Table of Contents >> Show >> Hide
- Made in Abyss Watch Order: Quick Answer
- Full Made in Abyss Release Order
- Best Watch Order for First-Time Viewers
- Should You Watch the Recap Movies?
- Canon Order vs. Completionist Order
- What Makes the Watch Order Confusing?
- Best Watch Order by Viewer Type
- Is There a Season 3?
- Do You Need a Content Warning Before Watching?
- Common Questions About the Made in Abyss Watch Order
- Final Verdict: The Best Made in Abyss Watch Order
- Viewer Experience: What It Feels Like to Watch Made in Abyss in the Right Order
- SEO Tags
If you are trying to figure out the Made in Abyss watch order, congratulations: you have stepped up to the edge of one of anime’s most beautiful, mysterious, and emotionally dangerous rabbit holes. Or giant hole, technically. A very giant hole. With monsters. And trauma. Mostly trauma.
The good news is that the watch order is much simpler than the franchise’s reputation suggests. The bad news is that the series itself is absolutely not simple once you hit the deeper layers. Between the original TV anime, two recap movies, one essential sequel film, and the second season, a lot of viewers end up asking the same question: Do I really need to watch all of this, and in what order?
This complete guide breaks down the best watch order for first-time viewers, the full release order, which entries are canon, which ones are optional, and how to watch the story without accidentally skipping one of the most important parts. Because yes, Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul is the step many people miss, and that mistake hits harder than a White Whistle lecture.
If you want the clean version before we descend any further, here it is: watch Season 1, then Dawn of the Deep Soul, then Season 2. The first two movies are recap films, not required viewing for most first-timers. Easy, right? Look at us, already surviving.
Made in Abyss Watch Order: Quick Answer
- Made in Abyss (TV Season 1)
- Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul (movie)
- Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun (TV Season 2)
That is the best Made in Abyss watch order for most viewers, especially if this is your first trip into the Abyss.
The two 2019 movies below are optional recap films:
- Made in Abyss: Journey’s Dawn
- Made in Abyss: Wandering Twilight
They retell the events of Season 1. They are not useless, but they are also not the ideal way to experience the story for the first time. Think of them as the franchise saying, “Here’s a shortcut,” while quietly hiding the fact that the scenic route is much better.
Full Made in Abyss Release Order
- Made in Abyss (2017 TV series)
- Made in Abyss: Journey’s Dawn (2019 recap movie)
- Made in Abyss: Wandering Twilight (2019 recap movie)
- Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul (2020 sequel movie)
- Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun (2022 TV series)
There are also franchise extras and shorts that completionists may want to track down, including Marulk’s Daily Life. Those are optional side material, not mandatory story steps. Nice to have, not “cancel your plans and redraw the timeline” necessary.
Best Watch Order for First-Time Viewers
1. Start with Made in Abyss Season 1
This is where the journey begins, and it is still the best entry point by far. Season 1 introduces Riko, Reg, the layered structure of the Abyss, the rules of cave raiding, the world’s strange beauty, and the emotional tone that makes the series memorable. It also does a much better job of letting the world breathe than the recap films do.
If you begin with the movies instead, you will still understand the plot, but you lose some of the atmosphere, pacing, and emotional buildup that make the series so effective. Made in Abyss is one of those stories where mood matters. A lot. This is not a franchise you speedrun unless your hobby is self-sabotage.
2. Watch Dawn of the Deep Soul Next
This is the critical step. Dawn of the Deep Soul is not a side quest, not a bonus feature, and definitely not a “maybe later” entry. It is the canon sequel to Season 1 and directly connects to Season 2.
If you skip this movie and jump straight into The Golden City of the Scorching Sun, you will feel like you missed a major chapter. Because you did. Important character developments, emotional turning points, and story progression happen in this film. It is a bridge, a battle, a gut punch, and a warning label all in one package.
3. Continue with Season 2
Once you finish the movie, move on to The Golden City of the Scorching Sun. This season picks up after the film and expands the world in ways that are stranger, darker, and more emotionally layered. Which is impressive, considering Season 1 already felt like someone mixed wonder, dread, and heartbreak in a pressure cooker.
Season 2 assumes you know what happened in Dawn of the Deep Soul. It does not pause at the door to hand you a recap and a juice box.
Should You Watch the Recap Movies?
Yes, but only in certain situations.
When the recap movies are worth watching
- You are rewatching the franchise and want a faster refresher.
- You watched Season 1 a long time ago and need a memory boost.
- You are a completionist who wants every major animated entry.
- You are curious about how the story was condensed into movie form.
When to skip them
- You are brand new to the series.
- You want the strongest emotional payoff.
- You prefer richer world-building and better pacing.
- You do not want to watch the same material twice before moving forward.
Journey’s Dawn and Wandering Twilight cover Season 1 material, so they are not required if you already watched the original TV series. For most people, the best first-time plan is to watch the TV season and save the recap films for later, if ever.
Canon Order vs. Completionist Order
Canon story order
- Season 1
- Dawn of the Deep Soul
- Season 2
Completionist order
- Season 1
- Journey’s Dawn
- Wandering Twilight
- Dawn of the Deep Soul
- Season 2
- Optional shorts and extras
If your goal is simply to understand the story in the best possible way, stick with the canon story order. If your goal is to consume every major animated release because your soul is powered by checklists, the completionist order is the one for you.
What Makes the Watch Order Confusing?
The confusion usually comes from one thing: the franchise has movies that do different jobs.
The first two movies are recap films. The third movie is a true sequel. That means the word “movie” does not tell you whether an entry is optional or essential. In many anime franchises, movies are often side stories, alternate versions, or big-screen bonuses. Made in Abyss breaks that expectation. One movie is absolutely required. The other two are basically “previously on, but prettier and faster.”
This is why so many watch-order lists online look more complicated than they need to be. Once you separate recap movies from the canon sequel movie, the entire puzzle clicks into place.
Best Watch Order by Viewer Type
If you are brand new to Made in Abyss
Watch Season 1 → Dawn of the Deep Soul → Season 2. This gives you the best pacing, the fullest character arcs, and the strongest emotional impact.
If you are short on time
Oddly enough, the answer is still Season 1 → Dawn of the Deep Soul → Season 2. Skipping the recap movies saves time. The “fast version” is actually the same as the best version.
If you already watched Season 1 years ago
You can either rewatch Season 1 properly or use the recap movies as a quick refresher before Dawn of the Deep Soul. This is one of the few situations where the recap films make practical sense.
If you want every single major anime entry
Go with the full release order and add any shorts or extras you can find. Just keep your expectations realistic: the first two movies are not new story arcs. They are streamlined retellings.
Is There a Season 3?
For a 2025 watch order, the practical answer is simple: no new TV entry changes the core viewing path. The main anime storyline to watch remains Season 1, then Dawn of the Deep Soul, then Season 2.
In other words, if your goal is to watch everything released up through the guide’s 2025 framing, you do not need to insert some secret mystery season between the existing entries. The order remains clean and mercifully short by anime standards. This franchise may love suffering, but at least the watch order does not.
Do You Need a Content Warning Before Watching?
Yes. Absolutely yes.
Made in Abyss has a deceptively cute visual style, but it explores heavy themes, intense danger, emotional loss, and unsettling situations. It is often gorgeous, sometimes tender, and frequently upsetting. That contrast is a big part of what makes it powerful, but it also catches new viewers off guard.
So while this is a fantasy adventure anime with unforgettable world-building, it is not casual background viewing for folding laundry and pretending everything is fine. This series wants your attention and, occasionally, your emotional stability.
Common Questions About the Made in Abyss Watch Order
Can I skip Season 1 and just watch the recap movies?
You can, but it is not recommended for first-time viewers. The TV series gives the story more room to breathe and delivers a stronger experience overall.
Can I watch Season 2 without the movie?
No. You will miss major canon story material. Dawn of the Deep Soul is essential.
Are the first two movies canon?
They retell canon material, but they do not add a new mandatory story step the way Dawn of the Deep Soul does.
What is the simplest possible order?
Season 1 → Dawn of the Deep Soul → Season 2. That is the clean, correct, first-timer-friendly answer.
Final Verdict: The Best Made in Abyss Watch Order
If you only remember one thing from this guide, let it be this: watch the TV series first, do not skip the sequel movie, and then continue with Season 2. That is the correct order, the easiest order, and the best order for almost everyone.
The recap films are optional. The sequel movie is essential. Season 2 is not some random extra chapter floating in the void. It is a continuation that expects you to have done your homework. Fortunately, the homework is excellent, emotionally devastating, and occasionally so beautiful it feels rude.
So if you are ready to enter one of anime’s most unforgettable worlds, pack your curiosity, leave your emotional armor at the door, and follow this route:
Made in Abyss Season 1 → Dawn of the Deep Soul → The Golden City of the Scorching Sun.
Simple on paper. Less simple for your heart.
Viewer Experience: What It Feels Like to Watch Made in Abyss in the Right Order
Watching Made in Abyss in the correct order is not just about avoiding confusion. It changes the emotional rhythm of the entire story. Season 1 gives you time to settle into the world, and that matters more here than it does in a lot of other anime. The Abyss is not just a setting; it feels like a living force with rules, pressure, mystery, and consequences. When you start with the TV series, you get the full effect of discovery. You meet characters gradually, absorb the world-building naturally, and begin to understand why the journey feels both magical and dangerous.
That slow immersion is a huge part of the experience. The series spends time building wonder before it starts tightening the screws. One moment you are admiring the sense of adventure, the creature design, and the music, and the next moment you realize the story has quietly wrapped its little cave-raider gloves around your nervous system. That transition works so well because Season 1 earns it. It does not just throw lore at you and hope you care. It makes you care first.
Then comes Dawn of the Deep Soul, which feels different in the best and most terrifying way. Because it is a movie, the pacing becomes more concentrated. The conflict feels heavier, the stakes feel more immediate, and the emotional pressure rises fast. If Season 1 is the descent that lures you in, the movie is where the franchise looks directly into your soul and says, “Oh, you thought this was just an adventure?” Watching it at the right point makes that shift land perfectly. You understand the characters better, so every decision and every consequence hits harder.
By the time you reach The Golden City of the Scorching Sun, the payoff of the correct watch order becomes obvious. Season 2 feels richer when you arrive with the full context of the movie behind you. Relationships make more sense. The emotional carryover works. The tension has weight. Instead of spending the first few episodes wondering whether you missed a major event, you can focus on the story itself, which is exactly what you want with a series this layered.
There is also something satisfying about realizing that the franchise is actually easier to watch than its reputation suggests. People hear “movies and seasons” and expect one of those anime orders that requires a flowchart, moon phases, and a graduate degree in timeline chaos. But Made in Abyss is refreshingly direct once you know the role each entry plays. That makes the experience more inviting for new viewers, even if the content itself eventually decides to emotionally suplex them.
In the end, the right watch order preserves the tone, the tension, and the emotional momentum. It lets the story unfold the way it is meant to unfold. And with a series this atmospheric, that matters a lot. You are not just watching plot points. You are descending, layer by layer, into a world that becomes stranger, sadder, and more unforgettable the deeper you go.
