Code Geass Watch Order: TV, Movies, Akito & Rozé

For your first Code Geass watch, start with Lelouch of the Rebellion, then watch R2. That is a complete 50-episode television story. The recap films, Re;surrection and Rozé belong to a separate movie continuity, so they are not extra seasons you must add to finish the TV ending.

If you are staring at a catalog full of similar titles, choose the 2006 television series first. The table below shows what comes next without giving away why the two continuities differ.

Code Geass watch order: choose your route

What to watch for each starting point
Your situation	Next step
Completely new to Code Geass	Lelouch of the Rebellion → R2
Finished R2 and want the movie continuation	Recap film trilogy → Lelouch of the Re;surrection → Rozé of the Recapture
Want more stories in the TV-era world	Akito the Exiled after R2
Already watched the three recap films	Re;surrection, then Rozé; you do not need to restart with the TV series to follow this route

The recommended first watch: two TV seasons

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (2006–2007) — 25 episodes.
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 (2008) — 25 episodes.

R2 is Season 2, not a remake or a standalone sequel. Continue into it after the first season, even if its opening leaves you with questions. The story intends you to discover those answers rather than watch another movie in between.

The TV version gives the characters and political conflict more room than the condensed films. That is why it is the better default for a newcomer. Once you finish R2, you can stop with a complete ending; the existence of Re;surrection does not make that ending incomplete.

Code Geass movie order, including Re;surrection and Rozé

If you want to continue along the films’ version of events, use this order:

Lelouch of the Rebellion I: Initiation (2017)
Lelouch of the Rebellion II: Transgression (2018)
Lelouch of the Rebellion III: Glorification (2018)
Lelouch of the Re;surrection (2019)
Rozé of the Recapture (2024)

The official trilogy site groups the first three films together. They condense the TV story but also change events and character outcomes. Treat them as an alternative retelling—not three additional adventures after R2.

Re;surrection follows that revised film continuity. If you go straight from R2 to it, you may wonder why something no longer matches what you watched. Seeing the trilogy is the cleanest way to avoid that confusion. A spoiler-filled list of differences is a shortcut for returning viewers, not something a first-time viewer needs before Season 1.

Where does Rozé of the Recapture fit?

Watch Rozé after Re;surrection. It follows a new central cast later in the movie timeline. Familiar faces and background connections are easier to place when you have already followed that branch, even though the immediate conflict centers on different characters.

Rozé was released as four theatrical chapters in Japan and as a 12-episode series. Those are presentations of the same story, not four films you must watch before beginning twelve more episodes. Choose the format available to you and follow its numbering. The official Rozé site lists the episode sequence.

Key visual for Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture featuring its central characters and a Knightmare Frame. — Rozé is a later story in the movie continuity, not a replacement for R2. | Credits: SUNRISE / PROJECT G-ROZE

When should you watch Akito the Exiled?

After R2 is the easiest first-watch placement. Akito the Exiled is a five-part side story set mainly in Europe, between the two original TV seasons in story chronology. Its different cast and setting broaden the world, but it is not required to understand Lelouch’s main story.

Watch its five numbered chapters in order. Their chronology explains where they belong in the world; it does not oblige you to interrupt Season 1 and R2 on your first watch. The official Akito site identifies the five-part project.

On a rewatch, placing Akito between the seasons can be interesting because you already understand the context. For a newcomer, it adds a detour just when the central story is gaining momentum.

Which extras can you leave until later?

Picture dramas, recap specials and lighter bonus material such as Nunnally in Wonderland are optional. Save them until after the part of the main story they accompany, so an extra does not introduce a character or relationship before the show does.

The main traps are simpler than the franchise’s long catalog suggests:

Do not start with R2. It is the second season.
Do not watch both the TV series and the recap trilogy as one continuous plot. They retell much of the same period with differences.
Do not treat Re;surrection as a direct continuation of the unchanged TV ending. Use the film branch for that.
Do not double-count Rozé. Its film chapters and television episodes are not separate required installments.

If all you wanted was a reliable starting point, you have it: Lelouch of the Rebellion → R2. Decide whether you want another branch after those 50 episodes, not before you have met the cast.