‘Rurouni Kenshin’ Anime Watch Order: Including OVAs & 2023 Re-Adaptation

Rurouni Kenshin is a manga by Nobuhiro Watsuki. It was published between 1994 and 1999 and was compiled into a total of twenty-eight volumes. It was adapted into a 95-episode animated television series and an animated film. The first 62 episodes adapted the first 18 volumes, while episodes 63 to 95 are completely original. In addition, a series of OVA episodes were also released. A new anime adaptation by studio Liden Films premieres in July 2023 as a re-adaptation of the manga. While we’re waiting for more episodes and seasons of the anime, we have decided to bring you a full and detailed watch order of the series so you know your way around it and so you can actually know what to expect from the series once you decide to watch it.

Editor’s Note: This post is regularly updated to include the most recent episodes and reflect all changes made to the official watch order

How many Rurouni Kenshin seasons and movies are there?

As of the time of writing, Rurouni Kenshin is a series that consists of the original, three-season anime series, a feature anime film, and three OVA series; the 2023 re-adaptation is upcoming, so we still don’t know how it is going to be structured.

So, the original anime has three seasons, and there is one movie, and three OVA series, totaling up to six seasons and a movie, not counting the upcoming 2023 re-adaptation of the original manga. The original series had 95 episodes, the three OVAs had a total of eight episodes, and if you count the movie, there are 103 episodes and a movie you have to watch as part of the original series. We don’t know how many episodes the re-adaptation is going to have.

Rurouni Kenshin watch order at a glance

In this section, we are going to bring you the complete list of the Rurouni Kenshin works by their respective release orders. As we have said, Rurouni Kenshin consists of the main anime series, which has three seasons, a movie, three OVAs, and an upcoming re-adaptation:

1. Rurouni Kenshin, Season 1 (anime, 1996)
2. Rurouni Kenshin, Season 2 (anime, 1996-1997)
3. Rurouni Kenshin, Season 3 (anime, 1997-1998)
4. Rurouni Kenshin: The Motion Picture (movie, 1997)
5. Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal (OVA, 1999)
6. Rurouni Kenshin: Reflection (OVA, 2001-2002)
7. Rurouni Kenshin: New Kyoto Arc (OVA, 2011-2012)
8. Rurouni Kenshin, Season 1 (re-adapted anime, 2023-TBD)

Do you need to watch Rurouni Kenshin in a specific order?

Well, as with most anime series, you can approach the Rurouni Kenshin in two ways. One is the chronological release order of the series, which is the order we’ve listed above, and from a production standpoint, it is a good one. This one is not chronologically accurate, but it will set up the lore before taking you to the past, so once you’re there, you’ll understand everything that’s going on.

On the other hand, there is also the chronological watch order, which we are going to tell you about in the next section, which does not follow the release order, but the post-anime OVAs that are – chronologically – set before the anime series don’t provide you with an introduction to the lore, so some moments might be a bit difficult to follow.

This applies only to the pre-2023 works, as the new series is a brand new re-adaptation of the series and has nothing to do with the original series.

What is the best way to watch Rurouni Kenshin?

So, as we’ve said, you can approach the series in two ways. One is by following the release order we’ve provided or by following the chronological order, which goes like this:

1. Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal (OVA, 1999)
2. Rurouni Kenshin (anime, 1996–1998)
3. Rurouni Kenshin: Reflection (OVA, 2000–2001)
4. Rurouni Kenshin: The Motion Picture (movie, 1997)
5. Rurouni Kenshin: New Kyoto Arc (OVA, 2011–2012)

As you can see, the chronological viewing order is a bit different. You’ll miss out on the world-building aspect, but you’ll get a good sense of the story’s narrative evolution from start to finish. The 2023 re-adaptation is not part of this chronology.

Rurouni Kenshin watch order by release date

1. Rurouni Kenshin (anime, 1996–1998)

The narrative revolves around the protagonist Battōsai Himura, a ruthless assassin who, in the mid-1800s, contributed to the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate, in power for over 200 years, and to the advent of the Meiji period.

Following the establishment of the new government, Battōsai disappears to return under a new name: Kenshin. He now travels with a single-edged sakabato (an inverted-bladed sword), which instead of facing away from the opponent, resides on the opposite side; his goal is to protect the people he meets from injustice. On his journey, Kenshin will find himself involved in fights with samurai who do not appreciate the new peaceful lifestyle (in the new Meiji era even a samurai is no longer allowed to carry a sword) and in plots that seek to restore the old feudal society.

2. Rurouni Kenshin: The Motion Picture (movie, 1997)

The story takes place in Yokohama, where Kenshin is headed together with Kaoru, Sanosuke, and Yahiko. Once they arrive, they immediately meet a skilled samurai, Shigure, who intervenes with them to help a young girl targeted by a group of sailors. A relationship of respect and friendship seems to immediately establish itself between Kenshin and Shigure, but the past once again hangs over our hero: Shigure is preparing to start a military revolt against the local government, and Kenshin will find himself having to prevent him.

3. Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal (OVA, 1999)

At the start of the narrative, a little child named Shinta is saved from death by a wandering swordsman named Seijuro Hiko. After some time, he starts to train Shinta so that he can defend himself. Then he adopts the swordsman-appropriate name Kenshin, which is more fitting for him. The significance of Kenshin to the Isshin Shishi inside the Bakumatsu and the origin of his well-known scar in the shape of a cross are both made plain in this OVA.

4. Rurouni Kenshin: Reflection (OVA, 2000–2001)

A montage of Kenshin’s life from Kaoru’s perspective opens the OVA. After such a horrible past, Kenshin vows to wander once more, tormenting himself once more in his happiness. Strong and encouraging, Kaoru assures him that he and his son will be there to greet him when he returns.

He wanders for fifteen years, occasionally coming back. However, because Kenshin was abandoned due to this, his son Kenji Himura feels resentment towards Kenshin. She departs for Kyoto when she is in her teens to learn Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu from Seijur Hiko to become as powerful as his father and establish his own legend. However, at Kaoru’s request, Yahiko Myjin soon finds it.

5. Rurouni Kenshin: New Kyōto Arc (OVA, 2011–2012)

Underneath newly-reformed Japan in the 19th century, a sinister force seeks to topple the ruling class. Shishio Makoto, a former government assassin who succeeded Kenshin after Kenshin resigned and vowed never to kill again, is the leader of the latter. Due to this extraordinary circumstance, Kenshin departs from Edo and arrives in Kyoto in order to thwart Shishio’s ambitions and preserve the nation.

6. Rurouni Kenshin (re-adapted anime, 2023-TBD)

The re-adapted anime series premiered on July 7, 2023. It is a brand new adaptation, completely unrelated to the previous series, and will, presumably, adapt the whole series from start to finish, with little to no filler and/or original content.

Where to watch Rurouni Kenshin anime?

The only place where you can currently watch the original Rurouni Kenshin anime series is Hulu, which has all three seasons; Funimation has some episodes but not the complete series. The movie and the OVAs cannot be streamed anywhere. As for the 2023 re-adaptation, the series will air in Japan, but it is currently unknown whether any streaming service will take it.

Will there be more Rurouni Kenshin anime?

Well, as we’ve said multiple times in this article, a new re-adaptation of the Rurouni Kenshin manga is on the way, and it is set to premiere on July 7, 2023. If the series is successful, and we don’t see why it shouldn’t be, there will probably be more seasons of the show in the future.