On the island nation of Hinomoto, the undead Kabane have driven the living into walled stations linked only by armored steam trains. When Aragane Station falls, Ikoma, a young steamsmith who has turned himself into something between human and Kabane, escapes aboard the train Koutetsujou with Mumei, a girl who is the same kind of being.
Plus 3 optional extras.
2 titles · 12 episodes + 1 movie · ~5.5 hours
Watch the 12-episode TV series, then the sequel film The Battle of Unato. That is the whole story so far. The two compilation films retell the TV series, and the 2026 short Mumei Ranman is a brief anniversary extra.
12 episodes (2016). An original anime from Wit Studio. Ikoma, a steamsmith who has made himself a Kabaneri, half human and half undead, flees Aragane Station aboard the armored train Koutetsujou with Mumei and the other survivors.
A 67-minute sequel film (2019) set about six months after the TV series, in which the crew of the Koutetsujou joins the fight to retake Unato on the Sea of Japan coast. Watch the TV series first.
⚠ Listed separately from the TV series on streaming services. Netflix shows it as a three-episode limited series, not as a film.
A 107-minute compilation of TV episodes 1-6 (2016) with a new opening scene and a short new scene at the end. A recap, not a continuation.
⚠ No English-language streaming or disc release has been confirmed. Both compilations had a one-night subtitled theatrical showing in North America in April 2017.
A compilation of TV episodes 7-12 (2017), about 104 minutes long, with a longer epilogue than the TV ending. A recap, not a continuation.
⚠ No English-language streaming or disc release has been confirmed. Both compilations had a one-night subtitled theatrical showing in North America in April 2017.
A short of about five minutes made for the 10th anniversary in 2026 by the original staff at Wit Studio, released to mark a new Mumei figure. It shows Mumei being made up and does not continue the plot.
⚠ Released free on YouTube in Japan on July 24, 2026. No English-subtitled release has been confirmed.
Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress is an original anime with a short main line: twelve TV episodes from 2016 and one sequel, The Battle of Unato, from 2019. The film is set about six months after the series and assumes you know the crew of the Koutetsujou, so it comes second. Everything else is optional. The two compilation films cover episodes 1-6 and 7-12 with some new and reworked scenes, including a longer epilogue in the second one, but they tell the same story as the series. Mumei Ranman is a short of about five minutes made for the 10th anniversary in 2026; it is a character piece about Mumei and does not move the plot.
Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress has 1 season and 1 film in the main run — 12 episodes altogether.
| Title | Type | Episodes | Aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress | TV Series | 12 episodes | April 2016 |
| Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: The Battle of Unato | Movie | — | May 2019 |
| Title | Type | Episodes | Aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: Light That Gathers | Movie | — | December 2016 |
| Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: Life That Burns | Movie | — | January 2017 |
| Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: Mumei Ranman | Special | 1 episode | July 2026 |
2 titles · 12 episodes + 1 movie · ~5.5 hours
Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress is an original anime, so there is no source to continue from, and The Battle of Unato is the latest point in the story. A four-volume manga adaptation and several tie-in novels, including the prequel novel Akatsuki, were published in Japan. No English editions of them were found.
Start with the 12-episode TV series from 2016. It is an original anime with nothing before it, and the sequel film depends on it.
The TV series (12 episodes), then Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: The Battle of Unato. The two compilation films and the 2026 short Mumei Ranman are optional.
Yes to both. The Battle of Unato is a new story set about six months after the TV series, with the same crew and no recap of how they got there. It opened in Japanese theaters on May 10, 2019 for a two-week run and is the latest point in the story.
Outside Japan, Netflix released the film on September 13, 2019 as a three-part limited series. It is the same film: the theatrical version runs about 67 minutes, and the three parts add up to about 83 minutes because each has its own credits.
No. Light That Gathers and Life That Burns, also translated as Gathering Light and Burning Life, retell TV episodes 1-6 and 7-12. They add a new opening scene and a longer epilogue, but they cover the same story as the series, so they are a refresher and not a replacement for anything.
A short of about five minutes released on YouTube in Japan on July 24, 2026, as part of the series' 10th anniversary and the launch of a new Mumei figure. Director Tetsuro Araki and Wit Studio returned to make it. It is a character vignette, not a new episode or a sequel.
No second season or new film has been announced as of October 2026. The TV series ended on July 1, 2016, and The Battle of Unato in 2019 is the most recent story. The 10th anniversary in 2026 brought exhibitions, merchandise and the Mumei Ranman short, but no sequel.
No. It is an original anime, so there is nothing to continue reading after The Battle of Unato. A four-volume manga adaptation and several tie-in novels, including a prequel novel, were published in Japan, and no English editions of them were found.
No. As an original anime it has no source material to depart from, and none of the 12 TV episodes is a recap. The only recaps are the two compilation films.
Yes. The TV series was dubbed for Funimation's Blu-ray and DVD release on January 16, 2018, with Robbie Daymond as Ikoma and Janice Kawaye as Mumei. The Battle of Unato also has an English dub on Netflix.
In the United States, the TV series streams on Crunchyroll and Netflix, and The Battle of Unato is on Netflix. Availability varies by region.
About 5.5 hours for the main story: 12 episodes plus the 67-minute film. The two compilation films add about three and a half hours if you watch them too.
