1
Tokyo Ghoul
Start here. Twelve episodes adapting the first part of the manga: Kaneki becomes half-ghoul and is taken in by the ghouls of the café Anteiku.
6 titles
Updated Sep 20, 2026
Tokyo Ghoul Watch Order (2026 Guide)
Ken Kaneki is a quiet college student until a ghoul attack leaves him half-ghoul, forced to eat human flesh while hiding among the people he used to be. Four TV seasons and two prequel OVAs, with a split between the anime and the manga that shapes how you should watch.
Recommended Order
Quick answer
- Tokyo Ghoul
- Tokyo Ghoul √A
- Tokyo Ghoul:re
- Tokyo Ghoul:re 2
Plus 2 optional extras.
4 titles · 48 episodes · ~19 hours
Watch the four TV seasons in release order: Tokyo Ghoul, Tokyo Ghoul √A, Tokyo Ghoul:re and :re 2. √A tells an anime-original story, while :re follows the manga, so reading the second half of the original manga between √A and :re fills the gap. JACK and PINTO are optional prequels.
2
Tokyo Ghoul √A
Continues directly from Season 1, but follows an anime-original route in which Kaneki makes a different choice from the one he makes in the manga.
⚠ √A is not an adaptation of the manga, and the next season, :re, does not follow its events. Reading the second half of the original manga before :re fills in what the anime skips.
3
Tokyo Ghoul:re
Two years later, with Haise Sasaki leading a squad of half-ghoul investigators at the CCG. Follows the manga's continuity, not √A's.
⚠ Assumes events from the manga that the anime never showed. If the opening episodes feel confusing, that is the gap left by √A, not a missed season.
4
Tokyo Ghoul:re 2
The second cour of :re and the end of the anime. Watch it straight after the first cour.
⚠ Covers a large part of the manga in twelve episodes, so the pacing is very fast.
Optional Extras
5
Tokyo Ghoul: [JACK]
A prequel about Kishou Arima as a high school student and young CCG investigator, and how he meets Taishi Fura. Adapts the spin-off manga Tokyo Ghoul [Jack].
⚠ Japanese audio with English subtitles only. No English dub exists.
6
Tokyo Ghoul: [PINTO]
A prequel about Shuu Tsukiyama in high school and how he meets the photographer Chie Hori. Adapts part of the light novel Tokyo Ghoul: Days.
⚠ Japanese audio with English subtitles only. No English dub exists.
Why This Order
The anime has one unusual problem: its second and third seasons do not follow the same story.
Season 1 adapts the first part of Sui Ishida's original manga. √A, the second season, then leaves the manga behind and tells an anime-original route. It reaches roughly the same end point as the manga's final arc, but the path there is very different, and several events the manga uses to set up the sequel never happen.
Tokyo Ghoul:re, the third season, is set two years later and follows the manga's version of events, not √A's. It largely ignores what √A added. Anime-only viewers often start :re and find characters acting on things they never saw, which is why so many people think they skipped a season.
We still recommend watching √A. It is the only animated bridge between Season 1 and :re, and many of its individual episodes are strong. But if you can, read the original manga from where Season 1 ends through the final volume before starting :re. That gives you the events :re assumes you already know.
The two :re seasons are one story in two cours, aired in 2018, and they close out the anime. They move through the 16-volume :re manga very quickly, so expect a fast pace.
JACK and PINTO are prequel OVAs about side characters, set before the main story. They are optional and land better once you know who those characters become.
How Many Episodes and Seasons Does Tokyo Ghoul Have?
Tokyo Ghoul has 4 seasons in the main run — 48 episodes altogether.
Main Run
| Title | Type | Episodes | Aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo Ghoul | TV Series | 12 episodes | July 2014 |
| Tokyo Ghoul √A | TV Series | 12 episodes | January 2015 |
| Tokyo Ghoul:re | TV Series | 12 episodes | April 2018 |
| Tokyo Ghoul:re 2 | TV Series | 12 episodes | October 2018 |
Optional Extras
| Title | Type | Episodes | Aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo Ghoul: [JACK] | OVA | 1 episode | September 2015 |
| Tokyo Ghoul: [PINTO] | OVA | 1 episode | December 2015 |
4 titles · 48 episodes · ~19 hours
Source Material
Manga
Completed
Tokyo Ghoul
Tokyo Ghoul 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.
Tokyo Ghoul: Jack
Side Story Manga
Tokyo Ghoul: Days
Side Story Novel
Season 1 adapts the first part of Sui Ishida's original 14-volume manga. √A then leaves the manga behind, while :re picks up the manga's version of events two years later. To close the gap, read the original manga from where Season 1 ends through volume 14 before starting :re. The 16-volume :re manga tells the ending in much more detail than the anime. Both are complete, and Viz publishes them in English.
Tokyo Ghoul Watch Order FAQ
What order should I watch Tokyo Ghoul in?
Tokyo Ghoul (2014), Tokyo Ghoul √A (2015), Tokyo Ghoul:re and Tokyo Ghoul:re 2 (both 2018). The OVAs JACK and PINTO are optional prequels you can watch at any point after Season 1.
How many episodes of Tokyo Ghoul are there?
The four TV seasons have 12 episodes each, 48 in total, which is about 19 hours. The two OVAs add one episode each, about 30 and 24 minutes.
Should I skip Tokyo Ghoul √A?
No, but know what it is. √A tells an anime-original story rather than adapting the manga, and :re does not continue from it. It is still the only animated material between Season 1 and :re, and skipping it leaves an even bigger gap. The best fix is to watch √A and also read the original manga from where Season 1 ends.
Why is Tokyo Ghoul:re so confusing?
:re is set two years later and follows the manga's continuity, not √A's. Characters act on events the manga showed but the anime never did, so anime-only viewers often feel they missed a season. They did not; the anime simply took a different route in √A. Reading the second half of the original manga before :re solves this.
Does the Tokyo Ghoul anime follow the manga?
Season 1 adapts the first part of the original manga, condensed. √A departs from it with an anime-original route. :re returns to the manga and adapts the sequel manga Tokyo Ghoul:re, but at a very fast pace, especially in the second cour.
Are Tokyo Ghoul:re and :re 2 separate seasons?
They are two cours of one final season, aired from April to December 2018. Watch them back to back. Some sites list them as Seasons 3 and 4.
Where do JACK and PINTO fit?
Both are prequels set before the main story. JACK follows Kishou Arima as a high school student and young CCG investigator. PINTO follows Shuu Tsukiyama in high school and how he meets Chie Hori. They are optional and work best after Season 1, once you know who these characters are.
Are JACK and PINTO dubbed in English?
No. Both OVAs are available only in Japanese with English subtitles. The four TV seasons do have an English dub.
Is Tokyo Ghoul finished?
Yes. The anime ended with the second cour of :re in December 2018, and no further season has been announced. The original manga (14 volumes) and the sequel manga Tokyo Ghoul:re (16 volumes) are both complete.
Should I read the manga?
Yes, if you want the full story. The original manga covers what √A replaced, and the :re manga tells the ending in far more detail than the anime had time for. Viz publishes both in English.
Where can I watch Tokyo Ghoul?
At the time of writing, Crunchyroll streams the TV seasons with English subtitles and dub in the US and Canada. Availability differs by region and changes over time, so check your local service.