Code Geass watch order: the TV series, the movies, Re;surrection and Rozé

TV route or film route?

R1 and R2 tell one complete story. In 2017 and 2018, Sunrise retold it in three films, Initiation, Transgression and Glorification, adding new scenes and recording every line again ^{eiga.com, Wikipedia}. Anime News Network's review of Re;surrection calls the films "largely an abridged version" of the series with "more than a few major changes" ^ANN. Re;surrection and Rozé continue the films' version of events.

• Full order: R1, R2, the three films, Re;surrection and Rozé, about 34 hours. It's the order this page recommends.
• Film route: the three films, Re;surrection and Rozé, about 14 hours. The films squeeze 50 episodes into 6 h 48 min.
• TV only: R1 and R2, about 20 hours. You get the original ending, and nothing later continues the TV version ^ANN.

Where does Re;surrection fit?

Lelouch of the Re;surrection opened in Japan on February 9, 2019 ^eiga.com. It's a direct sequel to the three films, set after their ending ^Wikipedia. The ANN review places it "in the film canon" and says one of the films' changes makes its story possible ^ANN. So if you've only seen the TV series, watch the films before Re;surrection.

When to watch Akito the Exiled

Akito the Exiled is a five-part side story set in Europe between R1 and R2, with a new lead, Akito Hyuga ^{Japanese Wikipedia, Wikipedia}. Its parts opened in Japanese theaters from August 4, 2012, to February 6, 2016, before the home video release ^{eiga.com, eiga.com, ANN}. R2 aired four years before the first part, so nothing in R2 depends on it. If you watch it after R2, the main story stays in one run. ANN's review calls it "a somber character piece" ^ANN.

How many seasons of Code Geass are there?

Two TV seasons of 25 episodes each. Lelouch of the Rebellion, usually called R1, started on October 5, 2006. Episodes 1 to 23 ran until March 29, 2007, and the last two followed on July 28, 2007. R2 aired from April 6 to September 28, 2008 ^{ANN, ANN, Wikipedia}. Rozé of the Recapture added 12 more episodes in 2024.

MBS used a late-night clock for R1: it listed the first episode at 25:25 on Thursday, October 5, which was 1:25 a.m. on Friday, October 6. This page gives the listed dates ^{official site, 2006, Japanese Wikipedia}. R1 also had two recap episodes, STAGE 8.5 and STAGE 17.5, which sit outside the 25-episode count and which you can skip.

Code Geass movies in order

Here are the films and OVAs around the TV series. Re;surrection and Rozé continue the story, the three films from 2017 and 2018 retell it, and the rest are recaps or side stories you can leave out.

Release dates and running times come from eiga.com's listings for each film ^{Initiation, Transgression, Glorification, Re;surrection}. The episodes each film covers follow Wikipedia ^Wikipedia, and the OVA dates follow its episode list ^{Wikipedia, official site}.

Recaps you can skip

Sources: Wikipedia, season 1 for the recap episodes, which the Japanese Blu-ray box carries as extras, and the Wikipedia episode list for the special editions.

Rozé of the Recapture: where it fits

Rozé of the Recapture is set five years after Re;surrection, in a Hokkaido occupied by the Neo-Britannian Empire, and follows new leads, the mercenary brothers Ash and Rozé ^{Japanese Wikipedia, official site}. It opened in Japan as four theatrical parts from May 10 to August 2, 2024. From June 21, it streamed worldwide as 12 weekly episodes on Disney+, and on Hulu in the US ^{ANN, ANN, Wikipedia}.

Each theatrical part holds three episodes. ANN's review of the first part notes it "plays the opening and ending credits three times" ^ANN. The same review says you could follow it with no knowledge of the TV series, though it's "designed for fans of the original." Japanese TV aired it on the MBS and TBS Animeism block from July 10, 2026 ^{official site, Famitsu}.

Is there a new Code Geass anime?

Yes. Code Geass: Star Chaser Aspal (Hoshi Oi no Aspal) was announced at the franchise's "To 20th" event on December 7, 2025 ^ANN. Its first teaser came out on September 26, 2026, and set a 2027 premiere ^{official site, ANN}. Kazuya Nomura directs, Mado Nozaki writes the series scripts and Sunrise animates it. As of October 26, 2026, the official site lists staff only, with no format or story ^{official site}.

Is there a manga to read after the anime?

No. Code Geass is an original anime: Sunrise made it from a story by Ichirō Ōkouchi and Gorō Taniguchi, so there's no source manga to read ^{Japanese Wikipedia, ANN}. Spin-off manga such as Nightmare of Nunnally tell other stories in the same world. The newest is Minuet Zero, a crossover with Mobile Suit Gundam Wing that started on Kadokawa's KadoComi on July 10, 2026 ^ANN.

Where to watch Code Geass

• R1 and R2 stream on Crunchyroll, which added both seasons in the US in July 2017 ^Crunchyroll. JustWatch lists them there in the US and the UK with English and Japanese audio ^{JustWatch, checked October 26, 2026}.
• The three films and Re;surrection joined Crunchyroll in September 2022 ^Crunchyroll. In the US, JustWatch lists the films in Japanese only and Re;surrection with an English dub. In the UK it shows no stream for Re;surrection, and the three films are rent or buy only.
• Akito the Exiled streams on Crunchyroll in the US and the UK in Japanese with subtitles; JustWatch lists no English audio there ^JustWatch, though Funimation recorded a dub in 2017 ^Crunchyroll.
• Rozé of the Recapture streams on Hulu in the US, with an English dub from NYAV Post, and on Disney+ in the UK ^{ANN, JustWatch}.

How long does it take to watch Code Geass?

The full order takes about 34 hours. R1 and R2 run 604 and 602 minutes on the Japanese Blu-ray boxes ^{R1 box, R2 box}. The three films add 408 minutes, Re;surrection 112 and Rozé's four parts 300 ^{eiga.com, eiga.com}. With Akito the Exiled, you're at about 39 hours.

Code Geass questions

What order do you watch Code Geass in?

Watch Lelouch of the Rebellion (R1) and R2, then the three films Initiation, Transgression and Glorification, then Lelouch of the Re;surrection and Rozé of the Recapture. That's 62 episodes and four films, about 34 hours. Akito the Exiled is an optional side story you can add after R2.

Do you need to watch the Code Geass movies?

Only if you plan to watch Re;surrection. The three films retell R1 and R2 with some changes, and Re;surrection continues the films' version of events. If you only want the original story, R1 and R2 are complete on their own.

Is Lelouch of the Re;surrection canon?

It's canon to the films. Re;surrection is a sequel to the three films from 2017 and 2018 that retell the TV series, so it follows their version of events. Rozé of the Recapture is set five years after it.

When should you watch Akito the Exiled?

After R2. It's set in Europe between R1 and R2, but its five parts came out from 2012 to 2016, and nothing in R2 depends on it. All five parts take 4 h 46 min.

Is there a new Code Geass anime coming?

Yes. Code Geass: Star Chaser Aspal was announced on December 7, 2025, and its first teaser, released on September 26, 2026, set a 2027 premiere. Kazuya Nomura is directing, and the format hasn't been announced as of October 26, 2026.