Watch Tokyo Ghoul (2014, 12 episodes) first, then Tokyo Ghoul √A, also called Root A (2015, 12 episodes), then Tokyo Ghoul:re and its second season (2018, 12 episodes each). The two OVAs, Jack and Pinto, are optional side stories you can watch at any point. Root A is the one real choice: it leaves the manga story, so some fans skip it.
Image: Fan art (AI-generated)
Tokyo Ghoul watch order at a glance
This is release order, which is the order most viewers use. All six main entries come from Studio Pierrot.
| # | Title | Year | Length | What it is | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tokyo Ghoul | 2014 | 12 episodes | Adapts the start of the manga | Must watch |
| 2 | Tokyo Ghoul √A (Root A) | 2015 | 12 episodes | Sequel with a changed story | Your choice |
| 3 | Tokyo Ghoul [Jack] (OVA) | 2015 | About 30 minutes | Prequel side story | Optional |
| 4 | Tokyo Ghoul: Pinto (OVA) | 2015 | About 24 minutes | Standalone side story | Optional |
| 5 | Tokyo Ghoul:re | 2018 | 12 episodes | Adapts the sequel manga | Must watch for the full anime |
| 6 | Tokyo Ghoul:re 2nd Season | 2018 | 12 episodes | Second half of the sequel | Must watch for the full anime |
Many viewers call :re "season 3" and its second part "season 4". The titles themselves do not use those numbers, so do not worry if a service lists them differently.
What each part is about (no spoilers)
Tokyo Ghoul. College student Ken Kaneki survives a date with Rize Kamishiro that turns violent, in a world with man-eating ghouls. A transplant leaves him part human and part ghoul, and he has to live between two worlds. It sets up the conflict between ghouls and the government agents who hunt them.
Tokyo Ghoul √A. The sequel follows Kaneki after he joins the ghoul group Aogiri Tree, as the fight against the Commission of Counter Ghouls (CCG) grows.
Tokyo Ghoul:re. The story moves forward in time. Haise Sasaki, a quiet man who carries echoes of Kaneki's memories, leads a squad of investigators, and the CCG has grown stronger. The second season continues that arc.
Spoiler warning: the next sections talk about how the anime differs from the manga, but they do not reveal plot events.
The short answer
- Tokyo Ghoul (2014, 12 episodes). Start here. It introduces Ken Kaneki and the ghoul world.
- Tokyo Ghoul √A (2015, 12 episodes). Watch it if you want the anime in one line. Skip it if you plan to read the manga instead (see below).
- Tokyo Ghoul [Jack] (2015 OVA) and Pinto (2015 OVA). Short extras. Neither is needed to follow the main story.
- Tokyo Ghoul:re (2018, 12 episodes) and :re 2nd Season (2018, 12 episodes). The last two seasons of the anime.
That is 48 TV episodes in total, plus about 54 minutes of OVAs.
Why Root A is the confusing one
Tokyo Ghoul began as a manga by Sui Ishida, and the 2014 anime follows it. Root A (the title is written √A) is described by Wikipedia as an original story: it mixes in content from the manga but does not adapt it directly. MyAnimeList says the anime and manga reach the same final arc, but the anime takes a very different route and changes the main plot and the ending fight.
Wikipedia and MyAnimeList agree on the broad point: Root A is not a straight copy of the manga. How much it changes is debated among fans, and we leave the scene-by-scene argument out of this guide to keep it spoiler light. Plain English version: Root A takes its own road, while the first season and :re are based on Ishida's manga.
Which path should you take?
- Anime only. Watch everything in the table. You get 48 episodes with one continuous anime path.
- Anime, then the manga. Watch season 1, then switch to the manga to get the original version of the story. The original manga has 14 volumes (2012 to 2014), and the sequel manga Tokyo Ghoul:re has 16 volumes (2014 to 2018).
- Anime for Root A, manga for the rest. Fans who like the anime's mood but want the full story often do this. It is a personal choice, not a rule.
Search data shows that readers in the Philippines, Indonesia and the rest of Southeast Asia look up the manga and the :re continuation a lot. The honest answer is that the anime works as a complete watch, but the manga is the full story.
Tokyo Ghoul:re and the question of continuity
Tokyo Ghoul:re adapts the sequel manga of the same name. It aired as two seasons of 12 episodes each: April 3 to June 19, 2018, and October 9 to December 25, 2018. Because it is based on the sequel manga, its story follows the manga's version of events rather than Root A's. That is why some viewers feel :re starts in a different place from where Root A ends. Neither Wikipedia nor MyAnimeList spells out how :re handles Root A, so treat that point as a common fan view, not an official statement.
The practical advice is simple. If you watched Root A, keep watching: :re is the next anime entry and MyAnimeList lists Root A as its prequel. If you skipped Root A, you can start :re after season 1 and still follow the main idea, though expect a few questions.
The OVAs: Jack and Pinto
Tokyo Ghoul [Jack] was released on September 30, 2015 (about 30 minutes). It comes from a 2013 prequel manga by Ishida that ran on Jump Live and is set roughly twelve years before the main story. It focuses on Kishō Arima and Taishi Fura, and is a good watch after season 1, once you know who Arima is.
Tokyo Ghoul: Pinto was released on December 25, 2015 (about 24 minutes). It is a short side story. We kept the description light on purpose.
Both are optional. A common and safe choice is to watch them between Root A and :re, which matches release order.
How long does it take?
| Path | TV episodes | Extras |
|---|---|---|
| Everything | 48 | Jack and Pinto, about 54 minutes |
| Skip Root A | 36 | Optional |
| Season 1 only | 12 | None |
Pierrot's archive page lists the Root A episodes as 30 minutes each, which is the usual TV slot. We have not verified runtimes for the other seasons, so treat any hour total as approximate.
What about the live-action films?
Two live-action films exist: Tokyo Ghoul (released in Japan on July 29, 2017) and Tokyo Ghoul S (July 19, 2019). They are separate adaptations, not part of the anime order. Skip them unless you are curious.
Where to watch
Availability varies by region, and licenses change, so check a service's own catalogue page before you plan a marathon. Search for each title by its exact name: "Tokyo Ghoul √A" is sometimes listed as "Root A", and :re may appear with a colon or without one.
What to watch next
If you like the dark tone and the question of what makes someone human, Parasyte is the closest match in our catalogue. Browse more titles for adult viewers in our seinen category, or read what seinen means first. Tokyo Ghoul contains graphic violence and body horror, so it is not for younger viewers.
Questions people ask
What order should I watch Tokyo Ghoul in?
Tokyo Ghoul, Tokyo Ghoul √A, then Tokyo Ghoul:re and Tokyo Ghoul:re 2nd Season. Jack and Pinto are optional OVAs.
Should I watch season 2 of Tokyo Ghoul?
Yes if you want the full anime path. No if you prefer to read the manga after season 1, since Root A changes the story.
What comes after Tokyo Ghoul?
Tokyo Ghoul √A, which is the 2015 sequel. After that come the two :re seasons from 2018.
Is Tokyo Ghoul Root A canon?
It is an original anime story that departs from the manga, so many fans treat the manga as the canon version. It is still part of the anime's own continuity. There is no official canon ruling in the sources we checked.
How many episodes does Tokyo Ghoul have?
Four TV seasons of 12 episodes each, 48 in total, plus the two OVAs.
Is there a Tokyo Ghoul season 3?
Not under that title. The third part of the anime is Tokyo Ghoul:re, and many people call it season 3. We found no confirmed new season in our sources.
Do I need to watch the OVAs?
No. Jack is a prequel side story and Pinto is a short standalone story.
Is the manga better than the anime?
The manga is the original and complete story. Many fans recommend it after season 1, but it is a matter of taste.
Sources
- Wikipedia, "Tokyo Ghoul" (anime adaptations, manga volumes, live-action films): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Ghoul, checked 5 November 2026.
- Wikipedia, "Tokyo Ghoul √A" (episodes, dates, original story composition): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Ghoul_√A, checked 5 November 2026.
- Wikipedia, "Tokyo Ghoul:re" (:re seasons, OVA dates and runtimes): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Ghoul:re, checked 5 November 2026.
- MyAnimeList, "Tokyo Ghoul" (12 episodes, 4 July to 19 September 2014): myanimelist.net/anime/22319, checked 5 November 2026.
- MyAnimeList, "Tokyo Ghoul √A" (12 episodes, 9 January to 27 March 2015, background on the changed story): myanimelist.net/anime/27899, checked 5 November 2026.
- MyAnimeList, "Tokyo Ghoul:re 2nd Season" (12 episodes, 9 October to 25 December 2018): myanimelist.net/anime/37799, checked 5 November 2026.
- Pierrot, "Tokyo Ghoul √A" archive page (12 episodes, 30 minutes each): en.pierrot.jp/archive/2015/tv10_15.html, checked 5 November 2026.
Last checked: 5 November 2026
