroll in 2023. DEAD APPLE also has an English audio track.
Are there any filler episodes?
No. The flashback arcs at the start of Seasons 2, 3 and 4 are adapted from Kafka Asagiri's own light novels, not invented for the anime. The WAN! chibi shorts are a separate comedy spin-off.
Where can I watch Bungo Stray Dogs?
Crunchyroll streams all five seasons and DEAD APPLE in most regions. Availability can differ by country, so check the service in your region.
Do I need to watch Bungo Stray Dogs WAN!?
No. WAN! is a chibi comedy spin-off based on a separate gag manga by Kanaineko. The first season aired in 2021, and WAN! 2 began on July 2, 2026. Neither affects the main story.
Will there be a Bungo Stray Dogs Season 6?
No sixth season has been announced. Season 5 aired from July to September 2023 and caught up with the manga, which is still ongoing.
Is the Bungo Stray Dogs manga finished?
No. Kafka Asagiri and Sango Harukawa's manga is still running, and Yen Press publishes the manga and the light novels in English.