Overlord Watch Order (2026): Seasons, Sacred Kingdom & Skips
Overlord has four TV seasons, one theatrical movie, a handful of comedy shorts, and two recap films — and almost no watch-order list agrees on where the movie goes. That is because Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom (2024) is not really a sequel. It is a midquel: a story that happens inside Season 4's timeline even though it reached theaters two years after that season finished airing. This guide lays out the Overlord watch order for 2026 in both release order and chronological order, tells you exactly what you can skip, and answers whether a Season 5 is actually coming.
The Quick Answer: Overlord Watch Order in One List
If you only need the order and nothing else, here it is. Watch the four television seasons first, then decide how you want to handle the one movie that keeps confusing everyone.
- Season 1 (2015) — 13 episodes
- Season 2 (2018) — 13 episodes
- Season 3 (2018) — 13 episodes
- Season 4 (2022) — 13 episodes
- Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom (2024) — watch it after Season 4 for the simplest release order, or slot it in just before Season 4's final two or three episodes if you want the correct chronological order
Most of the current Overlord merchandise is arriving through ichiban kuji prize draws rather than standalone scale figures, so it is worth checking what is in stock before you start your rewatch.
What Is Overlord About?
Overlord is an isekai series about Momonga, a veteran player of a dying virtual-reality MMORPG called Yggdrasil, who finds himself trapped inside the game's world on its final night of service, now in the body of his skeletal avatar, Ainz Ooal Gown. Instead of being rescued or sent home, Ainz spends the series building the Sorcerer Kingdom, conquering territory, and maintaining the terrifying reputation his NPC subordinates already believe he deserves.
Studio Madhouse has animated every season, including Season 4 in 2022, and the anime adapts Kugane Maruyama's ongoing light novel series. Unlike most long-running anime, Overlord has stayed on a single, unbroken continuity for its entire run — the confusion is not about branching timelines, it is about one movie's release date not matching its place in the story.
Overlord Watch Order: The Four TV Seasons
The main story is a straightforward four-season run with no filler seasons and no alternate continuities. Each season adapts roughly two to three light novel volumes.
| Season | Year | Episodes | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 2015 | 13 | Ainz wakes up in the New World and begins securing the Great Tomb of Nazarick |
| Season 2 | 2018 | 13 | The Sorcerer Kingdom is founded and Ainz starts ruling the city of E-Rantel |
| Season 3 | 2018 | 13 | The war with the Re-Estize Kingdom and the slave-trading arc |
| Season 4 | 2022 | 13 | Ainz expands into the Dwarf Kingdom and the opening moves against the Sacred Kingdom |
Both 2018 seasons sometimes get mislabeled as "Season 2" and "Season 3" with no clear split point. They are simply two separate 13-episode seasons that aired back to back in the same year.
In total, the four seasons add up to 52 episodes at roughly 24 minutes each, or about 21 hours of viewing. Adding the 132-minute Sacred Kingdom movie brings the full essential watch to just under 23 hours — a realistic weekend-and-a-bit project if you are catching up from scratch.
Where Does Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom Actually Go?
Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom is a midquel, not a sequel. According to its official chronology, the film covers the Sacred Kingdom arc from the light novels, and that arc takes place before the final stretch of Season 4, even though the movie did not reach theaters until September 2024, two years after Season 4 finished airing.
That gap is exactly why so many watch orders disagree. Release order treats the movie as the newest entry and puts it last. Chronological order treats it as a flashback-adjacent story and slots it in before Season 4's ending.
Release Order vs. Chronological Order
| Approach | Order | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Release order | S1 → S2 → S3 → S4 → Sacred Kingdom | First-time viewers; nothing in Season 4 depends on having seen the movie first |
| Chronological order | S1 → S2 → S3 → Sacred Kingdom → Season 4's final episodes | Rewatchers who want events lined up in the order they actually happened |
Either order works without confusion. The movie does not withhold information that Season 4 needs, and Season 4 does not reference the movie as if you had already seen it.
What You Can Skip: The OVA, Ple Ple Pleiades & Two Recap Movies
Overlord has three categories of side content, and none of them are required to follow the main plot.
| Title | Year | Type | Skippable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overlord OVA | 2016 | Bonus episode bundled with light novel Volume 11 | Yes |
| Ple Ple Pleiades | 2015–2022 | Chibi comedy shorts about the Pleiades maids | Yes |
| The Undead King | 2017 | Compilation film recapping Season 1 | Yes |
| The Dark Warrior | 2017 | Compilation film recapping Season 1 | Yes |
Why the Compilation Movies Don't Add Anything New
The Undead King and The Dark Warrior are both edited retellings of Season 1 footage, split into two theatrical releases. They exist for viewers who want a condensed refresher before a sequel, not for anyone who has already watched the TV episodes in full.
Ple Ple Pleiades is unrelated to the main plot entirely. It follows Ainz's maid subordinates, the Pleiades, in short comedic sketches with simplified chibi character designs, and it has run alongside the main series since 2015 without ever intersecting the story.
Is There Going to Be an Overlord Season 5?
Not yet. Instead of adapting the Sacred Kingdom arc as a fifth television season, the production committee turned it into the 2024 theatrical film described above. As of 2026, no studio, key visual, trailer, or release window has been announced for an actual Season 5.
That does not mean the story is finished. The light novels continue well past where Season 4 and the movie leave off, so there is plenty of material left if a new season is greenlit later.
Where to Watch Every Overlord Release in 2026
Crunchyroll is currently the simplest option: it holds all four TV seasons and added Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom to its streaming catalog in April 2025, with both the original Japanese audio and an English dub available.
| Release | Streaming Home |
|---|---|
| Seasons 1–4 | Crunchyroll |
| Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom | Crunchyroll (added April 2025) |
| OVA / Ple Ple Pleiades | Bundled with home video releases; not consistently streamed |
Overlord Figures Worth Collecting While You Catch Up
Because the franchise's biggest recent push has been figures rather than new animation, the easiest way to collect alongside a rewatch is through prize lines. Our guide to which Overlord prizes are worth chasing in the Albedo and Shalltear Gracemaster lineup breaks down the current wave figure by figure, and the earlier Albedo Last One prize guide covers the previous run if you want the full back catalog.
If you are new to how these prize tiers work, our explainer on the Masterlise figure tier is worth reading first — it is the premium grade most Overlord prize figures are built to.
Albedo and Shalltear, the two Floor Guardians who anchor Nazarick's defenses from Season 1 onward, are also the two characters Bandai Spirits has built the most recent prize lines around — if you are only going to watch one or two seasons before deciding whether to collect, those are the seasons that introduce them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to watch the 2016 OVA before Season 2?
No. It is a standalone bonus episode bundled with a light novel volume and does not set up anything in Season 2.
Is Ple Ple Pleiades part of the main story?
No. It is a chibi comedy spinoff about the Pleiades maid squad and never intersects the main plot.
Should I watch Sacred Kingdom before or after Season 4?
Either is fine. After Season 4 is simpler for a first watch; inserting it before Season 4's last two or three episodes matches the actual chronology.
Will Overlord get a Season 5?
Nothing has been announced as of 2026. The Sacred Kingdom arc was adapted as a movie instead of a season, and the light novels still have unadapted material left.
Do I need to read the light novels or manga to understand the anime?
No. The four seasons and the Sacred Kingdom movie tell a complete, self-contained arc on their own. The source material is only worth seeking out if you want to get ahead of wherever a future season might pick up.
The Short Version
- Watch Seasons 1 through 4 in order — there is no alternate continuity to worry about
- Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom is a midquel; release order puts it last, chronological order puts it just before Season 4's ending
- Skip the 2016 OVA, Ple Ple Pleiades, and both 2017 compilation movies — none of them are required
- No Season 5 has been announced as of 2026
- Crunchyroll carries every season and the movie
If you'd rather skip straight to the figures, the current Overlord ichiban kuji prize lineup is in stock now.