Food Wars Watch Order: Every Season, Plate and OVA, in order
“All five Food Wars seasons and the OVAs in release order, with the one OVA worth watching.”
Food Wars is a five-course meal with a few side dishes you didn't order. The courses are the five TV seasons. The side dishes are the OVAs, and one of them is tastier than you'd expect. (Yes, I went there.)
The order is simple: release order, start to finish. Season 1 begins with Soma Yukihira arriving at Totsuki Culinary Academy, and Seasons 2 to 5 follow one after another. That's 86 episodes in total. One thing trips people up: the Totsuki Train Arc shows up as its own title, but it's the second half of Season 3, so watch it right after The Third Plate.
Now the OVAs. How many of them matter? Answer: one. The second episode of the Second Plate OVA sets up events that later seasons refer back to, so watch it before The Third Plate. The first OVA (two side stories) and the Third Plate OVA with Erina are optional extras. Think of them as the free bread basket: nice to have, and nobody will judge you for skipping it.
At the end: Seasons 1 and 2, the Second Plate OVA, Season 3 with its Train Arc, then Seasons 4 and 5. That's 9 steps and 6 of them are core. Now go sharpen your knives.
Seasons 1 and 2 (2015-2017)
Start here. Soma Yukihira enrolls at Totsuki Culinary Academy and fights his way through its shokugeki duels. 24 episodes.
Direct continuation of Soma's run at Totsuki. 13 episodes.
Two 25-minute OVAs from 2017. The second is worth watching before Season 3.
The second episode sets up events that later seasons refer back to, so it's the one OVA worth treating as a must-watch before The Third Plate.
Season 3 (2017-2018)
Direct continuation, starting with the challenge to the Elite Ten. 12 episodes.
The second 12-episode run of Season 3. Watch it right after The Third Plate.
Lifehaki lists this as its own title, but it's the second half of Season 3, not a separate season. That's why it isn't numbered here as Season 4.
A 23-minute OVA from May 2018 with Erina at the Polar Star Dormitory. A light extra.
The final seasons (2019-2020)
That's the whole route, captain.
9 stops left on this route — 0% logged so far.
Track your route, captain.
Save this order to your account and Lifehaki remembers exactly where you stopped — down to the episode.
Join the haki — it's free