Durarara!! Watch Order (2026): OVAs, Shou, Ten & Ketsu Explained
Durarara!! splits into two TV series eight years apart, hides five OVA specials inside the broadcast schedule, and tells its story from a rotating cast of narrators rather than one hero. None of that means you need a "chronological" order that differs from release order — it means you need to know exactly where the five specials slot in and why the show still reads as non-linear even when you watch it correctly.
What Is Durarara!!, and Why Does It Confuse New Viewers?
Durarara!! is a two-part anime franchise set in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district, adapted from Ryohgo Narita's light novels, that tells one ongoing story through the overlapping perspectives of roughly a dozen characters instead of a single protagonist. That structure, not a scrambled timeline, is what trips people up: episodes often circle back to a scene you already saw and fill it in from someone else's point of view before moving forward again.
The anime has two installments: the original Durarara!! (2010) and the sequel Durarara!!x2 (2015–2016), split into three parts subtitled Shou, Ten, and Ketsu. There is no separate "machine order" fans quietly prefer over broadcast order — the confusion is almost entirely about where the OVA specials go and whether Shou/Ten/Ketsu are three seasons or one.
The Complete Durarara!! Watch Order
| # | Title | Year | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Durarara!! (TV, episodes 1–12) | 2010 | 12 |
| 2 | OVA: "Heaven's Vengeance" (ep. 12.5) | 2010 | 1 |
| 3 | Durarara!! (TV, episodes 13–24) | 2010 | 12 |
| 4 | OVA: "World at Peace" (ep. 24.5) | 2011 | 1 |
| 5 | Durarara!!x2 Shou | 2015 | 12 |
| 6 | OVA: "My Heart Is in the Pattern of a Hot Pot" | 2015 | 1 |
| 7 | Durarara!!x2 Ten | 2015 | 12 |
| 8 | OVA: "Onoroke Chaka-Poko" | 2015/2016 | 1 |
| 9 | Durarara!!x2 Ketsu | 2016 | 12 |
| 10 | OVA: "Dufufufu!!" | 2016 | 1 |
That is 60 TV episodes plus 5 OVAs, 65 episodes in total, according to the full episode list on Wikipedia.
Season 1 (2010): Where the Two OVAs Actually Go
Season 1 ran for 24 TV episodes between January and June 2010, produced by Brain's Base. Its two specials are not tacked onto the end — they are numbered as half-episodes and sit mid-run.
Episode 12.5, "Heaven's Vengeance"
This OVA aired in August 2010, between the show's two broadcast halves. It is an anime-original side story focused on the cast's day-to-day Ikebukuro life rather than the main plot.
Episode 24.5, "World at Peace"
Released in February 2011, after the TV run had already finished, this closes out Season 1 on a lighter, slice-of-life note before the five-year wait for a sequel.
Durarara!!x2 (2015–2016): Shou, Ten, and Ketsu Are One Season, Not Three
Durarara!!x2 is a single 36-episode continuation split into three 12-episode cours — Shou (January–March 2015), Ten (July–September 2015), and Ketsu (January–March 2016) — produced by Shuka instead of Brain's Base. Watch them back to back in that order; nothing is skippable or optional between the three.
| Part | Meaning | Aired | OVA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shou | "Understanding" | Jan–Mar 2015 | Ep. 28.5, "Hot Pot" (2015) |
| Ten | "Motion" | Jul–Sep 2015 | Ep. 37.5, "Chaka-Poko" (2015/16) |
| Ketsu | "Conclusion" | Jan–Mar 2016 | Ep. 55.5, "Dufufufu!!" (2016) |
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Why the Story Still Feels Out of Order Even When You Watch It Correctly
Durarara!! is frequently cited as one of anime's clearest examples of non-linear, multi-perspective storytelling. Rather than jumping between past and future like a flashback-driven series, it replays the same stretch of time from a different character's vantage point episode to episode, so a scene's significance is often withheld until a later chapter fills in who was really watching, listening, or lying.
That design means two people who both "watched it in the right order" can still disagree about when they understood a given twist, because the show deliberately staggers what each narrator reveals. It is a storytelling choice, not a packaging error, so there is nothing to fix by reordering episodes — only something to expect going in.
Can You Skip the Five OVAs?
According to Anime Filler List's tracker, Durarara!! has no filler episodes at all; every entry, including the five specials, is considered canon. The OVAs still skew lighter and more comedic than the TV run and are not required to follow the main plot, so a first watch can reasonably skip straight through the numbered episodes and circle back to the half-episodes afterward without losing the story.
Light Novels and Manga: How Much Source Material Made the Anime
The franchise began as a light novel series by Ryohgo Narita running from 2004 to 2014 across 14 volumes plus a side story, while a separate manga adaptation in Monthly GFantasy covers three of the franchise's major story arcs across 10 volumes. The two anime series do not exhaust either version, which is one reason the light novels remain the more complete account of the Ikebukuro cast for readers who finish the anime and want more.
Where to Watch Durarara!! in 2026
Hulu currently carries the series for U.S. subscribers, and anime-focused services including Crunchyroll are listed as active legal options as of 2026, though older catalog titles like this one are worth double-checking on the platform's own page before you subscribe, since licensing for 2010s-era anime shifts between services more often than current-season simulcasts.
Quick-Start Order for First-Time Viewers
- Durarara!! episodes 1–12 (2010)
- OVA "Heaven's Vengeance" (ep. 12.5)
- Durarara!! episodes 13–24 (2010)
- OVA "World at Peace" (ep. 24.5)
- Durarara!!x2 Shou, all 12 episodes (2015)
- Durarara!!x2 Ten, all 12 episodes (2015)
- Durarara!!x2 Ketsu, all 12 episodes (2016)
- Catch the three x2 OVAs whenever you like — they are not plot-load-bearing
FAQ
Is Durarara!!x2 a sequel or a continuation of Season 1?
It is a direct continuation with the same cast and setting, picking up roughly two years after Season 1 ends, not a reboot or spin-off.
Do I need to watch the OVAs to follow the plot?
No. All five are canon but supplemental; they deepen specific characters rather than advance the main mystery, so skipping them on a first watch will not leave you lost.
Can I jump straight into x2 Ten if I only have time for one part?
No. Shou, Ten, and Ketsu are three consecutive thirds of one story, not standalone arcs, so starting partway through x2 will drop you into plot threads set up in the earlier parts.
Key Takeaways
- Durarara!! totals 65 episodes across two series: Season 1 (24 TV + 2 OVA, 2010) and x2 (36 TV + 3 OVA across Shou/Ten/Ketsu, 2015–2016).
- The five OVAs are canon but non-essential side stories, not filler in the traditional sense.
- The "confusion" comes from the multi-perspective narration within the story, not from any alternate chronological reordering of the episodes.
- Shou, Ten, and Ketsu must be watched in that order as one continuous season.
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