Baki: Where to Start and What Order to Watch It In
In short: Most people should start with the 2018 Netflix Baki and watch in release order: Baki (2018), The Great Raitai Tournament Saga (2020), Baki Hanma (2021), Baki Hanma Season 2 (2023), then Baki-Dou: The Invincible Samurai (2026). If you want the whole story from the beginning, watch the 2001 Baki the Grappler first. It covers the arena tournament the Netflix series assumes you know.
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- Baki the Grappler (2001, Group TAC): 48 episodes over two seasons. The underground arena and the Maximum Tournament. Optional, see below.
- Baki (2018, Netflix, TMS Entertainment): 26 episodes. The Most Evil Death Row Convicts arc.
- Baki: The Great Raitai Tournament Saga (2020, Netflix): 13 episodes. The fighters travel to China for the Great Raitai tournament.
- Baki Hanma (2021, Netflix): 12 episodes. Baki goes to an American prison to fight Biscuit Oliva.
- Baki Hanma Season 2 (2023, Netflix): 27 episodes. The Pickle arc, then the long-promised fight between Baki and Yujiro.
- Baki-Dou: The Invincible Samurai (2026, Netflix): 25 episodes, released on February 26 and June 18. The legendary swordsman Musashi Miyamoto is brought back to life.
Two extras sit outside the main order. The 1994 OVA is a 45-minute early version of the story, and Baki Hanma VS Kengan Ashura (2024) is a 65-minute crossover film on Netflix. Neither is required.
2001 or 2018: where should you start?
Start with the 2018 Netflix series if you want modern animation and are happy to pick up the backstory as you go. It opens with five escaped death-row fighters heading to Tokyo, which works as a hook even if you don't know anyone yet.
Start with Baki the Grappler (2001) if you want the full story. The Netflix series begins after the manga's first story, so characters like Doppo Orochi, Retsu Kaioh and Jack Hanma come in with history you haven't seen. The 2001 series covers that history, but its animation is clearly dated.
Our verdict: start with 2018. If you get hooked and the returning fighters feel like strangers, go back to the 2001 series' Maximum Tournament afterwards.
How long it takes
The Netflix-era run, from Baki (2018) through Baki-Dou, is 103 episodes, about 40 hours. Adding the 2001 series brings it to roughly 60 hours.
What kind of show Baki is
Baki is about a teenage fighter trying to surpass his father, Yujiro Hanma, who the story treats as the strongest creature on Earth. Most of the runtime is fights, explained by narrators and spectators with absurd, straight-faced detail about exactly how a punch damages a body. Fans love it as spectacle. If you want grounded martial arts, this isn't it. If you want escalating, ridiculous showdowns played completely seriously, it's one of the purest examples there is.
More anime watch orders: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Demon Slayer and Chainsaw Man.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I watch Baki? Every series from 2018 onward is a Netflix original. The 2001 Baki the Grappler moves between services, so check what's available in your country.
Do I need to watch the Kengan Ashura crossover? No. It's a side story and doesn't affect the main plot.
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