Quick Links
Navigating the expansive universe of A Certain Magical Index and its related series can be daunting for newcomers. With multiple interconnected storylines, spin-offs, and a feature film, determining the optimal viewing sequence is essential for a cohesive and enjoyable experience, which can be hard if you haven’t been following it since its inception.
This article provides a comprehensive watch order, incorporating all series and movies and ensuring you embark on this journey with clarity and confidence. For fans of the series that want to go through it again, we will also offer a chronological order in which to watch all series and spin-offs.
The ‘A Certain’ Series
Originating from Kazuma Kamachi’s light novel series, the “A Certain” franchise encompasses several anime adaptations:
- A Certain Magical Index: Follows Toma Kamijo in Academy City as he encounters Index, a nun with a perfect memory, and delves into conflicts between science and magic.
- A Certain Scientific Railgun: Centers on Mikoto Misaka, exploring the scientific aspects of Academy City and her battles against various threats.
- A Certain Scientific Accelerator: Focuses on Accelerator, the most powerful esper in Academy City, and his path to redemption.
These series are connected with one another, happening almost simultaneously and often retelling events from a different perspective. As such, they are meant to be complementary to one another rather than completely separate storylines.
Recommended Watch Orders
There are two primary approaches to viewing the series: broadcast order and chronological order. If you are new to the series, then the broadcast order is ideal for you to understand the series, but if you are planning a re-watch session, then doing so in chronological order can give you a different perspective.
While you can watch the entirety of A Certain Magical Index without delving into its spin-offs, the second and third seasons are made expecting the audience to be aware of Railgun and the movie.
Broadcast Order
This order follows the release dates of the series, providing viewers with the narrative as it was originally presented:
Series |
Release Year |
Episodes |
---|---|---|
A Certain Magical Index |
2008 |
24 |
A Certain Scientific Railgun |
2009 |
24 |
A Certain Magical Index II |
2010 |
24 |
A Certain Scientific Railgun OVA |
2010 |
1 |
A Certain Magical Index: The Miracle of Endymion |
2013 |
Movie |
A Certain Scientific Railgun S |
2013 |
24 |
A Certain Magical Index III |
2018 |
26 |
A Certain Scientific Accelerator |
2019 |
12 |
A Certain Scientific Railgun T |
2020 |
25 |
This sequence allows viewers to experience the story as it originally unfolded, with each series and movie building upon the previous installments.
Chronological Order
For those interested in following the in-universe timeline, the chronological order is as follows:
Series |
Range of Episodes |
---|---|
A Certain Scientific Railgun |
1-7 |
A Certain Magical Index |
1-6 |
A Certain Scientific Railgun |
8-24 |
A Certain Scientific Railgun OVA |
1 |
A Certain Magical Index |
7–9 |
A Certain Scientific Railgun S |
1–10 |
A Certain Magical Index |
10–14 |
A Certain Scientific Railgun S |
10–17 |
A Certain Magical Index |
15–24 |
A Certain Magical Index II |
1 |
A Certain Scientific Railgun S |
18–24 |
A Certain Scientific Accelerator |
1–12 |
A Certain Magical Index II |
2–7 |
A Certain Magical Index: The Miracle of Endymion |
Movie |
A Certain Magical Index II |
8–13 |
A Certain Scientific Railgun T |
1–20 |
A Certain Magical Index II |
14–24 |
A Certain Magical Index III |
1–6 |
A Certain Scientific Railgun T |
21–25 |
A Certain Magical Index III |
7–26 |
This order aligns events as they occur within the story’s timeline, offering a seamless narrative progression. However, this isn’t how the series was meant to be watched, so on a first-time watch, always go for broadcast order.

Next
8 Most Underrated Anime From Madhouse
Madhouse is famous for the likes of HxH and Frieren, but it has a lot of other great anime too.
Leave a Reply