Black Butler is no exception to anime‘s famously frustrating release schedules. If you’ve been following since 2008, you know how long a ride it’s been. But with all the dark magic and fantasy, we’re not complaining when a new release is announced.
Black Butler has been around for some time, but we finally got season 4 in 2024. Thankfully, another season has been announced, and season 5 should arrive sometime in 2025. Thanks to streaming though, you can find the entire anime on Crunchyroll. But with a new season incoming, die-hard fans must be aching for a rewatch.
But it’s important to note that there are many ways to watch Black Butler. Firstly, there’s the release watch order, which follows events in the order the anime aired. However, it’s best to opt for the chronological order, especially if you want to have a seamless watch. Thirdly, there’s the canonical order, which eliminates all filler. Black Butler does have some interesting filler arcs, so we’ll focus on the first two orders.
Black Butler‘s chronological watch order
If you’re looking to follow the Black Butler story as intended, then this is the chronological watch order you should follow:
- Black Butler Arc (episodes 1 – 3)
- Red Butler Arc (episodes 4 – 6)
- Filler Arc (episodes 7 – 12)
- Indian Butler Arc (episodes 13 – 15)
- Filler Arc (Episodes 16 – 24)
- Black Butler OVA: His Butler, On Stage
- Black Butler Season 3: Book of Circus (episodes 1 – 10)
- Black Butler OVA: Book of Murder Parts 1 and 2
- Black Butler OVA: Book of the Atlantic
- Black Butler Season 2 (episodes 1 – 12)
- Black Butler OVA: Ciel in Wonderland Part 1
- Black Butler OVA: Welcome to the Phantomhive’s
- Black Butler OVA: Making of Black Butler 2
- Black Butler OVA: Ciel in Wonderland Part 2
- Black Butler OVA: The Threads of the Spider’s Story
- Black Butler OVA: The Story of Will the Reaper
- Black Butler Season 4: Public School Arc (episodes 1 – 11)
Black Butler‘s release watch order
If you want to stick to the regular release pattern, here’s Black Butler as it was released over the years.
- Black Butler season 1
- Black Butler season 2
- Black Butler OVA “Ciel in Wonderland Part 1”
- Black Butler OVA “Welcome to the Phantomhive’s”
- Black Bulter OVA “The Making of Kuroshitsuji II”
- Black Butler OVA “His Butler, On Stage”
- Black Butler OVA “Ciel in Wonderland Part II”
- Black Butler OVA “Spider’s Intention”
- Black Butler OVA “The Tale of Will the Shinigami”
- Black Butler: season 3: Black Butler Book of Circus
- Black Butler: Book of Murder
- Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic (Movie)
- Black Butler season 4: Black Butler Public School Arc
As aforementioned, Black Butler is available to stream on Crunchyroll, but before you boot up the show and get binging, remember that you can choose to experience the anime as one long story (chronologically), or as multiple storylines chopped up. Either way, you’re in for a timeless classic!