How to Watch Haikyuu!! in Order of Release Date or Chronologically

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A complete guide to Haikyuu’s seasons, OVAs & movies

Co-authored by Chris Hill and Glenn Carreau

Last Updated: November 10, 2025 Fact Checked

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Release Order

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Chronological Order

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Content Breakdown

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Where to Watch

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Tips

Are you ready to immerse yourself in the sporty, volleyball-centric world of Haikyuu!!? You’re in for a fabulous time! Haikyuu!! is widely considered one of the best sports anime out there, and for good reason; among all the sports, there’s a ton of character development and plot to love, too. And since there’s so much Haikyuu!! to see, we’ve put together a complete watch list for you to follow—both release order and chronological order (with a condensed list for those who want to skip all the recaps). Without further ado, let’s take a look!

Haikyuu!! Chronological Watch Order

Haikyuu!! Season 1 (2014)
OVA - Lev Appears! (2014)
Haikyuu!! Season 2 (2016)
OVA - VS. Failing Grades (2016)
Haikyuu!! Season 3 (2016)
Special Feature! The Spring Tournament of Their Youth (2017)*
OVA - Land vs. Sky and The Path of the Ball (2020)
Haikyuu!! Season 4 (2020)
Haikyuu!! Battle of the Garbage Dump (Movie, 2024)

Section 1 of 4:

How to Watch Haikyuu!! in Release Order

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First, let’s clarify: release and chronological order are nearly the same, because all Haikyuu!! content has been released chronologically. However, in our release order list, we’re including recap movies and content that you don’t really need to watch to follow the plot, but definitely could (if you’re a completionist). Because Haikyuu!! isn’t just a show; there are movies and shorts that further flesh out the characters and events involved. Here’s the release order:^{[1]
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- Haikyuu!! Season 1 (2014)
- OVA - Lev Appears! (2014)
- Haikyuu!! The End and the Beginning (Movie, 2015)
- Haikyuu!! The Winner and the Loser (Movie, 2015)
- Haikyuu!! Season 2 (2016)
- OVA - VS. Failing Grades (2016)
- Haikyuu!! Season 3 (2016)
- Special Feature! The Spring Tournament of Their Youth (2017)*
- Haikyuu!! Talent and Sense (Movie, 2017)
- Haikyuu!! Battle of Concepts (Movie, 2017)
- OVA - Land vs. Sky (2020)
- OVA - The Path of the Ball (2020)
- Haikyuu!! Season 4 (2020)
- Haikyuu!! Battle of the Garbage Dump (Movie, 2024)

Section 2 of 4:

How to Watch Haikyuu!! in Chronological Order

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As mentioned above, we won’t include recap movies in this chronological list—and if you’re watching the entirety of Haikyuu!! in order, you shouldn’t need a recap, anyway! However, we’re keeping OVAs (original video animations) and the final movie on our list, because those actually add to the plot. In other words, they’re definitely still canon, and shouldn’t be missed if you want the full Haikyuu!! story.^{[2]
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- Haikyuu!! Season 1 (2014)
- OVA - Lev Appears! (2014)
- Haikyuu!! Season 2 (2016)
- OVA - VS. Failing Grades (2016)
- Haikyuu!! Season 3 (2016)
- Special Feature! The Spring Tournament of Their Youth (2017)*
- OVA - Land vs. Sky (2020)
- OVA - The Path of the Ball (2020)
- Haikyuu!! Season 4 (2020)
- Haikyuu!! Battle of the Garbage Dump (Movie, 2024)

Section 3 of 4:

Breaking Down Haikyuu’s Arcs, OVAs, and Movies

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Haikyuu!! Season 1 - Karasuno Team Formation Arc Now, let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of your chronological Haikyuu!! watch, starting with the first major “arc” (storyline) of season 1, which shows the formation of the new Karasuno High boys’ volleyball team. This arc begins with newcomers Shoyo Hinata and Tobio Kageyama joining the team; despite a rocky start, they ultimately have an inspirational effect on the rest of the players.^{[3]
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- The Karasuno Team Formation Arc consists of episodes 1-14 in season 1.
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Haikyuu!! Season 1 - Interhigh Arc The Interhigh Arc follows the new Karasuno team’s first tournament together. In this arc, they go toe-to-toe against volleyball teams such as Tokonami High, Date Tech, and the intimidating, top-ranked team from Aoba Johsai.
- This arc consists of episodes 15-25 in season 1.
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Haikyuu!! OVA #1: Lev Appears! Lev Appears! is the first Haikyuu!! OVA, and it introduces a character not from Karasuno, but from the Nekoma High volleyball team. Lev Haiba is Nekoma’s newest addition, and in the OVA, you’ll get a sense of his character before he’s formally introduced in the main anime series. Lev is a fan favorite character, so it’s worth checking this OVA out!
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Haikyuu!! Movies 1 & 2 Haikyuu!! the Movie: Ending and Beginning is a recap of the first half of season 1. Meanwhile, the second movie—The Winner and the Loser—is a recap of season 1’s second half. Both movies have some additional scenes included, so you may want to watch them (even if you’ve just watched season 1).
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Haikyuu!! Season 2 - Tokyo Expedition Arc The second season of Haikyuu!! begins with the Tokyo Expedition arc, wherein Karasuno attempts to hone their skills (individually and as a team). In the process, they also take on teams like Fukurōdani Academy, Ubugawa High, and Shinzen High while participating in a training camp of sorts.
- This arc consists of episodes 1-11 in season 2.
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Haikyuu!! OVA #2: VS Falling Marks VS. Falling Marks doesn’t necessarily drive the plot forward, yet it offers a closer look at the players as they attempt to balance their passion for volleyball with school, grades, and life. You can watch it after finishing the second season, or between episodes 3 and 4 of the second season (if you want to be super precise).
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Haikyuu!! Season 2 - Spring High Preliminary Arc In this arc, Karasuno has finished their training camp and is restarting their campaign to win a tournament. In this arc, they compete against teams such as Ohgiminami High, Kakugawa High, Johzenji High, and Wakutani Minami High—before finally facing off against the team that beat them previously, Aoba Johsai.
- This arc consists of episodes 12-25 in season 2.
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Haikyuu!! The Movie: Talent and Sense Talent and Sense is basically a movie recap of the Karasuno vs. Aoba Johsai match at the end of season 2. However, it does have some extra scenes that the anime episodes don’t—so if you want a more in-depth
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Haikyuu!! Season 3 - Spring High Preliminary, Continued That’s right, the spring preliminary doesn’t end with season 2! Instead, Karasuno goes on to face the Shiratorizawa Academy—the favored team to win the whole tournament. While this season touches on other matches between teams, its main focus (throughout the entire 10-episode season) is Karasuno vs. Shiratorizawa.^{[4]
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Haikyuu!! OVA: Special Feature! The Spring Tournament of Their Youth This special feature OVA is presented as a news report covering the entire Spring Tournament (which spans the back half of season 2 and all season 3). Since those episodes focus on Karasuno, the special feature can help you catch up on all the other teams, too!
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Haikyuu!! OVA Specials - LAND VS. AIR and The Path of the Ball These OVAs are features focusing on the Tokyo representative teams and their journeys at the Spring High National Tournament. LAND VS. AIR follows Nekoma High and Fukurodani Academy, while The Path of the Ball follows Nekoma High vs. Nohebi Academy—as well as Fukurodani vs. Itachiyama.^{[5]
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Haikyuu!! The Movie: Battle of Concepts Battle of Concepts is, essentially, another recap movie. It covers the season 3 match between Karasuno and Shiratorizawa. Like Talent and Sense, it has some extra scenes added in that you don’t see in the anime series—so if you like added content, it’s still worth a watch (even if it doesn’t further the overall plot).
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Haikyuu!! Season 4 - Tokyo Nationals Arc Haikyuu!! season 4 (officially titled “HAIKYUU!! TO THE TOP”) consists of a single major arc: the Tokyo Nationals. It’s all about the Karasuno team’s bid to become national champions, beginning with practice rematches against previously defeated teams before moving on to the actual competition.^{[6]
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Haikyuu!! The Movie: The Dumpster Battle Unlike all previous movies, The Dumpster Battle isn’t a recap—it’s the much-anticipated championship match between Karasuno and Nekoma High. So, if you’re determined to watch Haikyuu!! from start to finish, be sure you don’t miss this movie!^{[7]
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Section 4 of 4:

Where to Watch Haikyuu!!

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You can watch Haikyuu!! on Crunchyroll and Netflix. Crunchyroll offers the most complete collection of Haikyuu!! content, with all seasons, OVAs, and movies available to watch. Season 1 is available for free (with ads), but you’ll need a premium membership to watch all other movies, OVAs, and seasons. Meanwhile, you can watch all 4 seasons of the anime series on Netflix—but not the movies and OVAs.
- Haikyuu!! is also available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime. Alternatively, you can stream it for free if you connect your Crunchyroll account to Prime.
- Note that the streaming services where you can watch Haikyuu!! are subject to change and may be different depending on which country you live in.