Anime / Steins Gate
Steins;Gate Watch Order: Series, 0, Movie and OVAs
Start Steins;Gate with the original series, then place episode 23β, Steins;Gate 0, the movie and OVAs without breaking up your first watch or spoiling twists.
The easiest Steins;Gate watch order for a first viewing is Steins;Gate episodes 1–24 → episode 23β (“Divide by Zero”) → Steins;Gate 0 episodes 1–23. Finish the original ending before starting Zero. You do not need to stop at episode 22 or switch between the two shows.
For a fuller first watch, add the original OVA and movie after episode 24, then continue to 23β and Zero. That is the route in the table below. An OVA is a home-video bonus episode, and the optional entries are labelled so you can stay with the main story if you prefer.
Find your next step: full viewing order · episode 23β · movie and OVAs · rewatch order.
Steins;Gate first-watch order, including the movie
| Order | Watch | What you need to know |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steins;Gate, episodes 1–24 (2011) | The starting point; include the normal episodes 23 and 24 |
| 2 | “Egoistic Poriomania” (2012) | Optional original-series OVA, often listed as episode 25 |
| 3 | Steins;Gate: The Movie — Load Region of Déjà Vu (2013) | Optional follow-up to the original anime |
| 4 | Episode 23β — “Open the Missing Link: Divide by Zero” (2015) | The alternate episode that introduces the path explored in Zero |
| 5 | Steins;Gate 0, episodes 1–23 (2018) | Watch after the original and 23β |
| 6 | Steins;Gate 0’s unaired OVA (2018) | Optional side story, often listed as episode 24 |
For just the central television story, follow steps 1, 4 and 5. That is 47 regular episodes plus the 23β special. Skipping the movie and the two other OVAs does not leave a missing chapter between the shows.
Episode 23 versus 23β: which one should you play?
Watch both, but at different points. The original episode 23 belongs immediately before episode 24. The β version revisits that point and takes a different path. It is not a remaster or a replacement you should select because it looks newer.
After finishing episode 24, look for 23β, 23b, or “Divide by Zero.” Some catalogues place it with Zero rather than with the original show; the Prime Video episode listing is one example. Check the episode title, since availability and numbering vary by country.
Already watched the normal episode 23? Keep going to 24. Once you finish the original, the next essential episode is 23β.
Why not watch Steins;Gate 0 first?
The “0” is misleading if you read it as “start here.” Zero assumes you know the original characters and the situation that makes its alternate path meaningful. It is not a clean introductory prequel.
The original also spends time establishing the lab’s everyday relationships before its later episodes pay them off. Interrupting that run near the ending changes its rhythm substantially. Finishing it first lets you follow one dramatic arc before looking at another possibility.
Where the movie and OVAs fit
Egoistic Poriomania follows the original series. Treat it as an extra visit with the cast after episode 24. Load Region of Déjà Vu then continues from the original anime’s aftermath; it is not a film-length version of Zero. If you include both, OVA → movie is the straightforward arrangement.
If you skipped them to start Zero, you can return to them later. Their events do not supply a missing setup for the second series.
Zero has a different OVA, commonly titled “Valentine’s of Crystal Polymorphism.” Watch it after Zero’s finale. The official volume-six listing separates episodes 21–23 from the unaired episode, which explains why services can show different episode totals.
What about the chronological watch order?
The familiar alternate arrangement is original episodes 1–22 → 23β → Zero episodes 1–23 → original episodes 23–24. It can be interesting on a rewatch, once you already know how the stories connect.
Think of it as a branch-based rewatch, not a strict calendar timeline. The series involves alternate possibilities and revisited events. This arrangement also postpones the original finale for an entire second show, so it is not the best default for a newcomer.
Do you need the games or other Science Adventure anime?
No. The 2011 anime introduces its own cast and story. You can explore the visual novels and other Science Adventure adaptations afterward if the setting interests you.
The Cognitive Computing shorts offer a little more time with the characters. Save them for after the original series.
For another science-fiction anime with films and later seasons to untangle, see our Psycho-Pass watch order.
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