If you want to watch Overlord without getting lost in recap movies, chibi specials, and the Holy Kingdom/Sacred Kingdom movie placement, this guide gives you the clean route. We’ll cover the recommended watch order, release order, chronological order, what counts as filler, what you can skip, and where to find legal streaming options without turning this into another streaming comparison.
Overlord is mostly simple: watch the four TV seasons in order, then add the canon movie. The only real wrinkle is that Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom adapts the Holy Kingdom arc from the light novels, which chronologically sits inside the Season 4 timeline even though the movie released later. Anime continuity. Always one trap tile.
Overlord Watch Order: Quick Answer
- Overlord Season 1 — Episodes 1–13. Watch first.
- Overlord: The Undead King — Recap movie of early Season 1 material. Optional; skip on a first watch.
- Overlord: The Dark Warrior — Recap movie of later Season 1 material. Optional; skip on a first watch.
- Overlord II — Episodes 14–26 / Season 2. Watch.
- Overlord III — Episodes 27–39 / Season 3. Watch.
- Overlord IV — Episodes 40–52 / Season 4. Watch.
- Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom / Holy Kingdom movie — Canon movie. Best after Season 4 for first-time viewers; chronologically between Season 4 Episodes 7 and 8.
If you only want the main story, watch Seasons 1–4 and The Sacred Kingdom. Overlord has no reported pure filler across its 52 TV episodes, so do not skip TV episodes. Skip the two Season 1 recap movies and chibi bonus specials unless you want a refresher or completionist extras.
Overlord Basics
Overlord is a dark fantasy isekai anime based on the light novel series written by Kugane Maruyama and illustrated by so-bin. The anime is produced by Madhouse and follows Momonga, the guild master of Ainz Ooal Gown, who stays logged in during the final moments of the DMMO-RPG Yggdrasil. Instead of being kicked out when the servers shut down, he wakes up as his undead avatar in a new world where Nazarick’s NPCs have become living, thinking beings.
The main anime currently has four TV seasons of 13 episodes each, for 52 TV episodes total. There are also two 2017 recap movies, several short chibi-style Ple Ple Pleiades specials, and the canon theatrical film Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom, also known by fans through the Holy Kingdom arc. Because the TV series is adapted from a light novel rather than a weekly manga, the filler situation is very low-friction: the core TV run is treated as canon adaptation material, not filler padding.
The Best Overlord Watch Order
| Order | Entry | Type | Watch or Skip? | Placement Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Overlord Season 1 — Episodes 1–13 | TV season | Watch | The starting point. Introduces Momonga/Ainz, Nazarick, the Guardians, Carne Village, Shalltear, and the basic rules of the new world. |
| 2 | Overlord: The Undead King | Recap movie | Skip first time | Recaps the first part of Season 1. Useful only if you need a compressed refresher. |
| 3 | Overlord: The Dark Warrior | Recap movie | Skip first time | Recaps the second part of Season 1. Not a replacement for watching Season 1 normally. |
| 4 | Overlord II — Episodes 14–26 | TV season | Watch | Continues the main story through the Lizard Man and Men in the Kingdom material. |
| 5 | Overlord III — Episodes 27–39 | TV season | Watch | Expands Ainz’s political reach and pushes the story toward the open rise of the Sorcerer Kingdom. |
| 6 | Overlord IV — Episodes 40–52 | TV season | Watch | Release-order placement before the movie. Best for most first-time viewers because the anime aired it this way. |
| 7 | Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom / Holy Kingdom movie | Canon movie | Watch | Adapts the Holy Kingdom arc. Best after Season 4 for release-order viewers; chronologically between Season 4 Episodes 7 and 8. |
| 8 | Ple Ple Pleiades shorts and other bonus specials | Chibi/bonus specials | Optional | Comedy side material. Watch after the related season if you like the cast, but do not treat these as required plot. |
For a first watch, I recommend release order: Season 1, Season 2, Season 3, Season 4, then The Sacred Kingdom. Yes, the movie’s light novel arc technically happens before the final stretch of Season 4. But watching Season 4 straight through keeps the anime’s pacing intact, and the movie works cleanly afterward as a canon arc that fills in the missing Holy Kingdom material.
If you are rewatching and care about strict light-novel chronology, use the chronological table below. First-time viewers should not overthink it. Nazarick already does enough of that for everyone.
Overlord Release Order
- Overlord Season 1 — 2015, 13 episodes
- Overlord: The Undead King — 2017 recap movie
- Overlord: The Dark Warrior — 2017 recap movie
- Overlord II — 2018, 13 episodes
- Overlord III — 2018, 13 episodes
- Overlord IV — 2022, 13 episodes
- Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom — 2024 theatrical movie, canon Holy Kingdom arc
- Ple Ple Pleiades and related specials — bonus comedy shorts released alongside different seasons
Release order is the best order for most new viewers. The recap movies are the only obvious skip because they retell Season 1 instead of moving the plot forward. The Sacred Kingdom released after Season 4, so placing it after Season 4 is the least confusing route for anime-only viewers.
Overlord Chronological Order
The chronological order is almost the same as the recommended order, except for Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom. The movie adapts the Holy Kingdom arc from light novel Volumes 12–13, while Season 4 adapts material around it. That means the movie fits chronologically between the middle and later part of Season 4.
| Chronological Slot | What to Watch | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start | Overlord Season 1 | Everyone | Do not start with the recap movies. The full season gives better setup. |
| After Season 1 | Overlord II | Everyone | Continue directly into Season 2. |
| After Season 2 | Overlord III | Everyone | Direct continuation of Ainz’s expansion and Nazarick’s world impact. |
| Season 4 opening stretch | Overlord IV Episodes 1–7 | Strict chronology / rewatchers | This gets you to the point where the Holy Kingdom arc fits. |
| Holy Kingdom arc | Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom | Strict chronology / rewatchers | Canon movie adapting light novel Volumes 12–13. |
| Season 4 ending stretch | Overlord IV Episodes 8–13 | Strict chronology / rewatchers | Finish Season 4 after the movie if you want the light-novel timeline feel. |
| Bonus lane | Ple Ple Pleiades shorts and specials | Completionists | Watch after the related season. They are comedy extras, not required plot. |
So, the precise chronological order is Season 1 → Season 2 → Season 3 → Season 4 Episodes 1–7 → The Sacred Kingdom → Season 4 Episodes 8–13. The simpler first-watch order is Season 1 → Season 2 → Season 3 → Season 4 → The Sacred Kingdom. I’d use the simple route first. Cleaner. Less surgery on the episode list.
Is Overlord Filler Heavy?
Overlord is not filler-heavy. Anime Filler List reports no filler across the 52 TV episodes, and that matches the practical viewing experience: the main seasons are adapting light novel story material, not inserting long anime-original arcs to stall for time. Some adaptation choices compress or rearrange material, but that is not the same as filler.
The skippable content is mostly outside the main TV run. The two 2017 movies, The Undead King and The Dark Warrior, are recap movies for Season 1. The Ple Ple Pleiades shorts are comedy bonus material. They can be fun if you like seeing Nazarick’s cast in a sillier mode, but they are not required to understand Ainz’s campaign, the Guardians, the Sorcerer Kingdom, or the Holy Kingdom arc.
Overlord Filler List: Episodes You Can Skip
| Entry | Arc / Title | Type | Skip or Watch? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 Episodes 1–13 | Overlord Season 1 | Canon | Watch | Core introduction to Ainz, Nazarick, Carne Village, the adventurer disguise, and Shalltear. |
| Movie 1 | Overlord: The Undead King | Recap | Skip first time | Recaps early Season 1 material. Watch only as a refresher. |
| Movie 2 | Overlord: The Dark Warrior | Recap | Skip first time | Recaps later Season 1 material. Optional after finishing Season 1. |
| Season 2 Episodes 1–13 | Overlord II | Canon | Watch | Main story continuation. Do not skip. |
| Season 3 Episodes 1–13 | Overlord III | Canon | Watch | Main story continuation. Do not skip. |
| Season 4 Episodes 1–13 | Overlord IV | Canon | Watch | Main story continuation. Rewatchers can insert the movie between Episodes 7 and 8. |
| Theatrical movie | Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom / Holy Kingdom movie | Canon movie | Watch | Canon arc adapted from light novel Volumes 12–13. Best after Season 4 for most viewers. |
| Various shorts | Ple Ple Pleiades specials | Bonus / comedy | Optional | Chibi side material. Fun, but not needed for the central plot. |
Which Overlord Filler Episodes Are Worth Watching?
There are no must-watch filler episodes in the main TV anime because the TV run does not have reported pure filler. If you are trying to save time, your skip list is simple: skip the recap movies and optional shorts, not the TV episodes.
- Overlord: The Undead King and The Dark Warrior: Worth watching only if you want a fast Season 1 refresher before continuing. First-timers should watch the actual season instead.
- Ple Ple Pleiades shorts: Optional but amusing if you enjoy the Guardians and Nazarick staff in comedy mode. Watch after the related season so character jokes land properly.
- Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom: Not filler. This is the one movie you should treat as part of the main story, especially if you want the Holy Kingdom arc covered.
Where Do the Overlord Movies, OVAs, and Specials Fit?
| Movie / Special | Canon Status | Best Placement | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overlord: The Undead King | Season 1 recap movie | After Season 1, if at all | Skip on first watch; optional recap. |
| Overlord: The Dark Warrior | Season 1 recap movie | After The Undead King, if at all | Skip on first watch; optional recap. |
| Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom / Holy Kingdom movie | Canon movie | After Season 4 for first-time viewers; between Season 4 Episodes 7 and 8 for strict chronology | Watch. This is the important movie. |
| Ple Ple Pleiades shorts | Bonus comedy specials | After the corresponding season | Optional completionist material. |
| Other promotional/chibi specials | Bonus extras | After you finish the TV season they connect to | Optional. Nice dessert, not dinner. |
Best Overlord Watch Order by Viewer Type
First-time viewers
Watch Season 1, Season 2, Season 3, Season 4, then Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom. Skip the recap movies and save the comedy shorts for later. This gives you the smoothest anime-first route without chopping Season 4 in half.
Light novel readers
If you want the anime to line up more closely with the light novel sequence, place The Sacred Kingdom between Overlord IV Episodes 7 and 8. That reflects the Holy Kingdom arc’s placement around Volumes 12–13 before the later Season 4 material.
Completionists
Watch everything in release order: Season 1, the two recap movies, Season 2, Season 3, Season 4, The Sacred Kingdom, and the Ple Ple Pleiades shorts after their related seasons. Just remember that recap movies are repetition, not new story.
Returning fans
If you already remember Season 1, the recap movies can work as a quick warm-up. If not, ignore them and rewatch the TV episodes. For the Holy Kingdom material, go straight to The Sacred Kingdom after refreshing Season 4’s political setup.
Where to Watch Overlord Online
If you also need streaming options, see our full guide to where to watch Overlord online. This watch order guide focuses on episode order, canon/filler status, recap movies, specials, and where the Holy Kingdom movie fits. No streaming comparison here. We already have one job.
Overlord Watch Order and Filler FAQ
Can I skip Overlord filler?
Yes, but only because the real skip material is outside the core TV episodes. The 52 TV episodes have no reported filler, so watch Seasons 1–4. Skip the Season 1 recap movies and chibi specials if you only want the main story.
Should I watch Overlord in release order or chronological order?
First-time viewers should use release order: Season 1, Season 2, Season 3, Season 4, then The Sacred Kingdom. Chronological-order viewers can place The Sacred Kingdom between Season 4 Episodes 7 and 8, but that is cleaner for rewatches than first watches.
Are the Overlord recap movies canon?
The Undead King and The Dark Warrior recap Season 1. They are not essential new canon content. They are fine as refreshers, but they should not replace the full first season for a new viewer.
Is Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom canon?
Yes. Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom, also referred to through the Holy Kingdom arc, adapts light novel Volumes 12–13. Treat it as main-story material, not filler.
When should I watch the Holy Kingdom movie?
For a first watch, watch it after Season 4. For strict chronological order, watch Season 4 Episodes 1–7, then The Sacred Kingdom, then Season 4 Episodes 8–13.
Where can I watch Overlord legally?
Use JPBound’s dedicated guide to where to watch Overlord online for current legal streaming options. This page is only for order, filler, movies, and specials.
Recap
For most viewers, the best Overlord watch order is Season 1 → Season 2 → Season 3 → Season 4 → Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom. Do not skip any TV episodes; the main anime has no reported filler across its 52 episodes.
Skip The Undead King and The Dark Warrior unless you want Season 1 recap movies. Treat Ple Ple Pleiades as optional comedy bonus material. If you need streaming availability, use JPBound’s separate Overlord where-to-watch guide.
