Are All Three Made in Abyss Movies Canon?
Made in Abyss is a manga written and drawn by Akihito Tsukushi. It has been published online since October 2012; eight tankōbon volumes have been released as of July 2017. An anime adaptation by studio Kinema Citrus is broadcast from July 7, 2017, to September 29, 2017, adapting chapters 1 to 26 (volumes 1 to 3). Two recap films of Season 1 were released in Japan on January 4 and 18, 2019 in Japan. A third film adapting chapters 27 to 38 (volumes 4 and 5 of the manga) was released in Japan on January 17, 2020. A second season also aired in 2022, with a sequel already confirmed. In this article, we are going to tell you whether the three Made in Abyss movies are canon or not.
Technically, all three Made in Abyss are canon, but there is a catch. Namely, the first two movies, Made in Abyss: Journey’s Dawn and Made in Abyss: Wandering Twilight, just recap movies of the first season, so while they are technically canon works, they don’t bring anything new to the story. The third movie, Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul, is canon and is a new story and an adaptation of two additional volumes.
The rest of this article will give you a brief overview of the three Made in Abyss movies. We will tell you what they adapted, how they fit into the canon, and what they are about. The article is definitely going to contain some spoilers, so we have to warn you beforehand that you should be careful how you approach it.
Are the Made in Abyss movies canon?
The overall structure of Made in Abyss is not that complicated to follow, and since it is a modern anime series, there are basically no filler episodes. The series started with the first season, which was later recapped in the form of two movies, Made in Abyss: Journey’s Dawn and Made in Abyss: Wandering Twilight. After that, a sequel movie, Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul, was produced, followed by a second anime season. A sequel to the anime season was also announced, although it is not known whether it will be a movie or an anime series.
As for the canon status of the works, we advise you to look at the following table:
| Chapters | Episodes (Anime) | Movie |
|---|---|---|
| 1-17 | Season 1, Episodes 1 to 9 | Made in Abyss: Journey’s Dawn (recap, movie one) |
| 18-26 | Season 1, Episodes 10 to 13 | Made in Abyss: Wandering Twilight (recap, movie two) |
| 27-38 | (none) | Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul (movie three) |
| 38.5-60 | Season 2 | (none) |
| 61 | TBD | TBD |
As you can see, all the Made in Abyss works that have been released so far are canon. The anime series serves as the main work, with movie three being a bridge between seasons one and two of the anime. The first two movies were simply recapped movies, but since they are a recap of the canon anime series, they are also canon. So yes, all the Made in Abyss movies are canon.
What are the Made in Abyss movies about?
Made in Abyss: Journey’s Dawn (recap movie, 2019)
The movie is a compilation of episodes 1 to 8 of the first season of the Made in Abyss anime series, with some new scenes added in its introduction. It spans the time between Riko and Reg’s descent into the Abyss and their meeting with the White Whistle Ozen in the second tier, which provides information about Riko’s mother.
Made in Abyss: Wandering Twilight (recap movie, 2019)
The movie is a compilation of episodes 9 to 13 of the first season of the Made in Abyss anime, with some additional scenes near the end of the anime. Riko experiences the Curse for the first time when she and Reg go down to the third layer. Reg tries to save Riko after she sustains an arm injury from an Orbed Piercer as they go down to the fourth layer. Assisting them and saving Riko’s poisoned arm is Nanachi. In exchange, Nanachi requests that Reg murder Mitty, her everlasting companion. Thereafter, Nanachi joins Riko and Reg in their effort to descend into the Abyss.
Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul (movie, 2020)
Riko, Reg, and Nanachi reach the Fortress Flower garden in the fifth layer. They come upon a Shadow Hand, a Bondrewd servant who starts a fire in the garden to get rid of an infestation of parasitic insects that are passing for leaves. The group then makes their way through the Sea of Corpses until they arrive at Idofront’s base, which is the only way to access the sixth stratum.
The haughty young Prushka, who introduces herself as Bondrewd’s daughter, welcomes them and offers them a place to stay the night, but they decline. Nanachi sees Bondrewd while wandering at night, and he tells Nanachi that Reg is a prized Abyss artifact he is jealous of. When Riko awakens, she discovers that her classmates are missing and sets out to find them.
Being confined, she climbs a forbidden ladder while being struck by the abyss’s curse and unconscious. Prushka discovers her, heals her, and leads her up the stairs while Meinya, Prushka’s dog, serves as a guide. Reg is being held captive by Bondrewd, who subjected him to a terrible series of tests, including amputating his right arm.
Upon arriving in the lab with Nanachi, Riko, and Prushka, Prushka is surprised to see what Bondrewd is up to. With Prushka’s assistance, Reg and Riko manage to flee, but Bondrewd and his Shadow Hands track them down. When Riko sets off a trap that Nanachi has placed, vicious giant insects known as Kasshou-Gashira attack Bondrewd and his troops.
The Curse of the Abyss transforms Bondrewd into an amorphous monstrosity when the trio defeats him with a new trap after Bondrewd escapes with his special Sparagmos. The defeated Bondrewd’s white whistle and helmet are taken by another Shadow Hand with him, who transforms into a new Bondrewd.
Afterward, to fuel his brand-new transformation, which he refers to as The Blessing, he dismembers Prushka and other defenseless kids. Riko understands that Bondrewd’s physical form is only a vehicle and that his helmets are an extension of the Zoaholic, a relic that distributed her awareness among the Shadow Hands, Bondrewd’s servants.
The three come up with a scheme to destroy the Idofront base and use the massive power plant to restore Reg’s depleted energy. Reg puts up a valiant struggle against Bondrewd and eventually overcomes him, shattering a piece of his helmet with the aid of Nanachi and Riko. Riko is devastated by what happened to Prushka, whose vital organs were preserved in a cartridge that Bondrewd utilized to ward off the curse.
But as they start their ascent to the sixth layer with Reg, Nanachi, and Meinya, Riko notices that Prushka’s awareness has transformed into a little pebble that would make a White Whistle she ultimately takes with her.
