Chainsaw Man Watch Order (2026): Season 1 and the Reze Arc Movie

Chainsaw Man Watch Order at a Glance

The Chainsaw Man watch order is short because there is only one animated route so far: the 2022 television season, then the 2025 film. There is no filler, no spin-off, and no recap season to slot in between them.

Watch these two in this order:

• 1. Chainsaw Man Season 1 — 12 episodes, released in 2022.
• 2. Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc — the 2025 film that continues straight from the season finale.

Here is the same route with the format, year, and where each part streams in 2026:

The film is the newest chapter of the animated story, so once you finish it you are fully caught up. If the Reze arc turns you into a collector, Akibato ships the Chainsaw Man Reze Arc figures and Ichiban Kuji from Japan.

Start With Chainsaw Man Season 1 (12 Episodes, 2022)

Chainsaw Man Season 1 is the 12-episode television anime produced by studio MAPPA. It aired in Japan on TV Tokyo and affiliates from October 12 to December 28, 2022, directed by Ryu Nakayama.

The season adapts the opening of Tatsuki Fujimoto's manga: Denji, a poor young man who merges with his chainsaw devil dog Pochita to become Chainsaw Man, is recruited into the government's Public Safety Devil Hunters. It sets up the core cast—Makima, Aki Hayakawa, and Power—that the movie then builds on.

For streaming, Crunchyroll holds the worldwide license outside East Asia, so it is the default home for the season in most regions. In the United States, Season 1 is also available on Hulu, which is useful if you already subscribe there.

Then Watch Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc (2025)

Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc is a theatrical film, not a second season. MAPPA returned to produce it, with Tatsuya Yoshihara directing, and it adapts the manga's Reze arc—the story that introduces Reze, the character better known to manga readers as the Bomb Devil.

It matters that this is the direct continuation of Season 1. The film opens where episode 12 ended and does not re-explain the setup, which is why the watch order is not optional: the movie assumes you already know Denji, Makima, and the Public Safety squad.

The film was a major box-office event. It opened in Japan on September 19, 2025, and reached North American theaters through Sony Pictures on October 29, 2025, going on to gross well over US$150 million worldwide across its theatrical run.

Where to Stream the Reze Arc Movie in 2026

As of April 30, 2026, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc streams on Crunchyroll, in both subtitled and English-dubbed versions. It is included with a Crunchyroll subscription at no extra charge, which arrived unusually fast—roughly six months after the film's Japanese theatrical debut.

If you do not use Crunchyroll, the movie is also available to buy as a digital download in the US on Amazon (Prime Video store), the Apple TV store, and Fandango At Home. Each digital purchase runs about US$9.99, so a one-off buy is worth it only if you would not otherwise subscribe.

Put simply: the cheapest way to watch the whole Chainsaw Man story in 2026 is one Crunchyroll subscription, which covers both Season 1 and the Reze Arc film in one place.

Watching Chainsaw Man Subbed or Dubbed

Both options are covered, which is convenient if you like to stay in one language across the whole story. The Reze Arc movie launched on Crunchyroll on April 30, 2026 with subtitled and English-dubbed versions available together, rather than the dub arriving weeks later.

Season 1 is likewise available with Japanese audio and an English dub, so a dub-only viewer can watch the season and the film back to back without switching approach. If you are undecided, the subtitled version keeps the original Japanese cast, while the dub makes it easier to follow the film's dense action scenes without reading.

Do You Need to Watch Season 1 Before the Movie?

Yes. Watch Season 1 first. The Reze Arc movie is a sequel to the television anime, not a standalone entry point, and it does not recap the events or relationships from the 12 episodes.

Going in blind means missing why Denji is drawn to Reze, what Makima wants from him, and the weight of the Public Safety cast around him. The film is built to reward viewers who already finished the season, so the two-step order is the intended experience.

Chainsaw Man Quick Facts and Manga Context

A quick reference for the animated releases:

• Studio: MAPPA (both the season and the film).
• Season 1: 12 episodes, aired October–December 2022, directed by Ryu Nakayama.
• Movie: Reze Arc, 2025, directed by Tatsuya Yoshihara.
• Source: the manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto.

One note for readers who want to go further: Fujimoto's original manga continues well past the Reze arc, and it is an ongoing series split into multiple parts, so a large amount of story is still waiting to be animated. The film you can stream today is still an early stretch of that longer work. If a new anime installment is announced, it would slot in after the movie—keeping the same simple, chronological order, which is what makes Chainsaw Man so easy to start.

Chainsaw Man Collecting: Reze Arc Figures and Kuji

The Reze arc is one of the most collectible stretches of Chainsaw Man, because it puts Denji, Reze, Aki, and the Angel Devil front and centre. That is why the current wave of figures and Ichiban Kuji leans heavily on those characters rather than on Season 1 alone.

If you are new to buying Japanese figures, two of our guides pair well with this watch order:

• Chainsaw Man Figures Guide (2026) — every major figure line for the series and where each one sits on price.
• POP UP PARADE Figures Explained — how the popular budget scale line works, sizes and pricing included.
• Most Wanted Anime Figures in 2026 — where Chainsaw Man sits among the year's most-chased releases.

Because these ship from Japan, the practical question for overseas fans is availability rather than choice.

Bottom Line

• The Chainsaw Man watch order is two steps: Season 1 (12 episodes, 2022), then the Reze Arc movie (2025).
• The movie is a direct sequel to the season, so do not start with it.
• Both stream on Crunchyroll in 2026; the movie has been streaming there since April 30, 2026, in sub and dub.
• In the US, Season 1 is also on Hulu, and the movie can be bought on Amazon, Apple TV, and Fandango At Home.

Finished the movie and want Reze and Denji on your shelf? Browse Akibato's Chainsaw Man figures and Ichiban Kuji, shipped from Japan.

Sources

• Wikipedia — Chainsaw Man (TV series)
• Screen Rant — Chainsaw Man Reze Arc Streaming Release Date Officially Revealed
• CBR — Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc Reveals Crunchyroll Streaming Release Date
• Collider — Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc Sets U.S. Release Date
• JustWatch — Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc streaming