How to Watch Steins;Gate in Correct Order

If you’re a sci-fi connoisseur or have a keen interest in time-travel storylines, you should definitely watch Steins;Gate at your earliest convenience. Not only within the anime sphere, Steins;Gate is widely regarded as one of the most profound time-travel storylines ever written. The way it explains the very concept of traveling across time is arguably the most believable portrayal in fiction.

However, we have to admit that the anime might get a bit confusing if you wish to watch everything the franchise has to offer, including the movies and OVA episodes as well. Consisting of six individual entries, the chronological and release order differ greatly. Therefore, this guide should help you have a smoother experience and truly appreciate the greatness of Steins;Gate. So, let’s dive right in.

What Is the Best Order to Watch Steins;Gate?

For first-time viewers with no prior knowledge about Steins;Gate, here’s the quickest answer to your primary query: the best and easiest way to consume Steins;Gate is simply to watch both seasons in release order, and then, if you feel like exploring the additional content scattered throughout the movies and OVAs, you can dip your toes into them. However, simply finishing the two seasons of Steins;Gate would be enough for you to appreciate the masterclass that is its time-travel narrative.

• Steins;Gate (2011)
• Steins;Gate Episode 23β: Upon the Interface of the Missing Link (2015)
• Steins;Gate 0 (2018)
• Steins;Gate: Egoistic Poriomania (2012)
• Steins;Gate: The Movie – Load Region of Déjà Vu (2013)

A Chronological Listing of Every Steins;Gate Anime, Movie, and OVA

The chronological order is generally for returning viewers who want to explore the various events of the anime in a bit more depth. Understanding the exact chronological sequence in which the events took place certainly sounds fun. So, let’s check it out:

1. Steins;Gate (2011) – Episodes 1-22

The original 24-episode-long Steins;Gate anime is chronologically the first thing you need to watch in the franchise. Almost every major story event and revelation takes place in this first season. Okabe Rintaro’s early life as an individual researcher and his journey from unknowingly discovering the most plausible time-travel equipment is a thrilling ride from start to, not exactly, the finish. Note that you are not advised to finish Season 1 and leave it after Episode 22. The conclusion is delivered after the events of Season 2.

2. Steins;Gate Episode 23β: Upon the Interface of the Missing Link (2015) – Special episode

Before you get into Steins;Gate 0, it’s better to catch up with Steins;Gate Episode 23β: Upon the Interface of the Missing Link. It is basically an alternate version of the original Episode 23 from Steins;Gate, which acts as a prequel to the Steins;Gate 0 visual novel and, to some extent, the anime. In 23β, Okabe doesn’t open the video mail sent by his future self, and thus it changes the entire course of the storyline, which is broadly reflected in Steins;Gate 0.

3. Steins;Gate 0 (2018) – 23 episodes

Now, fresh off watching Episode 22 of the original series and the alternate Episode 23 (23β), you are prepared to dive into Steins;Gate 0. This is basically set in an alternate timeline where Okabe stops researching time travel altogether after failing to save Kurisu. So, although it may seem like a completely different version of the series, Steins;Gate 0 is best experienced after watching only the first 22 episodes of the original series. It deepens your emotional connection to the characters.

4. Steins;Gate (2011) (Episodes 23-24)

Finally, in the remaining two episodes of Steins;Gate Season 1, we receive a satisfying ending to the grand storyline. However, this is also just another branch timeline out of infinite possibilities that could happen. That said, we can hardly think of a better way to bid farewell to the series than what was shown in Steins;Gate Episodes 23 and 24.

5. Steins;Gate: Egoistic Poriomania (2012) – Episode 25/OVA

Set a few months after the events of the original ending, Steins;Gate: Egoistic Poriomania essentially feels like a slice-of-life special episode where we see Okabe and his friends travel to Los Angeles. There, they meet with Kurisu, who is now alive in the current timeline after the events of Episodes 23 and 24 of the original series. This special episode mostly focuses on Okabe and Kurisu’s growing relationship, which honestly acts as a breath of fresh air after all the traumatizing events of the anime.

6. Steins;Gate: The Movie – Load Region of Déjà Vu (2013)

While quite a few people end up overlooking it, Steins;Gate: The Movie – Load Region of Déjà Vu does a great job of providing fans with further exposure to the side effects of time travel. It is set almost one year after the main story’s ending, focusing on Okabe, of course, who is now dealing with random déjà vu moments. It even shows the horror of time travel, as certain people close to Okabe even start forgetting his existence. Therefore, it is a good watch to conclude your Steins;Gate journey.

The Full Steins;Gate Anime in Release Order?

While the release order isn’t exactly recommended for first-time viewers, it still wouldn’t hurt to try piecing things together by yourself. So, if you want to do the hard work, then follow this order:

TITLE	RELEASE DATE	MAL SCORE (as of August 23, 2026)
Steins;Gate	April 6, 2011	9.07/10
Steins;Gate: Egoistic Poriomania	February 22, 2012	8.29/10
Steins;Gate: The Movie – Load Region of Déjà Vu	April 20, 2013	8.45/10
Steins;Gate Episode 23β: Upon the Interface of the Missing Link	December 3, 2015	8.27/10
Steins;Gate 0	April 12, 2018	8.56/10

Are There Any Filler Episodes in the Steins;Gate Anime?

Across the main storyline of Steins;Gate, there aren’t exactly any filler episodes. Even as an adaptation of the original visual novel, each episode of the series serves a crucial purpose in understanding the grand narrative. However, there’s this side project called Steins;Gate: The Sagacious Wisdom of Cognitive Computing, which came into being because of a collaboration between Steins;Gate’s creator Chiyomaru Shikura of 5pb. Inc. and IBM Japan representatives, and it can be skipped if you want.

Where to Watch the Steins;Gate Anime Online?

Fortunately, the original Steins;Gate and Steins;Gate 0 are both available on Crunchyroll to stream online. However, since the Egoistic Poriomania special episode isn’t available on the streaming platform, you can rent it on Amazon Prime Video. The Load Region of Déjà Vu movie is also a bit harder to find online, but you can likely buy a physical copy (DVD or Blu-ray) on local e-commerce platforms.

Well then, how helpful has this guide been?

Steins;Gate is currently available to watch on Crunchyroll.