With a new Puella Magi Madoka Magica film coming out this year, now would be a great time to review the proper watch order for this excellent anime franchise.
When it first came out, Madoka took the anime world by storm by brutally deconstructing the magical girl genre. It was dark, beautiful, and disturbing. The series shocked anime fans, even as it drew viewers in and enticed them to keep watching as the tragic story unfolded.
After the anime concluded, it was followed by a series of movies, and the spin-off series Magia Record.
How do these extra pieces fit into the story? As with a lot to do with Madoka, that’s not entirely easy to figure out. But let’s take a look.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica Basics
From the very beginning, Puella Magi Madoka Magica drops hints that this is not going to be an ordinary magical girl series. In the opening scene, middle school girl Madoka has a strange and apocalyptic dream where a magical girl struggles against a monstrous foe. And it only escalates from there.
For one thing, Homura, the doomed magical girl from Madoka’s vision, transfers to Madoka’s school. Soon afterward, Madoka and her friend Sayaka discover a magical cat-like alien creature, Kyubey. Kyubey offers to grant each of them one wish, if they will sign a contract to become magical girls.
But Homura doesn’t want the girls to accept Kyubey’s deal (for reasons which will only become clear later). As it turns out, the magical girl world is a dangerous place, as magical girls have to fight cute, deadly, grotesque, and visually weird witches.
On top of that, the magical girls aren’t friendly teammates, but rivals. Each one has a soul gem, which can become polluted. Fighting witches helps purify the gems, but it seems that a vital ingredient — grief seeds — can’t be easily shared.
Eventually, a magical girl is fated to become a corrupted version of herself — a witch.
Even worse, the wishes have unintended consequences. So, Homura can use her a time loop ability, but she can’t fix what went wrong. In fact, rewinding the timeline seems to only make things worse.
In the end, the series finale changes the universe for better or for worse (depending upon your point of view).
Puella Magi Madoka Magica History
In 2011, the first season of Puella Magi Madoka Magica was released. The series is an anime-first seinen (definitely not shojo or shonen) series.
Like a lot of creative and unique anime series, Madoka does not adapt any previously-existing work. However, manga artists did create adaptations of the anime, including spin-off series.
The TV anime was followed in October 2012 by a pair of linked Madoka films, Beginnings and Eternal. These films recap and retell the story, with some new footage and voice acting added.
The creators released a third film, Rebellion, in October 2013. Unlike the first two films, Rebellion tells an original story which is completely separate from the 2011 anime series.
Theoretically, Rebellion takes place after the ending of the TV series. But it’s also something of a mindbender which has been compared to the Evangelion franchise. Without giving away too many spoilers, it involves an illusory alternative reality. The relationship between Homura and Madoka is explored in further detail, and there’s a lot of rewriting of the universe.
Magia Record and A New Madoka Movie
Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story was first released as a Japanese RPG video game in 2017. As the name implies, it is a spin-off, and it features a whole separate group of magical girls.
The game was adapted into an anime series in 2020. The Magia Record anime was followed by a pair of sequel seasons in 2021 and 2022.
A fourth Madoka film, Walpurgisnacht Rising, has not been released yet (at press time). But it is expected sometime in 2024.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica Watch Order
Puella Magi Madoka Magica’s release order is simple enough. But figuring out the chronological order is something of a puzzle.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica Release Order
- Puella Magi Madoka Magica, TV anime (12 episodes), January to April 2011
- Beginnings, movie, October 2012
- Eternal, movie, October 2012
- Rebellion, movie, October 2013
- Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story, spin-off TV anime (13 episodes), January to March 2020.
- Magia Record season 2: The Eve of Awakening, TV anime (8 episodes). August to September 2021
- Magia Record season 3: Dawn of a Shallow Dream, TV anime (4 episodes), April 2022.
- Walpurgisnacht Rising, 4th Madoka movie, expected 2024
Puella Magi Madoka Magica Chronological Order
If you watch the original series, Beginnings and Eternal aren’t technically necessary.
Some Madoka fans say that the films are worth it — the movie-quality animation is better. Other anime fans will prefer the half-hour episodic pacing of a TV series.
Either way, the third film, Rebellion, is a sequel which should be watched if you want the full story. The new Walpurgisnacht Rising film is expected to be a sequel to Rebellion. So, if you ignore the first two films, we can create a possible chronological order which looks like this:
- Puella Magi Madoka Magica, TV anime
- Rebellion, movie
- Walpurgisnacht Rising, movie
Alternatively, the correct movie order is:
- Beginnings
- Eternal
- Rebeillion
- Walpurgisnacht Rising
Magia Record doesn’t fit very well into the normal Madoka timeline. Because it features a new cast, and the original characters get cameos, you could even consider it an alternative universe.
If you’re a fan of Madoka, you’ll probably enjoy the series. But it doesn’t directly affect the main story.
What is Walpurgisnacht Rising?
The fourth Madoka movie doesn’t have a release date yet, although October 2024 is a likely possibility. The first three films were released in October.
Madoka 4 is named after Walpurgisnacht, the extremely powerful witch from the original series.
Although we don’t know too much about the new movie, it seems clear from trailers that Walpurgisnacht will likely be the antagonist of the film.
The witch appears in the first episode of the series, although her name isn’t revealed until later. Homura attempts to fight Walpurgisnacht in Madoka’s prophetic dream/ vision.
As the series progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that Walpurgisnacht represents a huge, looming threat. In a couple of episodes, magical girls attempt to defeat Walpurgisnacht in multiple timelines. Only the battle in the last episode has a lasting, permanent solution.
Even after the final episode, her true identity as a former magical girl remains a secret.
The creators have already made a U.S. website for Walpurgisnacht Rising. Or, click here for the Japanese version.
