Pokemon Anime in Release OrderRecommended
0 / 9 watchedAsh era grouped by Japanese series, then Horizons, then films. Release order throughout.
Ash era
- 1 Pokemon: The Original Series 276 episodes, 1997-2002. Kanto, Orange Islands and Johto. US seasons 1-5.
- 2 Pokemon: Advanced Generation 192 episodes, 2002-2006. Hoenn plus Battle Frontier. US seasons 6-9.
- 3 Pokemon: Diamond and Pearl 191 episodes, 2006-2010. Sinnoh. US seasons 10-13.
- 4 Pokemon: Best Wishes (Black and White) 142 episodes, 2010-2013. Unova. US seasons 14-16.
- 5 Pokemon: XY 140 episodes, 2013-2016. Kalos. US seasons 17-19.
- 6 Pokemon: Sun and Moon 146 episodes, 2016-2019. Alola. US seasons 20-22.
- 7 Pokemon Journeys 147 episodes, 2019-2023. World tour; Ash becomes World Champion and departs in March 2023. US seasons 23-25.
New protagonists
- 8 Pokemon Horizons Premiered April 2023. Liko and Roy; arcs run from Liko and Roy Set Off through Mega Voltage, Rising Again and the current Wonder Voyage. Still airing.
Films
- 9 Pokemon films 1-23 (Mewtwo Strikes Back to Secrets of the Jungle) 23 films, 1998-2020, mostly standalone and skippable. Watch The First Movie with Mewtwo Returns, Pokemon 2000, Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, and Arceus and the Jewel of Life; the I Choose You trilogy is a separate reboot continuity.
About Pokemon
Ash Ketchum's run lasted 25 years, from April 1997 to March 2023, across seven Japanese series and more than 1,200 episodes. Pokemon Horizons took over in April 2023 with Liko and Roy, a tighter plot about Terapagos and the Six Heroes, and arcs including Mega Voltage and Rising Again; the Wonder Voyage chapter began May 22, 2026 and airs now.
All 23 films from 1998 to 2020 are optional side stories except a few that feed the shows. The games follow their own continuity and have a separate Play Order post on this site.
Good to know
Episode counts below are Japanese series totals; US season splits plus banned or unaired episodes make sources differ by a few. Canon-relevant viewing: The First Movie plus the Mewtwo Returns TV special (2000), Pokemon 2000 for the Orange Islands Lugia story, Lucario and the Mystery of Mew for aura lore Ash later echoes, and Arceus and the Jewel of Life for Sinnoh myth. The I Choose You trilogy (2017 to 2020) is a reboot continuity, not TV canon. No new film had been announced since Secrets of the Jungle (2020) as of September 17, 2026.
