‘Ultraman’ Watch Order: Series, Movies, & Specials

Getting into the infamous Ultraman storyline can feel incredibly daunting, especially considering the colossal number of episodes and releases that comprises this infamous franchise. Thankfully, getting up to speed can still be relatively straightforward with the right setup. Below is everything you need to know to watch Ultraman in order.

In What Order Should You Watch Ultraman?

Ultraman is a vital icon within the entertainment world, initially created by Eiji Tsuburaya and Tohl Narita. The Ultraman franchise has over 55 years’ worth of content for fans to get into, spanning across all types of formats – both on-screen and off-screen.

Considering that Ultraman has a seemingly endless stream of series, movies, mini-series, TV specials, and much more, many fans still wonder where exactly where to start. Fortunately, Ultraman is not completely reliant on watching the storyline chronologically – applicable to the progression of time within the storyline.

Of course, many Ultraman fans would recommend reading the Ultraman comics and mangas before getting into the on-screen installments – but, this isn’t exactly necessary, and most Ultraman fans have gotten by just fine without it. Just about any of the Ultraman series installments are seen as standalone, and there is typically a new human protagonist, organization, and group of monsters to take down, although there are nods to previous installments now and then.

Due to this kind of story layout, each series season has its own continuity within the same Ultraman canon universe. Human characters rarely reappear, so fans are not necessarily required to follow the story to the tee – apart from specific releases, which include details on prior releases.

As a result, most fans feel that they can enjoy the Ultraman saga however they please, with the exception of a few movies and installments. There are also 3 distinct Ultraman eras, the Showa (starting with Ultra Q), Heisei (starting with Ultraman Tiga), and New Generation eras (starting with Ultraman Ginga). While it isn’t necessary, many fans may also choose to follow the eras in order for the sake of enjoyment.

Ultraman Chronological Watch Order (Recommended)

Recommended Ultraman watch orders vary based on preference and interest (and, of course, what is available to you as not all Ultraman releases are accessible online). Although, there are some Ultraman installments that are more notable and worth watching according to fans.

Focusing on the most iconic installments will help just about anyone to get a thorough grasp of the premise and Ultraman universe, but there’s still much more you could watch along the way. Watching through all of the available installments is always recommended – while chronological continuity isn’t as relevant to Ultraman, there are various references here and there which could act as major spoilers.

Below is the watch order for the Ultraman saga in the order of their release, including the Ultra Series, Special Series, and Ultraman movies. The most notable Ultraman installments among fans have been highlighted (if you’re looking to get the best and most concise Ultraman experience possible).

Ultraman Series Watch Order

The best place to start would likely be the original Ultraman series (or possibly Ultraman Tiga or Ultraman Max). Many fans may argue that starting with Ultraman Mebius would be a good option, but most argue that it’s far more enjoyable after having watched the previous Showe era installments. Plus, it does contain spoilers for both Ultraman Leo and Ultraman Ace if watched beforehand.

• Ultra Q (1966)
• Ultraman (1966–1967)
• Ultraseven (1967–1968)
• The Return of Ultraman (1971–1972)
• Ultraman Ace (1972–1973)
• Ultraman Taro (1973–1974)
• Ultraman Leo (1974–1975)
• The Ultraman (1979-1980)
• Ultraman 80 (1980–1981)
• Ultraman: The Adventure Begins (1987)
• Ultraman: Towards the Future (1990-1991)
• Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero (1993)
• Ultraman Zearth (1996–1997)
• Ultraman Tiga (1996–1997)
• Ultraman Dyna (1997–1998)
• Ultraman Gaia (1998–1999)
• Ultraman Nice (1999–2000)
• Ultraman Neos (2000–2001)
• Ultraman Cosmos (2001–2002)
• Ultraman Nexus (2004–2005)
• Ultraman Max (2005–2006)
• Ultraman Mebius (2006–2007)
• Mega Monster Battle series (2007–2009)
• Ultraman Ginga (2013)
• Ultraman Ginga S (2014)
• Ultraman X (2015)
• Ultraman Orb (2016)
• Ultraman Zero: The Chronicle (2017)
• Ultraman Geed (2017)
• Ultraman R/B (2018)
• Ultraman Taiga (2019)
• Ultraman Z (2020)
• Ultraman Trigger: New Generation Tiga (2021)
• Ultraman Decker (2022)

Ultraman Special Series Watch Order

• Ultraseven X (2007)
• Ultraman Retsuden (2011–2013)
• New Ultraman Retsuden (2013–2016)
• Ultraman Orb: The Chronicle (2018)

Ultraman Movies Watch Order

When it comes to the Ultraman movies, there is some form of continuity here and there – quite a few Ultraman fans suggest watching the Ultraman Zero movies before watching Ultraman Geed. Other than that, it seems that just about any of the Ultraman movies can be enjoyed standalone (although, it’s always recommended to watch the Ultraman series before the movies).

• The 6 Ultra Brothers vs. the Monster Army (1974)
• Ultraman: Great Monster Decisive Battle (1979)
• Ultraman Zoffy: Ultra Warriors vs. the Giant Monster Army (1984)
• Ultraman Kids’ M7.8 Star’s Happy Friend (1984)
• Ultraman Story (1984)
• Revive! Ultraman (1996)
• Ultraman Company: This is the Ultraman (Wacky) Investigation Team (1996)
• Ultraman Zearth (1996)
• Ultraman Zearth 2: Superman Big Battle – Light and Shadow (1997)
• Ultra Nyan: Mysterious Cat Descending From the Starry Sky (1997)
• Ultraman Tiga & Ultraman Dyna: Warriors of the Star of Light (1998)
• Ultra Nyan 2: Happy Battle (1998)
• Ultraman Tiga & Ultraman Dyna & Ultraman Gaia: Battle in Hyperspace (1999)
• Ultraman M78 Theater: Love & Peace (1999)
• Ultraman Tiga: The Final Odyssey (2000)
• Ultraman Cosmos: The First Contact (2001)
• New Century Ultraman Legend (2000)
• Ultraman Cosmos 2: The Blue Planet (2002)
• New Century 2003 Ultraman Legend: THE KING’S JUBILEE (2003)
• Ultraman Cosmos vs. Ultraman Justice: The Final Battle (2003)
• Ultraman: The Next (AKA: ULTRAMAN) (2004)
• Ultraman Mebius & Ultraman Brothers (2006)
• Great Decisive Battle! The Super 8 Ultra Brothers (2008)
• Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy Legends The Movie (2009)
• Ultraman Zero The Movie: Super Deciding Fight! The Belial Galactic Empire (2010)
• Ultraman Saga (2012)
• Ultraman Ginga Theater Special (2013)
• Mega Monster Rush: Ultra Frontier: DINO-TANK hunting (2013, 2014)
• Ultraman Ginga S The Movie: Showdown! Ultra 10 Warriors!! (2015)
• Ultraman X The Movie: Here comes our Ultraman! (2016)
• Ultraman Orb the Movie: I’m Borrowing the Power of Your Bonds! (2017)
• Ultraman Geed the Movie: Connecting the Wishes!! (2018)
• Ultraman R/B the Movie: Select! The Crystal of Bond (2019)
• Ultraman Taiga the Movie: New Generation Climax (2020)
• Ultraman Trigger: Episode Z (2022)

Most recommended Ultraman watch orders focus on the most iconic Ultraman releases, often skipping over the less popular installments as well as compilation installments that cover the same content as certain Ultraman series episodes. Of course, you’re always free to follow these at a later stage! The release of Ultraman also lead to a global phenomenon, which saw the rise of countless Ultraman spin-offs.

The Ultraman saga was once cited in the Guinness Book of World Records as the record-holder for the most spin-off shows. Some of the most notable include UltraQ, UltraQ: Dark Fantasy, Ultra Galaxy Mega Monster Battle, Ultra Galaxy Mega Monster Battle: Never Ending Odyssey, Neo UltraQ, Ultraman Retsudan, and Daikaiju Rush – all great additions once you’ve completed this enormous saga!

It’s really fortunate that the Ultraman series doesn’t rely heavily on a said chronological order of events, as it would be pretty easy to become overwhelmed by going back and forth between installments. But, fans should still be mindful of following the chronological order of release as much as possible to avoid potential spoilers.

Although the sheer number of Ultraman releases can feel intimidating at first, it allows plenty of time for you to tuck in and enjoy this vintage classic – not to mention the modernized Ultraman on Netflix, something many fans are super hyped about! Having such a lengthy list of Ultraman installments leaves tons of room for fans to watch just about any Ultraman content there is to enjoy, without the worry of getting lost along the way.