# Patlabor Watch Order Also known as: Mobile Police Patlabor, Kidou Keisatsu Patlabor, Patlabor: The Early Days, Patlabor The Movie, Patlabor 2, Patlabor WXIII, Patlabor EZY, Patlabor on Television, Patlabor: The New Files Source: https://www.animechrono.com/franchise/patlabor Last updated: 2026-11-02 Last checked against current sources: 2026-11-02 AnimeChrono watch orders put every season, movie, OVA, ONA and special in chronological story order, mark optional entries, say where to start, and are maintained by signed-in fans with versioned edits that can be reverted (8 entries in this order). Where to start Patlabor: begin with the Early Days OVA, episode 1 (1988), then Patlabor: The Movie (1989) and Patlabor 2: The Movie (1993). For the new Patlabor EZY (2026), watch the TV continuity instead: Patlabor on Television and The New Files. This Patlabor watch order lists the two continuities in story order. The movie continuity runs the Early Days OVA (Episodes 1-7), Patlabor: The Movie, WXIII (an optional side story set around the first film) and Patlabor 2: The Movie. The TV continuity restarts with Patlabor on Television (Episodes 1-47), continues in The New Files OVA (Episodes 1-16), and picks up decades later in Patlabor EZY with a new Division 2. EZY File 1 opened in Japan on May 15, 2026 and File 2 on August 14, 2026; File 3, which closes the eight-episode series, is due in March 2027. ## Recommended first watch Movie continuity: the Early Days OVA (7 episodes), Patlabor: The Movie and Patlabor 2: The Movie. WXIII is an optional side story. TV continuity: Patlabor on Television (47 episodes), The New Files (16), then Patlabor EZY File 1 and File 2. EZY follows the TV continuity; File 3 is due March 2027. ## Start here Start with Episodes 1-7 (Patlabor: The Early Days). 1 entry is optional: WXIII: Patlabor the Movie 3. The story still tracks without them. Filler and skip notes: - **WXIII: Patlabor the Movie 3** — Optional film (2002): two detectives chase a creature; set around the first film's time. ## The chronological order 1. Patlabor: The Early Days: Episodes 1-7 2. Patlabor: The Movie (movie) 3. WXIII: Patlabor the Movie 3 (movie) — optional 4. Patlabor 2: The Movie (movie) 5. Patlabor on Television: Episodes 1-47 6. Patlabor: The New Files: Episodes 1-16 7. Patlabor EZY File 1 (OVA) 8. Patlabor EZY File 2 (OVA) ## Release order Sorted by air date. This follows when each entry aired, which may differ from the chronological watch order. 1. Patlabor: The Early Days: Episodes 1-7 — aired 1988-04-25 2. Patlabor: The Movie (movie) — aired 1989-07-15 3. Patlabor on Television: Episodes 1-47 — aired 1989-10-11 4. Patlabor: The New Files: Episodes 1-16 — aired 1990-11-22 5. Patlabor 2: The Movie (movie) — aired 1993-08-07 6. WXIII: Patlabor the Movie 3 (movie) — optional — aired 2002-03-30 7. Patlabor EZY File 1 (OVA) — aired 2026-05-15 8. Patlabor EZY File 2 (OVA) — aired 2026-08-14 ## Side branches Part of Patlabor, but outside the chronological order above. - **Patlabor EZY File 3** (Film · March 2027): Episodes 7-8, one continuous story that closes EZY. Japanese theatrical release is set for March 2027. - **Mobile Police Patlabor REBOOT** (Short film · 2016): An eight-minute short with a new crew, made as a pilot. Optional; not tied to either continuity. - **Minipato** (Shorts · 2002): Three comic super-deformed shorts released alongside WXIII. Optional. ## FAQ **What order should I watch Patlabor in?** Movie continuity: the Early Days OVA (7 episodes), Patlabor: The Movie and Patlabor 2: The Movie. WXIII is an optional side story. TV continuity: Patlabor on Television (47 episodes), The New Files (16), then Patlabor EZY File 1 and File 2. EZY follows the TV continuity; File 3 is due March 2027. **Where should I start Patlabor?** Start with the Early Days OVA (1988), then the two Mamoru Oshii films. If you want to watch Patlabor EZY, start with Patlabor on Television instead, since EZY continues that timeline. **Are the Patlabor OVA and TV series the same story?** No. The TV series restarts the story with changes, and The New Files continues it. The Early Days OVA leads into the movies. The characters are the same in both. **Where does Patlabor WXIII fit?** WXIII (2002) is the third film but is set around the time of the first one and follows two detectives; Division 2 only appears briefly. It is optional. **Is Patlabor EZY a sequel?** Yes, to the TV continuity, set in the 2030s with a new Division 2 crew; Shigeo Shiba returns. Files 1 and 2 (2026) are stand-alone episodes; File 3 is due in March 2027. **What is the chronological order of Patlabor?** Start with Episodes 1-7 (Patlabor: The Early Days), then continue with Patlabor: The Movie, WXIII: Patlabor the Movie 3, Patlabor 2: The Movie, Episodes 1-47 (Patlabor on Television), and Episodes 1-16 (Patlabor: The New Files), followed by 2 more entries. The full Patlabor watch order on this page has 8 entries across 7 series, listed in chronological viewing order. **What is the release order of Patlabor?** In the order they aired, start with Episodes 1-7 (Patlabor: The Early Days), then Patlabor: The Movie, Episodes 1-47 (Patlabor on Television), Episodes 1-16 (Patlabor: The New Files), Patlabor 2: The Movie, and WXIII: Patlabor the Movie 3, followed by 2 more entries. Release order follows air dates and is not the recommended chronological order. **How many episodes is Patlabor?** Patlabor has 70 TV episodes in this order, plus 3 movies and 2 OVAs. **Where do the Patlabor movies fit in the watch order?** Patlabor: The Movie comes right after Episodes 1-7 (Patlabor: The Early Days), WXIII: Patlabor the Movie 3 comes right after Patlabor: The Movie, and Patlabor 2: The Movie comes right after WXIII: Patlabor the Movie 3. **Can I skip anything in Patlabor?** Yes. 1 entry is marked optional: WXIII: Patlabor the Movie 3. Everything else is part of the main story. **Is Patlabor finished?** Not yet. More Patlabor is on the way. This order is updated by the community as new seasons, movies, and specials come out. Track it to get notified when the order changes. --- Something wrong or out of date? Anyone can edit this order at https://www.animechrono.com/franchise/patlabor. Every change is versioned.