While you are out there avoiding the seven cardinal sins, the anime world has welcomed them with open arms. The anime series ‘The Seven Deadly Sins’ personifies each sin as a great warrior destined to fight a greater evil.
As ironic as the plot is, each character resembles their respective sin in the best of ways. This European Middle Age fantasy has attracted shonen fans to it like moths to a lamp, and the reason is quite simple. The action scenes, plot, and characters embody every exciting element that the genre calls for.
Since it is a pretty straightforward anime with a moderate amount of seasons and movies, I believe this watch order will clear up all your doubts regarding the anime’s release and chronological order.
1. Release Order / Recommended Order
The best way to watch The Seven Deadly Sins is by following its release order, as it will properly guide you through the canon events. The series has received five seasons, two movies, three OVAs, and two sequels.
- Season 1: The Seven Deadly Sins
- OVA 1: Bandit Ban
- OVA 2: Heroes Fun Time -Extra Stories Compilation-
- Season 2: The Seven Deadly Sins: Signs of Holy War
- Season 3: The Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of The Commandments
- OVA 3: Heroes’ Frolic
- Movie 1: The Seven Deadly Sins the Movie: Prisoners of the Sky
- Season 4: The Seven Deadly Sins: Wrath of the Gods
- Season 5: The Seven Deadly Sins: Dragon’s Judgement
- Movie 2: The Seven Deadly Sins: Cursed by Light
- Sequel 2-Part Movie: (upcoming)
- The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh Part 1
- The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh Part 2
- Sequel Anime: Four Knights of the Apocalypse
The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh | Teaser Trailer | Netflix Anime
2. Chronological Order
The chronological order of The Seven Deadly Sins is almost the same as its release order, with the exception of watching the Bandit Ban OVA at first. However, following this order will mess up the experience as Bandit Ban was never meant to be a starting point.
- Bandit Ban (2015) (OVA)
- The Seven Deadly Sins (2014)
- Heroes Funtime – Extra Stories Compilation (2015) (OVA)
- The Seven Deadly Sins: Signs of Holy War (2015) (Special)
- The Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of Commandments (2018)
- The Seven Deadly Sins the Movie: Prisoners of the Sky (2018)
- Heroes’ Frolic (2018) (OVA)
- The Seven Deadly Sins: Imperial Wrath of the Gods (2019)
- The Seven Deadly Sins: Dragon’s Judgement (2021)
- The Seven Deadly Sins: Cursed by Light (2021) (Movie)
- Sequel 2-Part Movie: (upcoming)
- The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh Part 1
- The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh Part 2
- Sequel Anime: Four Knights of the Apocalypse (upcoming)
3. Where to Watch The Seven Deadly Sins anime seasons and movies with Eng sub and dub?
Netflix has exclusive rights to The Seven Deadly Sins franchise. Thus, you will find all its anime seasons and movies on Netflix, with the exception of the OVAs. All the installments have received English subtitles as well as dub on Netflix.
4. Can you download and watch The Seven Deadly Sins offline?
Netflix provides the download option with its subscription plans so you can watch The Seven Deadly Sins offline.
More details on the various plans are available below:
| Streaming Site | Plans | Is downloading available? |
| Netflix | Basic with ads: $6.99/month | No |
| Basic: $9.99/month | Yes | |
| Standard: $15.49/month | Yes | |
| Premium: $19.99/month | Yes |
5. What to do if The Seven Deadly Sins is not available to watch in your region?
If The Seven Deadly Sins anime, movies, or OVAs aren’t available on any streaming website in your area, then you can use a VPN to bypass the geo-block. Some of the top VPN service providers in the game are ExpressVPN, Nord VPN, Proton VPN, Cyberghost, and Private Internet Access, to name a few.
All you have to do is connect to a country where your preferred anime is streaming, and voila, you can now watch The Seven Deadly Sins even if it is unavailable in your region.
There are many unpaid VPN services at hand or free browser extensions. However, using low-tier VPN providers might decrease your speed and get you blocked by streaming services. Connection drops and unsecured encryption are also other disadvantages
The important thing is that The Seven Deadly Sins is present on Netflix, so set your VPN to a suitable location to access the anime from anywhere.
6. How much time will it take to watch The Seven Deadly Sins?
In order to watch the whole of The Seven Deadly Sins franchise, including the anime seasons, movies, and OVAs, you will need a total of 44 hours and 34 minutes. Thus, you can finish the anime in two days if you forego food, sleep, and all human bodily functions.
| Type | Title | Duration |
| Season 1 | The Seven Deadly Sins | 576 minutes |
| OVA 1 | Bandit Ban | 24 minutes |
| OVA 2 | Heroes Funtime – Extra Stories Compilation | 24 minutes |
| Season 2 | The Seven Deadly Sins: Signs of Holy War | 576 minutes |
| Season 3 | The Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of Commandments | 576 minutes |
| OVA 3 | Heroes’ Frolic | 24 minutes |
| Movie 1 | The Seven Deadly Sins the Movie: Prisoners of the Sky | 99 minutes |
| Season 4 | The Seven Deadly Sins: Imperial Wrath of the Gods | 576 minutes |
| Season 5 | The Seven Deadly Sins: Dragon’s Judgement | 576 minutes |
| Movie 2 | The Seven Deadly Sins: Cursed by Light | 79 minutes |
7. Watch Order Explained
- Season 1: The Seven Deadly Sins: The first season has 24 episodes and adapts from the Introduction Arc to the Kingdom Infiltration Arc. These 24 episodes cover around 100 chapters from the manga.
- OVA 1: Bandit Ban: This is an original piece that shows Ban’s backstory from before he was a part of the Seven Deadly Sins.
- OVA 2: Heroes Fun Time -Extra Stories Compilation: This is a comedy skit compilation that features various main characters. It is not relevant to the main story but can be watched just for some light-hearted humor.
- Season 2: The Seven Deadly Sins: Signs of Holy War: Signs of Holy War might be labeled as season 2, but it has only four episodes. It shows the heroes and their daily lives. It also serves to build the suspense for season 3.
- Season 3: The Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of The Commandments: Consisting of 12 episodes, the season covers the rest of the Post-Kingdom Infiltration Arc till the Defensive Battle for Liones Arc. Its first episode is a recap of season 1, so you are free to skip it.
- OVA 3: Heroes’ Frolic: This OVA adapts some of the extra chapters from the manga, like Sins Vacation, Harlequin & Helbram, Naked Heart, and Hawk the Materialist.
- Movie 1: The Seven Deadly Sins the Movie: Prisoners of the Sky: It is a non-canon movie, making it hard to know when it takes place. The film is set in a peaceful timeline and focuses on Meliodas and Hawks’ search for the Sky Fish, which makes them end up in the Sky Kingdom.
- Season 4: The Seven Deadly Sins: Wrath of the Gods: It is a 24-episode installment that adapts from the Memories of Holy War Arc to the New Holy War Arc. The season is often regarded as the back sheep of the franchise due to the studio change from A-1 Pictures to Studio Deen. Animation aside, the plot is still good.
- Season 5: The Seven Deadly Sins: Dragon’s Judgement: This is the last season of the series and covers the finale. In 24 episodes, season 5 covers the last battle as the heroes are baffled by the villainous forces of both heaven and hell.
- Movie 2: The Seven Deadly Sins: Cursed by Light: It is based on an original story by the mangaka. It focuses on Meliodas and Elizabeth’s adventure in an after-war peaceful world.
- The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh: It is a 2-part sequel movie that covers the gap between The Seven Deadly Sins and the sequel series, Four Knights of the Apocalypse. It will feature Tristan, the offspring of Elizabeth and Meliodas, and it will also have the main characters from the original series.
- Sequel Anime: Four Knights of the Apocalypse: Despite taking place in the same world with the same setting, it will not contain any of the OG characters. This sequel series will feature the next generation of the Seven Deadly Sins and their own adventure.
8. FAQ
i. Is Signs of Holy War a special or the second season?
Signs of Holy War has just four episodes and contributes very little to the plot progression; thus, fans are reluctant to call it season 2. The studio, however, tagged it as the second season when it was released, so you have no other way than to concede defeat to make the numbering simpler for everyone else.
ii. Is Four Knights of the Apocalypse the sixth season of The Seven Deadly Sins?
No, The Four Knights of the Apocalypse isn’t season 6 of The Seven Deadly Sins; it is rather the sequel of the franchise. It is based on a sequel manga that focuses on a group of four Holy Knights who are prophesied to end the world. Tristan, the son of Meliodas and Elizabeth, is also present in it. To make it easier for you to understand, consider it similar to Boruto.
iii. Has the Seven Deadly Sins anime ended?
Yes, the Seven Deadly Sins anime has ended with the release of the Cursed Light movie. After a total of five seasons, the franchise has reached its conclusion and will most probably not receive any more canon content. There will be no season 6 since it is a completed series.
iv. Story Arcs of The Seven Deadly Sins
| Installment | Arcs | Episodes |
| Season 1 | Introduction Arc | 1-2 |
| Forest of White Dreams Arc | 3 | |
| Baste Dungeon Arc | 4-6 | |
| Capital of Dead Arc | 7-9 | |
| Vaizel Fight Festival Arc | 10-13 | |
| Armor Giant Arc | 14-15 | |
| Kingdom Infiltration Arc | 16-24 | |
| Season 2 | Post-Kingdom Infiltration Arc | 25 – 28 |
| Season 3 | Post-Kingdom Infiltration Arc | 29 – 30 |
| Albion Arc | 31 – 33 | |
| Istar Arc | 34 – 37 | |
| Ravens Arc | 37 – 42 | |
| Great Fight Festival Arc | 43 – 48 | |
| Defensive Battle for Liones Arc | 48 – 52 | |
| Season 4 | Memories of Holy War Arc | 53 – 60 |
| Corand Arc | 61 – 65 | |
| Prelude to the New Holy War Arc | 65 – 73 | |
| New Holy War Arc | 73 – 76 | |
| Season 5 | New Holy War Arc | 77 – 89 |
| Demon King Arc | 89 – 96 | |
| King of Chaos Arc | 97 – 99 | |
| Epilogue Arc | 100 |
9. Conclusion
The best way to watch The Seven Deadly Sins is by its release order. If you want to watch it in chronological order, just watch the Bandit Ban OVA before everything else.
The movies and OVAs can be watched after completing the seasons or by the recommended order since they are original and don’t directly contribute to the plot’s progress. You are free to skip them, but they are a fun addition to the franchise.
Being a fun and action-filled anime, The Seven Deadly Sins has attracted plenty of attention in the last decade. While Studio Deen has led to a dip in its reputation, I believe you would still love the plot. You can always switch to the manga from season 4. (It is referred to as season 3 in many places.)
10. About The Seven Deadly Sins
The Seven Deadly Sins is a Japanese fantasy manga series written and illustrated by Nakaba Suzuki. It was serialized in Kodansha’s Weekly Shōnen Magazine from October 2012 to March 2020, with the chapters collected into forty-one tankōbon volumes.
Elizabeth Liones, princess of Liones Kingdom, embarks upon a journey to find the most vicious criminals Seven Deadly Sins (Nanatsu no Taizai). They are Meliodas(Dragon’ sin of Wrath), Ban (Fox’ sin of Greed), Dianne (Serpent’s sin of Envy), Merlin (Boar’s sin of Gluttony), Escanor (Lion’ sin of Pride), Gowther (Goat’s sin of Lust) and King (Grizzly’ sin of Sloth).
Ten years ago, all the sins were banished from the Kingdom after they were wrongly framed for the murder of Great Holy Knight, Zaratars. Now, the Kingdom is about to fall in the hands of the corrupt Holy Knights, and Elizabeth must find the Sins and their leader Meliodas to save the Kingdom.
