Loading…
Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Watch Order
11 entries · · community-maintained
Also known as Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha, Nanoha, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha ViVid, ViVid Strike!, Nanoha Reflection, Nanoha Detonation, Nanoha EXCEEDS Gun Blaze Vengeance
Where to start Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha: begin with the 2004 TV series, episode 1, then A's (2005). After that the franchise splits in two. This Nanoha watch order lists both continuities in story order. The TV continuity runs Nanoha (Episodes 1-13), A's (Episodes 1-13), StrikerS (Episodes 1-26, ten years later), ViVid (Episodes 1-12) and ViVid Strike! (Episodes 1-12). The movie continuity starts with The Movie 1st (2010) and The Movie 2nd A's (2012), which retell the first two seasons, then breaks off into new stories with Reflection (2017), Detonation (2018) and the 2026 TV series EXCEEDS Gun Blaze Vengeance (Episodes 1-12), set two years after Detonation. StrikerS and ViVid do not connect to Reflection, Detonation or EXCEEDS, so you can watch either branch first after A's.
Paid links on this page
Recommended first watch
Checked November 2026Start with Season 1 (13 episodes) and A's (13).
For the TV continuity, continue with StrikerS (26), ViVid (12) and ViVid Strike! (12).
For the movie continuity, watch Reflection and Detonation, then EXCEEDS Gun Blaze Vengeance (12). The Movie 1st and 2nd A's retell Season 1 and A's, so they are optional if you have seen the TV versions.
Start here
- Watch first
- Start with Episodes 1-13 (Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha).
- What to skip
- 3 entries are optional: ViVid Strike! OVA, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha: The Movie 1st (Movie continuity), and Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha: The Movie 2nd A's (Movie continuity). The story still tracks without them.
- Filler notes
- Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha: The Movie 1st (Movie continuity). Optional if you watched Season 1.
- Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha: The Movie 2nd A's (Movie continuity). Optional if you watched A's.
- ViVid Strike! OVA. Optional.
Chronological order
Spot a mistake?
Fix this order
Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha
#1 · 1 entry
- 1Episodes 1-13
Start here. Season 1 (13 episodes, 2004): Nanoha Takamachi finds Raising Heart and meets Fate Testarossa.
0/13
Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's
#2 · 1 entry
- 2Episodes 1-13
A's (13 episodes, 2005): half a year later, the Wolkenritter and the Book of Darkness; Hayate's story.
0/13
Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS
#3 · 1 entry
- 3Episodes 1-26
StrikerS (26 episodes, 2007): ten years on, Nanoha trains Riot Force 6's new recruits on Midchilda.
0/26
Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha ViVid
#4 · 1 entry
- 4Episodes 1-12
ViVid (12 episodes, 2015): four years after StrikerS, Vivio and friends take up martial-arts magic.
0/12
ViVid Strike!
#5 · 1 entry
- 5Episodes 1-12
ViVid Strike! (12 episodes, 2016): a ViVid spin-off with new leads Fuuka and Rinne. Ends the TV continuity.
0/12
ViVid Strike! OVA
#6 · 1 entry
- 6ViVid Strike! OVAOptional
Optional. Three short bonus episodes (2017) after ViVid Strike!.
OVA
Movie continuity
#7–10 · 4 entries
- 7Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha: The Movie 1stOptional
Optional if you watched Season 1. The Movie 1st (2010) retells it and starts the separate movie continuity.
Movie - 8Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha: The Movie 2nd A'sOptional
Optional if you watched A's. The Movie 2nd A's (2012) retells it in the movie continuity.
Movie - 9Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha: Reflection
Reflection (2017): a new story after 2nd A's; Nanoha, Fate and Hayate face Amitie and Kyrie Florian.
Movie - 10Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Detonation
Detonation (2018): concludes the story Reflection starts. Watch them back to back.
Movie
Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha EXCEEDS Gun Blaze Vengeance
#11 · 1 entry
- 11Episodes 1-12
EXCEEDS Gun Blaze Vengeance (12 episodes, 2026): two years after Detonation; new lead Shiina Kuze.
0/12
Side branches
Part of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, but outside the chronological order above. Each note says when it fits.
Picture drama specials
Specials · 2013-2015
Short bonus picture dramas from the Blu-ray sets (Lyrical IF, Medical Shamal, Midchilda Gakuen). Optional; any time after the matching season.
Triangle Heart: Sweet Songs Forever
OVA · 2003
The visual-novel OVA where Nanoha first appeared as a side character. A different story; not needed.
The correct order to watch Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, as one listShowHide
Watch Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha in this order. 11 entries, chronological.
- Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha: Episodes 1-13
- Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's: Episodes 1-13
- Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS: Episodes 1-26
- Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha ViVid: Episodes 1-12
- ViVid Strike!: Episodes 1-12
- ViVid Strike! OVA (OVA) — optional
- Movie continuity: Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha: The Movie 1st (movie) — optional
- Movie continuity: Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha: The Movie 2nd A's (movie) — optional
- Movie continuity: Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha: Reflection (movie)
- Movie continuity: Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Detonation (movie)
- Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha EXCEEDS Gun Blaze Vengeance: Episodes 1-12
How this order works
AnimeChrono watch orders put every season, movie, OVA, ONA and special for a franchise in chronological story order, the order the events happen. When an OVA or movie takes place partway through a season, the episode range is split so it sits where it belongs. Entries you can skip are marked optional, and each order says where to start. Release order, sorted by air date, is a secondary view once every entry has a date. The orders began as a hand-curated set, and episode counts and air dates come from AniList. Fans maintain the orders from there. Any signed-in user can edit one. Edits from trusted contributors go live right away and the rest are reviewed first. Every change is versioned and can be reverted, and each order shows when it was last updated and last checked.
Something wrong or missing?
This order is maintained by the community. Report a problem, or sign in to fix it yourself.
Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha watch order FAQ
What order should I watch Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha in?
Start with Season 1 (13 episodes) and A's (13). For the TV continuity, continue with StrikerS (26), ViVid (12) and ViVid Strike! (12). For the movie continuity, watch Reflection and Detonation, then EXCEEDS Gun Blaze Vengeance (12). The Movie 1st and 2nd A's retell Season 1 and A's, so they are optional if you have seen the TV versions.
Where should I start Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha?
Start with the 2004 TV series (13 episodes), then A's (13). Both continuities build on that story.
Are the Nanoha movies a retelling or a sequel?
Both. The Movie 1st and The Movie 2nd A's retell Season 1 and A's. Reflection and Detonation are new stories set after them, in a separate movie continuity.
Is EXCEEDS Gun Blaze Vengeance a sequel to StrikerS?
No. It aired July to September 2026 and is set two years after Detonation, in the movie continuity. StrikerS, ViVid and ViVid Strike! are the TV continuity.
Do I need to watch Triangle Heart first?
No. Nanoha began as a spin-off of the Triangle Heart visual novels, but the Nanoha anime is a separate story and needs no Triangle Heart.
What is the chronological order of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha?
Start with Episodes 1-13 (Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha), then continue with Episodes 1-13 (Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's), Episodes 1-26 (Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS), Episodes 1-12 (Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha ViVid), Episodes 1-12 (ViVid Strike!), and ViVid Strike! OVA, followed by 5 more entries. The full Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha watch order on this page has 11 entries across 8 series, listed in chronological viewing order.
What is the release order of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha?
In the order they aired, start with Episodes 1-13 (Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha), then Episodes 1-13 (Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's), Episodes 1-26 (Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS), Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha: The Movie 1st (Movie continuity), Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha: The Movie 2nd A's (Movie continuity), and Episodes 1-12 (Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha ViVid), followed by 5 more entries. Release order follows air dates and is not the recommended chronological order.
How many episodes is Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha?
Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha has 88 TV episodes in this order, plus 4 movies and 1 OVA.
Where do the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha movies fit in the watch order?
Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha: The Movie 1st comes right after ViVid Strike! OVA, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha: The Movie 2nd A's comes right after Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha: The Movie 1st (Movie continuity), Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha: Reflection comes right after Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha: The Movie 2nd A's (Movie continuity), and Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Detonation comes right after Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha: Reflection (Movie continuity).
Can I skip anything in Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha?
Yes. 3 entries are marked optional: ViVid Strike! OVA, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha: The Movie 1st (Movie continuity), and Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha: The Movie 2nd A's (Movie continuity). Everything else is part of the main story.
Is Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha finished?
Yes. Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha has finished airing, and this order covers everything released so far in chronological viewing order.
Shop
Loading activity...