Gintama Watch Order (2026): Every Series, Film & Filler List
If you want to watch Gintama in order, the hard part is not the length—it is the titles. Six of the TV series share almost the same name, separated only by an apostrophe, a degree sign, or a full stop. This guide lays out the full Gintama watch order for 2026: every TV series in release order, where each film slots in, which episodes are filler you can skip, and where the new 2026 anniversary movie fits. Watch in broadcast order and you will never be lost. The numbers below come from the series' own episode lists, cross-checked against a filler index.
Gintama watch order at a glance (2026)
The short answer: watch the TV series in broadcast order from Gintama (2006) through Gintama.: Shirogane no Tamashii-hen (2018), then finish with the 2021 Semi-Final special and the Very Final movie. That is 367 TV episodes across seven named blocks. Here is the whole run in one table.
| Order | Title (exact spelling) | Episodes | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gintama | 1–201 | 2006–2010 |
| 2 | Gintama' | 202–252 | 2011–2012 |
| 3 | Gintama': Enchōsen | 253–265 | 2012–2013 |
| 4 | Gintama° | 266–316 | 2015–2016 |
| 5 | Gintama. | 317–328 | 2017 |
| 6 | Gintama.: Porori-hen | 329–341 | 2017 |
| 7 | Gintama.: Shirogane no Tamashii-hen | 342–367 | 2018 |
Gintama is a long-running Shonen Jump comedy by Hideaki Sorachi, animated by Sunrise, so it sits in the same "big commitment" bracket as the other giants. If you are also lining up a shelf of Edo-era samurai and Shonen heroes while you watch, Akibato ships anime figures from Japan if you are building that collection.
Why Gintama's season titles are so confusing
Every TV block after the original run is just "Gintama" with a different mark. The punctuation is the version number—nothing more. Decode it once and the order becomes obvious.
| On-screen title | How to read it | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Gintama | The original | Episodes 1–201, the first four broadcast years |
| Gintama' | "Gintama dash" | The 2011 revival after the first hiatus |
| Gintama': Enchōsen | "Extended run" | A short continuation of the dash series |
| Gintama° | "Gintama degrees" | The 2015 relaunch into the final story arcs |
| Gintama. | "Gintama dot" | The beginning of the end (Silver Soul build-up) |
| Gintama.: Porori-hen | "Slip-up arc" | A gag-focused breather block in 2017 |
| Gintama.: Shirogane no Tamashii-hen | "Silver Soul arc" | The final TV arc, 2018 |
So the rule is simple: no mark, then apostrophe, then degree sign, then full stop. Streaming apps do not always keep these symbols, which is exactly why people get stuck—sort by air date and you are fine.
The one-path Gintama watch order for beginners
If you just want one clean route and do not care about the films yet, follow this. It is the broadcast order with nothing optional in the way.
- 1. Gintama (episodes 1–201)
- 2. Gintama' (202–252)
- 3. Gintama': Enchōsen (253–265)
- 4. Gintama° (266–316)
- 5. Gintama. (317–328)
- 6. Gintama.: Porori-hen (329–341)
- 7. Gintama.: Shirogane no Tamashii-hen (342–367)
- 8. Gintama: The Semi-Final (two 2021 specials)
- 9. Gintama: The Very Final (2021 film)
That is the complete story, start to finish. The theatrical films from 2010 and 2013 are optional detours covered next—you do not need them to understand the ending.
Where do the Gintama films go?
Gintama has four theatrical films, and they do not all slot in the same way. Two retell or extend material you already saw; two carry the actual finale. Here is how to place each one.
| Film | Year | What it is | When to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gintama: The Movie | 2010 | Retelling of the Benizakura arc (TV episodes 58–61) | Optional; after episode 61 or skip |
| The Final Chapter: Be Forever Yorozuya | 2013 | Original time-travel story by Sorachi | After Enchōsen (episode 265) |
| Gintama: The Semi-Final | 2021 | Two specials bridging the TV finale and the last film | After episode 367 |
| Gintama: The Very Final | 2021 | Adapts the manga's finale | Last—watch at the very end |
Gintama: The Movie (2010)
This film retells the Benizakura arc, which the TV series already covered in episodes 58–61. It polishes a serious early storyline into one sharper cut. It is enjoyable but skippable, because nothing in it is new to the plot. If you have never seen the arc, the TV episodes do the same job inside the main order.
The Final Chapter: Be Forever Yorozuya (2013)
This one is original, written from a story by Hideaki Sorachi himself. Gintoki is thrown five years into a ruined future and has to solve the mystery of his own disappearance. Because it plays with the cast's later relationships, watch it after Gintama': Enchōsen rather than early.
The Semi-Final and The Very Final (2021)
Gintama: The Very Final premiered January 8, 2021, and adapts the finale of the original manga with new story elements—this is the true ending. Before it, Gintama: The Semi-Final (two episodes that streamed on dTV in January 2021) bridges the gap between the TV finale and the film. Watch the Semi-Final specials first, then the movie, and you are done.
The 2026 Yoshiwara in Flames movie
For the 20th anniversary, Gintama: The Movie 2026: Yoshiwara in Flames opened in Japan on February 13, 2026, reanimating the Yoshiwara in Flames arc from the TV run. Because it remakes an arc you have already seen in the main order, treat it as a bonus rewatch rather than a plot requirement. We broke down its release and streaming details in our guide to the Gintama Yoshiwara in Flames anniversary movie.
Gintama filler list: what you can skip
Gintama is famous for being almost all canon: filler is roughly 6% of the run, about 23 episodes out of 367. Even then, many "filler" episodes are the show's best comedy, so skip only if you are rushing the plot. These are the episodes an anime filler index marks as filler:
- Episodes 1–2, 50, 57, 75, 106, 114, 124–125, 135, 137, 150
- Episodes 155, 164, 166, 171, 173–174, 176, 185, 189, 209, 252
- Mixed canon-and-filler: episodes 82, 111, 120 and 367
One warning: episodes 1–2 are filler but they are also the standard introduction most fans start with. Do not skip them on a first watch—they set the tone. Save skipping for a rewatch.
Where to watch Gintama (streaming)
In English-speaking regions the deepest library is on Crunchyroll, which carries the subtitled series across its runs. Availability of individual seasons and the films shifts by country and over time, so check your local catalog before you commit. Because streaming apps often strip the apostrophe, degree sign, and full stop from titles, sort by release year or episode number to keep the order straight.
Chronological vs release order: which is right?
For Gintama, release order is the correct order—there is no separate "chronological" cut that improves it. The story is told mostly in sequence, and the comedy constantly references earlier episodes, so watching out of order kills jokes and callbacks. The only real choices are whether to add the optional 2010 and 2013 films and whether to skip the handful of filler episodes above.
Gintama watch order FAQ
Do I have to watch Gintama in order?
Yes. Gintama builds running gags and relationships across hundreds of episodes, so broadcast order is strongly recommended. The show even jokes about its own continuity, which only lands if you have seen what came before.
Can I skip the first two episodes?
On a first watch, no. Episodes 1–2 are technically filler but serve as the introduction to Gintoki and the Yorozuya. They are the intended starting point.
Should I watch the 2010 movie?
Only if you want a polished version of the Benizakura arc. It retells TV episodes 58–61 and adds nothing new to the plot, so it is fully optional.
What is Gintama: The Semi-Final?
It is a pair of 2021 specials that bridge the end of the TV anime and the final film. Watch them after episode 367 and before Gintama: The Very Final.
How many Gintama episodes are there?
There are 367 TV episodes (2006–2018), plus the two Semi-Final specials and four films. Counting the Semi-Final specials, some trackers list 369 entries.
Where does the 2026 Yoshiwara in Flames movie fit?
It is a 20th-anniversary remake of an arc already in the TV run, released February 13, 2026. Watch it any time after you have seen that arc—it is a bonus, not part of the core path.
Bottom line
- Follow broadcast order: Gintama → Gintama' → Enchōsen → Gintama° → Gintama. → Porori-hen → Shirogane no Tamashii-hen.
- The punctuation is the version number: no mark, apostrophe, degree sign, then full stop.
- Finish with the finale: The Semi-Final specials, then Gintama: The Very Final (2021).
- Films are mostly optional: the 2010 and 2013 movies are detours; the 2026 Yoshiwara in Flames film is an anniversary remake.
- Filler is only ~6%—and often the funniest, so skip sparingly.
Working through another long-runner next? Our One Piece watch order and Fairy Tail watch order guides use the same at-a-glance format. And if a Gintama binge leaves you wanting figures, the Yorozuya crew has turned up in prize lines before—see our breakdown of the Gintama Ichiban Kuji Second Gathering, and browse in-stock Ichiban Kuji prize figures shipped from Japan.