The world of Overlord is expanding in 2024 with the upcoming release of the highly anticipated Overlord Movie: The Holy Kingdom. This new film will adapt the fan-favorite Holy Kingdom arc from the original light novel series, taking place after the events of Season 4 of the anime.
With the movie set to premiere later this year in Japan, now is the perfect time for both new and existing fans to experience the dark fantasy world of Overlord. However, with multiple seasons of the anime, light novels, manga, and more, the best viewing order can be confusing for newcomers.
Overlord The Movie: The Holy Kingdom Arc is scheduled for 2024 in Japan!
▼ Watch the teaser here: https://t.co/ZJD0HyPqqG pic.twitter.com/2RoId26AcY
— AnimeTV チェーン (@animetv_jp) January 5, 2024
That’s why this article will provide the definitive Overlord watch order, ensuring readers know the ideal way to consume the franchise before the new movie comes out. We’ll provide options for watching the main anime series, explain how the film fits in, discuss tie-in stories in other media, and more. Our goal is to give fans the full context needed to fully appreciate the Holy Kingdom story when the movie lands in theaters!
Overlord Watch Order 2024: Chronological + Recommended
When it comes to the best viewing order for Overlord, you essentially have two main options – the chronological timeline, or an optimized order that we believe enhances the experience.
- The chronological way to watch would be following the original release order of the anime series, movies, and specials. This sets out the events in the order they occur within the Overlord storyline. However, we would personally recommend a tailored watch order that strategically prepares you for the new Holy Kingdom movie.
1) Recommended Overlord Watch Order:
When preparing for the new Overlord movie, there are a few different ways you can approach watching the full anime storyline. While the events chronologically happen in the order listed below, we strongly recommend the following viewing order for the optimal experience:
- Seasons 1-3 (To get the core story)
- Overlord OVAs/ONAs/Specials (Optional, at any point)
- Season 4 up to Episode 7
- Overlord Movie 3 (To see events before Season 4’s conclusion)
- Season 4 Episodes 8-13 (To see the aftermath of the movie)
Explanation:
- Start by watching Seasons 1-3 of the main Overlord anime series. This allows you to get familiar with the dark fantasy world and its characters, providing the necessary foundation and context for future events.
Feel free to check out the assorted Overlord OVAs, ONAs, and specials anytime after or in between the main seasons. These standalone side stories and parodies add entertainment value but do not impact the core plot. Similarly, the first two Overlord movies are skippable since they are just recaps. The OVAs, ONAs, and specials are not critical to the main plot and can be viewed separately.
- Once caught up on the first three seasons, move on to Season 4 and watch up through Episode 7. This covers the first arc that takes place before the storyline of the new Holy Kingdom movie.
- Then, when Overlord Movie: The Holy Kingdom releases later this year, be sure to watch it before finishing Season 4. Seeing the events of the film will give you crucial context needed to fully appreciate Episodes 8-13 of Season 4, which depict the aftermath.
- After catching the new movie, go back and watch Episodes 8-13 of Season 4 to see the consequences of the Holy Kingdom arc fully play out. Following this viewing order will provide the complete story and timeline without any confusing gaps or spoilers.
This optimized route through the Overlord anime allows you to experience both the build-up in Season 4 and then the movie storyline itself before seeing the fallout in Season 4’s conclusion.
2) Overlord Chronological Watch Order
The alternative to our recommended order is watching Overlord in chronological sequence as the anime timeline originally released. This follows the story completely in the order events occur.
The chronological order of the Overlord anime timeline is:
- Season 1
- Overlord Movie 1: Fushisha no Ou (Recap of Season 1)
- Overlord Movie 2: Shikkoku no Eiyuu (Recap of Season 1)
- Season 2
- Season 3
- Overlord OVAs and Specials (Side stories, optional)
- Season 4
- Overlord Movie 3: The Holy Kingdom
Explanation:
Starting from the beginning, you would watch Season 1, then the recap Overlord movies 1 and 2, followed by Seasons 2 and 3.
After that, you can view the collection of OVAs, ONAs, and special episodes at any point. These side stories take place at various times unrelated to the main plot.
Continuing on chronologically, you would next watch Season 4, followed immediately by Overlord Movie 3, the upcoming Holy Knights Kingdom arc!
- Viewing Overlord in chronological order provides the unambiguous, sequential storyline from start to finish. While this is perfectly valid, we think our optimized order gives the best narrative experience. But if you prefer the simplistic chronological approach, that remains a solid option as well.
Conclusion:
With multiple seasons, movies, and specials to watch, determining the ideal Overlord viewing order can seem daunting for newcomers and veterans alike. By following our optimized guide, you’ll be set up for the best experience leading into the hugely anticipated Overlord Movie: The Holy Kingdom. Or if you prefer chronological simplicity, that remains a viable option too.
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